Voyager Voice Week of November 14th - 18th

TA’s Notes:

***Please do not send in any food to be shared among Voyager students***

Dates to Remember:

November 21 - 25: No School  Happy Thanksgiving!

Wednesday, Dec. 7th: Voyager Family Night in Voyager Kiva & WCS Auditorium

Sunday, Dec. 11th:  11:30am - 4:00pm Polar Express Elves

Thank you for all of the Thanksgiving Basket donations!!!  Voyager was able to offer four bountiful baskets to families in need in our community!

FAPAC November 2016 Meeting Highlights Information

The FAP Advisory Council held its monthly meeting on November 10th.  FAP is Williston's equivalent of a parent-teacher organization.  We meet each month, our meetings our open to all, and you will receive an email like this every month with highlights of the meeting and a link to the FAP website for the full minutes.  Check the full minutes in a PDF format by clicking here.  

You can now follow us on  Facebook and Twitter (@FAP_Williston)!

Below are the meeting highlights:

FAPAC Meeting Recording

The November FAPAC meeting was recorded and is available at this link online.

Craft Show Thanks

Many thanks to everyone who came out and supported the Craft Show by volunteering their time and/or shopping!  A special shout-out to our Full House volunteers: Meghan Cope and the Rieley and Ruggles families for helping with set-up, circulating during the craft show, and the all important tear-down!

Financial Report

Taxes have been completed.  We are still collecting donations to the Annual Fund.   A reminder that the Annual Fund directly funds house accounts for field trips, guest speakers and other activities your child participates in.  EVERY student, in EVERY grade receives a direct benefit from the Annual Fund!  However, Full House participation in the Annual Fund is at only 23%. Please donate to the annual fund if you haven't already.  Remember that all donations to the Annual Fund are tax-deductible. Suggested donation amounts are $45 per student in grades 5-8, but any amount is welcome.  The link to donate to the Annual Fund can be found here.

Administration Update

We had about a 65% percent turnout for Election Day this year. Thank you to the town and staff and students for being flexible and vigilant.  We will continue to collect information on how to make this day smoother.   Thank you so much voting in support of the bond.

Decision packets were reviewed and voted on by FAP members.  Many other constituency groups will also vote.  This process is unique to Williston and anyone can submit a packet to be considered.

Upcoming Events

Scholastic Book Fair: November 28th – December – 2nd in the Williston Central Dining Room

FAP Meeting: December 8, 8:15 AM in the WCS Dining Room

Big Basket Raffle: March 25th

The Week in Mr. Merrill’s Room (⅚ Humanities):

In Current Events Voyager 5th and 6th graders have begun work on a Countries of the World project.  For this project students have selected a country from around the globe that they will be researching over the course of the year.  Students will learn about their respective countries and share that information with their classmates.  Students will also work on creating a collaborative Google Map that they will be able to post country related current events to over the school year.  The goal is to create a collaborative resource that students can use increase their knowledge of the wider world that we live in.

We wrapped up our Mystery reading this week and students wrote a LEAF essay on their book. As the 1st trimester comes to a close, students completed rubrics on their reading response notebooks, writer’s  notebooks, and independent reading habits. We also kicked off our Harry Potter unit a little early with a special Sorcerer’s Stone read-a-thon Friday morning.

A special thanks for all of the donations to help us prepare a Thanksgiving basket for the food shelf.

The Week in Ms. O’s Room (⅚ Math & Science):

Math 5

Students have just begun a new unit which helps them understand decimals.  The link between fractions and decimals is made clearer, through a deep introduction to the Base Ten place value system and the link for each place value with a fraction out of 10, 100, 1000.  At this point all 5th graders have cleared their folders and are starting from scratch with a new Home Connection packet and new handouts coming.  Otherwise, all assessments and work was sent home to be signed and returned to school.  Please return all of the guts of the folder too, and I will sort through and pull assessments for their files, so that you can then take another look at the end of the trimester, as you look at Jump Rope.  

Math 6

6th Graders have fully explored the ideas contained in the 2nd Investigation of Let’s Be Rational, how to multiply fractions.  It has been interesting, exploring ideas beyond just multiplying the numerators and the denominators.  Students were asked questions like, does taking a fraction of a number always result in a value smaller than what you started with?  How about if the fraction is larger than 1? We also looked at the generalizability of models for fraction of a fraction.  How can we relate what we know about finding the area of a rectangle to a fraction of a fraction problem?  I took a snapshot of our public record.  You can see that in some models the two numbers being multiplied are the dimensions of the rectangle and in others they are not.  This was our push toward looking deeply at the patterns that come up in our modeling experiences.

