WIZARDS

 

Ms. Hayden

Ms. Lombardi

Mr. Esposito

Ms. Lonardo

Team Website Link: HERE

Team News/Upcoming Events:

The eighth grade Wizard team continues to move half-way through the school year! High school courses have been selected and we just finished taking the NAEP assessment. Teachers have instituted the Wizard of the Month program which highlights two students who demonstrate outstanding teammate qualities. The guidelines were established by our students. Congratulations to a fine group of recipients! Look for their pictures on our team display in the 200 wing.
In May the team will attend a performance by the Chamber Theater Production troupe. The students will see five classic short stories performed in a play format. Thanks to the team fundraiser held in the fall, the cost of the trip was significantly reduced.
As a friendly reminder homework must be in class the day it is due. Students must bring all their materials and be on time for class. Extra help is available after school so touch base with your subject teacher. Do not wait until after the test or quiz! Be pro-active!

English Update:

In English class students will finish reading the play "The Diary of Anne Frank". Students have been showing their acting talents, broadening their depth of knowledge about World War II, and examining complex character traits. One student went to visit the Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC and provided an insightful presentation of her tour and brought back great pictures and newspaper articles of the era in which the Frank family lived. Journal topics about the Anne's story have been assigned with a theme essay to follow this quarter. Looking ahead the drama focus will include a mini unit on three of William Shakespeare's plays.

Please make sure all the requirements are met before turning in an assignment. As always, an approved AR book should be carried at all times, meet set AR deadlines and goals. The books must not be anything read before this quarter and not made into a movie. Frequent discussions are held in class about new books/genres to try that are interesting and not boring. Please check your child's planner and the RIEP's site for test and quiz dates. Study groups are always held the day before a test. Join us!

Social Studies Update:

The students have just finished studying the Constitution of the United States. Through their studies they have learned about all of the rights and responsibilities that come with being a citizen of the United States. The steps involved in the naturalization process and the true meaning of the words contained in the Pledge of Allegiance were also introduced.

With regards to Black History Month, students learned about the adventure of "The Sally," the slave ship owned by the
Brown family and Rhode Island's connection to the slave trade here in America. Groups read excerpts from the original accounts and presented these to the class.
We will be studying about the birth of political parties in the United States and the Jefferson era including the Louisiana Purchase and the War of 1812 in the near future. More interesting historical figures and issues will be presented that reflect the struggles and triumphs that are part of our history during third quarter.

Some students during Period 1 Performance Skills have been reading historical fiction novels such as Rebel Hart which deals with a young fourteen year old girl who was a spy for the Confederate Army and part of a civilian unit known as the Moccasin Raiders, Nory Ryan's Song which deals with the potato famine in Ireland and Irish immigration to America, and The Slave Dancer which deals with the slave trade and the ordeals of slaves aboard a ship sailing from Africa and bound for Cuba. These topics are part of the study of United States History and what will be studying later on in the year.

Various methods of learning have been used in presenting the information studied thus far. Students have created essays, poems, political cartoons and various projects. They have been involved in debating issues, discussion, cooperative learning, using photo story, and given oral presentations in the classroom. They truly enjoyed learning how to use photo story in an integrated Social Studies/English Language Arts unit involving the novel My Brother Sam Is Dead. The unit lasted three weeks and focused on the personal side of the American Revolution along with the history of it. It is important to know how events in our own history are not just cold facts to learn about, but how those events directly impact the everyday life of all people.

Science Update:

Students on the Wizard Team have been participating in many hands-on experiences. In the second quarter, students calculated density through an interactive web site where they had to drop objects into a tub of water to find the volume of the object. They then had to determine what the object was using a density chart of different materials.

Investigations with the conservation of mass were also conducted, where students created a chemical reaction with Alka Seltzer tablets and water. They had to quickly seal the baggie the substances were in to prevent any matter from escaping. They recorded the mass prior to and after mixing the two substances together to discover that the mass stays the same in a chemical reaction. In continuing with the chemistry unit, students had an array of unknown powders and using their knowledge of the characteristic properties of matter, were able to determine what the substances were. This was an enjoyable experience for them because they were able to add vinegar, water, and iodine to the powders and observe the chemical reactions. They were also asked to apply heat to the substances (a candle flame) and record those results.

In Quarter 3, students are working on a Physics Unit. I recommend that they save everything from this quarter over the summer to use as a reference for their 9th grade science class. So far, students are calculating the speed of an object and studying speed graphs. They participated in an activity where they had to calculate the speed in which they chew gum!! Later in the quarter they will be participating in activities demonstrating potential and kinetic energy and the transformation of one type of energy to another.

Extra credit assignments are given each quarter and added on to the lowest quiz grade.

Math Update:

In Math, we will be working on a variety of topics in each class. Period six will be learning about fractions. The class will learn to add, subtract, multiply, divide and compare fractions as well as solve equations using them. Hopefully at the end of chapter five the students will have a greater understanding of fractions. Periods three and seven will be finishing up work with fractions soon and moving on to ratios, proportions and percents. Students will see how fractions, decimals and percents are related and can be interchanged when problem solving. In the algebra section, students will be working to solve linear equations, solving and graphing inequalities and compound inequalities.

After school math assistance is available so touch base with me. Be sure you do your homework and come to class prepared. Ask questions!

Grade 8 Wizards Team

Mrs. Hayden English 206
(Team Leader)
Mr. Esposito Math 201
Mrs. Lonardo Science 107
Mrs. Lombardi Social Studies 205
Mrs. Salisbury Special Education

Team Expectations:

BE PROMPT.
BE PREPARED AND RESPONSIBLE.
BE POLITE AND RESPECTFUL.
BE PRODUCTIVE.

Team Information:

Extra help is provided by the team teachers. Discuss the date and time with them.
Detention is held by individual teachers as needed from to at least 2:20-2:40.
Bring AR books to all classes.
Get to class on time with ALL materials, do not wait for friends.
Upon return from an absence/trip see all teachers promptly for missed work. Some makeup may have to be done after school.