8th Grade News
FEBRUARY 2025
8th GRADE ADVISORY TEACHERS
8th Grade Teachers
Mr. Flowers (PE Health) - jermaine.flowers@marshall.k12.mn.us
Ms. Gifford (Math Intervention/Enrichment) - lexie.gifford@marshall.k12.mn.us
Ms. Hess (PAES Lab) - erica.hess@marshall.k12.mn.us
Mr. Hoppe (Social Studies) - ethan.hoppe@marshall.k12.mn.us
Ms. Lanoye-Guerrero (Art) - jordyn.LanoyeGuerrero@marshall.k12.mn.us
Ms. Leibfried (Math) - jessica.leibfried@marshall.k12.mn.us
Ms. Mather (Instructional Coach/Guided Learning) - jean.mather@marshall.k12.mn.us
Ms. Maus (Language Arts) - ashley.maus@marshall.k12.mn.us
Mr. Myers (Orchestra) - wes.myers@marshall.k12.mn.us
Mr. Novosad (Choir) - eric.novosad@marshall.k12.mn.us
Ms. Runck (Spanish) - sara.runck@marshall.k12.mn.us
Ms. Smith (Language Arts) denise.smith@marshall.k12.mn.us
Ms. Tauer (Math) - samantha.tauer@marshall.k12.mn.us
Ms. Welch (Science) - sara.welch@marshall.k12.mn.us
Mr. Witherow (Band) - christian.witherow@marshall.k12.mn.us
ALGEBRA
MATH 8
PAES LAB
Welcome to the PAES lab!
PAES (Practical Assessment Exploration System) is a work development curriculum that is used in a classroom as a preliminary work site where students learn job and life skills, explore many work areas, and learn what type of jobs they are good at and enjoy doing. The PAES lab operates in a simulated work environment, students become employees and staff become supervisors.
We will be working our way through 264 possible jobs. It is self-paced as jobs build in level and difficulty.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Mrs. Hess. erica.hess@marshall.k12.mn.us
p.s. I am working to expand our job offerings. Please contact me if you are interested in possibly donating an item. (Examples: bicycle repair, medical, floral design)
ART
It is a brand new quarter for the 8th graders in Art. We started off with a Get to Know You Mandala activities where the students answered questions, and each answer provided a specific color. They then took those colors and created a mandala design. Next the students will do a pre-test to see how much they remember from last year and what they might know about the principles of design! Next week, we will be going over each principle of design and then testing their new knowledge with an escape room! This quarter looks like it's going to be great!
Thank you,
Jordyn Guerrero
SOCIAL STUDIES
New students have arrived for the second semester of school! Getting to know classroom expectations, looking at what we will learn this year, and getting to know each other is goal number one. Our curriculum will start with what Geography means and how we use it to better understand our world and the people that live on it. I’m looking forward to working with another great group of students!
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
My name is Mr. Flowers, and I am the Physical Education and Health teacher for our 7th and 8th graders. This marks my second year at Marshall, and I am passionate about guiding our students in embracing fitness and leading a healthy lifestyle. In my spare time, I enjoy being an avid basketball fan and love traveling to watch various sporting events. I am looking forward to another fantastic quarter!
As we kicked off the third quarter, our students participated in the Presidential Physical Fitness Pre-Test. This comprehensive assessment evaluates their current fitness levels through various exercises, including curl-ups, sit and reach, pull-ups, shuttle runs, and the one-mile run. The results from this test will assist students in identifying areas for improvement and setting personal fitness goals.
Throughout the quarter, we will engage in a variety of physical activities, such as core strengthening routines, yoga sessions, and dynamic circuit training. These exercises not only enhance our students' physical abilities but also promote mindfulness and overall well-being.
In our Health classes, we are diving into the fascinating topic of Body Systems, focusing specifically on the Skeletal and Muscular systems, Nervous System, and Immune System.
SCIENCE
Students beginning their second semester of Physical Science have started learning all about matter, as well as how matter can change. We will have the opportunity for many labs and hands-on days. Following this, we will move into our energy and thermal energy units! 😊
SPANISH
En la clase de Español Avanzado, empezamos la clase descubriendo nuestras identidades culturales y las fuentes del input lingüístico que tenemos tanto en español como en inglés. También empezamos las actividades de lectura libre y querido diario.
In Advanced Spanish, we are starting the class by discovering our cultural identities and the sources of linguistic input that each of us have in Spanish and English. We are also starting free reading and weekly journaling.
In Spanish, we are starting out the class using Comprehensible Input. Students will read, write, listen, and speak in Spanish as we start the quarter learning about chocolate en español. We will also focus on the calendar and cognates, words that look and sound similar in English and Spanish and have a similar meaning.
*Reminder: High School registration is coming up soon. Encourage your student to sign up for Spanish in high school! Many colleges and universities require or prefer two semesters of a foreign language. Additionally, learning a foreign language opens doors for future careers and travel opportunities, has many cognitive and social benefits, and is fun! 😊
LANGUAGE ARTS
8th grade language arts students have wrapped up their reading of the play, Diary of Anne Frank and their book clubs. We just took our NWEA tests and are now working on writing personal narratives (memoirs). You may have seen their “Life Maps” at home. These were a fun way for us to walk down memory lane and pin down ideas for our writing.
Band/Orchestra/Choir
We continue to work on the music for our next performance. We look forward to sharing it with you!
Band:
Choir:
Orchestra: