Hall Middle School Teacher Newsletters 2025-26

December 12, 2025

Science

We are going on a cougar hunt next week! Grrrr! Roar! Hopefully, students will capture the food they need to survive. Tasty rabbits, beavers, squirrels and more will be available for hunting. Our focus will be on the carrying capacity of an ecosystem and limiting factors.

Students are fully aware of symbiotic relationships in ecosystems around the world. Ask your learner:

What are examples of symbiotic relationships?
What symbiotic relationships did they choose and what ecosystems did they highlight on their Relationships in Multiple Ecosystems?

Robust discussions have happened with our CER writing on Liz and her use of a chemical to rid her garden of fire ants. Ouch! Check in with your learner:

Describe the relationship between fire ants, ladybugs and aphids?
What does the use of a chemical by Liz mean for her garden ecosystem?

On arrival in January we will explore threatened and endangered species and prioritize a species to focus in on. Lots of choice in learning will take place as students engage with the IUCN Red List as they begin their work on Summative Task - Saving an Endangered Species.

Homework Monday, the homework is written on the whiteboard. Students, using their planners, will have daily time in class and at home to work on assignments. Ask questions!

Spanish 1

- We are almost done with our unit about things related to school. Students should be able to recognize, understand and describe many of the objects we can expect to see in a school and a classroom.
- The vocabulary also includes "positional phrases" that allow us to explain where things are located in relation to others (next to, to the right of ,between etc.).
- If you want your child to practice, ask him/her where to find something (school, part, table, book etc...) and he/she should be able to create sentences like this one: "Starbucks is near the park and in front of the school" etc. That's particularly helpful if you travel to a Spanish speaking country and are desperate to find a coffee shop! 😀

Math 7

Math 7 students are taking what we've learned with solving equations, and using those same algebra steps to solve inequalities and graph the solution on a number line. We have been learning to write equations from word problems, representing the unknown with a variable, and we will be doing this with inequalities, also.

Pre-Algebra

Pre-algebra students have been solving more complex equations, with variables on both sides of the equation, and using a process called "Fraction Busters" to solve equations with fractions in them. This involves multiplying both sides of an equation by the Least Common Multiple of whatever numbers or variables are in the denominators, so that all the denominators cancel out. We have also been solving more complicated word problems that involve representing the unknown with a variable and representing other unknowns with expressions based on that, and then writing an equation and solving it. And, most recently, we are also writing, solving, and graphing inequalities.

PE 7

PE/Mr Rembrandt: We are continuing to work on our gymnastics and tumbling skills up until the winter break. Students will transition into small groups to work on a human-structures project that will challenge students' strength, flexibility and teamwork.

When we return from the break we will transition to a Fitness Plan unit where students will learn about basic anatomy, fitness fundamentals, and healthy nutrition choices. The final project for this unit will be a one week workout plan created for a specific athletic purpose (increased power, stamina, flexibility, or maintaining Healthy Fitness Zone targets).

Corbolotti: These last few weeks we've covered the basics of healthy eating and how to properly fuel ourselves to make sure we are feeling energized and are getting the necessary nutrients for our bodies to grow and develop. Along with our nutrition unit we will continue to play classic PE games on turf. Next week this unit will culminate in a 20 question test so make sure review your notes amd assignments.

7th Grade Medieval and Early Modern World History

Current Project: Where in China? Geography Table Group Project: In this activity, students examine and plot different locations that hold importance in China's history. After reviewing all of the sites, students test their knowledge of Chinese geography by trying to make it to Shanghai in the interactive game Where in China is….?.

In China’s Reunification and Development, students will explore Chinese history from the fall of the Han Dynasty to the restoration of order in the Tang and Song dynasties. They will also learn about the artistic and philosophical contributions made during these dynasties.

Trimester 2: Currently there are eight graded assignments in Aries. Students should have a feel for their current grades and feel confidant that they are starting out on the right tract to be successful in Trimester 2. If they have questions about grades and or assignments NOW is the time to ask me in class or to send me an email for clarification.

Intermediate Band

The band is gearing up for our concert on tue. Our three songs are set and ready to go, so we're just learning a new song for fun, called "Funky Penguins." Hope to see you on Tue for our 6pm concert.

Language Arts

Current Unit Focus: Introducing our New Module: Epidemics

When we return from winter break, we will be launching Unit One -- Reading for Understanding -- of our next module, Epidemics. You will see a new book -- Patient Zero, by Marilee Peters -- coming home early in the week. Students will also be assigned a related book for independent reading later in the month of January. We will be practicing our skills in reading non-fiction, informational texts, an important skill that students will use throughout their education and across subjects.

i-Ready & Independent Reading

Students will be taking the January diagnostic in reading shortly after we return from break. This will be our chance to check their grwoth in reading skills. If students have been engaging with i-Ready, we would hope to see some progress from the first diagnostic of the year. While I am not assigning more i-Ready lessons over the break, students who have taken fewer than 12 lessons this school year are strongly encouraged to keep taking and passing lessons over the break. You can ask them to log into i-Ready to show you how many lessons thay have completed.

Please encourage your student(s) to read over the break. We will check out library books one more time before the break, so they should have something to read while they are at home.

ART

In art class, we just finished an erasure stamp project. In this project, students explored how to express their creativity and learned about positive and negative space (the empty space and the filled space in artwork). We also studied Hokusai's Great Wave to understand more about art and learn about the history and culture behind it.

STEM

We finished our mousetraps cars and have begun our last project until winter break which is creating cube puzzles. Students are working in groups using 1 inch wooden cubes to make a 9 X 9 cube out of 5 different parts. After break, we will compete to see how long it takes on average for classmates to complete eachother's cubes.

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