January Newsletter

Math

In Math, we are wrapping up Chapter 6 by learning to reflect on the Coordinate plane either over the x or y-axis. We learned about what an integer was and how that pertains to the coordinate plan and life. We learned how to compare negative and positive numbers and what an absolute value is.

In Mrs. Serabian-Fitz’s class students just completed Chapter 2. In this chapter, students learned how to solve fractions with all operations and decimals with all operations. To demonstrate their understanding, students completed several major assignments including quizzes, a pixel art project, and skoot activities. Next, students will learn how to convert decimals and fractions. 

In Honors Math, the students learned how to find the area of a parallelogram, triangle, trapezoid, circle, and composite figures. We learned how to break down a composite figure into figures that look like what we’ve learned. They will be taking their test this week and moving on to Chapter 5.  

Reading

Mrs. Del Piano’s and Ms. Gallagher's students are starting their Synthesizing Nonfiction unit. They are studying how to combine information from various sources on the same topic for their reading and writing. Additionally, students are looking at the features of documentaries and how they integrate multiple sources and audio/visual components.

Miss Sutter’s reading students are finishing up their nonfiction boot camp and will be moving on to their synthesizing nonfiction unit. They will be finishing up with a nonfiction project about themselves, an autobiography, and then moving on to learning about different sources.

Language Arts

In Mrs. Prager's Language Arts class, students began their nonfiction unit by exploring a variety of mediums. Students are diving into a wide range of nonfiction, including articles, documentaries, and podcasts, to discover the versatility of this genre. We are also analyzing text structures such as cause and effect, problem and solution, and compare and contrast while identifying key text features like headings, captions, and diagrams. Through engaging activities and discussions, students will learn how these elements work together to inform and educate readers.

Ms. Gallagher’s ELA students are diving into their new unit on feature articles. They’ve already explored text features and practiced distinguishing between quotes, summarizing, and paraphrasing. As part of the unit, students will analyze articles from magazines and newspapers to understand their structure and style. To bring their learning to life, they’ll create their own podcasts inspired by the feature articles they study.

Mrs. Serabian-Fitz’s class has completed their unit on Personal Essays. For this unit, students explored topics they were interested in and used personal stories from their lives to support a thesis. Additionally, students linked their lessons in Reading on how to write a paragraph and expanded this strategy into the format of an essay. Next, students will be writing a realistic fiction story.

In Ms. Sisco’s class, students have been getting back into the swing of class throughout January. Students learned about what makes Realistic Fiction its own genre, and how to begin planning to write about it. Additionally, students continued practicing skills on IXL and finished their Vocabulary Unit 5. Students are looking forward to writing, editing, and revising their Realistic Fiction stories in February, and more. 

Enrichment

During part one of our Justice and Fairness unit, students presented their Mock Trials in class demonstrating an understanding of our constitutional rights and the importance of the adversarial process in situations outside of the law.  On Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day students learned the importance of Dr. King’s belief in non-violence and its significance on the Civil Rights Movement. In addition, students learned the importance of people understanding and exercising their constitutional rights.

In part two of our unit, students will research a specific career, read information from several sources, take notes, and create a career brochure using Google Docs. Students will have a deeper understanding of the necessary skills and required education needed to pursue a chosen career. Finally, students will learn the rights, responsibilities, and protections workers have when they are on the job.

Global Studies

Students finished off the unit on Hunter-Gatherer Societies by completing a choice project. Student choices varied quite a bit but this year 3D Models using clay and model magic were very popular. Other choices included posters, board games, coding games using "Scratch" and even the website Canva to make presentations and newspapers!  Moving forward, classes will be studying the Agricultural Revolution to learn more about the transition from hunting and gathering to the modern world.

Spanish

Students finished the cycle successfully. They did very well on their Spanish test, as it is a reflection of their hard work. Students demonstrated that they acquired plenty of vocabulary on different topics and some special information on the culture of the Spanish language.

French

Madame Ralston wrapped up her last French class in a delightful and tasty manner! French treats were enjoyed by all: creme brulee, eclairs, croissants, etc. We were very sad to end the marking period but look forward to having an entire year of français next year!

Stage & Sound

Students will wrap up the marking period with the flipped fairy tale project. They will be performing a fairy tale… but with a twist. The possibilities are endless!

