7th Grade Newsletter March 2018
Spring is in the Air!
Full Steam Ahead!!
CMS Families:
It is hard to believe that we are only a few short weeks in front of Spring Break 2018! Our 2nd semester has really flown by quickly and I've had the privilege of watching our 7th grade students begin to mature and grow as they prepare for the challenges ahead next year as 8th graders. Please continue to encourage and support your child to end their current school year on a positive note. We want 100% of their effort as they prepare for GA Milestones, final exams, and the conclusion of their semester.
As always, do not hesitate to reach out to me, the counselors, or any of your child's classroom teachers if you have any concerns or questions. Collaboratively, we want to work together to develop a strong support system for all students at CMS!
Best Regards,
Mrs. Psalmonds
Assistant Principal
7th Grade Administrator
Academic Updates!
Happenings in the Classroom..........
World Language:
Bonjour! Un grand merci to all my students who attended Linguapalooza on Saturday, February 26, 2018. Thank you parents for accompanying your child to the event. It was a big success and all the students were truly distinguished scholars.
Go French 1B!
Here is what we will be working on in our class in March. We are starting Leçon 4B from Unité 4 and students will learn functional phrases for ordering foods and drinks and talking about food through comprehensible input. In addition, we will start a new grammar lesson which includes partitive articles and the conjugations of new verbs like “prendre, apprendre, comprendre, boire” and -ir verbs. Our group project this month will be based on a “au restaurant” script where the student picks his/her character, practices his/her lines and creates a group video with his/her assigned group. The students are encouraged to add lines to the script but not to delete any from the original one. I will provide paper plates, plastic silverware, cups, a tablecloth and an apron before filming and presenting.
Our cultural and historical lessons in March will include information about the French regions of La Normandie et La Bretagne, some French proverbs and sayings and specialties of French cafés around the world and in North Africa.
Please encourage your child to visit my website daily. Updates and new resources are uploaded every day.
Merci beaucoup!
“In French Level 1A we have had a lot to learn about during the month of February! We’ve celebrated Mardi Gras, made Parisian “Lovelocks” for Valentine’s Day, enjoyed homemade chocolate truffles, and discussed the modern Olympics and their great connection to France. We’re studying how to tell time in French and have introduced the Spiral.ac app to our repertoire of fun digital tools.”
Spanish 1B just completed wrapped up Chapter 4 with an exciting culture project on famous artists Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. Students did a fantastic job with creativity in their art and a very commendable job with the written portion of the assignment. We have just started Chapter 5 on travel and vacations. Students are excited as are we to cover many relevant and fun topics in this chapter. Students will be learning about weather, travel, ordinal numbers as in the floors of a hotel, and destinations. Our country of study this unit is Puerto Rico which ties in nicely with the upcoming service project by CMS for a school in Puerto Rico.
Language Arts:
In 7th grade Language Arts classes, students are participating in Argumentative Writing Unit. During the writing unit, students will answer the question, "Is Electronic Communication Harmful or Helpful ?". Students will learn to develop a thesis statement, make a claim and cite evidence in their writing. As always, please make sure your child brings a fully charged iPad to school each day. Please encourage your child to continue reading their independent reading selection at home.
8th Grade Language Arts is wrapping up our Digital Comma Unit. Students will be getting their final drafts for their argumentative essays back soon. They will have an on-demand argumentative essay later in March, once they have gotten the feedback and grade back on the first one. We will also begin our Georgia Milestones test prep and review unit. Students will review our major concepts, such as narrative writing and short constructed responses. We will practice with reading shorter texts and answering standards-based questions. We will also continue to read and analyze poetry throughout this unit.
Life Science:
In Life science, we are half-way through our Ecology unit. We completed the energy flow and ecological relationships portion of this unit. Next, we will investigate human impact on the environment, natural disasters, and the world Biomes. During our next unit, students will watch the film Racing Extinction. In Racing Extinction, a team of artists and activists expose the hidden world of extinction with never-before-seen images that will change the way our students see the planet. Students will then create an action plan to combat the issue of extinction that has caused the loss of half of all species, or they can pick an approved global issue of their choosing. We are very excited to engage and foster our student's creativity to fight environmental issues.
