Maple Avenue Middle School
Newsletter December 2019
Student of the Month: Makenzie Feeser
The sixth grade team is proud to present Makenzie Feeser as the December student of the month. Makenzie’s parents are Jennifer and Brian Feeser and she has a brother Mitchell in 8th grade. Her pets are 6 chickens and a chinchilla named Pepper.
Makenzie was on the Blue Honor roll for the first marking period. There are many qualities that Makenzie possesses as a great student. She is kind, conscientious, a hard worker, and always strives to do her best. In the classroom she works well with everyone and is willing to help others. She is a joy to have in class!
Makenzie’s favorite subjects are science, geography, and art. She is also part of the 6th grade chorus. Outside of school she cheered for the Bolts elementary football team, is a girl scout, and in the future she plans on playing field hockey and participating in track. In her spare time she likes to bake cakes, read, and paint. The favorite places she has visited were the Flight 93 Memorial and Fort McHenry.
Congratulations Makenzie, we are proud of you!
The Book Fair is Coming!
Dear Families:
The Fall Book Fair is coming to Maple Avenue! It is scheduled for December 9-13, 2019. The book fair is open daily. We invite everyone to participate by visiting us during Book Fair week. If you cannot visit the fair in person, you may place an order using the Book List order form. In case a book is sold out, please let us know if you would like us to order it or if your child may select another one.
No cash on hand for the book fair? No worries — Scholastic Book Fairs is now offering eWallet as a secure, cash-free way for your child to shop the Fair. There is no charge to set up an eWallet. Simply create an account and authorize a spending limit to have funds immediately available for your child to choose the books they want. To get started, visit the Maple Avenue Middle School Book Fair homepage: https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bf/mapleavenuemiddleschool and click “Get Started” beside the icon.
We are also accepting donations for the “All For Books” program. All money donated is used to purchase books for the library and classrooms. Scholastic matches each dollar to help fund reading programs. All students who donate $1.00 or more by Thursday, December 12, 2019 will have their names entered to win a book prize.
We look forward to seeing you anytime during Book Fair hours and thank you for your support!
** Please note: we do have to charge sales tax (6%) on all purchases. **
Sincerely,
Graig Henshaw
Librarian
If you have any questions, please contact me at: henshawg@lasd.k12.pa.us
Team Bolts: 6th Grade
Math 6-
Mrs. Raubenstine and Mrs. Koontz’s Math 6 class is currently working through Unit 3: Unit Rates and Percentages. In this unit, students will learn to understand and use the terms unit rate, speed, pace, percent, and percentage, and will recognize that equivalent ratios have equal unit rates. They will represent percentages with tables, tape diagrams, and double number line diagrams, as well as expressions. Math homework is assigned each week, and it is important that students are continuing to complete their homework as well as check their answers. Homework should be a thoughtful practice of the big, new ideas as well as a review of previous content. Remember--homework can always be turned in for late credit! Students also have thirty minutes of Khan Academy to complete each week for math.
Math 7-
Mrs. Koontz’s Math 7 class has just transitioned into Unit 4: Proportional Relationships and Percentages. In this unit, students will use ratios, scale factors, unit rates (also called constants of proportionality), and proportional relationships to solve multi-step, real-world problems that involve fractions and percentages. Currently, we have been using long division to rewrite fractions as decimals to determine if they are terminating or repeating. Students will then use their abilities to find percentages and percent rates to solve problems that involve sales tax, tip, discount, markup, markdown, and commission. Math homework is assigned each week, and it is important that students are continuing to complete their homework as well as check their answers. Homework should be a thoughtful practice of the big, new ideas as well as a review of previous content. Remember--homework can always be turned in for late credit! Students also have thirty minutes of Khan Academy to complete each week for math.
