9-2-11 newsletter

Ankeney Middle School

8^th Grade Newsletter, Vol. I

Friday, September 2, 2011

Our next newsletter will be posted Friday, September 16^th.

Open House Follow-up

It was great to meet so many of you at Open House! We hope you found the evening helpful and informative.

Homework Link

We all post our homework daily on the “Homework Quick Access” link found on the Ankeney homepage. http://www.beavercreek.k12.oh.us/ams

MATH

Mr. Busch – General

We are beginning the year working with Ch. 1 in the book. So far, students have learned about different mathematical properties, conjectures, and PEMDAS. Next week, students will be solving equations by using basic operations. While the majority of the concepts in Ch. 1 are a review from what was learned in 7^th grade, we will be moving quickly and testing on Tuesday or Wednesday September 13th or 14th over the entire chapter.

Mr. Busch – Enriched

We are beginning the year working with Ch. 1 in the book. So far, students have learned about different mathematical properties, conjectures, and PEMDAS. Next week, students will be solving one-step equations, make scatter plots and drawing the best line of fit. While the majority of the concepts in Ch. 1 are a review from what was learned in 7^th grade, we will be moving quickly and testing on Tuesday or Wednesday September 13 or 14 over the entire chapter.

Mr. Busch – Honors

We are beginning the year working with Ch. 1 in the book. So far, students have learned about using PEMDAS and translating verbal phrases into expressions or equations/inequalities. There will be quiz covering Ch. 1.1-1.5 on Wednesday next week. Then, students will conclude Ch. 1 being able to represent functions as rules and/or by graphing. While the majority of the concepts in Ch. 1 are a review from what was learned in 7^th grade, we will be moving quickly and testing on Wednesday, September 14th over the entire chapter.

Mrs. Lovewell – all Math classes

In all math classes, we’ve had a great start to the year! The very fun and unique personalities are coming out of each student and I’m really enjoying getting to know your kids. I would just like to remind parents and students that if, at anytime, your child is struggling with math, please remember that I’m always here to help! Please feel free to email me in the evening if your child is struggling on the homework. I typically check my email nightly, around 9:00 pm. I will email you back and either explain the question or suggest that I meet with your child the next day at 8:00am or during 8^th period. Math can sometimes seem like a foreign language and I want all parents and students to feel confident in the fact that I am here to help all year!

Students began the year with some get to know you activities like Bag of Me. All students earned points for this and really did a nice job. It was great seeing objects that described all of our students!

Keep working on those redos!!!!!!! Don’t forget, all homework in math is worth 10 points. Students must complete the ENTIRE original assignment in order to be eligible for a redo. Then students just have to fix the problems they missed on the original assignment and turn that in. ALL students can earn 100% on ALL homework assignments! Plus, it’s a great way to study for a test! Redos are due by the day of the test for that chapter.

Mrs. Lovewell – General

We are currently working on chapter one. Students are reviewing order of operations, properties and some other fundamental math topics that will aide us throughout the year. Students should expect a test over chapter one on Tuesday September 13^th .

Mrs. Lovewell – Enriched

Students are working on order of operations, variables and equations and then we’ll close the chapter with a fun lesson on scatterplots. Students should expect a test over chapter one on Friday September 9^th .

Mrs. Lovewell – Honors

Throughout this first chapter, students have reviewed order of operations, input/output tables, and algebraic expressions. Next week, students will learn about domain and range as it relates to graphing functions. Students should expect a quiz over 1.1-1.5 on Tuesday September 6^th. The chapter 1 test will be on Tuesday September 13^th.

ENGLISH

Ms. Hargrove – General

This week we went over the writing expectations for eighth grade and began our review of the literary elements. Although some of the concepts are familiar, others are new and challenge the students to examine a work of fiction on deeper levels, including the author’s craft. We are also preparing for our upcoming novel Surviving Antarctica: Reality TV, 2083 by Andrea White. The students viewed a short documentary to learn about the fatal Robert F. Scott expedition, which the characters in our novel are attempting to recreate and make it out alive. Next week, students will be introduced to the first three stages of the inquiry process: questioning, search strategies, and evaluating sources. They will then apply these skills and engage in inquiry about Antarctica. The following week, we will begin reading.

