CMS 8th grade Husky Howler
November 2017
Thweatt's Husky Pause
Crabapple Middle School Teachers and Staff are committed to continually helping students succeed through positive behavior. CMS has three main behavioral expectations, known as the "3 Bs" Be Prepared (on time and with all materials), Be Engaged (on-task and using technology appropriately) and Be Respectful
The Positive Behavior System relies heavily on support from parents. Parents can view students' points in each of the 5 target areas through the PBIS Parent App. Follow these steps for access:
1. Send email request to Ms. Miller (millerb@fultonschools.org) with "PBIS Parent App" in the subject line. Include the student name in the body of the email.
2. Download PBIS Parent App from your App Store
3. Using the QR code included in the letter emailed to you, sign in to the App
During November, students who have earned at least 85% of the possible PBIS points will be rewarded with Movie and Popcorn on November 16. Please be on the lookout for the required permission form.
As we move into the holiday season when students can tend to lose focus on what is most important, we do continue to remind students that maximum effort and timeliness in work completion are critical to their success. We appreciate your efforts in supporting your child with keeping up with assignments and due dates. They are at the age where they must learn to take the responsibility for their own learning. At the same time, a parent who takes an interest in the learning that is taking place is a tremendous boost in the process.
As you have been made aware, the Georgia Heritage Day and the Roswell Walking Tour events have been postponed due to the funding constraints brought on by the Fulton County tax collection issue. We are looking forward to rescheduling the events during second semester. If you volunteered to assist in any way for either/both of these activities, THANK YOU for your support. We are hopeful that you will be able to join us when the new date is made available, tentatively just prior to Spring Break. Jennifer Muller and Suzanne Simonson are the PTA Chairs and will be providing more specific information as soon as possible. A HUGE expression of appreciation to them both for all the work put into the organization of the presenters, supplies and volunteers.
Science
8th Grade Curriculum:
Students recently completed their unit 1 test! We have moved on to Unit 2, Force and Motion. We have learned about Newton’s First Law of Motion and how forces can be unbalanced. We modeled unbalanced and balanced forces through a fun tug-of-war lab! On October 31st we will be learning more about the force of gravity, air resistance, and other forces in our Pumpkin Lab.
Students recently completed their unit 1 test with great results! We are currently presenting the Periodic Table Project. We’ve already begun learning about bonding and soon we will be writing chemical formulas and naming compounds. There are several fun labs coming soon, including an “explosive” lab to learn more about the states of matter and exothermic reactions.
Social Studies
We have been wrapping up our Westward Expansion unit. Students recently completed a project telling the story of the removal of the Cherokee from our state and will be testing on the unit next week. From here, we will be moving into the Antebellum time period, and they will be completing their first full Document Based Essay (DBQ) centered on the question "What caused the Civil War?". We are also getting ready to gamify our classes be allowing the students to create teams using historical figures from the curriculum where they will gain or lose points based on their team members' contributions to our history. We pulled the idea from Fantasy Football and are looking forward to the way this will engage them in the learning throughout the remainder of the year!
Language Arts
In 8th Grade Language Arts, we have started Unit Two which will focus on non-fictional texts and informational writing. We are exploring the importance of understanding other people’s stories and perspectives. In a few weeks, we will begin a memoir book club. Students should continue to read independently, as well.
Math
On-Level: We are well into Unit 3 and have spent the last week exploring/using the Pythagorean Theorem. Once we have assessed this skill, we move on to exploring volume of three dimensional solids. Our students will find volume for cylinders, cones and spheres.
Algebra 1: We are knee deep in our Functions unit. Students are exploring characteristics of functions, evaluating functions, and writing explicit and recursive formulas for arithmetic sequences.
Accelerated Algebra 1/Geometry A: We just introduced unit 3 and have been learning how to factor polynomials expressions; students will learn 6 ways to do so. After, we will learn ways to solve and graph quadratic equations. We will test prior to our Thanksgiving Break.
World Language
Spanish Level 2 and 2H: We just wrapped up lesson 6 last week and have started lesson 7. Students will be learning about reflexive verbs as well as how to talk about the where we went and what we were. Students are learning about objects that are in a house. Students will also be painting pumpkins to celebrate the cultural holiday of The Day of the Dead. Pumpkin photos will be posted on our websites. Please study your vocabulary on a nightly basis! This December, we will have a midterm on lessons 6 and 7.
Spanish Level 1: We recently started lesson 2. Students will be learning how to conjugate present tense verbs this chapter. Students are also learning vocabulary that is associated with school. There are a lot of verbs this chapter, so please make sure you are studying nightly! Students will also be painting pumpkins to celebrate the cultural holiday of The Day of the Dead. This December, we will have a midterm on lessons 1,2, and possibly the beginning of 3.
Students in Spanish 1B are wrapping up their unit on la familia with their project presentations. Great job students your presentations look terrific! Students have learned conjugation for ER/IR verbs, special verbs Tener and Venir, Tener Expressions along with possessive adjectives this unit. Following our test next week students will enjoy a cultural craft on the non-religious holiday Dia de los muertos, the day of remembrance, by painting and decorating wooden spoons or foam skulls. Our next unit will be los pasatiempos covering activities outside of school.
Counseling Corner
Ways to Help You and Your Child Develop a Positive Relationship with their School
Parents play an important role in helping their child feel connected to their school, and in creating a positive school community. There are several actions you as a parent can take, at home and at school, to help your child feel more connected to his or her school, including:
• Encourage your child to talk openly with you, teachers, counselors, and other school staff about his/her ideas, needs and worries.
• Attend school meetings, read information that the school sends home to you and talk to teachers and staff. Find out what your child is expected to learn and how they should behave in school, and support these expectations at home.
• Help your child with homework and teach him/her about good time management techniques.
• Encourage your child to participate in school activities. Keep informed of these by reading school newsletters, attending parent meetings, checking out the school website, etc.
• Get your child involved in helping other adults – at home, school or in the community. Volunteering is a great way to do this.
• Set regular meetings with your child’s teacher to discuss his/her grades, behavior, accomplishments, challenges, etc.
• Get involved as a parent in various school activities, committees or working groups.
These are only a few ways that you as a parent can get involved. Talk to other parents or those in your school community about what you can do to help support or create a positive school culture.
Questions / Concerns – do not hesitate to reach out to 8th grade counselor Amy Levin levina@fultonschools.org
Parent Workshop: Response to Intervention
Join our Graduation Coach, Ms. Pannek, on November 14 at 8:30 in the CMS Media Center for a workshop about Tier 2 and the Response to Intervention process. Learn about the structure in place for students who need more academic and/or behavior support. Ms. Pannek will discuss the methods of identification, tier progression, exemplars of strategies used, and how we collect data to progress monitor students. Email Ms. Pannek at Pannek@fultonschools.org if you plan to attend.