Cluster 6 Newsletter

June 9, 2023

Greeting families and caregivers!

8th graders are getting ready for some end of the year celebrations. The 8th Grade Party is the night of Thursday, June 15 from 6-9 pm at the Sons of Italy, 520 Pleasant St, Watertown. Food and treats will be served. Semi-formal dress is not required.

The graduation ceremony will be held on June 16th in the WMS gymnasium. The event will begin at 9am and end at approximately 11am. Here is the after graduation dismissal form that must be completed if you would like to dismiss your student(s) directly after the ceremony.

English

We are wrapping up our final few days of 8th grade ELA- time to celebrate! Students have been cross-clustered and working in groups on the “Book Trailers” for their culminating project in their book groups. They’ve used their knowledge of the book to plan, write a script, act-out, and film a movie trailer. We will view these trailers as a class in the last week of school. Ask your student to see the clip!

Students have also been working to compose their “8th Grade Writing Portfolio.” This is a collection of their 8th grade writing from the year that they have polished, printed, and organized into a book. Next week, they will come home with their portfolio. Check in with your student about their writings.

Finally, here is a list of suggested reading for 9th grade (and high school). Although it is not mandatory, we strongly encourage students to continue to independently read to keep their minds strong and ready for high school- WHS SUMMER READING LINK

We’ve had a wonderful year in 8th grade ELA. We cannot thank the students enough for their efforts to grow, take risks, and become confident in their writing and reading. Hopefully, they hit high school with the same efforts and energy as they showed in 8th grade.

Civics

It was a joy to see all the final Civic Action Project presentations last week! Students worked very hard to become experts on their topics, write emails to allies, and share their in-depth research and results with their classmates. Students raised money to donate to an animal shelter, raised awareness by making posters and hanging them around the school, met with our principal to discuss their proposed actions, and received many thoughtful responses to their outreach. I’m so proud of how much they’ve learned and grown this year! I hope everyone has a wonderful summer, and I look forward to celebrating our students next week at graduation!

Math

8th grade math and Algebra students wrapped up our year with MCAS, and also the i-Ready diagnostic. We’ve covered all of the 8th grade math standards, and there is no stone left unturned. We hope we have our 8th-graders ready for high school. For the summer, I’m hoping students reflect on what they’ve done, what they’ve accomplished, and what they will have to do to be ready for the next steps. I always encourage students to get off to a great start right at the beginning of Freshman year, as students that come out hot at the beginning of their high school careers often maintain that positive momentum throughout. I hope to see a whole lot of happy and successful high school students when I see them again.

Science

Before heading off to Washington DC or Watertown Week, students completed two assessments for the physics unit: a cumulative unit test and a comprehensive review project. For students who are not satisfied with their current grade in science, the last chance for unit test retakes or final touches on the review project will be Tuesday, June 13. For the review project, students created a resource (booklet or digital project) with all the content we covered in the physics unit – students can use this resource in the fall to support them as they start 9th grade physics.