PAML Family Newsletter

October 5-9 - Homecoming Week!

October 7th - Media day! Photos of your athlete and teams

October 12th - No School, Indigenous Peoples' Day

October 26th - 30th - Harvest Fest

October 27th - End of Quarter 1

November 11th - No School, Professional Development

November 23-24 - No School, Family Conferences

Enjoy this curriculum update by grade level—it was great to see you at Open House!

Mr. Carr’s World Cultures class recently hiked to the summit of Elmore for a sunrise painting experience. As part of their study of Impressionism and French culture, students captured the incredible view through art while enjoying beautiful French music performed by classmates, along with a Spotify playlist.

Best,
Jes

• Oct 2 - HW Club

The end (of unit 1) is near! Students have progressed from counting cubes to writing expressions to determine the volume of rectangular prisms. They have shown multiple strategies for decomposing and composing volumes. The calculations also reinforced their fluency with multiplication math facts. This unit is a great lead-in to the upcoming unit on fractions!

We have been working hard to solidify student understanding of plot elements. Also, students have started working on their Plot Project for a realistic fiction book. Lastly, after spending several weeks looking at plot through a reader’s lens, they will begin structuring and planning for their own narrative pieces using the same plot structure format, but applying it through a writer’s lens. We have started brainstorming ideas, and will be diving into the writing process together.

• Reminder - Reading Logs are in effect! Please work with your child to develop the routine of reading for at least 20 minutes each day. (100 minutes per week minimum) The reading log should be signed by a parent/guardian and returned to school on the Monday of the following week. This will be a weekly grade in the gradebook, so please help to support your child in their quest for success!

We are busy feeding, cleaning, and caring for our Monarch caterpillars… all but three are in their chrysalis! Students are developing their inquiry skills and observing like Biologists. They have so many questions and are very curious scientists! In our outdoor classroom, students spend time exploring our natural world and have discovered the many types of Fungi.

Students who have missed days or get behind in school work should attend Homework Club. Students get a snack, and then head down to Ms. Emerson’s room. There are teachers there to help.

• 10/12: No School (Indigenous Peoples Day)

• Homework Club:

• 10/6

• 10/13

• 10/20

• 10/27

In Math, students have been doing a great job understanding parallelograms and how they relate to triangles. They have also been finding the area of a polygon by decomposing it into parallelograms and triangles. We have also focused on base and height pairs to find the area of a triangle. We have explored and realized we have a lot of new vocabulary in math this unit and have been able to use it in daily class discussions. As a reminder we do have math homework weekly and students have an option to go to HW Club on Tuesdays.

In Science we finished our Branches of Science Posters and Essays. Now we are previewing the important concepts we will be studying this year.

Students are making a guidebook that contains the nine major topics that we will investigate in greater detail each quarter.

We also came together to develop a system of rules for our sharing circle. We developed agreements, and a schedule to fairly divide jobs and responsibilities.

In Humanities, students recently completed an identity project in which each student represented who they are as an island map. Every choice mattered: where the island sits, how large it is, and what's found on it all reflect something true about the student. To make these decisions, students first answered reflective questions about their interests and values.

Students also had the freedom to express their identity in creative ways. Some wrote a local legend explaining how a landmark came to be on their island, others highlighted a family or cultural tradition, and some designed a national symbol or flag. To celebrate their work, we held a gallery walk where students connected their islands into a class archipelago, a wonderful reminder of how each unique individual contributes to our community.

On Tuesday, September 29th, we had a lovely day at Hosmer Point with our crew! Everyone had a great time and participated in all events with responsibility and compassion, which are our Portrait of a Graduate focus habits for September.

Students will be finishing up our unit on Scale Drawings this week. They will complete a Study Guide on Friday and should study over the weekend. We will go over the Study Guide together on Monday and they will take their Summative Assessment on Tuesday, October 6th. All work for this unit must be in by Friday, 10/9! Students should be able to recognize a scaled copy, know how to draw a scaled copy, understand how scale affects area, and be able to use scales on maps and drawings of everyday objects.

In Global Citizenship, students have been discovering what it means to be a citizen. We have certain rights, but we also have responsibilities to take care of in our communities. Soon, we’ll begin our end of unit Community Solutions Project, where students will apply what they’ve learned about civic virtues, the common good, and democratic principles to a real world scenario: How should a town go about deciding what to do with a public park?

