Junior High Journal
News and Happenings in the Junior High Department
8th Grade Updates & Reminders 4/24-4/28
- Chromebooks should be charged every night to ensure the battery lasts throughout the day!
- 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.
Individual Classes
ELA News and Updates
Katie Nicholls katie.nicholls@yorkville.k12.wi.us
This week in ELA, students finished reading Tears of a Tiger. They then explored the teen issues presented in the book and began developing a Public Service Announcement about an issue. Students will present beginning May 5th. I’ve seen some great ideas and look forward to seeing the final products. Students also finished analyzing poems. On Friday they took an exam analyzing three poems and identifying literary devices and the importance of using them in poetry. We have one more book talk yet this school year. Please make sure your student is taking a little time each night to read.
Science News and Updates
Erin Weis erin.weis@yorkville.k12.wi.us
Happy Friday! Students have been hard at work completing their Forward exams this week and I am sure they are glad to be done!
In science, we made our final observations on our grass ecosystems on Monday. Students then had to analyze their results. They were required to use their data to make graphs and then draw conclusions. This is the final lab report for the school year (I heard lots of cheers when I told them that!). The lab report for most classes were due today, but a few have until Monday because of testing.
Students have also been hard at work completing the performance assessment for our unit on Ecology. Students read how humans impacted the mule deer population in Arizona by restricting hunting completely, eliminating predators and regulating what animals could graze. Students took this information and population data from the mule deer in Arizona over time, made line graphs and analyzed the human impact on deer population and vegetation in that area. Questions were answered on Schoology to complete our unit on Ecology.
We will move on to Animal Behavior next week as a brief introduction into our final unit on the Kingdom Animalia.
Have a great weekend!
Mrs. Weis
Social Studies News and Updates
John Johnsen john.johnsen@yorkville.k12.wi.us
This week in Civics we began looking at state governments. In lesson one we focused on the relationship between the state and federal governments. We talked about the different types of powers each government gets and the ones that they share. We then discussed how the federal government and state government work together using grants-in-aid. Next we discussed the supremacy clause which states the constitution and all federal laws trump a state law causing it to be thrown out. Next week we will begin looking at the state legislative branches. We will compare the different types of legislative branches we have and talk about how state bills becomes laws. Finally we will finish up talking about how many state budgets must be balanced unlike the federal government. Have a great weekend. Mr. Johnsen
Math News and Updates
Mary Niccolai mary.niccolai@yorkville.k12.wi.us
Intro to Algebra spent the first few days back from Spring Break reviewing the Pythagorean Theorem, the distance formula, midpoint, area of quadrilaterals, and area and circumference of circles. They took the unit test on Wednesday. Thursday and Friday we did some reviewing of solving equations. We are going to spend the rest of this year revisiting some of the units we have covered to make sure everyone is solid on the material needed to be successful in algebra next year. You should have gotten a progress report e-mailed to you over Spring Break. If you did not receive it please let me know and I can send a printed copy home for you to sign. Next week we will miss class on Tuesday, Wednesday, and possibly Thursday due to Spring MAP testing. We wil goal set on Monday. Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns. Have a great weekend.
Mrs. Niccolai
Algebra wrapped up work on solving Quadratic Equations and factoring Polynomials. We reviewed for three days the they took the test on Thursday and Friday of this week. Next week we are going to do some work with right triangles. It will give us a chance to brush up on the Pythagorean Theorem before the Spring MAPS testing. I want to include a small trigonometry lesson as well. We will cover some of the basic trigonometric functions and use them to solve right triangles. Our next unit will continue work with quadratic equations. We will begin graphing these equations and working with translating and stretching, compressing, and reflecting quadratic functions. Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns. Have a great weekend.
Mrs. Niccolai
Spanish News and Updates
Katy Morrow katy.morrow@yorkville.k12.wi.us
This week en español, we came back from Spring Break ready to present our Casa Unit projects. Students did a great job explaining what was in their houses. Students also learned about el tiempo or "the weather" in this mini-unit. We sang a fun song to remember common weather terms. Ask your child to sing it for you (I'm sure they would love to do so ;) After a few days of practicing the vocabulary, I assigned a weather forcast project. Students created a weather forecast and over the weekend should record themselves saying the forecast using Screencastify (an app on their Chromebook). On Monday, we will listen to each other's forcast before moving on to the whole Vacation-themed unit.
Physical Education & Health News and Updates
Amanda Peterson amanda.peterson@yorkville.k12.wi.us
This week the 8th graders started their Human Sexuality Unit and focused on perceptions. We did several activities in which students had to decide how they felt about certain characteristics and statements and be able to explain their thought processes. We talked about our perceptions being different based on background, experiences, religion, values, etc. The students practiced the skill of communicating with one another about gender roles and stereotypes in a safe, comfortable environment.
This week the 8th graders participated in their 3rd and final round of testing for the Fitnessgram. We tested the curl-ups and push-ups (muscular strength and endurance), trunk lift (flexibility), and the pacer (cardiovascular endurance. While the students were not testing they participated in full court basketball. We will be finishing up our testing next week!
Have a great weekend!
Mrs. Peterson
Band News and Updates
Mike Beix
May will be a busy month for our Advanced Band members!
On Wednesday, May 17th, the band will travel to UW-Whitewater to work with the university music professor, Dr. Glenn Hayes. He will listen to us perform and then spend time with the band to help make us sound even better!
Our Spring Band Concert will be on Tuesday, May 23 at 9:45am and 7:00pm at Yorkville School. You will hear performances from the Beginner Band, 6th Grade Band, and the Jazz Band.
Our final activity of the year will be our annual trip to Six Flags Great America on Tuesday, May 30. We will leave school at 9:30am and return to Yorkville at 7:00pm. Thanks to our fundraising efforts and a generous donation from PTO, the cost to students will be $10. Students with season passes will not have to pay anything.
Thank you to everyone that helped support our fundraiser at Culver’s Fundraiser on April 7. We have raised $450 from our December and April fundraisers! Our final Culver’s Fundraiser will be on Tuesday, May 23 from Noon-10:00pm.
Please check out the band website (tinyurl.com/yorkvilleband) to stay up-to-date with the Yorkville Band!
Choir News and Updates
Carly Kreuscher
carly.kreuscher@yorkville.k12.wi.us
http://yorkvillemusic.weebly.com
Music Man Jr. Rehearsals - Tech week is this coming week. We will be rehearsing at Union Grove High school starting Monday May 1- Saturday May 6. Times are as follows...Monday 4:15-7pm, Tues: 4:15-6:30pm, Wed: 4:15-6:30, Thur: 4:15-6:30pm, Fri: 5:30 report, show at 7:00pm. Sat: 5:30 report, show at 7:00pm.
Music Man Tickets - There are still tickets available for both Friday and Saturday night shows. If you haven’t bought your tickets, now is the time!!! Tickets will be sold at the door, IF we have not sold out. We would love to see you there!!!
If you are looking for extra handouts, forms, etc. please check my website. I try to post everything I can so you have access at home!!! http://yorkvillemusic.weebly.com