Team 72 Newsletter 25-26

Mrs. Britt: Social Studies

Ms. Nugent: Math

Mrs. Elder: English

Mrs. Mendes: ESL

We are about halfway through reading The Giver! We started by learning about the characteristics of utopias and dystopias. Our focus is on community and the roles individuals play within their communities. Students are applying everything we learned about narratives to our reflections and discussions about the novel. This week, we held our own mock Ceremony of Twelve. In the novel, children turn twelve and receive their “assignments” which dictate which jobs they will take on as adults. In class, students completed a brief survey indicating their perceived strengths, weaknesses, and assignment preferences. They were also able to vote on what assignment I would receive if I weren’t a teacher. Each student received a certificate of their assignment during our ceremony, which was a great opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate all of our strengths and best qualities. Each student was recognized individually, and the assignments were given thoughtfully. Overall, this was a success, and we had an awesome day!

As we approach the end of the book, we will begin our utopia projects! In pairs or small groups, students will design a utopian community with rules/laws, a government, and social structures. Students will have an opportunity to create hands-on pieces, digital presentations, and written work to develop and showcase their utopias. This is an exciting project that really encourages students to demonstrate their learning in unique and creative ways. I am so excited to see what they create!

Questions to ask to connect “real life” back to English Class:

• What would a “perfect” society or community look like for you?
• What would your utopia have or not have?
• Why haven’t we been able to achieve a utopia in real life?

We just finished our unit on Solving Percent Problems. Students practiced real-world problems with tax, tips, discounts, commissions, and simple interest. For example, they figured out a 15% discount on a $499 TV and used the formula I = prt to calculate simple interest. These skills show how percentages matter in everyday life! Students are now beginning our next module on Operations with Integers. In this unit, they are extending their knowledge of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division to include both positive and negative numbers. They’ll explore how integers relate through absolute value, opposites, and distance on the number line, and use multiple strategies to solve problems. For example, they’ll learn that multiplying two numbers with the same sign gives a positive product, while multiplying numbers with different signs gives a negative one. We kicked off the unit with a variety of group tasks and projects. Each class completed a different activity, and the final products were displayed around the classroom! This not only sparked interest in other classes’ projects but also made students’ thinking visible in a fun and meaningful way.

As always, thank you for supporting your child’s learning. Please continue to check PowerSchool to view your student’s grades and any missing assignments—this helps them stay on track and take responsibility for their learning!

In Social Studies class, we are diving into the ancient civilizations of South Asia to try to understand how different belief systems and leaders influenced peoples’ lives. We will focus on the origins and essential beliefs of Hindu and Buddhist religious traditions and see how they have developed over time. We will then study the Mauryan Empire of India and ask larger questions about government, like ‘what makes a good ruler?’

Our Unit 1 Assessment will be a multi-day performance based task where students will review the many lessons about South Asia, identify common themes that connect the lessons, and use their writing skills to describe their takeaways from this unit.

Buckle up! Right after the Thanksgiving break, we will be launching into Unit 2: East Asia, including the countries of China, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Mongolia and Vietnam.

Here are some photos of our “ancient Harappan artifacts” that we made out of Play-Doh!

The Science position on Team 72 is currently open. We are looking for a qualified middle school science teacher to fill this position. We would love to hear from you if you are interested or if you know anyone who would be a good fit!

We are incredibly lucky to have a rotating cast of certified science teachers who are each taking one class period until we fill the position. Because of our wonderful staff, our students are receiving instruction that is consistent with the rest of the seventh grade. Huge shout-out and thank-you to:

Ms. McAfee

Mr. Mullet

Ms. Burt

Mr. Preye

Hello families!

This month in our ESL class, we are diving deep into the exciting world of novel studies! But what does that mean?

A novel study is when our whole class reads the same book together. Instead of just reading from a textbook, we get to explore one complete story, get to know the characters, and discuss big ideas. For our English language learners, this is a powerful way to build language skills in a fun and meaningful way.

How Novel Studies Boost Reading Skills

Reading a whole book together helps us practice many important skills. The goal is to build confidence and help students not only learn English but also learn to love reading in English.

Here are some strategies we use in class:

• Making Predictions: Before we read a new chapter, we ask, "What do you think will happen next?" This teaches students to look for clues in the story.

• Reading Aloud: We often read parts of the story aloud as a class. Hearing the words helps with pronunciation and fluency, and it makes the story come alive!

• Using Story Maps: We use graphic organizers (like story maps) to keep track of important information:

  • Characters: Who is in the story?

  • Setting: Where and when does the story take place?

  • Problem & Solution: What challenge do the characters face, and how do they fix it?

• Unlocking New Words: Every novel has new vocabulary. We don't just skip these words. We act them out, draw pictures of them, and practice using them in our own sentences.

From Reading to Writing: Making the Connection

A novel study isn't just about reading; it's also one of the best ways to practice writing. The book gives us great ideas and models for our own work.

Here are some writing activities we will do:

• Character Journals: Students might write a diary entry from the perspective of the main character. This is a fun way to practice using "I" and "me" and to show they understand the character's feelings.

• Sentence Frames: To help build strong, clear sentences, we use "sentence frames." These are like fill-in-the-blanks that provide a structure for students to share their ideas.

  • Example: "I think the character feels (adjective) because (reason)."

• Creative Responses: Students might re-write the ending of a chapter, design a new cover for the book, or write a letter to one of the characters. This lets them be creative and show what they know.

How You Can Help at Home

Your support makes a huge difference! Here are a few simple ways you can help your student during our novel study:

• Ask Questions: You don't need to have read the book! Just ask your child to tell you about it in your home language.

  • "What happened in your book today?"

  • "Who is your favorite character? Why?"

• Encourage All Reading: Any reading is good reading! Encourage them to read graphic novels, magazines, or books in their first language. It all builds skill.

• Watch a Movie (After!): If the novel has a movie version, plan to watch it together after we finish the book. It's a great reward and a fun way to talk about the story.

Thank you for your partnership in your student's learning journey! If you have any questions about our novel study, please feel free to contact me.

Click this link for directions for the step-by-step instructions for adding MFA so that kids can sign into their school accounts from home.

Reading improves academic success and social emotional growth, especially during middle school. Students who read regularly outside of school tend to perform better across all subjects as it strengthens vocabulary, comprehension, and critical thinking skills. It also helps develop their ability to connect with others and manage their emotions. Encourage your child to spend at least 15 minutes a day reading at home.

Thank you for helping to foster a love of reading and for supporting your child’s learning journey!

Meet our Team 72 student of the month! Angeline consistently gives her best effort, and she is always willing to help others. She brings a positive attitude into each class every day! Persistent, creative, and kind are just a few of Angeline's many impressive qualities. We love having her on team 72, and her classmates are lucky to have her!

Thank you Angeline!

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Other ways to get in touch include email and Talking Points. We look forward to hearing from you!

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تاسو کولی شئ د یوې تڼۍ په کلیک کولو سره دا خبر پاڼه په اسانۍ سره وژباړئ! په پورتنۍ ښیې کونج کې، "ژباړه" کلیک وکړئ. کله چې د ډراپ ډاون مینو ښکاره شي، مهرباني وکړئ یوه ژبه غوره کړئ او خبر پاڼه به په اوتومات ډول . که تاسو مرستې ته اړتیا لرئ یا کومې تېروتنې ته اړتیا لرئ، مهرباني وکړئ د پرنسپل مک میلن سره اړیکه ونیسئ