7th Grade Silver Team Newsletter: Week of September 16-20

After School Homework Help:  After school homework help (Monday through Thursday, 2:45 – 3:45 pm) began on August 26 with Mr. Johnson (Mondays and Wednesdays) and Ms. Schanke (Tuesdays and Thursdays) in their rooms, Room 703 and Room 605, respectively.  This opportunity is a chance to receive extra support in math or just another place to complete assignments.  Please remember that it is not to be used or considered as punishment!  Please give us a heads up if you’re sending your student so we may have an idea on what they need to work.  Thanks.

Professional Learning Community Late Start:  Students will have a two-hour delayed start on Wednesday, September 25^th, in order for departments to meet for PLC time.  Professional Learning Communities are designed for teachers to work together in professional collaboration to improve both instruction and achievement.  There will be five such “delayed starts” for PLC time during the current school year.

Mid-1^st Quarter Progress Notes:  Teachers will be posting Mid-Quarter Progress Grades in Infinite Campus on Tuesday, September 17th.  (In progress grades have a yellow background and final grades have a green background.)  Mid-quarter progress grades are only a mid-quarter grade check, not a final end-of-quarter letter grade.  Mid-Quarter grades will only be posted in Infinite Campus for mid-quarter. 

-----------------

Math – Mr. Johnson

Quick Note:  I will be out of the classroom on Wednesday and Thursday, September 18^th and 19^th for some mandatory training.  I will schedule both days for Structured Notes and Worksheet Homework (except for Pre-Algebra who will be testing on Wednesday).  I will have a math-qualified guest teacher filling in.  I will be returning to school daily to check in and post grades.

The entire team has taken their Fall Math NWEA assessments.  Thanks for the great attendance – it made make-ups pretty simple.  This valuable data is great for confirming math placement (we did extremely well) and a starting data point with which to measure growth over the school year.  Here is a summary of both math courses:

Math-7 (1st/2nd/3rd Periods):  Chapter 1 (Rational Numbers) is long!  It covers all four integer and fraction operations.  I do not allow calculators during Chapter 1.  Beginning in late September, students will be allowed calculators to speed up practice repetitions.  Students took Chapter 1, Quiz #1 on Monday, September 9^th.  Grades are in Infinite Campus.  A few students may seek re-quiz opportunities in accordance with my policy below.  Now, we are transitioning into rational number operations – think fractions and decimals, both positive and negative.  The Chapter 1, Quiz #2 (Lesson 1-5 to 1-8) will be on Wednesday, September 25th.  Also, the Chapter 1 Test (Lessons 1-1 to 1-8) should be on Friday, September 27^th.

Pre-Algebra (4^th Period):  We are finishing Chapter 1, Real Numbers this week.  This unit includes squares and square roots, cubes and cube roots, and everything there is to know about the Pythagorean Theorem.  Students took Chapter 1, Quiz #2 last Wednesday.  Grades are in Infinite Campus.  Students have been exploring the Pythagorean Theorem.  The final lesson of the unit is finding diagonal distances on the coordinate plane.  Please expect the Chapter 1 Test (Lessons 1-1 to 1-7) on Wednesday, September 18th.  Chapter 2, Solving Equations, will begin next Thursday.

Quiz and Test Retake Policy:  I certainly permit retakes.  It is important that the students attain the knowledge.  Students need to sign out their quiz or test from me, make corrections on a separate paper, have parents sign their corrections, staple their corrections to their original test or quiz.  Upon completion of corrections, students will be eligible to take a retake on an alternate, but similar, assessment.

World Studies – Mr. Koops

Monday: Assign Cell Project

In Language Arts we are going to continue our grammar studies through Fix It! Grammar- Robin Hood. Students will need to have a 3 ring binder for this ongoing unit and loose leaf paper.

7th Grade Silver Team Newsletter: Week of September 9 - 13

Vision and Hearing Screening:  Vision and hearing screening will be on Wednesday and Thursday, September 11^th and 12th.  Please, remember your eyeglasses, if needed.