Social Studies:
7th grade Social Studies will be ending the current unit of African governments and economies with a summative assessment on Wednesday, March 6th. The digital learning day will be our last day of African studies. Students will begin learning the geography of Southeast Asia on March 12th. Students will be focusing on geography, environmental issues (specifically India and China), and religions of the region.
Math:
Math 7 - Students are currently working on finding area, surface area, and volume of figures. All students will be having a unit test the week of 3/5. Our next unit will be on probability and students will be finding probability of independent and dependent events.
On Level Math 8: The linear functions test will be administered on Friday, March 2nd. The next unit of study, solving systems of equations, will begin on March 5th. Students will learn how to solve systems of equations by graphing and by utilizing the substitution method. We will conclude the month with the final unit, linear models and tables. We have begun reviewing for the upcoming Milestones exam.
Math 8 Advanced: Students are currently working on solving systems of equations through graphing, substitution and elimination. They are also working on writing systems from word problems and determining what method is best to solve each question. The next unit is linear models and tables.
DIGITAL LEARNING DAY: Friday, March 9th, 2018
****Parents will receive additional information and updates on student assignments, expectations, etc... about our first "Digital Learning Day" by Wednesday, March 7th, 2018. Stay Tuned!!!
Way to Represent CMS: Lauren Henry and Ian Greenwald!
"Students at the Capitol Day"
Two of our very own 7th grade students, Ian Greenwald and Lauren Henry, were invited to participate in our annual “Students at the Capitol Day” on February 14, 2018. Ian and Lauren were two of seven students, who were great “representatives” of the North Fulton Council of PTAs.
As part of this experience, they observed the dynamics of the statehouse. In addition, they got a behind-the-scenes look at the process of making the laws that govern us. Our “representatives” also met several congressmen and congresswomen to include John Albers, Brandon Beach, Jennifer Jordan, Kay Kirkpatrick, David Shafer and Bruce Thompson. During the visit, they asked insightful questions and answered some trivia questions from the legislators. We are so proud of Ian and Lauren. They both did a fabulous job of representing CMS in this event!
From the Counseling Corner
The CMS Counseling Department is proud to be a part of Triple H – or Huskies Helping Huskies. Through this committee, along with parent and community support, we have been able to help students in need in a wide variety of ways. From supplementing food and school supplies, to helping with unique needs, we see a significant and positive impact. As Professional School Counselors, we know that when students’ basic needs are not met, or are lacking, their attendance and school performance will suffer. The CMS counseling department is committed to supporting all students academically and socially in order to provide them a bright future.
Amy Levin & Gina Severino
PBIS UPDATES!
PBIS ICE CREAM SOCIAL!
On Thursday, March 15th, 2018 during homeroom, our TOP 10% of PBIS point earners will be acknowledged and invited to participate in a 7th grade ICE CREAM SOCIAL. As part of our desire to build positive school culture, our goal is to encourage and support GREAT BEHAVIOR through the framework of our PBIS implementation.
WEB LEADER OPPORTUNITY!
We are currently accepting applications from our current 7th grade students who are interested in becoming a WEB leader next school year.
WEB leaders are 8th graders who are positive role models who will be paired to work with younger students to help them be successful as a new middle school student at CMS!
A potential WEB leader should possess strong communication skills, leadership potential, and a willingness to devote time and energy towards the implementation of the program.
The 2018-2019 WEB leader applications, as well as 2 teacher recommendations, are due to be turned in no later than Friday, March 16th, 2018. Please have your child contact their homeroom teacher or Ms. Suggs for additional information.
Dress Code Reminders!
Dress Code Reminders:
Please be mindful as spring approaches and we have warmer weather, your child will be more likely to want to dress in shorts for comfort. With that said, it is important that all students adhere to the guidelines and expectations that have been established concerning the length of shorts. Students who come to school with shorts or other attire that does not meet the guidelines will be asked to change clothing at school and/or contact parents for a change of clothing to be brought to school. Thank you for supporting us in this endeavor.