Junior High Journal
News and Happenings in the Junior High Department
8th Grade Updates & Reminders 2/20-2/23
- Chromebooks should be charged every night to ensure the battery lasts throughout the day!
- Check Skyward and the homework calendar frequently for missing and current homework assignments, talk to your child about their work.
- Please remember that although you can email your students, absences and early pick-up information must be reported through the office. Please call the Yorkville School office.
- 2/17 Advanced Band performance at the Admirals Game - 5:00pm
- 2/23 Choral Festival~
Choral Festival
Thursday, Feb 23, 2017, 07:00 PM
Union Grove High School, South Colony Avenue, Union Grove, WI, United States
Individual Classes
ELA News and Updates
Katie Nicholls katie.nicholls@yorkville.k12.wi.us
This week in ELA students presented their independent reading presentations. It’s always nice to learn about books that interest the students. Many students find new books to read (or avoid) this way. I appreciate the time and effort many of the students put into sharing what they read with classmates. We also continued our unit The Move Toward Freedom. Students compared and contrasted the struggles to learn how to read for Frederick Douglass to a current Super Bowl champion’s struggles. A lively conversation ensued about the importance of reading, even to an NFL player. We ended the short week by beginning to look at Harriet Tubman and the role she played helping slaves escape from the South. All students should have a new independent reading book. Please continue to encourage your child to read each night. Even 10 minutes can make a huge difference.
Science News and Updates
Erin Weis erin.weis@yorkville.k12.wi.us
This week in science, students finished their unit on natural selection. They learned examples of natural selection happening including antibiotic resistance and insecticide resistance and we looked at different reasons populations change over time. We did a simulation where students were hunters with different feeding structures (forks and knives) and had to capture as many prey as they could in one minute. We looked at how the population of hunters changed and how the populations of the prey changed over three generations in two different habitats. Students enjoyed this activity and are busy completing the lab activity as well as a formal lab report. We will also have the chapter test early next week.
Have a great weekend and enjoy the weather!
Mrs. Weis
Social Studies News and Updates
John Johnsen john.johnsen@yorkville.k12.wi.us
This week in Civics, we finished presenting our presidents to the class. The students did a great job finding information on each of their presidents and placing the information in the proper slide. It was fun to see students stand up and present in front of their peers. This is a very difficult skill, but a skill all students need to learn. We then started looking at the role of the Chief of Staff. Students began watching a video on the last 20 Chiefs of Staffs and how they handled the White House and the president in different situations. Next week we will finish watching the video and begin looking at the judicial branch of the government. Students will focus on what qualifications you have to have to be a judge as well as the different types of cases found in a court. Have a great weekend. Mr. Johnsen
Math News and Updates
Mary Niccolai mary.niccolai@yorkville.k12.wi.us
Intro to Algebra spent time writing linear equations in slope intercept form. We did this by looking at a graph and also by given two points on the line. If they had two points, they had to first find the slope and then plug the slope and one of the ordered pairs into an equation to find the y intercept. Next week we will begin the third trimester by working with system of equations. This will be a great review of graphing and solving linear equations. We will be working with some application problems and those can be challenging for some.
I look forward to working with this group for the final trimester. They are doing a great joy so far this year and I hope to cover even more material to make their transition into high school algebra as smooth as possible.
Algebra began working on unit 4 - Polynomial Expression and Equations. We will be spending a good part of the final trimester working on this unit. This week they learned to multiply a monomial and a polynomial and learned to multiply polynomials. They learned a method known as FOIL which is a mnemonic device that stands for first, outside, inside, and last. It is trick to help make sure they are multiplying polynomials correctly. We ended the week with a module 14 vocabulary quiz and a module 14 quiz. A lot of late work and corrections were turned in this week. I will get everything graded and into Skyward by the weekend.
I am looking forward to the final trimester. Next week we will begin factoring polynomials. It is very important to master this section because factoring will be used for the rest of the year as the next few modules build off each other.
With the start of the new trimester please make sure your son or daughter is stocked up on school supplies to make it through the last few months. Remind them that this is a good time to clean out their expandable folders and remove any non current material and papers.
Have a great weekend. It sounds like the weather is going to remind us that it is still only February in Wisconsin. I hope you had a chance to enjoy some of the warm weather we had this last week.
Mrs. Niccolai
Spanish News and Updates
Katy Morrow katy.morrow@yorkville.k12.wi.us
This week in Spanish, student focused on the two new verbs from our Clothing Unit: costar and quedar. Students pretended to go shopping and ask the 'cashiers' and asked how much something was (costar). Students were responsible for finding ten items. We finished the week by starting conversation with out 'mom' and 'child' and trying to get the parent to buy something for the child and how it fits and what it costs. Please remind your child to do their vocab bingo for Monday.
Have a great weekend.
Mrs. Morrow
Physical Education & Health News and Updates
Amanda Peterson amanda.peterson@yorkville.k12.wi.us
Band News and Updates
Mike Beix
Our Advanced Band had a great performance at the Milwaukee Admirals game on Friday, February 17! Thank you to all the families that were at the game supporting our students and the Admirals! Special thanks go out to the Geiss family for providing snacks and drinks for our students! Please email me any pictures you took of our performance. I would like to add them to our website.
Our Advanced Band students are doing a great job learning their music for the Solo and Ensemble Festival which will be held on Saturday, March 25 from 8:00am to 12:30pm at Yorkville School. Please let me know if you are interested in volunteering to help with the concession stand or with room monitors.
I am pleased with the progress our band is making with music for our Mass Band Concert which will be held on Friday, April 7 at 6:30pm at the Union Grove High School Gym. This week, we have been working on details such as faster tempos, a wide contrast of dynamics, and strong accents.
Please check out the band website (tinyurl.com/yorkvilleband) to stay up-to-date with the Yorkville Band!
Choir News and Updates
Carly Kreuscher
carly.kreuscher@yorkville.k12.wi.us
http://yorkvillemusic.weebly.com
Fireside Field trip: Wed, March 15, 2017.
Music Man Jr. Rehearsals are off to a great start!! It is very important that your child be present during these times!! Thank you! Company contracts are DUE ASAP
Choral Festival Concert, UGHS PC, 7:00pm!: Thursday, February 23, 2017 at 7:00pm. Dress rehearsal, 9am-11:30. We will be traveling to UGHS during this time. Students will be responsible for making up any missed work during this time as well.
Solo & Ensemble is Saturday March 23 from 8am-12pm. Students picked music this week and should sign up for individual practice times with me.
If you are looking for extra handouts, forms, etc. please check my website. I try to post everything I can so you have access at home!!! http://yorkvillemusic.weebly.com
Art News and Updates
8th grade Art begins in the third trimester - if you are interested in signing up, please see me!