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9-30-11 newsletter

Ankeney Middle School

8th Grade Newsletter, Vol. III

Friday, September 30, 2011

 

Our next newsletter will be posted Thursday, October 13th.  (No school on Friday, October 14th.)

 

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 – all classes

Just as a reminder, all retakes of quizzes and tests need to be taken before the end of the first quarter.

 

Mr. Busch – Math 8

Students are just beginning chapter 3. Students will be learning about square roots, inverse operations, the Pythagorean Theorem, and the distance formula.   There will be a chapter 3 test on Friday October 7th or Tuesday, October 11th.  Check the 8th grade homework page closer to the test dates to get a definite test date.   After the chapter 3 test, we’ll move on to a week long solving equations unit.  There will be a test over this unit on the week of October 17th. 

 

Mr. Busch – Enriched Math 8

Students just took a test today over all of Ch. 3.  Students made great strides with the distributive property and combining like terms earlier on in Ch. 3.  Students were able to use algebra tiles for manipulatives in order to see visual difference of unlike terms.  Please don't forget that offer review sessions for all of the major tests.  Please encourage students to come to these as they will really help in preparing for the test.  Next week, we will be working our way through Ch. 4.  In Ch. 4, prime factorization and finding the GCF has always been a struggle area for students in previous years.  So, any extra support at home you can offer your child is greatly appreciated on these two concepts.  The test over all of chapter 4 will most likely be on the week of October 17th.

 

Mr. Busch – Honors Math 8

Students took the chapter 2 test Wednesday.  Students in this class made great strides in using the distributive property and combining like terms.  Next, we’ll move on to chapter 3, which is solving linear equations.  Students will be solving equations, writing ratios and proportions, solving problems using cross products, solving percent problems and rewriting equations and formulas.  It is important that students are competent with the chapter 2 material in order to succeed with the chapter 3 material.  Please encourage your child to see me if they are struggling at any time.  Remember, I offer help sessions every morning from 8:00-8:30 and can always help in the charger period as well.  In previous years, Ch. 3 has presented the first BIG challenge for students to overcome in Algebra I.

 

Mrs. Lovewell – all classes

Make sure you utilize the AMS website!  The 8th grade posts all homework nightly.  When you are absent, it can be really overwhelming catching up on all of your work.  Especially in math, because you usually need to learn one lesson first so that you can use that knowledge in the following lessons.    Check the 8th grade homework website while you are out of school and complete those assignments you are missing.  Then when you come back to school, you’ll be caught up and ready to go! 

 

Mrs. Lovewell – Math 8

Students are in the middle of chapter 3. Students have been learning about square roots, inverse operations, the Pythagorean Theorem, and the distance formula.   There will be a chapter 3 test on Wednesday October 5th.  Check the 8th grade homework page closer to see if the test date changes based on student need.   After the chapter 3 test, we’ll move on to chapter 4.  Students will learn all about rates and ratios, proportions, similar polygons, scale drawings and models, and indirect measurement.

 

Mrs. Lovewell – Enriched Math 8

We are finishing chapter 3.  Students have made great strides with the distributive property and combining like terms.  The chapter 3 test will be Friday October 7th.  We will have a review session for the test at 8:00 am Thursday morning.  All Enriched level math students are encouraged to attend!  It will really help in preparing for the test.  Then, we’ll move on to chapter 4.

 

Mrs. Lovewell – Honors Math 8

Students took the chapter 2 test Tuesday and Wednesday.  Students in this class also made great strides in using the distributive property and combining like terms.  Next, we’ll move on to chapter 3 which is solving linear equations.  Students will be solving equations (more of the combining like terms!!), writing ratios and proportions, solving problems using cross products, solving percent problems and rewriting equations and formulas.  It is important that students are competent with the chapter 2 material in order to succeed with the chapter 3 material.  Please encourage your child to see me if they are struggling at any time. 

 

ENGLISH

 

Ms. Hargrove & Mrs. Casanova – English 8

At this point in our reading of Surviving Antarctica, the characters have boarded the ship that will take them to Antarctica and have begun their preparations for their journey to the South Pole.  Thus far, our five contestants are not working well together at all, and as they get to Antarctica, the more the tension is building.  Will these five teenagers be able to pull themselves together in time for an expedition that could cost them their lives?  Students will discover the answer as they continue reading.  

During these early chapters, we have focused primarily on creating character profiles in order to understand them better.  Students have been analyzing the characters’ actions, thoughts, speech, physical appearance, and the opinions of other characters to gain insight into characters’ personality, attitude, feelings, and motivations.  Over the next two weeks, we will continue reading the novel and analyzing for character and conflict development as well the importance of setting and theme. Students should bring their novel and reading guide home every night, and if they have any questions or are missing materials, they should consult the teacher webpage for access to resources related to the novel.

