Grade 7

ELA - Ms. Tompkins

We started reading The Outsiders this week! We are keeping track of characters' thoughts, feelings, and actions as we read so that students can complete a character project and mock trial after we finish reading. Students seem to be enjoying the book so far! Have a great weekend!

French - Ms. DiRusso

This week French students are continuing to read their first novella, Brandon Brown veut un chien. Students are completing pre-reading activities to connect to events in the novel. We are also practicing familiar core vocabulary as we work through this book.

Math - Ms. Shaughnessy 

This week students were introduced to our probability unit. We focused on the probability of simple and compound events. Next week we will be exploring experimental probability vs theoretical probability.

Science - Ms. Dionne

This week in science we learned about static electricity through inquiry lab activities, demonstrations, readings, and models. Students were able to move objects with other objects due to their unseen force fields that are around them. I hope you have a wonderful weekend! 

Social Studies - Mr. Dennis

This week students read about heresy and the creation of the Inquisition. On Tuesday and Wednesday we learned about antisemitism, Islamophobia, and genocide and its roots in ancient and medieval history. On Thursday and Friday we analyzed primary and secondary sources from the Crusaders period in order to answer the central historical question "what happened when Crusaders entered Jerusalem during the First Crusade?" Friday May 10th is our test and study materials can be found on Google Classroom.

Spanish - Ms. Tetreault

This week in Spanish, the students played some online games to practice their vocabulary, and did a listening and a reading assessment to test their knowledge of the Unit 7 vocabulary. 

ELA - Ms. Tompkins

Students prepared for reading The Outsiders with a 1960s research project this week! Groups researched various aspects of the decade including: music, TV, fashion, history, greaser subculture, and cars. Students presented their work on Friday. We also listened to some 1960s music to begin each class. Next week we will begin the novel. Have a nice weekend!

French - Ms. DiRusso

This week French students began reading their first novella, Brandon Brown veut un chien. Students are developing reading skills in French and are predicting what will happen next. We are also practicing familiar core vocabulary while as we work through this book.

Math - Ms. Shaughnessy

This week we started the statistics unit focusing on measures of center and measures of variability. Students reviewed mean, median, mode, interquartile range, and box plots. Later in the week we applied that knowledge to calculating the Mean Absolute Deviation (MAD).

Science - Ms. Dionne

This week in science students learned about the relationship between potential and kinetic energy. Students learned about potential and kinetic energy through videos, reading, observations, an online skate park simulation lab, and an energy car class lab. The skate park simulation allowed students to observe and analyze total energy in a system and the relationship between potential energy, kinetic energy, and thermal energy. The energy car lab gave students the opportunity to test how mass and height affect speed of a cart on a track. We then spent time on Friday calculating potential energy and kinetic energy using formulas.

Social Studies - Mr. Dennis

This week students reviewed the socio-economic system, feudalism. We discussed the feudal societies of Medieval Europe, took notes on the Papal States and the papacy of the High Middle Ages, and did our first notes check. On Wednesday and Thursday students read about the growth of European kingdoms during the Middle Ages and watched a brief video detailing the life of a Medieval knight. On Friday students competed in a knight's dueling tournament. Congratulations to our tournament champions: Section 1 Kashika the Swiftie, Section 2 Hazel the Person, Section 3 Brady the Great, Section 4 (TBD), and Section 5 Phoebe. Have an amazing weekend!

Spanish - Ms. Tetreault

This week in Spanish, the students read about Las torres de Tarragona, a human tower festival in Spain. The students attempted to create their own card tower and wrote about what they built. 

NJHS

Students who are academically eligible to apply for NJHS received an invitation from Mr. Dennis via email on Friday 3/29. Any eligible students interested in applying must request an application from Ms. Tompkins or Mr. Dennis by the end of the school day on April 22nd. 

ELA - Ms. Tompkins

We had a busy two days preparing for ELA MCAS. Students did such a great job throughout the test. Their endurance over Wednesday and Thursday is such a testament to the hard work that they have put in this year, their desire to do well, and show all that they know. I am incredibly proud of the 7th graders and all of their effort. Have a wonderful, well-deserved vacation. 

Please check Aspen over break for any missing work!

French - Ms. DiRusso

This week French students read about current events and important historical figures in French while practicing familiar vocabulary.

Latin - Ms. Hicks

The 7th grade Latin students are reading "Pluto, Fabula Amoris". 

Math - Ms. Shaughnessy

Instead of taking a test during a week that students have MCAS they completed a poster project. Students needed to make a poster of a two column proof showing their ability to solve equations and inequalities. These posters were due Friday. On Friday, we completed a three act math task where students needed to calculate how many packs of two pack starbursts would have exactly one yellow starburst and how many would have two yellow starbursts. Then students collected data to replicate the experiment.

Science - Ms. Dionne

This week in science we learned about the impact that we individually have on the Earth and its resources by using an ecological footprint calculator. Students analyzed their data and compared data for the United States and other countries. I hope you have a wonderful break!

Social Studies - Mr. Dennis

This week students completed their assignment: Raiders, Traders, and Invaders. Students read about Al-Andalus, how viking raids impacted the European kingdoms, and the invasions of the Magyars. On Tuesday and Friday students mapped the settlements of the seafaring Scandinavians of the Viking Age and worked on their coat of arms. ASPEN is up-to-date!

Spanish - Ms. Tetreault

This week in Spanish, the students did more learning on Las Torres de Tarragona, a festival in Tarragona, Spain where groups of people form human towers. The festival is held in August each year, and the goal is to create the tallest and most intricate tower before falling. 

NJHS

Students who are academically eligible to apply for NJHS received an invitation from Mr. Dennis via email on Friday 3/29. Any eligible students interested in applying must request an application from Ms. Tompkins or Mr. Dennis by the end of the school day on April 22nd. 

ELA - Ms. Tompkins

Students worked hard preparing for ELA MCAS this week! They had a fun time taking a look at the essays that they wrote last year, and we discussed how far their writing has come. We also had more practice creating thesis statements and writing graphic organizers for the three different types of writing they have learned about. Have a nice weekend!

French - Ms. DiRusso

This week French students described different family trees to practice vocabulary to describe family relationships. We reviewed singular and plural nouns and the possessive adjective “my”. Students finished the week by sharing pictures of their (real or fictitious) families and describing them aloud to classmates.

Latin - Ms. Hicks 

The 7th grade Latin students are reading "Pluto, Fabula Amoris", the story of Pluto and Proserpina. 

Math - Ms. Shaughnessy

This week students applied their understanding of solving equations to solving inequalities. Next week students will take the Equations and Inequalities Test on Tuesday, 4/9/24.

Science - Ms. Dionne

This week in science we learned about the different resources humans need in their lifetime and we did a lab activity that looked at how shared resources in a community can be depleted when they are overused. Students needed to work together within their groups to create a plan to catch enough fish from the community pond to feed their families but not so much that the food source (fish) couldn't replenish itself and sustain their community long term. I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Social Studies - Mr. Dennis

This week students learned about the heirs of the Roman Empire. We read about the Germanic Kingdoms and their unification under Charles the Great aka Charlemagne. Tuesday we practiced a modified form of Cornell notes while reading about Justinian and the Byzantine Empire. On Wednesday students read about the early Church and the different members of the clergy and what they did in medieval society. Next week students will learn about the vikings and their voyages.

Spanish - Ms. Tetreault

This week in Spanish, the students began learning about a special event in Tarragona, Spain, called Los Castells de Tarragona. This is an event where people have a competition to create human towers, and try to build the tallest and most complicated tower before collapsing.

NJHS

Students who are academically eligible to apply for NJHS received an invitation from Mr. Dennis via email today. Any eligible students interested in applying must request an application from Ms. Tompkins or Mr. Dennis by the end of the school day on April 22nd. 

ELA - Ms. Tompkins

Students started their week with a quiz on poetry and figurative language. On Tuesday students had fun reading the play "The Emperor's New Clothes" and worked with groups to answer some multiple choice questions and an open response about irony. The rest of the week we began preparing for MCAS, which is April 10th and 11th for ELA. On Friday students were assigned their final independent reading project of the year. Have a nice weekend!

