Team Leader: Mrs. Spaziano jspaziano@cpsed.net
Mrs. Mollo's Website | Mr. Dengel's Website
News from the Phoenix Team
Happy New Year! Welcome back to school and welcome to 2012 from the Phoenix Team Teachers!
In Math we will be working on algebraic expressions, solving expression, working with integers, solving equations and inequalities. We will have a lesson using Chex and Cheerios to help students with adding positive and negative integers. We will also be taking the first common task which is administered to all seventh grade students in the Cranston school district. Remember, grades close on January 26th so encourage your student to complete all homework and study for tests and quizzes.
Science Classes are moving onto Motion and Forces in January. We will be doing experiments with distance, time and speed. Students will differentiate between speed, velocity, and acceleration. Students will investigate unbalanced forces and do experiments involving gravity and friction. Students will calculate forces and show how differences in forces result in a change in velocity and direction.
In Mr. Thompson’s social studies classes we will be moving towards modern Latin America. The students will complete the first common task in social studies and we will reflect upon our field trip to the Pequot Museum. The quarter will end on January 26th and the books will be exchanged. The classes will examine the theme of geography and how humans have impacted the geography of the world and our area! The next project will be based upon the students’ culture and will be completed during the third quarter.
Mrs. Larkin's Social Studies classes have been studying the ancient civilizations of the Aztecs, Mayans and Incas. Individual students were assigned one of these groups to research. Students needed to explore these fascinating cultures and the contributions they made to the world. Upon completion of their fact gathering mission students will write an essay on their topic. They have been given specific guidelines as to what information should be placed into each of the paragraphs in their writing piece. This project is aligned with the Park View Middle School school wide Student Learning Objective (SLO's) on expository writing. Final drafts will be due on Monday, January 9, 2012 and then students will begin to use the T.A.G. system to discuss the essays as they are presented orally to the class.
January will be a very busy month for English Language Arts as students will complete their common task as well as a midyear Star Reading Assessment. Grades close for second quarter on January 26th and this is also the cut-off date for Accelerated Reading. Students should continue to read for thirty minutes each night. The secret to success is selecting the right book, and there are over three thousand titles from which to choose. We will also complete the novel, Locomotion, written in verse by Jacqueline Woodson.
Happy New Year to all the students on the Phoenix Team! I hope all students received some badly needed school supplies over the holidays. Pencils and pens along with folders and binders were all in need of replacing prior to the holiday vacation. This is also a great time of year to reorganize. Go through binders and folders and get rid of papers that are not needed. Make sure you include homework folders in the clean out! Being prepared and organized will be the key to a successful 2012!