Principal's Message

Wayzata Public Schools has committed resources so that all schools are safe. We have made facility upgrades as well as updated our practices. Included in our practices is how we respond to emergency situations. We are required to conduct 10 emergency drills each year. This includes 5 evacuations and 5 lockdown drills. We will also conduct two severe weather drills. We have completed two drills already this year and are planning to conduct future drills at various times of the school day.

Another level of security is limiting the amount of people having access to the building when students and staff are present. Parents may drop off students at door #3 beginning at 7:45 a.m. Access is limited to the cafeteria from 7:45-8:50 a.m. Parents and students have access to classrooms and the office from 8:50-9:10 a.m. After 9:10 a.m., parents and visitors must sign in at the greeter's desk at door #1. Our top priority is maintaining a safe environment for our students and staff. Thank you for supporting this effort.

Parent/Teacher Conferences

Fall Parent/Teacher Conferences - Mark Your Calendars

Conferences will be held on October 23, 25, and 30 from 4:30-9:00 p.m. The conference scheduler will be open on Monday, October 8 at 9:00 a.m. More information will follow on how to schedule conferences.

Math

What We've Been Working On

• Analyzing proportional and non-proportional relationships
• Solving proportions in multiple ways

Question(s) to Ask Your Student About What We've Learned

• Why does it matter if a relationship is proportional or not?

What We're Working on Next

• Simplifying and comparing algebraic expressions
• Solving equations

Question(s) to Ask Your Student About Upcoming Material

• How do you build an algebraic expression with algebra tiles?

Accelerated Math

What We've Been Working On

• We have been learning about function, their domain and their range.

Question(s) to Ask Your Student About What We've Learned

• What is the fancy math notation for "all real numbers"?
• What is the difference between domain and range?

What We're Working on Next

• Our second unit is a review of linear functions. Because much of this unit is review, we will be moving quickly through it.

Question(s) to Ask Your Student About Upcoming Material

• How do you find slope? How can you find the equation of a line from 2 points?

Language Arts

What We've Been Working On

• Students wrote and presented their "Where I'm From" poems focusing on using imagery to teach others about their culture, history, and personality.

Question(s) to Ask Your Student About What We've Learned

• Can I read your poem?

What We're Working on Next

• We will begin our "Decisions, Decisions" unit by reading several short stories and learning to annotate for sign posts (places where students identify a memory moment, words of the wiser, and a-ha moments).

   

• Students will being having literary discussions about the stories they read.

   

• Students will also begin priming to read the novel Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen. We encourage you to read the novel so you can discuss it with your child. It is a great book!

Question(s) to Ask Your Student About Upcoming Material

• What are some things you need to do to be successful at classroom discussions?

Notes

• Please remember to discuss what your child is reading. In order to be on track to finish five books by the end of the quarter, they should have 2 books completed by October 5.

Science

What We've Been Working On

• The students have been working with the scientific method.

Question(s) to Ask Your Student About What We've Learned

• How many variables can you change in an experiment?

What We're Working on Next

• The periodic table including metals and non metals

Question(s) to Ask Your Student About Upcoming Material

• What does the statement "metals are good conductors" mean?

Social Studies

What We've Been Working On

• Students began work on the "Where in the World" Project, which focuses on doing research in order to thoroughly describe the physical and human characteristics of a place.
• Students took their first country locations test on the region of Latin America.

Question(s) to Ask Your Student About What We've Learned

• What was the most fascinating thing you learned about the place you chose for your Where in the World project?

What We're Working on Next

• Students will begin work on our first major unit of study - "Mapping Skills" - which will incorporate both textbook and in-class presentations to teach students how to better analyze and understand maps.
• Students will take the Europe Country Locations assessment.

Question(s) to Ask Your Student About Upcoming Material

• Why are all maps other than globes distorted in some way?

Notes

• Students should be continuing to use Lizardpoint.com to study for their country locations tests. Feel free to have them show you the website and their progress on the practice tests!

Communications

What We've Been Working On

• Getting to know you activities; introduction to journalism

Question(s) to Ask Your Student About What We've Learned

• What have you learned a good journalist does?

What We're Working on Next

• We will be starting an in depth research journalism section where students will find an issue they are passionate about and learn stories about the event.

Question(s) to Ask Your Student About Upcoming Material

• What issues are important to you? What's your angle on that issue?

Health

What We've Been Working On

• Health Triangle and Influences on Health

Question(s) to Ask Your Student About What We've Learned

• Which internal influences affect your decision making the most? External?

What We're Working on Next

• Mental Health
• Self-Esteem
• Stress
• Mental Illness

Question(s) to Ask Your Student About Upcoming Material

• What can we do to help support those who may be struggling with mental illness?
• What does "everyone is going through something" mean and how to we live this out in our behavior towards others?

Phy. Ed.

What We've Been Working On

• Endurance and interval training

Question(s) to Ask Your Student About What We've Learned

• What is the difference between these two types of exercise?

What We're Working on Next

• Fitness testing and sports units 

Question(s) to Ask Your Student About Upcoming Material

• What is one fitness test you hope to improve on from last year?

Notes

• Students are expected to change into their PE clothes, but many are not. Please check Skyward to see if your child is or is not. 

Choir

What We've Been Working On

• Sight reading with solfege
• Singing in unison
• Hearing and notating rhythmic patterns

Question(s) to Ask Your Student About What We've Learned

• What task is easiest for you in Hear it, Read/Perform it, Write it?

