Wednesday, November 15, 2017

Weekly Update 11/10

Greetings Team Equinox Families:
Happy last week before Thanksgiving break! The trimester closes for students on November 17th!

  • 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! There are 6 slots for each time slot, so each family should have their first pick. If you’re able to choose a time, that time is yours!
  • This week in Personalized Learning, students should have a “just right” question. These next couple of weeks, students are researching a project that they will present in December. Students may choose any topic of interest to them. There will be a presentation celebration during the week of December 19th.  Please ask your child to share with you about their question and their exploration project.

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


Science:
This past week, we have begun our experimentation with K’Nex Rocket Launchers.  We have also been engaging in mindfulness practices in the beginning of each class.   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, portfolio reflection or work assessment if necessary.  Most students have homework this weekend.

Humanities:
In Social Studies, students began the week investigating the Bill of Rights and then spent several days creating a “product” of their choice to represent their learning about the Constitution (the three branches of U.S. government and the Bill of Rights).  For the directions to this “Constitutional Creation”, please click on the link here.  Students also completed their last geography quiz of the trimester and have begun reflecting on their work, experiences, and habits in Social Studies class so far this year in preparation for their student-led conferences.

Homework - If students did not hand in their “Constitutional Creation” on Friday, they need to finish that assignment and any other missing work they have.

In ELA, students have been working on developing their comma usage.  Students are being introduced to grammar conventions. We are also developing mindfulness practices.  If you are interested, here is a great New York Times article about mindfulness and children.
Homework: Independent reading for 30 minutes (for 5 of 7 days per week).



Grade 7
Math: Students took a quiz on proportional relationships and had to explain proportions through the use of  tables, graphs and equations.  Students began to explore scale drawings and their relationship to ratios and proportions.  This coming week students will continue this exploration of scale factor and scale drawings.  Students will also write reflections about their experiences in math during the first  trimester.

Parent tips for topic of scale factor.

Grade 8
Math:
Students took a summative assessment about linear equations with one variable.  Next week students will continue to explore linear equations with two variables using tables, graphs and equations.  Students will also write reflections about their experiences in math during the first  trimester.

Parent tips for current topic of linear equations in two variables.

Social Thinking Ideas:   A funny yet informative book around social thinking

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Team Equinox