Cougar Courier
ELM MIDDLE SCHOOL’S WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
February 4, 2022
Principal's Message
Greetings Elm Families,
We hope everyone had a wonderful week! This week's Courier is our academic highlight! We hope you enjoy reading through all of the amazing happening in our classrooms! We are only a few short weeks away from the end of the Trimester. As a reminder, please check in on your student and their progress. If you have any concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to your students teachers!
Also! Save the date! February 16th & February 17th are Elm Middle School's Parent Teacher Conferences! We can't wait to see all of our families and connect on how we can work together to support out students.
Additionally it's time for our 5Essentials Survey. Take a few minutes and complete this survey, your feedback is greatly appreciated.
Please take a few minutes and read through this week’s Courier! As always, should you need anything, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly. Stay safe! #TeamElmStrong
Ms. Ashley Groeneveld
Classroom Updates!
ELA
6th Grade- Unit 4: Imagination
Essential Question: Where can imagination lead?
The students are reading The Phantom Tollbooth Act I and Act II. They are writing fictional narratives based on characters in Act I and Act II of The Phantom Tollbooth.
7th Grade- Unit 2: Turning Points
Essential Question: What can cause a sudden change in someone’s life?
8th Grade- Unit 2: The Holocaust.
Essential Question: How do we remember the past?
The students are reading various Holocaust novels independently. The class will be reading The Diary of Anne Frank and other related Holocaust stories.
Social Studies
6th Grade: Students started discussions about Ancient Greece. They are learning about the geography, religion, achievements, politics, economy, and social structure of this civilization. They are also learning how Ancient Greece is considered the first western civilization from ancient times.
7th Grade: Students are wrapping up the module focused on the Civil War. The essential question that students are preparing to answer as a culmination of their unit is, ‘How did the Civil War transform the nation?’. After completing the module with a summative assessment, students will complete a Multimedia Timeline, created in collaborative small groups.
8th Grade:
Civics students have been very busy learning about the road to America’s independence from Great Britain. Students have been exploring the Declaration of Independence by completing a group scavenger hunt, writing the Declaration in their own words, and writing a “break up” to King George III. Continued learning of geography is also occurring weekly.
Science & Engineering
6th Grade: Sixth grade students are exploring energy in its many forms. We began the new year studying phases of matter and thermal energy transfer. We are now using real world examples to explain how kinetic energy and the transfer of energy are found in our everyday lives. Students have designed roller coasters, made energy transfer models using dominoes, and have also used online skate park and pendulum simulations that demonstrate the conservation of energy.
7th Grade: Students recently completed work on the Changes in Ecosystems scope. They learned about disruptive events (natural and manmade) that can cause severe changes to ecosystems. Luckily ecosystems can be resilient, if given a chance to recover (slowly on their own after a forest fire or more quickly with human assistance if the damage is more severe after the Deepwater Horizon disaster). The intentional and accidental release by humans of a non-native invasive species such as the Burmese python in the Florida Everglades is a good example of the devastating consequences that can impact an ecosystem.
8th Grade: Earlier this month students finished a Scope on Waves in which they explored how waves are reflected, absorbed, or transmitted through various materials. They also completed a research project on seismic waves and geologists that they presented to the class. Students are currently exploring what proteins have to do with your traits and will then explore if all mutations are harmful.
Honors Biology: Student started out semester 2 learning about how pathogens such as viruses and bacteria are classified, their structure, and how they can cause diseases within different populations. Currently students are investigating how cells contain genetic information in the form of DNA molecules. They will learn that genes are regions in the DNA that contain the instructions that code for the formation of proteins, which carry out most of the work of cells.
Engineering: Students in seventh grade finished up a unit in electrical engineering while focusing on snap circuits. Students have begun exploring the topic of mechanical engineering by beginning to look and build simple machines.