Science ⅚

The classroom is busy!  And messy!  Students worked this week to finalize a prototype for the Engineering Challenge Thursday and there were some great solutions to the 4 problems presented by teachers.  Students participated in a school wide ⅚ presentation of solutions and many were very successful.  See photos below.

The Week in Mr. G's Class:

In Humanities we have spent the week preparing to write our novels over break. Students have set word count goals and schedules for themselves to meet their goals. As a class, we are at 57% of our Total word count goal of 477,451. We have collectively written nearly 300,000 words, or about five mid length novels. 

The Week from Ms. Q’s Room (⅞ Math & Science):

CMP8

The growth rate of mold, the garter snake population in an ecosystem and the overpopulation of rabbits in Australia were examples of exponential growth models.  Students have been moving from equations to tables to graphs and vice versa.  We are gaining an understanding of the y-intercept and its placement in our exponential equation.  We explored growth factors and found that we could look at the pattern in the “y”  by taking one value and dividing it by the previous value. 450/300 = 1.5.  That is the growth factor for this exponential model.  

x	y
1	300
2	450
3	675
4	1,012.50

Students completed GGG Check-up #1.  You can ask your son/daughter to see the learning target rubric.

CMP7

This week we took a segue from positive and negative integers to explore algebraic equations.  

We tried our hand with 1 and 2 step equations.

Here is an example of a one step and two step equations.

We also worked on graphing inequalities from equations and finding equations from inequality graphs.

We ended the week with reviewing adding and subtracting integers through Bingo and the card game “25”.

Science 7th/8th

This week was all about the school wide engineering challenge.Students designed, tested and redesigned solutions to four different tasks: Rubberband car, Marshmallow catapult, Zipline and Ramp ball.

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Students took lots of data to get prepared for the school wide competition.  Students will pass in their journals and do a final reflection to complete this task.

Week of November 7th - 11th

TA’s Notes:

***Please do not send in any food to be shared among Voyager students***

Dates to Remember:

Thursday, November 17th, 5th/6th WCS Engineering Competition (Auditorium)

Friday, November 18th, 7th/8th WCS Engineering Competition(Auditorium)

Wednesday, Dec. 7th- Voyager Family Night in WCS Auditorium

Sunday, Dec. 11th - 11:30am - 4:00pm Polar Express Elves

Thank you to all who donated items and gave their time in making this year’s Book & Media Sale a success!!  Voyager raised $523.39 which passed our goal of $500 so we are very excited!

This would not have been possible without such amazing students and parents in Voyager House.

THANK YOU!

Join the WCS Penguin Plunge Team!

We need YOU to join our Williston Wildcats Penguin Plunge Team!   This is our 7th year having a school team participating in the Penguin Plunge.  The Penguin Plunge is a fundraiser for the Special Olympics and all the participants jump in Lake Champlain! It is very cold but lots of fun.  The date is Saturday, February 4th and it takes place at the Burlington Waterfront.   We want students, teachers, staff, parents, and siblings on the team!   Please email Jodi Bartley at jbartley@cssu.org or Jessica Haskins at jhaskins@cssu.org or  if you have questions.

Click HERE to register with WCS Wildcats

After school with Ms. Sherman:

THANKSGIVING BASKETS!!!

Just a friendly reminder to families that we are doing a “food drive” for Thanksgiving. Each core has a sign-up sheet for items. We hope to create 4 complete Thanksgiving baskets to donate to our local families this holiday. Check in with your children about what they have signed up for. Your child can bring in their item any time next week and drop it in the bin, in their core classroom. Thanks in advance!!!!

The Week in Mr. Merrill’s Room (⅚ Humanities):

Highlights of the week:

• Student Election - All students (5-8) voted using a copy of the actual ballot. Results will be posted online by the Williston Observer.
• We researched the candidates before we voted (based on characteristics, experience and the issues) and students practiced some argument writing techniques to write a persuasive outline on the candidate of their choice.
• We reviewed the Electoral College system and students completed scorecards and maps of the election results.
• Reminder - students should finish reading their mystery novel this week.

The Week in Ms. O’s Room (⅚ Math & Science):

Math 5:  I must admit...we did use a little time this week to work on our engineering challenge, and so a little less than normal to report!  Monday was review day.  Mr. Menke finished up his learning sequence with students by reviewing unit material in small groups.  Students took the assessment Tuesday.  We have spent the rest of the week either working on corrections on the assessment or receiving some reinstruction on missed items.  On Monday, 5th grade parents will receive all work done this first 8 weeks of school.  There is a letter on the folder that you should read first, and then review any work with students.  I would like this folder back filled with student work.  It helps us as we navigate this new standards based grading.  Thanks!

