Team 8-2 News
Mrs. Bense, Mr. Frazier, Mrs. Madera, Ms. Waxman
General News! Week of January 8th- 12
Welcome Back !
We hope that your 2018 is off to a fantastic start despite the chilly temps! On Monday we will be sending home a letter regarding our guidelines for the remainder of the year. Please read this letter with your child, then sign and return the bottom portion to your child's homeroom teacher on Tuesday. This will help us know that everyone has received this communication. Thank you for your help and support with this!
Just a quick reminder that report cards for quarter 2 will be sent home this Wednesday. Please take a moment to look at both the semester and year end scores with your child. Remember it is necessary to have a minimum score of 70% to be considered passing. Please sign and return your child's envelope, so that we know you have received this communication. Thank you!
Thursday After School...Will not begin until next Thursday, January 18th. Please remember your child must have a signed permission slip in order to stay, as well as an indication of how they will be getting home. Pick up is at 3:45. Thank you for being prompt!
We do have Zero Period back in full swing, If your child arrives in time to take advantage of this they are more then welcome to join us. We meet daily from 6:55- 7:25.
SMMS Yearbooks are on sale now: ( order online at)
SMMS Spirit Bobcat shirts and drawstring backpacks will go on sale beginning Thursday morning from 7-7:30 in the rotunda and during 6th, 7th, and 8th grade lunches in Student Services.
Large Youth - Large Adults $10.00
XL – 4X will be $12.00
Drawstring backpack $5.00
Upcoming Dates to Remember:
Jan. 10th- Quarter 2 Report Cards go home. Please sign your child's envelope, and return it to school. Thanks!
Jan. 15th- No School MLK Holiday
Jan. 19th- SMMS Spelling Bee
Jan. 19th- SMMS Spirit Day (basketball) ...show your school spirit wear red and blue
Feb. 7th- 3rd Quarter Progress Reports go home
Independent Choice Reading Book Due Dates: Book 1- January 22nd, Book 2- February 5th, Book 3 - February 20th, Book 4- March 7th
Language Arts- Ms. Waxman
Language Arts-
This Week in Language Arts will be a busy one... On Friday I shared with the students that the State of Georgia has recently announced a change in the Lexile level requirement of the EOG; a 1097 Lexile level is our goal! Last year's students were required to meet a minimum level of 1050...at the beginning of this year we were told that 1010 would be our target range. How do we get there?! WE READ!
The only way Lexile levels can increase is through consistent independent practice. This quarter, in addition to the many pieces of literature that we read during our class instruction, the students will continue with their own independent practice outside of class.
One component of this are Independent Choice Reading books.This quarter the expectation is for 4 books of their choice to be completed during the 9 weeks. This breaks down to one book every 2 weeks. I have included all of the due dates in our upcoming dates to remember above. Book 1 will be due by January 22nd.
I was very pleased to see that many students took my advice and read during the winter break. They came in on Friday, tested, and are ready to go on book 2. Great Work! We will be going to the library on Monday, January 8th, as a class, so if they have books to return or renew they should bring them back.
This quarter we will also continue our weekly TweenTribune assignment, but with just a few changes...Students are now being asked to read at least 6 articles each week to earn a total of 18 points for 100% credit.(overall comprehension scores should be 75% or higher) One of the articles will be one I choose and assign. For this article they will also be asked to complete a writing component, by answering the "Critical Thinking Question" located at the bottom of the article. They will still have from Saturday morning until Friday at 3 pm. to complete this assignment. Students will no longer be able to get credit for this after the due date has passed.
This consistent practice will help students build up the reading endurance that they will need for high school and beyond, as well as to increase their Lexile levels, and ability to identify textual evidence to answer questions. Students who have not taken advantage of this independent work may find themselves struggling to keep up with us during this semester.
With our "Snow Day", we are already a bit behind, but we will begin this week directing our attention to the Narrative Assesslet that students took back in early December. The scores are in, and students will have an opportunity to review their work, Together we will determine the things that they did well, as well as what they need to work on before the end of the year. The students will be asked to review their writing, as well as the comments from the scorers. They will then be asked to make some revisions in the areas commented on, as well as those they may identify themselves. The final product of this process will be a graded piece of work.
Our next novel study will take us on a journey from Behind Rebel Lines into the Civil Rights Movement. We will begin with some basic research of key events of this era. Some students will be reading the classic novel To Kill A Mocking Bird by Harper Lee, while others will be reading The Watson's Go to Birmingham -1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis. Both of these novels explore the racial tensions of this crucial period in American History.
