Maple Avenue Middle School
March 2020 Newsletter
Student of the Month: Sophia Smith
Sixth grade and Maple Avenue are proud to present Sophia Smith as our Student of the Month! Sophia has three siblings. She likes going on vacation with her family. Her favorite vacation with her family was to Great Wolf Lodge. In her free time, Sophia likes to hang out with friends. Sophia is on the Maple Avenue cheerleading team. She has one bulldog named, Ruby. She moved to Littlestown in kindergarten. Sophia’s favorite subjects are Math and ELA.
Sophia is on gold honor roll at Maple Avenue and has kept a 100% score on our Class Dojo rewards system.
Congratulations, Sophia! Keep up the great work!
A Message from Mrs. Wagner, Health Teacher
All 6th, 7th and 8th grade students participating in 2nd semester Health Education classes have been investigating and discussing many important topics affecting teen health today.
Sixth graders spent several class periods researching facts about 4 Human Body systems--Respiratory, Circulatory, Nervous and Digestive--which helped them to prepare informative presentations to share with their peers. This learning will connect with future lessons about our body systems are affected by our lifestyle choices (nutrition, exercise, smoking/vaping, underage drinking, etc.).
In their 7th grade Injury Prevention unit, students explored the amazing structure of the human brain and the importance of maintaining good brain health. Students learned that their teenage brains are “under construction” and why it is essential to make good choices and avoid unnecessary risks. Through reading and class discussions, students also learned that unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death and disability among adolescents. Students participated in the “marshmallow test”, trying to use their self-control and pushing their pause button before acting!
In their Mental Health unit, 8th graders reviewed how emotions can have a powerful effect on our physical health and well-being. Sadly, depression is one of the leading causes of illness and disability among adolescents, and suicide is the second leading cause of death in the 15-24 age group. Students learned basic information about several mental health disorders and how to seek help and support for themselves and others. Students also developed lists of practical strategies to take care of their mental health by coping with life stressors in healthy ways.
As my retirement nears (Friday, 3/20/20), I’d like to say that it’s been a privilege to be the Health Education teacher at Maple Avenue Middle School over the past 20 years. I have really enjoyed teaching a subject that is relevant, meaningful and essential to all of our lives. I appreciated the support and camaraderie of administrators, teachers, parents/guardians, and of course, students. I will definitely miss the daily middle school “roller coaster ride” of challenges and joyfulness. I wish everyone the best of health and enjoyment in all of your future life adventures. Please extend your welcome and support to Ms. Madalyn Yanetti who will be teaching the 6-7-8 grade Health classes for the remainder of this school year. Thank you one and all!
Team Bolts: 6th Grade
Math 6
Mrs. Koontz and Mrs. Raubenstine’s Math 6 classes are currently working through Unit 6: Expressions & Equations. We have been exploring variables, writing and evaluating expressions, and have integrated the distributive property. We will be extending our thinking to equations and inequalities as we progress to Unit 7. Students will be solving one- step equations and writing equations from word problems. It is important students are showing their work when simplifying expressions and solving equations in order to see the steps they are taking to solve. This also helps students with accuracy and less mistakes will be made.
Also, a reminder that math homework is assigned weekly along with IXL. It is important that students continue to complete their homework and self-check. Homework should be organized within their binders and homework can always be used as a study tool. Remember--homework can always be turned in for late credit!
Math 7
Mrs. Koontz’s Math 7 class is quickly approaching the conclusion of Unit 6: Expressions and equations which focused on writing and solving equations. Students explored the distributive property and are applying this knowledge when simplifying equations and combining like terms. Students will be applying their knowledge of equations to inequalities and will be graphing their solutions on number lines. Showing each step when solving will help with accuracy and less mistakes will be made.
Also, a reminder that math homework is assigned weekly along with IXL. It is important that students continue to complete their homework and self-check. Homework should be organized within their binders and homework can always be used as a study tool. Remember--homework can always be turned in for late credit!