I am still missing many copies of popular texts from my classroom library. Some titles include: The Summer I Turned Pretty, One of Us is Lying, One of Us is Next, One of Us is Back, Good Girl Bad Blood, Five Survive, She's Gone, and many others. Please check with your child to make sure they have returned any books they may have borrowed from my classroom if they are finished with them. Thank you!!

French - Ms. DiRusso

This week French students completed writing and listening assessments about the Tour de France. We began reading about different families and discussing our own families and friends. Room 224 is on its last box of tissues, so any donations would be greatly appreciated as we head into allergy season!

Latin - Ms. Hicks

The 7th grade Latin students are finishing up activities with Ego Polyphemus. 

Math - Ms. Shaughnessy

This week students completed a Pixel Art assignment that tested their knowledge of solving multi-step equations. If the students found and submitted the correct solution an image would appear in the spreadsheet. When I returned from the NELMS conference we worked on writing equations and using them to solve word problems. Next week we will be working with inequalities.

Science - Ms. Dionne

This week in science students learned more about renewable and nonrenewable energy and the ways humans can play a part in saving ecosystems by using Earth's resources differently.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Social Studies - Mr. Dennis

This week students completed their Roman Empire historical fiction projects. Students chose between writing a short story, creating a comic, or writing and performing a skit in front of their class. We wrapped up the ancient Rome topic with a "thank you" card to the ancient Romans. Have a good weekend and thank you for the tissues!

Spanish - Ms. Tetreault

This week in Spanish, the students continued practicing new vocabulary. The students completed a variety of activities including a fill in the blanks story and speaking activities. They also listened to a new song in Spanish and filled in the blanks of the lyrics as they listened.

ELA - Ms. Tompkins

We had a nice week to wrap up our poetry and figurative language unit! Students worked on finishing their essays on the Lowell Mills. We had individual writing conferences on Wednesday and Thursday to discuss students' essays and written work. On Friday students created their own poems. There is a poetry and figurative language quiz on Monday 3/25. Have a nice weekend!

French - Ms. DiRusso

This week French students continued reading about the Tour de France and completed a reading comprehension assessment. We continued practicing negative expressions in French (ne…pas, jamais, rien, and personne). We also spent class time discussing,  practicing, and reflecting on note-taking strategies.

Latin - Ms. Hicks

The 7th grade Latin students are reading "Ego Polyphemus". It is the story of Odysseus and the Cyclops. 

Math - Ms. Shaughnessy

This week students used the properties of equality to solve multi-step equations. Next week I will be attending the New England League of Middle Schools Conference in Springfield. I’ll be absent on Monday and Tuesday. Students will continue to practice solving multi-step equations while I’m gone.

Science - Ms. Dionne

This week in science students started learning about renewable and nonrenewable energy. Students also spent time analyzing maps and data, looking at the distribution and use of nonrenewable resources. Students researched different energy sources and debated which energy source is the best. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Social Studies - Mr. Dennis

"I love presentations, let's have multiple presentations this week, yippee." (LMS 7th grader probably). On Monday students presented their engineering achievement projects then on Wednesday they presented their group slides about daily life in the Roman Empire. On Thursday we reviewed the main beliefs of Judaism and Chrisitianity (from 6th grade Social Studies) then completed a timeline about monotheism during the Roman Empire. On Friday we started our Roman Empire historical fiction projects which we will continue next week. 

Spanish - Ms. Tetreault

This week in Spanish, the students began a new unit. Each class played some vocabulary games to practice the new words they learned.

NJHS

Students who are eligible for NJHS will receive a letter via email after 2nd term grades come out. Eligible students who would like to apply will need to have at least 12 hours of community service and leadership experience in order to be considered for the NJHS. If students have questions about NJHS, they can come see Ms. Tompkins or Mr. Dennis.

ELA - Ms. Tompkins

Students took a break from analyzing poetry this week to work on a literary analysis essay about the Lowell mills. We practiced the multiple choice questions that go along with the passages, and we discussed developing a strong thesis statement in order to effectively organize their essays. Next week we will be working on improving analysis statements to better explain our evidence. Students also did an excellent job leading their conferences on Wednesday! Have an awesome weekend!

Please check with your child to make sure they have returned any books they may have borrowed from the library or my classroom if they are finished with them. I'm missing a lot of books from the last independent reading project. Thank you!

French - Ms. DiRusso

This week French students researched background information about the Tour de France. We read and interpreted an infographic about it in French and used that information to discuss whether or not we would want to see the race in person or try cycling on our own.

Math - Ms. Shaughnessy

This week students were introduced to solving two step equations. Students used their prior knowledge of inverse operations and solving one step equations to assist them in this process. Next week we are going to explore the properties of equality and use that to solve multi-step equations. 

Below I’ve attached a link to a website where students can solve puzzles to practice their algebraic thinking skills. There are a variety of puzzles and difficulty levels! 

SolveMe Mobiles

Social Studies - Mr. Dennis

This week we started our Roman Empire unit. Students read about and evaluated the "good" and "bad" emperors of Pax Romana. On Thursday and Friday students researched one engineering achievement of the Roman Empire then created an open response, slides presentation, or memes that they will share with the class on Monday. Fantastic conferences this week, you guys rock!

Spanish - Ms. Tetreault

This week in Spanish, the students did a variety of practice activities to learn the unit vocabulary. They are learning the words sit, stand/get up, and yell. On Thursday, the students took a speaking and translating quiz to test their knowledge. The students are also continuing to listen to the songs of Locura de marzo, our Latin song competition.

NJHS

Students who are eligible for NJHS will receive a letter via email after 2nd term grades come out in March. Eligible students who would like to apply will need to have at least 12 hours of community service and leadership experience in order to be considered for the NJHS. If students have questions about NJHS, they can come see Ms. Tompkins or Mr. Dennis.

ELA - Ms. Tompkins

We've continued reading The Crossover in ELA this week. While discussing the figurative language throughout the text, we have also taken a look at how figurative language impacts other poems like "The Road Not Taken", "Hope is the Thing with Feathers", and "Making a Fist." We wrapped up the week by finishing The Crossover and discussing how certain poems act as extended metaphors that connect to themes of the text. Have a wonderful weekend!

French - Ms. DiRusso

This week French students wrote short stories using new vocabulary about different relationships. We then traded stories and practiced describing what we read aloud in French.

Math - Ms. Shaughnessy

This week students focus on adding and subtracting linear expressions. The second half of the week they focused on preparing for the Expressions Test. Students created a reference note card they could use during the assessment and participated in a review game called Trashketball. Our next unit is on solving equations and inequalities.

Science - Ms. Dionne

This week in science students did an animal gallery walk of their endangered species projects and reviewed for the test. Students should take the time to study using all of the resources provided to them to prepare for Monday's test. There is a list of resources, documents, and links on Google Classroom in their stream. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Social Studies - Mr. Dennis

Students read about Roman dictatorship and Julius Caesar and his civil war. We performed a mini-play about the Liberator's Civil War, the events that followed Caesar's assassination. On Wednesday students watched short videos and took notes on Octavian's Civil War then we reviewed for the test. On Friday we took our Roman Republic test. Next week, the Roman Empire!

Spanish - Ms. Tetreault

This week in Spanish, the students continued learning the verbs from Unit 6- to get up, to sit, and to yell. The students used the verbs to complete "Two Truths and a Lie". The classes also continued to listen to the Latin songs of Locura de marzo. Ask your student to show you the website and the songs they like!

NJHS

Students who are eligible for NJHS will receive a letter via email after 2nd term grades come out in March. Eligible students who would like to apply will need to have at least 12 hours of community service and leadership experience in order to be considered for the NJHS. If students have questions about NJHS, they can come see Ms. Tompkins or Mr. Dennis.

