Month: September 2024

Dear Parents,

We finished our novel The True Adventures of Charlotte Doyle. It was full of twists and turns. Many of the exciting events at the end could be interpreted in different ways. This led to some lively discussions to prepare the kids for an essay: “Is Charlotte Doyle innocent or guilty of the crime of murder?” Before writing, I provided the kids with a template for an argumentative/persuasive essay so that they could get their ideas down on paper first before actually writing. We reviewed the structure of an essay and how it should include a hook, some background, and a thesis statement. Most kids didn’t know that a thesis statement is a bit like the topic sentence in a paragraph – it lets the reader know what the main points (paragraphs) of the essay will be about. I told the kids that I will be grading their essays for writing style, clarity, and mechanics (grammar and other conventions) and ran through the rubric with them on the back of the template sheet. They have already been given two class periods to write and will have only Monday language arts time to finish these before doing some peer review, some revisions, and then turning them in to me for a grade that same day.

In language arts we finished a Latin lesson and took a test. The kids are doing great at these. We started a unit on verbs and have learned the difference between linking verbs (usually “be” verbs) and action verbs.  They also learned about verb phrases (two or more verbs working together) and how to make them using helping verbs. Having a good understanding of how our language works will help the kids to learn another language.

In religion we finished learning about how our Church is apostolic. The kids completed a chapter review and took their first chapter test yesterday. As with all work, including tests, kids who wish to retake or make corrections may do so, they need only ask.

We had to cancel our time at the WeGrow Garden on Wednesday due to rain and wind. I have rescheduled our time for this coming Wednesday, October 2^nd, from 10:30 – 12:00. Next week’s session won’t be on the SignUp Genius, but of course you are welcome to come along – just be in our classroom by 10:20 to walk with us.  We typically go rain or shine (although last week was pretty torrential), so please be sure your child comes with a rain jacket and good walking/gardening shoes.  

We have learned the various forms of government including direct and representative democracy, monarchy, dictatorship, oligarchy, autocracy, and theocracy. Today we did a deeper dive into the roots of democracy and will finish that next week.

Please sit with your child this weekend and look on FACTS. All grading should be in and updated. Don’t forget to have your child fill out and return a reading log on Monday. This is registered in the gradebook and does affect grades. Also, please remember that there is a two-week window in which to re-do or turn in late work (20% deduction for being late). Beyond that two-week window, your child will receive a zero.

Please see my email from earlier this week about the retreat and who will be driving on Tuesday.  

Here are some notes from your child’s other teachers:

Middle School Orchestra: This week in orchestra students are learning and reviewing how to tune, and drilling finger patterns to gain speed and accuracy.

PE

This week in PE we discussed the difference between muscular endurance and strength and the benefits of stretching.  We took the Fitnessgram push-up and flexibility test.  

Have a great weekend,

Chris

Dear Parents,

This week we worked on MAP testing and completed both the reading and the math portions of the test. The kids understand that this fall test is simply a baseline so that we can see how much growth they make throughout the year. We will be able to talk about these results at conference time in early November and perhaps use them to set some goals for your child. We will continue testing next week on Tuesday from 8:15-10, and Thursday from 10-11:30, so please try to avoid pulling kids for appointments during those times. Also, please remind your child to bring a charged laptop on testing days – well, every day!

We completed our nouns unit, spending the majority of our time on possessives and appositives (add-ons, as one student aptly called these). The kids showed a good understanding of these and I told them that I expect them to use nouns correctly, especially possessives, in their writing from here on out. Our Latin test will be on Thursday next week.

In literature, we are reading our way through The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. We are nearly finished and are enjoying the plot twists and turns. I have been recommending Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall’s Mutiny on the Bounty for those interested in reading a higher-level book of this topic. The kids have been learning a lot of new vocabulary and have been discussing the elements of literature as they pertain to our novel. This weekend and next would be the time to finish up the two book reports that are due on Monday, September 30^th. Your child should ask you to sign their reading log, which is due on Monday.

In social studies we finished learning about the sovereign state, it’s features and the role of state government. The kids created their own imaginary states and looked at the economy, education, geography, and other features of that state and then shared a few with the class. We will learn about the various types of governments next week.

Next week we will walk to the WeGrow Garden on Wednesday. Please see the SignUp Genius for this recurring event, if you would like to accompany us. Remember that we go rain or shine, so be sure your child wears appropriate shoes (it is a casual dress day every Wednesday).

On Tuesday, October 1^st, we have our Fall Retreat. I am still arranging carpools and will let you know right away with which parents will be driving. Lunch (pizza), snacks, and drinks will be provided for the kids, so please don’t pack those that day (although a refillable water bottle would be appreciated). If your child has special dietary needs, please let me know or provide a safe lunch for him/her to bring along.

Please sit with your child this weekend and log in to FACTS to check grades and missing work. This really helps the kids to get in the habit of working to better themselves. Some kids told me they were having trouble getting into FACTS and I will look into it next week.

Next Tuesday, September 24^th, is Picture Day. These are individual pictures, so your child may come in (appropriate) free dress.

I am pasting news from specialist classes below:

PE 6-8: This week in PE, students learned about the 5 components of fitness, specifically cardiovascular endurance and muscular strength.  They participated in the fall Fitnessgram mile run and Curl-up test.  They learned about setting realistic and specific goals. 

Have a great weekend! 

Chris

Hi Parents, 

It was so nice to meet so many of you at Curriculum Night on Wednesday. Thank you to those who attended the D.C. fund-raising meeting right before that. We ended up having sixteen attendees, so we will receive scholarship points towards our trip. 

