Middle School Minute

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We are reading and writing about Refugee by Alan Gratz. As usual, we utilize literary analysis throughout the duration of the study. Some current events and online articles are paired with our study. Students have been issued their own copy of the novel. The novel should be taken home each night and return with the student each day. Thanks for being prompt and prepared!

ELA students are responsible for completing 60 minutes AND two (2) passed lessons (70% or better) each week on iReady. This reading is for a grade. IT MAY BE NECESSARY FOR STUDENTS TO COMPLETE SOME OF THEIR IREADY WORK AS HOMEWORK! THIS IS A CHANGE. PLEASE BE AWARE.

In addition, students are to complete 45 minutes weekly of Membean vocabulary practice. Time is given in class, but if incomplete, students should complete for HOMEWORK. Independent reading is always encouraged.

GRAMMAR FRIDAY: Pronoun Shifts + Vague Pronouns CLICK HERE TO VIEW PRONOUN ERRORS VIDEO.

Key Points to remember:

• A pronoun must agree in number and person with its noun antecedent.

• Inappropriate shifts in pronoun number and person should be avoided for clarity.

• A common error is mixing singular and plural forms when referencing the same noun.

• Switching between first, second, or third person point of view is also confusing.

• Ensure that every pronoun has a clear, stated antecedent to prevent vague sentences.

WRITING: Response to Literature (RTL-Essay) - Students answer a prompt about a literary work.

What goes in an introductory paragraph? CLICK HERE FOR OVERVIEW VIDEO

1. TAG - Title, Author, Genre: This is a simple way to begin an introduction for an essay.

2. Summary - Somebody, Wanted, But, So, Then: This is a summary method to make sure students only include the important details in 2-3 sentences.

3. Claim - This the final sentence of the introductory paragraph that directly answers the prompt without explaining why (explanations will be written in the body paragraphs)

What goes in a body paragraph? CLICK HERE FOR OVERVIEW VIDEO

1. Premise - VIDEO - This is the first sentence of your body paragraph and is the reason for your claim. Use a different premise for each new paragraph.

2. Intro to Evidence + Evidence - VIDEO

1. Intro to Evidence - Set the scene for your evidence by providing a brief introduction to the quote. It can be as simple as, “The author states.”

2. Evidence - This is a direct quote from the text that supports your premise and the claim you are arguing in your paper.

3. Justification - VIDEO - This is where you justify your thinking. First, explain how the quote supports the premise. Then, address how the premise and the quote support the claim.

What goes in a conclusion paragraph? CLICK HERE FOR OVERVIEW VIDEO

1. Restated Claim - VIDEO - Simply refer back to the original claim, but write it using different words. Make sure to avoid sounding redundant!

2. Restated Premises - VIDEO - This is where you will remind the reader of your premises. No new evidence is provided. Include one sentence for each body paragraph.

3. Mic Drop Sentence - VIDEO - The “Mic Drop” sentence is your final, last-ditch effort to prove your point. Try using sentence starters if you get stuck.

1. The main message for the reader is …

2. The text has the ability to change the way readers think by …

3. The author wants readers to remember …

4. The lesson from ________________ that will remain with readers is …

iReady: Students in Regular ELA are required to complete and pass 2 lessons with at least a 67%. Students in Honors ELA are expected to complete and pass 3 lessons with a 67% or better.

• Regular iReady Grading - There are three components to the iReady requirements. Here is how I grade iReady Pathway requirements. (No minute requirement)

• 2/2 - 100

• 1/2 - 50

• 0/3 - 0

• Honors iReady Grading - There are five components to the iReady requirements. Here is how I grade iReady Pathway requirements. No minute requirement)

• 3/3 - 100

• 2/3 - 75

• 1/3 - 50

• 0/3 - 0

Membean: Welcome to Membean! Your child is using Membean, an online vocabulary learning system that helps students develop an excitement to know what words mean and how to use them with nuance and precision. Membean is completely personalized with regards to your child’s current level of vocabulary expertise and learning pace. Students must practice three days a week for 10 or 15 minutes in each session.

