Saludos a todas las familias.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

This week, we will begin working on different topics in each grade level.

6th Grade: We will be learning about professions. Students will complete activities related to this topic in TODDLE, as well as in-class activities and lessons. Students are expected to learn and review this material.

7th Grade: We will review the verbs SER and ESTAR once again. These two verbs are very important in learning Spanish, and I need all students to complete the activities we will be working on in class. Students were introduced to these verbs in 6th grade, and we will be reviewing them again this year.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Thank you in advance for your support.

I wish you all a great weekend.

Deseo que tengan un excelente fin de semana.  

Eddy Mkwambe   Dec 1-5

MYP Math 7th, Math 8th, Math 1, Math 2
eddy.mkwambe@uniondayschool.com

7th Grade Math – Unit on Algebraic Expressions
Students are working on factoring, distributing, simplifying, and translating real-life situations into mathematical expressions. They are developing skills to model real-world problems algebraically, building a strong foundation before moving into solving equations.
NC Math Standards: 7.EE.1, 7.EE.2, 7.EE.3

7th Grade Math Advanced – Solving Equations
Students are currently solving equations at varying levels. Some are mastering one- and two-step equations, while others are working on multi-step equations. Soon, all students will begin applying these skills to model real-world situations with equations, strengthening both their procedural fluency and problem-solving abilities.
NC Math Standards: 7.EE.3, 7.EE.4

8th Grade Math – Scientific Notation
Students are working with scientific notation, including performing operations and converting between standard form and scientific notation. These skills help them handle very large or very small numbers efficiently and connect mathematical understanding to real-world applications.
NC Math Standards: 8.EE.3, 8.EE.4

Math 1 w/ Foundations – Solving Systems of Linear Inequalities
Algebraic and Geometric Application

NC.M1.G-GPE.5 – Use coordinates for distance, midpoint, slope.

Math 2 Honors – Exploring Functions and Their Key Features
Students are investigating the parameters and key features of linear, quadratic, and exponential functions. Emphasis is placed on modeling real-life situations, analyzing how changes in parameters affect graphs, and connecting algebraic expressions to their graphical representations.
NC Math Standards: F-IF.1, F-IF.2, F-LE.1, F-LE.2

Nigussie Guluma

MYP Computer Science 6th and 7th, High School
nigussie.guluma@uniondayschool.com

Polly Bratyanski

MYP Design 6th, 7th, 8th
polly.bratyanski@uniondayschool.com

6th grade will be working on a color wheel, where the color's compliment will live as a shape in each slice!

Dr. Marilyn Hutchins

MYP English 6th, 7th
marilyn.hutchins@uniondayschool.com

January 12- January 16, 2026

Happy New Year!!!

Family, thank you for all the wonderful gifts that I was given before break. The Starbucks cards were a HUGE blessing. I very grateful for each of you :-)

Monday, Students will be taken the ELA portion of MAP testing. We are still working on the below standards. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me. Have a great week/end!

We will be adding the following:  

✏️ Writer’s Corner: Understanding the Parts of Writing

Supporting NC RI & RL Standards for Grade 6

This month in ELA, our 6th graders are diving into the Parts of Writing—the building blocks that help them read deeply and write clearly. As we explore stories, articles, poems, and informational texts, students will learn how authors organize their ideas and how strong writing connects to meaning.

Students will practice:

• Ideas & Claims – identifying the main idea in nonfiction (RI 6.2) and central themes in stories (RL 6.2).
  
  

• Evidence & Examples – finding the strongest details to support understanding (RI/RL 6.1).
  
  

• Organization – analyzing how paragraphs, chapters, stanzas, and scenes build a text (RI 6.5 & RL 6.5).
  
  

• Author’s Craft – noticing figurative language, tone, and word choice to understand deeper meaning (RL 6.4).
  
  

• Structure & Purpose – exploring how authors use text features, transitions, and point of view to guide readers (RI 6.3, RI 6.7, RL 6.6).
  
  

Our goal is to help students see that every strong piece of writing has clear parts that work together—just like a puzzle. The more they understand these parts when reading, the stronger and more confident their own writing becomes.

Stay tuned for samples of student work and tips to support literacy at home.