ELA-
In Mr. Baumgardner’s ELA classes, the students are reading the novel Peak by Roland Smith. While we are reading, we are learning about the different conflicts that Peak is going through while also analyzing characterization. Another major goal for reading the novel is to use comprehension strategies to help deepen our understanding of the text and to become stronger readers. We will finish the novel with a comprehension test before the Holiday break. In Geography class, we are finishing up learning about South Asia, which has a direct tie into the ELA novel. While in South Asia, we have explored the geography and learning how the countries in South Asia are dealing with population growth.
In Mrs. Crouthamel’s ELA classes, we are reading the novel Peak by Roland Smith. While we are reading, we are learning about the different conflicts that Peak is going through while also analyzing characterization. In Geography class, we are studying Asia, focusing on the Himalyan Mountains which is the setting of our ELA novel.
We have explored the physical and cultural geography of this region. It is highly encouraged that students access our Geography textbook online (www.discoveryeducation.com), to review information covered during class.
Ms. Willet’s SS classes are exploring the geography and human-environment interaction of South Asia, with a focus on the Himalayan Mountains and Mount Everest, to connect with our ELA unit. In ELA we are reading the novel Peak, by Roland Smith. Students will be assigned reading, fiction activities, and a reflection everyday, most of which can be completed during class time. All activities must be completed by December 20. A reading calendar with due dates and assignments has been posted on Schoology. Students can access the Geography textbook online (www.discoveryeducation.com).
Science-
Mrs. Becker and Mr. Urey’s Science classes are moving into chapter 4: Earth's Dynamic Surface. It is encouraged that students access at home their ebook and related resources for each lesson within this chapter at connectED. There is much there to reinforce and review what is covered in class each day. A few of the topics covered in this chapter will include Earth's moving surface and the theory of plate tectonics, the shaping of Earth's surface, and the changing of Earth's surface through weathering and erosion.
Team Aviators: 7th Grade
We hope that all our Aviator Students and their friends and families have a wonderful holiday season. In the season of giving we wanted you to know that as teachers we are very grateful with working with your student each and every day. We know that sometimes that students and families/guardians like to show their appreciation to us with holiday gifts. Although we truly appreciate the gesture we would like to suggest another alternative. In the place of teacher gifts we created an AMAZON WISH LIST. This list would go directly back to our classrooms and the students in 7th grade. Thank you and Happy Holidays!
Here is the link: Aviator Team Wish List
Science:
The scientists in class are finishing up the processes of cells and moving into genetics. They will soon be able to state claims and elicit evidence that Elf (from the movie Elf) does not have traits associated with real Santa Elves from the North Pole and has human phenotypes! Their problem solving skills will be tested with problems like these and many more in the upcoming Genetics Chapter!
Social Studies:
Our historians are finishing up interviewing Confucius and his contributions to our modern world. Next we will move to the Hebrews and the Jewish faith and will be learning about how the Jewish people celebrate Hanukkah along with its history. Along with this, students will be adding materials to their learning portfolios showing evidence of the materials they learned throughout these units.
English:
Students will be reading their next in class novel, Black Ships Before Troy as we explore the life of Ancient Greece and make connections to Greek mythology in our culture. Students will be focusing on their MAP growth areas with various assignments to meet their needs. The second quarter Independent novel projects are due January 13th. Please check Sapphire and Schoology for upcoming assignments and due dates.
Math: In math class students are learning how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide rational numbers. We are reviewing and building on skills the students learned last year in math class. Students will use number lines and other models to represent integer operations in Unit 5.
Students are still required to log 30 minutes each week on Khan Academy Mappers in addition to their daily homework assignments. I look forward to seeing their growth on the upcoming MAP assessment in January.
7th Grade Farm Show Field Trip
Dear Parent/Guardians:
The 7th grader (Aviators and Lightning Team Students) will be going on a field trip to the Pennsylvania Farm Show on January 8, 2020. If there is a snow day or delay on Jan 8, 2020 the make up days will be either January 9 or January 10, 2020, but only if those days are full school days. Students will report to school for their normal time. Departure is approximately 8:00 am and students will be home for the afternoon normal dismissal.
