Ellsworth MS Newsletter
Here's what's happening in MS this week!
December 9, 2019
Dear parents,
Have you heard about the MS holiday pass? Ask your child about it! The last day to turn in late work or retake quizzes is this Friday, December 13. Also, ask your child about exams and what is required in each class. Exams are December 19 & 20.
ENGLISH
6th Grade: We are done with vocabulary tests for this semester and will resume after the break. The last spelling test will be this coming Friday and an assessment will be given to all students to see if there has been an improvement in the understanding of spelling rules. After break we will be working on a spelling system which revisits phonics and introduces new spelling concepts. We are also continuing the book “City of Ember” focusing on characters.
7th Grade: Students took their final vocabulary test for this semester. After the break we will focus on Latin root words, which will be the basis for our spelling and vocabulary tests. We are reading “The Giver” and learning about a fictional futuristic community where life is handled differently. Today we read a chapter that explores life that is different in terms of relationships.
8th Grade: We are working on our last writing assignment of the semester. The question the students are answering is, “How can we achieve happiness?” They have read six articles and poems to find evidence to help support their answer. We are also working on chapter 7 in the grammar book.
SOCIAL STUDIES
6th Grade: We are going to be reviewing information about the Maya, Aztec and Inca civilizations as well as how the Spanish with so few people could defeat them. There will be an exam on Friday December 20th. Students will receive a study packet with main ideas and vocabulary this week to work on.
7th Grade: We are going to be reviewing information about the Maya, Aztec and Inca civilizations as well as how the Spanish with so few people could defeat them. There will be an exam on Thursday December 19th. Students will receive a study packet with main ideas and vocabulary this week to work on.
8th Grade: This week we covered a lot of little things happening from between 1800 and about 1821: The crazy election of 1800, the War of 1812, The Louisiana Purchase and Monroe Doctrine, the Panic of 1819, the Missouri Compromise and the Expedition of Lewis & Clark. Wow! Seems like a lot but we touched on each one and the students did great!
MATH
6th Grade: 6th graders have been working hard on long division word problems this week. Monday we will end the division lesson with a quiz and then begin a lesson on adding & subtracting decimals. Keep working on 45 minutes of iReady to practice your skills. Our ice cream party for iReady is approaching! Ask your child if they’ve met their goal. If you’d like to donate a favorite ice cream topping, please send one in before Dec. 16.
7th Grade: 7th graders have been finding unit rates for different real life problems, for example which box of cereal has the best deal per ounce. They will have a quiz on Monday covering the lesson. Our ice cream party for iReady is approaching! Ask your child if they’ve met their goal. If you’d like to donate a favorite ice cream topping, please send one in before Dec. 16.
8th Grade: 8th graders have been analyzing functions using descriptive words and their math vocabulary. Their quiz will be Tuesday. Our ice cream party for iReady is approaching! Ask your child if they’ve met their goal. If you’d like to donate a favorite ice cream topping, please send one in before Dec. 16.
SCIENCE
6th Grade: We have wrapped up our research on invasive species and ecosystems. We will be reviewing for a test on ecosystems. We should be able to take the test Thursday or Friday this week.
7th Grade: We had a quiz over 3.3 Changes in Matter on Friday. We have two more weeks until semester exams. The 7th grade semester exam will be on Friday, December 20th and will cover the broad scope of the 1st semester content. Look for a review sheet next week. We will finish the first semester material by going over the periodic table.
8th Grade: We had a quiz over 3.3 Changes in Matter on Thursday. We have two more weeks until semester exams. The 7th grade semester exam will be on Friday, December 20th and will cover the broad scope of the 1st semester content. Look for a review sheet next week. We will finish the first semester material by going over the periodic table.
ART
6th grade: We have finished our colored pencil, texture, and color blending project. Most students have glazed our grotesque and gargoyle project. We will be doing a sculpting project of some kind for the next week.
PE
7th Grade: Students will participate in a nets unit (volleyball and badminton) this week and continue to work on developing/improving cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, and flexibility.
Please note that the gymnasium will not be available for PE 12/10/19 and 12/18/19. Students will watch the movie Chasing Mavericks (PG), a true story about the life of surfer/free-diver Jay Moriarity.
SINCERELY,
The Middle School Team
8th English: Amanda Terryberry aterryberry@ellsworth.k12.mi.us
6th and 7th English Michele Hinkle mhinkle@ellsworth.k12.mi.us
6th Sci, 6-7th SS: Sue Goslee sgoslee@ellsworth.k12.mi.us
6-8 Math: Erica Stuck estuck@ellsworth.k12.mi.us
7-8th Science: Clayton Faivor cfaivor@ellsworth.k12.mi.us
8th SS: Laurie Yost lyost@ellsworth.k12.mi.us
Art: Kurt Zimmerle kzimmerle@ellsworth.k12.mi.us
Music: Ashley Ford aford@ellsworth.k12.mi.us
PE: Mark Drenth mdrenth@ellsworth.k12.mi.us