Students in ELA have been working hard on honing their skills in identifying parts of speech and using this to help them identify the meaning of unknown words. They prepared for their first quiz on the parts of speech by discussing various study strategies and repeating our vocabulary mantra: Context matters! This week we are continuing our word work by learning about the connotation and denotation of words and how we can identify tone to figure out the meaning of words we don’t know. Students also took the Reading STAR assessment to track progress and we will use this data to set some goals moving forward.

Students have been busy as field scientists collecting pollinator data on our lawn, garden, and swale area on our campus. They have become experts at capturing and releasing honey bees, bumble bees, and even wasps. Each time we go outside, they are collecting quantitative and qualitative data on our pollinators. We will soon dive into all our data to see which mini ecosystem has the greatest diversity and which abiotic and biotic factors contribute to that biodiversity.

In math, students are finishing up their unit on rigid transformations and congruence. We will end this unit with some review days and an end-of-unit assessment. I have been very impressed with this group’s focus and perseverance. After the assessment, we will move on to a short unit about similarity and dilations, then we will begin with some pre-algebra topics!

In English students are investigating the book, The Giver. They are analyzing and contrasting the dystopian lifestyle to our society. They are fine-tuning their grammar and writing skills on a daily basis, while incorporating a Word of the Week into their working vocabulary. Students will be preparing for MOYA which stands for: Month of the Young Adolescent. They will participate in a medley of activities that relate to their growth and development as a 21st century young adolescent. Please ask your child to see their homework planner each night to support the school to home connection. Thank you! ~Ms. Piscitelli

Students in GC are learning how economic decisions made during the Industrial Revolution impacted individuals, businesses, and society. Last week, we learned about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire of 1911. Students learned how rapid industrialization, lack of government regulation, and the pressure to increase profits influenced decisions made by business owners and created dangerous working conditions for employees. Students are now learning how these historical decisions continue to impact working culture and regulations in modern American society.

Computer Aiden Design (7th & 8th Grade)

The students in the Computer Aided Design (CAD) class spent the last few weeks practicing orthographic projections, a common way of representing three-dimensional objects. It is not easy to look at a 3D object and draw only what is visible from the top, front, and right-side views. It can be even harder to look at those three views and visualize what the complete object looks like in 3D. Through practice, students are developing their ability to visualize objects from different perspectives and communicate their ideas accurately through technical drawings.

Design Engineering 1 (7th & 8th Grade)

In Design and Technology the eighth-graders just wrapped up crashing the model cars they designed and built for the Transportation Safety Challenge. They've been testing their vehicles to see if they keep the eggs safe during a simulated car crash. Now, as the project wraps up, students will be putting their experiences into words and are reflecting on the materials and tools they used, explaining what worked and what didn't. It's been a hands-on, crash-and-learn project, and the final reflections will provide evidence for the new knowledge and skills the students gained.

Design Engineering 2 (7th & 8th Grade)

In the “Design Engineering 2” class, the a student are gearing up for the CO2 race car challenge. The students have been exploring concepts like aerodynamics , the benefits and disadvantages of high speed transportation in general, and teamwork while designing their model race cars. The race is set for late next week or early the following week! The upcoming race is an opportunity for our students to demonstrate their creativity and engineering skills, all while competing for the trophy that will be awarded to the student team with the highest point-scoring dragster at the end of the school year.

Design and Technology 1 (5th and 6th Grade)

In the Design and Technology 1 classroom, students are getting close to completing a unit on construction technology, where they designed and built bridges from balsa wood. In the next few days, each bridge will be tested for strength and efficiency, giving students hands-on experience in structural engineering. Following this, we will shift focus to computer-aided design (CAD) software, where the students will developing their own ball games. Some of the components for these games will be manufactured using the classroom’s laser cutter. This unit blends creativity, technology, and problem-solving, allowing students to experience the full design process from concept to creation.

Technical Illustration (5th and 6th Grade)

In Technical Illustration, the students focused on creating three-dimensional (3D) objects in isometric and trimetric perspective and also learned and practiced the basics of orthographic projections, a common way of representing three-dimensional objects. It is not easy to look at a 3D object and draw only what is visible from the top, front, and right-side views.

Art: It has been busy and creative in the art room! Students across our art classes have been exploring autumn-inspired artwork, famous artists, drawing techniques, watercolor, painting, and digital art while developing their own creative ideas and artistic styles.

• Digital Art: Students have been learning how to draw and paint autumn scenes both digitally and by hand. They have practiced developing an image using step-by-step instructions while adding their own creative ideas and artistic touches to make each piece unique.