Students in eighth grade finished up a unit in electrical engineering while focusing on snap circuits. Students have begun exploring the topic of civil engineering with a particular focus on structural engineering. They are learning more about the construction of bridges through virtual reality experiences, research and hands-on experiences with building them.
Math
6th Grade: 6th-grade students are working on our Unit called, Let's Be Rational, where we are focusing on operations with fractions. By using visuals such as area models, writing number sentences, and developing the algorithm we are learning to multiply fractions in real-world situations.
7th Grade: Students are currently working on solving proportions, which will lead us into solving real-world percent problems.
8th Grade: Students are working on exponential growth and decay, writing exponential equations, and identifying exponential growth and decay from a graph. Next week students will be working on the exponent rules.
CorePlus: Students are working on systems of linear equations by graphing, elimination, and substitution.
Electives
6th Grade:
Choir - Preparing for upcoming Pops concert Feb 23rd at EPHS
General Music - Learned broadway musicals, piano keyboard
Technology - Students in technology are utilizing Google's suite of applications (like docs, sheets, slides, and sites) to communicate and express themselves for a variety of purposes.
Art - Art Students are working on contributing a unique piece to a mural by making artistic decisions that reflect personal meaning.
PE - PE classes continue working on basic Basketball skills including the following: dribbling, passing and shooting.
Spanish - Students have been practicing essential questions by creating text message conversations and by speaking the language with a partner.
Health - Students are learning about the Skeletal and Muscular Systems. As well as, learning to take responsibility for their physical health, by making good decisions, setting goals, and practicing healthful behaviors.
7th Grade:
Choir - Preparing for upcoming Pops concert Feb 23rd at EPHS
Technology - Students are beginning a unit on digital citizenship with a focus on news and media literacy, media balance, and digital well being.
Art - Art Students are working on contributing a unique piece to a mural by making artistic decisions that reflect personal meaning.
PE - PE classes continue working on basic Basketball skills including the following: dribbling, passing and shooting.
Spanish - Students have been practicing essential questions by creating text message conversations and by speaking the language with a partner.
8th Grade:
Business - Choir - Preparing for upcoming Pops concert Feb 23rd at EPHS
Technology - Students are beginning a unit on digital citizenship with a focus on news and media literacy, media balance, and digital well being.
Art - Art Students are working on contributing a unique piece to a mural by making artistic decisions that reflect personal meaning.
PE - PE classes continue working on basic Basketball skills including the following: dribbling, passing and shooting.
Spanish - Students are reading the text Fiesta Fatal. The text incorporates vocabulary and proficiency skills that students have been learning in Spanish I.
Health - Students are learning about the Skeletal and Muscular Systems. As well as, learning to take responsibility for their physical health, by making good decisions, setting goals, and practicing healthful behaviors.
Business - The business classes are starting their unit on credit and loans, looking at how borrowing money works, credit scores, interest rates, and building credit.
Attendance Reminders
If a student is going to be absent from class, a parent or guardian should call our Attendance Clerk at (708) 583-6600 or email elmattendance@epcusd401.org.
When calling, please spell your child’s last name and give their student ID number.
Upcoming Events
January 28 - Institute Day (Non-attendance day for students)
February 9 - Regular Board of Education Meeting
February 16- Parent Teacher Conferences
February 17- Parent Teacher Conferences
February 18- Conference Exchange Day
February 21- No School Presidents Day
Need Help? Contact Us!
Ms. Ashley Groeneveld, Principal: 708-583-6227, groenevelda@epcusd401.org
Ms. Stephanie Spiewak, Assistant Principal: 708-583-6228, spiewaks@epcusd401.org
Mr. Michael Goodman, Dean of Students:
708-583-6238, goodmanm@epcusd401.orgMain Office: 708-452-3550, elminfo@epcusd401.org
Website: https://www.epcusd401.org/elm
Location: 7607 W Cortland St, Elmwood Park, IL 60707, USA
Phone: 708-452-3550