Educational Value and Assignment
Students are required to complete a cross curricular assignment about the farm show. Students will complete 2 parts of the assignment prior to the field trip. If a student has not completed the required pre 2 part assignment prior to the field trip, they might be held after school to complete the work. The day of the field trip students will be required to gather information and take pictures. Students will use their cell phones for pictures. (Cell phones are not required). Students who do not have a cell phone will share pictures from other students in their group.
Students will be introduced to the project during ELA class the week of December 16, 2019. The project will be due January 13, 2020 after the Farm Show. It will be graded in Science Class.
Farm Show Assignment (10 points)
You will create a Google Slides presentation for learning experience at the PA Farm Show.
Learning Target:
Model how the PA Farm Show demonstrates our PA culture through history, science, mathematics, arts, and
language/communication.
Success Criteria: Appreciate our state's resources through authentic exploration.
Success Criteria: Explain and demonstrate how agriculture influences our lives in PA.
Rubric
10 - completed neatly, well thought out, effort into it (100%)
7 - completed neatly, not enough "writing etc" (70%)
2 - two parts required that are done pre show (20%)
0 - didn't hand in. (0%)
Information about trip:
Who: 7th Grade Class (Aviators and Lightning)
Date: January 8, 2020 (Snow day or delay on Jan 8 will move the field trip to Jan 9 first and if Jan 9 is a snow day or delay then we go on Jan 10. Field trips can only be on full school days and not on delay days. After January 10 , we will have to cancel the trip since the farm show is over on 1/10/20)
Where: PA Farm Show, Harrisburg Farm Show Complex - Harrisburg PA
Reporting Time: 7:15am MAMS
Return: before 2:15 pm MAMS
Cost: Free admission
Lunch: $10 minimum for snacks or lunch. We encourage students to buy a small snack or lunch at the Farm Show but students are not required to buy their lunch. Students may bring their own lunch which they will have to carry or purchase a brown bag lunch through their lunch plan from the MAMS cafeteria. Please tell homeroom teacher if buying a brown bag lunch from MAMS cafeteria by 12/20.
Clothing: Comfortable warm layered clothes since parts are warm and others are cold.
Chaperones: Teachers from the Aviator team and Lightning team, nurse, and adults who have been cleared and approved by the LASD school board by October 2019.
If you have any questions please contact your students homeroom teacher to answer any questions.
Yours in Education,
MAMS Aviator and Lightning 7th grade Teams
Team Lightning: Grades 7 and 8
SCIENCE Mr. Decker and Ms. Enoff
7th Grade: 7th grade classes have started the study of genetics, during which they will learn how traits are passed from parents to children. Students will be using Punnett squares to predict the probability of offspring having certain traits. Once students have an understanding of how alleles interact and control the expression of traits we will make paper babies by combining traits of two different students.
8th Grade: 8th grade classes are finishing their study of sound and light. Once we complete this unit we will be moving onto thermal energy. During this unit we will understand how thermal energy is transferred and how it relates to the states of matter. To help us understand these concepts we will be interacting with dry ice and liquid nitrogen. Our end result will be making ice cream to sample using dry ice and liquid nitrogen.
MATHEMATICS Mr. Heller and Ms. Enoff
7th Grade:
As the holidays approach we cannot stress enough the importance of PRACTICE in math. Whether homework problems, class work, or station practice, we encourage students to take every opportunity to learn and practice the skills they need to build a solid math foundation. Parents are reminded to check grades often looking for missing work or low scores. Please contact your child’s teachers whenever there is a problem or concern.
Wishing a Happy Holiday to all!!
