Maple Avenue Middle School
February 2018 Newsletter
Student of the Month: 8th Grader, Kylah Green
What's Happening at MAMS?...
Team Bolts: 6th Grade
In Science Mrs. Becker’s and Mrs. Smith’s classes have finished their Earth and Space unit with a PBL focusing on the impact of human activities that have both positive and negative effects on the environment. Students have moved onto the Life Science unit in which they will explore plant and animal cell structures as well as traits of animals and structures of plants. There will be a comprehensive test on Chapter 6, lessons 1 and 2. Students will be provided with study guides to help them in their understanding as well as the resources available on connectED. Students are encouraged to use these resources as a daily review of content addressed in class.
Core 1:
Mrs. Koontz’s and Miss Ambrose’s Core 1 Math classes have reached the midpoint of our Algebra unit. We are currently focusing on writing and simplifying expressions by combining like terms as well as evaluating expressions. This knowledge will serve as the foundation of algebra as we move forward into solving one step equations and inequalities.
Core 2:
Mrs. Koontz’s Core 2 Math class is mid-way through Unit 3 which has an emphasis on proportional relationships and percents. We have applied our knowledge of equations to proportional relationships as we construct graphs of collected data. Within the next few weeks we will be turning our attention to percents. As a reminder, homework is assigned each week and can always be completed for late credit.
Mr. Crockett's ELA classes have just started their first novel, Wonder, by R.J. Palacio. As students read the novel, they are practicing writing introductions to a multi-paragraph essay, as well as writing body paragraphs that include citations from the book. Students are also learning about plot, theme, point of view, poetry, and persuasive texts during class lessons. The Social Studies portion of class is focused on the Geography of Europe. Students have already learned about Ireland and France. Where will we explore next!?
Mr. Baumgardner’s ELA and Social Studies classes are learning how to read nonfiction text. The students have finished learning about three main world religions and have also spent time reading, writing, and discussing the Syrian refugee crisis in the Middle East. We have recently finished reading Wringer by Jerry Spinelli and have already started reading Peak by Roland Smith. Every student has a Peak calendar that has the required reading each night on it. Please continue to check the 6th grade homework page.
Ms. Willet’s ELA and Social Studies classes have started their journey through Africa, beginning with the West and Central region, as part of their nonfiction reading focus. They have learned the geography and climate of the region, how people adapt to them, and how the physical geography shaped the history of the area. Students are also learning and practicing how to use context clues to figure out the meaning of unknown words in text. The classes are working on pushing their thinking past what the words in a text say to making meaning of, and making connections with the texts to gain deeper understanding. Our first writing focus is argumentative writing.
A Message from the Nurse
Just a reminder that 6th grade students must have their physical paperwork turned in and 7th graders must have their dental exam paperwork turned in as well.
Thank you!
Team Aviators: 7th Grade
LIFE SCIENCE-
Hello wonderful Aviator parent/guardian...a letter was sent home to all Aviator Science Students last week. The letter contained information to make sure that your student was prepared for science/all classes. Please make sure that your student has an extra set of earbuds that stay in school. The letter also asked for information regarding the access to computer and Wi-Fi at home. This second semester I will be using more online resources from the McGraw Hill Program and students can log into their student accounts and access their science eBook and other resources to help them study. Lastly, students have joined Schoology for my class. The link to their eBook and resources is located in Schoology. Students will need to memorize or create a folder in the school Gmail to keep their username and password until they have it memorized.
We are moving beyond microbiology and entering into the environment and human systems!
ELA-
We will be finishing our nonfiction unit and diving deep into poetry for the remainder of the marking period. Students will be analyzing and writing their own poetry as we pair readings from Black Ships Before Troy. In addition to our reading, students will be completely their quarter 3 independent novel projects.
History -
Our tour of the major religions is complete! Politics/democracy, olives, philosophy, the Olympics and highways. These are just a few of the contributions that Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome have given the United States and other countries! Many may argue that these two prestigious and powerful civilizations are the most influential because they have affected virtually every society that evolved after them.