ELA - Ms. Tompkins

We began our poetry unit this week. Students took notes on poetic terms and figurative language at the start of the week, and we have been dissecting and analyzing different techniques throughout the rest of the week. We also began reading The Crossover by Kwame Alexander, a novel written in verse. We will continue to work on identifying and explaining the impact that figurative language has on a poem's meaning next week. Have a nice weekend!

French - Ms. DiRusso

This week French students began discussing family, friendships, and relationships. We practiced listening to a pop song and began to outline stories about a problem in a relationship.

Latin - Ms. Hicks

The 7th grade Latin students are reading "Ego Polyphemus" and preparing for the National Latin Exam.

Math - Ms. Shaughnessy

This week students reviewed the skills associated with simplifying expressions and applied that prior knowledge to factoring expressions and adding linear expressions. On Friday, students had the opportunity to show their growth with the following skills: combining like terms, the distributive property, factoring expressions, and expressions vocabulary. Next week we will be wrapping up our expressions unit with adding and subtracting linear expressions. There will be a unit test on Friday, March 8th.

With the trimester coming to a close please remind students that any missing work from the second half of the trimester needs to be handed in by March 8th.

Science - Ms. Dionne

This week in science students worked on putting together their final parts of their Endangered Species project. Students have the weekend to finalize their project and make a model of their species. The project is due on Monday. We will have our science test on Monday, March 11th. I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Social Studies - Mr. Dennis

This week students learned about the Roman Republic. We talked about the concept of checks and balances, the branches of government during the Roman Republic, and how citizens appointed a dictator in times of emergency. Students created two timelines dedicated to Rome's first and second periods of expansion then discussed the costs and benefits of Rome's imperial expansion depending on one's social class. Next week students will learn about Julius Caesar and the civil wars that brought the Roman Republic to its end. Our test is Friday March 8th and study materials can be found on Google Classroom.

Spanish - Ms. Tetreault

This week in Spanish, the 7th graders completed a listening activity to check for understanding of a story. The students began a new unit learning commands like, sit down, stand up, and yell. Finally, the students began "Locura de marzo" or March Madness by listening to two new Latin music songs each day and voted for their favorite. At the end of March, we will find out the winning song.

NJHS

Students who are eligible for NJHS will receive a letter via email after 2nd term grades come out in March. Eligible students who would like to apply will need to have at least 12 hours of community service and leadership experience in order to be considered for the NJHS. If students have questions about NJHS, they can come see Ms. Tompkins or Mr. Dennis.

ELA - Ms. Tompkins

This week was all about narrative writing. We started the week with practice on separating writing into paragraphs based on ideas, setting, and when there is a new speaker in dialogue. Students read the short story "Deep Water" by Graham Salisbury and responded to its accompanying multiple choice questions. They then worked on rewriting the story from a new character's perspective. Have a great break!

French - Ms. DiRusso

This week French students have been reading about different jobs they might like to do and universities they might like to attend. Students practiced reading and writing and writing about this topic as we finished our University unit.

Latin - Ms. Hicks

The 7th grade Latin students are reading stories in Ecce Romani and learning the accusative case.

Math - Ms. Shaughnessy

This week students focused on simplifying expressions by combining like terms. We started the week by watching a skit that depicts someone ordering fast food in the most obnoxious way possible. After watching the video we discussed how they could have been more efficient with their order. This brainstorm led to connecting this experience to simplifying expressions. On Friday, students completed a mini quiz to demonstrate their understanding of the distributive property, combining like terms, and simplifying expressions. MADtv Fast Food Ordering

Science - Ms. Dionne

This week in science we continued learning about food webs, food chains, energy pyramids, and working on our endangered species project. I hope you have a wonderful and restful break. 

Social Studies - Mr. Dennis

We wrapped up the Ancient Greece unit with a variety of review activities. Students worked on practice tests and competed in games of Gimkit and Jeopardy to review for our test. Thursday we took the test and Friday we prepared for our next unit. Have a restful vacation!

Spanish - Ms. Tetreault

This week in Spanish, the 7th graders learned about bullfighting. They watched a video of the beginning of a bullfight (nothing graphic was shown) and read an article about the controversy surrounding it. The students also learned Valentine's vocabulary in Spanish.

NJHS

Students who are eligible for NJHS will receive a letter via email after 2nd term grades come out in March. Eligible students who would like to apply will need to have at least 12 hours of community service and leadership experience in order to be considered for the NJHS. If students have questions about NJHS, they can come see Ms. Tompkins or Mr. Dennis. 

ELA - Ms. Tompkins

We began working on narrative writing in ELA this week. On Monday, students wrapped up the remaining parts of their argument writing from last week, and then we shifted our focus to the pacing of a story on Tuesday. Students discussed how authors use dialogue, action, thoughts, and description to move a story forward. They then took what they learned and applied it to a continuation narrative of "The Nothing" by Kristin Lewis. Have a nice weekend!

Latin - Ms. Hicks

The 7th grade Latin students are reading stories in Ecce Romani.

Math - Ms. Shaughnessy

This week we started our unit on expressions focusing on content vocabulary and using the distributive property. The students did a wonderful job with MAP testing on Wednesday! Next week we are going to work on simplifying expressions.

Science - Ms. Dionne

This week in science we spent time learning about food webs, food chains, energy pyramids, and identifying an organism's limiting factors and carrying capacity. I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Social Studies - Mr. Dennis

This week students learned about the ancient Spartans. We focused on comparing the lives of people in ancient Sparta with those in ancient Athens. On Thursday students performed a play (historical fiction) to learn about the conflict that ended ancient Greece's golden age, the Peloponnesian Wars. On Friday students learned about Alexander the Great and the Macedonian Empire. Tuesday is our test!  

Spanish - Ms. Tetreault

This week in Spanish, the students learned two new songs to improve their vocabulary. The students learned, "¿Adónde vas?" to talk about where someone is going, and they learned "Cabeza, hombros, rodilla, pie" to talk about body parts. The class also started learning about the tradition of bullfighting. Next week there will be discussion on whether students think the tradition is art and part of the culture, or is it torture and should be stopped.

ELA - Ms. Tompkins

Seventh graders began the week with a lesson on formal and informal writing, alongside instruction on writing strong emails. We talked about avoiding the use of personal pronouns, contractions, and slang in academic writing. Later in the week, we transitioned to discussing myths and ancient Athens. Students expanded on their work from social studies class by turning their debate consensus writing into an argument essay on whether or not ancient Athens had a true democracy. Have a nice weekend!

French - Ms. DiRusso

This week French students continued to write and speak high-frequency verbs with an emphasis on “I want (to be)”, “I take”, and “I speak”. We read together about some of the best-known English-speaking and French-speaking universities in the world and discussed in French why people might want to go to college. We also discussed our interests and possible careers we might like.

Math - Ms. Shaughnessy

This week students wrapped up the Percents Unit by using the simple interest formula to calculate the interest on various loans and saving accounts. Students had the opportunity to study and create their note cards on Wednesday and Thursday during class. Next week we will be focusing on expressions.

Science - Ms. Dionne

This week in science we continued learning about relationships among species within an ecosystem as well as researching and applying what we learned this week to our individual endangered species. I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Social Studies - Mr. Dennis

This week students continued to grapple with the central historical question: was Athens truly democratic? We read secondary sources from two experts on the topic then broke into teams to debate the answer to the central historical question. After their debates, students formed groups and crafted a consensus open response and continued the assignment in ELA. On Thursday and Friday we read about the achievements of the Golden Age of Athens. Students could choose between creating memes, writing an open response, or crafting a poster for the classroom. Our Ancient Greece Test is February 13th and study materials are on Google Classroom.

Spanish - Ms. Tetreault

This week in Spanish, the students prepared for a speaking assessment on their unit vocabulary. The classes learned animal names in Spanish when they listened to animal sounds and students had to guess which animal was making the noise.

