EMPOWER NEWSLETTER
January 19, 2018
EMPOWER FAMILY NIGHT
January 23rd 2018, 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
McKinley Middle School IMC on 2nd floor
Join us for an evening of community-building as we enjoy the Insect Zoo from Iowa State University, brought to you by McKinley’s PTA! The Insect Zoo will feature live animals and preserved insect displays. The display is hands-on, interactive and fun. The come and go format allows participants to walk through, look and ask questions at their own pace. Displays are staffed with 2-3 ISU staff to help the participants handle the animals, talk facts and answer questions. Insect themed games, activities, and music will also be provided.
Language Arts 1 and 2: We have been studying different heroes and the characteristics of a hero. Our big focus has been on Standard W.6.8 (gathering relevant information from multiple source) and citing where they got the information. In literacy, we are reading Hatchet where we will focus on character developing, along with theme and central idea of the text.
Science: In science we are studying cells and cell structures. We are learning the difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, the three parts of cell theory and the commonalities between all cells.
Math: Some math classes are working on writing algebraic expressions from written phrases. These classes will also be working on solving expressions by showing all of their steps. Other math classes are learning to find the surface areas of rectangular and triangular prisms. It has been interesting to learn how to draw the nets, or 2 dimensional drawings of these 3-dimensional objects.
PL: Next Tuesday (Reynolds) and Thursday (Betts/Wilson), 6th graders will be visiting KCRG/TV9 to take a tour of the station and see a news station in action. This will happen during students' SS/PL block during their day. That Friday, Beth Malicki from KCRG will be coming to visit and speak with our students as well. This will be an awesome way to wrap up our StoryCorps and the power of stories unit. We have enjoyed hearing the students' StoryCorps interviews and hope even more students will continue to complete the assignment. Keep sending them via email! On Wednesday, we will begin a unit with the help of Junior Achievement called "It's My Future - Blended." This course will be a combination of Junior Achievement volunteer lessons on Wednesdays combined with other work during the work including some online lessons. We are looking forward to this opportunity as well.
Social Studies: Coming up in social studies, we will continue to examine the culture, myths and people of ancient Greece. We're also excited because this will give students some background in ancient Greece and the Olympics before the winter games start in February. We'll look at the connections between the games when they first started, and our modern versions today.
Thank you for your continued support!
Empower Team Teachers
Healthy You, Healthy Family is a health event for the whole family at the Cedar Rapids Public Library on Sat., Jan. 27 9 AM – 12 PM. There will be health screenings, resource fair tables, activities and short 20-minute educational presentations for all ages (infants to seniors) provided be multiple community agencies and providers. The event goals are to:
· Screen individuals for various health needs
· Educate families & individuals about health and wellness topics
· Connect agencies/organizations with families through event outreach
· Have fun
EMPOWERing students through personal inquiry, real-world experiences, and caring environment while challenging students to make a difference in our community.
MCKINLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL
Website: WWW.MCKINLEY.CR.K12.IA.US
Location: 620 10TH STREET SE
Phone: (319) 558-2348