On Wednesday night I spoke about our service project at the WeGrow Garden. If you are interested in seeing the garden, it is part of the Whatcom County Farm Tour happening this weekend. You can come visit the garden at 1815 Ellis St. from 10-4.

Speaking of field trips, I am sending home the Fall Retreat permission slip today. Please ask your child for it. We will be heading to St. Joseph’s Parish in Ferndale for the day on October 1st. Our retreat leader will be Joan Williamson, long time retreat leader for ACS. Our plan is to leave right after drop-off (around 8:15) and leave St. Joseph’s at 2:20 to be back for pick-up by 2:45. If you can drive either direction, please indicate on the slip. You need not stay for the day. I will provide more details about the retreat the week before. Thanks!

We’re nearly finished reviewing the intricacies of nouns. We will finish our unit next week with a brush-up on possessive nouns before testing the kids’ abilities. We took our first Latin test yesterday after playing a game of “Sparkle” to review the spelling and definitions. The kids did very well on their first Latin II test.  

In literature we’ve been enjoying “The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle” and the adventures and excitement this novel holds. We talked about cause and effect in a story and discussed the idea of a “chain of events” – that not all causes lead to only one effect, but that they can cause a ripple effect as well. We explored some chains of events in the story and gave examples from real life. We learned about the nature of conflict and that it is typically person vs. person, person vs. self, person vs. nature, or person vs. society. We had discussions about the variety of conflicts in the story and identified major and minor ones and how they drive the story. I reminded the kids that they have two book reports due by September 30th. If you could please encourage them to get one done soon, that would save me from having almost forty reports to grade at the end of the month! 

Please have your child check FACTS on weekends against the corrected work I send home on Friday to make sure that everything has been input correctly. They often make corrections to their work (I encourage it), and I may add the new score to my paper grade book but not add it to FACTS. They need to bring the work to me on Monday and show it to me so that I can make the change in FACTS. This doesn’t happen often, but it is a safeguard I want them to have. Don’t ditch the work until you’ve double checked FACTS! I also reminded the kids about missing work and correcting work — that it must be done within two weeks. Beyond that we will have moved on to new things. 

We have MAP testing the next two weeks. Our class will test:

• Tuesday, 9/17, 10-11:30
• Thursday, 9/19, 8:15-9:45
• Tuesday, 9/24, 8:15-9:45
• Thursday, 9/26, 10-11:30

Please be sure that your child gets plenty of sleep, a nutritious breakfast, and (hmm – we Catholics like things in three’s …) plenty of words of encouragement! 

Thanks, and have a great weekend,

Chris 

Dear Parents,

We have been finding our groove in eighth grade. The kids have been adjusting to the new schedule, greater expectations, and the more rigorous workload. I’m proud of the work they’ve done so far and the amount of effort and attention they’ve given during class time. The kids have been especially helpful and kind to their Kindergarten buddies, showing them how to enter and attend Mass, and showing them how to find their way to their pick-up points in the afternoon. They did a fabulous job mentoring their buddies at Mass this morning.

In language arts this week we began our Latin and grammar lessons, setting routines for homework, study, and classroom work habits. We are reviewing the intricacies of nouns, including concrete/abstract, and compound/collective nouns. The kids wrote editorials using these different types of nouns and will practice peer editing them next week.

In literature class we studied literary elements and took notes in our journals. The kids will be referring to these notes often and will use them as a reminder/starting point for writing about what they read. We began reading our first whole-group novel of the year: Charlotte Doyle, by Avi. We begin the year with a class novel so that we can explore it together and set expectations for listening and discussing literature. We will alternate between whole-group and small-group novels (literature circles) throughout the year. Please be sure your child brings in the reading log on Monday morning. This should be signed by you.

We finished our first lesson from iCivics.org about the purpose of government. These lessons vary in length and can be one-day or multi-day lessons. The site has interactive features, video content, and links to primary source documents, which makes it rich. If we make the most of this site, the kids will really benefit in their understanding of civics, especially as it pertains to the upcoming election.

Our learning of civics will serve us well as we prepare for our Washington, D.C. trip this May 19-23. As I mentioned in my last newsletter, we were offered a $1000 scholarship by World Strides if we have a parent meeting by mid-September. Since the topic of this meeting is supposed to be the same as our spring meeting, I will change it to simply touch base about dates, and then brainstorm any ideas for fundraising. Don’t worry – I checked, and this does count to give us the extra $1000 – as long as we can get at least ten parents to attend. We will meet at 5:15 on Curriculum Night in my classroom, since you need to be at the gym by 6 anyway. Please bring any ideas you might have. I know we are well on our way to having a nice amount to defray costs to each student. Remember, your child only gets funds based on his/her participation in fund-raising events.

We began our WeGrow Garden visits this week and received several compliments about what nice kids we have. I was so proud of them!  Our visits this fall will be: 9/11, 9/25, 10/9, 10/23, 11/6, 11/20. Please see the SignUp Genius I sent, if you would like to walk with us to the garden. Remember that you can explore the WeGrow Garden at the Whatcom Farm Tour Saturday, Sept. 14 from 10-4. This is optional, but the kids can earn service hours by attending. WeGrow is located at 1815 Ellis St. (directly across from the Bellingham Food Bank).

Upcoming Events:

• Wednesday, September 11^th – World Strides meeting in 8^th grade classroom 5:15PM
• Wednesday, September 11^th – Curriculum Night starts in gym 6PM, then to classrooms 6:30-7:40

Have a great weekend!

Chris