8th Grade Classroom Update - December 7, 2018

8th Grade Parent Newsletter

December 7, 2018

Principal's Message

Dear Parents and Guardians,

The safety of your student is important to us at East Middle School. This certainly includes their safety as they leave the school building for the day and load into your personal vehicles.

As you arrive to pick up your student, please start the parking line as far as possible to the North past the building. Continue the line along the curb without leaving any gaps. If a vehicle in front of you leaves, please carefully pull forward to fill that space. As you enter the lot, please join this line at the end.

When this area in front of the school fills with vehicles, we ask that you would not park on Ridgemount Ave. This is unsafe for you, other drivers, and especially our students using the crosswalk to cross the street. You are asked at this point to enter the parking lot and find an open parking space to use until the school period is over.

We also want you to share this information with your student as you now may not be in your "Regular" spot. The traffic clears out quite quickly so just a moment's patience is well worth the time. More snow and ice is on the way so as always please drive carefully and watch for students.

Thank you

Giving Tree

Would you like to help some of our families this holiday season? As the winter holiday season approaches, many of us are excited about family gatherings and celebrations. Yet, there are many East families worried about not having the means for family celebrations this year.

We are asking EMS students, families and staff who are able to provide a donation to assist us in meeting the needs of our less fortunate families. If you would like to help East families this holiday season, look for the Giving Tree in the school's front entryway or at the winter music concerts and Wolf Ridge meeting. Choose a "leaf" from the Giving Tree, purchase the gift card indicated on the leaf, and return it to Beth Dahl in the front lobby by Wednesday, December 19. All donations will be given anonymously to families in our school community.

If you have any questions about the giving tree, please contact Debbie Kimlinger in the student services office at 763-745-6231 or Debbie.Kimlinger@wayzataschools.org. Thank you for helping our students and families this holiday season.

Lifetouch School Pictures - Special Offer

Lifetouch is offering a free photo book by ordering school pictures online.

Math

What We've Been Working On

How to solve multi-variable equations for one of the variables.
How to solve equations with fractional coefficients.
How to find the point where two lines intersect (systems of equations).
How to use the connections between graphs, tables, rules, and patterns to solve problems.

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

What does it look like on a graph when a system of equations has no solution?
What does it look like on a graph when a system of equations has infinite solutions?

What We're Working on Next

We will be having NWEA MAP testing. Then we are doing W.I.N. time (What I Need). Students will have opportunities to practice and/or extend their skills from this year so far!

Question(s) to Ask Your Student About Upcoming Material

How can you prepare yourself for MAP testing?

Notes

Have your student show you their math homework stamp sheet.
Nightly homework numbers are found on the Canvas calendar.
Check Skyward for assessment scores.

Accelerated Math

What We've Been Working On

We have been working on writing and using explicit and recursive equations for both arithmetic and geometric sequences.

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

How do you pronounce arithmetic? Why is it different than what we are used to?
What is the difference between arithmetic and geometric?

What We're Working on Next

We will be MAP testing next week. The math portion of the MAP test is Monday and Tuesday. After we finish Unit 5, we will do a mini self-paced unit on geometry.

Question(s) to Ask Your Student About Upcoming Material

How did you do on the MAP test? Did you meet your expected growth?

Language Arts

What We've Been Working On

We have been reading science fiction short stories, and now students are reading a science fiction novel that they chose for a book club.

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

Tell me about your science fiction book. Do you like the main character? Is he/she believable?

What We're Working on Next

Yesterday, students got a creative writing assignment to write a snapshot of a science fiction story. We will be working on these in class, but they will also need your help at home with some parent editing and revising. You can look forward to that!
Their books and creative stories (vignettes) will be due before winter break.

Question(s) to Ask Your Student About Upcoming Material

Let me see your science fiction vignette. Did you add dialogue? Did you add flashback? Are you using a variety of sentence patterns?

Science

What We've Been Working On

We covered the layers of the atmosphere and properties of air.

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

What layer does the weather occur in? Why?

What We're Working on Next

Reading weather maps and predicting the weather

Question(s) to Ask Your Student About Upcoming Material

What kind of weather does a cold front bring?
What weather is associated with low pressure?

Social Studies

What We've Been Working On

Students completed preliminary research on the country they chose for their Global Festival Project.
Students began work on the physical map they are creating for their Global Festival Project.