Please encourage your student to actively use the information contained on my teacher webpage and email me with any questions.

Ms. Hargrove – Honors

This week we began our review of the literary elements, and familiarized students with the eighth grade writing expectations that will challenge them as writers and prepare the students for the high school. We also started discussing The Giver and have used it as a tool to think critically about our own society and belief systems. Next week, we will wrap up our review of the literary elements and students will begin a project in which they analyze The Giver using the literary elements and evaluate the author’s development of these elements.

Please encourage your student to actively use the information contained on my teacher webpage and email me with any questions.

Mrs. Casanova – General

Thank you for taking the time to complete the Dear Parent letter in terms of your child’s reading and writing abilities. I know you all had a large stack of papers to fill out last week, especially if you have more than one child in school! I am also looking forward to reading the personal letters your children have written to me. These will certainly help me to better get to know your children.

We have began our review of the literary terms this week. Students should have created flashcards for the terms under Plot and Setting and should be studying these nightly. We will begin applying some of these terms to the book Surviving Antarctica Reality TV 2083 by Andrea White. In 2083 all students are required to watch 30 hours of EduTV a week in lieu of attending the traditional public school setting. Students learn about history through Historical Survivor, math through Dialing for Dollars, and literature through Tela Novella. At the end of their eighth grade year, students must pass a cumulative exam. If a child should fail, parents are required to take 60 hours of classes to so they can better help their children pass the test. After passing, students must either have the money to pay for high school or college or they must win their “toss”, a dice game where everyone has a “fair’ chance at education. If the toss is lost, children must join the workforce, often in low paying dead-end jobs. Because poverty is pervasive in 2083, most children are not allowed the benefits a quality education can provide. The main characters in this book, however, get the chance to compete in the first Historical Survivor for children. These children will take part in a recreation of the Scott Expedition to the South Pole, in which all men died. This is “no child’s game” as the book was originally titled, and wrought with deception and danger at every corner. Please expect your child to have reading and study guide work every night. Each student will be supplied with a reading schedule (which you will also find on my website)—please make sure your child stays on top of his or her work; once behind, it can be extremely difficult for students to catch up in a novel unit, because the class continues to move ahead each day.

Students will also engage in a brief group inquiry project to explore background information about surviving in Antarctica. Before heading out for research, students will learn effective ways to run a key-word search and evaluate websites. They will also be learning a new note-taking strategy moving students into 21^st Century learning. Students will be using a free online text annotation and organization tool both here and at home. This tool will also allow me to more effectively monitor their progress and learning.

Vocabulary books went home this week (a few students have not yet received one because of a shortage from the company- they will get a book or a copy of Unit One before any work is due). Each unit will be completed on a two week rotating schedule. I have posted this schedule on my website under English 8 Shared Documents. Students will be required to make flashcards for each word in the unit. Students need to pace themselves when completing the units; waiting until the night before a section is due is not appropriate, nor is waiting until the night before to study. They should be studying these cards at least five minutes per night every night to help them commit the words to long-term memory. Bi-weekly quizzes include application of the words in context sentences in addition to multiple choice and fill in the blank. We will have cumulative review tests in addition to my expectation for students to use this vocabulary in writing assignments and class discussions. Students will also find additional study tools online. There is a link to the Sadlier-Oxford site on my website.

Please be sure your child is checking my website nightly to keep up with homework and read class announcements. You can also stay up to date on your child’s academic progress by checking the Home Access, which will be updated bi-weekly.

Mrs. Casanova – Honors

We are currently analyzing and sharing connections to the characters, conflicts and themes in Lois Lowry’s The Giver. We are also reviewing the literary terms. Students should be creating flashcards and studying these nightly in preparation for a review test coming in the next couple of weeks. We will begin a poster project next week applying knowledge of the literary terms by looking for evidence of several of the literary devices the author used and explaining how they enhance the overall quality of the work. Much of this project will be completed in class. This assignment is as much an assessment of how well students follow directions and work cooperatively in groups as it is a review of the literary terms.

