Class Update

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

This week students have a science test on Wednesday covering atoms and the periodic table. The study guide notes were completed on Friday. Studying at home will be required. I encourage you to ask your students to explain the concepts, draw you an atom, and then use their notes to give pop quizzes. We already used our iPads to create short tutorials on how to draw a diagram of an element.

We also did a fun digital art project where each student discussed the properties of an element that resembled them. These are hanging in the hall and are quite sweet and funny.

Last week we discussed the ideas and debates that were brought up in President Obama's state of the union speech in social studies. Students asked really great questions and discussed everything from minimum wage to the Keystone pipeline.

This next week we will be writing formal outlines of our Greek history chapters.

Students paired up to write summaries of action filled chapters in Black Ships Before Troy. They shared major plot points, illustrated scenes, comic strip versions with each other. Below are three version of the Zeus' red rain omen.

After the Greeks' ships are lit on fire, Patroclus begs Achilles to use his battle gear and join the fight.

Patroclus was only supposed to save the ships and then return to Achilles.

Patroclus is killed by the Trojans!

Long division with decimals has required extra perseverance and grit in my math class and I've been so glad to see so many students rise to the challenge.

Students are digging into their Genius Hour projects. It's great to look around the classroom and see one group filming a stop-motion video of an ancient Greek myth while another pair is interviewing a wildlife expert over the phone. The next minute one student explains the composition of dry ice and another the dopamine response in the brain to fear!

Finally, I wanted to share how much creativity is happening during our elective time. I act as a "floater" peeking in and helping supervise various classes during that time, and it's been so cool to watch students learning how to knit, draw watermelons in the style of Wayne Thiebaud, write and direct movies, type faster, grow in their yoga practice, and design the yearbook. We're so thankful to all the volunteers who help make these extra opportunities available!

Enjoy!

Maggie Orion

Class Update

                                                                                               

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

I hope you enjoyed your three-day weekend!

Progress Reports were sent home Friday and I am requiring students to return the signature section indicating that you received the current grades.

Students have been doing great thinking, discussing and writing in our Black Ships Before Troy unit. In science, many have risen to the challenge of understanding atoms, elements, and the periodic table's organizational structure.

As most of you know, our mechanical babies were not able to be delivered on schedule. I still have no information on a new date for delivery.

This last week we were joined by a Sacramento County of Education curriculum expert to help us discuss our new math curriculum. We learned that compared to most other schools we are right on track (and in some cases ahead) with implementing Common Core math. The trials and tribulations in transitioning are being shared across the state. Overall, we continue to feel strongly that using our Engage math program means that students are learning concepts at a deeper level and that this is a positive move for our school.

More math homework is being sent home. If you want some resources to support your student with this math, you can find videos and other instructional supports at the website below. If your student is in my class, click on 6th grade and if your student is in Michele's class, click on 7th grade. The module number and lesson number are on each packet that your student brings home.  If you'd like me to walk you through this, just schedule a quick meeting.

http://www.oakdale.k12.ca.us/ENY_Hmwk_Intro_Math

Please note we are still doing spelling this week.

Take care,

Maggie Orion

Class Update

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Please expect progress reports at the end of the week. If you have questions, feel free to contact me via email or set up an appointment to discuss in person or on the phone. Generally, I’m very pleased with student work and progress in class though the overall homework return rate for this class is low. Please be reminded that your student has a Homework and Reading sheet with all their homework assignments written on it. Many parents have reported success in requiring their student to show them this paper and the finished homework every evening. There is usually one spelling and one writing assignment every week with math homework send home once or twice a week. Of course, reading should be done nightly.

This Wednesday we have our monthly awards assembly and it’s a half-day.

As part of our family life unit, 7th and 8th grade students will be receiving their mechanical babies on Friday morning. A few 6th graders have already stepped up to baby sitting tasks. I heard feedback from parents that the mechanical babies were ill timed. I hear your concerns and will try to adjust timing in the future. The baby delivery date was largely out of my control for various reasons (kind of like real babies!). There will be a parent response sheet going home next week to get your feedback. This program is used in many other middle schools and my goal was to provide students in our school with similar opportunities to the bigger schools. Our family life classes have been going very well despite the giggles. 

Students are currently practicing close reading of Black Ships Before Troy which is a middle-school accessible version of The Iliad, a 3,000 year old epic written by Homer. I’m so proud of their progress with this rigorous text on the battle of Troy in ancient Greece. You may see some chapters come home and your student may need help with certain words and/or phrases. 

We have also jumped into studying atoms, elements, and the periodic table in science. 

Students have kicked off their Genius Hour research projects again and as always, I’m blown away by their creativity. This time around some students are researching bamboo, foxes, how to build a bow, learning to read sheet music, and considering how to make a stop motion video retelling an ancient Greek myth. 

Onward and upward!



Maggie Orion

More Hands On History: Egypt

We completed these several months ago and they have been displayed in the hall. 

Ancient Greek Pots

We decorated our pots with ancient Greek patterns and our favorite ancient Greek gods. The students wrote about which god they chose and why. The final product might not quite look like the pots from several thousand years ago but they're still pretty great.

Hermes as a mischievous baby

Poseidon

Artemis the god of hunting

Greek letters

Cronus' stomach full of his own children with the sword of Zeus about to free them all!

Okay, maybe not from our class...Original Source

Class Update

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

I hope you all enjoyed your winter break! We had a wonderful year-end Secret Santa party with sweet words and gifts exchanged between students. They also made their own clay pots which they will be decorating in the style of Ancient Greece. 

This trimester ends February 26th so I will be sending home progress reports at the end of next week.

During the latter half of this trimester, we will be studying Ancient Greece in social studies and reading. In writing we will be focusing on persuasive essays while in science we will be looking at atomic theory. Students will also be choosing another Genius Hour topic to research independently.

Thank you!

Maggie Orion