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

What is one fascinating thing you have learned about your country for the project?

What We're Working on Next

Students will finalize the large-scale map of their country that they will be displaying for their project.
Students will complete the Physical Photos and Captions portion of the Global Festival Project.

Question(s) to Ask Your Student About Upcoming Material

Have you and your partner made a decision on the five physical features you will highlight in the Physical Photos and Captions part of your project?

Notes

Students have begun work on the first stages of their Global Festival Project. Please don't hesitate to ask them how things are going...specifically, how they are doing with communicating with their partner(s)! Thanks-

Communications

What We've Been Working On

We finished our media literacy unit and took the assessment for it.

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

What did you learn about persuasive appeals and techniques?

What We're Working on Next

We will be writing our argumentative essay.

Question(s) to Ask Your Student About Upcoming Material

What is your topic, side, and may I read what you have written so far?

Health

What We've Been Working On

Accessing Valid and Reliable information
Pregnancy
Fetal Development and Birth

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

What makes a source valid and reliable?

What We're Working on Next

Relationships, Consent
Contraception, Abstinence, Sexually Transmitted Infections
Analyzing Influences

Question(s) to Ask Your Student About Upcoming Material

What are the most effective methods of contraception?
What influences one's choice to be sexually active and how are those influences positive or negative?

Phy. Ed.

What We've Been Working On

Mr. DeVoe's classes have been participating in an indoor game unit.
Mrs. Mozey's classes have been participating in badminton.

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

What are some types of games you have played during the games unit?
What are some of the badminton shots covered during badminton?

What We're Working on Next

During the next two weeks, classes will flip units: Mozey - Indoor games, DeVoe - Badminton.

Question(s) to Ask Your Student About Upcoming Material

Would any of the upcoming units planned help you in accomplishing the SMART goal you set for your fitness testing?

Choir

What We've Been Working On

Preparing for our Winter Concert: Students are learning the form of the music, identifying unison vs harmonic sections, memorizing, unifying vowel sounds, and learning to sit and stand with appropriate singing posture.

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

What is the proper way to sit when singing at a Level 2?

What We're Working on Next

Finishing touches to our Winter Concert: Checking that posture is performance ready, eyes are focused on conductor, memorizing songs and faces show the expression of the piece.

Question(s) to Ask Your Student About Upcoming Material

How can you rehearse your music at home without singing?

Notes

The Winter Concert is December 17 at 7:40 p.m.

Band

What We've Been Working On

We have been placing our complete attention, study, and practice towards our December concert songs:
1. Temblor
2. Ancient Curses
3. Darklands March
4. Ye Banks and Braes O' Bonnie Doon
5. Everything is Awesome

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

I hear you have worked on the song "Darklands March" a ton. Please select your favorite 12 measures and play them for me.

What We're Working on Next

We will focus our attention on "how" the composer wants us to play our December concert songs.
1. Temblor
2. Ancient Curses
3. Darklands March
4. Ye Banks and Braes O' Bonnie Doon
5. Everything is Awesome

Question(s) to Ask Your Student About Upcoming Material

I really enjoy the "Lego Movie" song "Everything Is Awesome"!! Play a few measures of this song for me.

Notes

Students should be focusing their home practice on our five concert songs. They should study and practice the correct notes and rhythms. Plus students should strive towards playing all dynamic markings. Our concert songs include the following:
1. Temblor
2. Ancient Curses
3. Darklands March
4. Ye Banks and Braes O' Bonnie Doon
5. Everything is Awesome

Orchestra

What We've Been Working On

Concert Music Preparation

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

Which concert piece do you need the most improvement on before your concert?

What We're Working on Next

Concert Music Preparation

Question(s) to Ask Your Student About Upcoming Material

How will you keep yourself on track to be prepared for your concert on Dec. 20?

Notes

Our concert is Thursday, December 20 at 7 p.m. More information to come in an email.

Music X

What We've Been Working On

We explored "American Idol" then had an assessment.
We learned to play the C major scale on the piano using the correct fingering pattern.

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

Who created "American Idol"?

What We're Working on Next

We will continue our study of the piano. Students will select one of two songs to perform: "Skip To My Lou" or "Chopsticks".
We will be exploring musicals, specifically "Music Man".

Question(s) to Ask Your Student About Upcoming Material

Which song are you going to play for your next piano test, "Skip To My Lou" or "Chopsticks"?

