Talon Times

We had an amazing Native American History celebration on Tuesday, November 12th. Our students were invited to the gym to hear the ancestral stories and music of Native American tribes of the Carolinas. It was a beautiful and moving experience.

Our parent/guardian support is increasing, and we are so thankful. We are creating a different culture for our students, a culture that is accountable. Accountability helps create a place where people feel safe, valued, and are able to harness the power of achievement.

Our transition team has begun scheduling meetings for our students who are at risk of failure. These meetings are a concerted effort to develop Educational Improvement Plans for our students in an effort to help them increase their academic performance. Parents will be contacted as meetings are scheduled for your involvement. Please join us in helping your student succeed.

Thank you all for your participation in our math curriculum night, "Falling for Math". It was a great event and enjoyed by all who attended. Some of us realized that we may not be smarter than a 5th grader, but the more we hang around, the more we will learn too. Again, thank you, thank you, thank you!

As you prepare for the remainder of this month, mark your calendars:

• November 27th - 29th - No School (Thanksgiving Holidays)
• December 4th - Wrestling Match at Carver
• December 5th - Boys' & Girls' Basketball Game at Carver
• December 9th - Boys' & Girls' Basketball Game at Carver
• December 10th - School Improvement Team Meeting (Please let us know if you would like to attend)
• December 13th - Talon Times - Parent/Guardian Edition released

6th grade science:

Waves and applications of waves, including light, sound, and earthquake waves

6th grade math:

Dividing fractions, standard algorithm,

6th grade ELA:

Jane Goodall - text structures, understanding the plot of a story, author's purpose

We are also working on responsibility, accountability, and understanding acceptable behaviors

For 7th grade math, we have focused on percents to end quarter 1 and start quarter 2. It is one of my favorite topics to teach because of the real-world applications. I would like to encourage all of our parents to talk with their students about all things percents (commission, tax, discount, sale price, etc).

Eagle score cards are new to our students this year! Students earn "stamps" for meeting teacher, classroom, & school wide expectations. Ask to see your students score card and talk with them about their classes and behavior. Students who met the 1st quarter minimum were rewarded with popcorn, snacks, and a game truck! 7th grade has some opportunity for improvement in turning in score cards.

Please encourage your child to study at least 10-15 minutes per day, 3 nights a week, to help them prepare for classroom tests, check-ins, and the 8th grade EOGs. Students can use resources such as Study Island, their interactive notebooks, and teacher provided study guides. If your child needs assistance in any of these areas, please reach out to his/her teachers. Thank you for your support this school year!

8th grade Math

Students are studying two major standards this Nine Weeks, Reasoning about Equations, Inequalities, Angles and Linear Functions. Students should study their notes daily and review previous topics such as rational vs irrational numbers, exponent rules and solving multi-step equations and inequalities.

8th grade Science

In science, students are studying Energy Resources, both renewable and nonrenewable, and how we are impacting the Earth with climate change caused by Greenhouse gases. We will also be learning about the Hydrosphere and how to determine if our water is healthy and what we can do to keep our water clean.

8th grade ELA

There are key skills your son/daughter will learn throughout the second quarter, which builds a solid foundation for success in later quarters. If your child is meeting the expectations outlined here, he or she will be prepared for any assessments to come and later in ninth grade. Here are Second Quarter expectations:

Reading of Literature

• Understand the meaning of words and phrases in a text

• Analyze how specific words impact the meaning and tone of the text

• Compare and contrast the structure of two or more texts

• Analyze how the differing structures of two or more tests contribute to the meaning and style

• Analyze how the differences in perspectives of characters and the audience/reader create effects such as humor or suspense.

Reading of Information

• Understand the meaning of words and phrases in a text

• Analyze how specific words impact the meaning and tone of the text (including analogies and allusions to other texts)

• Analyze the structure of a specific paragraph and how that paragraph develops and/or refines a key concept

• Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text

• Analyze how the author acknowledges and responds to conflicting evidence and/or points of view

8th grade Social Studies

Best practices for Social Studies; what to expect for the second nine weeks:

• Turn assignments in on time

• Check Canvas daily for announcements and assignments

• Teachers are always available by phone, 910-462-4669 and email

• Last, North Carolina History is so vast, students will need to stay on top of assignments and do their best work.

In Health and PE, 6th and 7th grade students learned about stress and how it can impact our lives. Students learned about different stress management strategies to help us deal with stress. After the lesson, students worked together to create a presentation to display outside the gym to show the school body what they had learned. 8th grade students learned about cardiac arrest and hands-only CPR. Students are taking their Checklist/Compression test. Hands-Only CPR is a high school graduation requirement that is taught and done during 8th grade.

Our school counselors have prepared a flyer to help parents/guardians provide social emotional learning at home, but remember they are always available to provide more assistance if needed. Simply reach out to Dr. Emily Smith or Ms. Sabrina Spaulding at (910) 462-4669.

On Dec. 4th, please expect a communication letter that will provide details about the communication app your child's teacher will be using to forward two-way communication. These apps will be used to keep parents informed as well as allow parents immediate access to teachers.

Please be advised that this requirement is a means to increase communication in an effort to strengthen the partnership between the school & home.