Informational Corner (RI Standards Focus)

Welcome to our Informational Corner!
This month, students are diving into nonfiction texts to understand how authors explain real-world issues and ideas. Using RI standards, our 6th and 7th graders are learning how to find central ideas, analyze important details, and explain how authors use evidence to support their points. Students will practice reading articles closely, identifying factual information, and making connections to topics in science, history, and current events. This corner will share helpful reminders, strategies, and examples of strong informational reading skills.

Textual Evidence Corner (RI & RL Standards)

In the Textual Evidence Corner, we focus on proving our thinking with the text!
Using both RI and RL standards, students learn how to answer questions by quoting or paraphrasing the strongest evidence from what they read. Whether they are studying a short story, novel excerpt, poem, or informational article, students are practicing how to select accurate details, explain their reasoning, and support their ideas clearly. This corner will highlight sentence starters, evidence stems, and model responses that show what strong evidence-based writing looks like.

Concept Corner (RL Standards Focus)

Our Concept Corner helps students understand the big ideas behind literature!
Aligned to the RL standards, 6th and 7th graders explore literary concepts such as theme, character development, point of view, figurative language, and how authors use structure to shape meaning. This corner will include vocabulary supports, anchor charts, and examples from our class novels and Common Lit texts. Students learn how to recognize patterns, track changes in characters, and think deeply about the author’s message.

📘6th grade ELA Spotlight: Drum Dream Girl (Common Lit)

This week in ELA, students are reading “Drum Dream Girl,” an inspiring informational text about a young girl who challenges cultural traditions to follow her dream of becoming a drummer.

What students are learning:

• RI.6.3: Students analyze how key events and ideas develop throughout the text and how these events help reveal the central message.
  
  

• RI.6.4: Students determine the meaning of important words and phrases using context clues and text features.
  
  

• RI.6.10: Students read and comprehend a grade-level informational text independently and proficiently.
  
  

Key Vocabulary Focus:

• Tradition – a belief or practice passed down through generations
  
  

• Rhythm – a repeated pattern of sound or movement
  
  

• Expectation – a belief about how someone should act
  
  

• Determination – the decision to keep trying, even when something is difficult
  
  

• Perseverance – continuing toward a goal despite obstacles
  
  

Homework Connection 📝

• Reread a selected section of Drum Dream Girl.
  
  

• Identify one key event that shows the main character facing or overcoming a challenge.
  
  

• Choose two vocabulary words from the list and explain their meaning using context clues from the text.
  
  

• Write a short paragraph explaining how the author shows determination through events in the story.
  
  

Families can support learning by discussing how the text shows that dreams can challenge traditions and how perseverance helps people reach their goals.

Our Novel Study: Percy Jackson the Lighting Thief

📘 The Lightning Thief — Chapters 6–9 

In Chapters 6–9, Percy begins to discover his true identity. After being attacked by Clarisse, Percy realizes that water heals and strengthens him, showing he has unusual powers (RL.6.3). At Camp Half-Blood, Percy learns camp traditions and is claimed by Poseidon when a glowing symbol appears above his head. During a game of Capture the Flag, Percy’s powers grow stronger in water, helping him defeat Clarisse and gain respect from other campers (RL.6.3).

Percy then learns he is accused of stealing Zeus’s Master Bolt and is offered a dangerous quest to prevent a war among the gods. These chapters include important mythological vocabulary and figurative language that help readers understand the story’s conflict and setting (RL.6.4). Students read and comprehend this fantasy text independently while following Percy’s growing responsibilities as a hero (RL.6.10).

✏️ Writer’s Corner: Building Stronger Writing in 7th Grade

Aligned to NC RI & RL Standards

In 7th grade ELA, students are strengthening their understanding of the Parts of Writing—the key elements authors use to build meaning in both fiction and nonfiction texts. As students read and write, they’re learning how writers make intentional choices that shape a reader’s understanding.

Students will work on:

• Central Ideas & Themes – determining themes in literature (RL 7.2) and central ideas in informational texts (RI 7.2), then explaining how they develop over time.
  
  

• Textual Evidence – citing strong, relevant evidence to support analysis (RI/RL 7.1).
  