Full STEAM Ahead

In Full STEAM Ahead with Ms. D’Amato, students completed two big challenges in January: The Paper Airplane Challenge and the Water Filter Challenge.  The Paper Airplane challenge started with brainstorming different designs and learning how to calculate speed.  A bracket was made and the tournament turned out to be very competitive.  Winners received a mini trophy!  The Water Filter Challenge allowed students to test out different types of filters and then evaluate how effective they were.  Also pictured are mini STEAM challenge groups.  What a month! 

Art Appreciation

In Ms. Cassidy’s Art Appreciation class, students learned about the metalworking techniques of repousse and chasing. Using a thick gauge aluminum, the students created some really beautiful insect compositions.

Pre-Algebra Apps

Mrs. Brennecke’s and Mrs. O’Briens Pre-Algebra Apps classes have been exploring inequalities. We have discovered the similarities and differences between solving inequalities and solving equations. We have learned to graph our solutions on a number line. Most importantly, we have learned the importance of inequalities for modeling real-life situations. We use inequality keywords in our everyday lives such as "at least, at most, no more than," etc. After wrapping up our inequalities unit, we will explore ratios and proportions and their applications.

Mr. Kelly’s Pre-Algebra class has spent the month of January still hard at work in the unit on Expressions and Equations. The students have learned how to evaluate and combine linear expressions and have really rocked learning how to write and solve one-step equations using all four operations. They also have learned how they can create and solve equations from everyday situations. We will continue honing this important skill as we move on to solving two-step equations.

Life Science

Ms. Runz’s Life Science classes are continuing our unit on cells and life. We discovered why we have trillions of small cells and how they work efficiently to keep us alive. Additionally, students learned about the process of cell division, enabling them to collaborate with one another to create their own model of the cell cycle and mitosis. Next, we moved into how the shape of cells influences their function, and how this lends itself to cells, tissues, and organs working together to form organ systems.

Mrs. Presinzano’s Life Science classes have been studying Levels of Organization of living things, characteristics common to all living things (MRS H GREN), and the structure and function of organelles. Next, we will analyze organ systems and their functions for humans. 

Reading

During the month of January, Ms. Magner's Reading classes wrapped up their studies on the book A Long Walk to Water by completing a final project called "The One-Page Project." Students created collages of drawings to support their analyses of how the main characters changed throughout the development of the book. The projects came out great and are on display in the seventh-grade hallway. Next up, students are reading the book They Called Us Enemy as we delve into nonfiction.

In Mr. Kelly’s Reading class, the students practiced their skills of identifying appropriate text evidence and using it to respond to a question/prompt.  We then began reading the novel A Long Walk to Water.  The students have been very engaged in this parallel story about a refugee and a young girl living years apart during the tumultuous times in South Sudan.  We have been using the story to develop the students' close reading skills.

Language Arts

In Mrs. Edreos’ Language Arts class, students are working on the completion of their Literary Analysis Essay. After analyzing texts, planning, and writing, students are in the final stages of the writing process. Working together, students are editing, revising, and proofreading their own work as well as their partners. Collaboratively, students are reading their writing to their partners, and discussing the positives as well as what can be improved upon. After all the hard work on this assignment, the students are proud of their final pieces and are ready to move on to a project related to the topic.

In Mrs. Krysa’s Language Arts classes, students are working on literary analysis essays. Students closely analyzed a variety of texts and used graphic organizers to help in the construction of the literary analysis essay.  

Beginning of the US & Civics

Students in Mr. Immitt’s Early US History class are just finishing up the War of 1812 period. Ahead will be the beginnings of industrialization and many interesting inventions. Along the way, we will also be working on an RST dealing with the 8th Amendment. I’m proud of the progress this group has made this year.

Spanish

In Senora Barrios' class, we are learning how to write a letter. Currently, we are covering the school life unit. Students are writing a letter to their pen pal about what they do in their classes and what they need to do in order to get good grades. Students have been working in pairs to build language proficiency. 

French

Madame Ralston’s class just finished their time unit. They learned how to tell what activities they are doing at what time. This skill allows them to conjugate verbs correctly and even perform math! For the third marking period, we are about to start the family unit and understand possession. Finally, we will start our first reader!