Thanks for your continued support from home!
Science- Mrs. Madera
Physical Science
Welcome back! Last Friday, students continued working on the new topic of WAVES. This week we will be focusing on the different types of waves. Students will be understanding the different parts of a wave, behaviors of waves and how it relates to sound and light. Students began working on their Waves Vocabulary and Reflections study guide found on Google Classroom. This assignment is due by the end of day on Monday, January, 8th. This is a great study guide to be reviewing each night along with their notes taken in class. There will be a quiz on their Waves and Sound notes on Friday, January 12th.
Students will be presenting their Music Genre projects in class on Monday. Students were provided poster in class and had multiple class periods to complete this before break. Please make sure the poster is in class or the assignment is submitted electronically on time in order to earn the presentation points. As per the late policy, ten points will be deducted for each day late.
Please check google classroom for additional practice links and simulations. Review notes and vocabulary each night.
Quizlet: https://quizlet.com/join/kRj6Jgpam
Social Studies- Mrs. Bense
Happy New Year! The following is a recap of what we did on Friday 1/5:
· Flocabulary-Due Friday 1/12- Students signed up for my Social Studies Class on Flocabulary. We discussed the 2 mini tasks they have been assigned, Vocabulary Cards and Read and Response. If your student has not logged in yet, please have them see me during their block.
· Analyzing the Emancipation Proclamation-Due Tuesday 1/9- Students were given time in class to complete this assignment. They were instructed to finish for homework since no additional class time would be given.
The following is a glimpse of what to expect this week:
· Monday- A time of War Activity, Georgia Goes to War graphic organizer.
· Tuesday- I will read Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco. Students will answer multiple choice questions for a grade and we will hold a class discussion. They will complete a close read on the Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, and create a War Comes to Georgia graphic organizer.
· Wednesday- As a class we will look at a let written by Samuel Ware from the 1st Massachusetts Calvary to his wife. Students will then work on their own postcard home. If this is not completed in class, students will need to finish for homework and return the following day. A Prisoner’s Postcard- Due Thursday, 1/11
· Thursday- As a class we play Quizlet Live and students will take the GA in the Civil War Vocabulary Quiz. Students will read a passage entitled “The Civil War Ends” and answer questions. Any student that finishes may finish their postcard, work on Flocabulary, or start the GA in the Civil War review sheet.
· Friday- GA in the Civil War Review Sheet and Kahoot.
Georgia in the Civil War Vocabulary- These are the same words the students have had since before the break. Each child has been offered a hard copy of the words and definitions. Links to Quizlet and Study Stack can also be found on Google Classroom.
Mr. Frazier
Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a great Holiday season. I look forward to finishing the academic year strong. Please encourage your children to do the same. This week, Team 8-2 Mathematics will continue studying Volume. We have a Master Assessment this week that covers Pythagorean Theorem and Volume, both of which were covered before the break. Please ensure the students review the Pythagorean Theorem and formulas for Cylinder, Cone and Sphere throughout this week. I will post a study guide on Google Classroom that will help them prepare.
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HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS
MONDAY (8 JAN): Volume Cylinders, Cones and Spheres worksheet
TUESDAY (9 JAN): Complete Study Guide
WEDNESDAY (13 JAN): Study
THURSDAY (14 JAN): None
FRIDAY (15 JAN): None
QUIZ/TESTS
THURSDAY (14 JAn): Complete Master Assessment #3
KEY VOCABULARY
Cone: a 3-D figure with a circular base and a curved side that reaches a point.
Cylinder: a 3-D figure with two identical, parallel circular bases and one curved side.
Sphere: a round 3-D figure where each point of the round surface is the same distance from the center.
Volume: the amount of space a 3-dimensional object occupies.
RESOURCES
1. Youtube (Visualizing the Volume of a Sphere) –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNutS8eIhEs
2. IXL (Geometric Measurement: Volume of Cylinders, Cones and Spheres) –
https://www.ixl.com/math/grade-8
3. Math is Fun (Cone vs Sphere vs Cylinder) –
https://www.mathsisfun.com/geometry/cone-sphere-cylinder.html
Teacher Contact Information
Mrs. Bense- tbense@camden.k12.ga.us
Mr. Frazier- ajfrazier@camden.k12.ga.us
Mrs. Madera- kmadera@camden.k12.ga.us
Ms. Waxman- bwaxman@camden.k12.ga.us
Location: 205 Martha Drive, Saint Marys, GA, United States
Phone: (912)-882-8626