Notes

Students should have a three ring binder to organize all handouts.

Art

What We've Been Working On

Students created an artist reproduction from an artist that they selected. Students designed their own slab box and created pattern pieces in order to create the box. Students learned how to roll slabs and cut out their pattern pieces.

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

What is the process of creating a slab box, how do you start?
What is the process of rolling out an even slab?

What We're Working on Next

Students will put their slab boxes together and add details to their slab boxes. We will come back to the artist reproduction and finish that project as well.

Question(s) to Ask Your Student About Upcoming Material

How did your design for your slab box have unity? Did you achieve that design in your final slab box? /How did you achieve it?

Tech Ed

What We've Been Working On

Power Miter Box and Table saw safety and use
Completing Leg pieces
Started Table Body pieces

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

What was the hardest part of completing the leg pieces?

What We're Working on Next

Finish Table Body pieces
Start Table Top pieces

Question(s) to Ask Your Student About Upcoming Material

How do you feel your mitered corners fit when you were working on the table top?

FCS

What We've Been Working On

Students completed our Family and Child Development unit by creating a children's book and completing a written exam.
This week we started working on Interior Design. Students are following a checklist to complete this self-paced unit. Final projects are due Monday, December 10.

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

What is the difference between a complementary color scheme and an analogous color scheme?
What are the elements of design? (space, line, shape, texture, color)

What We're Working on Next

We will start our Global Foods unit on Tuesday, December 11. We will be learning about cultural influences on food and how families around the world eat. We will focus on the following countries: Mexico, China, Italy, and France. Students will make a recipe from each country. Our final project will be to research a country, make a recipe from that country, and create an iMovie.

Question(s) to Ask Your Student About Upcoming Material

What are you most excited about making?

Spanish

What We've Been Working On

Places we go, when, with whom, and why (what activities we do there)
Rudolph: Writing Assessment about the above topics

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

Name some places you go, with whom, when, and why

What We're Working on Next

Eugene: Writing Assessment about the above topics; inviting people, accepting and declining invitations
Rudolph: Inviting people, accepting and declining invitations

Question(s) to Ask Your Student About Upcoming Material

What are three phrases you would use to invite me some place?

Gifted & Talented

What We've Been Working On

We evaluated Habit #3 - Put first things first.
Many of the students also participated in a Science break out box.

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

Do you use a planner for school? Why or why not?

What We're Working on Next

We will miss one week due to MAP testing.
We will begin Habit #2: Begin with the End in Mind, with an emphasis on high school graduation as the end.

Question(s) to Ask Your Student About Upcoming Material

What do you want to accomplish in high school?

PTO News

Join or Volunteer

Around the District

November 2018 Legislative Action Committee (LAC) Update
At the November 14 meeting of the Wayzata Legislative Action Committee, senators and representatives-elect for districts representing Wayzata Public Schools were invited. Able to attend were Senator Warren Limmer, Senate District 34; Representative Jerry Hertaus House District 33A; and Representative-Elect Ginny Klevorn, House District 44A.

The LAC reviewed election results for districts representing the District (full election results can be found on the Minnesota Secretary of State website). The LAC will start meeting with legislators before the 2019 Legislative Session begins January 8 to build positive relationships with our officials.

The LAC reviewed and discussed the 2019 Legislative Platform draft, which is scheduled to be approved at the December 10 School Board Meeting. This platform will guide LAC advocacy at the Minnesota Capitol during the 2019 Legislative Session.

If you have any questions or would like further information, please contact Zohra Tridane, EMS’ LAC representative, or visit the District Committees webpage.

Looking for a way to say thank you and wish your child’s teacher a happy holiday season? Show them you care with the Wayzata Education Fund’s Thank A Teacher program. A donation made through this program will come with a certificate of appreciation to that teacher from their student. As a bonus, any donation of $25 or more also comes with a bundlet from Nothing Bundt Cakes – Minnetonka. Any donation through the program between now and December 18 will be delivered to your child’s teacher before winter break. Say thank you and support a good cause all at once.

Ask Ali the tough questions you might be too scared to ask in person. Alison Wobschall, M.A., director of Partners in Prevention, is a psychologist with 14 years of experience in prevention. She has a special passion for healthy brain development. Submit any questions you have regarding topics surrounding substances, mental health, and parenting strategies.