• Meet the Artist: Students have explored a variety of art projects inspired by great artists, including Claude Monet, Wassily Kandinsky, and Vincent van Gogh. They have learned about each artist's unique style and used what they discovered to create their own original artwork.

• Art Exploration: Students have been busy creating watercolor landscapes and drawings while also exploring the art of Notan design. They are experimenting with shape, contrast, composition, and color as they discover different ways to create interesting artwork.

• Drawing: Students have been practicing how to draw pumpkins and autumn-themed landscapes while learning about value, shading, and creating the illusion of form. They are developing their drawing skills while focusing on light and color.

• Painting: Students have been embracing the season by drawing and painting pumpkins. They are practicing painting techniques, color mixing/shading, and adding creative details to their work.

8th graders in Wellness this quarter are continuing their study of mental health. We have been discussing how stress can be beneficial (eustress), everyday stress, or negative (distress). We’ve also been looking at the signs and symptoms of depression and how to identify them in a peer. Reaching out to trusted adults is part of our work this week. Our next topic will be ATOD (Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs), including core concepts and refusal skills. The last topics of the quarter will be consent, healthy relationships and sexual literacy. I am grateful to be collaborating with PA alumna Morgan Montminy, now from the Clarina Howard Nichols Center, for these lessons and activities. We may even have guest presenters from the high school club TEAL (Together Empowering youth through Action and Leadership), a club that looks to make schools and communities safer for all, including through healthier relationships.

5th graders in S.A.G. have been learning about youth who have come before them and who have, despite their age, made huge, positive impacts on the world. So far we have studied Malala Yousafzai, Robby Novak (aka Kid President) and Greta Thunberg. We’ve made posters reminding others who read them to “give the world a reason to dance” (Kid President theme) and other motivational reminders. Next we will be studying William Kamkwamba (“The Kid Who Harnessed the Wind” is his memoir that became a Netflix film). We’ve also started brainstorming ways we can make a difference in our part of the world, so be looking for signs of little things we all can do to help make a collective difference coming soon!

Thank you to everyone who performed at Rocktoberfest last weekend! We had a great turnout, and the whole community was really proud of our school. In class we have transitioned to working on music for our concert on October 22nd. The concert will be at 6pm in the auditorium. Students will meet in the music rooms to warm up at 5:30. This is a mandatory event, and will serve as the final assessment for the quarter. Please reach out if you have any questions!

We are excited to announce the performances of Beetlejuice the Musical, Jr.! We will have a show for parents and community members on Thursday, October 29th at 6pm. Students should arrive at 5:00 to get ready. Doors will open at 5:45. We will have an additional performance the following morning, October 30th, for the PAML students.

We’ve had a busy and active start to the year in PE! Students have been building skills and putting them into action through units in Ultimate Frisbee, Soccer, Team Handball, and Speedball, along with some of our favorite large-group activities like MatBall and CrickBall.

Throughout each unit, our focus goes beyond simply learning how to play a game. Students are practicing movement skills, teamwork, communication, problem-solving, strategy, and responsible participation. We’ve also been connecting our work in PE to our Portrait of a Graduate (POG) skills, giving students opportunities to be effective communicators, creative problem solvers, responsible teammates, and resilient learners.

As always, being ready for PE starts with tied sneakers and a willingness to participate, try, and move! We’re looking forward to another active month together!

We had another great week at Unbound! It’s been wonderful to see more and more kiddos joining us, and we’re excited to keep building our program together!

Have an idea for a class? If there’s a class or activity you’d love to see offered at Unbound, please let me know! We do our best to accommodate new ideas. And if you have a skill, craft, talent, or interest you’d like to share by teaching a class, we’d love to hear from you! We’re always open to bringing new people and experiences into Unbound to make it an even more enriching experience for our students.

Speaking of new ideas… I have a high school student who is interested in starting a Theater/Drama Club! If your student might be interested, please take a moment to fill out the quick survey below so we can get a sense of what days might work and the student’s availability. It’s super short, I promise!

Theater Survey

Registration is still open! I’m also attaching the Unbound registration form. We still have room in some classes, so if your student would like to join us, they’re more than welcome!

Fall Registration

As always, please reach out with any questions. Hope you’re having a great week and have been able to enjoy some of this beautiful fall weather we’ve been having!

Amy Thompson
Unbound Director
amy.thompson@lamoillesouth.org
802-793-0590