• Regular Membean Grading - 30 Minutes

• Minutes Trained is 70% of their grade

• Accuracy is 30% of their grade (Students achieving 60% or higher accuracy will get full credit)

• Honors Membean Grading - 45 Minutes

• Minutes Trained is 60%

• Accuracy is 40% (Students achieving 70% or higher accuracy will get full credit)

The final day for students to submit missing assignments is Wednesday, March 11. We are working on practice questions for ACAP leading into our testing period.

Students will continue to read and respond to the novel The Lions of Little Rock.

Welcome to Next Week!

This week, our classrooms will transform into hubs of investigation as we dive into the world of Data and Statistics. Students will transition from simply collecting numbers to becoming "data detectives"—learning how to interpret the stories that data tells about our world. Whether it's analyzing weather patterns, classroom preferences, or athletic performance, statistics provides the tools to make sense of information in a meaningful way.

🏠 Parent Engagement

Question of the Day: "If we were to make a bar graph of the different colors of cars in our neighborhood or the grocery store parking lot, which color do you think would have the tallest bar? Why?"

Parent Update – 7th Grade Math & 7th Grade Accelerated Math

Hello Parents and Guardians,

As we approach Spring Break, I wanted to give a quick update on what students are currently learning in math.

7th Grade Math:

Students are finishing our unit on solving equations and inequalities. Over the next several days, we will be reviewing key concepts and practicing problem-solving strategies. Students will take their unit test next week before Spring Break.

7th Grade Accelerated Math:

Students are completing their work with percentages, including real-world applications and problem-solving. We will also spend time reviewing before students take their unit test next week before Spring Break.

Please encourage your students to review their notes and practice problems as we prepare for the assessments.

Spring Break is March 16–20, and we hope everyone enjoys a well-deserved break!

Thank you for your continued support.

Best,

Twannette Whitney

Each week in math, we will continue working on refreshing previously learned skills and standards to remediate weak areas and achieve mastery for all students. These reviews will be included in the lesson as well as bell work, before strategies, cooperative learning and partner work. Next week we will continue with Transformations, the Triangle Inequality Theorem, Graphing Quadratics and ACAP Prep. The students must complete 2 iReady math pathway lessons each week. This will be worked on in and out of school (homework). Have an amazing week. :-)

Space Systems Exploration is our new unit of study. The Solar System, planetary dynamic systems, and how our beautiful planet and Moon interact is the focus of this study. Please make an effort to do some sky gazing during this unit. There are loads of astrological events to make part of your day: WLRH Sky & Space, citizen science, anything NASA…

Students have been assigned to complete their moon journal DAILY. An online journal is available on Canvas and takes about 5 minutes to complete. THIS IS HOMEWORK! This project is a test grade and in preparation for an independent arts integrated project. After completing the scientific observation and recording of the moon, students will create their own artistic interpretation of a moon phase calendar.

Please know that our hands-on investigations can only be completed in class. It is EXTREMELY important to be IN CLASS and ON TIME.

In science, we are using our online textbook as only a limited number of printed copies were supplied with our AMSTI kits. The textbook is available at Carolina Science Online. Username is: Estelle Student; password is: password123.

Not required but fun: SciStarter’s Citizen Science for March : https://scistarter.org/calendar

We are learning about how matter and energy cycles through plants and animals. We are learning about cellular respiration this week. I would also like to have all missing work turned in by Thursday March 12th. Missing work can be found on PowerSchool marked with an orange mark.

- The Rise of Dictators & Dueling Dictators - Past Due - WWII Begins - Due March 13 - WWII Flocabulary - Due March 13 - Tuskegee Airmen Flocabulary - Due March 13 ** ISMs Vocab Quiz - Re-Test; Monday, March 9 (A)/ Tuesday, March 10 (B)** *** Study on www.socrative.com; Room name: HESTER ***

We will be learning how different weather patterns affect human settlement. We will also be working on test-taking strategies to better equip the students for their upcoming ACAP test.

