An investment is a choice you make for the potential of future benefit. Students are finding this out in our MarketWatch stock market game. With $100,000, they were asked to buy and sell stocks in any companies they wanted to. This simulation will end before Thanksgiving break.

According to Warren Buffett, "the most important investment you can make, is an investment in yourself." To that end, students are thinking about and exploring possible futures, educational opportunities, careers, skills, personality traits, interests, and lifestyles. The message is that whichever pathway is chosen, the skills you develop and the choices you make now can benefit your future self.

The 7th grade is continuing to explore proportional relationships. We are working to identify them in tables, graphs, and in equations. This week we will learn about the *constant of proportionality*! That is the "k" in the equation y=kx, otherwise known as the unit rate, the ratio between the two quantities, and slope of the line.

The 8th grade is looking at non-proportional linear relationships. We are learning to identify them in tables and graphs, and write to equations to describe them. Quick reminder, these equations are written in the form of: y=mx+b

Reminder: students continue to get homework on Wednesdays with it being due the following Wednesday.

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ALSO: PLEASE REMIND YOUR STUDENT TO BRING A PENCIL TO MATH CLASS

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Both 7th and 8th Grades are in their second week of class novels, and every student is reading either:

 COSMIC by Frank Cottrell Boyce

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card.

In order to participate with activities happening during class, especially the discussions, every student should be reading for 30 minutes every school-night. Many students will also be listening to the book while reading along.

I'll share more on the content/themes of the books next week.

In math class, both 7th and 8th graders are getting ready to dig into tables, graphs, and equations. The 7th graders will be investigating proportional relationships and the 8th graders will be studying non-proportional linear relationships.

Need a refresher? Here is a resource for 7th grade families and one for 8th grade families.

Just a reminder that students will have weekly homework assignments due on Wednesdays!

Time and money are resources we spend, often on the things we value. Last week, students considered trade-offs and the opportunity costs of how they choose to allocate their resources. In addition, we discussed needs vs. wants and how those play into our decisions. In the graphic above, students were asked to allocate their time in the hours after school. How do they spend this time?

This week, students were given budgets to buy resources (popsicle sticks, notecards, tape, glue, etc) that they would assemble into a miniature house meant to withstand the forces of nature (snow=weight, wind=leaf blower, rain=watering can). In the end, students found that their financial resources were scarce, so trade-offs needed to be made. For example, if you focus on making your house look good, you might be sacrificing its durability.

Both grade levels are beginning the year by looking closely at the basic building components of our English language.

The 7th graders started using No Red Ink, a web-based resource that we use for individual practice in grammar concepts like comma usage, commonly confused words, and pronoun problems.

The 8th graders have been introduced to Etymology or word histories as we begin a week-long deep-dive into vocabulary study.

Our puzzler question for this week: What do Harold, Norman, and William have to do with the origins of the English language?

Scientists this week are learning more about acids, bases and pH.  After running an investigation to identify three mystery powders, we are building our understanding of what the resulting information means. We are learning about the differences between acids and bases, what ions are, and how to test for acids and bases using pH.  Students have  made a model of a pH scale, observed red cabbage juice being added to different substances as an indicator for pH, run a pH simulation and taken notes to build vocabulary about this topic.

In math class, both 7th and 8th graders are getting ready to dig into tables, graphs, and equations. The 7th graders will be investigating proportional relationships and the 8th graders will be studying non-proportional linear relationships.

Need a refresher? Here is a resource for 7th grade families and one for 8th grade families.

Just a reminder that students will have weekly homework assignments due on Wednesdays!

Time and money are resources we spend, often on the things we value. Last week, students considered trade-offs and the opportunity costs of how they choose to allocate their resources. In addition, we discussed needs vs. wants and how those play into our decisions. In the graphic above, students were asked to allocate their time in the hours after school. How do they spend this time?

This week, students were given budgets to buy resources (popsicle sticks, notecards, tape, glue, etc) that they would assemble into a miniature house meant to withstand the forces of nature (snow=weight, wind=leaf blower, rain=watering can). In the end, students found that their financial resources were scarce, so trade-offs needed to be made. For example, if you focus on making your house look good, you might be sacrificing its durability.

Both grade levels are beginning the year by looking closely at the basic building components of our English language.

The 7th graders started using No Red Ink, a web-based resource that we use for individual practice in grammar concepts like comma usage, commonly confused words, and pronoun problems.

The 8th graders have been introduced to Etymology or word histories as we begin a week-long deep-dive into vocabulary study.

Our puzzler question for this week: What do Harold, Norman, and William have to do with the origins of the English language?

Scientists this week are learning more about acids, bases and pH.  After running an investigation to identify three mystery powders, we are building our understanding of what the resulting information means. We are learning about the differences between acids and bases, what ions are, and how to test for acids and bases using pH.  Students have  made a model of a pH scale, observed red cabbage juice being added to different substances as an indicator for pH, run a pH simulation and taken notes to build vocabulary about this topic.

Every TA entered a cardboard/duct tape boat in last Friday's regatta at Waterbury Reservoir, many of which defied the laws of buoyancy. Congratulations to Ms. Moore's TA for building the most successful all-around boat!

Middle School Pictures are scheduled for this THURSDAY, September 14th. 

To purchase photos and/or preview your photos:

1. Visit jostenspix.com

2. Type in the HUMHS Event Code: FE181523

(Retake day is Thursday, October 19, 2021)

Our students are off to a great start!

 
In both the 7th and 8th grade we have been working on tasks that elicit growth mindset characteristics and practice the traits of a productive group member.

 
We are also setting up structures and routines around completing homework. Students are receiving a weekly paper planner sheet to record their assignments. We have also reviewed how homework is posted on Google Classroom.

Math students can expect weekly math homework, assigned every Wednesday and due the following Wednesday. If your student needs additional support on the assignment, I will be hosting various homework support ELOs. Please encourage them to reach out!

Current assignment: Fraction equivalence practice sheet and a Google Survey exit question, both due on 9/20.

Team Aqua scientists were challenged to figure out how to conduct tests that would help them identify 3 different mystery powders. After getting information about the tests (iodine, vinegar, pH, and solubility), students researched what the possible results could mean as they narrowed down what "mystery white powders" they might have received. Next steps are for each lab team to communicate their findings, either by a written report or through a video. 

From here, we will discuss what we learned about scientific skills, work habits, collaboration and producing quality work.

Every student is coming into English this year with their own experiences, talents, and cultural history. 

We are taking the beginning of the year to share a story from our summer--in the form of a personal narrative that includes elements of his/her cultural iceberg. It's a great way to share a little more about ourselves and get to know one another.

Also, we are going to be practicing spelling for a few weeks. It seems like a solid refresher will help all the students without approaching the topic in a stressful way.

We've begun our dive into global studies by asking the question: Why are we here? With a fresh perspective on just how recently humans have made their presence known on Earth, we begin our studies by discussing how history is made. What has been the biggest historical event to happen in your lifetime? There a various responses, but as witnessed to history, we all play a part in the historical record.