Housekeeping
Thank you to the wonderful Voyager Families who came out to celebrate the kick-off to
the Holiday Season with us! What a special time to hear all of the beautiful voices of our students and share time together as a community. Thanks to your generous donations, we raised $534 that will go into our student account to support field trips and activities for all Voyager students.
Portfolios
Please be sure to send your students portfolio back to school before the holiday break. Students will be using these to reference goals or collect evidence for the next trimester.
We have decided to host a portfolio breakfast some time in the early spring! Something to look forward to!
Heifer Project Change War
We all we have to say is...5th graders stop stealing your parent’s change! The 5th grade alone have raised enough money to buy a heifer and more! Here’s a little pressure on the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade...don’t let those younger Voyagers show you up! Bring in your change and let’s see how many more animals we can purchase for families in need around the world!
Secret Snowflake
Each Voyager on house received a name of another Voyager for our secret snowflake event. We ask that each Voyager make something for his/her secret snowflake for a one day gift giving next Friday. Some students felt that a gift under $5 was manageable but really, homemade gifts are the best! You decide. But have your gift here by next Friday labeled with the Secret Snowflake name!
Mr. Merrill’s Wrap Up
⅚ Language Arts
This week in Language Arts, we focused on keyboarding skills. In the past, students have had access to programs like Type to Learn, but either did not use the programs or developed bad habits using the program on their own. In the computer lab, we practiced using proper technique, with a focus on “home row.” The Type to Learn program has been recalibrated, with a requirement of 85% accuracy to move on to the next lesson. Students will be required to complete the first 20 lessons and 5 assessments on Type to Learn this year. Students can access this program at home, or use it during down time at school. To access Type to Learn from home, go to http://www.cssu.org/page/1065 and use the account code - 102904.
⅚ Social Studies
Following an introduction to key Constitutional concepts, like checks and balances and separation of powers, we started focusing in on the legislative branch of government. We watched a short video on the legislative branch, learning what Congress does and reviewing the process of how a bill becomes a law. We wrapped up the week with a small group role play activity with each group taking on the role of an interest group or a member of Congress and her staff. The interest groups had to convince the Representative to vote in their favor at a public hearing. The Representative and her staff had to explain their decision at the end and take questions from the special interest groups.
The Week in Ms. Wesnak’s Room
7/8 Language Arts
This week 7th and 8th graders wrapped up their work with poetry by handing in and sharing their poetry books. We had some fun on 12/12/12 and did a variety of journal writing around the number 12. Students shared and wrote about their top 12 best moments of their life so far and/or their top 12 scariest moments. Students also wrote about what life may look like in 12 years. It was a fun day in LA and a great way to celebrate the day. As the week continued on we dug a little deeper into understanding the exposition of a story. We did a read-aloud of Winnie the Pooh and watched several movie trailers trying to identify the exposition in each story.
7/8 Social Studies
This week we wrapped up our studies on the United Nations and students put all of their thoughts to paper by creating their own logo for the United Nations. As we wrapped up our work on the United Nations and the week came to an end students participated in a couple of simulations. These simulations or activities allowed students to have a hands on, lifelike experience of what it feels like to be a refugee and an immigrant. Students went on their own journey’s with “family members” having to tackle obstacles similar to obstacles refugees and immigrants have to face. We all really enjoyed these activities and we were able to have some really nice reflection and discussion following each. These activities are leading us into our next integrated unit on 20th Century History. Our journey through 20th Century History begins with immigration in the 1900’s.
Ms. Q's Corner
Math 7
This week we investigated how slope is found from rise and run. We also practiced order of operations and solving equations using cards and dice. It was Students completed Check-up 2 for Moving Straight Ahead.
Math 8
We have been practicing rewriting linear equations moving from slope intercept form to standard form. We are looking at more problems where there are three variables. The class also played card games and dice games with order of operations. The Shapes of Algebra Check-up was handed back.
Science 7/8th The Koke Chillin Challenge began this week. Students are competing to create a "Koka-Kola" chiller that will decrease room temperature water quickly and efficiently. Teams are designing, building and researching ways that thermal energy can be transferred. We will have the exciting finale on Thursday when the "Koke" Executives come to see the experiment results and hear each team's "pitch". We look forward to the culmination of this exciting event.
News from Ms. O
Math 5
Wow! We had a week filled with division! Although many students already have the division algorithm under their belts, the focus of our work on division has been on how we can model division and make sense of remainders. Students are leaning heavily on base ten pieces and their understanding of the area model for multiplication in order to model a division story problem. Students will finish Unit 2 next week with an assessment on Thursday.
Math 6
We entered the land of percents this week and have been making connections between fractions and decimals and percents. Students have been utilizing different strategies for comparing fractions, with the focus this week, on renaming those fractions as percents. Sometimes students can rename a fraction like 1/10 as a decimal and percent with a simple understanding of place value, while other fractions like 5/20 or 4/25, may not have a place value name (the denominator of these numbers are not tenths, hundredths, thousandths). A different strategy is necessary for these kinds of fractions, including renaming those fractions with an equivalent that is a place value name. The stickiest of fractions are those that have denominators that are not multiples of factors of 10 or 100 or are not factors themselves, of 10 or 100 etc. So we have employed the strategy of fractions as division, numerator divide denominator. Assessment next Thursday to finish Bits and Pieces.
⅚ Science
We have spent our week looking at physical and chemical change. Students have observed a physical change, by dissolving salt or sugar in water and witnessing the rearrangement of atoms, but not the changing of the original substance as well as the ‘disappearance’ of water through evaporation. Also, we did a baking soda and vinegar combination to look at a simple chemical change where carbon dioxide is produced. We will explore one more chemical change that involves a temperature and color change and then finally move on to the engineering unit on energy!