ELA
Mrs. Crouthamel’s ELA classes are currently working on synthesizing and using text evidence as we read a variety of texts. All of our texts in ELA are connected to our current Geography unit of Africa. We will be studying desalination, the Lost Boys of Sudan and the physical and cultural geography of the region. This is all linked to our current novel, A Long Walk to Water. The New York Times bestseller A Long Walk to Water begins as two stories, told in alternating sections, about two eleven-year-olds in Sudan, a girl in 2008 and a boy in 1985. The girl, Nya, is fetching water from a pond that is two hours’ walk from her home: she makes two trips to the pond every day. The boy, Salva, becomes one of the "lost boys" of Sudan, refugees who cover the African continent on foot as they search for their families and for a safe place to stay. Enduring every hardship from loneliness to attack by armed rebels to contact with killer lions and crocodiles, Salva is a survivor, and his story goes on to intersect with Nya’s in an astonishing and moving way. This novel helps us to review and improve our reading skills, while applying the geography of Africa.
Mr. Baumgardner’s ELA is in the middle of an Inspirational People unit. We have read about Helen Keller, Rosa Parks, and Gandhi so far, with more people to come. Through writings and discussions, we will learn more about these individuals as well as learn more about ourselves. This unit covers a wide-range of ELA skills and standards, and the texts will begin to get more challenging as we move through the unit. In Geography class we are exploring the continent of Africa. We will focus on specific characteristics of specific places as well as the human-environment interaction on the diverse continent. We will also explore the novel, A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park in Geography class.
Ms. Willet’s ELA/SS classes are exploring the human-environment interaction of Africa in Geography. In ELA we are wrapping up our Civil Rights and poetry units. We will be starting our third novel, Hoot, and continuing our activities in Study Sync. Students will be assigned reading, fiction activities, and a reflection everyday, most of which can be completed during class time.
Science
In Science, all classes will be exploring living things, how living things are classified, and cells. Students will be learning about plant and animal cells as we explore the concept of all living things being made up of cells. As part of the unit, students will be creating a book, either digital or paper to demonstrate what they have learned. This book will be a great tool to take to 7th grade and continue building upon it. Students should be accessing Schoology for assignments and using their online text to study at home. LearnSmart is a great tool to use to study the concepts taught in each chapter.
Please continue checking ClassDojo. If you haven’t joined yet, please email one of the teachers for your child’s access code.
6th Grade Recognizes Students Who Exceed Expectations
Team Aviators: 7th Grade
AVIATOR ANNOUNCEMENT:
Attention Aviator Parents/Guardians,
Due to the recent activity of smart watch usage during academic tests and class instruction, the Aviator Team will be putting the following policy in place.
Aviator Smart Watch Policy:
Smart watches are not to be worn during any academic tests, MAP, PSSA, Keystone etc. Smart watches are still allowed for fitness tracking etc. Students are not allowed to communicate via smart watches during class instruction (this falls under district cell phone policy)
Smart watches include: Apple Watch, Fitbits, Fitness Trackers, (anything that can receive phone notifications).
If we have a perception that students are texting on their watches:
1st offense: Verbal Warning
2nd offense: Sign Up
3rd offense: Office Referral, students will need to keep their watches in their lockers or homeroom cell phone parking lot.
ELA
We are continuing our Dystopian Novel unit this month. Students will have weekly chapters to read. Please check the reading calendar in your child’s binder. Updates will be provided weekly on Schoology as well. The focus for this unit is informational text. Independent novel projects are due March 24th. Students will be working through their MAP focus areas with IXL practice weekly.
SCIENCE
This month we are diving into “Changes in Environment”, “Body Systems” , and “Plant Processes”. That sounds like a hodgepodge of science but students will be using their foundation of life science background information to create connections to all life forms. The next few chapters will be a combination of projects and smaller assessments.
MATH
In math class we are focusing on Geometry in Unit 7. Students are learning about angle relationships and triangles. In this unit students will also review how to calculate surface area and volume of right prisms. Students will continue to have math homework each night. It is important for students to complete their homework to reinforce the math skills learned in class. Students are also required to complete 30 minutes of practice on IXL each week to grow in their goal areas.
