Eagle Team

Language Arts-The students received spelling packet Lesson 8 again on Tuesday.  The test score they receive this week will replace their previous scores.  We are taking the Acuity test on Wednesday and will be starting Greek and Latin root words.

Social Studies-We will be doing some more research on the family history projects, looking specifically at what life was like during the particular events. The student’s time-lines came out well.  On Thursday and Friday we will go back to looking at the themes of location and place when we have the Omniglobe in the classroom.  There is a current event due Friday, on a general topic.

Math - Thanks to all of you who were able to attend our spring conferences last week.  If you were not able to attend, you can always reach us through email at any time.  This week in blocks 1 and 2, we will be doing Power of U every day except Wednesday.  We will be working on CSAP practice on Wednesday-please remember to bring your completed homework packet from over break with you to class tomorrow.  You can always view your dashboard and skills at home by clicking here.

Block 3 will be finishing up our chapter by focusing on finding missing sides of similar shapes.  Students in this class will also be completing some CSAP practice as well.  On Friday, we will be doing the next round of  Sigma (a national math competition).  Students will have homework this week so be sure to check the homework calendar.

We have scheduled 20 Eagles for conferences on Wednesday, February 15th.  If you have not received information about scheduling a conference, you are welcome to come to drop-ins on Thursday, February 16th.  We will be available from 8:30-2:00 pm and 2:30-7:00 pm (please note, this is a change from the schedule we posted yesterday) in room 28.

Language Arts: Students will not have a spelling packet, or test, this week because it is a short one.  We are focusing on the family history project this week.  Students will be finishing their research and completing their time-lines.

Social Studies: We will not have a current event this week, due to only having three days of school.  The students should have completed their family tree and interviews before today.  We will take that information, as well as the specific details about world events and compile it on a time-line.  The final copy of the time-line is due on Wednesday.  The next step of this project will be writing a paper telling their family story.

Math - Blocks 1 and 2 will have Power of U on Monday and Tuesday, and CSAP practice with their protege teacher on Wednesday.  Students need to turn in their completed SOAR Card (front and back) on Wednesday.  Students will be receiving a CSAP practice packet to complete at home over the long weekend.  It will be due on Wed., 2/22.

Block 3 will be working through the last part of Chapter 4.  We will be focusing on dilations and similar shapes.  Students will have one assignment (assigned today) that is due on Wednesday.

Language Arts:  Our focus this week will be finishing the persuasive essay we have been working on in class.  The final will be due later on this week.  Students received spelling packet #9 on Monday, and that will be due on Friday.  Please check with your students to make sure they are getting these completed.  Many are not turning them in incomplete, or not turning them in at all.  Later this week, we will begin researching for the family history project we will be working on with Miss Klein’s classes.

Math - This week in Blocks 1 and 2, the Power of U Program continues.   Remember to have a conversation with your child about how he/she is doing in Power of U, and what skills are challenging.  We encourage students to log-in each evening before their lessons to look at what they will be learning the next day to build background knowledge.  If your child feels he/she needs extra practice on any skills, Ms. Platkus and Mrs. Naughton are available every day at lunch to offer extra practice on those skills.  Students need to have a parent signature each week on their pink SOAR cards before they are turned in on Wednesdays.  To access the Power of U website, click here.  Students will be meeting with their protege teacher in place of Power of U on Friday, due to a 7th grade field trip.

In Block 3, students will be finishing up using linear models to represent relationships between parts and the whole to solve problems. The later part of the week will be spent representing data using a variety of forms (histograms, stem-and-leaf, box-and-whisker plots).  Students will continue to have homework, so please check the homework calendar for assignments.

Social Studies: We are finishing up our study of what places are like and moving on to the beginning of the history unit.  As an introduction, students will be researching their own family history and make connections to events that have happened in America.  The students are really excited about this project.  Today they received a blank family tree and were given the instruction to fill in their parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents names.  They need to finish those today and bring them back tomorrow.  We will be working on this with Mrs. Breibarth and Miss Hoehn and the students will be writing a paper about what they find.

Now that we have the ipads in social studies, we are able to utilize some of the utilities.  One of those programs is Dropbox, which is where students can save work done on any computer.  It works on both macs and pcs.  The program is free to download and use.

To use the program: go to http://www.dropbox.com/ and download the program.  After you install it, login and you are all set:

E-mail:jksstudies@gmail.com

password:ipadsr0ck

I am looking forward to using this program.  I think it will be a great resource.

Language Arts: All Spelling Packets need to be completed each Friday. There have been several students who do not turn in the packet, or do not even complete it.  This will negatively impact their grade.  We will be working on the persuasive essay in class this week.  We are also finishing the vocabulary study from Walk Two Moons.  Students need to read 20 minutes each night.  Spelling Packet lesson 8 is due on Friday.  Warm-ups that are completed in class are due Thursday.

