7th Grade Q3 2022 Newsletter

January 12, 2023

Welcome

The middle school team is very excited to share with you all the amazing learning opportunities that have been happening and will continue through Q3 with our first newsletter.

Practice At Home

Please help your student to create good study habits by doing the following:
1. Make sure that the student checks their planner each night and completes any work for the next class period.
2. Make sure students are charging their iPad each night.

Upcoming Dates

Band

We began Band this year with the wind players and percussion players in separate classes. This helped each group to work on their separate challenges at the beginning of the year. Now we are back to our one big (noisy) happy family where we can hear everybody all of the time. Our winter concert was just a taste of the direction we're heading in. We will be starting new music to learn for our Carowinds trip on Friday May 12. This is a different date from when the chorus will be going. More details on a fundraiser for Carowinds will be coming soon.

Chorus

Chorus has been singing along nicely this year. Our 7&8 combined group has over sixty singers so you can definitely hear them! We have worked on songs in many different styles and will continue doing this in the new semester. Just like the band class, we will be starting new music to learn for our Carowinds trip on Friday May 5. This is a different date from when the band will be going. More details on a fundraiser for Carowinds will be coming soon.

Science

Students have been focusing on Biological Science for the first semester. We started with learning about Cell Theory and the structure and function of the cell. Then we moved into investigating the organization of the body and body systems. Students focused on learning about the overall job and parts of the the digestive, urinary, respiratory and circulatory systems. Moving into quarter 3, students will complete a mini unit on Protists which are single cell organisms and then jump into the world of Genetics-which tends to be one of the favorites for the year.

Music

We take a "break" from music every year in January to watch a (school safe!) version of Amadeus. This Best Picture winner in 1984 shows students the life of Mozart, specifically that we was a real human being with real emotions and real problems. Students need to learn that people from the past were just as relatable and goofy as they are!

Math

Main topics in Q1 and Q2: Scale Drawings/Proportional Relationships, Markups/Markdowns/Percent Change/Tax/Tips/Discounts, Area and Circumference of Circles, Operations with Positive and Negative Numbers. We covered a TON of information in quarter 1 and quarter 2. As we work on Expressions and Equations in quarter 3, we will be spiraling back to the topics we have already covered this year to keep them fresh! These previous topics will continue to show up on current quizzes and tests. - YouTube, IXL, and MAP Accelerator are great resources for your child (and you!) to help improve their math skills.

ELA

During Quarter 1, 7th graders read A Long Walk to Water, and in Quarter 2, read Patient Zero. Beginning Quarter 3, students will read One Last Word by Nikki Grimes. While reading this book of poetry, we will look at the following guiding questions: How does collaboration influence an artistic renaissance? What are some of the historical factors surrounding and contributing to the Harlem Renaissance? What are some of the lasting legacies of the Harlem Renaissance?

Counselor Corner

The backpack program is in need of individual snacks, fruit snacks, granola bars, and mini bottle waters. We are also in need of feminine products for students at the middle school. Please donate your items in carline or send with your middle schooler to Mrs. McMiller's office. Thank you for your support!

Social Studies

We are still interviewing for the social studies position. Stay tuned updated information.

Art

My name in Chrystal Ingersoll and I am the middle school art teacher. I started off in the middle of semester one and I feel like we are off to a good start. The student’s worked on an abstract mixed media piece influenced by Wassily Kandinsky, and they used math tools to produce the lines and circles that were a big part of Kandinsky’s abstract works. Emily at the Vanilla Bean Bakery and Coffee Shop has given us an entire wall to hang your student’s art. You will find some of the 6th grade abstract cats and the 8th grade abstract printmaking. They look fabulous! The students did a great job! This quarter the 7th graders are working on point of perspective pieces and when they are complete I will be hanging them at the coffee shop. Some of our art materials are used up very quickly. if you are able to replenish our supply, we need these items: Black Sharpies Different colored paint pens Glue sticks Sketch books Thank you for all you do. You can’t spell smart without art.

Spanish

I am Mrs. Davila the middle school Spanish teacher at ARS. Last semester the 7th reviewed AR, ER, and IR verbs and how to conjugate them. They learned about Latino culture with projects and videos on Hispanic Heritage Month and The Day of the Dead. This semester 7th grade will be continuing verb conjugation and reviewing topics that they learned in 6th grade such as time, weather, family members, and greetings.

Field Trip Information

The Washington DC field trip is still open for students or chaperones to sign up. Field trip dates will be April 18-20, 2023. Please go to MyPaymentsPlus to sign up for the field trip. Here is a LINK for field trip information. Questions can be directed to Mrs. Berkley ([email protected]).

Physical Education

In addition to continuing with our endurance training,and field sports from Quarter 2, during the 3rd Quarter we anticipate expanding our PE facilities to include our new Gymnasium. In preparation for the many exciting opportunities that come with our new Gym, we will be expanding the focus of our Core Values/Expectations to include what is certainly going to be a source of pride for our students, families and the entire ARS community.

Needed Supplies

Pencils, Clorox Wipes, and Kleenex Tissue.

Please drop these by the front desk.

Correction

Art Teacher email [email protected].