Students will also be working on a group inquiry project to examine the qualities of utopian societies. Before heading out for research, students will learn effective ways to run a key-word search and evaluate websites. They will also be learning a new a new note-taking strategy moving students into 21^st Century learning. Students will be using a free online text annotation and organization tool both here and at home. This tool will also allow me to more effectively monitor their progress and learning.

Vocabulary books went home this week. Each unit will be completed on a two week rotating schedule- the first assignment is due 9/13. I have posted this schedule on my website under Honors English 8 Shared Documents. It will be up to each individual student to determine whether or not flashcards would be a useful study strategy; however, I would recommend them for everyone the first few units. If I find that students are struggling with the quizzes, I will re-examine this as a requirement. Students need to pace themselves when completing the units; waiting until the night before a section is due is not appropriate, nor is waiting until the night before to study. Students should be studying for 5-10 minutes a night every night to help commit the words to their long-term memory. Bi-weekly quizzes include application of the words in context sentences rather than multiple choice or fill in the blank. We will have cumulative review tests in addition to my expectation for students to use this vocabulary in writing assignments and class discussions. Students will also find additional study tools online. There is a link to the Sadlier-Oxford site on my website.

SOCIAL STUDIES/AMERICAN HISTORY

Mrs. Canfield

After spending the first week of school getting to know each other and learning about my class and procedures, we started into the curriculum this week. We started in Ch. 2, titled Exploring the Americas, and reviewed why European nations established colonies in North America. Specifically we focused on the theory of mercantilism and the Columbian Exchange. Next we will move on to Ch. 3, titled Colonial America, in which we’ll learn why the English settled in North America, why groups left England, and how the groups of colonies developed. Once we finish Ch. 3 we will take a combined test over chapters 2 and 3, and this will likely occur the week of September 19^th.

Our textbook can be accessed online and I showed the students how to do so this week. The directions, link, and access code are on my website. Just click on “Online Textbook”. http://www.beavercreek.k12.oh.us//Domain/360

I told my classes about the annual DC, Williamsburg, and Jamestown trip today and sent home an information packet with everyone. If you’re interested or want to hear more, I am hosting an informational meeting for parents on Monday, September 19^th at 5:30 p.m. in the Ankeney IMC. If you can’t attend and have questions, feel free to email or call me anytime.

Mr. Vinson

The first two weeks have just flown by us in a hurry. I guess it is like the old saying "time flies when you are having fun." We are off to a fantastic start in Social Studies class. We have been working on a few map skills in class with partners. We are getting ready to begin a unit on the American colonies for the next few weeks. Also your student should be coming home soon with some information about a Washington D.C. trip that takes place after school Is out for the summer, beginning June 12, 2012 and returning on Friday June 15, 2012. Thanks to both students and parents for our fantastic start.

SCIENCE

Mr. McAllister

Welcome back to school! My name is Brett McAllister and I am your child’s science teacher for this year. Last week, we discussed class expectations, conducted a mystery box lab (to help us learn how to make observations), and we reviewed how to graph data during a class shoe size activity. This week, we began our unit on motion. We discussed what motion is and how we can describe it. We also conducted a lab to reinforce the concept of position. Today we worked on a lab that introduced speed and also reviewed variables. Next week we will continue learning about speed. If you have any questions, please contact me. Have a great weekend!

Mrs. Grothaus

In science we just finished a short review of matter and the scientific method. I am excited to start motion and forces. Over the next two weeks the students will be learning about speed, velocity, acceleration and how to graph these different topics. There will be a lot of hands-on labs in this unit. We will be using a note-taking guide called the GGP. This will be a great tool for the students to study in preparation for the test along with the lab write-ups. There will be a short quiz over the GGP on Monday Sept. 12^th in order to make sure all students are on track. This unit can be difficult for students. It is important that if your son/daughter is struggling they see me as soon as possible so we can work to get them caught up.