PUMA PRIDE
8th Grade Newsletter 10.1.19
From Ms. Rogers
Happy Autumn! We are halfway through the first quarter. Our PUMAS have come in focused and energized to learn. We have some exciting activities coming up. Information about our spring field trip will be going home the week of October 7. Our field trip is March 26 to the Outer Banks. We want everyone to attend this amazing experience our students will remember forever. We will need a few chaperones for our trip. Please check your calendars to see if you all are available on that day. More information about chaperoning will be provided at a later date. Our second exciting activity is the Academic Celebration on November 15. Students who have achieved a 2.0 GPA first quarter with no ISS or OSS assignments will be invited to the celebration. Consistently encourage your student to do their best daily. If they have questions, make sure they ask questions and stay focused until they get it.
If you have questions or concerns we encourage you to reach out to teachers, Mrs. Leon or myself. We are so excited about the year and look forward to getting to know our PUMAS and you throughout the year.
A few reminders
- Students are expected to be in class on time, 8:15 and all classes throughout the day.
- Earbuds are not to be worn during the day unless giving permission by teachers.
- Lockers are still available if needed.
LUNCH REMINDERS
If your child pays for lunch, you can use the my school bucks website to add money to their account and manage their spending. CLICK HERE to get started.
Mrs. Leon, 8th Grade School Counselor
I hope everyone enjoyed their Summer and is ready for an amazing 8th grade year. I am excited to start year 3 with your child(ren). It is incredible how much they have grown socially, emotionally, and academically over the past 2 years. I have also gained a lot of new Wildcats and I am honored to be able to serve as their 8th Grade School Counselor.
8th Grade is a BUSY YEAR. Parents, please feel free to reach out and ask questions as needed. Please sign up for my REMIND (Text @WMMS2024 to 81010) and become familiar with my website as I will use these platforms, as well as this newsletter, to disseminate information about upcoming events and deadlines.
8th Grade After-school Work Sessions will begin on October 3rd. Students can sign-up with Mrs. Leon to stay after-school and work on assignments they have, work with group members on projects, study for test, complete any missing assignments, or conduct study groups with their peers. This is an independent work session. For more information CLICK HERE.
Students received interims last week. 1st quarter ends October 29th.
For more information on Early Colleges and Magnet High School Options, please CLICK HERE.
Early College Fair
October 12, 2019 from 9-11
@Vernon Malone Career and College Academy
Early College Application Period
October 15- December 16, 2019
Magnet High School Application Support Parent Night
October 21 starting at 6:30pm
West Millbrook Magnet Middle School
Magnet, Early College and Year Round Fair
October 26, 2019 from 9-12
@Panther Creek High School
Magnet High School Application Period
October 26- January 30, 2019
Email: aleon@wcpss.net
Website: http://leonsschoolcounseling.blogspot.com/
Twitter: @MrsLeonRocks
Language and Literature
Students have been reading the novel "Inside Out and Back Again" and have completed our first unit. Students will have homework almost every night. We will continue to work through the novel for the rest of the quarter, culminating in an analytical essay that includes research and writing two narrative, free verse poems based on their research. We will examine the idea of home and identity, and the impact significant change can have on a person, tying into our IB statement of inquiry: Immigrating to a new setting affects identity and point of view.
~Ms. Nay and Mrs. Youth
Mathematics
The 8th Grade Math Team is currently instructing and learning from UNIT 1.
In this unit, students learn to understand and use the terms “reflection,” “rotation,” “translation,” recognizing what determines each type of transformation, e.g., two points determine a translation. They learn to understand and use the terms “transformation” and “rigid transformation.” They also identify and describe translations, rotations, and reflections of figures on a coordinate plane.
Below is a link which offers extra practice and resources within each unit that are beneficial for both the students and parents. Each unit consists of a unit overview, video, vocabulary, extra practice and homework resources for families.
https://sites.google.com/wcpss.net/k-12mathematics/
In Math 1, students are finishing up Unit 1 on arithmetic and geometric sequences. They have learned how to write recursive and explicit equations for each type of sequence. They will begin taking their end of unit test on Thursday and finish on Friday (because of pictures). On Tuesday, October 1 we will be transitioning to Unit 2 which covers Linear and Exponential Functions.