ELA - Ms. Tompkins

Students learned about theme in ELA this week. We started the week with a "storytime" by reading The Bad Seed and discussing the lesson that the story teaches its audience. We discussed how character development or change can help drive the message of a text. Students then chose their own picture books to read and analyze within their groups. On Wednesday students performed a dramatic adaptation of "The Necklace" and discussed the lesson of the story. We wrapped up the week with a vocabulary quiz.

Reminder: Students' independent reading projects are due 2/16 (the Friday before February vacation). 

French - Ms. DiRusso

This week French students wrote a story about a character who was deciding what he or she wanted to be and where he or she might go to study or prepare for that career. Students wrote and spoke high-frequency verbs with an emphasis on “I want (to be)”, “I take”, and “I speak”.

Latin - Ms. Hicks

The 7th grade Latin students are learning the cases and uses of nouns. 

Math - Ms. Shaughnessy

This week students continued their work with percentages by examining percent increase and decrease. They applied percent increase and decrease by calculating product markups and discounts. On Friday, students participated in a shopping activity called Dueling Discounts where they needed to determine which discount was better based on the price of the item. This activity allowed students to select an item to purchase, calculate the different discounts, calculate the sales tax, and determine the final price. They then used this information to determine which discount to use.  

Dueling Discount Items

Dueling Discount Work

Dueling Discount- Agenda

Science - Ms. Dionne

This week in science we continued our research into endangered species as we learned about niches and population. I hope you have a great weekend! 

Social Studies - Mr. Dennis

This week students read about daily life in Ancient Athens and how war led to its Golden Age. Students analyzed primary sources to learn more about how prominent Athenians viewed their city-states role in the Greek World. On Friday we began grappling with the historical question: was Athens truly democratic?

Spanish - Ms. Tetreault

This week in Spanish, the students listened to two new songs in Spanish to learn new vocabulary. The students learned the lyrics of the songs and answered questions about them. New unit questions were introduced that the students will be quizzed on next week. Finally, the students translated animal names and guessed which animal was making the sounds they heard in a video.

ELA - Ms. Tompkins

We focused on mood in ELA this week. Students learned about what mood is and how the setting of a story can have a significant impact on the mood. We read an excerpt from the memoir "Mississippi Solo" and talked about how the intense weather changes the overall feeling for the reader. Later in the week, we read the creepy short story "The Monkey's Paw" and noted how the mood changed as the setting shifted. To wrap up, students created mood boards based on a text that they have read using images and words that were representative of the overall feeling or mood. Have a great weekend!

French - Ms. DiRusso

This week French students narrated a silent film describing a morning routine. We also began discussing in French what we might like to be when we are older, generating our own French vocabulary list for reference as we continue to talk about future jobs and education.

Latin - Ms. Hicks

The 7th grade Latin students have been studying Roman history, culture, and geography. 

Math - Ms. Shaughnessy

This week students started the unit on percentages. Students focused on solving problems using the percent proportion and percent equation. Students used these tools to solve for either a missing part, whole, or percentage. Using the percent proportion strengthens their understanding of proportional relationships and solving proportions. While using the percent equation sets them up for our equation and inequalities unit. 

Science - Ms. Dionne

This week in science we began our Endangered Species Project. Students are researching different aspects of their endangered species as we learn about it. This week students focused on habitats, community, niches, and relationships with other species. I hope you have a great weekend!

Social Studies - Mr. Dennis

This week students worked in groups and taught their classmates about one civilization of Southeast Asia. Groups created a sideshow or poster then presented to the class on Friday. We also had our historical fiction skits on Friday. Bravo to all our performers! Next week we move to our next unit, Ancient and Classical Greece! 

Spanish - Ms. Tetreault

This week in Spanish, the students took a personality test to see what their secret talent is. Although the test was not very accurate, it was a fun time answering the questions and seeing their potential secret talent. A new unit was introduced, and the students practiced their vocabulary by playing Gimkit and reading an amusing slideshow. Finally, the students listened to a new Latin Salsa song to learn some new verbs.

ELA - Ms. Tompkins

We wrapped up our first argument writing piece in ELA this week! Students worked on their essays explaining which elective they would argue to save in a hypothetical scenario: computers or the arts. We also practiced some vocabulary. The independent reading project for trimester two was introduced on Friday. Have a nice weekend!

French - Ms. DiRusso

This week French students are practicing summarizing and retelling a familiar story. Students listened to and drew out a story they read before winter break. They then used the pictures they drew to retell the story aloud individually and as a group in writing.

Math - Ms. Shaughnessy

To start the week, students completed two different scale drawings of Utah. Students then applied their understanding of scale, scale factor, and scale drawing to a task card activity that assessed them on six different types of scale drawing questions. On Friday, students completed the ratios and proportional relationships test. Next week we will be working on percentages.

Science - Ms. Dionne

This week in science we wrapped up our chapter on biomes, aquatic ecosystems, and ecological succession. We began our next chapter, Interactions within Ecosystems, with a "Who Am I?" activity based on food webs. This was a fun introductory way for students to activate background knowledge on food webs and make connections between all animals within the food web. We will be starting a research project next week on endangered species that will progress as we learn all about the different types of interactions within ecosystems. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Social Studies - Mr. Dennis

This week students completed a brief timeline activity about the Mongol Empire in East Asia. Students read about the rise of Genghis Khan and the emergence of the Yuan Dynasty during the reign of Kublai Khan. For the majority of the week, we created historical fiction narratives set in Early Korea, Japan, and the Mongol Empire. Students chose between writing a short story, writing and illustrating a comic, or creating an original skit that they'll perform in class next week. Projects are due Tuesday January 16th by the start of school!

Spanish - Ms. Tetreault

This week in Spanish, the students completed Unit 4, and had a final assessment to test their skills. The students ended their week with a short reading activity and a game of Gimkit.

ELA - Ms. Tompkins

I hope that everyone had a great break! On our first day back, students took notes on some new vocabulary words. Throughout the rest of the week, we began discussing argument writing, focusing on elective courses and their benefits. Students discussed the major components of argument writing (claim, evidence, counterargument, rebuttal), and they read articles about the importance of computer science and art programs in schools. Students will later argue which programs are more valuable in the format of a letter. Have an awesome weekend!

French - Ms. DiRusso

This week French students read a story using time-telling expressions in French and we looked closer at the 24-hour clock system. Students wrote out their school schedules in French and had short partner discussions to practice discussing times and schedules in French.

Latin - Ms. Hicks

The 7th grade Latin students have finished reading "Lucia Puella Mala" and will have a quiz on Monday. 

Math - Ms. Shaughnessy

To start the week students developed an understanding of what a scale copy was and the different features of scaled figures. They explored the concept by completing two different desmos activities. The first activity students created their own shape that was sent through various “printers” that created images of their shape. The students needed to decide if the image was a scaled copy or not and why. The second activity had them working with different scale factors to manipulate the features of Marcellus the Giant. This allowed students to explore the effect different scale factors had on the image and determine when the figures were proportional or not proportional. Next week we will work on the drawing aspect of scale drawings and scale copies.

Science - Ms. Dionne

This week in science we began reviewing land biomes, aquatic ecosystems, and how ecosystems change over time. We will be taking a chapter 5 test on Thursday, January 11th. We will continue to review for our test next week. I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Social Studies - Mr. Dennis

This week we reviewed Early Japan material from before break. First, we created a class annotated map on Padlet. Students researched one Shinto Shrine then posted it on our map of Japan. On Wednesday, we created our own codes of ethics, inspired by the samurai code, Bushido. On Thursday, we reviewed the social classes of feudal Japan then ended the week crafting origami, haiku, and writing our names in calligraphy. ASPEN is accurate as of today. Any missing classwork can be completed for full credit but requires an email to Mr. Dennis from the student and the name(s) of the assignment(s) that were completed late. Happy 2024!

Spanish - Ms. Tetreault

This week in Spanish, the students completed a glyph about things they like and things they like to do. After the students completed the glyph, they shared some of their preferences in Spanish. The students reviewed the unit vocabulary with speaking and writing activities. The students read an article about various prestigious universities in Spanish-countries, and answered questions about what they read. The students also visited the websites of these universities and looked at what each university has to offer.

