Middle School Minute
January 13 - 17, 2025
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📕 ELA 📕
Mz. Estelle
Honors English
We are studying opinion speech writing. We will be analyzing exemplar texts and then drafting and revising an opinion piece in speech form. Students are still responsible for work on iReady and ReadWorks. ReadWorks assignments are accessible via Google Classroom. iReady is accessible via Clever.
For both my English and Science classes, students are accessing work via Google classroom. Within the google classroom, students have access to work on Flocabulary, ReadWorks, iReady, and NewsELA. Science students are also using Generation Genius to expand their science knowledge and skills.
***Please know that classwork must be completed ON TIME. Per our class syllabus, no late work is accepted with the exception of excused absences. If your child is absent and misses work, all work should be completed within five days of return.
Ms. Stricklin
i-Ready - Students are required to complete 50 minutes of i-Ready Reading and two passed lessons.
Accelerated Reader (AR) - Students need to be reading and taking AR tests. The only way to grow in reading comprehension is to practice. They need to look at their individual goal on Clever.
Schoology -
Reading: We are continuing our short story unit using Langston Hughes’s “Thank You, Ma’am” as an anchor text.
Writing: We have started working on our personal narratives. We will continue to work and build on these assignments
Grammar: This week will review pronoun types, subject, object, and possessive pronouns.
Honors ELA - This week students will have assignments on Schoology, AcceleratedReader (AR), and i-Ready.
i-Ready - Students are required to complete 50 minutes of i-Ready Reading and two passed lessons.
Accelerated Reader (AR) - Students need to be reading and taking AR tests. The only way to grow in reading comprehension is to practice.They need to look at their individual goal on Clever.
Schoology -
Reading: We are continuing our short story unit using Langston Hughes’s “Thank You, Ma’am” as an anchor text.
Writing: We have started working on our personal narratives. We will continue to work and build on these assignments
Grammar: This week will review pronoun types, subject, object, and possessive pronouns.
Ms. Talley
Iready will be graded; remember you can earn tickets from Mrs. Clemons for the cart!
Honors ELA: We will continue The Book Thief and we will be covering pages 46-90. The focus skills this week are schema and character motivation. We will be starting our propaganda project soon!
Vocabulary for the week: illustrious, audacious, implicit, and cynicism, and flippant
Regular ELA: We are focusing heavily on informational text! This week's topics/texts include Mother Jones (Mary Harris Jones), A letter to Preside Theodore Roosevelt, a piece by Dr. Don Lincoln about machines, and the response to the previous text. Our skills revolve around these texts such as reasoning and evidence, technical language, and sources. We are also starting our argumentative essay. Please feel free to follow along with the process on your students' Study Sync.
Vocabulary for the week: treacherous, exploit, crucial, and innovation
➕➖ Math ➖➕
Mr. Moore
🧪 Science 🧪
Mz. Estelle
Our next unit is on Space Exploration. We will be using AMSTI materials to explore Earth and Space concepts via the AMSTI hands-on investigations.
Students have been assigned a Moon Journal via Google Classroom. Students are expected to observe the sky daily, looking for the moon phases, and recording their observations on their Moon Journal. We will also have some class time to do sky observations. Please make sure your child dressed appropriately for the weather for possible class time outside.
For both my English and Science classes, students are accessing work via Google classroom. Within the google classroom, students have access to work on Flocabulary, ReadWorks, iReady, and NewsELA. Science students are also using Generation Genius to expand their science knowledge and skills.
***Please know that classwork must be completed ON TIME. Per our class syllabus, no late work is accepted with the exception of excused absences. If your child is absent and misses work, all work should be completed within five days of return.
*** All sixth grade classrooms are in need of hand sanitizer and tissues. My science class is in desperate need of paper towels. We would be MOST grateful if you can send those items in.
Mrs. Thrasher
We are going to be learning about Tides and Eclipses next week. A tentative date set for a test is on Tuesday January 22nd. Study guides will be handed out a week ahead of time, glued into interactive notebooks. The expectation is that the study guide is filled out the day before the test (so we can review and check answers). The test will be over moon phases, gravity, Sun-Earth- and Moon relationships including seasons, tides and eclipses.
7th Grade
Next week we are continuing to learn how cells divide and will concentrate on Meiosis through a hands-on activity and a digital Meiosis activity with a worksheet on Schoology.
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📜 Social Studies 📜
Mrs. Hester
We will be continuing our study of the 1920s.
Tentative Test Date - January 14/15
Mrs. Maynard
Civics
Grades are still in the process of being input and updated due to Mrs. Maynard's maternity leave and absence. If you have questions or concerns about your grade, please reach out to Mr. Jones or Mrs. Smith and they will get you the information you need.
Mr. Hughes
We will continue studying Ancient India and China
Next week we will be taking an open- notes quiz on Chapter 9, sections 1 & 2 (likely Wednesday & Thursday)
🎭 Fine Arts 🎭
🤡 Clowns - Ms. Stricklin 🤡
- Upcoming Dates
- Auditions: Bedtime Stories (As Told by our Dad) (Who usually messed them up) on Tuesday, January 14, 2025.
- Prepare a 30 second memorized monologue
- Fill out the audition form and resume online at https://www.whyaaa.org/ms-theatre.html
🤩 Stars - Ms. Stricklin 🤩
- Upcoming Dates
- Auditions: Bedtime Stories (As Told by our Dad) (Who usually messed them up) on Tuesday, January 13, 2025.
- Prepare a 30 second memorized monologue
✍🏻 Creative Writing - Mrs. Hester ✍🏻
3rd 9 Weeks Genre Study: POETRY
Students must sign-up for a 3rd 9 weeks workshop date on the discussion post in Schoology.
🎭 Theatre - Mr. Feemster 🎭
Welcome Back! Auditions for Bedtime Stories will be January 13-15th after school. Please see www.WhyAAA.org/MS-Theatre for more information.
Reminder! Students in Introduction to Theatre will switch their classes from Tech to Performances and vice versa.
🎨 Art - Mrs. Dare-Jackson 🎨
You're invited to the AAAMazing Art Show hosted by the Academy for Academics & Arts!
You have 2 opportunities to come see Elementary & Middle School students’ art work.
Thursday, January 30th from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Friday, January 31st from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM
🎻Strings - Mrs. Peck🎻
Hello AAA MS Strings Families!
Our department will have an amazing, artsy, MAGNET STRINGS composite photo made on Wednesday, January 22nd. Please send your strings child to school in their full formal all-black uniform for the individual photos that will be made of each strings member holding their instrument in the photo for a very polished and professional 'look'. Also continue to emphasize and monitor their HOME PRACTICE, which should be no less than 30 minutes 4 times a week. They have practice logues to mark their data and get your initials:) Kind, Super Thanks!
6th Grade Updates
- Make sure you have signed up for the 6th grade Remind CLICK HERE or HERE to join the class the code is @ceecdk
- Check PowerSchool often. Directions for creating a Parent Portal account are attached below.
- Have students read at home for 30 minutes a day.
7th Grade Updates
iReady in ELA and math will be graded based on work completed Monday - Friday going forward. Time and lessons completed on Saturday and/or Sunday will not count toward their iReady classwork grades.
Please encourage your students to complete their classwork at school. The goal is for students to not have much homework and to use their classroom instructional time efficiently. This should also help decrease the number of missing assignments students have in PowerSchool.