STEAM

In STEAM 7 with Ms. D’Amato, students finished Unit 3 on Eco-friendly Living. We learned about different ways to make a house more sustainable, as well as more affordable! Through a card game draft, students draft-picked various types of rooms for their team’s “Eco House.” We finished up the quarter learning about notable people who contributed to numerous subject areas of STEAM. We hosted a 1 v 1 Balloon challenge that ties back to Isaac Newton’s 3 Laws of Motion and competed to make the best 20-sided shape…courtesy of Brunelleschi’s contributions to the field of geometry and art. 

Financial Fitness

Ms. Vesper’s and Mrs. Brennecke’s Financial Fitness classes have been exploring the importance of good credit, credit card responsibility, and budgeting. Students have discovered how quickly debt can accumulate and how to responsibly manage paying off a credit card bill. Additionally, students have been earning “money” through our Classroom Economy program for good behavior, participation, and classroom jobs. Students have been budgeting their earnings throughout the marking period.

Art Appreciation

In Art Appreciation, we were learning about radial symmetry and the process of printmaking. Students created a design on a 6 x 6 inch styrofoam square, which they used as a printing plate. They created a colorful background using blended oil pastels and analogous colors on a 12 x 12 inch piece of paper. They inked up their printing plates and printed their design four times, creating a radial design. Although a very messy process, the kids did a great job and had fun printmaking. 

Exploring Food & Nutrition

Mr. Lafferty’s Exploring Food & Nutrition class is nearing the end of the marking period with the students having accomplished so much during the last few weeks. These accomplishments include cooking waffles, fried rice, as well as mashed potatoes. They’ve also been utilizing basic cooking techniques and the safety skills they learned during the marking period. These include the proper storage of foods to ensure food poisoning is avoided, proper dishwashing, and the importance of keeping the kitchen clean and organized.

Happy Cooking,

Chef

Algebra

In Algebra Apps, we’ve been learning how to find the slope and y-intercept of a line by analyzing graphs and tables. We also explored how lines can be considered functions and got familiar with function notation, which helps us evaluate functions more easily. Using this knowledge, we started graphing lines based on data from tables. More recently, we've delved into slope-intercept form, and we've been applying it to real-world problems. This month, we’ll continue our journey with linear functions and dive deeper into their applications.

In Algebra Concepts, we learned about how to find the measure of complementary, supplementary, and parallel lines cut by a transversal. We learned about the angles in a triangle and what they add up to.  We used prior knowledge and how to set up equations with variables on both sides of the equal sign.  We are almost done with the chapter so we will be taking our test shortly.

In Mrs. Del Vecchio’s Algebra Concepts class, we learned about angle relationships using a diagram of parallel lines cut by a transversal. We also examined the interior and exterior angles of a triangle and what they add up to. We used prior knowledge to set up equations with variables on both sides of the equal sign. We will be taking our final chapter test within the next few weeks.

In Algebra Honors, we just wrapped up our unit on inequalities. We began with a quick review of equations and graphing, then extended those concepts to inequalities. We explored how inequalities can represent constraints in real-world systems, and even dipped our toes into linear programming. Looking ahead, next month we’ll be shifting gears from linear functions to focus on exponential functions, diving into their unique properties and applications.

Physical Science

In Ms. Vacchiano’s Science class, students have been learning about different types of waves. Students have been discovering the properties and characteristics of waves. With the help of a couple of different simulations, students learned how to measure wavelength and amplitude and how to calculate the speed of transverse waves.

Reading

In Ms. McCann’s Reading class, students are reading dystopian novels and discussing the interesting characteristics of the genre such as setting and conflict. The students are practicing their inferencing skills by identifying clues of information to analyze and evaluate the setting, characters, and conflict and how the society is different from what we expect. We are also highlighting an author’s technique and craft in how they build and enhance suspense in the story.

Mrs. Del Vecchio’s Reading class is reading a variety of dystopian short stories in their book clubs. They are reading and annotating them together to interact with the text. Students are analyzing and identifying different elements of Dystopian literature and comparing and contrasting how dystopian societies are different from ours. We are continuing our work on identifying and analyzing the characters, setting, and conflict in our stories as we read. We are also working with horror literature and looking into different ways the authors use to build suspense.

Language Arts

Ms. Gallagher’s ELA students are wrapping up their literary analysis unit with an in-depth study of science fiction, dystopian, and horror short stories, focusing on the unique elements that define each genre. They’ve honed their analytical skills by examining themes, characters, and narrative techniques. Next, the class will transition to studying memoirs, where they’ll explore personal storytelling and reflect on the power of individual experiences.