ELA - Ms. Tompkins

We had a great week wrapping up A Christmas Carol in 7th grade! At the beginning of the week, students worked on completing their essays. They had to decide which spirit had the greatest influence on Scrooge's character development. We had our field trip on Thursday, and I am so proud of how well our students behaved! They did a fantastic job, and they really are a wonderful group of kids. We wrapped up the week by designing ugly Christmas sweaters for book characters. I hope that everyone has a great break and enjoys the holidays!

French - Mrs. DiRusso

This week French students read and interpreted stories written by their peers, demonstrating their understanding with drawings of one or two scenes from their classmates’ story. Students also learned about common holiday traditions in France and completed French-themed holiday logic puzzles. Room 224 is on its last box of tissues, so any donations would be greatly appreciated this winter!

Latin - Ms. Hicks

The 7th grade Latin classes have been watching the new Percy Jackson series. They can continue them on their own if they would like.

Math - Mrs. Holman

This week students completed the quiz on ratios and proportional relationships. During the half day they created snowflakes while learning geometry vocabulary. When we come back from break we will apply proportional relationships to scale drawing. Snowflakes

Science - Mrs. Dionne

This week in science we watched Lion King and made connections to topics we are learning in our ecology unit. I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe break.

Social Studies - Mr. Dennis

This week students learned about Japan from its earliest history to the Mongol invasions. We read about the geography of the archipelago then practiced our note-taking skills while learning about the samurai, shoguns, and how Buddhism came to Japan. When we return, students will dive deeper into Bushido, "the warriors' code", Japan's social structure during the shogunates, and create origami, calligraphy and haikus. Have a restful break.

Spanish - Mrs. Tetreault

This week in Spanish, the students learned about various traditions and celebrations this time of year in Spanish-speaking countries. 

The 7th Grade Field Trip is Thursday December 21st

Math - Mrs. Holman

During math class students started the week by finishing their projects on representing proportional relationships. If any student missed one of the two in class days for the project their deadline was moved to this Friday, 12/15. Then students focused on setting up and solving proportions. We wrapped up the week with a review game as they prepare to take their quiz on Tuesday, December 19th. The quiz will cover ratios, unit rates, complex fractions, proportional relationships, and solving proportions. 

Science - Mrs. Dionne

This week in science we started learning about ecological succession. Students learned the orderly process of species moving into an area during primary succession and why it is important for certain species to move in before others in order. to create a climax community. I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Social Studies - Mr. Dennis

This week students learned about the Korean peninsula. First we labelled maps of North and South Korea then took notes on Korea civilization throughout the ancient period. We compared and contrasted ancient China and Korea using venn diagrams in small groups then shared as a class. On Friday we presented our Korea memes and reviewed using student-made quiz questions. Next week students will learn about Japan!

French - Mrs. DiRusso

This week French students practiced telling time in French using examples in class. Students are identifying the differences in time expressions in French and English, and practicing using a 24-hour clock. Students are also writing their own whole-class story set during winter holidays.

Latin - Ms. Hicks

The 7th grade Latin students are working on an Embedded Comic for "Lucia Puella Mala". 

Spanish - Mrs. Tetreault

This week in Spanish, the students listened to a story about a boy named Justin who goes to college and changes his major many times. The students wrote their own story, then compared the story to the story they heard in class. The students practiced and took a speaking quiz on the unit vocabulary. The students also decorated a mitten with their favorite thing about winter, which will be hung on a bulletin board.

ELA - Ms. Tompkins

We have continued with our work on A Christmas Carol in ELA. Students are wrapping up stave three this weekend to watch the movie version at the start of next week. We have had many great discussions about the symbolism behind the seasons, how Scrooge is changing, and the influence that each of the spirits are having. Have a great weekend!

French - Mrs. DiRusso

This week French students continued to follow narratives and describe everyday actions. Students watched a short film and wrote an alternative ending to it in French.

Latin - Ms. Hicks

The 7th grade Latin students are reading "Lucia Puella Mala".  They also did the first practice test for the National Latin Exam. They can sign up to take the test in January and the exam will be in March. They can visit nle.org for more information and practice. 

Math - Mrs. Holman

In math class this week students were introduced to proportional relationships. Students have been identifying whether the relationship is proportional or nonproportional from tables, graphs, and equations. When given one representation students have been creating and connecting it to the others. At the end of the week we started a group project on representing proportional relationships.

Science - Mrs. Dionne

This week in science students were real estate agents for their very first client, an aquatic organism. Students had to research information about the "home" they were selling for their client, make a brochure or flier to advertise their client's home, and create a menu from their client's favorite restaurant that happens to only serve their client's food sources. If students did not finish it in class this week, it is for homework over the weekend and due at the start of class on Monday.

Social Studies - Mr. Dennis

This week we wrapped up our China unit. Students were given the option to take the test or challenge test, write an historical narrative essay, or create an illustrated storybook about the history of Ancient and Imperial China. Next week we start our second East Asia unit: Early Korea, Japan, and the Mongol Empire! 

Spanish - Mrs. Tetreault

This week in Spanish, the students began a new unit about professions and learning at a university. The students learned the names of different professions in Spanish in a song, and heard a story about them too.

ELA - Ms. Tompkins

Monday marked our first day reading A Christmas Carol! We began the week by talking about juxtaposition with a picture-matching bell ringer that required students to find the image that was the opposite of their own. This led to a discussion about how when two opposing ideas or images are placed next to one another their differences are highlighted. Students applied this concept to Scrooge's character in the first stave, noting how different he is from those who enter his counting house on Christmas Eve. On Tuesday, we worked on reviewing the events of the stave and discussing Scrooge's characterization using the S.T.E.A.L. method. Students had a quiz on the first stave on Thursday, and we wrapped up the week by watching the first stave in the Muppet version of the story. 

Reminder: If your child is attending the field trip for A Christmas Carol, permission slips must be turned in and payments should be made as soon as possible. Please reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns (atompkins@littletonps.org).

French - Mrs. DiRusso

This week French students began a new unit based on storytelling. In the context of personal stories, we are beginning to recognize the parts of speech of French words as we begin to write longer sentences.

Latin - Ms. Hicks

The 7th grade Latin students have started reading the novella "Lucia Puella Mala". It is a story about a Roman girl who likes to get into trouble.

Math - Mrs. Holman

In math class this week students extended their understanding of unit rates by incorporating complex fractions. We focused on how to simplify complex fractions and how to set up unit rates from word problems containing complex fractions.

Science - Mrs. Dionne

This week in science we continued our lesson on Aquatic Ecosystems. We did a variety of read-aloud activities as a class. Next week, students will become real estate agents for an aquatic organism. They will research their client's habitat and create a flier or brochure to sell their client's house. We will also begin our next lesson on how ecosystems change. I hope you have a wonderful weekend! https://sites.google.com/littletonps.org/mrsdionne 

Social Studies - Mr. Dennis

This week we learned about the Han Dynasty. First we read about the most important leaders and accomplishments of the early Han. On Tuesday we performed a play called "Rise of the Han Dynasty" thank you to all our actors and narrators. Students then learned about the Silk Road and how it brought China into its first golden age. On Friday we played Jeopardy. Our test is Friday December 8th, study materials are available on Google Classroom.

Spanish - Mrs. Tetreault

This week in Spanish, the students practiced unit vocabulary by watching a silly slideshow and video about a cat who is locked out of the house, and wants to get in.The students read a story and practiced talking about a disobedient girl named Tiffany, and had an assessment on their understanding of the story on Friday.

ELA - Ms. Tompkins

We're getting ready to begin reading A Christmas Carol in ELA. To start the week, students received their new vocabulary words for the text. We then focused our attention on literary allusions and how to identify them within text because A Christmas Carol is commonly referenced in media during this time of the year. Students practiced recognizing allusions within song lyrics. On Wednesday and Thursday we worked on summarizing informational text. To wrap up the week we discussed the difference between analyzing and summarizing. We will begin reading A Christmas Carol after Thanksgiving. Have a nice weekend!

