We are so excited to begin teaching language arts to your children this year! ELA teaches students how to both analyze and write narrative, informational, and argumentative literature! Unit 1, Part I focuses on narrative elements such as characterization, conflict development, plot, figurative language, and theme. In this unit, students will examine and analyze narrative story elements through stories and poems! Our first test will be August 25 and will have multiple-choice questions focused on analyzing short passages and contain one written-response.

7th grade math is excited to have everyone this year! We will be learning a wide variety of topics including Number Sense, Expressions/Equations, Proportional Relationships, Geometry, Statistics, and Probability.

We are currently working on operations with integers, rational numbers, and multi-step equations.

Below are our upcoming assessment dates. Please see canvas for resources and updates.

7th Grade Math: 8/18- Operations with Integers Test

7th Grade Advanced Math: 8/25- 7th Grade Review Test (Rational Numbers, Expressions, Equations, Inequalities)

7th Grade Accelerated Math: 8/25- Multi-Step Equations Test

Teacher: Why are you turning in a blank sheet of paper?

Student: Because all my answers are imaginary numbers.

7th Grade Life Science includes a wide variety of Biology-related topics! Our first unit, Unit 1: Cell Structure and Function, is all about plant cells, animal cells, and their parts. These first two weeks we will review lab safety and begin learning about plant and animal cells. Our Unit 1 summative assessment will be an in-class project completed the week of August 28. We’re excited to spend this year with your student!

A Science Joke: It's impossible for plants to escape from jail. There's a wall around their cell!

We are so excited to have your kids back in our classrooms! This week we began our Building Blocks unit. This unit acts as a refresher on Government, Economics, and Religion. Throughout the year students will be studying and comparing the governments, economic systems, and religions found throughout the various countries we study. This unit gives a general overview of these topics before we look at individual countries. There will be an economics quiz on Monday (8/14) and the Building Blocks test is scheduled for the following Monday (8/21).

Welcome to 7th Grade Enrichment. We are so excited to work with your children this year! 7th grade enrichment is a graded course where we teach students various reading/reading comprehension, writing, grammar, vocabulary, listening/speaking and study/organization skills. To start out the year we will spend some time determining what type of learner your child is and how we can use that knowledge to ensure success this year. We will also be spending time creating weekly goals, ensuring their binders are set up for all of their academic classes and explaining/modeling how to effectively use their agenda. Correct agenda usage is vital in 7th grade and is a skill we will spend time addressing daily. This includes time management for both academic and extracurricular activities. All students MUST have an agenda as it is part of their grade for this course.  The first study skill we will begin covering this week will be SLANT and students will create a poster illustrating the steps of this strategy and their importance. We will then begin moving into the Test-Taking Strategy and begin our first podcast called Treasure Island 2020.

Engineering and Technology: Engineered covered the importance of safety in the classroom. We started introducing tools and their proper use. 

Healthcare Science: Healthcare Science:  Medical Terminology, HOSA competitive Events research project, Handwashing skills, Personal Protective Equipment and Body Mechanics.

 HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America):  The last day to Join HOSA is September 13th.  Please complete your application and pay membership dues on the SFMS HOSA website. 

Marketing: Mrs. Racine’s Marketing class for 6th, 7th, and 8th graders are getting to know each other and learning about the 4 P’s (Product, Price, Place & Promotion) of Marketing, Employability skills and Entrepreneurship.  DECA will have the first membership meeting in the New Media Center Classroom on Monday August 28th at 8:00AM.  The Eagle’s Nest (South’s School Store) will open during flex periods every Tuesday and Thursday. Everything is under $5.00 and the students love the exciting and fun items the store has to offer!

Physical Education:  The PE staff is excited to begin a new school year. The first couple of days are dedicated to issuing locks and uniforms. The process for 7th and 8th graders goes much quicker than for 6th graders. Once the administrative tasks are complete, we will begin activities. The August heat will keep us inside for most of each day with a volleyball unit. We ask the students to dress out for class with their uniform and tennis shoes. We encourage the use of water bottles and deodorant.  The PE coaches host our intramurals program in the gym beginning on Monday, August 14th ; this program is hosted throughout the school year. 6th graders on Mondays & Wednesdays. 7th & 8th graders on Tuesdays and Thursdays each week. It is held in the gym from 8-8:30. Student drop off is in the front of the building.  Eagle Pride(EP) and Running club(RC) begin on Monday, August 21. EP is held on Mondays & Wednesdays. RC is held on Mondays & Fridays. These programs are for any 6th-8th grader who want to work on their fitness. No sign ups are required. Both groups are held from 7:30-8:15 on their respective days.

All information is posted on the school’s ATHLETIC WEB PAGE.

Art:

If your student is interested in art club or calligraphy club, sign ups will begin on SchoolPay on 8/14/23 and end on 9/5/23. Stay up to date on all art related news by following @sfmsartstagram on Instagram

 Any student wishing to submit artwork for the Middle School Design A Bookmark Contest can pick up an entry form from Ms. Shoemake (Rm 525). Student can create a design for a bookmark based on the idea of COMMUNITY, and 1 winning design from each grade level at each middle school in the district will be printed onto bookmarks that will be free to anyone who checks out a book from a Forsyth County Public Library. All artwork MUST be done on an official entry form. Tracing or Copying other artworks are not permitted and will be disqualified.

 Drama:

Improv Club and Dance Team Signups are now open to all students at SFMS.  Interested students need to stop by Ms. Phillips' classroom to get a form.