Academics

Science -  tissues,organs, organ systems

S.S.     - Create a civilization

Math - Mental Math - mult. tables and integers
         - Analyzing Data - graphing, tables, and patterns

E.L.A. - Daily Journal Writing
           - Novel Study - The Game
           - Spelling - List on Spelling City / weekly test on Friday
           - Collaboration Skills - working with peers
           - Reading Comprehension Strategies
           - Personal Strengths and Goals
           - Resume and interview skills

Student Council

Student council has already begun planning school spirit events. All Gr. 7 - 8 students are welcome to join.

B. Tichon
B. Marriott

Social Justice Club

WE will have an S.J. club at MES  this year beginning on Tuesday, Sept11. All students in Gr. 5 - 8 are welcome to participate.

B. Tichon
K.Mckinstry

ELA - Spelling City

The spelling list created from words that are most commonly misspelled. Students can access this list at home on http://www.spellingcity.com/ which has a variety of activities including vocabulary building. It is important that your child practice to improve their E.L.A. skills.Students will be tested on proper spelling and vocabulary each week.

ELA - Lyric Project

The Lyric Poetry Assignment

In this assignment, you must choose a song that you feel has something meaningful to share. You can examine the style, theme and language chosen by the artist. The following outline is a guide to give you ideas and things to consider as you explore the song you’ve chosen.

Part 1 – The Choice  (DUE - Feb. 13)

¨     Choose your song wisely

o   Look for the theme or message in the song. A song that is weak in theme is difficult to represent in a way that gives meaning to your work.

o   Look also at the language used by the artist in the lyrics. Do they give you something you can point out to others? Ask yourself what you think about the way the author has written it, the words he/she has chosen etc.

o   A song that is vulgar or that has inappropriate language will not be accepted.

¨     Try to choose something that you can work with in an unexpected way. Listen carefully to the lyrics to see what they make you imagine.

o   Try to think of a way you can represent the song and its theme visually

o   Keep in mind that you need to be able to justify your choices. Choosing a song because it has a great beat does not necessarily make it a better choice.

Part 2 – The Visual Representation (Due - Mar. 12)

¨     Create a visual representation of your song that helps you to represent the theme. What did you learn from this song? What could others get out of it?

¨     Be aware of the choices you make when you are working. How do these choices help to represent the theme? For example, if you have a picture of a boat in your project because the word boat is in your song, that reason doesn’t carry much value in strengthening the message.

¨     Try to go beyond the literal explanation of the lyrics. Ask yourself how the theme applies to life in general – not just to the artist’s life.

¨     Be sure to include a copy of the lyrics on your visual representation in some form.

¨     Beware of the music video. A music video is a visual representation. It is someone else’s interpretation of the meaning of the song. Your project should be based on what you think the lyrics mean. Think of the music video as inadmissible evidence.

Part 3 – The Process Paper ( Due - Mar.19)

¨     This is the part where you can explain your thoughts and choices in writing. Every decision you made throughout the project is important, not just the final ones. Mistakes and reworking show evidence of deeper thought and problem solving. Sometimes the things we change are as important to our thought process as those we keep.

¨     Don’t forget to consider the music. It can be a very powerful influence on the mood or the theme the song is sharing with the listener.

¨     If you had to rethink something you did, tell me about it. Why did you need to make the adjustments you made? Keep a record of your thoughts and plans as you work.

¨     Talk about all the parts of your visual representation. Remember that the meaning in your choice is as important as the choice itself. For example, if you tell me you chose red because you like red, that reason is really not significant in the explanation of the visual representation of your lyrics. If, however, you tell me that you chose red to represent the anger or the fury brought about by the event discussed in the song; that is significant. It’s there for a reason.

¨     Reflect on your work. If you had to redo the project, what would you change? Explain why you would make these changes.

¨     Reflect on what came of this project. Is there a message, words to live by, or a strong feeling that all listeners can relate to? Has the way you look at life or at a certain aspect of the way we live been changed by considering the words of this author? What do you walk away with when all is said and done?

¨     Have fun with it.

ELA - Rap Song

Students have learned some of the history surrounding rap music. We listened to and analyzed some rap songs to emphasize that rap is a form of poetry. Each student must create their own rap song with background beat, music and/or musical instruments. The rap must describe how they see themselves 10 years from now.

Mathletics

Mathletics is a paid site to which the school subscribes. It is accessible to all students in the classroom. I monitor their progress, create worksheets, quizzes and control what they can access. It is an excellent tool to supplement the math program and allows students to practice at home. All students have their own personal user name and password.