French - Mrs. DiRusso

This week French students have been learning to discuss dates and weather. We are practicing weather reports based on images and the day’s weather.

Latin - Ms. Hicks

The 7th grade Latin students have finished reading "Rufus et Lucia". They have a translating quiz Monday and are also working on a project for the novella.

Math - Mrs. Holman

In math class this week we started a new unit on ratio, proportion, and similar figures. Students focused on ratios and unit rates this week. Tuesday they worked through the real life application of unit rates by comparing different caffeinated beverages and calculating the caffeine concentration of those beverages. While analyzing this problem and working through the productive struggle students were able to infer that the only way to compare these drinks was to find the milligrams of caffeine per 1 oz of liquid.  After ranking the drinks from strongest concentration to weakest concentration I asked them to reflect on their own beverage choices and how they might use this skill in other aspects of their life.

Finals Week

Science - Mrs. Dionne

This week in science we learned about the different land biomes through our reading and by visiting different stations for each biome. We finished the week with our land biomes vocabulary quiz. Have a great weekend!

Social Studies - Mr. Dennis

Monday we did our first note-taking activity, universally loved and adored by all. For the rest of the week, students created a picture book, memes, or wrote an open response highlighting the achievements of the Qin Empire under the rule of Shi Huangdi, China's first emperor. Friday we played BINGO!

Spanish - Mrs. Tetreault

This week in Spanish, the students read a story about a disobedient girl named Tiffany. The students spoke in Spanish about her, read, and wrote about all the bad things she did.  The students rewrote the story in groups, including their own details about their own character.

NJHS: Next week is the last week of our Loaves & Fishes food drive! We will be collecting until 11/16! If you are able to donate, it is a wonderful cause, and there are so many families that benefit.

ELA - Ms. Tompkins

We continued reading some eerie short stories this week! Students wrapped up "Lamb to the Slaughter" with a literary analysis paragraph. On Wednesday we began reading "The Veldt" by Ray Bradbury to end our discussions about situational, verbal, and dramatic irony. Have a great weekend!

French - Mrs. DiRusso

This week French students completed a presentational writing assessment where they wrote their own story using familiar vocabulary. We also began describing the weather and stating the date in French.

Latin - Ms. Hicks

The 7th grade Latin students are working on Embedded Comics for the "Rufus et Lucia" novella.

Math - Mrs. Holman

This week students prepared for their end of unit assessment on rational number operations. This unit encompasses fraction operations with positive and negative fractions, being able to convert between fractions and decimals, and classifying rational numbers into various number sets. The unit test was given on Wednesday and students had the opportunity to finish their assessment on Thursday. Our next unit will focus on ratios, proportions, & similar figures.

Science - Mrs. Dionne

This week in science we started our new unit on Ecology. We are starting our unit with biomes and ecosystems. We went over our new vocabulary this week and learned about the different biomes. I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Social Studies - Mr. Dennis

Students presented their group projects, each focusing on one of Ancient China's most influential philosophies. Audience members took notes and asked clarifying questions to better understand the most important aspects of each school of thought. When we returned to school, students analyzed their family's homework policy to determine if it aligned more with Confucianism, Daoism, or Legalism. We then made school rules based on the teachings of these three philosophies. On Thursday, we practiced the historical thinking skill: sourcing. Students matched primary source quotes with the correct philosophy. A short week, but lots of learning!

Spanish - Mrs. Tetreault

This week in Spanish, the students worked on a writing project. The students wrote an alternate ending to a video they watched, and got pretty creative with their ideas.

ELA - Ms. Tompkins

We spent this week learning about irony. Students took notes on situational, dramatic, and verbal irony, and we practiced identifying examples in short stories. They were also able to draw connections between what we had seen watching The Truman Show and the examples of dramatic irony that we discussed. We read "Harrison Bergeron" and "Lamb to the Slaughter" to discuss how irony can impact a story's tone. We wrapped up the week with an irony scavenger hunt and book talk presentations. Students should have their essays for The Giver edited and turned in for monday 11/6. Have a great weekend!

Reminder: Field Trip permission slips are due next Friday 11/10! Please reach out to me with any questions!

French - Mrs. DiRusso

This week French students read about la Course Camarguaise, a bullfighting event in the south of France. Students compared this to what they read about bullfighting in Spain, then shared their opinions about what they read and whether they would attend such an event.

Latin - Ms. Hicks

The 7th grade Latin students are reading "Rufus et Lucia". It is a novella about two mischievous kids in Ancient Rome.

Math - Mrs. Holman

This week we wrapped up the rational number operations unit with classifying numbers, converting fractions to decimals, and decimals to fractions. Students will have their Chapter 3 Test on Wednesday, November 8th. 

On Halloween, we spent time focusing on the standards for mathematical practice in addition to effective collaboration. Students worked together to solve the zombie problem. Check it out!

Zombie Problem

Science - Mrs. Dionne

This week in science we did a water cycle activity on Gizmos, played Earth Systems Jeopardy, learned about our iScience curriculum feature called SmartBook, used SmartBook to determine which concepts students need to spend a little extra time studying, and prepared for our test that we took at the end of the week. Happy November!

Social Studies - Mr. Dennis

This week students learned about Zhou feudalism, the Mandate of Heaven, and the Warring States Period. We completed a group project focusing on 5 important philosophies or "schools of thought" from Zhou Dynasty China's Hundred Schools of Thought. Presentations are Monday!

ELA - Ms. Tompkins

Students completed their first drafts of their five paragraph essays this week! They have worked so hard on writing these, and I am very much looking forward to reading their work. We also watched The Truman Show this week to compare themes between the film and The Giver. Much like Jonas slowly begins to question his surroundings, so too does Truman begin to realize that not everything is as it appears. Students ended the week by editing their essays. Next week, we’ll continue to explore the dystopian genre and learn about different types of irony while reading the short stories Harrison Bergeron and Lamb to the Slaughter. Have a great weekend!

French - Mrs. DiRusso

This week French classes read and interpreted each others’ original stories using our Unit 2 core vocabulary. They also completed an interpretive listening assessment and listened to descriptions of images to reinforce core vocabulary.

Latin - Ms. Hicks

The 7th grade Latin students are reading about Rufus and Lucia and how they are mischievous children going around Ancient Rome.

Math - Mrs. Holman

This week students extended their understanding of integer addition and subtraction by applying that to rational numbers. They focused on adding and subtracting fractions and mixed with negative numbers. We will be wrapping up our rational number operations unit soon and we are scheduled to take our chapter three test on November 8th.

Science - Mrs. Dionne

This week in science we finished learning about the carbon cycle and the phosphorus cycle. We will have our first test next Friday, November 3rd. All work marked as MSNG (missing) in Aspen is due no later than November 3rd. After that date, late work will not be accepted. Students will get a study guide on Monday. We will be reviewing on days leading up to the test. I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Social Studies - Mr. Dennis

This week we started our first East Asia unit, Ancient and Imperial China. Students labelled maps of China's important geographic regions and physical features. We also read about China's first two dynasties, the Shang and Zhou. Students made short stories using Chinese logograms. Yikes, there were some strange stories this year! Friday students participated in a review activity. Next week, students will learn about the Mandate of Heaven, Zhou feudalism, the Warring States Period, and the Hundred Schools of Thought. Check out my website for homework and due dates: https://mrdennishistoryclass.weebly.com/

Spanish - Mrs. Tetreault

This week in Spanish, the students started a new unit, learning about time, and other useful vocabulary. The students listened to a song about time, and filled in the blanks of a sheet of the song lyrics. The students also continued participating in Locotubre, where they listened to a variety of styles of Latin music and voted on their favorites. This will last for another few weeks!