SOCIAL STUDIES
In social studies, historians are learning about Ancient Rome and how it influences us today. We will be moving on to read Julius Caesar, Dictator for life by Wicked History. Students will decide whether he deserves the title of a hero or tyrant of Rome.
Team Lightning: 7th & 8th Grades
SCIENCE Mr. Decker and Ms. Enoff
7th Grade Science:
7th graders have finished evolution and now we are moving into the classification of organisms. Students will study the system used to classify living things, as well as learn how to develop their own classification system. The use of dichotomous keys will be a focus of the classification, which will link back to evolutionary relationships. Once we have completed the classification section students will be studying bacteria, viruses, fungi, and Protista.
8th Grade Science:
8th graders have been applying Newton’s laws of motion and simple physics concepts to develop balloon powered cars to enter into the Flour Engineering competition. This requires the students to use a limited list of materials to build a craft that can carry as many pennies as possible across a 30 in course. When these tests have finished students will be studying gravity, centripetal force, and momentum.
MATHEMATICS
Ms. Enoff 7th Grade Math:
All classes are quickly approaching the testing window for the PSSA. Along with continuing to work through the regular book lessons, all students are assigned a weekly IXL to help them prepare for the PSSA. They should be completing this during any extra class time or at home. It is turned in each Friday and graded. This allows me to discover strengths and weaknesses overall. Please encourage students to complete all problems to the best of their ability.
Mr. Heller Math 8:
Students just finished Chapter 7 where they learned the multiple ways to represent slope of a line. At this time the slope intercept equation (y=mx+b) should be very familiar to them. Next we will be working through the process of simplifying exponential expressions. It is important that as the work becomes more abstract, and increases in difficulty that students are making sense of problems and persevere in solving them (which is a mathematical practice we have been focusing on). Remember that students are able to retake tests, but in order to do so they must see me during ACE for a remediation assignment.
Algebra
Students have been doing a great job working with radical (square root) expressions and absolute value equations. We are transitioning to the last unit which includes graphing, solving, and evaluating inequalities. This chapter will be very similar to our systems of equations chapter. Following this section we will spend time before the Keystones to review all of the topics we have covered throughout the year. Students will continue to complete GoFormative activities to help prepare for the Keystones in May.
ENGLISH: Mr. Peglow and Mrs. Trout
7th Grade:
PEGLOW’S Class: In the month of March seventh graders will finish Black Ships & begin The Giver (the Utopian/Dystopian unit) and our discussions of the “-isms” like individualism, nationalism, symbolism, and extremism and how all of these ideals impact our views of what is right and what is wrong in society. Students continue to apply reading and writing strategies in preparation for the PSSA that arrives in April as well as reading their independent novel. Be sure to check in with your child nightly to learn what topics we are discussing in class and what is happening in his or her novel.
Mrs. Trout’s class: This month we are reading selections that connect with our study of Rome in Ancient Civilizations. Starting with a nonfiction piece about gladiators we will explore nonfiction text features such as chronological order and cause and effect. Then we will read a poem that challenges the treatment of all citizens; is it really justice for all? Finally, we will look at two persuasive pieces that ask us to consider what we value in our society based on tv shows and how we like to be entertained. Some students have chosen to pursue an enrichment opportunity to read Black Ships Before Troy and work with a small group.
8th Grade:
In the month of March eighth graders will finish up The Killer Angels and begin focusing on persuasion and how to support opinions with facts and evidence. Students continue to apply reading and writing strategies in preparation for the PSSA that arrives in April as well as reading their independent novel. Be sure to check in with your child nightly to learn what topics we are discussing in class and what is happening in his or her novel.
