Weekly Update 10/29

Greetings Team Equinox Families:

• Equinox student-led conferences are scheduled to be held November 28th and 29th from 4-7PM.  Please sign up for a time/date using our Doodle Poll!
• This week in Personalized Learning, we finished up our academic and personal goals and started developing a research question for our exploration.  Next week, all students must have a “just right” question for exploration.  Students may choose any topic of interest to them. There will be a presentation celebration during the week of December 19th.

Here’s what your child has been up to this week on Team Equinox~

Science:

In science, we are starting our K’nex rocket launcher project.  We have also been engaging in mindfulness practices in the beginning of each class.  If you are interested, here is a great New York Times article about mindfulness and children.  In regards to content, students are investigating Newton’s First Law and Projectile Motion while engineering a launcher in groups.  We are now using Wednesdays as Working Wednesdays for students to independently work on missing or incomplete assignments. Check in with your student as to what science work they need to focus on. Most students need to work on their simple machines project or cover page.

Homework: Finish simple machines project or work assessment if necessary.

Humanities:

In social studies, students have begun looking at the government that formed as a result of the American Revolution. We discussed the Articles of Confederation and why they didn’t work, and we began dissecting pieces of the Constitution, beginning with the idea of the separation of powers, the Preamble and the legislative branch.  Students also completed a map quiz to improve their geography skills.  

Homework - If students have not handed in their American Revolution Timeline or their Separation of Powers worksheet, they should complete that to turn in. Please check PowerSchool to see if your child is missing either of these.

In ELA, we have launched our spelling and grammar programs. We’re looking forward to seeing how students take to these practices. Ms. Coax is our long-term sub while Mr. Moore is out on paternity leave. Her email is rcoax@mymtsd-vt.org. She will be an engaging presence on the team, and we hope this is a smooth transition!

Homework: Independent reading for 30 minutes (for 5 of 7 days per week).

Grade 7

Math: Students continued to analyze tables and graphs and find unit rates of ratios with complex fractions. Next week students will be working on solving real world multi-step problems that involve discounts, commissions, and taxes  We will also begin to look at scale drawings and their relationship to ratios.

If you are interested in seeing what your child has been working on in Khan Academy please ask your child to invite you as a coach.

Grade 8

Math:

Students continued to explore linear equations in algebra.  Students spent the week working on solving equations with one variable using cross multiplication where division was involved.  Students also began to write and solve equations with two variables  (x and y).  We will continue this exploration in more depth next week.

If you are interested in seeing what your child has been working on in Khan Academy please ask your child to invite you as a coach.

Social Thinking Ideas:   

From Friendly to Friendship

The Progression of Friendship

Team Equinox

Check out some awesome propaganda of the American Revolution!

Will you join the Patriot cause, or the Loyalist cause?

Weekly Update - 10/6

Greetings Team Equinox Families:

This weekly update was sent to you via email. If you didn't get it, please let us know, and we'll double check your email address!

We hope the start of the year is treating you well! Here’s what your child has been up to this week on Team Equinox~

• Survey - Thanks to those of you who have responded. If you haven’t yet, we’re asking parents to fill out this survey to tell us a little bit about you and your child. This survey should take no more than 10 minutes.

Science:

In science, we have finished our station work! I’m sure your student is happy to hear that. At this point, if your student has not finished their stations, I am asking that they come to lunch or after school to finish it up. The same is true for students who have not yet completed their “work” assessment- see PowerSchool. Next on the docket, we have started our Simple Machine Project.  Students have a choice of a bunch of mini-projects (worth a variety of points).  They can choose between writing a creative story, constructing a Rube-Goldberg Machine, writing a song/poem, creating a notebook sheet/poster, or a student led project. The combined value must be 100 points or higher and will count for ½ of the final assessment for our simple machines unit. Depending on our progress, we may finish the week with a traditional assessment or start Newton’s First Law.      

Humanities:

In social studies, students have been looking at the conditions that led up to the American Revolution, including British taxes and acts, the idea of “taxation without representation”, the Boston Massacre and Boston Tea Party, and revolutionary propaganda.  Students will be creating their own propaganda posters to convince their viewer to support their Patriot or Loyalist cause.

Homework: Hand in “Revolutionary Reporter” assignment (news report of either the Boston Massacre or the Boston Tea Party)

In language arts, we have continued our trip into the surprising world of The Giver. Students have been continuing their note-taking practice, and we have been exploring how to determine meanings of new words in the text. We also compared the world of The Giver with that of Milton, Vermont in a Venn diagram. For our grammar practice, we focused on appositive (TMI) commas and coordinating conjunctions (FANBOYS) commas. Next week will be Mr. Moore’s last week before going out on paternity leave until January 3. We have had a visit from the long term sub, and we hope to have her back this week to make this transition as smooth as possible.

Homework: Independent reading for 30 minutes (for 5 of 7 days per week).

Math:

Grade 7: Students continued to analyze tables and graphs and continued to practice writing algebraic equations to represent the proportional situation.  Next week students will take an assessment to check in on their understanding of proportional relationships.

Use the link to parent tips if you want to see examples of what we are currently working on and what you can do to help.

Grade 8: Students continued to explore linear equations in algebra.  Students worked to determine if an equation has one solution, no solution or infinite solutions. Students also reviewed the rules of operations with positive and negative numbers. Next week they will continue to work on solving equations in the context of word problems and will move on to equations with two variables (x and y).

Use the link to parent tips if you want to see other examples of what we are currently working on and what you can do to help.

Team Equinox