 

Ms. Hargrove & Mrs. Casanova – Honors English 8

Early in the week, students used the criteria synthesized from research to evaluate the community in The Giver. Students then brainstormed a list of departments or organizations within the City of Beavercreek and Greene County that serve citizens in an endeavor to improve order and quality of life.  We created interest focus groups in which small groups are researching two specific departments or services.  Next week, the students will synthesize their data and present their information to the class, focusing on the following aspects: a) the services that are currently provided; b) areas that need improvement; and c) questions and ideas for further investigation.  This will guide students to the next level of the inquiry process, in which they conduct interviews of those people affected by or utilizing these services as well as research of how other communities have addressed similar concerns.  The last phase of this inquiry will be the students’ analysis of how our community and our school can improve its service to citizens and students to make Beavercreek an even better place to live. Students will present their analysis and suggestions for improvement in a presentation medium of their choice. This unit will continue as we begin our next unit.

            Our next unit will be an in-depth study of the life and works of Edgar Allan Poe. This is an exciting “fear and suspense” unit culminating in a student created “movie trailer” for another “Poe-esque” short story or novel.

 

SOCIAL STUDIES / AMERICAN HISTORY

 

Mrs. Canfield

            Having finished with Ch. 3, Colonial America, late last week we took the Ch. 2 & 3 Test Wednesday of this week.  I’ll enter in those test grades along with the Ch. 3 Packet and Vocabulary as soon as I have them done so please check the Home Access Center for an update soon.  We are now moving on to Ch. 4, Growth of the Thirteen Colonies.  In this chapter we will cover: what it was like to live in the different colonial regions as well as learn more about the different economies; a review of mercantilism; triangular trade and the involvement in the slave trade; the role of slavery in the economic success of the South; the growth of self-government in the colonies; how England viewed its colonies; and how France and Britain clashed over lands in North America leading to the French and Indian War.  There will be a Ch. 4 Test at the end of the chapter, and this will likely be the week of October 17th.  

All students whose parents requested a Parent-Teacher Conference received their scheduled date/time as well as information about the conference this week.  If you can’t make your scheduled date/time please contact me so we can schedule you at a time that better works.

Don’t forget that the registration deadline for the Washington DC Trip is October 28th!

 

Mr. Vinson

This first quarter is moving along rather quickly as we are already at the half way point.  Please keep checking home access so you know what progress your child has made this quarter.  Also thanks to all of you who encouraged your child to do extra credit.  Many students took advantage of this great opportunity to help themselves.  We are now working on Chapter 4 which is still dealing with the American Colonies.  Ask your child how they did on Chapter 3 Test.  I am going to allow corrections for half credit.  I encourage all who did not have a perfect paper to do the corrections. These corrections will be due no later than next Tuesday, October 4.  Thanks for all the support from home, and have a great weekend.

 

SCIENCE

 

Mr. McAllister

This week we began our EPIC Newton Project.  Students will be designing and building a product that will be able to demonstrate Newton’s three laws of motion.  We call this product the N.L.D. (Newton Law Demonstrator).  Students will be working in class for the next two weeks building and testing their N.L.D., preparing a presentation, and typing a paper about their project.  When it comes to the building aspect of the project and bigger N.L.D. designs, if students are going to use class time to build, they have been told that they are not to bring any power tools to cut materials.  All materials brought in must be pre-cut at home under parent supervision.   Finally, regarding the project students have calendars that they should be using to know about upcoming deadlines. If you have any questions, please contact me. Have a safe and enjoyable weekend!

 

Mrs. Grothaus

In science we will be spending the next two weeks working on our Epic Newton Project. This is a project designed to let the students learn and demonstrate Newton’s three laws of motion. Students are working with groups or alone on this project. They do not need to spend a lot of money on the project; simple designs can work just as well as big complex ones. As they are working through the project there are also a few other due dates for small assignments they will need to turn in. All of the due dates, rubrics for the project and guidelines for the different things needed are in their salmon colored project packet.

 

ESPANOL I

Sra. Barta

This week the students learned a song from an Argentine singer named Justo Lamas.  I am waiting to see if I have permission to take my students to his concert which will be held at BHS in November!  The song tied into the very first verb we learned in Spanish and that is SER- to be.  The students also learned the Spanish subject pronouns.  We got to go to the computer lab and we registered to a new site that helps practice conjugation and other activities that deal with grammar and vocabulary.  The site is www.conjuguemos.com and I think the students enjoyed the practice and instant feedback!  We will be having a quiz on subject pronouns and the verb SER early next week so all my students should be studying!!  J  We will then move onto numbers 0-100 and learning how to tell time in Spanish!  I began the Estampillas/Speaking points assignment which will continue to the end of the first quarter.  Students should be speaking with me, at home or with another student in Spanish to earn stickers which they put on a sheet until they have received all stickers.  This activity is worth 50 points and the students can earn 2 extra stickers worth 5 points each!