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Team 7-2
Creating a Better Learning Environment (iLab & Math)
Students are using their Design Thinking and Math / Engineering skills in responding to an RFP (Request for Proposal) asking for ways to improve the physical, social, academic and affective aspects of the learning environment at MRMS. They are working individually or in small groups to research and design ways that MRMS can better support student success. In connection with the Better Learning Environment project, students are learning about scale and proportion in Math and will be creating 2 dimensional scale drawings and 3 dimensional models to support their proposals to improve the learning environment at MRMS. Scale drawings and 3D models are due in Math on Friday, Dec. 6th. Final proposals are due Dec. 9th and 10th and students will be presenting their proposals during the last two weeks of the quarter and perhaps into the beginning of 3rd quarter.
Science
What is a cell? What do cells do? How do cells function? How are plant and animal cells different? How are they the same? Cells are the fundamental building blocks of life. Students are exploring cells how they function and work. They will be drawing comparisons to demonstrate their understanding by doing the Cell Simile Project and will be working with 8th graders to study the comparisons between fire and cellular respiration.
Health
Carbs. Proteins. Fats. Vitamins. Minerals. Water. These words appear commonly in our discussions of health. What are they? How do they support good health? How much is enough and how much is too much? Working in groups, students will research these fundamental elements of nutritional health and create a skit or game show to present their learning. continue on page 6
Team 7-2
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Ask your son or daughter to show you the exercise video they created for PE class! Watch out, Jillian Michaels!
Upcoming Events
All 74 students will undergo vision and hearing screening on December 9th or 10th Bridging the Gap Meeting in Room 185: December 11th at 1:15 International Food Day: December 19th information to be sent later.
Quotables
What one word describes the feeling in our pod? Enthusiastic Jack S. Energetic Preston H. Crowded Emily S. Comfortable Macey F. Adventurous Eilyanna E. Action-packed Jack P. Majestic Matt P. Noisy Kenzie D. Exciting Megan D. Fantastic Ian S. Active Alex S.
We are very excited to announce that this year every Mountain Ridge student will be exposed to a minimum of one hour of coding (much thanks to the leadership of Cassandra Stevens, her fantastic students Mats Dale & Henry Kaufman, and, of course, all MRMS teachers volunteers). Each core academic team has at least one teacher who has volunteered to lead the hour of code during the week of December 9-15th. We are very much looking forward to this opportunity for our students. Please see the Hour of Code handout on the next page of this newsletter for more information. Hour of Code Core Teacher Volunteers: Team 7-1: Beck Team 7-2: Fox-Gliessman Team 7-4: Foust Team 8-1: Andriese/Personett Team 8-3: Rasbach Team 8-4: Norton/Peters
World Languages
Bonjour from French class! We are moving along in our learning and approaching December with a great activity that I wanted to share. Students in both 1A and 1B will be creating a digital story using all of the their new vocabulary. We will be working on these stories in class the second week of December and presenting our stories in class before winter break. Make sure to take a peek at your students WL Portfolio to see the latest performance assessments. Hola! from Spanish class! Students in 1B are busy working on learning family vocabulary along with adjectives to describe members of their own family. In 1A class, students are learning how to tell time and talk about their schedules. World Cultures class is comparing family and friendship norms in our country, as well as other countries of the world. These are great topics of conversation for the dinner table, whether your student is in French, Spanish or World Cultures. We wanted to share an interesting article posted on our VHL online textbook site that distinguishes between fluency and functionality of a language. Check it out:
World Languages
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People often talk about the practical upsides to learning a second (a third, a fourth) language, like employability in this global economy. But learning a new tongue is important beyond that. A foreign language helps with the understanding of ones native language. The process of learning to communicate in a foreign language often forces us to learn how to listen. Language provides insight into another way of thinking, another mind-set. This is not to say that everyone must be fluent in multiple languages, just as not everyone is fluent in statistics. There is a difference between functionality and fluency; it may be enough to be proficient. And although English is common around the world, it is far from universal. A little while ago I asked a friend of mine from mainland China an affluent person who moved to Hong Kong a year ago if she would be interested in helping me with my Chinese, and in return I would teach her English. She said she would help me, but replied that she had no interest in learning English. If someone wanted to speak with her, she said, they could learn Chinese.
