Pioneer Weekly Express 8
A Publication From the Principal's Desk
Principal's Message
-Mrs. Gregory
Field Trips
The 6th and 7th Grade will be going to Pine Knoll Shores (the Sound to Sea day program at Trinity Center, and the NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores). 6th grade on April 4th. 7th Grade on April 5th. They will be riding a chartered bus and the cost will be $55.
8th Grade will be going to Busch Gardens on April 29th. They will also be riding a chartered bus and having a catered picnic in the park. A lite dinner will also be provided on the ride home. The cost for their fieldtrip is $105.
All students will receive a packet with more details on Tuesday. Payments for the trip can be made on the K12 Payment center. Currently the link for Innovation isn't posted, but will be by mid week. The link to the k12 payment center is: https://www.k12paymentcenter.com/Home/Index. Our district made a quick presentation of how to use the payment center. You can view that here. Use your arrows to navigate the slides.
6 & 7th Grade Families
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1H7e46eXrn95c5B1f4zR7iSizai7ZxwXA/view?usp=sharing
Calling all 8th Grade Parents
We will have several opportunities over the next few months to celebrate our 3rd year Pioneers. If you would like to be a part of the parent group planning a semi-formal dance for 8th grade students, please email Charity Pate at clhp81@gmail.com by Friday, March 11th. You will then be sent the link for our upcoming virtual planning meeting.
Connect Special Guests! We need YOU!
Are you interested in bringing your passion or career to Innovation during our connect time? Do you know of someone with a really cool career or passion? We'd love to have you or them! Send an email to CrystalGregory@johnston.k12.nc.us for more details.
PTA Sponsored Glow Dance
Weekly Tutorials! Happening Now!
We are so excited about our new Tutorial options for students called Pioneer Power Hour. Tutorial and academic support sessions are held every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday both before and after school. Transportation MUST be provided in order for students to stay after school. You can register at any time...and then just show up!
You can complete registration online at: https://bit.ly/PioneerPH. For more information, Please contact Crystal Gregory, Principal, at CrystalGregory@johnston.k12.nc.us.
This weeks happenings around campus
Scrapbooking Club was a success! Pictured: Hannah Waring showing off her creativity in scrapbooking!
This week was a lot of fun in Cursive Club! We are starting with the foundations of cursive writing and focused on mastering lowercase “a”, “c”, “g”, “d” and “q”. These students will be reading and writing in cursive with ease before we know it!
Paisley B. - 6th Grade scored the winning 3 point shot at her last game of the season on Saturday! So proud!
Amor Dykes, Cristian Ramirez, and Jaxon Blue are in the Reading Zone with their independent novels!
Did Some One Say SHOUT OUT???
Please Join PTA
Our PTA has some great things planned for the rest of the year!
Stay informed and find out how you can help with upcoming events like dances, spirit nights, and appreciation weeks by becoming a member today!
Membership is only $8 per person. We accept payment through Memberhub, PayPal or with cash/check.
Memberhub: https://innovationacademy.memberhub.com/store
Paypal: paypal.me/iapta
Cash or Check payable to Innovation Academy PTA in our office mailbox
Be sure to note your name, your student's name, and name of your student's advisor. Also, let us know if there's something specific you'd like to help with.
Grade Level Updates
Year 1 / 6th Grade
ELA: As Quarter 4 begins, we continue our analysis of Modern Technology. They are tracking evidence that connects to the Essential Question after each text or media piece we engage with. The focus standard for this week is RI.6.3 as we learn to identify and understand the author’s viewpoint. We will review RI.6.8 as we trace the argument of an author and discuss successful argumentative techniques. I apologize in advance if your student begins to build stronger arguments at home, but you can be proud of their new learnings! Forewarning: from the sound of it some of them are already developing plans to ask for pets or new game consoles…
Social Studies:
We will continue our study of ancient Rome with a focus on their laws system of the 12 Tables and how it compares with U.S. Laws. We will also compete a Must Do Together activity on the Punic Wars Rome & Carthage. Students will complete their second Checkpoint Quiz of the unit this week.
Science: In Science, students have wrapped up their 6.E.1.2 standard this week. Students created brochures to convince living organisms found on Mars that they should come to Earth instead of Mars. In this, students were continuing to gather evidence towards our big question: What makes Earth so unique that it can sustain life? Next week, we will begin our 6.E.1.3 standard and look at a history of space exploration as well as what is happening currently with space exploration.
Math: We are continuing with Topic 4 this week. Topic 4 is focused on representing and solving equations and inequalities. Our essential question for this topic is, what procedures can be used to write and solve equations and inequalities. Our focus standards for the week are 6.EE.7, 6.EE.8, and 6.EE.9.
