Middle School Weekly Update 2011-2012
A. Weekly Update, May 13
Performances & Winding Down
All back, safe and sound, from field trips. Everyone seems to have enjoyed and learned a lot during this important part of our curriculum. Thanks to all of the teachers for their hard work and to the parents for their flexibility regarding some of the travel changes.
This will be the last week of regular classes. Note that there are some important final activities in all of the classes and that all assignments are to be turned in by May 18. Some students will be going to the Land on Wednesday to help with construction. Many of us will be using some time this Friday for Land preparation as well.
Next week there will be final, end-of-course exams for 8th levels: The math EOC will be on Monday, May 21 and the Spanish EOC will be Tuesday, May 22. Students taking the exams will still have plenty of time to join us for all of the Land activities.
We’re working on the special schedule for the week of May 29 and will keep you and the students posted about how that will work.
We’re off and running on rehearsals and performances of our rock operas for this week. Note the schedule is listed below. Please remember that there are two performances of each opera so we’d appreciate it if your family could split their attendance between two performances so we can have plenty of audience for each show.
Monday, May 14
3:30 - 6:00 PM - Fahrenheit 451 Dress Rehearsal
6:00 - 9:00 PM - The Giver Dress Rehearsal
Tuesday, May 15
3:30 - 6:00 PM - Animal Farm Dress Rehearsal
Wednesday, May 16
7:00 - 8:00 PM - Fahrenheit 451 First Performance
8:30 - 9:30 PM - Animal Farm First Performance
Thursday, May 17
7:00 - 8:00 PM - The Giver First Performance
8:30 - 9:30 PM - Fahrenheit 451 Second Performance
Friday, May 18
7:00 - 8:00 PM - Animal Farm Second Performance
8:30 - 9:30 PM - The Giver Second Performance
See you soon!
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Careers: Culinary Arts
Land Prep
This coming Friday, 5/18/12 the class will be preparing pizza dough, boiling eggs and grilling chicken for the Land trip next week. Should be yummy! Remember head covering and closed toed shoes!
Thanks,
Aimee and Deirdre
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History
The rest of the year...
1-Come in to my classroom and see the cool projects the students made for our "Cherokee Museum."
2-In class this week we are working on our final unit. We will be studying 1840-1865. This week we will start to talk about the issues that lead to the Civil War.
3- Exit Plan-Remaining History work for the 2011-2012 School year.
A: Read Ch 14 sec. 2 answer questions 1 and 2 and read Ch 14 sec. 3 and answer questions 2 and 3, due 4/23 and 4/24.
B: Read chapter 15 sec 1 and 2, answer questions 1 and 3. Due 4/26 and 4/27. You may skip two lines and then start the second section.
C: Read Ch. 15 sections 3 and 4 and answer questions 1 and 3 for each section, due 4/30 and 5/1.
D: Read Ch. 16 sections 1,2 and 3 answer questions 1 and 3 for each section due 5/2 and 5/3.
E: Read Ch 16 section 4,5 and 6 answer questions 1 and 5 for each section. Due 5/14 and 5/15.
F: Unit test based on the above homework questions and class discussion. 5/16 and 5/17.
4-I will give a 100% test grade to student s who does the Interdisciplinary Activity on page 428 and performs it. (on the dulcimer of course!)
Please send in a check soon:
If your student wants to keep their dulcimer, we can offer them "for keeps" for $50.00, a really good deal for a real instrument that will last a lifetime if cared for properly. I've had mine for more than a decade! Please send in checks to GMS. Students not only get their instrument and lessons during class, but they get 2 picks, music, and a CD of Jon's music.
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Spanish 6th and 7th grades
MAY 7 - 10
Mayo 7-10
NO SPANISH DUE TO FIELD TRIPS
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English
4/30 - 5/4
All incomplete classwork should have been turned in FRIDAY, APRIL 27. Students have been told for 2 weeks that if I didn't get it, it was a 0 in my grade book.
Creative Quotation Assignment - DUE May 4
Walden is amazing in that you can open it, turn to almost any page, and find a passage that stands out—whether it’s because of the beauty and the poetry in its sentences, or its ability to inspire, or the ease with which you can relate to Thoreau’s words (their timelessness).
This assignment will allow you to select one of these passages from the excerpts we have read, represent it creatively, and memorize it so it can stay with you and inspire you for years to come.