ELA - Ms. Tompkins

We had a productive week working on some projects in ELA! Monday and Tuesday students had time to work on their one pagers related to the utopian and dystopian elements of The Giver. Students chose an aspect of the text to focus on, and they explained its decline from a utopian ideal to a dystopian reality. Later in the week, we worked on writing our final essays. We have been working on the essay in chunks throughout our reading and plan to wrap up early next week. In the next few days we will focus on drafting effective introduction and conclusion paragraphs. Once essays are completed, we will continue working with the dystopian genre in other forms. Have a wonderful weekend!

French - Mrs. DiRusso

This week French students continued using verbs of motion to write their own stories. Students will complete writing and reading assessments in the next two weeks.

Latin - Ms. Hicks

The 7th grade Latin students have finished reading "Rufus et Atra Arma" and will have a quiz on Monday.

Math - Mrs. Holman

This week students completed Math MAP Testing. All of the students put forth their best effort and did an amazing job. In class they continued to extend their understanding of integer operations by applying those concepts to dividing rational numbers, positive and negative fractions. On Friday, students demonstrated their understanding of multiplying and dividing rational numbers on the quiz.  

Science - Mrs. Dionne

This week in science we learned about the carbon cycle. Students played the role of a carbon atom moving throughout the spheres. Students kept a journal about their journey and created comics to represent show what happened to them as a carbon atom along the way. I hope you have a great weekend!

Social Studies - Mr. Dennis

We completed our research projects and presented them to the class, while others made FlipGrids. There were a lot of amazing projects shared this week, we have some creative minds among us! Friday we got a jump start on the second unit of the year, East Asia. Next week students will begin learning about the first dynasties of Ancient China.

Spanish - Mrs. Tetreault

This week in Spanish, the students have been preparing for their end-of-unit assessment on El Encierro de San Fermín. The students have been practicing speaking, writing, and listening to the vocab they have been learning. The students also started, Locotubre, which is a daily song competition of Latin songs. The songs are of various genres of music, but are all in Spanish. Each day, the students complete activities to go along with the songs and vote for their favorite. If you would like to check it out, here is the link: Señor Ashby

ELA - Ms. Tompkins

We wrapped up reading The Giver this week! It was a slightly shorter week in ELA with MAP testing and our trip to the book fair. We practiced our vocabulary for our quiz next Tuesday 10/17, and we continued discussions about the utopian and dystopian ideas in the Community. We ended the week by focusing on how an idea begins as a utopian dream and turns into a dystopian nightmare by creating one pagers showcasing a specific topic related to the text. Students also received permission slips for our field trip to the Hanover Theatre on 12/21. Permission slips must be returned by 11/10. Have an awesome weekend!

French - Mrs. DiRusso

This week French students began Unit 2 in our communicative-based French program. Students are using verbs of motion to tell stories about their days. Students will complete writing and reading assessments in the next two weeks.

Latin - Ms. Hicks

The 7th grade Latin students are learning about gladiators and reading "Rufus et Atra Arma".

Math - Mrs. Holman

This week students extended their understanding of integer operations to multiplying rational numbers, fractions, and mixed numbers. Students will continue their fraction work next week by focusing on dividing fractions and mixed numbers.

Science - Mrs. Dionne

This week in science we finished learning about the water cycle and spent a couple of days on the rock cycle. I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Social Studies - Mr. Dennis

This week we explored topics related to South Asia and completed our research using reliable sources. Friday we chose a project to present our research, I am very excited to see the final products. Next week students will continue creating their projects and present to the class.

Spanish - Mrs. Tetreault

This week in Spanish, the students practiced writing about El Encierro de San Fermín, describing what happens during this event. The students also played a Bingo game to learn about notable Hispanic people from the United States. 

ELA - Ms. Tompkins

We had some great discussions about The Giver this week! We will be wrapping up the text next week, but this week we had discussions about the way the Receiver is viewed in the community, Lowry's purpose for writing, and how imagery makes parts of the text easier to visualize. Students practiced with imagery themselves as they worked on writing captions that appealed to the five senses to accompany an image on the board. After we completed chapter 16, students were able to hunt for evidence and begin drafting the second body paragraph of their five paragraph essay. We played taboo and did some reading to end the week. Have a wonderful weekend!

Reminder: 7th grade will be attending the book fair on Friday 10/13.

French - Mrs. DiRusso

This week French students worked on numbers 1-30 and took a quiz on Thursday and Friday. Students counted and worked on basic math problems using numbers in French. The only weekend homework in 7th grade French is reviewing current vocabulary for 5-10 minutes per day and completing any missing assignments.

Latin - Ms. Hicks

The 7th grade Latin students are reading "Rufus et Atra Arma", Rufus and the Black Weapons. They are creating their own shields with Latin quotes.

Math - Mrs. Holman

This week we wrapped up our first unit on integer operations. This included integers and absolute value, integer operations, and graphing on the coordinate plane. Thursday, students demonstrated their skills on their first math test. We will end the week with a mystery picture graphing activity. Our next unit is on operations with rational numbers. Students will apply their understanding of integer operations to decimals and fractions.

Science - Mrs. Dionne

This week in science we learned about the phenomenon condensation and the water cycle through an experiment using ice water and room temperature water. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Social Studies - Mr. Dennis

We completed our first test of the year. Our first unit focused on the earliest forms of Hinduism and Buddhism, both originating in South Asia. Students finished the week with a group project. Each student was tasked with reading and writing about one of the many achievements of the Gupta Empire. Groups then compiled their articles into magazines. I am extremely proud of the students. We were able to problem solve and collaborate with peers with little to no conflict. Next week we continue learning about South Asia with our first research project!

Spanish - Mrs. Tetreault

This week in Spanish, the students listened to stories in Spanish containing the unit vocabulary. After the stories, the students worked together to answer questions about them. The students also began learning about an event in Pamplona, Spain, called "El Encierro de San Fermín." Ask your child about it!

ELA - Ms. Tompkins

Students continued their work on their first body paragraphs for their final essays to start the week. We will be writing a five-paragraph essay after reading The Giver, so we are breaking it into chunks as we read. We also read a bit further, and students had reading checks on chapters 12 and 13. Students can use notes on these reading checks. On Thursday, we reviewed compound sentences so that students can begin working on adding them into their writing. Have a great weekend!

Book Fair: The seventh grade will be going to the book fair on Friday 10/13.

French - Mrs. DiRusso

This week French students wrapped up Unit 1 and began reviewing numbers 1-100. We will see these numbers in context throughout the year. 7th graders will be quizzed on listening, writing, and ordering these numbers as well as using them in basic addition and subtraction problems on Friday 6 October.

Latin - Ms. Hicks

The 7th grade Latin students finished reading "Rufus Lutulentus" today!

Math - Mrs. Holman

In math class this week students focused on practicing multiplying and dividing integers. On Tuesday, students were given a list of required assignments and a timeline to help them stay on track. As they completed each practice set they were able to check their answers and receive instant feedback. At the end of the week students completed their multiplying and dividing integers quiz to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the concept.

Science - Mrs. Dionne

This week in science we practiced our vocabulary using games and started using our eBook. Next week we will learn about the water cycle and rock cycle. All missing work marked as MSNG in Aspen is due by October 6th, next Friday. I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Social Studies - Mr. Dennis

We learned about Buddhism and how it relates to Hinduism. Students also learned about the Maurya dynasty and Ashoka the Great. Tuesday is our first test, please make sure to study!

Spanish - Mrs. Tetreault

This week in Spanish, the students began a new unit, with new vocabulary. The students did a variety of vocabulary activities, listened to a new Spanish song, and played a game of Grid Bingo. Ask your student what they've learned! 

ELA - Ms. Tompkins

We had a busy week in 7th grade ELA! We began the week by discussing whether or not the practices and rules of the community in The Giver are helpful or harmful. Students also read several chapters this week and worked on open responses. On Wednesday we had a mock Ceremony of Twelve in which students were given "assignments" for their futures. Students then worked on written responses explaining why they were or were not a good fit for their positions, and they were given the opportunity to write an appeal. To wrap up the week, we worked on the first body paragraph of what will turn into a five paragraph essay, which will be the final assessment for The Giver. Have a great long weekend!

