8th Grade Newsletter

Reminders:

• Report cards will be available to view on INFINITE CAMPUS. Paper copies will NOT be sent home.

A special message from Delaney Smith about our Washington, D.C. trip.

Dear 8th Grade Families,

I’m excited to announce that registration for our Washington, DC trip is officially open! This trip is planned through Holbrook Tours, and registration and payments will be handled through them. NOT MPP.

To get started, visit the UA website → Activities → Middle School → 8th Grade → DC. There, you will find registration and payment deadlines, registration tips, and a QR code to access the registration page. Please read the DC page carefully, including the student policies at the bottom, and make note of all deadlines and required items.

When you scan the QR code, please read the entire registration page. It includes the itinerary, trip details, and a link to a video explaining how to complete registration. I encourage you to watch the video before proceeding.

When selecting a room for your child, DO NOT select “Single Room.” UA will not be offering this option.

If you are interested in chaperoning, please complete the chaperone form on the DC page of the UA website. DO NOT register yourself through Holbrook Tours until UA has notified you that you have been selected as a chaperone.

Thank you for reviewing all information carefully and keeping track of the deadlines. We’re excited for this opportunity for our students!

Please email all questions to Delaney Smith.

• Last Name A-M: Text @ua8tham to 81010
• Last Name N-Z: Text @ua8thnz to 81010

Important Dates:

10/5-10/9 - Fall Break

10/12-10/16 - SPIRIT WEEK (See details below)

10/15 - Powder Puff Game (7-9:30)

10/15 - Report Cards Available

SPECIAL NOTE: As many of you know, I have been a floater throughout this first quarter. This means that my classes have been meeting in other rooms, including the MPR (cafeteria) and the FLR (Future Learning Room along with another ELA class). While this set up has not been ideal, I am very proud of how adaptable our students have been. It has been especially hard on me, as a teacher, to not be able to be as organized as I would like. I am VERY excited to announce that the new modular unit is in and will be ready for us to move in soon. It is my sincere hope that we will be in our new home by the time the next newsletter comes out!

8th Grade ELA-We have finished building the framework for Unit 2 on ways authors build suspense in literature. After break we will begin analyzing short stories for literary elements and suspense. We just completed our first check-in. Overall, I am very proud of the growth students have made. We will begin reviewing questions from the check-in to learn from our past mistakes. Additionally, students will be practicing the RACES writing strategy when responding to prompts.

H English I-Students are currently in our study of the novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Every night, students have a chapter to read and an analysis task or two to complete. In class we focus on key events (plot), vocabulary, and discussion topics. Students have different groups in which they discuss their analysis of character development, language, chapter questions, CARROT PI, and theme. While English I students scored 100% proficiency on their check-in, we still have some work to do analyzing wrong answers in order to continue growing.

Contact Info: Bonnie McMurray - bmcmurray@unionacademy.org

Mrs. Yana's English classes are continuing our study of short stories. We are analyzing them for plot, characterization, and theme. Students will be analyzing at deeper levels and beginning character analysis, as well. We will continue our vocabulary building with pre-ACT and SAT word study.

Contact Info: Becca Yanacsek - ryanacsek@unionacademy.org

Math 1

The students are hallway through Unit 4 and mastering the study of functions. They have analyzed functions in equations, tables, and graphs. There are no assignments for the upcoming break and we will dive right back into the unit when we return on October 12th!

Math 8

The students have completed their third unit of the year, where they have mastered converting values from standard form to scientific notation and from scientific notation to standard form. They have been practicing this work on state exam questions and are doing great! Their unit test will be after we come back from break. We will have a full review beforehand. There are no assignments given during the break.

Contact Info: Robert Joseph - rjoseph@unionacademy.org

Mrs. Isaacs' 1st and 5th period math classes have finished up our first unit on Transformations and are starting our first of two units on Real Numbers. These units will include the following topics: scientific notation, rules of exponents, rational vs. irrational numbers, perfect squares/cubes, square/cube roots, order of operations, properties of real numbers, evaluating expressions, and monomial and polynomial operations.

