TBMS Weekly Newsletter - Issue 25-26.12

SEVENTH GRADE

In seventh grade ELA, we paused in our reading of The Breadwinner to spend a week analyzing “The Landlady” by Roald Dahl. The students enjoyed unpacking Dahl’s work in teams during an ELA-focused Flex period. Groups examined how Dahl used diction, foreshadowing, characterization, setting imagery, and dramatic irony to create a dark and suspenseful mood within his work. In the following ELA class, students informally presented on their assigned literary device. Other activities related to “The Landlady” included a comparison of the text to the German fairy-tale “Hansel and Gretel” to examine how each work similarly developed the theme of appearances can be deceiving, and a vocabulary one-pager. 

Looking ahead, over the next few weeks in ELA, students will finish the remaining chapters in The Breadwinner, write an essay on how the protagonist developed over the course of the story, and take a quiz on our current grammar focus: sentences, fragments, and run-ons.  

During Flex, students continue to have balanced time between academic support and lessons in ELA and math. During their academic time, students are seeking help from teachers, catching up and staying on top of assignments, and completing assessment revisions or retakes. During ELA and math lessons, students are receiving additional support or enrichment activities in those subject areas. 

EIGHTH GRADE

Matter and energy are the focus of our current unit in science. Students have learned the major sub-categories of matter and energy, how matter transforms from type to type and energy transforms from type to type.  We are ending this unit with a guided inquiry about balances and student presentations about topics in powering our society with electricity. In the inquiry about balances, students have a chance to try to make a math equation to express how a balance works. 

In the energy research jig-saw project, each student will be presenting one source or storage technique including a basic explanation of how it works and the pros and cons of using the method. The knowledge from this unit will be used throughout the year to further understanding of physics and chemistry.

In flex students have had academic time to pick away at the work for all of their classes.  They have been able to seek help they need with their choice of teacher, and they have been able to forge ahead on group work. Other days students have had tiered lessons in ELA and math. 

UNIFIED ARTS

Hey everyone it's Kae Pierron the art teacher here with your UA update for this week's newsletter! 

I hope you’re all enjoying the fall season! It’s been such a wonderful and creative time in the art room! 

Sixth grade has just started painting neon sign designs while learning all about tints and shades. They’ve been experimenting with color mixing to make their designs seem to glow just like real neon lights! Such a fun way to “light up” our art hallway this season.

They also finished their abstract line art projects not too long ago and those came out great!

Seventh and eighth graders recently wrapped up their monochromatic landscape paintings, and they look amazing! Each student used just one color to explore value and mood, creating peaceful and expressive scenes.

Now, they are getting started with clay! So far, they’ve been learning the basics, how to join pieces, roll coils, and add texture. It’s been exciting to see everyone dive into a new medium and get their hands dirty (in the best possible way!).

I’m so proud of all the creativity and hard work happening every day. As we head toward the holidays, I can’t wait to see what beautiful artworks they create!

Hope you enjoyed a peek into the art room. Until next time, see you all in winter!