  

• Structure & Organization – analyzing how sections, paragraphs, scenes, and stanzas contribute to a text’s meaning and flow (RI 7.5 & RL 7.5).
  
  

• Author’s Craft & Word Choice – exploring figurative language, tone, connotation, and deliberate language choices to uncover deeper meaning (RL 7.4).
  
  

• Point of View & Purpose – examining how an author shapes perspective, argument, and structure (RI 7.6; RL 7.6).
  
  

• Comparing Texts – evaluating how different authors approach similar topics or themes (RI 7.9 & RL 7.7).
  
  

As students grow as readers, they also grow as writers—learning that strong writing is intentional writing. Understanding these parts helps them craft clearer arguments, richer narratives, and more effective explanations.

Look for upcoming student writing spotlights and ways you can help support literacy at home! 

7th Grade ELA Common-Lit Unit 3 Brown Girl Dreaming: 

Lesson Description: Choice Board

ELA Newsletter Spotlight: Brown Girl Dreaming (Common Lit)

This week in ELA, students are exploring Jacqueline Woodson’s Brown Girl Dreaming through a Common Lit lesson paired with a Choice Board assignment that encourages student voice, creativity, and deep literary analysis.

What students are learning:

• RL.7.2: Analyze central ideas such as identity, family, and belonging and explain how these ideas develop across the text.
  
  

• RL.7.3: Examine how characters, setting, and events interact to shape Jacqueline’s experiences.
  
  

• RL.7.5: Analyze how the memoir-in-verse structure contributes to meaning and tone.
  
  

• RL.7.6: Explore how the author’s point of view shapes the presentation of events.
  
  

Informational Text Skills:
Students also apply literacy skills to related informational texts:

• RI.7.4: Determine the meaning of academic and domain-specific vocabulary using context clues.
  
  

• RI.7.5: Analyze how text structure and features support understanding.
  
  

• RI.7.6: Evaluate author’s purpose and point of view.
  
  

• RI.7.8: Trace and evaluate claims supported by reasons and evidence.
  
  

Choice Board Assignment 🎯
Students select one task from a Choice Board that best fits their learning style. Options include:

• Analyzing a symbol or recurring image from Brown Girl Dreaming
  
  

• Writing a reflective response or original poem inspired by the memoir
  
  

• Creating a visual or multimedia project that connects personal identity to themes in the text
  
  

• Comparing ideas from the memoir with a related informational text
  
  

All choices require students to use textual evidence, explain their reasoning, and connect ideas across texts.

Homework 📝

• Reread a selected excerpt from Brown Girl Dreaming.
  
  

• Identify one key event or image that reveals a central idea.
  
  

• Write a short response explaining how the author’s structure or point of view shapes meaning.
  
  

Learning Extension 🌱

• Interview a family member about a memory, tradition, or experience that shaped their identity and write a brief reflection.
  
  

• Read a short informational article related to identity, history, or culture and compare its ideas to Brown Girl Dreaming.
  
  

• Create a personal “identity map” using words, symbols, or images inspired by the text.

Families can support learning by discussing how stories and experiences shape identity and encouraging students to share which Choice Board option they selected and why.

ELA Spotlight: Tangerine — Part 2 (Edward Bloor)

In Part 2 of Tangerine, Paul Fisher begins to uncover important truths about his family, his school, and himself. As Paul adjusts to life at Tangerine Middle School, themes of identity, courage, and truth continue to develop (RL.7.2). Paul’s relationships—especially with his brother Erik—reveal growing conflict and help explain how past events shape present behavior (RL.7.3).

The novel’s journal-style structure, including Paul’s personal entries and outside reports, allows readers to see events from multiple angles, adding depth and suspense to the story (RL.7.5). Through Paul’s first-person point of view, readers experience his confusion, fear, and determination as he begins to question long-held assumptions and search for the truth (RL.7.6).

Part 2 pushes the story forward by showing how uncovering the truth requires bravery—and how facing reality can change how we see ourselves and others.