8th Grade:
Math 8
Students recently finished chapter 4, and should be able to tell the difference between equations that have one solution, all solutions, or no solution at all. During this chapter we also explored the connections between generating rules and equations from tables of data. Through the next chapter we will continue to strengthen these graph-table-rule connections as we introduce the slope-intercept equation. Students have already seen this equation but will finally be able to express it in terms of slope and y-intercept rather than the elementary language we have been using (growth and starting point). Be sure to check Sapphire regularly to see how you are doing. It is also important to get the weekly homework submitted on time. If you haven’t done so well with homework completion, it’s not too late to start turning in assignments this week!
Algebra
The Algebra students just finished their systems of equations unit, which involved them finding the point where two lines intersect on a graph. They should now be able to solve systems of equations in three different ways: graphing, substitution, and by using the elimination method. It is important we retain the information we learned about systems because we will be revisiting systems of inequalities in a later chapter. The next topic of study is data; how to read, use, and analyze different types of graphs including scatter plots, pie charts, and box plots. Students will also revisit the topics of central tendency which should be a review from elementary grades. As always, keep asking questions to check for understanding! This is a great time of year to reflect on your progress, and set goals to help you hit your mark.
ENGLISH: Mr. Peglow and Mrs. Trout
7th Grade:
Trout: Students will be reading and annotating 2 play excerpts this month, and learning about dramatic elements including stage directions and dialogue. In addition, we will begin a class novel that will focus on vocabulary, setting, and text-dependent analysis writing.
Peglow: For the month of December we will continue to focus on justice and what it means when people talk about a “just” society. Students will continue to explore the principles of a fair, or just, society from a variety of literary perspectives. We will also continue working on improving writing with ACE responses and text analysis. The primary focus is on citing evidence and explaining/elaborating. Vocabulary and grammar will also be part of the week’s tasks. In addition to this, Mr. Peglow’s students will begin reading their literary group novels and meeting with their group to have guided literary analysis discussions based on what they read. Look for the student contract to come home that will explain their novel, reading assignments, and writing responsibilities for this novel.
8th Grade: During December we continue our focus on “how is character formed?” This unit prompts students to explore this question and consider the complexities of morality. Students will continue to explore the complexities of how people become who they are as well as investigate ways to realize their potential in the world. We will also begin work on Text Dependent Analysis writings throughout this unit. In addition to this, students will begin reading their literary group novels and meeting with their group to have guided literary analysis discussions based on what they read. Look for the student contract to come home that will explain their novel, reading assignments, and writing responsibilities for this novel.
SOCIAL STUDIES Mr. Popoff and Mrs. Trout
7th Grade Ancient Civilizations:
Students just completed their final stop through Asia’s ancient civilizations with Japan. Major religions will be the primary focus throughout December and much of January. Earlier in the year students examined the religions of Hinduism and Buddhism. Now students will begin analyzing the religions of Judaism and Islam. Judaism will probably seem very familiar to many students because it had a tremendous influence on another religion they may have some knowledge of, Christianity.
8th Grade U.S. History:
Students in 8th grade are currently in the process of signing the Treaty of Ghent which will officially end America’s second war for independence (War of 1812). Throughout December students will begin to truly see America’s goal of Manifest Destiny come into focus. Western expansion will not come easy though; American will encounter several challenges from some familiar foes along the way including the Spanish, British, and Native Americans.
Team Sky Pilots: Grade 8
December’s Growth Mindset Theme is “We Love a Challenge”
Math 8 students will begin and complete chapter 5 “Systems of Equations”. In this chapter, most of the work will focus on solving equations. Students are showing lots of determination and grit; they’ll be up for the challenge.
Geometry students will continue their study of triangles in Chapter 5. They’ll be introduced to trigonometric ratios of sine and cosine as well as the inverse of these functions.
