January Newsletter

WE DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY!

Math Corner

In Enhanced Algebra, students have been learning about exponential equations and how that applies to interest, loans, and savings. In Geometry, students are learning all about circles!

English Corner

Ninth Grade Lit has been diving into the writings of Booker T. Washington, W. E. B. DuBois, and Martin Luther King, Jr., as we explore the ideas and rhetorical strategies they employed. Students have also begun reading Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, exploring themes of childhood, empathy, and justice in 1930's Alabama. All of this has allowed us to do several cross-curricular activities with Mrs. Gibbs's class in Georgia Studies, while they learn about the New South, where students in my class had the opportunity to assess the effectiveness of the argumentative communication of the Georgia Studies class.

Ga. Studies Corner

This month we have been focused on the era of change that swept through Georgia as well as resistance to change through Reconstruction and the New South Era. We have also moved into the conflicts of WWI as we close out the month. Students have written their first full essay over whether or not Reconstruction was successful. They learned the importance of historical writing through the lens of argumentative styles. Students then participated in a four day simulation where they created their own New South Fair to emulate the purpose of the New Cotton Expositions held in Atlanta at the turn of the 20th century. Most recently, students conducted a strategy simulation in which they embodied the different countries involved in WWI in an attempt to change the outcome of the war through building alliances to accomplish their goals. It has been a jam packed month of learning as we move into more recent history in Georgia!

HS Physical Science Corner

January has been another exciting month in high school physical science! We have started the semester of chemistry (Coach Greene's favorite - but don't tell physics because it's a close second!). We eased back into school with Unit #6: states of matter and gas laws. States of matter was a nice review of molecular motion of matter at different states based on heat added/removed because we covered this in the physics energy/heat Unit #3 as well. This time the students got to perform a lab where they melted an ice cube into water and then boiled into steam - all while taking the temperature every 30 seconds and plotting their own phase change diagram! We also did stations exploring gas laws - squishing/reinflating marshmallows in a syringe, dancing dime on a steak sauce bottle, Cartesian Divers and their favorite one - CAN CRUSH! These stations shows the relationship of temperature, volume, pressure, and density in gases. Many of these they can replicate at home!

We have now started Unit 7 on Atoms and Radioactivity. We just finished up understanding the atomic structure and being able to see trends on the periodic table and make predictions of chemical and physical properties about different elements based on their location on the periodic table. We are just now starting the half of the unit on radioactivity and nuclear energy.

How you can be helping your student at home - talk to them about nuclear energy and other processes to get energy (oil, coal, natural gas, solar, wind, geothermal, etc.) because they will be having a Socratic discussion on the pros and cons of nuclear energy as an alternative energy source next week. Also talk to them about different elements and compounds around the house. Some of them will be researching and working on an element project (transition metals mostly) and understanding their properties and uses.

Pictured above are students working on the states of matter lab - melting ice into water and then into steam to build their own Phase Change Diagram!

IMG_2568.MOV

IMG_2567.MOV

Pictured above and below are examples of the different Gas Laws Exploration Stations: Can Crush, Cartesian Divers, Steak Sauce Gas, Not so Squishy, and The Spinner.

Extra Curricular

Basketball season has come to an end. The tournament was this past Saturday. The girls won their first game on Thursday Jan 23! This put them as the 7th seed in the tournament and the boys went in as the 8th seed. Both teams played hard, but ultimately were eliminated in the first round of the tournament.

8th graders were recognized at their last home game. The teams were also honored at Johnson High School last Wednesday during the varsity games. The DVA 8th graders on the basketball/cheerleading teams are:

Boys: Jacob Castano, Jeremiah Lopez, Colin Vanausdoll, Munya Mukono, Iker Hernandez

Girls: Marisol Lopez, Sophia Sanchez, Arianna Flores

Cheerleaders: Cecilia Ramirez, Jennifer Barrera, Marisol Lopez, Sophia Sanchez

Basketball Tournament on Saturday 2/1

Extra Curricular

The winners of January's Tech Fair were:

Iker Hernandez – 1st place in Digital Photo Production (8th grader)

Ana Sofia Wilson Cardenas – 1st Place in Graphic Design (8th grader)

Daniel Varner – 1st Place in Audio Production (7th grader)

Breanna Wilburn and Natalie Sandoval – 1st Place in 3D Modelling (7th grader)

Upcoming Field Trips

We have 2 field trips coming up in February. We have already collected signed permission forms for both of them.

1) Shakespeare Tavern on Wednesday Feb 19 (day after Winter Break). PLEASE make sure students are at school on time because we have to leave immediately following morning announcements (8:20) and board the bus in order to get to the theatre on time and the play starts at 10 am sharp. All 4 DVA teachers and all 77 DVA students are attending! We then return to the school at 1:45 pm. This is an AMAZING opportunity for students to see a professional production of Romeo and Juliet live for a discounted price!

2) Brenau career fair on Wednesday Feb 26. The counseling office is organizing this field trip. The purpose of the Career Fair is to expose students to different types of jobs and career pathways. Students got to choose the areas they are most interested in exploring. Students will be transported by bus at 8:30 and return to school around 1:45. We would love for some parents to join us as chaperones! The venue is asking for 1 adult per 10 students and there are 150 students going total between South Hall and DVA. If you are available to chaperone for this event, please email LeAnn.Owens@hallco.org with Brenau 2/26 in the subject line. All 4 DVA teachers will also serve as chaperones. Band students cannot attend the trip because of a band conflict, and they will be staying at the school with Dr. Elrod doing a career exploration activity after band class.

Updates:

The next (and LAST!) Savannah payment is due February 7th! You recently received a letter from Mr. Wildeboer with your exact amount due based on what payments you've made and money earned from the CFA biscuit sales. The trip is March 10-12 and totals $647 (before fundraising). If you have any questions about the trip or payments, please contact Mr. Wildeboer: matthew.wildeboer@hallco.org.

Click on this link for a copy of the calendar that was made last year and used by individuals fundraising for the Savannah Trip. It is especially great for social media posts or out of town friends/family that want to help.

Program of Choice applications were turned in during December, teachers filled out their recommendations in January, and then the schools are currently reviewing completed applications. Students will hear from the POC if they were accepted this Friday February 7.

Page updated

Report abuse