Standard and Advanced

Students in on-level and advanced ELA have officially jumped into Unit 2: “Make a Difference.” The thematic question of focus for this unit is: “How can someone use their talents and abilities to make a difference in the world around them?” In this unit, we will be studying informational texts that focus on individuals who have made a difference in our world. Some of the individuals we will be researching include a well-known playwright and song writer, a famous baseball player, a world-renowned performer and philanthropist, and female WWII pilots. Studying these individuals will teach us how we can use our own talents to make a difference in our world.

Uncovering Heroes, Myths, and Epic Tales in Enhanced ELA

Our Enhanced ELA Lit. & Comp. students are right in the middle of Unit 2: The Making of a Hero! To kick things off, small groups researched Ancient Greek culture and mythology to build their own class Wiki pages—giving them a solid foundation before diving into Homer’s The Odyssey.

Now, after exploring the "hero's journey" and classic character archetypes, students are reading Part One. We’re having a blast spotting patterns in Homer's storytelling and connecting them to the modern books and movies we love today. Through discussions, analytical writing, and presentations, students are exploring how Greek values shaped their vision of heroism, all leading up to a final literary analysis essay.

Spanish 1

Hola families and guardians!

Spanish students have already grown so much this year! Students were assessed on their proficiency in the areas of reading, listening, speaking, and writing as we progressed throughout Unit 1. At this point in the year, students are expected to communicate with memorized questions and simple sentences and phrases on familiar topics. Now, students are working on new vocabulary and language structures of Unit 2: Creating a Community. Vocabulary topics include family, people, and common activities that bring communities together. This quarter, students will also learn about the cultural traditions of the quinceañera and Día de los Muertos celebrations in the United States and Mexico.

Upcoming Assessments:

Please see your child’s teacher’s individual Canvas page for important dates and study resources.

Native Speakers 1

This week, we closed the HHM with a Flex celebration with friends and our traditional Speak Spanish Day at the LAKE. Academically, we begin Unit 2, Nuestra Herencia, where students will reflect and respond to questions such as: ¿Qué similitudes y diferencias existen entre mi cultura y otras culturas? ¿De qué manera mi herencia cultural me conecta con el mundo? Our class will complete a weekly quiz or formative assessment for two weeks to prepare for the summative assessment in week 3. 

8th Grade Standard Math

Here is a quick look at what’s coming up in 8th-grade math as we are currently in Unit 2: Modeling Linear Relationships and Functions

Current Focus: Identifying Slope & y-intercepts from equations, graph

Upcoming Quiz: 

• U2b Quiz1 Friday, October 23rd 

• U2b Quiz2 Friday, October 30th 

Unit 2b Test: Friday, November 6th 

Please continue to check our Canvas course page for resources, calendar updates, and daily lesson links. 

Looking Ahead: We will begin Unit 2c: Converting, Graphing, Writing Slope Intercept, Point-slope, and Standard Form of lines on Monday, November 9th.

Algebra 1

In Algebra, we are in the middle of Unit 2B.  Students took a quiz this week on domain/range, functions, function notation, and identifying a function as linear or non-linear.  Next week's focus will be on arithmetic sequences and how a pattern can be described as a linear function.  The test for this unit will be Friday, Oct. 30th. Please make sure your student is completing their homework and study guide prior to their assessments to help make sure they have practiced enough.

Accelerated Algebra 1 & Geometry A

Here is a quick look at what’s coming up in Accelerated Math as we continue with Unit 3: Functions, Key Features, and Arithmetic Sequences

Current Focus: Key Features of Functions

Upcoming Quizzes: 

• U3 Quiz 2 - Key Features - Wednesday, October 21st  

• U4a Quiz 1 - Factoring Quadratics - Monday, November 2nd  

Unit 3 Test: Tuesday, October 27th 

Please continue to check our Canvas course page for resources, calendar updates, and daily lesson links. 

Looking Ahead: We will begin Unit 4a - Quadratic Equations on Wednesday, October 28th.

We are officially in the 5th unit of the 8th grade year.

Current Standard

Unit 5: Solutions and Acids and Bases

SPS6. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to explain the properties of solutions. 

a. Develop and use models to explain the properties (solute/solvent, conductivity, and concentration) of solutions. 

b. Plan and carry out investigations to determine how temperature, surface area, and agitation affect the rate solutes dissolve in a specific solvent. 

c. Analyze and interpret data from a solubility curve to determine the effect of temperature on solubility. 

d. Obtain and communicate information to explain the relationship between the structure and properties (e.g., pH, and color change in the presence of an indicator) of acids and bases. (Clarification statement: Limited to only the structure of simple acids and bases (e.g., HCl and NaOH) that demonstrates the presence of an H+ or OH-. 

e. Plan and carry out investigations to detect patterns in order to classify common household substances as acidic, basic, or neutral.

