8th Grade News
October 2019
A Note From Mrs. Psalmonds
Wow! Fall is already here…. The 8th grade teachers and I have worked diligently to provide a supportive and encouraging learning environment for all students. Building positive school culture and climate is a top priority for me as your child’s administrator. 8th grade is a VERY exciting time for our students and we have some awesome activities planned throughout the year! Please encourage your child to do his/her best throughout the school year so that they will have the opportunity to experience each and every one.
If you have not already done so, I strongly encourage you to review with your child the Fulton County Schools Student Code of Conduct and Discipline Handbook, which is now available online for you to sign below.
Please review and save the updated 2019-2020 Student Code of Conduct & Discipline Handbook at:
English Code of Conduct 2019-2020 English Code of Conduct
Spanish Code Of Conduct 2019-2020 Spanish Code of Conduct
Please click the link below to review and submit the required Acknowledgement of Electronic Receipt Form. After review of the Acknowledgement of Electronic Receipt, please complete the electronic form and submit it.
Acknowledgement of Receipt English (English) Parent Acknowledgement English
Acknowledgement of Receipt Spanish (Spanish) Parent Acknowledgement Spanish
As your child’s administrator, please know that my goal is to work collaboratively with all stakeholders to empower our students in ways that will support their academic and emotional growth. Together, we can help them experience success in their final year of middle school! I am truly blessed to serve the students and families of Crabapple Middle and I am looking forward to an AWESOME year of learning!
Mrs. Psalmonds, Assistant Principal
8th Grade Administrator
English/Language Arts
All 8th grade English Language Arts classes (Advanced and On-level) are currently completing a study of fictional texts with a focus on theme, symbolism, irony, characterization, and literary analysis. Students have been doing a great job with their individual reading and journaling. Students will be taking a Unit One summative assessment on October 8th. We will begin Unit 2 shortly with a focus on informational reading and writing.
The 9th grade Honors Literature and Composition classes are currently examining elements of a short story. Students are analyzing plot development, author’s craft, text structure, and theme. Additionally, they are reflecting on characters’ motives and their own feelings of the text by answering and journaling with responsive reading questions and/or short constructive responses. Students will be taking a Unit One summative assessment on October 8th. Students will also write a literary analysis on one of the short stories read. This assignment will count as a summative grade. We will begin Unit 2 with reading Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451.
Math
8th OL and Adv:
Currently students are exploring and understanding numbers that are not rational (irrational numbers) and approximating their values by using rational numbers. Students are working with radicals and are learning to use and show multiple steps to solve for a missing variable in given equations. They are also interpreting situations where they are forced to create their own equations and solve for the missing variable. Their test on this unit will be on October 10th. From here, We will extend their work with irrational numbers by applying the Pythagorean Theorem to situations involving right triangles, including finding distance, and will investigate proofs of the Pythagorean Theorem and it’s converse.
ACC ALG/GEO and ALG 1:
Building on standards from middle school, our students are analyzing linear functions only. Students are (1) investigating key features of graphs; (2) creating, solving, and modeling graphical linear equations and inequalities in one and two variables; (3) and with systems of linear equations in two variables; (4) They are creating and interpreting systems of inequalities where applicable; for example, students are creating a system to define the domain of a particular situation, such as a situation limited to the first quadrant; the focus is not on solving systems of inequalities. (5) Finally they will be rearranging formulas to highlight a quantity of interest and (6) recognizing arithmetic sequences as linear functions. The Accelerated test for unit 2 will be on October 4th. Algebra has split this unit into two parts and will have their first test over the first half of the unit on October 10th.
Social Studies
8th grade social studies has started off this year with great projects and tons of student interest!! We first learned about the geography of Georgia and its prehistoric people. We then acted out the colonization of Georgia through our "paper bag puppet projects". We've already completed and tested on 2 full units: the first on Georgia's geography and the second on the colonization of Georgia. We are now in the middle of our study of the American Revolution through a Blendspace tic tac toe lesson. The year has started off great, and we're looking forward to continued success!