Year 2 / 7th Grade
ELA:
Students will have the opportunity to review and retake informational standards this upcoming quarter. In their journal, students have a chart of their data and information on which standards they have mastered and need to review. Standards can be reviewed and reassessed one at a time either in Renewal, Connect, or before and after school on Wednesdays.
Students should continue to write 3 pages in their journal each week. Included in those 3 pages, students should continue to write a reading response based on their current independent novel.
Students should continue to work through their units in No Red Ink. Any units not completed this quarter can still be completed next quarter.
Next week, students will take a preassessment including the literature and word meaning standards we will be focused on during our next unit.
Social Studies: This week we are finishing up of the Industrial Revolution, and moving into Imperialism. This will set us up for studying
Math: We have been learning about algebraic expressions using the distributive property and combining like
terms. We will have a quiz on these topics Wednesday. Then, we will translate words into math.
Science: This week students took their Cells Assessments, finished Human Body Systems, and took their Human Body Systems Assessment! Next week, we will extend their learning of Human Body Systems by doing a mini-project focused on diseases that affect human body systems! We will also study Henrietta Lacks and her cells as a tie to our next unit on Genetics!
Year 3 / 8th Grade
Science: It is hard to believe, but we are almost finished with 8th grade content! We are beginning focused EOG intervention with small groups and are moving towards a whole group EOG review game after spring break. Our current pace has us on the molecular biology standard.
ELA 8
We have ended Unit 2 and the LONGEST short story in the world. The good news: we are writing solid summaries, great ACE responses, and citing the best possible textual evidence to support inferences. The bad news: we need A LOT of work on our theme/connotative meaning standards. The BEST news? I’m creating unit three with additional support in this category.
English 1
We have made it through the first three sections of Night - Today we began the process of finding evidence to demonstrate stages of dehumanization, and illustrate their psychological impact on the individual. From what I’m seeing so far on these dialectical journals - these essays are going to be (dare I say it?) LIT.
Math 8:
Students have been learning about slope-intercept form and how to compare 2 or more linear functions represented in different ways (as an equation, a table, a graph, or a verbal/written description). Next week we will begin exploring more about linear and nonlinear functions.
Math 1:
This week we wrapped up another unit on Systems of Linear Equations and Inequalities. Students assessed on systems of linear inequalities on Thursday and Friday this week. Next week we start learning about a new function type– Exponential functions! Starting this week, Math 1 students are being pushed into Connect every Thursday for “Level Up Math 1.” This session is gamified to encourage their participation. We had a good time this week! Ask your child about it!
Social Studies:
Our unit focusing on how innovation and change has impacted the development of North Carolina and the nation has been incredible! We are sharing many “aha” moments and are teaching each other about various innovations and the challenges that influencers had to overcome to find their own success. This has been a powerful unit that will be wrapping up this week! On Tuesday, ⅜ we are excited to engage in a whole group conversation & socratic seminar about our learning take-aways before assessing together on Friday, 3/11.
Enhancements
The enhancement team is excited about our Q4 rotation! Beginning on 3/8/22, students will report to their Q4 enhancement assignment. Students can check their enhancement placement for Q4 on the following spreadsheets:
Theatre Arts: If your child is placed in Theatre Arts for Q4, please add yourself to their grade level’s Remind group! The Remind App allows teachers & families to communicate easily! I will send out announcements through the Remind App frequently & will use the platform to communicate with individual families as well!
Clubs
Drama Club: The next afterschool rehearsal for the performers in Alice In Wonderland will be on March 18th from 4PM-6PM. If your student is a part of drama club, please use this link to join IASC Drama Club’s Remind App Group! I will send out announcements through the Remind App frequently & will use the platform to communicate with individual families as well!
Movie Appreciation: We continue to focus on editing and visual effects through the movie Life of Pi. Ask your student about it!!
IA Library Foundation: Our free little libraries will be completed next week and ready to be placed within the Smithfield Community!
Upcoming Events
Feb 28, 2022
PTA Meeting
March 03, 2022
Spring Picture Day
March 14, 2022
Report Card Day
March 25, 2022
PTA Sponsored GLOW dance
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The Innovation Academy at South Campus
Crystal Gregory
Principal / Lead Learner
Email: CrystalGregory@johnston.k12.nc.us
Website: https://www.johnston.k12.nc.us/iasc
Location: 521 Martin Luther King Jr Dr, Smithfield, NC 27577, USA
Phone: 919-934-6481
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jocoia