We wrapped up the Short Fiction Unit with an awesome little 'tea party' so students could spend a full class reading one another's stories and leaving little appreciations on the back. It was a great celebration.

Now we are spending time in the library, deep into researching topics for nonfiction projects. The 7th graders are working on speeches for what has been the most famous unit in HUMS for more than fifteen years now--The Oratorical!

The 8th graders have begun projects for the National History Day event coming up.

Special thanks to Genevieve Knight, our Librarian for several excellent lessons!

In 7th grade, mathematicians are learning how to operate with all rational numbers. Specifically, we are investigating how to add and subtract all real numbers, positive and negative, fractions and decimals. While this is partially a review of 6th grade, we will be going deeper as we think about how to operate with non-whole numbers. We will have a quiz before we leave for break.

In 8th grade, students continue to solve systems of linear equations. We have moved beyond identifying solutions on graphs and are stretching our thinking with different algebraic strategies. Students have set equations equal to each other and are starting to practice the substitution method. We will have a quiz before we leave for break.

This week, students presented their 1-minute economic inquiry projects. I've learned a lot from these presentations, which are based on various topics of students interest. I encourage you to check with your kid about their topic question.

Moving forward, 8th graders have started researching for their Vermont History Day projects, while 7th graders have begun preparing their Oratorical Speech projects.

Recently, I found out I need surgery to heal a ruptured Achilles tendon that has not healed properly. Because of this circumstance, I will be out on medical leave for the rest of the school year. This was not anticipated, but I am ready to properly heal this injury, which has severely impacted my mobility since last June. 

In science, we have been learning about heat transfer through conduction, convection and radiation. We are ending this week with a super fun liquid nitrogen demonstration and using the -320 degree F substance to make ice cream!

Harwood and Crossett Brook 7th and 8th graders are invited to our first dance of the year. 

Febriary 9th - 7:00-9:00pm

$5 entrance fee

You are welcome to join us next Thursday in the Harwood Auditorium at 10:15 as we showcase student work in our Ethnography Celebration of Learning. We have selected thirteen projects from the full middle school that we believe highlight the spirit of ethnography while representing our community and our school. 

As student teacher Sam LaPointe wraps up his work at Harwood, students are turning in their created currencies (see Barbie-based currency above). From here, students can expect to take their studies to the international level. Where would you want to live in the world? In what ways could we measure the quality of life in a country? These questions will cap off our economic studies before we delve into our final project.

In this unit, we have been writing short stories and the students have done a great job developing fictional narratives. 

In the 7th grade, students are focused on writing with style--using sensory description, dialogue, and character actions.

In the 8th grade many students, extended the concept this year and wrote their fictions in the form of screenplays which has been awesome to see since this form underpins so many kinds of media students experience in their lives today.

In the photo above students are workshopping their stories in peer-groups. This experience has been a foundation of our writing units for years.

In the 7th grade, students are working with percentages. We are reviewing how to find the part, whole, or percent when given the other two pieces of information. This will progress into investigating percent increase and decrease, using models and equations. 

Here is a parent resource!

In the 8th grade, students have been practicing solving multistep equations. We are moving towards solving systems of equations. Students will learn how to solve a system of equations by finding values of variables that make two equations true at the same time.

Here is a parent resource!

Be sure to scroll through the image carousel above to see multiple pictures of students in action!

Students are concluding learning about chemical reactions by doing choice projects that involve either a baking or cooking project, or a demonstration of a chemical reaction using everyday products.  Students are explaining to the class how what they make or what they demonstrate is a chemical reaction, by explaining how the substances at the start of the process undergo a chemical change that results in a new substance. We are scheduling time in the Harwood kitchen for students who need to access a kitchen at school. Projects are expected to be done and presented by the end of next week.