AUGUST/SEPTEMBER NEWSLETTER

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KIOWA COUNTY JUNIOR HIGH

They started the semester singing Jambo, I Wanna Be Ready, and Lavender’s Blue. We recently started working on our November concert pieces: The Song for the Unsung Hero and I Hear America Singing.

Both choirs have individuals auditioning for state choir this month. Four students were selected to participate in the 2013 SWKMEA Middle School Honor Choir. Congratulations to Regan Rhodes, Mallory Powell, Antaeus Behee and Gregory Sharp!!

KCJH Choir:

Let the music begin! The sixth grade choir is meeting in my new classroom this year. They started the year off singing, Boats Sail on the Rivers, Rattlin’ Bog Goliath(a favorite) and I Know An Old Woman and recently started working towards our patriotic November concert, such as Woke Up This Morning and Here’s Two Cohan.

The seventh and eighth grade choir is meeting in the band room again this year. We have thirty-one members this semester.

Sciences:

Both the seventh and eighth grade science classes started off the year reviewing the scientific method and lab safety. From there, the seventh grade began studying matter. Students worked with the states of matter and affect of heat on those states. Currently, the seventh grade is working with cells, the cell theory and cell functions. The eighth graders have been learning about chemical bonding and interactions of matter. In addition, the eighth grade has worked harvesting tomatoes and peppers from the school science garden. As we move into October, the eighth graders will begin looking at heredity and genetics. They will also prepare the garden for the winter.

Social Studies 7th:

The 7th grade is currently focusing on Geography. They began the year learning about the five themes of geography. Students examined: place, location, region, movement and human-environment interaction. Students worked specifically with absolute location and mapping. Various kinds of maps were introduced. As we move into October, the 7th grade will finish up their unit on climate and move into the various aspects of geography. Examples include: government, economics, languages, religion and culture.

7th Grade Math:

During August and the first half of September, 7th grade math students worked on algebraic reasoning.  Students solved one-step equations, evaluated expressions and worked on translating words into expressions and equations.   

Currently students are working on completing Chapter 2 which deals with integers and rational numbers.  We have reviewed addition, subtraction, multiplication and division of integers and also solved more equations with negative numbers.  In addition, students have worked on converting between fractions and decimals.

Our next unit will involve adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing fractions and decimals.  It can be a challenging chapter because there will also be some negative fractions and negative decimals involved.

 If students can show a strong understanding of these concepts then they have a good mathematical foundation which will help them for many years.  With the new Kansas College and Career Ready Standards for Mathematics, students are going to have to explain their reasoning.   To prepare for this students are doing more problem-solving and more writing to help put their understanding into words.   

8th Grade Math:

The 8th grade math class started the year off in Chapter 1 with Principals of Algebra. In this chapter students worked with solving one and two-step equations containing both negative and positive numbers. Students also got an introduction to working with inequalities. After completing Chapter 1, students moved into Chapter 2, Rational Numbers. In this chapter students have worked with adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing positive and negative fractions and decimals. They also have been solving one and two-step equations containing these types of numbers.

Upon passing the Chapter 2 test, students will be able to use a calculator on most assignments through out the remainder of the year. If your child does not have a calculator, it would greatly benefit him/her to have one. I have some that are available for use at school but cannot be taken out of the school. Having a personal calculator will be a benefit to students when they have homework.

In the school supply list, I suggested a Texas Instrument TI-30XIIS. These calculators run anywhere from $10 - $15 but will also be useful when they enter their high school math and science classes.

Social Studies 8th:

The 8th grade class began the year studying early America. The first colonization of North America by the French, Spanish and English were all observed. Students were subjected to the various goals of each nation in regard to their withholdings in America. From there, students focused on the English colonies in America. Students examined the beginnings of the original 13 colonies. Important groups such as the Pilgrims and Quakers were discussed. Students learned about Jamestown and early Virginia.