Team 8-1
Team 8-1 students will be involved in a Notables interdisciplinary unit that has already begun in language arts. They are currently composing a non-fiction narrative about their notable. Students will create a trip as a group of notables. They need to plan their destination, conversation, music choices, and budget costs to represent their particular group on their journey. This culminating activity where they share their trip will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 26.
US History
Good news Patriots - We won the war! Unfortunately the Articles of Confederation did not work, which nearly drove us into a Civil War. Thank goodness for the Constitution - now we are truly united and our liberty has been secured.... Huzzah! Small groups of students are currently working to create a monument/memorial to an early American President. Students will have to communicate and collaborate to create a model of a proposed monument based on the critical events that occurred during the Presidents term of office. Creativity, and Critical thinking is an absolute must for this project. The best project in each class will be awarded a best proposal prize which will qualify the group to a pizza party to be awarded shortly after Thanksgiving Break. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
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Team 8-1
Health/PE
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In health, we are covering some very intense topics: violence prevention and S.O.S (Signs of Suicide). These topics have given our students a chance to see their responsibility with these topics and how they can prevent such tragedies from happening. Then, we had an FBI agent come into class and give us practical ideas and strategies to stay safe. Agent Grusing showed us simple protection tactics to keep ourselves safe and others safe. Good times. In PE, we are pushing our strength and fitness to new levels. We are in our Cross Fit unit that will challenge us to encourage others to be their best, as well as check our resiliency and strength to reach our fullest potential. This month is truly making us think critically and reach into our inner being to cheer on others and perform at 100%. Keep on working hard guys!
Algebra
We are busy studying equations and systems of equations playing Math baseball, creating concept maps, and finding evidence of their usefulness in our daily lives. We are also preparing to register for high school classes in January. Look for an email mid December from Mrs. Andriese that explains the different paths/classes that are available next year for your student.
STEM
We just finished up all of our LEVEL 1 units. Remember they were designed to introduce and entice students in our three areas of learning; Global Awareness, Engineering (electrical & mechanical) and Robotics. Students showed great creativity and program design as they finished up their Robotics Dance programs. Look for their exciting reflection and video on their student ePortfolio. As we finish up this unit and get caught up with all the missing and late work, students up to date are watching I-Robot. Its never been so quiet in my classroom! Looking ahead we will be starting the LEVEL 2 units after Thanksgiving break, and then they will wrap up two weeks after we return in January. This next level provides a great deal of personal interest and design as students learn more about the topic of their choice. On Saturday November 16th, two of our very own teammates; Jack Holland and Henry Kaufman participated in the Douglas County Middle School Robotics Competition. Both these young along with a host of other MRMS students walked away with many awards. Be sure to ask them all about the competition and building with LEGO Mindstorms. Way to go, Jack and Henry. continue on page 16
Team 8-1
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Jack Holland and Henry Kaufman. Although they both had other partners, Team 8-1 was proud to be represented by these young men.
Henry setting up for the MINDSWEEP Challenge. Henry and his partner sweep this challenge!