Math 6:  I must admit...we did use a little time this week to work on our engineering challenge, and so a little less than normal to report! We have begun the 2nd investigation in Let’s Be Rational which begins to tackle the concept of fraction multiplication.  There will be a lot of modeling in this investigation, so you may see a lot of brownie pans and number lines before we get to generalizations about fraction multiplication.  Stay tuned...

Science ⅚:  The 2016 Engineering Challenge takes place next Thursday all day.  Please know that your child will be assigned a time to present their solution and that we will let you know when that will be as we finalize the schedule. It’s nice when parents can join us in the audience.  Most of the week was dedicated to learning about the Design Process and building skills to work with group members.  Designs were finalized and some building has begun!

The Week in Mr. G’s Room (⅞ Humanities):

In Humanities this week we continued pounding out word counts for our novels. As a class we have written nearly 200,000 words. We are at 38% of our goal for the month, 494,701 words, which is a little ahead of where we need to be, as long as students are writing on weekends as well as over Thanksgiving break. Students have participated in word count battles writing as much as 1,000 words in one 15 minute session. Some of these lightning stories have become important parts of their novels. In the afternoon we have been working on Personal Learning Plans and developing goals for next trimester.

The Week from Ms. Q’s Room (⅞ Math & Science):

CMP8

This week 8th graders have been exploring more models of exponential growth. Exponential growth graphs show an increasing rate of growth over time.

We learned about growth factors, starting values and related them to our tables and equations.  We also practiced our exponent rules and explored the meaning of fractional exponents. A fractional exponent looks like this:

If you would like to learn more about these interesting numbers. This Khan Academy video will help you.  Fractional Exponents  Finally, we looked at several biological systems where exponential growth occurred. Aquatic plants in lakes, the Burmese Python explosion in the everglades and mold growth on bread.

CMP7

We have been working on all sorts of math models this week...number lines and chip boards.   This week I found myself struggling with a math model that had you recreate a starting math board from a series of additions and subtractions of integers. For example: 7 black chips were added, now there are 8 black chips and 3 red chips on the board.  What was the original board?  I was stumped and  had totally misinterpreted the math.  Students showed me their models and helped me through my disequilibrium.  Kudos to the class!  We finished the week with several math card games that had students adding and subtracting positive and negative integers.

Science 7th/8th

We completed our force of gravity simulation lab by sharing our graphs and discussing the relationship between mass, distance and gravitation force.  Students created claim and evidence statements using evidence from their simulations.  We learned about the difference between mass and weight and how it relates to gravity.  Students discovered how much they weigh on different planets and moons.  We ended the week with team and task selection for the engineering task. Next week we will be participating in the school wide engineering challenge.  7/8th grade students will compete against other WCS teams with rubber band cars, ziplines, marshmallow launchers and ball ramps. Friday, November 18th is the big competition day!  Parents are welcome to come on down to the auditorium to watch the fun!

Week of October 31st - November 4th

TA’s Notes:

***Please do not send in any food to be shared among Voyager students***

Dates to Remember:

Friday, Nov. 4th - Voyager’s Book & Media Sale Set-up

Saturday, Nov. 5th - Voyager’s Book & Media Sale

Wednesday, Dec. 7th- Voyager Family Night in WCS Auditorium

Sunday, Dec. 11th - 11:30am - 4:00pm Polar Express Elves

WCS Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBiS) News!

During the two weeks leading up to the Thanksgiving break, WCS students are engaging with a BOOSTER CELL CHALLENGE focusing on using their SMART behaviors in the hallways.  Students will earn a booster cell (large SMART cell) when they demonstrate the behaviors listed below.

Safe:  Stay on the right, hands/ and feet to self & walking at all times

Mindful:  Calm and quiet body & moving toward destination

Accepting:  Leaving room for others & following adult directions

Respectful:  Using an inside voice & keeping food/drinks closed

Truthful:  Taking the shortest route to destinations & being responsible for behavior choices

Please take a few moments and talk with your child about SMART hallway behaviors.  Teachers will be reteaching these expectations, as well!  

FAPAC October 2016 Meeting Highlights Information

The FAP Advisory Council held its monthly meeting on October 13th.  FAP is Williston's equivalent of a parent-teacher organization.  We meet each month, our meetings our open to all, and you will receive an email like this every month with highlights of the meeting and a link to the FAP website for the full minutes.  Check the full minutes in a PDF format by clicking HERE.  Below are a few meeting highlights:

FAPAC Meeting Recording

The October FAPAC meeting was recorded and is available at this LINK online.

Administration Update

Greg Marino spoke about the upcoming Election Day, which will take place at Williston Central School again this year.  Due to the expected increase in voters, the main entrance will be at the front door of the school, with an additional entrance in the band room.  Community member volunteers will be at the entrances directing voters along with uniformed police officers.   Greg also discussed the school budget.  Decision packets were due on October 15th.  FAP will be reviewing the packets before the November meeting.  Approvals will be moved up this year due to the school budgets being consolidated.   