Upcoming Standards

Unit 6: Heat and Gas Laws

SPS5. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to compare and contrast the phases of matter as they relate to atomic and molecular motion. 

b. Plan and carry out investigations to identify the relationships among temperature, pressure, volume, and density of gasses in closed systems. (Clarification statement: Using specific Gas laws to perform calculations is beyond the scope of this standard; emphasis should focus on the conceptual understanding of the behavior of gasses rather than calculations.)

SPS7. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to explain transformations and flow of energy within a system.

b. Plan and carry out investigations to describe how molecular motion relates to thermal energy changes in terms of conduction, convection, and radiation. 

c. Analyze and interpret specific heat data to justify the selection of a material for a practical application (e.g., insulators and cooking vessels).

d. Analyze and interpret data to explain the flow of energy during phase changes using heating/cooling curves.

Throughout Unit 5, Students will learn about differentiating between elements, compounds, and mixtures.  The students will learn about solutions and the rate of solubility. They will run several lab activities for this concept. Lastly Students will learn about acids and bases and run experiments on household materials.

Throughout Unit 6, Students will explore heat. Students will run experiments on heat transfer and temperatures. Students will explore the gas laws and differentiate between the different gas laws. 

Upcoming Dates

• November 4: Unit 5 Quiz

• November 6: Unit 5 Test

• November 9: ADVANCED ONLY: Experiments for science Fair complete. Turn in Logbook.

• November 13: Unit 6 Quiz

• November 20: Unit 6 Test

• November 17: ADVANCED ONLY: Abstract and Final paper due

• December 4: ADVANCED ONLY: Final Display board due

Please note that this class moves extremely fast. Please remind your child to sign up for help sessions if he or she gets overwhelmed.

If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to your child’s teacher.

Georgia Studies is wrapping up Unit 3: Georgia and the American Revolution. Students are examining the differences between the Articles of Confederation and the US Constitution and how this new government led to expansion and concerns over states' rights.  The unit test is scheduled for October 21st. Prior to that time, students will complete a vocabulary quiz on October 14th.

When Unit 3 concludes, we will examine factors that affected westward development in Georgia between 1789 and 1840. After the American Revolution, Georgia’s land distribution policies led to growth and expansion across the state. These land policies explain why Georgia’s capital shifted westward and eventually settled in Atlanta. During the state’s westward expansion, Georgia experienced robust population growth that catalyzed economic development. With the development of a rail system, improvements in education, and new technologies, Georgia would become a significant southern state in the nation. During Unit 4, students will complete an FRQ (advanced) or notes quiz (on level), a vocabulary quiz, and a unit test. Dates vary by teacher; please check your child’s Canvas page for specific assessment dates.  

Physical Education:

Just a reminder, quarter 2 has started! For any student that has PE for 2nd quarter, PE Uniform attire is grey shirt and black bottoms. If you have purchased a shirt, shorts, etc. on School Pay; your child will pick this up in class on one of the first days of the quarter. If your child needs a uniform, it can be purchased on School Pay. Please make sure your child has a grey shirt and black bottoms for the uniform as well as athletic tennis shoes for class every day. 

**If you purchased a PE uniform on School Pay this year, but your child is not in PE this quarter, they will receive their PE uniform on the first days of the quarter when they have PE.

Please remind your child to lock up all their valuables in the locker room. Lockers and Locks are available for students to use. 

Marketing

DECA--Membership for DECA has closed. Both a parent permission slip and payment were due on September 5th. If your child submitted both of these by the deadline, then they will be invited to the DECA course on Canvas. How wonderful it is that we have over 140 students interested in being a part of this club! So, we truly are at capacity, and we are not accepting any more new members. 

Meetings will be held during a student's flex time. There will be a meeting posted on Student Support Time for students to sign up for. They will not be automatically pulled for the meetings. I will explain this process to the students through their Canvas course. Our first meeting will be next week. 

The DECA region competition is right around the corner on Wednesday, Dec. 9th at Browns Bridge Church.  Judges are needed for this event!  Please visit https://volunteer.forsythpartnerconnect.org/need/detail/?need_id=1320008 for more information!

Healthcare Science

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Engineering

In Engineering, the students will be completing three different projects during these nine weeks.  The first individual project is designing a website around a given theme.   The second individual project is creating a specific themed world in Minecraft education.  The third project is working with teams to build a mousetrap car (8th), a paper roller coaster (7th), and a robot (6th).

Do you have questions about your 8th grader starting high school?

Our counselors will be visiting Georgia Studies classrooms at the end of October to share important information about the transition to high school, including what students and families can expect as they prepare for this exciting next step.  We will be going into James and Whitfill's classes on 10/22 and Winkie and Poisson's classes on 10/23. 

We will also be hosting a Coffee with the Counselors - High School 101 Information Session with Lakeside Counselors information meeting for parents and families on Tuesday, October 27th at 8:00am in the Lakeside Media Center.  Please RSVP by Friday, October 23rd:  https://tinyurl.com/26HighSchool101.