Team 8-3
Career Expo
Recently, the students of 8-3 attended the Career Expo, where they had the chance to gain knowledge on any field of work that they might be interested in. As a teacher, I saw many students walk in and out of the doors with new ideas of their future in the career Expo. From jobs in engineering to medical fields to military opportunities, students saw it all. If a student asked a worthy question, they could receive a golden ticket to enter in a raffle drawing for a prize. I heard many strong questions like, How was a physicians assistant different from a nurse? As I walked around the Expo, I saw students interacting with successful adults. Not only were they filled with dozens of interesting career ideas, but they were inspired by the amount of opportunities that were presented before them in such a short time. By the time they left that building, their minds were buzzing with potential plans for pursuing several major fields of work throughout their high school and college experience. The Career Expo sparked students interest, and gave them a great preamble to what careers are in store for them as they move through their collegiate years. Submitted by: Maya Doane, Veronica Lennert, Isabel Vaughn, Max frain, Matt Heutmaker, Landon Nolta
Fall Festival
Not only did Team 8-3 get to visit the career expo, but on November 26, we get to put down our pencils and hop on the dance floor. This day is designed to give our brains much needed rest and address every middle school students favorite thing to do: eat! There will be a Thanksgiving feast, a talent show, a social gathering, and best of all, no school work! Our pod is unique; we take breaks throughout the year to have fun! These breaks help us to build relationships with each other, and socially interact. The talent show gives students on 83 a chance to show our nonacademic talents. The Fall Festival is an opportunity for us to relax a bit as we gear up for our next interdisciplinary unit. Submitted by: Annie Chambless, Kersti Kammerer, Barak Morris, Griffin Barnard, Audrey Shearer, Luke Riechert
Team 8-3
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Rave Reviews
Here at 8-3, were just a bunch of bookworms. This month, weve burrowed through stories of all different genres. Unlike many years before, we had to think deeper into the book. Also, we had to come up with higher level questions, character analyses, and predictions. We also have learned to break rules of writing in our book review. Did you know that you're not supposed to indent in a book review? Neither did we. We learned that reading more advanced fiction helps people with human interaction, and reading people's emotions. Throughout the month, Ms. Montague gave us the gift of struggle, and it was the nicest thing we could have received. Submitted by: Allie Chipman, Abbi Cobb, Ara Anner, Tyler Pontius, Joshua Hoffman
STEM
(This group attempted to use as many of the assigned vocabulary words as possible) With Mrs. Rasbach, STEM has seemed more like an odyssey that challenges our thinking than a banal class. Just when we think the class might be deteriorating, BOOM! Were ascending into a new challenge. The projects are very open ended, allowing us to move at our own pace. Weve been able to explore the expanse of basic engineering, global awareness, and robotics. During these projects, we explicitly collaborated with our partners and gingerly improved our projects. When things were about to go awry, we used our critical thinking to postulate. Moving into the advanced studies of our choice is incipient. We affix our studies from STEM in math and science, and vise-versa. We are very grateful for all that we have learned so far this year. We are also grateful for our wonderful teacher and the supplies we have. Submitted by: Lauren Yocom, Natalie Higham, Colter Giem, Regan Lavallee, Trevor Price
Thankful Thoughts
As the holidays approach and we stuff our turkeys, bake our pies, and mash our potatoes, we begin to think about how fortunate we are. Many kids dont have a school to go to due to the floods that swept them away. Although, sometimes we wish we didn't have to go to school, we know we are truly fortunate to have a great school in a perfect location with caring teachers. We are blessed to have people that volunteer their time to prepare us to have a successful future. Even though 99% of the time we are stressed during school, we are lucky to have those that support us and challenge us to do our best. Knowing that many people around us are less fortunate, we realize what we have and how thankful we really are. Submitted by: Hannah Lovell, Maisie Paulson, Nick DiGiulio, Madeline EIlert, Caden Foster
Team 8-4
Science and Language Arts
Students have finished their consumer product testing projects in science and carried their work into Language Arts, where they chose an authentic audience with whom to share the results of their work. Many students have written product reviews for magazines and newspapers, written letters to the companies whose products were tested, and some have even created videos about their test results, to be posted on Mrs. Nortons vimeo account. Through this interdisciplinary study, students have learned about using scientific thinking to become critical consumers as well as how to use Pathos, Ethos, and Logos to communicate their perspective with a variety of audiences in the real world. Students are aware of the ways that advertising claims are used to promote goods and services, not necessarily in the most honest ways. They are also realizing the relationship between producers of goods and services, and the consumers who influence the market both with their purchasing dollars, and the influence of consumer feedback.
