Winter Band and Chorus Concert
Another amazing SMS band and chorus concert at Winnacunnet High School! This was the beginning of rebuilding our band and chorus programs in both quantity and quality. Our Spring concert is May 18th. In other news, we have been using grants and fundraised money to replace broken and obsolete equipment, organizing the music space, and giving more students 1:1 experiences with instruments. We are very thankful for the community support!
Persuasive Writing...with a Twist
7th-grade students jumped into persuasive writing by thinking of a product that they enjoy using and convincing their readers to try the product themselves, making sure to add research from the company's website about the product. Next, students crafted a letter to the company they chose in order to share their persuasive essay. The responses from companies were exceptional and letters are still coming in! Some students were lucky enough to even receive a few very welcomed surprises!
Students learned the value of their voice as a consumer while also learning how to persuade others in a way that includes research to back up their claim. This project was a fun way for students to dip their toes into writing about a claim and prepare them for their formal argumentative writing.
Winter Door Decorating Contest!
School spirit was alive and well this winter when our RAM Committee challenged all the teachers and students in RAM block to a door decorating contest- the results brought out our creative side and some doors were even interactive:)
Our RAM block is based on a Responsive Classroom Advisory model. Students are matched up with an advisor and a small group of students who meet every day. We have monthly grade level assemblies to celebrate student achievements. An Outstanding RAM student is one who is Responsible, Assertive and Motivated. Go RAMS!
Making "Tiny Oceans"
Our 5th grade science students were busy asking and answering questions about ocean water. As part of their Water Cycle and Earth's Systems Unit, they made "tiny oceans" to explore how salty the ocean is. They created a model to observe how salt seems to "completely vanish" when it is dissolved in water. Students then used this model to measure and graph the quantities of the water and salt to provide evidence. They discovered that even though they can't see the salt, it still weighs the same amount! They also created a model salt flat where they observed that once the water evaporates, the salt is still left behind. Student centered inquiry and hands-on science in action!
The Water Project Simulation
The 7th grade social studies classes have been exploring Africa and learning about how people survive extreme adversity and challenging environments. They are now reading A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park to include a humanities approach to the study of the five themes of geography.
To help students understand the water crisis in Sudan, students immersed themselves in a water simulation to differentiate between water abundance, political water scarcity, and environmental water scarcity.
This lesson helped build background knowledge and helped make personal connections to human conditions in specific areas of Africa. They considered how important water is to one's survival and if access to water is a human right. After taking a water usage survey, students were amazed to see how many gallons of water they use or consume in a given day.
Mars Colony Prototypes
Eighth-grade students collaborated in teams to design and build a prototype for a human settlement on Mars. Our 5th graders were invited to come and tour the colony prototypes and talk with eighth-graders about the project. Science fiction or the future?!
Their colony design had to include the following:
Keep humans alive with access to food, water, and air
Provide shelter from extreme temperatures
Provide energy source to power systems
Support human health with access to medical services and exercise
Support human happiness with solutions for loneliness, homesickness, and boredom
Students worked together to decide on a location, power system, food system, water system, oxygen system, communication system, science labs, and rover for their colony. They then had to agree on mental health zones for eating, hygiene, exercise, sleeping, and entertainment. Once the colony was designed, students worked together to build a prototype of their colony using recycled materials.
Cardboard Arcades
This sixth grade project is inspired by Caine's Arcade, a documentary that celebrates the imagination and ingenuity of a young person who inspired a movement. During Makerspace, students planned and created an arcade game that used found materials, communication and collaboration skills, and ended with a written reflection process. This type of metacognitive learning (i.e. thinking about your thinking) helps students apply skills when they encounter new challenges.
Design/Build Reflection Questions:
What parts of the process worked well? What were the challenges when building your game? How did you overcome the challenges?
Play/Testing Reflection Questions:
How did you test out your game? What parts of your game worked well? What parts did you need to work on?
Group Work Reflection Questions:
What worked out well for your group? What were the challenges your group faced? How did you overcome the challenges?
A Short Story vs. A Poem
Sixth grade students completed a short story unit where they practiced active reading and annotated texts as they read. Students then compared a short story and a poem and began to see similarities and differences. This activity helped to transition them to their argumentative writing unit.
Students used hula hoops to create Venn Diagrams that compared and contrasted the short story "Eleven" by Sandra Cisneros with the poem "On Turning Ten" by Billy Collins. This hands-on approach to instruction helps students organize and understand complex ideas.
Enrichment Time
It is important that students have a chance to practice the skills of social emotional learning and habits of learning through a variety of experiences. There is a block of time on our schedule called WIN (What I Need) and it is dedicated to personalized instruction, academic interventions and extensions of learning.
For instance, Cooking with Ms. Blake, problem solving a student designed Escape Room, or celebrating Pi Day. Educating the whole student by giving them opportunities to apply knowledge and skills with hands-on learning is an important value here.
