Middle School Newsletter
Northland Innovation Center
October Newsletter
Program Goals
To provide curricula that focuses on more elaborate, complex, and in-depth study of major ideas, key concepts and themes that integrate knowledge within and across disciplines and encourages the use of higher-level thinking skills.
To provide curricula that sets high standards and that demands rigorous expectations for student work and performance demonstration.
To provide instruction that allows for the development and application of productive thinking skills and enables students to re-conceptualize existing knowledge and/or generate new understandings that deal with real-life problems and issues.
- To provide instruction that is flexibly paced and matched to the student’s ability, pre- assessment data, learning style, interest, and motivation.
- To provide opportunities for students to develop leadership and group interaction skills that allows student-centered discussion and Socratic questioning.
To require project based learning of gifted students that represents application, analysis, and synthesis of knowledge.
To encourage an environment that fosters a positive attitude toward creative challenges, investigative activity, and knowledge creation.
Guest Speaker
The SAGE center was very excited to welcome writer and director Morgan Dameron as our first guest speaker this month! A Kansas City native, her first feature film Different Flowers will be released in theaters on Sept. 29th. She shared an inspiring message, encouraging students to follow their passions and achieve their dreams.
Dameron’s award-winning short films have screened at film festivals worldwide. She also worked at Bad Robot Productions on such productions as Star Trek Into Darkness, Westworld, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens, where Poe Dameron shares her last name. She is the recipient of the AMC Theatre’s Best Young Filmmaker Award and Kansas City Women in Film and TV’s “Spirit of Kansas City” Award.
We so appreciated her taking time to speak to our students and giving them wonderful advice about how to achieve their career goals and reach their dreams!
What We Are Learning
Odyssey of the Mind
In Odyssey of the Mind, students worked on having an open mind and finding constructive ways to communicate as they work on their solution. Learning targets this month were to contribute constructively to project teams, assuming various roles and responsibilities to work effectively towards a common goal.
App Studio
In App Studio, students learned how to type and change code in a XCODE program. They learned where to look for the results of their work and how to add notes that will help them remember what their code means. Students also experienced what code looks like if something goes wrong. They learned how to use text in programming and how to use a program to change and combine words. We finished off the month beginning to identify bugs in code.
Fab Lab
In FAB LAB, students are just starting to begin their training on the various equipment and materials that are available to them. Each unit of study has been divided into 2 groups. One group will start their rotation with Mrs. Rust by exploring Sewing, Soldering, and Woodworking. Students will complete tasks as they rotate through all 3 stations. Group two will start their rotation with Mrs. Shaffer. The 7th graders will begin by programming an Arduino to light up LED lights using various commands. 6th graders and 8th graders will start their rotation by designing and printing a cookie cutter using the 3D printers. Everyone is excited to learn how to use the FAB LAB equipment and construct an original invention.
Stock Market Challenge
SAGE students are investors! The competition officially began on September 18 and excitement is high. Students have formed their investment teams and each team has $100,000 in virtual funds to invest. We are sticking with the stock trade this month, but will be diversifying our portfolios with mutual funds and bonds soon.
The Stock Market Game app can be downloaded to any personal device, with parent permission of course. Please let me know if you have any questions about this
Drones
Students have learned basic vocabulary about flight. They have also learned the scientific design process where they have designed a paper airplane and through the design process made changes to make it better. Students have also learned that they will need a pilot’s license to drive the drones. This will include learning basic maneuvers. They will also need to pass a safety quiz.
Graphic Design
Broadcasting
Battle of the Brains
Student teams have been working very hard on their proposals for the next great Science City Exhibit. Each student has a job that is crucial for the completion of the proposal. We will be submitting our proposals on October 25th and will patiently wait to hear back from the judges
***Any Middle School Battle of the Brains unit of study participant who wishes to come and work on their project after school on Mondays in October may have a parent drop off and pick up from 3:30-4:30. Please send Mrs. Torres an email to let her know you will be coming Melissa.torres@nkcschools.org
Unlocking the Mysteries of Science
We have been exploring the scientific process in depth and are learning how to use the tools of a scientist. Some groups even heard from an Environmental Scientist last week about his career. We will continue to explore science topics in the upcoming weeks and learn more about the engineering design process. All of this work will prepare them to enter the Science Pioneers Science Fair in the spring, where they will be using one of the processes to design their own Science project.
FIRST LEGO League
This month FIRST LEGO League teams have been working hard on applying real-world math and science concepts by researching challenges facing today's scientists.
They are also designing, building, testing and programing their robots using LEGO MINDSTORM technology. Students will continue to learn critical thinking, team-builiding, and presentation skills.
Middle School Team
Middle School S.A.G.E Team
Shon Adamson
Cybersecurity & Drones
816-321-4009
Melissa Duffett
Stock Market & Odyssey of the Mind
melissa.duffett@nkcschools.org
Jennifer Koch
Graphic Design & Augmented Reality
816-321-6710
Cassandra Shaffer
Fab Lab
816-321-5988
cassandra.shaffer@nkcschools.org
Lara Owsley
Broadcasting
816-321-4216
Lara.bradleyowsley@nkcschools.org
Cassie Fogel
Lego Robotics, App Studio, Odyssey of the Mind
816-321-4605
Wendy Rust
Fab Lab
816-321-6558
Melissa Torres
Battle of the Brain & Mysteries of Science
816-321-8719
Northland Innovation Center
Website: http://www.nkcschools.org/page.cfm?p=2774
Location: 6889 North Oak Trafficway, Gladstone, MO, United States
Phone: 816-321-5350
Facebook: facebook.com/NKCSAGE
Twitter: @NKC_SAGE