Junior High Journal
News and Happenings in the Junior High Department
8th Grade Updates & Reminders 10/17-10/21
- THERE IS NO SCHOOL NEXT FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28TH OR MONDAY, OCTOBER 31ST
- 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.
Veteran's Day Ceremony
Kindly return the form and any pictures to your student's homeroom teacher no later than Friday, November 4th.
Thank you in advance for helping to make this celebration extra special.
Yorkville Elementary Staff
Friday, Nov 11, 2016, 09:45 AM
Yorkville Elementary School
Fall Choir Concert
Tuesday, Nov 15, 2016, 06:30 PM
Union Grove High School, South Colony Avenue, Union Grove, WI, United States
Character Education: Growth Mindset
So Why Socktober?
Individual Classes
ELA News and Updates
Katie Nicholls katie.nicholls@yorkville.k12.wi.us
This week in ELA, students completed a career interest inventory. Based on the list of possible careers they received, students picked 3 careers to explore further to determine the type of education and training involved, the high school courses they should look to take, and the possible pros and cons of the career. Students will be meeting with Mrs. Slye, Yorkville’s guidance counselor, throughout the fall to discuss the transition to high school and possible academic paths based on each student’s career interest list. Be sure to ask your student what types of careers they were interested in. Students also spent time reading No Promises in the Wind. This week our main characters joined up with a carnival. We researched historical carnivals of the 1920s-1930s and the entertainment that was quite different than entertainment of today.
Science News and Updates
Erin Weis erin.weis@yorkville.k12.wi.us
This week in science, students learned why cells are so small. We did an activity using sugar cubes to demonstrate how the surface area to volume ratio changes as a sugar cube grows. We talked about how the cell membrane is what allows nutrients in and wastes out and when the cell grows the ratio decreases limiting the size of the cell.
Students also compared and contrasted the two major groups of cells including prokaryotes and eukaryotes. We ended the week learning the proper way to handle and use microscopes. Students had time at the end of the activity to look at prepared slides of a wide variety of cells and organisms. They really enjoyed using the microscopes. We will use them again next week to compare plant and animal cells.
Students are beginning to learn about the organelles in cells and will start their cell city project next week. They will have the choice of creating a poster, a 3-D model or a video to compare cell organelles to city structures. Be sure to ask them about this project next week.
Have a great weekend!
Mrs. Weis
Social Studies News and Updates
John Johnsen john.johnsen@yorkville.k12.wi.us
This week in Civics we finished looking at how the delegates created the constitution and began looking at the different parts. We talked about how the constitution is broken into 3 parts, preamble, articles, amendments. We then went into further detail talking about each part. One area that we focused on was how we make an amendment to the constitution. Next week we will begin looking into lesson 4 which focuses on the 5 major principles found in the Constitution. We will take a look at each one and see how the delegates incorporated it into the constitution. Have a great weekend. Mr. Johnsen
Math News and Updates
Mary Niccolai mary.niccolai@yorkville.k12.wi.us
Intro to Algebra reviewed finding the Greatest Common Factor (GCF) of numbers. We then worked on finding the GCF of monomials. A monomial is a number, a variable, or the multiplication of a number and variables. Finding the GCF adds another dimension because you have to consider the variable in your overall answer. Students quickly learned it was easier to find the GCF of variables than to find the GCF of numbers. Next week we will review Least Common Multiple (LCM) and include monomials into the mix as well. We will also begin classifying numbers and working on an integer review unit. Please check skyward for updated grades. Your son or daughter may need to work on corrections on a few of their assignments. Have a great weekend!
Mrs. Niccolai
Algebra worked on solving equations and solving and graphing inequalities. We spent a couple of days on each of these because the equations and inequalities became more difficult and involved more steps to complete. We began the final section of module 4 Friday. In this section we will take equations and formulas and solve them for different variables. This section tends to be difficult for a lot of students, even though it uses a lot of the same principles as solving a normal equation. We will continue working this section on Monday. Module 4 vocabulary is due Monday and there will be a quick quiz on these words as well. We will wrap up module 4 next week and the end with a quiz on equations and inequalities. Please check skyward for updated grades and encourage your son or daughter to complete any corrections they may have. Have a great weekend!
Mrs. Niccolai
Spanish News and Updates
Katy Morrow katy.morrow@yorkville.k12.wi.us
¡Hola! 8th grade students spent this week learning how to talk and read about what they and other people like to do, using correct grammatical phrases. Students spent time writing sentences, quizzing each other, reading a fictional letter about a Chilean woman. Last, we learned about adjectives and next week we will spend time talking about our personality and physical traits.
We finished up the week with former student, Ali Kravig, coming in to speak about spending her Junior year in High School living with a host family in Spain as part of her Rotary Exchange program. Students enjoyed learning about her experience!
Physical Education & Health News and Updates
Amanda Peterson amanda.peterson@yorkville.k12.wi.us
This week in health the 8th graders finished presenting their Unintentional Injury Presentations. From there we dove into First Aid Skits. The 8th graders acted out a situation that happened unintentionally and demonstrated how to take care of cuts and wounds, burns, nosebleeds, broken bones, choking, and CPR until a friend or loved one could seek medical attention (if needed). Some came up with some very creative ideas let me tell you!
This week in PE the 8th graders focused on using the proper technique, cues, and critical elements for passing and shooting. We played a variety of lead up games including “Monkey in the Middle”, 2 on 2 without dribbling, 21, and continuous lightning. Next week we should be ready to start our 2 on 2 tournament! Have a wonderful fall weekend!
Mrs. Peterson
Band News and Updates
Mike Beix
The Advanced Band continues to learn music for our Winter Band Concert on December 15.
The band will be performing at the Veterans Day Assembly at Yorkville School on Friday, November 11 at 9:45am.
We had our second Jazz Band rehearsal this week. We started working on new music for the Winter Concert. Jazz Band meets every Wednesday from 3:45 to 4:15.
Please check out the band website (tinyurl.com/yorkvilleband) to see this year’s Music Spirit Wear. If you would like to order a t-shirt ($10) or a sweatshirt ($24) please click on and print the order form and return it to school by Nov 11th.
Choir News and Updates
Carly Kreuscher
carly.kreuscher@yorkville.k12.wi.us
http://yorkvillemusic.weebly.com
The students continue to work on pieces for our upcoming concerts. They continue to make lots of progress!
The Choir students will be performing in the Veteran’s Day Assembly on Friday November 11 at 9:45am.
There will be a Fall performance on Tuesday November 15, 2016 at Union Grove High School, 6:30pm. We will be performing in the Performance Center with Choirs from Nash Elementary in Kenosha.
Music Spirit wear is here!! If you would like to order a t-shirt ($10) or a sweatshirt ($24) please fill out an order form your child brought home this week. Orders are due Nov 11th. You can find extra order forms on my website!
I have added a “What’s New” page to my website and will be posting a monthly newsletter. Included in the newsletter will be Upcoming Events, Notes from the teacher, What we are learning, songs we are singing, and a “Did you Know” column. Stop by and check it out!!! http://yorkvillemusic.weebly.com
There are still some students with missing handbook slips. The signed portion of the handbook was due Friday Sept 23rd. Let’s try to get the remainder of them in asap!
Art News and Updates
Mrs. Herman is currently on maternity leave after having her daughter, Audrey Jean, on September 7th! She will be back sometime in December! 8th grade students currently do not have art.