Newsletter February 19th, 2016

Don't forget to save your Boxtops and Milkcaps!  Our team uses that revenue to offer scholarships for students as well as provide prizes at our raffles and end of year auction.  Contact Ms. Stoller with boxtop questions or Ms. Gratzl with Milkcap questions.

Upcoming Deadlines and Projects:

February 23rd - Conflict signpost project (Ripp)

February 23rd - Colonization of Africa quiz (Howe)

February 23rd -  'Photo Summary' summative (Stoller)

February 24th - Moving Straight Ahead test (Gratzl)

February 26th - All book club books done being read (Ripp)

February 29th - No school - PD Day

March 2nd - Theme signpost project due (Ripp)

Geography (Stoller):  

Students have been learning about one of several Asian countries.  They have used the CIA World Factbook on line and other resources and are now creating a 'Photo Summary' summative assignment due Tuesday.  Ask your child what (s)he learned about Asia.  Please also check Infinite Campus for missing assignments.  Several grades were entered this week.  Next week, we being our study of Africa.  After Wednesday, ask your child:

*What are some countries in Africa?

*Could you see their maps of Africa?

*What is the danger of a 'single story'?

Math:

Deadlines:  Moving Straight Ahead Test Wednesday

Questions to ask your child:What is the slope and y-intercept in this equation:  y = 4x + 2?
How do you find the y-intercept in a graph?  In a table?
What are your plans on studying for the math test on Wednesday?

Integrated Literacy:

Students are working on identifying claims in a speech. Ask them how Malcolm Gladwell's and Alice Goffman's opinion on policing differ. What do they believe? Do they trust the speakers?

Tech Tools:

This quarter in Tech Tools, students will be creating many different projects with a variety of websites and apps.  Each time they are done with a project, they get their “bingo card” stamped.  They have many choices for topics to pick  from and a spreadsheet full of websites and apps to choose to learn about.  When another teacher assigns a technology project, they can work on that project in Tech Tools class and get credit as a “bingo project”. Students need to use their class time wisely as I will be grading 2 of their projects on Feb. 26 and two more projects on March 18.

English (Ripp)

We have been busy in our book clubs.  Ask your child about:

• ​The conflict of their book - they have a project due on this Tuesday.
• What do they think about the book?
• What did they blog about?