Cluster 6 Newsletter

February 5, 2023

Hello families and caregivers!

Hello families! Last week we had an “organization reset” day. We reminded students of the supplies they need for each class. We reminded students that they need to charge their Chromebooks at night and bring the required supplies, such as a pencil or pen, every day. If notebooks have gone missing or are almost full, your child might ask you to find or buy a new one. Please help your child come to class prepared.

We are also asking for donations! If your family has extra notebooks, tissues, or pencils, we would appreciate those donations.

Best,

Cluster 6 Team

English

Civics

Students just finished annotating the Constitution, one of our Founding Documents. Students learned about the seven articles of the Constitution that created our government. Now, we are learning about the Iroquois confederacy and how their democratic practices influenced our Constitution. We are learning that Native Americans aren’t just part of our American history, they are part of our present! Students will be using their writing skills to explain how the Iroquois influenced our Constitution. The Bill of Rights is our next Founding Document.

Math

Both the Algebra and 8th Grade Math classes are working with linear equations, and heading towards solving systems of equations. The Algebra class has a quiz Friday, assessing their ability to determine collinear points, write equations of lines in point-slope and slope-intercept form, and graphing these lines. The 8th Grade Math class is focusing on how to solve when two equations are “equal,” and how to graph lines using several different starting methods. Next week, both classes will continue their work in solving linear systems, including the methods of graphing, substitution, and for the Algebra class, elimination.

Science

We have officially started our study of evolution and are learning about specific examples of natural selection that demonstrate how evolution happens in our world.

Please remind your child to complete all practice work every week. Weekly assignments are posted on Mondays, and should be completed outside of class time. In addition, practice work not completed during class will also need to be completed on a student’s own time.

Students will be assessed on their understanding of the learning objectives from 5.1: Darwin’s Theory next week. For Green and Blue classes the quizzes will be on Thursday, February 9 and for Orange and Purple classes it will be on Friday, February 10.

The learning objectives for the Evolution Unit are linked here: Evolution Unit Learning Objectives.