In case you missed it check out the November newsletter
Just an FYI All math students who are non-proficient on any assessed Grade 8 Math PSSA assessment anchor or Geometry anchor will be required to complete remediation activities and alternate assessments. Activities and assignments will be posted in Schoology in the same chapter as the test. Students are expected to see me or email if they have any questions about any activity. Additional math help is available before and after school as well as during ACE Period
Science has just finished Space and are moving into Chemistry. Chemistry exemplifies our growth mindset theme for the month because it is quite a challenge. It’s a good thing “we love a challenge.” We start with a study of thermal energy and how it relates to states of matter. From there, students will begin exploring the atom. I hope everyone had a restful Thanksgiving holiday and are looking forward to the most wonderful time of the year.
English students will be exploring how life experiences shape our values and how we can develop our moral compass. By exploring stories from various cultures, students will come to see the commonalities in all cultures. Students will continue to analyze texts and work on improving their writing skills.
History classes are looking at the launch of a new nation following the writing of the U.S. Constitution. Following this, we will discuss the age of Andrew Jackson as president and westward expansion. We will also be looking at the root causes of the Civil War in the third marking period and will be looking forward to the Civil War traveling trunk and Harpers Ferry field trip in May.
Guidance Corner
Encourage your child to become a person of character
Your middle schooler may have been born with certain personality traits, but think of his/her character as a work in progress. In other words, the kind of person they’ll eventually become is still being shaped.
To develop good character:
Be a strong role model. Make sure your behavior demonstrates the values you’re promoting.
Offer gentle reminders. Give your child low-key prompts when she slips up. “I won’t worry about reminding you to finish your homework. I know you’re responsible enough to do it on your own.”
Expect honesty. If your child breaks a rule and lies about it, enforce two consequences—one for the broken rule and one for the lie.
Notice positive behavior. When you see your child demonstrating good character, praise her!
Find ways for her to give back. Help your child sign up to serve at a soup kitchen or animal shelter. While you’re at it, sign yourself up, too. Afterward, talk about the experience together.
Reprinted with permission from the December 2019 issue of Parents Still make the difference!® (Middle School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2019 The Parent Institute®, a division of PaperClip Media, Inc.
2nd Quarter Progress Reports
After reviewing your student's progress to date, please do not hesitate to reach out to his/her teacher with any questions or concerns that you may have.
If you do not have access to the Sapphire Community Portal, follow this link to create an account.
Important Dates
Friday, December 13: Grandparents' Day
Monday, December 23- Wednesday, January 1: No School! Enjoy your break!
Notes from the Nurse
The nurse’s office does not have allergy medicine for students, if your child needs allergy medicine please have them take it before coming to school.
All 6th graders are required by Pennsylvania school health law to have a physical to enter the sixth grade. If you have not already done so please turn in all completed physical forms as well as update immunization records to the school nurse. Also per Pennsylvania department of health Tdap and MCV immunizations that are due by 7th grade must be given at age 11. The school physician will be here on December 19th, 2019 to do the physicals for those that have requested it. If you have requested that your child get a physical by the school physician please be sure to have the front page of the physical form is filled out and returned by December 13th, 2019.
Tdap Immunization Update: The PA Department of Health has updated the guidelines for the required Tdap dose to be given at 11-12 year of age. If the Tdap was given prior to this age, another dose will need to be given before the 2020-21 school year for your child to not risk exclusion from school. Please check with your health care provider to make sure the Tdap was administered at 11-12 years of age.
All 7th graders are required by Pennsylvania school health law to have a dental exam to enter the seventh grade. If you have not already done so please turn in all completed dental forms.
Mobile Dentist will be here the week of January 20th, 2020. Please have all dental forms returned to the health room by December 13th, 2019 for your child to be seen by Mobile Dentist.
Also be sure that your student is eating breakfast before coming to school so that they are fueled to start the day. Breakfast is available in the cafeteria in the morning before school starts for the students convenience.
The best way to keep your students healthy is to remind them to wash their hands with soap and water or to use the hand sanitizer whenever they enter the classroom or cafeteria.
I hope everyone has a safe, healthy and happy holiday season.