What We're Working on Next

• Sight reading
• Introducing repertoire
• Time signatures
• Dotted notes

Question(s) to Ask Your Student About Upcoming Material

• What does a dot do when added to a note? (Answer: adds half the value of the note it follows). What are some examples? (Answer: dotted half note, dotted quarter note)

Notes

• 7th and 8th grade students interested in auditioning for the MN ACDA Honor Choir need to have materials and fees to Mrs. Hartje by Wednesday, Sept. 26.

   

• Orders for Blue Wayzata Polo shirts are due by Wednesday, October 7.

Band

What We've Been Working On

• We have been playing from our new "Harmony Bridge" book, learning to play the melody "Country Gardens" and started our musical journey on our December concert song "Darklands March".

Question(s) to Ask Your Student About What We've Learned

• What is Harmony Bridge?

What We're Working on Next

• We will be studying the time signature 6/8. Our next solo song is titled "A Day In Venice". This song is in 6/8 time.

   

• We will also continue our study of "Darklands March".

Question(s) to Ask Your Student About Upcoming Material

• Play a portion of the solo song "Country Gardens".

Notes

• Students should have turned in the blue colored "Test #1 - Checklist For Band"

   

• Our first home practice calendar named "DQ Blizzard" is due by Tuesday, September 25.

Orchestra

What We've Been Working On

• D Major Review
  
• Finger Patterns
  
• Posture Review

Question(s) to Ask Your Student About What We've Learned

• What are some checkpoints for good posture on your instrument?

What We're Working on Next

• Bowing Review
  
• Note Reading
  
• D and G major

Question(s) to Ask Your Student About Upcoming Material

• What is an area you want to improve in this year in orchestra?

Notes

• Students are assigned a practice SMART goal "calendar" every two weeks. Instruments should be traveling to and from school each orchestra day.

Music X

What We've Been Working On

• We took an assessment on the treble and bass clef notes.

Question(s) to Ask Your Student About What We've Learned

• Tell me the names of the lines in the treble clef.

What We're Working on Next

• We will be studying The Beatles and learning the basics of the piano keyboard.

Question(s) to Ask Your Student About Upcoming Material

• Who are the four members of The Beatles?

Notes

• I would like students to have a three ring binder dedicated to Music X. Bring this to class each "Day 2"

Art

What We've Been Working On

• Students researched an artist of their choice with the goal of creating a reproduction of that artist's art work.
• Students designed their "shattered name" project and started using drawing pencils to shade the project.

Question(s) to Ask Your Student About What We've Learned

• How do you create a "value" scale, how are you using value scales in your shattered name project?

What We're Working on Next

• Students will finish their shattered name projects and begin a self-portrait project in which they take a selfie, then grid the selfie to create a self-portrait. They will use drawing pencils to add value to the self-portrait.  

Question(s) to Ask Your Student About Upcoming Material

• How do you use a grid to up-scale an image for a drawing? What process are you using to shade your self-portrait?

Tech Ed

What We've Been Working On

• Basic Programming Challenge
  
• Beyond the Basics Programming

Question(s) to Ask Your Student About What We've Learned

• What was the hardest part of programming and why?

What We're Working on Next

• Inventor CAD review from last year
  
• Sumobot unit starts

Question(s) to Ask Your Student About Upcoming Material

• What types of things did you do in Inventor?

Notes

• There is a $30 lab fee that is associated with making the Table project. The fee can be paid through EPay (on our school's website – a printed receipt would help me record it) , cash or check (made out to EMS). If there is a financial hardship please feel free to send me an email at Terri.Bostrom@Wayzataschools.org.

  Check out Skyward to see if it has been paid or not.

FCS

What We've Been Working On

• We had a guest presenter from Sojourners who taught us about about identifying our core values, personal space, and healthy relationships. We have also learned about how to communicate, how to best handle conflict, peer pressure and cliques.
• Our first test, on Interpersonal Relationships, was today.

Question(s) to Ask Your Student About What We've Learned

• Why it is important to know your core values when in a relationship?

What We're Working on Next

• Our next unit is Resource Management.
• We will learn how to: thread needles, tie knots, make a running stitch, sew on a button, and make a small project.

Question(s) to Ask Your Student About Upcoming Material

• What are you most excited about learning?

Spanish

What We've Been Working On

• We worked on Hispanic Heritage & talking about family.

Question(s) to Ask Your Student About What We've Learned

• How can you describe a family member in Spanish?

What We're Working on Next

• We will work on ordering food in a restaurant in Spanish.

Question(s) to Ask Your Student About Upcoming Material

• What food words do you remember in Spanish from 7th grade?

Gifted & Talented

What We've Been Working On

• We will meet for our first time on Monday, September 24.

Question(s) to Ask Your Student About What We've Learned

• Do you know when your first seminar is?

What We're Working on Next

• We will review expectations and the NUMATS opportunity. We also also set SMART goals by look back at our winter MAP data.

Question(s) to Ask Your Student About Upcoming Material

• What is your SMART goal?

PTO News

Destination ImagiNation Information Night for parents and Team Managers is Tuesday, Sept. 25, from 6:30-7:30 at Central Middle School. Visit www.wayzatadi.org for more information on D.I.

Register now for Fall Youth and Adult Enrichment!
Check out some of our opportunities for Middle School students:

Chess Team
Kung Fu Wu Shu

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12000 Ridgemount Avenue, Plymouth, MN 55441 | 763-745-6200