Students in Mrs. Del Vecchio’s Language Arts class studied the biography of Edgar Allan Poe. They were also “medical detectives” and learned about how tuberculosis was the most deadly disease of Poe’s time which greatly influenced his writing. We have now started analyzing some of Poe’s short stories and poems for evidence of horror, suspense, and romantic-gothic influences.

Early World History

Eighth graders in Mrs. Turnbull’s classes have been learning about Ancient Greece. As always, we began with a map of the geography, then jumped into the differences between Athens and Sparta. We discussed the Greco-Persian Wars, the Golden Age of Athens, and the Peloponnesian War. Students are very excited to now be focusing on Greek Mythology and other literature such as epics, and fables. As the unit comes to an end, Students will know the basic beliefs of Greek philosophers, and examine the impact of Alexander the Great. As a summative project, students will be working on an ABC-style children’s book about Ancient Greece. 

Spanish

Mrs. Wohlberg’s class students did a great job finishing Tumba, the first of two Spanish novels they will be reading this year. They continue to improve their writing by learning how to use adjectives correctly and develop expanded sentences. Next, they will be learning the combined uses of the verbs ser and estar, which both mean “to be” and direct object pronouns to avoid repetition of nouns.

French

Madame Ralston’s eighth-grade class has just begun their first reader of the year, entitled: La Vraie Patricia. Using readers in world language class significantly helps to improve vocabulary, grammar, and comprehension of the language. It immerses the students in the language beyond just memorizing words and rules. Finally, the reader will give students more of an insight into authentic French life.

Creative Coding

Mrs. Hidalgo’s second marking period students finished the course by designing and programming original video games. The students had a lot of fun using what they learned in the class to try and make their ideas come to life. In the third marking period, students have just been introduced to the course and are starting with a unit on Computer and Network concepts. In this unit, the students will have fun building their dream computers using MicroCenter’s Custom PC Builder. Once this unit is complete the students will move onto the Technology Careers unit, where they will learn about a variety of growing technology jobs beyond computer programming. 

Technology/Manufacturing

Mr. Blatt’s second marking period students have studied the engineering design process practiced engineering drawing techniques and are applying their nearly learned skills in a team project. They learned shop and tool safety procedures and are now completing their final projects: wooden displays/stands/houses/storage units. These units are for a project they will be creating in Art class: a personalized Funko Pop. They have drawn the models, measured, cut, glued, cut again, sanded, nailed, screwed, and most students stained or painted the boxes. The projects were based on student designs and were extremely varied. They are happy to show off their products created with newly acquired skills.

Art Appreciation

In Art Appreciation, the students are working on their Zentangle Triptych project. For this assignment, the students learned about the role of the triptych throughout art history. A triptych is a work of art (usually a panel painting) that is divided into three sections. Students decided the subject of their art, patterns, and colors they used, making all the projects completely different. They did a great job!

Mrs. Gutierrez’s Social Studies class is learning about the 7 continents and oceans of the world. We have focused on and learned about each continent individually and as compared to our continent of North America. Students enjoyed watching videos and learning important facts about each continent. We will continue our unit, moving into discussions and activities about the 5 oceans. 

Band students have been hard at work focusing on progressing through band karate! Once a belt is completed, students earn the colored belt and a lollipop - very exciting! Featured below are sixth graders who received their very first belt - the white belt - and the highest achieving eighth-grade students so far this year - the cyan belt!

(6th graders - Alexa Luchian, Lily Fallon, Hayden Yook, Casen Basset, Antonio Martinez, Zachary Stratton, Nico Sernatinger, Austin Rosa, Henry Brown, Joseph Mezzina, Holly Cernak, Brendan Cohen)

(8th graders - Alessandro & Leonardo Stellari, Allison Isernhagen) 

Cooking Up A Storm

The students of Chef’s Cooking Up a Storm Cooking Club have begun the Winter session learning about important kitchen skills including safety and sanitation. These specific skills include washing their hands correctly, cleaning dishes properly, and putting items such as equipment and ingredients back in the correct place. During the first cooking session, the students enjoyed roasted potatoes. 

Chef Lafferty would like to thank those students who are in the club as well as those who weren’t accepted due to a lack of seating and an overwhelming volume of sign-ups.  

Happy Cooking!

Art Club

In the Winter Art Club, we started off working on our drawing skills. The students are working on an op art color compositions.