The 8th grade is currently learning about the American Revolution. The unit began with conflicts in the colonies including: The French and Indian war, various taxes, as well as events such as the Boston Tea Party.

As we move into October, students will study the war in detail. The role of Patriots and Loyalists will be a focus. The highlight of the Revolution unit will be the video entitled: The Patriot!

IMPACT:This year, the KCJH students are in charge of their own character education program. Over the summer, a Student Influence Team was formed and those student volunteers adopted a set of materials called Re:Connect by Core Essentials. These materials give middle school students ideas of how to make character education fun and memorable for students. The group adopted the KC Big Three as our set of “core” values and also wanted to focus on a value word each month.

The KC Big Three are1. Treat others right.2. Make smart decisions. 3. Maximize your potential.

They were also given locker tags with the word Courage and its definition printed on the tags (as a “make it stick” activity). Courage means, “being brave enough to do what you should do, even when you are afraid.” As the culminating activity for September (the “make it fun and memorable” activity), students were challenged to try a new and strange food that they have never tried before--testing their courage. The food was chocolate covered bacon.

The value word for September was COURAGE. The Student Influence Team set up a "get the word out" assembly where delegates from each class participated in a Fear Factor obstacle course. Participants went through four stations:

Stage Fright--where they had to sing a portion of "Home on the Range" a capella;Neophobia--(the fear of trying new things) Students had to attempt a cartwheel;Chorophobia--(the fear of dancing in public). Students had to dance on stage by themselves for 15 seconds;Taste of Courage--Students had to eat a small jar of baby food fruit

The assembly was intended to get students thinking

October’s value word is “honor” and the Student Influence Team is working on plans for the month. After October, each of the Impact committees will “host” a month of character education. Each group that plans the activities for a month of character education must plan a “get the word out” activity, a “make it stick” activity, and a “make it fun and memorable” activity. We can’t wait to see what they come up with!

New Faces:

Each year the 8th grade class works the school garden. The first two years of the project were tough due to the drought, but this summer the garden flourished. There were: pumpkins, squash, onions, tomatoes, peppers and green beans. Many people from the community were given produce. As we move into fall, the 8th graders will be preparing the soil for the winter and adding natural fertilizer. Plans are under way for a bigger, morecommercial garden next year!

Language Arts and Reading:

We have three new students this year!

Kaleigh Webster is from Coldwater. She is new in the 8th grade. Jessie Parkin is a 7th grader; and she moved to Kiowa County from Larned. She lives on a farm south of Greensburg.

Karely Vargas is also new to the 7th grade. Karely is from Chihuahua, Mexico. The move to Kansas has been a big transition for Karely and her two sisters.

School Garden:

7th graders will be attending Chamber Theatre Production in Wichita on October 23rd. Students will get to experience a professional live theatre. They will see five short story performances, “The Tell-Tale Heart,” “The Legend of Sleepy Hallow,” “The Monkey’s Paw,” “The Necklace” and excerpts from Poe’s “The Raven.”

Grammar is being studied in 7th and 8th grade English classes. The seventh graders are learning about verbs. Verbs are words that name an action or describes a state of being. Verbs describe what is happening in a sentence. Students will learn about action and linking verbs in verb phrases. The eighth graders are working with nouns and pronouns. When the eighth graders finish with nouns and pronouns, they will be writing paragraphs using personal pronouns.

Seventh and eighth grade students are learning about different types of nonfiction writing in Reading class. There are three types of nonfiction writing they will be learning about, narrative, expository, and persuasive. Persuasive writing is meant to convince the reader to adopt a particular point of view or take a particular course of action. Expository writing presents facts and ideas or explains a process. Narrative writing tells the story of real-life experiences. In our reading we will also explore the skills, main idea and fact and opinion. The main idea is the central point or message conveyed in a passage or text. A fact is something that can be proved, while an opinion is a person’s judgment or belief and cannot be proved.