Sunday, January 26: 6th grade trip update
David W has offered to drive! With these three cars we are set for the trip up to Montpelier.
Please be on time to leave TGS by 7:45 on Thursday morning.
Kathy
Sunday, January 26, 2014
1-26-14
6th grade math update:
The
students will be taking an end of unit assessment early this coming week and then
begin work in a new unit covering the following ideas.
v Review the notations for rational numbers- fractions,
mixed numbers, decimals and percents
v Review ordering of fractions
v Review operations of addition, subtraction, and
multiplication with fractions and extend these to mixed numbers
v Build connection between whole and decimal division and
construct a division algorithm for fractions
v Review the meaning and uses of percents
7th grade
math update:
The students are working in
small groups that allow them to master necessary content and skills as they
build mathematical understanding.
The overarching theme for the rest
of the year will be examining the basic operations for their applications and
connections to algebra, geometry, probability, and statistics.
8th grade math
update:
Group B is
working in the Harold Jacobs book “Elementary Algebra” with the intent of
finishing an Algebra 1 course. The completion of the material will be dependent
on the motivation of each student. Group A is continuing to work on material to
prepare them for Algebra 1 next year. Each year, approximately one third of the
class will be ready for Geometry in 9th grade, one third will be ready for an
accelerated Algebra 1, and one third will be ready for a regular Algebra 1. We
are one half of the way through the school year and this second half goes very
fast for these 8th graders. They will have many assignments and undertakings to
juggle during the spring. Along with all the academic demands they will also be
coping with the emotional upheaval of leaving TGS for new beginnings. Students
will need to dedicate significant time and energy in order to complete the
Algebra 1 course. I am determined to help any student accomplish his or her
math goal for this year, but they will have to take a substantial role in
initiating and following through. I am happy to help before and after school,
but the student must ask. I will continue to have homework hour on Thursdays
after school (3:15-4:30).
Monday, January 6, 2014
January 6, 2014
Happy New Year to one and all!
6th grade NEWS:
Our next trip will be a day trip to Montpelier on Thursday,
January 30. I am looking for driver/chaperones. We leave TGS at 7:45 AM and
return by 5:00 PM. It is a full day with visits to the Vermont Historical
Society Museum, the State House and Supreme Court.
Winter sports start when we return. Please make sure your
child has all the gear to keep them warm outside. An extra set of cloths
stashed in their cubbies is a great back up if they get wet.
6th Math
The students will be exploring the connections between algebra,
arithmetic and geometry as they explore data sets, algebraic expressions and
how these are expressed in graphs. Additional they will be introduced to
constant and variable rates of change.
Monday, December 9, 2013
12-9-13 6th
Grade Update
-Great to see our first wintery weather!
-We are the first class to have all
our ski forms in!!! Mucho Gracias!!!
-One more skating
day this coming Friday 13.
-Make
sure your student has X-C Ski equipment ready to go!
-Please
send warm cloths for sledding.
On Thursday, December 5, Nelson Mandela died. The following
day the class and I spoke briefly about this. Few of the students had much of
an idea of his life and ideas. This seems an important moment in time to stop
and think about leadership and what Mandela contributed to understanding and
fighting for freedom. Beth, my daughter, will be here over the next two weeks
introducing Mandela and his place in South Africa and world history. Below are
some links for the students to explore. The New York Times film has moments of
violence that some may find hard to view.
Beth and I sent home a Mandela quote for the students to share with their
families and start to think about. They will discuss this with Beth on Thursday.
"For
to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that
respects and enhances the freedom of others." (From Long Walk to
Freedom, 1995)
Discuss
this as a family. In your own words, what does this quote mean? How does it
relate to leadership and citizenship? Write down your thoughts for discussion
in class
Monday, December 2, 2013
Welcome Back! I hope you all had a great holiday with family and friends.
UPDATES:
6th Homeroom: I have scheduled our trip to Montpelier for late January and will send out an e-mail with particulars by mid-December. We will visit the Vermont Historical Society Museum, the Vermont State House, and the Vermont Supreme Court. We will visit during the time that Susan Flint, a current 8th graders, is also there engaged as a page at the State House.
Reminders for Friday 6: Skating @ Vermont Academy rink
Nacho Day- lunch for $6
Forms for Ski Program due
6th Math: This week we will be working on finishing up work on decimals and getting ready for the chapter test through converting numbers into scientific notation, extend knowledge of exponential notation and powers of ten and further practice of multiplying and dividing. Our next unit will be jumping into pre-algebra concepts of variables, patterns, formulas and graphs.
7th Math: Some of the students will be finishing up work with rates, ratios and proportions. Others will be working in pre-algebra translating words into algebraic expressions, evaluating expressions, and using formulas in a spreadsheet.
8th Math: The class will come together to work on learning how to use a graphing calculator to graph equations and to expand their understanding of statistics with a new measure of range: mean absolute deviation.
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