Social Studies: We are finishing up our geography study this week by focusing on how location affects how people live.  We will be finishing that on Friday, and we will be starting our study of history on Monday.  We do have a current event that is due on Friday.  The topic for this week is the Presidential Election.  If students do not have their current event sheet at home, you can find it on the “Social Studies Homework” section of the Eagle website.

Math - This week in Blocks 1 and 2, the Power of U Program continues.   Remember to have a conversation with your child about how he/she is doing in Power of U, and what skills are challenging.  We encourage students to log-in each evening before their lessons to look at what they will be learning the next day to build background knowledge.  If your child feels he/she needs extra practice on any skills, Ms. Platkus and Mrs. Naughton are available every day at lunch to offer extra practice on those skills.  Students need to have a parent signature each week on their pink SOAR cards before they are turned in on Wednesdays.  To access the Power of U website, click here.

In Block 3, we are beginning Chapter 4 and this week’s focus will be using a linear model to examine part-whole relationships to help solve problems involving percentage.  Throughout the week, we will revisit a data display called “Box and Whisker Plots” that was covered briefly before winter break.  Students will continue to have homework assignments.  Please check the homework calendar.

The Eagle Team Conference Schedule is as follows:

Wednesday, February 15, 2012: 1:30PM to 7:00PM-These conferences will be scheduled.  If your child has a scheduled conference, a sheet of possible times will be sent home on Tuesday, January 31st.  Those sheets need to be returned by Friday, February 2nd.
Thursday, February 16, 2012: 8:30AM to 7:00PM-These conferences will be drop-ins.  Our dinner break will be from 1:00-1:30, and we won’t be available during that time.

Language Arts: We are continuing to focus on studying vocabulary from Walk Two Moons, reviewing the last set of words.  Students will also be starting their rough drafts for the persuasive essay possibly later this week.  Reading logs are due Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday.  Spelling packet 7 and test are due Friday. 

Social Studies: We are continuing our study of location, focusing on longitude and latitude.  I have observed that most of the students need some more practice plotting points on the map, so we will continue to practice that.  Next, we will be focusing on the theme of place, specifically about how life is different.

Language Arts- This week we are watching the Zachary Beaver Movie.  They have a Root word quiz wednesday and the students will begin the Argument and Persuasion Unit on Thursday with Ms. Wirt.  Spelling for the week is #9 and is due Friday. The students have library tomorrow-Tuesday so please remind them to bring in their books and fee money if they have a fine. Thanks and have a great week!

Math - This week in Blocks 1 and 2, students will be doing Power of U on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.  On Wednesday, students will report to their regular (protege) teacher for reflection and to turn in their SOAR cards.  The SOAR cards need a parent signature by Wednesday every week.  We will be continuing to practice sixth grade CSAP material on Wednesdays.

In Block 3, we will our practice of the 5-D process for problem-solving.  We will end  Ch. 3 by Friday, and will have a small assessment on the 5-D Process.

Language Arts: This week, the students will be choosing a lexile book that is at their current reading level. They need to read this book during SSR, or at home.  Reading bookmarks will be sent home on Wednesday.  Spelling packet lesson 5 was assigned on Tuesday and is due Friday, along with the test. We are also studying the last section of vocabulary from Walk Two Moons.

Social Studies: We are in full swing in social studies!  Our first unit for the semester is geography.  This week we will be working on vocabulary, and starting to read and interpret different types of maps.  Our essential question for this unit is “How does where people live affect how they live?”, using map skills to develop how location affects people.  A current event was assigned Tuesday and is due on Friday.  The students can choose any topic for this assignment.

Math - In blocks 1 and 2, students have officially begun the Power of U Program.  Students will be learning two lessons per day, and assessed accordingly.  If students pass their assessment on a skill, they will move on to a new skill.  If students do not pass an assessment on a skill, students will be reassigned that skill for a second or third attempt if needed.  On average, it takes students around two attempts to master/pass an assessment.  To access the Power of U website to view your student’s progess, visit the website http://thompson.powerofu.com and log in using your student’s log-in and password.  Please check with your child to determine his/her log-in and password.

In block 3, we will be finishing up simplifying algebraic expressions for perimeter and area.  We will finish off the week solving word problems using a strategy called “The 5-D Process.”  (The first step to writing an algebraic equation.)  Students will have their first quiz of the quarter on Friday.

Hello! My name is Ms. Toni Hoehn and I will be student teaching for Mrs. Breitbarth this spring semester. I was born and raised in Eagle County, Colorado and moved to Fort Collins to attend Colorado State University. I have my degree in Communication Studies and in May, I will receive an endorsement in Speech and a secondary endorsement in English at Colorado State University. I am excited to work with the students and I look forward to being a part of the Conrad Ball Middle School community.

To e-mail Miss Hoehn: toni.hoehn@thompsonschools.org