We will be finishing up our Ancient China tests (open notes) and advanced students will also finish their DBQ Essays

School Library News 📚

Our Literacy Night and Book Fair was a wonderful success! Thank you to everyone who supported the event by attending, purchasing books, and volunteering your time. Your support helps us continue building a strong culture of reading in our school community. Students are reminded to continue taking AR quizzes after finishing their books. Be sure to score 85% or higher to qualify for our weekly prize drawings. Also remember that reading daily helps build stronger readers. It is recommended that students read at least 15 minutes each day to improve comprehension, vocabulary, and confidence. Keep reading and keep growing!

We are going to start working on Costume design and construction.

Thespian Production

Our Thespian Production class is buzzing with creativity as we continue our work on the 10 Minute Play Festival. Students are actively engaging in directing and performing these short plays, which were selected from last year's creative writing submissions. It's an exciting time as we prepare to showcase these diverse and imaginative stories. Stay tuned for the official festival date announcement—coming soon!

Intro to Theatre

In Intro to Theatre, students are diving into the exciting world of improvisation with a focus on building strong improv scenes. We are emphasizing the three key scene foundations: **The Who** (Relationships), **What** (Conflict), and **Where** (Setting). Through various activities and exercises, students are enhancing their creativity, quick thinking, and ability to collaborate effectively. This week offers a fantastic opportunity to develop these skills in a supportive and encouraging environment.

Theatre 1

This week marks the beginning of our character analysis unit in Theatre 1. Students have each chosen a character to explore in depth and have started creating a character Instagram today. This creative exercise allows them to delve into their character's personality, motivations, and relationships while expressing these traits through a modern, digital lens. It's a fun and innovative way to deepen their understanding of character development and storytelling.

This week in middle school dance, students participated in a conditioning class designed to strengthen their bodies, build stamina, and refine their dance technique. Conditioning is an important part of our program as it prepares students for higher levels of dance training, including opportunities in high school dance programs and outside studio experiences. Students worked on endurance, flexibility, and proper technique to continue developing as strong and confident dancers.

In preparation for our upcoming production, “Moana’s Adventures,” students have also been attending after-school rehearsals from 3:30 PM – 5:30 PM to continue learning choreography and strengthening performance skills.

Upcoming Rehearsal:

All cast members are required to attend a MANDATORY full-cast rehearsal on Saturday, March 7th from 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM. During this rehearsal, we will be reviewing Act 1 of the production and placing students into their stage formations to ensure the show continues to come together successfully.

Thank you for your continued support as our students work hard preparing for this exciting production!

Hello AAA MS Magnet String Orchestra Students and Families! We're so proud to say that our FIRST series of 'mock OMPA' judging and feedback went very well (and the popcorn was good too!) Judges gave us fantastic advice to improve our tone, bowing techniques, and overall blending. I admitted to some conducting mistakes, and we've worked them out this week! IT'S VERY IMPORTANT your child attends OUR LAST after school playing event for this month. Monday, March 9 room 167 3:00pm to 4:15pm, and pick up from front theater lobby glass holding area lobby. We have been able to grab our members from Theater or Dance since it only takes 6 minutes to play both pieces, and then let them return to their regular other after school rehearsal time. Judges assessing March 9 will give us ratings of 1,2,3,or 4, with 1 or 2 being Superior or Excellent. Hoping we settle for nothing less. Have your child show you the skills they've improved on! All AAA Instrumental students should practice at least 20 minutes on 5 days a week. Spring Concerts featuring bands, choirs, strings, and full orchestra are May 5.

Smokey Mountain Festival next payment installment due March 15 for those working with Mr. Chris Lindley:) Very Sincerely Yours! Mary Peck-AAA 4th-8th Magnet String Orchestras Artistic Director/Educator/Maestra

Updates coming soon . . .

Media Arts students have embarked on an exciting journey of creating armatures and clay figures for their Stop-Motion Animation projects. This provides them with hands-on experience in critical areas such as chroma key techniques, post-production editing, stop-motion animation, storyboarding, and understanding frame rates. These foundational skills are essential for producing high-quality animations and will significantly enhance their ability to convey stories through this unique medium. We look forward to witnessing the innovative animations that will result from their diligent efforts and creativity.

Please review the 6th Grade Behavior Essentials