Junior High Journal
News and Happenings in the Junior High Department
8th Grade Updates & Reminders 9/26-9/30
- Thanks to all the families that attended, volunteered, or contributed to the Ram Family Fun Fest last Saturday. A good time was had by all and we raised a significant amount of money for our school!
- Chromebooks should be charged every night to ensure the battery lasts throughout the day!
- Water bottles should be stored in lockers at all time. Students can ask to get a drink if they are thirsty, but with our new Chromebooks, water bottles are not allowed in the classroom.
- 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.
Junior High October Parent/Teacher Conferences
We will welcome all students and families at our November 16 & November 21st conferences to sum up the first trimester.
Wednesday, Oct 12, 2016, 04:30 PM
18621 Washington Avenue, Union Grove, WI, United States
Character Education: Growth Mindset
Every week we will cover a new theme that will be mentioned in this newsletter. We encourage you to develop a growth mindset along with us!
Individual Classes
ELA News and Updates
Katie Nicholls katie.nicholls@yorkville.k12.wi.us
This week in ELA, students completed a baseline assessment of their close reading skills. We will continue to work on these skills throughout the year, chart our progress, and measure the growth as we progress with each new idea. Students also read three poems related to work. We looked at the use of figurative language, examined the poetic form each poet used, and analyzed the concept of “work” each poem expressed. Students also presented their findings about teens in the work force. This weekend, ask your student if they feel teens should be employed or not.Science News and Updates
Erin Weis erin.weis@yorkville.k12.wi.us
This week we examined the six characteristics of living things. The question was asked, ‘Is yeast alive?’ So an investigation was done in class to see if yeast could use energy, one of the characteristics of living things. Ask your child about the experiment and what they learned from it. Students did a great job following directions in the lab and cleaning up after themselves. They were also responsible for completing their first lab report on their own. They have very detailed instructions in their rubric that need to be followed for lab reports. Students completed these on a Google Doc and submitted them to me on Google Classroom. A quiz was also given on Wednesday on Schoology. Students can log in and see what, if any, mistakes were made on Schoology. Please check Skyward and remind your child to turn in any late or absent work. Have a great weekend!
~Mrs. Weis
Science
Social Studies News and Updates
John Johnsen john.johnsen@yorkville.k12.wi.us
This week in Civics, we finished looking at all the laws that led the United States to break away from Great Britain. We discussed the importance of John Locke and his role in the writing of the Declaration of Independence. We then completed the Ch 2 Test. Next week we will complete the Ch 2 Portfolio, in which students will complete a series of objectives and attach them to their webpage they started last year. I enjoy the portfolio assignment because it gives students the opportunity to get more creative when completing assignments. I would like to thank everyone who attended the Ram Family Fun Fest, it was great to see all the families support the PTO. Have a great weekend, Mr. Johnsen
Math News and Updates
Mary Niccolai mary.niccolai@yorkville.k12.wi.us
Intro to Algebra spent more time this week working on solving equations. We worked on equations with variables on both sides of the equation and worked with equations using the distributive property. These multi-step equations also review integer operation rules. We ended the week with a quiz on solving multi-step equations. Next week we will take a look at special equations that have an infinite number of solutions or equations that have no solutions. We will also look at solving equation word problems. This will involve both writing and solving the equation. Have a great weekend.
Mrs. Niccolai
Algebra worked on completing module 2 and began module 3. We reviewed the rules of exponents. We worked with fractional and negative exponents which was a new concept for most. We also reviewed the real number system. Students learned what it means for a number system to be closed or not closed under certain operations. Module 3 deals with expressions. We reviewed “like terms” and order of operations. Next week we will wrap up module 3 and begin reviewing for the first unit exam. Remind your child to continue working on their module vocabulary as it will be due at the end of the unit. Have a great weekend.
Mrs. Niccolai
Spanish News and Updates
Katy Morrow katy.morrow@yorkville.k12.wi.us
¡Hola! This week we summed up our numbers unit by completing a number of activities. Students practiced writing out years in Spanish by doing an around the room scavenger hunt about historical events in Spanish-speaking countries. We then learned and practiced ordinal numbers by taping 2, 3, or 4 digit numbers to our back and asking yes or no questions like "Is the first number a 2?" but in Spanish, of course! We finished the week by completing a variety of stations to prepare for our quiz on Monday. Next week we will continue to work on our Hispanic Heritage Month project and begin our unit on activities and adjectives. Have a great weekend!
Physical Education & Health News and Updates
Amanda Peterson amanda.peterson@yorkville.k12.wi.us
This week in health the 8th graders were able to get a good start on their Unintentional Injury Presentations and will continue to get feedback, revise, and solidify their projects on Tuesday and Thursday.
In Physical Education this week the eighth graders started their fitness testing. We will be using the Fitnessgram to test the students three times this year--fall, winter, and spring. The students will determine if their scores are above, in, or below the healthy fitness zone for each category. The students were tested on the push up test, curl up test, and trunk lift test, which focused on their muscular strength and endurance. The students also played speedball and learned how to pitch (golf) when they were not testing. Have an active weekend!
Mrs. Peterson
Band News and Updates
Mike Beix
The Advanced Band had another great week of learning. Band lessons are off to a great start as we start learning new concepts and skills.
I am very proud of all the students that performed at the PTO Fall Fun Fest on Saturday, September 24th. I was amazed at how great they sounded after only 7 band classes to prepare the music!
Don’t forget to check out the new band website (tinyurl.com/yorkvilleband) to stay informed with calendar dates, current band news, and helpful online resources.
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! There will be a November performance and details are in the making. Stay Tuned!!!
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.