Math -
We our wrapping up our unit on proportional relationships and percents. Students will have a quiz next week before break to end the unit. They will also be using nutritional facts from candy to find the recommended daily intake of grams of sugar and total fat. Our next unit, probability and statistics, will begin after our break. Ask your student about their homework assignments. They are given a worksheet every Monday, with six questions, which is due on Friday. It is graded on completeness and two questions randomly checked for correctness.
7th Grade Farm Show Field Trip
Team Lightning: 7th and 8th Grades
Science: Mr. Decker and Mr. Liberty
7th Grade Science:
7th grade scientists are finishing their study of natural selection and evidence for evolution. This unit will be followed by a study of organ systems. This section will be capped off with a frog dissection to help the students understand and physically see the concepts we discuss in class.
8th Grade Science:
Students have moved into the study of chemistry, they research the history of the atomic theory to gather an understanding of the atom and how we know so much about things we can’t really see. Know we are working no understanding how atoms interact and bond to form compounds in the world around us. We will move into solutions and pH in the coming weeks.
Mathematics: Mr. Heller and Mr. Liberty
7th Grade Math:
Math classes are continuing to work toward success and mastery of core content. With PSSA time just around the corner, students will be asked to prepare and reinforce skills through Compass Learning. This can be done through the school or at home. Please talk with your student about completing this task.
Many students have missing work due to absences or lack of effort. Parents are reminded that they can check agendas and MMS for updated grades and missing work.
Core 3 Math:
The Core 3 students just finished Chapter 6 which involved Geometry, and transformations of shapes. In the upcoming chapter students will be reintroduced to the concept of slope and explore it more in depth than we did in chapter 5. Students will look for associates based on graphs, as well as be able to make predictions based on linear equations. It is important students are keeping up to date with the weekly homework as well as the weekly GoFormatives.
Algebra:
Now that students have been reintroduced to exponent expressions, and the Laws of Exponents they will be asked to solve equations that include exponents and square roots. Following this small unit, students will explore quadratic functions including how to graph, factor, find intercepts, and manipulate these equations. It is important students continue completing their homework to get the extra practice they need, and keep asking questions for clarification. The next two chapter is really a pivot point for algebra and algebraic functions. All of this should prepare us to be successful on the Keystone Exams in the spring.
English: Mr. Peglow and Mrs. Trout
7th Grade:
The month of February will be occupied by a war/love story you may have heard of, The Illiad, an epic poem depicting the Trojan War. We will be reading a retelling of the epic poem called Black Ships Before Troy. The focus will be on figurative language and imagery so we will also be reading and writing poetry along the way!
Mr. Peglow’s Class: Students are focused on nonfiction articles and informational writing throughout this quarter. The focus of our articles and writing will revolve around our current novel Black Ships before Troy by Rosemary Sutcliff, which is a version of Homer’ The Illiad and focuses on the Trojan War and Greek and Roman mythology. The students are also in the process of completing their independent project that is due at the end of February where they create a top ten events of 2017 video using research, citations, and multimedia production skills.
8th Grade:
Students have begun the Utopian/Dystopian unit in an effort to look at the way authors have depicted the “ideal” society and how sometimes perfect is not always perfect. In this unit we also read and discuss many issues we currently face in society (nonfiction) and how these issues encourage or discourage the utopian ideal. We are already having some wonderful and very engaging discussions and hopefully these discussions make their way home and continue around the dinner table. Students have also been assigned the novel The Giver (or a companion novel if they read that one already) as an outside read which also deals with the Utopian/Dystopian concepts. Questions are given out each Monday and expected to be completed and returned on Friday. Please assist your child in completing the reading of these chapters and ask your child what is happening in the novel and in class discussions.