Mrs. Isaacs' 2nd and 3rd period math classes are finishing up Transformations this week and will have a second unit test this upcoming week that will include all rigid and non-rigid transformations. This will be followed by our next unit, Real Numbers. Topics will include squares and square roots, classifying real numbers, estimating square roots, rational vs. irrational numbers, fractions and decimals, and comparing and ordering real numbers.

Math Coaching for this week will be:

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday mornings before homeroom beginning at 7:30am

Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from the end of carpool until 4:30pm.

Contact Info: Alissa Isaacs - aisaacs@unionacademy.org

What a great quarter it has been in 8th Grade Social Studies! Students have been busy thinking like historians as they built their “Historian’s Toolbox” and learned how to ask questions, analyze sources, and use evidence to understand the past. We explored North Carolina and U.S. geography, followed by early exploration and the colonization of the Thirteen Colonies. We also paused to connect our learning to important moments in American history and civic life by remembering and honoring the events of 9/11 and celebrating Constitution Day with a closer look at the document that established the framework for our government.

In Quarter 2, our next investigation will examine the causes of the American Revolution, including growing tensions between the colonies and Great Britain, taxation, colonial protests, and key events such as the Boston Massacre and Boston Tea Party. Students will use historical evidence and multiple perspectives to investigate how these conflicts eventually led the colonies toward revolution.

Parents, thank you for your continued support of your student’s learning! I am so proud of the curiosity, effort, and growth our students have shown this quarter. I look forward to another exciting quarter of learning, discovery, and thinking like historians together!

Contact Info: Tara Malone - tmalone@unionacademy.org

8th Grade Social Studies Syllabus

Science Update:

We’ve officially wrapped up our Chemistry unit, and students showed up and showed out on our Science Check-In! Chemistry is officially in the books, and after Fall Break, we’ll be refreshed, recharged, and ready to dive into something completely new.

Next up: Pathogens! Students will step into the role of a medical team, working through real-world case studies to observe symptoms, analyze evidence, and identify the causes of sickness and disease. Get ready to investigate, collaborate, and put your scientific detective skills to work!

Contact Info: Hunter Chapman - hchapman@unionacademy.org

Chapman's Wishlist

We had so much fun with the Marshmallow Conservation of Matter lab! Looking ahead, we have our Chemistry Unit test on Wednesday, 9/23 (study guide will be given on 9/21) and our first science check in on 9/30.

Contact Info: Jeni Bratchie - jbratchie@unionacademy.org

Bratchie's Wishlist

Another week in the books! These past two weeks have certainly been busy, but our students have had some wonderful opportunities to learn, connect, and have fun. Students participated in Family Day, where they had the opportunity to group up with their families, get to know one another, and complete a variety of activities together. It was a great way for our students and families to build connections and enjoy time together! In Health and PE, students were introduced to kickball this week and had the opportunity to participate in the game. They worked on learning the rules, practicing their skills, and, most importantly, having fun while being active! Next week, we will focus on Wiffle Ball! We’re looking forward to another great week ahead!

Contact Info: Haedyn McGrath - hmcgrath@unionacademy.org

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The Counseling Department is getting ready for this year’s Fall Parent Book Club, where we’ll be reading Parenting with Love and Logic! Because of our school-day responsibilities, the book club will need to meet in the morning, but we do have some flexibility with the day of the week and start time. If you're interested in participating, please take a moment to complete the form below and let us know which options would work for you most of the time:

Signup HERE

CAREER DAY:

This year's Middle School Career Day is Friday, November 13. If you are willing to or are interested in being a speaker please sign up using the link below.

SIGNUP HERE

If you or your child need to contact our counselor:

Counselor: Kerri Mosely - kmosley@unionacademy.org

Please complete THIS FORM to request for Mrs. Mosley to check-in with a student. Check-ins may be due to social/emotional needs, family concerns, or academic needs. ***Please contact Mrs. Mosley at 704-238-8883 ext 1164 for situations that require IMMEDIATE attention.***

Be sure to check out Mr. Van Dyke’s latest Chorus Newsletter! He’s shared updates on what our student musicians are working on, upcoming performance dates, and all things chorus. You can read his full update directly by visiting Mr. Van Dyke's Newsletters