7th Grade Newsletter
February 16, 2024
Important Dates
Thursday, February 15: 4:00 - 8th Grade BB (Away), 4:00pm - 7th grade BB (Home)
Friday, February 16: 1:00 - Early Release
Monday, February 19: No school
Tuesday, February 20: Tiger Hour (JROTC/School Assembly)
Core Classroom Updates
English Language Arts
This has been an interesting week. We spent time analyzing the excerpt from Ashes of Roses, compared the two reading selections about the Triangle Factory Fire, and learned a little more about Dr. Seuss during our visit to the LMC. Next week, our study of the fire will conclude with a writing assignment and a quiz.
Ms. Paradies
Ms. Behrens
ESOL
We have completed our study of paragraph writing. Students have a good understanding of how to write an essay using a structure. This week we will begin a novel study. Students will read Because of Winn Dixie.
Ms. Hewitt
Math
7th grade math students are continuing their Probability learning module. We've learned the differences between experimental probability and theoretical probability and we conducted experiments and simulations to determine the probability of simple and compound events. We'll review on Tuesday, 20 February and take the module 10 test on Wednesday, 21 February. Enjoy the long weekend!
Mr. Ragan
Science
The 7th grade science students completed their first lesson in Topic 5 of how organisms interact in ecosystems. Next week, students will be learning how changes to physical or biological components of an ecosystem affect organisms and populations. Students will also learn the cause and effect of human impacts on ecosystems.
Mr. Shupe
Social Studies
Next week we will continue to work on Chapter 6-Welcome to Kansas:" Her Light Shall Shine" Topics that will be covered are The Exodusters, Foreign Immigrants Come to Kansas, German Settlers , Settlers from The British Isles, The French Settlement of Silkville and Swedish Immigrants I hope everyone has a safe and healthy weekend.
Mrs. Johnson
Elective Class Updates
Automation and Robotics
Students spent this week building with bevel gears. After building a prototype for a reach-and-look device, students worked on design a wind turbine using bevel gears and gear trains. Next week, we will continue our wind turbine construction before moving onto designing a fidget toy and building a worm-and-wheel mechanism.
Mrs. Hanna
Art
All artists have been developing their entries for the Doodle for Google contest. The theme is “My Wish for the Next 25 Years,” and students are coming up with some hopeful and exciting ideas. We will be starting our spring clay projects shortly.
Please be sure to congratulate sixth grade artists Harper Woolford and Gracie Highsmith. They are winners in the University of St. Mary’s 2024 Abraham Lincoln Portrait Contest for Best Portrait and Most Original Portrait. Over 200 artworks from area schools were entered into the contest.
Ms. Miller
Design and Modeling
This week students created box and whisker plots to represent the data from our skimmer trials. We discussed statistical concepts such as center and spread. Students were asked to use spreadsheet software to organize, analyze and store the data. Next week, students will be introduced to a new measuring tool called a dial caliper. This tool is useful for measuring 3D objects and adding dimensions to sketches. Students will learn how to read a dial caliper and practice measuring next week before adding these measurements to sketches.
Mrs. Hanna
Drama
After a couple weeks of rehearsal, the students are ready to perform their Readers’ Theater scripts for their classmates. Class presentations will begin on February 21st. After their class performances we will work with improvisational skills in preparation for the Small Ensembles presentations.
Ms. Paradies
Ms. Behrens
Foods and Nutrition II
We have made our way into the kitchen here at PJHS! The kids completed their first lab making microwave monkey bread and did a great job! We are going to be continuing on in Unit 2: Kitchen Skills & Applications for the next several weeks. As we continue through this unit, we will focus on proper measuring techniques, cooking applications, converting recipes, and knife skills. Expect students to be cooking almost every week for the remainder of the semester. Please help to remind students of proper lab day apparel (close-toed shoes, hair pulled back, no jewelry, and no hoodies or jackets). If you have any questions feel free to reach out, thanks!
Mrs. Cox
Green Architecture
Students have completed the Autodesk Revit computerized scale model of their bedroom with furniture. See the attached pictures of some examples!
Mrs. Elder
Medical Detectives
Students have started the process of diagnosing fictional patients using the disease dictionary. Students have 15 different medical conditions in the disease dictionary. Students are learning the importance of asking good questions! Ask your son/daughter about diagnosing a patient!
Mrs. Elder
Magic of Electrons
Magic of Electrons will be taking Lesson 1 What is Electricity Assessment on Tuesday. The review has been posted on the Google classroom. We will be covering Lesson 2.1 Circuit design.
Mrs. Bargmann
Physical Education
All is well in PE. We have finished our Gaga Ball unit. Now that the basketball has come to an end, we will begin our racket units. Next week, we will begin a table tennis unit, as well as, continued work in the weight room. We look forward to another great week.
*We will look to go outside as much as possible for PE (weather permitting). Please help us in reminding our students to bring water bottles and tennis shoes every day they have PE.
Coach Amon
Coach Dreiling
Spanish
7th Grade Spanish has begun the Guapo Trilogy, a spoof about a man who is quite self-absorbed, his confession about his "fake" looks, and finally how he comes to peace by accepting himself as he is. We start with "Guapo" nuggets 1-9, then move to "La Confesión de Víctor" nuggets 1-10, and end with "Feo" nuggets 1-6. These are the required videos and nuggets that will take us to the end of 3rd Quarter. Students will be testing on 0-31 (speaking) next week. We will then add the alphabet and continue with basic Spanish terms.
Mrs. Ford