Social Studies: Mr. Bennett and Mrs. Trout
7th Grade Ancient Civilizations
Over the next month, students will be focused on two of the most prestigious and influential civilizations in world history: Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. Many may argue that these two civilizations are the most influential because they have affected virtually every society that evolved after them. Some of the largest areas of impact include: government, architecture, art, literature, and philosophy.
8th Grade U.S. History
After students see the United States fulfill its manifest destiny, they will set their sights on one of our countries worst time periods, the Civil War. Students will learn how slavery divided this great nation during the 19th century, ultimately leading to a civil war amongst the north and south. Before the year comes to a close, we will examine the Civil War from start to finish.
Dates to Remember:
February 16- Act 80 Day, No School for Students
February 19- President's Day, No School
February 23- Mid Marking Period
Team Sky Pilots: 8th Grade
Social Studies classes will be studying the failed compromises over the issue of slavery and their path to the American Civil War. We are just beginning our examination of Industrial Revolution. We will look at how two different economies developed in the North and South and how the two sections of the country were at odds.
English classes are advertising their inventions and then moving on to creating their own government and societies! They are so creative! Students will be reading a whole-class text via their iPads while referencing supplemental texts and resources to help them create a government, flag, laws, symbols, and anything else they come up with! Throughout this unit of study students will examine fiction, nonfiction, poetry, charts, and law documents.
Geometry classes are finishing up unit 6 and will begin Unit 7 Proofs and Quadrilaterals.
Core Connections 3 students are finishing and will begin unit 7 “Slope and Associations”.
Please continue monitoring your child’s progress using MMS portal. Please note students should be completing PSSA assigned ONLINE Compass Learning assignments.
If your child does not have access to the internet accommodations will be made.
Science classes have been working through the Chemistry Unit and will be learning about the Periodic Table, Compounds, Mixtures, Acids and Bases. We will soon be traveling to Space and then returning to Earth for Earth Science and Ecology, followed up with Biology and Human Systems.
The Sky Pilots would like to remind parents to check the agenda regularly, if necessary, for assignments and notes from teachers. Also the assignments can be found posted on our website at: http://www.lasd.k12.pa.us/mams/skypilots/index.cfm
Guidance Department
After-school activities offer many benefits
Middle schoolers often have access to after-school programs either at school or in the community. Many such programs are academic. Others help your child do better in school in other ways. Regular attendance in such programs may be worthwhile.
In fact, research shows that regular attendance in after-school programs leads to:
- Better social skills. That includes being able to communicate and solve problems.
- Better performance in school. That includes higher grades and more completion of homework.
- Healthier habits. That includes avoiding tobacco and drug use.
- Improved school attendance. The sense of belonging and the connection to caring adults can make children more likely to go to school.
To help your middle schooler reap these benefits:
- Find safe transportation. Some after-school programs include bus transportation. If a program doesn’t, your child may be able to travel in a carpool or by community bus.
- Consider home schedules. Of course your child has responsibilities at home. Try adjusting these so your child can attend a program.
- Look for a program that interests your child. At the very least, ask her to give it a chance.
Reprinted with permission from the February 2018 issue of Parents Still make the difference!® (Middle School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2018 The Parent Institute®, a division of PaperClip Media, Inc.
News from the School Counselor
I am pleased to be a part of the team here at Maple Avenue for the second semester. The transition between Mrs. Allison and I went very smoothly. If you need to reach me for any reason, please feel free to email me at webbs@lasd.k12.pa.us. My goal for the second half of the year is to make sure all students needs are being met in the area of academic support, social/emotional support, and thinking about future career choices. I am also focusing my attention on the OLWEUS Bullying Prevention Program. The goal of this district-wide program is to prevent or reduce bullying in our school by improving peer relations and making our school a safer and more positive place for students to learn and grow. Parents and guardians play a key role in this program. If your child tells you about a situation where he/she is being bullied or sees bullying happen, it is important for you to tell our school staff; they have access to a reporting system that allows us to handle bullying situations as they arise.