John Greenleaf Whittier
Middle School
JANUARY 2012
From the Principal:
Happy New Year! We have made it to the midpoint of our school year. J.G. Whittier Middle School continues to strive to meet the needs of all our students. Please remember our school offers afterschool tutoring on Wednesdays and Fridays by members of our staff. It is important to make sure that all of our students maintain an academic focus in order to meet the requirements for promotion to the next grade level. Parents should check with their child daily to make sure assignments are completed and turned in. Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) is just around the corner and it is important that all students are focused and ready. I appreciate the importance our families place on their students’ education. We continue to urge all parents to become actively involved in your child’s academic achievement. Remember, success comes when we all work together. Also please remember that we are actively enforcing our attendance policy to ensure more time on learning. A detention will be issued if your child has3 unexcused tardy days. Start time at JGW is 8:30 a.m. If your child is going to be tardy please walk them into school in order to sign them in and submit a note as to the reason they are tardy. Please also remember that your child needs to have a note to return to school after being absent. If you have any questions or concerns, please give us a call. Wishing you and your family a happy and healthy 2012. Mrs. Donais
FROM THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL:
We’re collecting used books, CDs, DVDs, audio books and records from the community to help reach our fundraising goals! Every time our book donation container fills up, we get paid by Got Books! We will receive a 10% bonus from Got Books on the books collected in January and February. The more books you donate, the more we can raise!
Don’t know what to do with all those books you’ve read? Bookshelves overflowing? Bring your books down to our fundraising container and drop them in! Our container is located in the J.G. Whittier Middle School parking lot and is accessible anytime. Encyclopedias, magazines and damaged items cannot be accepted.
Clear off those shelves and help a good cause! J.G. Whittier Middle School will benefit from your good deed and we can help save unwanted books from the landfill – please spread the word!
David Callaghan
Assistant Principal
p.s. If you have new, middle school age appropriate books, why not let our librarian take a peak at them first and then we will put what we don’t need in the Got Books container for you!?!?
Guidance
Grade 8 students: Be sure to concentrate on a strong finish to Term 2. Grades, effort, and conduct are all critical for your Whittier VoTech applications and interviews tobe scheduledright after report cards are issued. Be sure your WVT applications have been returned to me, signed by parents.Parents can contact me with any questions.
Linda Hart
School Guidance Counselor
Grade 5
Ms. Sirois-Reading/Language Arts and Social Studies
TheGreen Grouphas just finished a section of storiesin the Trophies Reading Series on teamwork.After vacation, students will be working on a new set of stories that focus onour planet and how it is changing. Thisties into several concepts in Science. Students will also be doing persuasive writing and continuing to expand their grammar skills.
In Social Studies,we are about halfway through learning about the 13 colonies and their regional differences.We've completed study guides and some students made posters trying to persuade colonists to move to different colonies. When we are done with Chapter 6, we willhave our assessment and then move on to the events that lead to the American Revolution.
Mrs Hecht- Reading/Language Arts:
In Writing, we will be taking a writing piece we wrote in September called "How to Make This Year Successful" and expanding on it to develop a newwriting piece about a "New Year's Resolution." In Reading, we are tying in with a Science theme on Earth Science and reading about stories in a theme called "Our Changing Planet."
Ms. Moore – Science:
In January we will begin our study of life science. Students will learn about classification of living things, life cycles, and adaptations. We will be watching videos, reading, and writing to explore these topics. Students will continue to practice their open response writing.
Math-Mrs. Sanquedolce/Ms. Moore
We will continue to practice division. It is a process, and the continued study of math facts is so important! Please remember to practice math facts with your children, perhaps using a set of flashcards or a fun game of saying, "Who knows 9x8?" or "How many sevens are there in twenty-eight?" Also, please make sure your child has a pencil and eraser for math class.
Grade 6
Ferry Beach Ecology School:
The second payment for the sixth grade trip to Ferry Beach Ecology School is due on January 20, 2012. ($100.00)
Mrs. Forrest’s Reading and LA Classes:
We will finish the novel “Esperanza Rising” in January with a culminating project. A major concentration will be teaching MCAS strategies to read text with a specific focus, and strategies to answer both open response and multiple choice questions. The required book report for January is Science Fiction. Our writing focus for the month is to begin work on a city wide Expository essay using poetry.
Mrs. Forrest’s SS Class:
The class will begin work on Climates and Ecosystems and how they impact World Geography. The students will continue research on their “Country” in the Computer lab, completing their organizer and writing a report from their notes. They will present their reports on power points.
Mrs. Forrestall Grade 6:
Reading/ELA:
We will finish our novel study on Number the Stars. We will practice the strategies found in the 6 + 1 rubric, Keys to Literacy, and writing Open Responses. Students continue to practice for the MCAS. A biography book report is due Jan. 25, 2012 along with a "People Book" and reading logs.
Geography:
We continue to move through the Core Concepts of Geography while practicing Open Response answers, vocabulary, map skills, and concept development.
Ms. Walsh – Math:
In Ms. Walsh's math classes, the children are rapping, singing, and reciting math poems and songs that they have written themselves.
They are so creative!
Great job, Children
Mrs. Sullivan, Science:
In sixth grade science we are finishing weather. When we come back from Christmas Break we will be doing climate and climate change. My homework webpage is now up and running so check for any updates you many need.
Grade 7
Mrs. Berthiaume's ELA Classes:
Happy 2012! January is when we explore nonfiction. We will read the expository article "What Makes a Rembrandt a Rembrandt?" by Richard Mülberger.
Students really enjoyed reading the play A Christmas Carol: Scrooge and Marley last month, as well as creating Victorian ornaments!
Ms. Torrisi
Ancient Civilizations:
We are about halfway through the chapter on Ancient Egypt. Students have completed the pharaoh project and and are moving on to the religion (including learning about mummification ) of Egypt. Students will design cartouches by writing their name in heiroglyphics.
We will finish out the chapter by discussing the homelife of the Egyptians and the ancient culture of Nubia.
Science:
We just began the chapter on Modern Genetics. In this chapter the students will learn about human inheritance (what we inherit from our parents), the causes of genetic disorders
(including researching a genetic disorder ) and the advances in genetics by selective breeding and cloning.
GRADE 8
Mrs. Mansour:
8th grade science is currently working on Forces and Motion. They have a major project on Isaac Newton due January 9th. Students can either do a timeline or a video project. If they haven’t already started working on it, I would encourage them to start as soon as break starts.
Mr. Blaustein
Gold Reading & ELA:
We will be continuing our study of Nonfiction literature and we are beginning the Rough Draft of our Persuasive Essay. The topic for this paper is "Whether or not electronic devices should be allowed in school".
U.S. History
We will be studying the The United States Constitution, the Bill of Rights and all it's subsequent amendments. We will wind up our constitutional studies by creating a Ken Burns style documentary on the implications of Brown v Board of Education.
Green, White, and Brown
All three sections have completed the rough draft of their Patriot essays and should be working on their final drafts. We are currently studying the process of the creation and ratification of the United States Constitution. When we finish that we will begin to study the constitution itself.
SPECIAL AREAS
In Music Class:
We are bringing in the new year with musical cheer! Students will be doing more with rhythm versus beat, singing songs, and playing percussion instruments.
Art News from Mrs. Porter:
Grade 5 studentswill make Native American Dreamcatchers this month.
Grade 6 artists will start off their painting unit with a winter trees painting using unusual tools.
Grade 7 students are beginning their Symbolic Self Portraits in Tempera Batik.
Grade 8 artists will complete their Lino Block prints and start their Pop Art shoes in pastel chalk