Thank you to the wonderful Voyager Families who came out to celebrate the kick-off to
the Holiday Season with us! What a special time to hear all of the beautiful voices of our students and share time together as a community. Thanks to your generous donations, we raised $534 that will go into our student account to support field trips and activities for all Voyager students.
Portfolios
Please be sure to send your students portfolio back to school before the holiday break. Students will be using these to reference goals or collect evidence for the next trimester.
We have decided to host a portfolio breakfast some time in the early spring! Something to look forward to!
Heifer Project Change War
We all we have to say is...5th graders stop stealing your parent’s change! The 5th grade alone have raised enough money to buy a heifer and more! Here’s a little pressure on the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade...don’t let those younger Voyagers show you up! Bring in your change and let’s see how many more animals we can purchase for families in need around the world!
Secret Snowflake
Each Voyager on house received a name of another Voyager for our secret snowflake event. We ask that each Voyager make something for his/her secret snowflake for a one day gift giving next Friday. Some students felt that a gift under $5 was manageable but really, homemade gifts are the best! You decide. But have your gift here by next Friday labeled with the Secret Snowflake name!
Mr. Merrill’s Wrap Up
⅚ Language Arts
This week in Language Arts, we focused on keyboarding skills. In the past, students have had access to programs like Type to Learn, but either did not use the programs or developed bad habits using the program on their own. In the computer lab, we practiced using proper technique, with a focus on “home row.” The Type to Learn program has been recalibrated, with a requirement of 85% accuracy to move on to the next lesson. Students will be required to complete the first 20 lessons and 5 assessments on Type to Learn this year. Students can access this program at home, or use it during down time at school. To access Type to Learn from home, go to http://www.cssu.org/page/1065 and use the account code - 102904.
⅚ Social Studies
Following an introduction to key Constitutional concepts, like checks and balances and separation of powers, we started focusing in on the legislative branch of government. We watched a short video on the legislative branch, learning what Congress does and reviewing the process of how a bill becomes a law. We wrapped up the week with a small group role play activity with each group taking on the role of an interest group or a member of Congress and her staff. The interest groups had to convince the Representative to vote in their favor at a public hearing. The Representative and her staff had to explain their decision at the end and take questions from the special interest groups.
The Week in Ms. Wesnak’s Room
7/8 Language Arts
This week 7th and 8th graders wrapped up their work with poetry by handing in and sharing their poetry books. We had some fun on 12/12/12 and did a variety of journal writing around the number 12. Students shared and wrote about their top 12 best moments of their life so far and/or their top 12 scariest moments. Students also wrote about what life may look like in 12 years. It was a fun day in LA and a great way to celebrate the day. As the week continued on we dug a little deeper into understanding the exposition of a story. We did a read-aloud of Winnie the Pooh and watched several movie trailers trying to identify the exposition in each story.
7/8 Social Studies
This week we wrapped up our studies on the United Nations and students put all of their thoughts to paper by creating their own logo for the United Nations. As we wrapped up our work on the United Nations and the week came to an end students participated in a couple of simulations. These simulations or activities allowed students to have a hands on, lifelike experience of what it feels like to be a refugee and an immigrant. Students went on their own journey’s with “family members” having to tackle obstacles similar to obstacles refugees and immigrants have to face. We all really enjoyed these activities and we were able to have some really nice reflection and discussion following each. These activities are leading us into our next integrated unit on 20th Century History. Our journey through 20th Century History begins with immigration in the 1900’s.
Ms. Q's Corner
Math 7
This week we investigated how slope is found from rise and run. We also practiced order of operations and solving equations using cards and dice. It was Students completed Check-up 2 for Moving Straight Ahead.
Math 8
We have been practicing rewriting linear equations moving from slope intercept form to standard form. We are looking at more problems where there are three variables. The class also played card games and dice games with order of operations. The Shapes of Algebra Check-up was handed back.
Science 7/8th The Koke Chillin Challenge began this week. Students are competing to create a "Koka-Kola" chiller that will decrease room temperature water quickly and efficiently. Teams are designing, building and researching ways that thermal energy can be transferred. We will have the exciting finale on Thursday when the "Koke" Executives come to see the experiment results and hear each team's "pitch". We look forward to the culmination of this exciting event.
News from Ms. O
Math 5
Wow! We had a week filled with division! Although many students already have the division algorithm under their belts, the focus of our work on division has been on how we can model division and make sense of remainders. Students are leaning heavily on base ten pieces and their understanding of the area model for multiplication in order to model a division story problem. Students will finish Unit 2 next week with an assessment on Thursday.
Math 6
We entered the land of percents this week and have been making connections between fractions and decimals and percents. Students have been utilizing different strategies for comparing fractions, with the focus this week, on renaming those fractions as percents. Sometimes students can rename a fraction like 1/10 as a decimal and percent with a simple understanding of place value, while other fractions like 5/20 or 4/25, may not have a place value name (the denominator of these numbers are not tenths, hundredths, thousandths). A different strategy is necessary for these kinds of fractions, including renaming those fractions with an equivalent that is a place value name. The stickiest of fractions are those that have denominators that are not multiples of factors of 10 or 100 or are not factors themselves, of 10 or 100 etc. So we have employed the strategy of fractions as division, numerator divide denominator. Assessment next Thursday to finish Bits and Pieces.
⅚ Science
We have spent our week looking at physical and chemical change. Students have observed a physical change, by dissolving salt or sugar in water and witnessing the rearrangement of atoms, but not the changing of the original substance as well as the ‘disappearance’ of water through evaporation. Also, we did a baking soda and vinegar combination to look at a simple chemical change where carbon dioxide is produced. We will explore one more chemical change that involves a temperature and color change and then finally move on to the engineering unit on energy!
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