Maria Ledesma

MYP Spanish 2, Spanish 3 | DP Language B
maria.ledesma@uniondayschool.com

Tony MacDonald

MYP English 8th, Social Studies 8th
tony.macdonald@uniondayschool.com

8th Language and Literature 

MOG Middle of Grade Reading Exam is Monday morning in your first block class! We've been hard at work exploring the details of the three types of texts you'll see, Poetry, Prose, and Informational. PLEASE avoid the impulse to stay up all night brainrotting on Roblox or the TikTok. Get a good night's rest, eat, and hydrate. If you're interested in any type of professional career, you will need to improve your test taking skills, so let's take care of business. Eliminate the wrong answers first, then pick the correct answer. Stay focued, and you'll do great!

8th Individuals and Societies 

Students have examined the battle at Fort Sumter and the War in the East. This week we'll look at the War in the West, then examine the strengths and weaknesses of both sides as the war drags on.

Stephen Hoff

MYP Civics | DP Th. of Knowledge, DP His. of the Americas
stephen.hoff@uniondayschool.com

WEEK OF 1/12/26

CIVIC LITERACY (B Days)

• PAPER - Congress / DUE: Friday, 1/16

• POP QUIZ - Congress / DUE: at any point on Tuesday or Thursday - so be ready (look over your notes nightly)

CIVIC LITERACY (A Days)

• PAPER - Congress  /  DUE: Friday, 1/16

• POP QUIZ - Congress /  DUE: at any point on Monday or Wednesday - so be ready (look over your notes nightly)

HISTORY OF THE AMERICAS I (A Days)

• UNIT III QUIZ - Rise of Totalitarian Regines/U.S. Policy Positions (Inter-War Years)  /  DUE: Friday, 1/16

HISTORY OF THE AMERICAS II (B Days) / AMERICAN HISTORY   

• ASSIGNMENT - Italy/Mussolini & Move to Global War / DUE: Thursday, 1/15

THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE 1 (B Days)  

• TOK CONTENT ANALYSIS - The Truman Show (movie) / DUE: Thursday 1/15 (1st portion/requirements) & Monday, 1/19 (2nd portion/requirements)

THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE II (A Days)

• OPTIONAL THEME ASSIGNMENT (Knowledge & Technology)  /  **will cover Scope, Perspectives, Methods & Tools, and Ethics / DUE: Friday, 1/16

Jessica Sarrafi

MYP Marketing, Economics, Business Essentials | DP Business Management
jessica.sarrafi@uniondayschool.com

Happy Fall!  Please see a breakdown by subject below:

12/1-12/5

Marketing Unit 2 

Students will present their "Phases of Product Development" slides as well as their Coffee Shop Project (Branding and Brand Identity). Students will continue working on their Thanksgiving Marketing Google Slides when we return.  

In December, the focus will be on advertising, public relations, and sales promotion, and storytelling in marketing.

12/1-12/5

Economics Unit 2 -The Consumer

In December, we will focus on Being an informed consumer. Identifying information, reviews, and reports consumers use to make financial decisions.  We will learn about consumer protection, and types of fraudulent solicitation and business practices, as well as ways that consumers can protect themselves.

12/1-12/5

Business Management Unit 1 -

In December we will  be taking the Business Plan Test and the BCG Matrix Test.

Full paper is due upon our return from break, 12/1,  where we will then conduct peer reviews.

*12/12 IA Draft Deadline

2/27 IA Deadline

12/1-12/5

Business Essentials:

In December we will discuss the nature of marketing, B2B buying decision, pricing, and cost and promotion. We will discuss human resources in business, the employment process, and employment law.

Matt Weldon &  Carmon Hill

Middle School EC & High School EC
matt.weldon@uniondayschool.com & carmon.hill@uniondayschool.com

January Monthly Updates:

Happy New Year's!

This month is National Mentoring Month. We also celebrate:

4th- World Braille Day: Honoring Louis Braille and promotes literacy and accessibility for visually impaired individuals. 

19th we Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day; "Mission Possible II: Building Community, Uniting a Nation the Nonviolent Way", call for action to create the Beloved Community through nonviolence and community building. 

23rd is National Hand Writing Day. 

24th is International Day of Education: Celebrating education's role in peace and development, often with themes about technology (like AI) and teachers.

MSers will take their Winter MAP test later this month.