Canaan Middle School Update

Dear Canaan Middle School Families,

We have had a lot of activities and events over the last couple of weeks and more to come! From Valentine's Day festivities to engaging in-class activities, our students have been actively involved in various enriching experiences.

We talk with students frequently about being kind, caring, and respectful and this was on display during our Valentine's Day Celebrations. It was heartwarming to see the spirit of friendship and camaraderie among our students in 5th grade during the classroom celebrations and with our 6th grade dance.

We are always excited for the opportunity to have our students visit the Think Big Space, over the last couple of weeks our 6th graders had the opportunity to explore innovative ideas and engage in creative thinking. During the most recent visits students focused on

Sam Labs blocks, Tinkercad, zSpace computers and Ozobots.

We are finishing up our 6th grade MAP assessments this week and will start our 5th grade MAP assessments next week. We appreciate the effort and dedication our students have shown during these assessments and are able to make adjustments to our instruction to best serve all of our students!

A friendly reminder that all 5th graders will be taking the CogAT assessment on February 28th. Parents, if you haven't received the information letter regarding this assessment, please reach out to us for further details. We are here to address any questions or concerns you may have.

Our students involved in the CMS Play have been diligently preparing for the upcoming performances, which is scheduled to take place on March 7th. We can't wait to showcase their talents and creativity on stage.

As always, thank you for your ongoing support and involvement in our school community. The impact of the positive influence on our students lives in and outside of school is one of the many reasons that Jonathan Alder Schools is such a special place for our students!

Warm regards,

Mr. Walter, Principal

Canaan Middle School

In math, we have taken a break from fractions and decimals to revisit whole number multiplication and division. (This will eventually lead us into multiplying and dividing decimals.) This week, we have focused mostly on multiplication by 1-, 2-, and 3-digit factors. Earlier in the school year, we focused on the "area model" or "partial product" method. After reviewing this, we made connections and transitioned to the standard algorithm. As we finish up the unit, students will be able to choose which method they like better for multiplication. Moving forward, we will continue to work with division by using the standard algorithm. We focus on using the phrase "Does McDonald's Serve Burgers Really?" We use the DMSBR as a checklist of steps to follow because long division can be crazy-confusing when you first learn it. At some point next week, we will have a quiz covering both multiplication and division of whole numbers.

6th graders had a great time visiting our AWS Think Big space at the high school this week. The focus of this visit was integrating STEM into math review as well as reviewing and expanding circuits. Students had the opportunity to use Sam Labs blocks, Tinkercad, zSpace computers and Ozobots. Sam Labs blocks were used to create a high tech crosswalk with both lights and sounds to keep both cars and pedestrians safe. Using Tinkercad, students were able to explore circuits and build functioning light circuits using virtual micro:bits, batteries, LED lights, etc. Students explored AR/VR using our zSpace computers using a program called Franklin's Lab to complete circuit challenges. Many students were able to create short circuits to get at least 3 lightbulbs to turn off and on at certain times. Ozobots were used to review their learning of ratios from math class. Each Ozobot was used to collect data and then that data was turned into a ratio table and used to answer specific questions about data.

Mrs. Byers talked a lot about persevering through challenges, as many of these activities were challenging! 6th graders did a great job and worked hard to complete the activities. It was great to see students use what they have learned from Mrs. Rings and apply it to their work in the HS space.

6th-grade students are learning constructive ways to avoid and manage digital drama. They learned that while communicating online has many positive aspects, it can also open up opportunities for misunderstandings, hurt feelings, and conflict. This lesson focused on reviewing strategies to resolve problems calmly and assertively.

SAVE THE DATE! Into The Woods will be on our high school stage from Thursday, March 14 through Sunday March 17. Tickets are available now. Go to our website. www.Jamb-arts.org. And click on the link to be taken to the online ticket site. If you have any ticket questions, contact Tiffany Eudaily at tiffanyeudaily@gmail.com or text only please at 614-432-1381.

Our next music booster meeting will be held Monday February 26 at 7:00 at the JAHS Choir room.

Common Sense Media

Common Sense Media is an online tool that can help parents and students make informed decisions regarding media use. This tool can be used for many types of media, including books, movies, video games, and apps.

Canvas is a Learning Management System that is used in Grades 5-12 at Jonathan Alder. You and your student will find a lot of information about the school and your student's classroom through this platform. It is VERY important to stay connected and log on to Canvas. This link should help you log on and explain Canvas.

Talking Points

We are excited to share that our staff members will be using a safe and easy to

use two way communication tool called TalkingPoints to communicate with

families. Families have three easy ways to use TalkingPoints to communicate

with their children’s teachers for free! You can use text message, download the

app or use it on the web at https://talkingpts.org/families/. Once you log in to

Talking Points, you should be able to see your students and teachers.

March 7: CMS School Play (Time TBD)

March 15: End of the 3rd Nine Weeks

Email: walterro@japioneers.org
Website: https://www.alder.k12.oh.us/canaanmiddleschool_home.aspx
Location: 7055 U.S. 42, Plain City, OH, USA
Phone: 614-873-5621
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100093654760627
Twitter: @canaan_middle