GUIDELINES
• Select your favorite quotation from one of the Walden excerpts we studied together in class. (Thoreau at Walden or “Civil Disobedience”)
• Find a creative way to share that quotation with the rest of class. You have endless options here: create a painting or drawing, a collage, a sculpture, a mobile, a song built around the quote, a video . . . the only thing you MUST remember is to include the quotation prominently in whatever you create.
• Keep in mind that you will be sharing these in class and I will be displaying them.
• Memorize your quotation! Be ready to recite it to me in class!
GRADING
I will grade this assignment based on the following criteria:
• The quotation is from an excerpt we read.
• The final product reflects time, effort, and creativity (specifically, it should include the quotation).
• You have memorized and are able to recite the quotation clearly.
Everyone needs to bring their materials for their Survival Guides to class from now on. We will be working on them in class until the due date - MAY 18. Students should be in the drafting phase - no more outlines or brainstorming work- and should have an idea about how they want to assemble their books. In class, students will be given the opportunity to peer edit their work, as well as have me look over any portion of their writing.
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Transitions/Wellness: Vision Quest
Attention 8th grade parents
1-We assigned a book and a five page paper to the eighth levels. Stitches, a graphic memoir and brings up many social issues including drugs and alcohol, bullying, mental health issues. The paper is due 5/3 the day before the Costa Rica trip. This paper brings students full circle to examine who they are, where they come from, what their values are and how decisions direct our lives as they leave GMS to begin the next phase of their education and their lives. We are discussing the book during class.
2- Four more proud parents went home with their little bundles of joy on Friday. I have the remaining "Baby due dates" on a pad on my desk, please ask your student for their date. Any questions email me deirdre@thegms.org
3- A number of people have finished their internships. if your student does not yet have one set up, they need to do that this week.
3-Is everyone ready for the trip to Costa Rica?
4-We are now bearing down on Graduation, in preparation, please begin to assemble photos for your students slide show. They need to be in digital form or scanned in at school and given to Jonathan or Deirdre by the end of April.
5-We have assigned the first draft of the graduation speeches; they were due on Thursday 4/5. If your student has not done this, we need this soon. We will be reading them to the class this week and then repeatedly until Graduation.
Thanks,
Deirdre and Jonathan
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Science Weekly Update
This week one class was devoted to finishing any incomplete work and the second class in the week we wrapped up evolution and began discussing blood types.
This week all unfinished work was due on Friday the 27th.
In the upcoming weeks we look forward to having a special visitor to teach us more about forensics and the body in order to build our background knowledge for our crime scene investigation.
Click here to view more images.
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Spanish 8th Grade
Spanish I Test
¡Buenos días!
Guilford County Schools has scheduled our final Spanish test on May 22nd at GMS. If passed, this test will give them a high school credit.
The students are prepared for this test and now they will need to practice and continue reviewing concepts in class. They also need to practice on our website at least three times a week.
If you have any questions, please just contact me.
Thank you,
Sandra
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Performance & Production
Notes for Week of April 16
This Week:
All operas still need a little to a lot of work.
Students will be given an grade assessment update on Tuesday at the end of their class. Most of the operas are still not complete. It will require a lot of out-of-school time to get most of them in shape.
All students should have recorded in their planners the schedule for their opera's after-school rehearsals the week of April 23 - 29. Each opera group will have at least one after school rehearsal and one Saturday rehearsal.
PLEASE NOTE:
Mark your
calendars!!! Opera Rehearsal and Performance Dates: April 23 - May 4 are
what is know as TECH WEEK. This is the time that all students are
required to attend after-school and weekend rehearsals. The week of May 5
- 13 are field trips. The week of May 14 - 18 are the FINAL PERFORMANCES. Please
mark your calendars and avoid planning vacations during this time
especially if your student is in the Orchestra or an Actor. Please
notify me of any conflicts as soon as possible. Thanks!
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Visual Arts
Notes for Week of April 16
This Week:
Students that failed to get a completed graffiti quilt swatch done will be required to write a 3 page paper to make up for the work not completed.
All groups have begun their dry-erase animation project. Students are creating animated shorts using dry-erase markers and a still camera. Each group needs to create an appropriate, original work with a music soundtrack that last 1:30 sec. Students are working in groups of three or four.
Each class will begin lessons on the history of animation this week.
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