Weekly Jaguar Update
Somethings to Keep in Mind...
Classes and Important Notes:
February 12th is College Day - Students should wear the colors of their favorite University.
February 17th is a Student Holiday/Staff Development Day
Spring Pictures are taken on March 4th
Spring Break is March 10th - 14th
Science:
Monday: Mineral notes
Tuesday: Mineral notes
Wednesday: Rock Story, writing assignment
Thursday: Rock Story, writing assignment
Friday: Present Rock Story Students receive the Geology Test Review
Social Studies:
The Mesopotamia/Egypt Test has been moved to Tuesday. The students will then begin their studies of Ancient Greece and Rome.
E/LA:
Next week in ELA, we are continuing with our social justice unit. Please encourage your students to discuss with you the issues that come up in class. As mentioned before, the topics are controversial and can spark questions that some students don't ask in class. No major grades will be recorded. Please remember that most of our students need to work on their reading stamina. The STAAR test is right around the corner and being able to sit still while actively reading is half the battle. If your child is involved in a book, ask open-ended questions, focusing on details and feelings as a way to get your child to relate more to the book in a comprehensive manner. As always, please call or email with any questions or concerns.
Math:
Advanced Math
Friday 2/7 we begin using proportional reasoning to convert between units. For example we will set up a proportion to convert between cm and mm. You may have learned this a different way when you were in sixth grade. My teacher taught me to use the mnemonic KHDMDC (King Henry Drinks Much Dark Chocolate Milk). Although it worked in 6th grade this mnemonic did not help me better understand proportions or help lay the foundation for dimensional analysis in my high school chemistry class. I request that you please refrain from teaching your son/daughter a "trick" to make the conversions easier, instead let them wrestle with the proportional reasoning. We have homework M-Th this week and a Fast Fact quiz on Thursday.
Regular Math
On Monday we begin our measurement and conversions unit. We will use proportional reasoning to solve problems. I will ask your son/daughter to show their work in a very specific way. My goal to is get them ready for Algebra and lay the foundation I know they will need to build upon. Please support their efforts to show their work. We have homework M-Th this week and a Fast Fact quiz on Thursday.
FOR ALL MATH CLASSES
Please Note - Fact Fact Quizzes now can be division, multiplication, or a combination of the two.
Just a reminder (feel free to remind your son/daughter) - If your son/daughter needs extra help on homework, I encourage them to ask a friend before they ask you. Students often learn better when they are collaborating with others. Also we have tutors in the homework haven room each day and students can also access tutors at Study Zone in the library.