Upcoming Events

Craft Show: Saturday, November 5th, 2016 from 9:30 am – 4:00 pm  We are still in need of more volunteers to set up (Friday afternoon) and for the day of the show.  Please consider sharing some of your time and Sign up here

Families and Technology – Digital Citizenship presentation: Thursday, November 10th from 7:00 – 8:30 pm (More information here.)

Scholastic Book Fair: November 28th – December 2nd

Educational Grants

Some portion of FAP funds go to educational grants that teachers or staff submit to FAP.  These grants cover items not included in the school budget, but that would enhance the learning environment.  The Grant Committee reviewed all grants that were submitted and provided recommendations on funding.  The recommendations were reviewed in the meeting voted on.  The grant package was approved as presented.  Letters have been sent to all applicants.

The next FAP meeting is on Thursday, November 10th at 8:15am in the WCS Dining Room.  All are welcome to attend.

The Week in Mr. Merrill’s Room (⅚ Humanities):

• Mystery reading - Students identified the setting and characters and mapped them out in our Reading Response Notebook.
• Executive Branch - We examined the roles and responsibilities of the presidency and learned about and used an electoral college map. Students pretended to be campaign managers and selected the best states to campaign in to reach 270 votes. They also made a prediction for the number of electoral college votes each candidate will win in the election.
• We examined the history of voting by putting students on panels to review a petition to vote. The petitioners were from various times in U.S. history. The panels had to grant or deny voting privileges. Students were able to identify many groups that did not have the right to vote in our country. Students then wrote about and reflected on voting in their writer’s notebooks.
• Finally, we examined the candidates for president to prepare for our mock election on Tuesday. Students gathered evidence on their selected candidate’s experience, character, and where he/she stands on the issues. We used several ⅚ scholastic articles as our sources.

The Week in Ms. O’s Room (⅚ Math & Science):

Math 5:  This week there was a bit of a change in Ms. O’s classroom.  Dean Menke, the student intern working with Ms. O, took over the classroom for the entire week, for both math and science.  In Math 5 we continued to work with adding and subtracting fractions using a variety of useful models.  There as a Check Point on Thursday to measure each student’s ability to use these models and successfully add/subtract fractions.  

Math 6:  In Math 6 we worked on estimating fraction addition and subtraction, investigated real-world examples of when it is best to underestimate or overestimate, and developed different strategies to accomplish this.  

Here, Luke and Julia are using fraction and decimal cards to estimate sums and differences.

Science ⅚:  In science class we did a number of investigations into different aspects of adaptation.  On Wednesday we investigated how well different model bird beaks are at collecting food from different “habitats.”  On Thursday/Friday, students searched the classroom for different colored dots, demonstrating how camouflage helps organisms survive.  

Here Robert, McKinley, Harrison, Addi, and an unidentified student try to collect seeds from holes drilled in logs with a duck’s bill.  Where they successful?

The Week in Mr. G’s Room (⅞ Humanities):

The Week from Ms. Q’s Room (⅞ Math & Science):

CMP8

This week we explored exponents and the rules you need to follow to work with them.  We created step books that students can access when having to solve or simplify equations with exponents.  We also began our new unit called “Growing, Growing, Growing”.  I’m sure you can deduce from the title that we are looking at models that grow, grow and grow....like bacteria! Exponential growth is a non-linear system that has a very specific signature equation, graph and table.  We began with looking at paper cutting, and the repayment of a debt in the Kingdom of Montarek, where a crafty chess player wanted payment doubled for each space on a chessboard.  Students received their TWMM Unit Tests back this week. Please look for the scored test with the learning targets.  

CMP7

We began this week with adding and subtracting positive and negative numbers.  We worked with a human number line in the hallway and learned how to add and subtract integers by moving left and right, forwards and backwards.  How much does an ice cube lower the temperature of your room temperature beverage?  Inquiring minds want to know! We predicted whether the change was going to be linear, utilized our Go Temp temperature probes and recorded how much our beverage cooled over a 10 minute time period.  We then looked at the mathematical operation of this temperature change as an equation and on the number line.  Students received their Shapes and Designs Unit tests this week.  Please ask your child to see their scored test.  Reteaching has begun for those that did not meet the target.

Science 7th/8th

We began the week with a review of a claim and evidence statement based on the variables they tested in their mousetrap cars.  Students were expected to cite evidence from their testing to support their claim.  We then moved onto the topic of gravity. What is gravity? How does mass have to do with gravitational force? Do we have humans have a gravitational force?  Students took notes, participated in creating a model of space and masses interacting in space, made observations in their journals and began to form an understanding of the force of gravity.  Finally, we looked at a gravitational force simulation.