8th Grade News

📌 PAST DUE- Field Trip Permission Slips

📣 October 12-16- Spirit Week (Details Below)

🍎 October 12 & 13- Parent-Teacher Conferences (Details Below)

🦌 October 12- KAS Board of Education Meeting 6PM

💯 October 14- 8th Grade Fall PSAT

🚌 October 16- Field Trip to NMC & Silver Lake Park (Details Below)

📸 October 23- Picture RETAKE Day

🦌 November 9- KAS Board of Education Meeting 6PM

🦃 November 25-27- No School/Thanksgiving Break

➡️ Gentle reminder that on Wednesday, 10/14 (PSAT) and Friday, 10/16 (Field Trip) this week, all 8th graders need to report directly to the Middle School.

🚫🚌 JROTC and Spanish students should not go to the High School and instead go directly to the Middle School.

💯 Our 8th grade class is taking the PSAT test on Wednesday, October 14th. With that in mind, we want to ensure our 8th-grade students feel confident, focused, and ready to do their best.

📋 Please help us support your student on test day by keeping the following reminders in mind:

• Arrive On Time: Ensure your student arrives at school on time so testing can begin promptly. JROTC and Spanish students who normally start their day off at the High School should report directly to the middle school on Wednesday.

• Get a Good Night’s Sleep: Encourage your student to turn off screens early and get a full night of rest prior to the test.

• Eat a Healthy Breakfast: A balanced morning meal provides the necessary energy and focus for testing.

📅 Students who miss Wednesday or come late will make up the test on a date TBD.

🍎 The first Parent-Teacher Conferences are coming up on the evenings of Monday, October 12th and Tuesday, October 13th. See the description of each day below.

➡️ Monday, October 12th - Scheduled Conferences

The schedule is now finalized for the scheduled conferences. If you did not get a chance to schedule a conference, please join us for drop in conferences on Tuesday.

➡️ Tuesday, October 13th - Drop In Conferences

We also have drop-in conferences on Tuesday from 4:00- 5:15 and 5:45- 7:00. Conferences will be first come first served. All 8th grade teachers will be available for conferences during these times.

📨 If you have any significant concerns or are unable to attend conferences, please feel free to email Mr. Buniewicz at pbuniewicz@kingsleyschools.org to see if we can schedule an alternate time to meet.

🚌 On Friday, October 16th, eighth-grade students will visit Northwestern Community College and Silver Lake Recreational Park for a field trip.

📝 Permission slips are past due. If your child has not turned in their permission slip, please encourage them to do so immediately.

🧡🖤 It's Spirit Week at KMS! Dress up days are oh so fun and such a great way to celebrate Homecoming!

🧡 On November 4th, students will take a social emotional survey called the SSIS SEL Brief + Mental Health Scales. This measure of students' social and emotional functioning is aligned with state Social Emotional Learning standards and provides results used to guide instruction for all students and support for students experiencing emotional behavior concerns. Please see the attached document for more information and for an opt-out option if you prefer for your child to not take the survey. If you would like your child to participate, no action is needed. A copy of this form was also sent home with your child last week.

👋🏾 Greetings All,

Next week students will be completing their examination of "First Day Fly" and second person point of view as well as learning about correct parenthetical citations. Then we will be moving on to two poems related to milestone moments: "Bird" by Liz Berry and "Ode to Teachers' by Pat Mora. Additionally, the fall PSAT will take place next Wednesday, October 14th.

📝 A reminder that students may make corrections or revisions to any Language Arts assignment within one week of receiving my feedback. I am available during Advisory to provide additional support for students as well.

📌 Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. -Mr. Gaddy

📚 Pre-Algebra classes are reviewing the basics of Algebra in Chapter 2, including simplifying algebraic expressions and solving simple equations. We will move on to multi-step equations this week too. Students should expect Concept Checks regularly, so completing homework and keeping up with practice is important.

✏️ Algebra students are working in Chapter 2: Linear Relationships. Please keep in mind that independent practice in this class is essential for keeping up with the pace of the course.

As usual, both classes will have a Math Circuit Quiz every Friday.

➡️ We will postpone quiz #3 to the following week. I will give you an official date next week! As always, if you have any questions, please let me know! Ms. Smith (tsmith@kingsleyschools.org)

📜 Last week we got started on our debate prep by having students work together to analyze the Declaration of Independence looking for evidence to support their claims. Students have already begun their debate which will end this unit, and it has been fun hearing all of their creative arguments!

🔎 This week we will be starting our lesson on the articles of confederation, looking into what they were, what events they were a part of, and why they ultimately failed, needing to be replaced by the Constitution we have today!

✅ Vocab Checks:

As students continue to have vocab checks every week, study materials will be available in the Google Classroom at the start of each week! Students should be studying for these ongoing assignments to make sure they are up to date on class information.

📧 Just a reminder if you have any questions or concerns, I can be reached at CByrnes@Kingsleyschools.org, and other than that, I look forward to this next week of learning with your students and hope everyone is having a wonderful week!

🎨 From the Art Studio

This week in the Art Studio: Students are developing their understanding of Value by practicing a range of lights and darks using drawing pencils. They are learning how thoughtful shading can create depth, realism, and visual interest. Students are putting these skills into practice with simple shapes, and then using their new shading techniques in a fall-themed artwork, where they will also have the opportunity to add their own creative ideas and personality. Ask your student their plan for their artwork!

🍁 Yearbook Cover Contest: Artwork is due Monday, October 12. All KMS students are invited to participate! You do not need to be enrolled in Art to enter. Submission details are available in the office and are being shared through morning announcements. We’re excited to see the creativity and ideas our students bring to this year’s cover!

💻 Digital Literacy

Students will explore why misleading information spreads and practice asking two key questions: Who’s behind this information? and What’s the evidence? Through partner investigations, they’ll examine sources, identify claims and supporting evidence, and explain whether information deserves their trust.

🤖 Innovation Lab

Students will begin coding in Code.org’s Game Lab, using commands to draw pictures, variables to store and reuse information, and sprites to create characters and scenes. Through creative challenges, they’ll practice changing code, predicting results, testing their programs, and fixing problems.

🧡 Looking for a previously published newsletter? Look in our archive!