Science
For 8th Grade science, we will be finishing up our Chemistry Unit around mid- October by learning about the Periodic Table and Law of Conservation of Mass. After this we will move on to our next unit: Force & Motion. Be sure to check the teacher's websites for additional information, updates, and assessment information.
Honors Science
High school curriculum: We began the year with students learning how to determine independent and dependent variables and controls. Students will design their own investigations this year and we focused in the beginning, on how to create quality data tables, charts, and graphs. The work we did in the beginning of the year will help students throughout the course as we continue to design and carry out investigations for each unit. Students have learned about atomic structure and the periodic table. Students are currently completing their periodic table project, which is due on 9/27/2019. This is a challenging project that requires students to use and develop their higher-order thinking skills. It is an individual project where students create their very own personalized “periodic table.” This is the most difficult project of the year and we are very proud of the work we have seen so far.
World Language
French 2 has completed partner interviews about pastimes and hobbies. Students have learned the verb FAIRE and FAIRE expressions that are commonly used in French. They have created vocabulary puzzles and played Battleship for practice. We have studied a little bit about Montreal and Quebec and are planning to make some dishes that are popular in the regions of Quebec. Students just finished creating mobiles displaying information about several Canadian French-speaking regions.
French 2 Honors: In addition to many of the same French 2 activities, the honors class has written captions for a text-based video, learned how to write what is necessary for certain scenarios, and are studying high-level poems to be presented during National French Week.
The French Club will be meeting on Thursday, October 17, instead of the second Thursday of the month. We look forward to seeing you!
National German week is the first week of October. Students will learn why German is one of the most important languages for international business, engineering, and high-tech industries. They will explore German companies located right here in Atlanta, such as Porsche, Mercedes, and Siemens. German I students are doing a fantastic job learning school related vocabulary. German II students are finishing their unit on holidays and festivals in Germany. They will then start a unit on clothing and fashion. The next German Club meeting will be on October 28th. Students should practice vocabulary 20 minutes per night using Frau Davy's Quizlet site.
Special "Art" Project On the Horizon!
Our 8th grade “Intro to Art” students will be creating original works of art that reflect the themes of their choice that are aligned with modern day culture. Students have been busy working on creative ideas within their group and they have all had an opportunity to present them and obtain feedback. With the guidance and support from Ms. Perkins, these students will begin implementation of their project in the next week or so. Mrs. Psalmonds had a fabulous time visiting during class and working with the students to finalize plans. Everyone is eager to see our young “artists” in action and to ultimately have their work displayed in our CMS café!
From the Counseling Corner
Grit and Resilience
If students never fail, they’ll never grow. It’s important to help children develop resilience and grit. What are those exactly? Resilience stresses the importance of optimism when facing life’s challenges and determining where change is possible. Resilience can be described as a positive response to failure or unfavorable situations. Additionally, grit stresses focused commitment to something in the long term regardless of those challenges. Many times when you consider individuals of near equal talent, the more grit they have, the better they perform. When students commit to something they want to succeed in and create goals, grit and resilience are beneficial in reaching their target.
Ms. Gina Severino, 8th Grade Counselor
PBIS Updates!
As part of CMS’s Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) system, teachers and staff utilize an online behavior management tool called Kickboard to award and/or deduct “Husky Bucks” based on our school's 3 Bs: Be Prepared, Be Engaged, and Be Respectful.
If you have not yet registered for the family portal and need another copy of the access code, please reach out to your child’s homeroom teacher.
Students receive a weekly paycheck with their positive and/or corrective behaviors. We encourage you to use this information to discuss behavioral progress with your child. Students who return their paychecks with a parent signature by Thursday of the same week will receive 2 Husky Bucks. Students will qualify for reward activities throughout the school year based on their earnings.