Upcoming Events

Reminders

Jog-a-thon - Fundraiser packets came home the Friday before last.  Our middle school goal is to have 85% student return of the packet by the October 16 th due date printed on the packet.  NOTE: It is NOT required that the student collect pledges in order to return the packet.

Academics

Science - This week, we began our work on “Chapter 2: Introducing Interactions,” in which we seek the answer to the question, “How can you describe interactions?”

The question we explored in Activity 1: Evidence of Interactions is, “What is the evidence that an interaction has occurred?”

• The students grappled with the challenge of describing an interaction using only directly observed evidence.  It’s harder than you might think.  For example, I demonstrated an interaction by smacking a paddle against the top of a box.  

• The interaction was clearly defined:

• The objects interacting: the paddle and the top of the box

• The interval: the moment the paddle struck the box

• Together as a class we described evidence for this interaction.  As good scientists the challenge was to use ONLY what we observed directly with our senses as evidence for the interaction.  The trick is to not jump to using inferences for evidence. (Inference definition: a conclusion reached on the basis of evidence or reasoning.)

• This is the Evidence we came up with: As the paddle came into contact with the box, there was a change in motion from motion to no motion, and there was a change in sound from no sound to a loud crack.

• Since an inference is an idea or conclusion that's drawn from evidence and reasoning, it is an educated guess. For example, when we state that the tension is increasing in a rubber band we are making an inference based on our observations that the rubber band is lengthening, thinning, and changing to a lighter color.  This is an important and challenging distinction.  We have been making inferences about interactions since toddlerhood, it takes some thinking about thinking work to interrupt that jump and just describe what we see.  This is a great exercise in scientific process, and our students are engaging in the challenge!

Math - Students began work in their textbooks this week, and we are focusing on good assignment organization in our Math Composition Notebooks as part of our goal to support our students in developing work and study habits that will help them be successful as they continue their educational career and beyond.

Students will be graded on Math Composition Notebook requirements at least once a week.  

Math Composition Notebook requirements are:

Title: Write assignment title across top of page: (eg. 1.7: Problems 3-102, Every Third Problem.)

Components:

- Exercise #

- Problem #s

- Assignment directions

Conservation of Resources:

- Use both sides of each page.  Do not skip pages between assignments.

- Do not doodle on, or rip notebook pages.

- Use a pencil or erasable pen

Organization of Work:

-The problem number should be easy to locate (circled, boxed, etc.)

- Problems are to be worked in vertical columns down the page (not across the page). Each step should be shown on the line beneath the previous step.

- The problem answer should be clearly shown on the last line of the problem.

- There is to be a space between each problem.

- Show Your Work!  

Volunteer Opportunities

Montessori students are taught care for the environment.  They do jobs every day as part of a community where each student does his part to care for the space we all share.  In Room 7, each table group is assigned a set of jobs that rotates each week.  One such job is to spray and wipe down all the tables.  Our community cares about preserving resources, and so chooses to use rags to do this task.  These rags need laundering every two to three weeks.  Please help support your students in their care for their environment!  Contact me to make arrangements for laundry pick-up and drop off.  We’re flexible.

Thanks!

Carrie and India