Language Arts
Students read novels highlighting adversity to begin to understand and apply how the obstacles in our lives give us strength. This reading connected to our team theme of Foundations, Disequilibrium and Change, as students analyzed what happens when a persons foundation is cracked--this also allowed them to connect their learning to Health and the social/emotional, mental, and phsyical aspects of the Health Triangle. In Advanced Language Arts, students are devouring books and creating novels as we tackle the NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) project, and our very own NaNoReadMo counterpart. As of November 15, this group of voracious readers and inspired writers had written over 125,000 words and read 39,000 pages. Despite their struggles with writers block and demanding schedules, these students are working hard to achieve their goals. Along the way, they are also rediscovering their love for creating stories and getting lost in a good book.
Math
In Math 8 we have been finishing up our unit on variables, algebric expressions, and equations. Students have been learning how to find a missing variable, writing equivalent expressions and combining like terms. Next unit, we will be learning about Pythagorean Theorem! In Algebra, we are finishing up our unit on data analysis. We saw how data and statistics were used by watching Moneyball and we made a class blog making recommendations for Fantasy Football teams. Next we are learning about the distributive property and solving equations. continue on page 20
Team 8-4
STEM
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Students have officially wrapped up Level One of each the rotations of Electrical Engineers, Global Issues, and Robotics. In the Electrical Engineering students learned about what is electricity, how it flows, open and closed circuits, simple and series circuit, and using electrician tools like a multimeter. In level Two, the students will learn more in depth concepts like parallel circuits, resistors, potentiometer which will end with a project called the Hidden Buzzer. For Global Issues, students researched one energy resource (Coal, Natural Gas, Oil, Nuclear, Hydropower, Wind, Solar, Geothermal, Biomass, Biofuels) and then had to have an interesting presentation that will wowed their audience. In Level Two, students will complete an Energy Audit at school and home to come up with a proposal to get off the grid using one of the resources that they learned about in Level One. In Robotics, students used the Lego NXT Mindstorms to learn about basic programming, applying their math skills, and using problem solving skills to complete the basic challenges. In Level Two, they are diving into more indepth challenges and using more of the programming functions like sound, display, and loop.
Social Studies
Students are wrapping up a study of the causes of the American Revolution and are examining ways in which these events united and divided the colonists in what was about to become a new nation. Next, the colonists fight for freedom will begin as we study the American Revolution.
PE/Health
Health wrapped up its last rotation with some honest conversations about social media and the ask.fm website. Currently, students are finishing up a rotation in PE with a Badminton tournament. All athletes get a chance to play for the win in this two-tiered tournament. After a roundrobin format, teams moved into seeded brackets for tournament play.
8th Grade girls basketball has their season ending tournament December 7, 2013 at Douglas County High School. The girls have had a very successful season so far and will assuredly find success at the tournament. 7th grade girls basketball starts December 9, 2013.
The students have numerous opportunities to participate in the many clubs that are ongoing. Please encourage your student to pursue a passion. Students only need an adult in the school to sponsor their club in order to get the ball rolling.
General Announcements
Parents
Thank you, so much for your support of helping our students Pay it Forward to help the Colorado Flood victims! The Penny Wars generated more than 31,000 pennies and with all of the silver sabotage, checks, and cash, we raised over $1500.
Bus passes
If your student wishes to ride a bus other than the one to which he or she is assigned, please send a note to the office with your student giving your permission to ride an alternate bus. Please include the bus number your student will be riding, as well as your signature and a phone number where you can be reached.
Medications at school
The health room does not keep medications such as Tylenol, Benadryl or cold preparations to dispense to students. However, students at the secondary level may carry a single dose of this type of medication in their backpacks. Please note that these medications must be over the counter and in original packaging.
Counseling
Kathy Sheehan Registrar Catherine Scholz 7-1 & 7-2 Counselor Paula Moore 7-4 & 8-3 Counselor Jennifer Hutchings 8-1 & 8-4 Counselor