~Mr. Kenon, Mr. Craft, and Mr. Navin
Sciences
Hello Wildcat families, it has been a great start to the school year so far in science. We began our year reviewing lab safety and scientific method, and we have since moved onto our Chemistry unit. Students are learning all about atomic structure, the periodic table, chemical vs physical change, and balancing chemical equations. Students will receive grades on mastery of many of these topics, and we encourage students to turn in work, even if it is late. For additional information regarding our day to day curriculum, please check Ms.Goldstein's and Mrs. Fudale's websites that are linked through the main West Millbrook web page.
Our end of unit test for Chemistry will be 10/10 (for A day) and 10/11 (for B day). Students will receive a study guide as a homework assessment prior to the test, and they are encouraged to practice their chemistry skills through using notes to complete the guide. After the test, students will have an opportunity to retake if they choose to do so, but they must submit study plans to their teacher and a test retake form. Our next unit will be on Natural Resources and the various energy sources used around the world. We look forward to completing many more labs, reflections, and problem based challenges with your students this year! Please reach out if you have any further questions. Happy Fall.
~Mrs. Fudale and Ms. Goldstein
Individuals and Societies
In Individuals and Societies we are working on Unit 1: Foundations of America. Topics of discussion for this unit include Colonial America, American Revolution, and American Government. It has been a wild start to the school year but we are settling down and starting to get caught up! I am looking forward to working with every single 8th grader! Be sure to check my calendar on my website each week for any important updates!
~Mr. Miller
A word from Ms. Heffelfinger (FACS)
Nutrition & Wellness: Students are finishing learning about healthy eating and will soon start work on kitchen safety/basics. As we get closer to food labs it is important for students to turn in their "Student Information" forms that were sent home at the beginning of the school year. If you are unsure or need an additional copy of this form see Mrs. Heffelfinger.
Apparel and Interior Design: We are almost in our sewing unit! Student supplies for sewing include 3/4 yard fabric, and 4 yards of cording (thin rope). Materials can be stored in the classroom. We will be sewing ugly monster dolls and a drawstring bag. The cording is for the straps for the drawstring bag.
A word from Mrs. Martel (Band/Orchestra)
Hello parents!
This school year has started off with a bang! All music classes are currently rehearsing their concert music for their concert on October 15. Students should dress in nice, fancy clothes (no jeans) and in a fall color scheme.
Intermediate and Advanced Band students will be playing in a pep band on October 24 at Battle of the Brooks! Come out and support West Millbrook Band and Football team under the big lights!
Following the fall concert we will begin working on our winter concert music (December 10).
Upcoming test dates: October 30. Students' individual tests are assigned on and will be done via Google Classroom.
Follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook!
@WMMMSmusic and the West Millbrook Magnet Middle School Music Program
A word from Señora Ces (Spanish)
Spanish 1 HS Credit
Thank you so much for all the donations to the class. They are greatly appreciated.
Students are reviewing vocabulary and concepts they have learned in previous chapters. We are going to start reviewing Unit 3: Let's eat! After we finish this unit the students will have an accumulative test before we start with the next unit.
A word from Ms. Maxwell (Dance)
Dance students have been memorizing and practicing a 3 minute dance warm up the past couple weeks. They were then tested on it this week. We continue to dive into our health and wellness unit and how it relates to the dance world. The unit test for this unit will be on October 3rd/4th. For our next unit, we will look at the Dance Elements and start collaborating to manipulate movement phrases!
A word from Mr. Geraci (Technological Issues and Impacts)
AIG FALL NOMINATION WINDOW
The 2019-20 school year AIG Fall nomination window will close October 1 at 3 pm. If your child was identified as AIG at any Wake County Public School, the records have been forwarded to WMMMS and no nomination is necessary. The established AIG service levels will remain in effect.
If your child was identified as gifted in a different school district, you may nominate your child for WCPSS AIG identification. The Nomination Window represents the time that students may be nominated for the AIG Program. Students may nominate themselves or be nominated by a parent, guardian, or teacher. Nomination does not guarantee that a student will be tested to qualify for the AIG Program. However, all nominated student records are reviewed by a committee to determine if the student should be referred for consideration and/or testing.
If you would like to nominate your son/daughter, please email Wendy Fox at wfox@wcpss.net.
Please list the following four items in the email:
Child's Full Name
Current Grade Level
Your Name
Your Relationship to the child
The 2019-20 school year AIG fall nomination window will close October 1 at 3 pm