This monthly newsletter is brought to you by the NISD MS Science C&I Team.

volume 9 issue 4

As the month of February comes to an end, we want to take a moment to celebrate YOU. The dedicated and passionate science teachers who inspire curiosity, critical thinking, and a love for discovery in our classrooms every day.

Join us in celebrating these wonderful teachers at the Secondary Teachers of the Year Ceremony which will be held March 27th, 2025 at the NISD Sports Gym, 8400 N Loop 1604 W. Program starts at 6:30pm.

Our last New Teacher Institute took place on Feb. 4th. Teachers spent the day not only exploring how to use technology to provide transformational experiences for students, but also how to structure the use of technology within the classroom lesson. It was a great day as teachers explored both online platforms and digital tools available to all teachers in the wonderful world of middle school science. Resources explored included zSpace, Region 4 Resources, BrainPop Science, Smartscopes, LabQuests, and AI. Excited to see the integration of these resources in classrooms across the district.

February 17th was officially the last professional learning for the 2024-2025 school year for middle school science and there was no better way to spend it than with ALL science teachers! Thank you teachers for your year-long FOCUS and DEDICATION to exploring and unpacking the new standards including the Science and Engineering Practices, instructional resources, and effective teaching practices.

6th grade teachers focused on 6.12A investigate how organisms and populations in an ecosystem compete for biotic and abiotic factors.

7th grade teachers focused on 7.7ABC Speed, Velocity, and Distance/Time Graphs by analyzing last year's CDB data, interacting with simulations and the motion detectors, and reviewing speed calculating labs.

8th grade teachers focused on 8.8AB Characteristics of transverse waves, the electromagnetic spectrum, and the use of electromagnetic waves. Teachers also focused on the 2025 assessed curriculum and STAAR action plans.

Please let us know if you have any questions about any Professional Learning Resources.

Please consider posting pictures, short videos, and experiences of how you and your students are connecting with science on X, the app formerly known as Twitter!

Science Grade 8 CDB 2 window is March 3 - 7. All CDBs must be completed online by end of day on Friday, March 7th.

Reminders:

1. This CDB will include one SCR. While it is worth zero points, it is important that teachers utilize the provided rubric and provide feedback to students.
2. Advanced courses should also be completing the Science 8 CDB 2 Supplement during that same week as well, however teachers do have an additional week to score and upload. Due to spring break, supplemental scores are due by Friday, March 21st.
3. Please review student rosters to ensure students are assigned the correct version of the test. Regardless of the test version, ALL students can have a hardcopy of the Grade 8 Science Reference Materials sheet and a piece of scratch paper. It is also important to provide the appropriate supplemental aids to students who qualify.

• Please refer to the Middle School CLS FAQ document to assist in determining which version of the assessment a student should be taking. Remember that SE or EB students taking a CLS version should be receiving these supports during day to day instruction.
• A clicksheet on Adding Content & Language Supports can be found on the Schoolnet Support Site under Assessment Tools.

As your PLC develops CCAs, don’t forget the information provided on the New Item Types: STAAR, CMS, Schoology document also located on the Employee Connection: MS Science: STAAR Information page. Inline Choice, Match Table Grid, and Cluster questions will be field tested this year on STAAR!

**Reminder that these types of questions can be viewed by teachers and students on the TEA Texas Assessment site.

Curriculum guides for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade will be linked to the Year-At-A-Glance two weeks before the unit is scheduled to begin. **Important Reminder: Please make sure to review all curriculum guide components and individual resources as updates have been made for the 24-25 school year. Please don’t forget that the lab coat symbol indicates a REQUIRED lab.

Assessment items for upcoming 6th, 7th, and 8th grade units will also be added to the CMS CO Shared Item Banks two weeks before the unit is scheduled to begin. A variety of the new item types can be found in the bank. **Important Reminder: Campus banks or previously created CCAs were not retagged, so make sure they are aligned to the new 21 standards if adding those items to a new CCA.

Reminder to please visit the Employee Connection: MS Science page for the new link to the combined feedback form. The link to the form can be found in the menu on the right hand side. Feel free to send any questions or concerns regarding any of the curriculum components or CMS assessment items.

The Middle School Science C&I Department oversees an Elementary to Middle School STEM Summer Camp known as STEM Sisters. Camp will run from June 2nd - June 12th. The purpose is to provide a STEM enrichment experience for current 4th, 5th, and 6th grade girls as they transition from elementary to middle school within the Jones, Pease, Rayburn, and Ross feeder patterns.

We are looking for 8 (eight) well qualified teachers to work closely with the STEM Sisters Camp Coordinator and Site Coordinators to prepare and oversee the STEM Sisters camps.

If this is something that interests you please review the details on the application form for position responsibilities.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to the nature of the program, female applicants only. All applications are due by 4pm on Friday, February 28th.

Not a sponsor? No worries…we would love to see you as a volunteer at one of the great program events! Please check out the 2025 Volunteer Opportunities flyer to sign up today!

Please make sure to check out the Middle School Science Employee Connection Extended Learning Opportunities page to access the Google site for each specific program!

Please feel free to reach out to K-8 Enrichment Programs Sponsor, Amalia Sollars (amalia.sollars@nisd.net).

John Jay Science and Engineering Academy is hosting their annual STEAMfest on Saturday, March 1st, from 10am-1pm. This is a FREE community event for kids of all ages and will feature over 50 STEM and Art booths and activities run by current students.

This group will be our main mode of communication throughout the year so please make sure you have joined and that you have turned on notifications. If you are not yet a member, please use the following code to join:

Schoology Group Access Code 4CP8-WZJG-6XH4M

In addition to Employee Connection, this group is how MS Science C&I shares resources and provides updates. To ensure that you are notified when updates are posted, please customize the notifications for this group by selecting Group Update Posted under Email Notifications Settings. For step-by-step instructions, please see the Schoology Notifications Clicksheet.

Please visit the Employee Connection: MS Science page - and make sure it is in your FAVORITES! Information has been updated for the 2024-2025 school year. Check out the CURRICULUM, INSTRUCTION, and ASSESSMENT pages - menu links are on the right hand side.

Elaine Estrada Instructional Specialist

Lisa Crawford IST

Connie Schaub IST

Lauren Stiles Academic Technology IST

Amalia Sollars K-8 Enrichment Programs Coordinator

Email: NISD.MS-Science@nisd.net
Website: https://nisd.net/employees/department/ms-science
Location: 5900 Evers Road, San Antonio, TX, USA
Phone: 210-397-8661