SOCIAL STUDIES Mr. Popoff and Mrs. Trout
7th Grade Ancient Civilizations
This month our students will focus on the rise and fall of the Roman Empire. Following this, we will explore the religion of Christianity and its impact on the ancient world. Throughout the year students have scrutinized many major world religions including Hinduism, Buddhism, and Judaism. When we get to the Middle Ages we will look at the rise of Islam and the fight for the Holy Land.
8th Grade U.S. History
As the third quarter draws near an end, students in eighth grade will see the United States disintegrate before their very eyes. During the last few weeks of the third quarter students will focus on the primary causes of the American Civil War; some of the causes include: Missouri Compromise, Compromise of 1850, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Kansas-Nebraska Act, and the election of our 16th president, Abraham Lincoln. As we progress into the fourth quarter, students will begin to examine perhaps the worst time period in American history, the Civil War.
Janiah Knouse- Geography Bee Winner!
Team Sky Pilots: 8th Grade
Science
Science classes have been working through Chemistry and wrapping it up acids and bases. Students will then investigate Earth Science starting with types of minerals and rocks. It is really important for students to continue to review material outside of class as class time is used for projects and labs. We look forward to continued success for all of our Sky Pilots!
Math
Geometry students will complete Chapter 7 assessment on “Proofs”and begin Chapter 8. “Polygons and circles”.
Core Connections 3 students are gearing up for content for the upcoming Math PSSA. Students will complete Chapter 8 “ Exponents and Functions” and Chapter 9 “Angles and Polygons”
Reminders: This is a challenging time of year for 8th grade students since they tend to be overconfident with their abilities and progress. However, this is the homestretch for PSSA prep. In each upcoming math unit students will be exposed to new math concepts most which are obstract and and are difficult to connect to concrete experiences
Social Studies
Social Studies classes will examine the different economies of the North and South and discuss failed compromises that led to the American Civil War. They will also write slave diaries and convert them into IMovie trailers. They will soon be preparing for a trip to Harpers Ferry, WV, which was the site of John Brown’s raid, a huge event leading up to the American Civil War.
ELA
Sky Pilot ELA classes are trying to answer the question, "How is character formed?" To do this, we are reading short stories, poems, and myths to examine how characters evolve based on conflicts in the text. In March, classes will be reading Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.News from Our Nurse
Be sure you turn your clocks ahead one hour on Saturday March 7th before you go to bed. You don’t want to be late on Sunday March 8th.
The Flu has made an appearance. According to our school guidelines your student should be fever free for 24 hours ( that is without any medications) before returning to school. According to the guidelines, the student should be free from vomiting and diarrhea for 24 hours (without the use of medication) before returning to school.
With winter now upon us please be sure that the students are dressed properly for the weather and they are wearing proper shoes during the snow and ice that may appear.
The nurse’s office does not have allergy medicine for students, if your child needs allergy medicine please have them take it before coming to school. The nurse’s office also does not have any cold medicine so if your child is in need of cold medicine please be sure that they are taking a 6 -12 hours medicine before coming to school so that it will get them through the school day.
All 6th graders are required by Pennsylvania school health law to have a physical to enter the sixth grade. If you have not already done so please turn in all completed physical forms as well as update immunization records to the school nurse.
Also per Pennsylvania department of health all 7th grade students are required to have a Tdap and MCV immunizations to enter the 7th grade. Please see the important updated information about the Tdap immunization below.
Tdap Immunization Update:
The PA Department of Health has updated the guidelines for the required Tdap dose to be given at 11-12 year of age. If the Tdap was given prior to this age, another dose will need to be given before the 2020-21 school year for your child to not risk exclusion from school. Please check with your health care provider to make sure the Tdap was administered at 11-12 years of age.
All 7th graders are required by Pennsylvania school health law to have a dental exam to enter the seventh grade. If you have not already done so please turn in all completed dental forms to the health office.
Also be sure that your student is eating breakfast before coming to school so that they are fueled to start the day. Breakfast is available in the cafeteria in the morning before school starts for the students convenience.
The best way to keep your students healthy is to remind them to wash their hands with soap and water or to use the hand sanitizer whenever they enter the classroom or cafeteria.