After School Homework Help:  After school homework help (Monday through Thursday, 2:45 – 3:45 pm) began on August 26^th with Ms. Schanke (Tuesdays and Thursdays) and Mr. Johnson (Mondays and Wednesdays) in their rooms, Room 605 and Room 703, respectively.  This opportunity is a chance to receive extra support in math or just another place to complete assignments.  Please remember that it is not to be used or considered as punishment!  Please give us a heads up if you’re sending your student so we may have an idea on what they need to work.  Thanks.

Professional Learning Community (PLC) Day:  There will be no school on Friday, September 13^th, in order for departments to meet for PLC time.  Professional Learning Communities are designed for teachers to work together in professional collaboration to improve both instruction and achievement.

Mid-1^st Quarter Progress Notes:  Teachers will be posting Mid-Quarter Progress Grades in Infinite Campus on Tuesday, September 17th.  (In progress grades have a yellow background and final grades have a green background.)  Mid-quarter progress grades are only a mid-quarter grade check, not a final end-of-quarter letter grade.  Mid-Quarter grades will only be posted in Infinite Campus for mid-quarter. 

-----------------

Math – Mr. Johnson

The entire team has taken their Fall Math NWEA assessments.  Thanks for the great attendance – it made make-ups pretty simple.  This valuable data is great for confirming math placement (we did extremely well) and a starting data point with which to measure growth over the school year.  Here is a summary of both math courses:

Math-7 (1st/2^nd/3rd Periods):  Chapter 1 (Rational Numbers) is long!  It covers all four integer and fraction operations.  Students have finished lessons on Integer Addition and Subtraction and have begun lessons on Integer Multiplication and Division.  Then, we will transition to fraction and decimal operations.  I do not allow calculators during Chapter 1.  Beginning in late September or early October, students will be allowed calculators to speed up practice repetitions.  Please expect Chapter 1, Quiz #1 (Lessons 1-1 to 1-4) on Monday, September 9th.  Also, the Chapter 1, Quiz #2 (Lesson 1-5 to 1-8) should fall near Wednesday, September 25th.

Pre-Algebra (4th Period):  We are continuing Chapter 1, Real Numbers this week.  This unit includes squares and square roots, cubes and cube roots, and everything there is to know about the Pythagorean Theorem.  Students have already learned about number classifications, squares and square roots, and cubes and cube roots.  Students took Chapter 1, Quiz #1 last Friday.  Grades are already posted in Infinite Campus.  Overall, grades were very good.  Now, the unit transitions into an extensive study of the Pythagorean Theorem.  Please expect Chapter 1, Quiz #2 (Lessons 1-4 to 1-6) on Wednesday, September 11^th and the Chapter 1 Test (Lessons 1-1 to 1-7) on Wednesday, September 18th.

Quiz and Test Retake Policy:  I certainly permit retakes.  It is important that the students attain the knowledge.  Students need to sign out their quiz or test from me, make corrections on a separate paper, have parents sign their corrections, staple their corrections to their original test or quiz.  Upon completion of corrections, students will be eligible to take a retake on an alternate, but similar, assessment.

World Studies – Mr. Koops

 In World Studies, students are continuing to learn about the Middle East and North Africa. They have updated their Geographical Features maps with the following features: The Tigris River, The Euphrates river, Ancient Babylon, The possible Garden of Eden, and the Persian Gulf. The third country they are learning about is Lebanon. It has been added as well to their Middle East/North Africa Countries map.

  In World Studies, students are continuing to learn about the Middle East and North Africa. They have updated their Geographical Features maps with the following features: The Tigris River, The Euphrates river, Ancient Babylon, The possible Garden of Eden, and the Persian Gulf. The third country they are learning about is Lebanon. It has been added as well to their Middle East/North Africa Countries map.

Monday: Assign Cell Project