French - Mrs. DiRusso

This week French students are writing short dialogues in French using greetings vocabulary and we read and listened to a story in French. Our first vocabulary quiz was this Thursday and Friday (9/21 & 9/22). Scores will be posted in Aspen by Wednesday 9/27. Details for each section are on individual Google Classroom pages.

Math - Mrs. Holman

In math class this week students finished working on adding and subtracting integers and began their conceptual understanding of multiplying and dividing integers. Students first developed connections and modeled multiplying integers within the context of the Chef’s Amazing Soup story. Then the students looked for and made use of structure (MP7) and expressed regularity in repeated reasoning (MP8) by examining multiplication tables to make conjectures about multiplying integers. Below is an example of the Peardeck we worked on. 

Multiplying Integers Introduction

Science - Mrs. Dionne

This week in science we started practicing our vocabulary for Earth systems. We will have our first vocabulary quiz next week on Thursday September 28th. We took Doodle Notes on Earth systems and we created our own models of the Earth systems with each of the spheres represented in it. Students used their models to help them think about how each one of the spheres interacts and affects the other spheres. Next week we will learn how to use our online textbook as we begin reading chapter 1 lesson 1. Please remind your 7th grader to practice their vocabulary every day. 

Social Studies - Mr. Dennis

We read about varnas, jatis and the caste system, different social classifications of ancient and modern South Asia. Students created posters or slideshows presenting their research of one Hindu deity or religious figure. On Friday, we performed a mini-play of a version of the Ramayana, the epic that inspired the celebration of Diwali. Thank you to our actors, narrators, and sound designers!

Spanish - Mrs. Tetreault

This week in Spanish, the students had a writing and speaking quiz to test their knowledge. The students created a beginning, middle, and end project to illustrate and write about a short, wordless video we watched, called, "Wildebeest".

Math - Mrs. Holman

It was wonderful to meet all of the families who were able to make it to Back to School Night! If you weren’t able to attend I’ve attached the slides and syllabus to this weekend update.

In math class this week students developed a conceptual understanding of subtracting integers by completing a subtraction investigation. During this investigation students used the context of the Chef’s Amazing Soup story with manipulatives to examine various expressions with integer subtraction. Throughout the investigation students were making observations and reflecting on the things they noticed. Towards the end of the week students were able to solve integer subtraction problems without models. 

Next week we will have our first quiz! The quiz will cover integer addition and subtraction. 

Adding & Subtracting Integers Quiz → Wednesday (9/20/23)

Back to School Slides

Math Syllabus

Science - Mrs. Dionne

This week in science we worked on our scientific exploration and lab writing skills. Students explored how water concentration, brown to green material ratio, and turning over compost affects the compost efficiency. We will be starting our first chapter next week, starting with how the different spheres; hydrosphere, atmosphere, biosphere, and geosphere, interact with each other. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. You can find daily updates about what we do in class and homework at our class website https://sites.google.com/littletonps.org/mrsdionne.

Social Studies - Mr. Dennis

We started our first unit of the year, South Asia! Students located countries and important physical features of the region then learned about the earliest form of Hinduism. Friday we reviewed Hinduism vocabulary by creating sketch notes and playing of Blooket. Have a great weekend!

French - Mrs. DiRusso

This week French students practiced singing a popular French children’s song to learn core vocabulary (greetings, introductions, and basic descriptions of a family) and days of the week. We worked on pronunciation, answering simple questions, and recalling details of a story.  Our first vocabulary quiz on greetings vocabulary will be Friday 22 September.

Latin - Ms. Hicks

The 7th grade Latin students are reading "Rufus Lutulentus" and studying verbs.

Spanish - Mrs. Tetreault

This week in Spanish, the students participated in a speaking activity where they used their unit vocab and created sentences with the words and phrases they've been learning. The students also ordered the lyrics of the song, "Los pollitos dicen" in Spanish. 

Social Studies - Mr. Dennis

We made a word wall to help review social studies vocabulary from last year. Students also created their own civilizations using 6th grade social studies terms and shared them with their peers.

ELA - Ms. Tompkins

We had a great week in 7th grade ELA! We began the week by discussing controversial topics and ideas that play a role in The Giver. Students had to decide whether or not they agreed or disagreed with statements about freedom, choice, rules, and what an ideal society looks like. We also defined dystopian fiction and science fiction as genres of the text, and we read the first chapter of the book. Students wrapped up the week by creating comic strips using their new vocabulary words. Have a wonderful weekend!

Science - Mrs. Dionne

This week in science we took a pre-assessment for our first chapter on Earth Systems, we started learning about the four different spheres that make up Earth, began reviewing the scientific method, and created our iScience Curriculum accounts. For daily updates and homework please use Google Classroom or our Class Website https://sites.google.com/littletonps.org/mrsdionne I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Math - Mrs. Holman

This week students used The Chef's Amazing Soup story to help them develop a conceptual understanding of adding integers. We are going to continue to use this story to understand the subtraction of integers next week.

The Chef's Amazing Soup

Spanish - Mrs. Tetreault

This week in Spanish, the students learned a new song called, "Los pollitos dicen". The students learned introductory vocabulary by listening to a story and doing a speaking activity.

French - Mrs. DiRusso

This week the 7th grade is working on greeting each other and myself in French.  We are also learning to describe family through storytelling.  Today and Monday students are sharing 5 things about themselves through our My Life in a Bag assignment. The only weekend homework is to prepare for these presentations if you have not already done so.

Latin - Ms. Hicks

The 7th grade Latin students are reading "Rufus Lutulentus" and learning how words like volition, volunteer, and benevolent come from the Latin word "volo" meaning I wish or want.

Social Studies - Mr. Dennis

We did a scavenger hunt to learn more about ourselves, our classmates, and room 201. Next week we will create our first project!

ELA - Ms. Tompkins

We had such a great first week of school in 7th grade ELA! It has been wonderful learning all about our new students. Specifically, we've been discussing what makes someone an individual as we prepare to start reading The Giver next week. Students also completed a pre-test in ELA to see what they recall from last year and what areas we should focus on moving forward. I hope that everyone has a fantastic long weekend! I'm looking forward to a great year!

Science - Mrs. Dionne

This was a great first week! I hope that your family also had a great start. This week we spent time doing activities to set us up for next week. We made name tents, did a survey so that I can learn more about what they each need, and made a Google Slide to learn more about them as people. We also started going over what they should expect from science. I did tell students that if they have pets that they would like to share on the 7th Grade Pet Bulletin Board, they need to email their pictures of their pets. I will print the pictures and put it on our hallway bulletin board.

For your knowledge, I post everything on Google Classroom for the students. Each day's posting has our daily agenda, all needed attached documents/links, and homework. If your student ever forgets their work at school, they can find it on our Google Classroom at home. I also have a science website for parents to use to see what we did in class and to see if there is any science homework. I recommend going to the website and bookmarking it, so it is easy for you to locate. If you ever need it, it is posted on the LMS website under my contact information. The science website is https://sites.google.com/littletonps.org/mrsdionne

Math - Mrs. Holman

In math class this week students contemplated complex problems while we established classroom routines. At the end of the week students completed a pre-assessment focused on decimal and fraction operations. This assessment will inform my lesson plans for the upcoming weeks.

Check-out our three act math task! Bubble Wrap Break Time!

Spanish - Mrs. Tetreault

This week in Spanish we did some getting-to-know-you activities in class. We reviewed the numbers 1-20 too. Next week we will dive into our first unit!

French - Mrs. DiRusso

This week I was excited to meet some of our seventh grade French students! This year we will begin learning some French language for communication and a bit about francophone culture. As we get to know each other, students have been completing an "About Me" survey, which is on paper and due next week. They will also bring in 5 items to share with the class as a means of introducing themselves. This mini-presentation can also be submitted to Google Classroom as a video which does not have to feature the student, just the 5 times. Please email me at mdirusso@littletonps.org with any questions. I look forward to a great year!

Latin - Ms. Hicks

The students are learning the days of the week. We will begin reading "Rufus Lutulentus" next week.