Sixth Grade News

Science 6 – why do objects float? What causes one object to stay on the surface and another to sink?  Buoyancy is a property determined by the relative density of an object compared to the liquid it is placed in.  An object with a lower density than the liquid it is being placed in will float; an object with a greater density will sink.  If the object has the same density as the liquid it is said to be neutrally buoyant and will remain at the level it is released at in the liquid.  Ask your 6^th grade student about whether or not they have ever seen rocks float.

Social Studies 6 - students will complete their study of the ancient world in January by exploring life in the Roman Empire.  Parents, please remind your children to avoid delay in completing the required news diary entries.

English 6 – students will continue to work on the poetry unit after Christmas break.  They will come up with their own haiku and limerick poems as well as be familiar with poetic terms such as onomatopoeia, personification, symbols, similes, metaphors, idioms and hyperboles

Math 6 is continuing to work on the mastery of math facts.  The beginning of our studies of ratios and proportions is well underway.  The Hands Equations program is helping us reach our goal to better understand basic algebra.

WE CHANGED A LIFE 

The sixth grade class again this year decided to help change a life.  We raised $271.95, primarily nickels and dimes, which was sent to the organization SMILE TRAIN.  This group performs totally free surgery on children born with cleft palates.  If you would like more information about this highly regarded charity, please visit their web, www.smiletrain.org.

Seventh Grade News

This month in math we will move into geometry.  We will begin our unit by looking at different types of angles, including complementary, supplementary, and vertical.  We will then move onto circles.  During this topic, we will be using measurements of the circle to find circumference and area.  The last topic in this unit will cover 2D and 3D objects, as well as their areas and volumes.  In this unit, students will learn how to construct circles using a protractor.

In English, the seventh grade students continue to work on reading comprehension and writing skills. They will be expected to learn all of the literary terms; a test will be given. The students have a typed packet with the required terms. Putting the terms and definitions on flashcards and using them to study seems to help students to better master the words.

Students in Social Studies 7 have recently studied the terms of our early Presidents, including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.  In the coming weeks, we will focus more on the War of 1812 and also the Monroe Doctrine.  In addition, students will spend time in English and Social Studies reading the novel Nothing But the Truth by Avi.  After finishing the book, students will be completing separate writing pieces for each class that relate the book to each subject area.

Junior High FFA

 One of our favorite activities in FFA was going to Camp Oswegatchie for the ropes course. Everyone enjoyed themselves even though there was a record low temperature on Saturday October 13. The highlight of our day was the giant swing! For individual challenges we  had the chance to attempt the Pirates Crossing, and the Indiana Jones Bridge. Then we split up into groups and did low rope challenges to build teamwork skills. Afterwards we came back together and played field games. Many students tried each team rope challenge and overcome their fears. They also learned how to work together to complete the low ropes course. Thanks to the counselors who volunteered their time that day. On November 15, the seventh and eighth grade had officer elections. We asked

Miss O’Leary and high school officers to interview the candidates. Congratulations to Shaun Shaw elected President, Makenna Olmstead as Vice President, Tabitha Tabolt as Secretary, Jarrett Aubin as Treasurer, Emilee Zehr and Lesley Aucter as Reporters, Noah Brouty as Sentinel, and Shayleigh Proulx   serving as Historian. Noah Simser has volunteered to take on all the responsibilities of the milk vending machine. Also Kaileigh Tretola, Erin Murphy, Jennifer Mcbain, Lauramae Ellis, Tabitha Tabolt, and Lesley Aucter are all members of the scrapbooking committee. Thanks to our high school officers and Miss O’Leary for their time and dedication. This year we had 43 or more Jr. High members selling fruit for our annual citrus fruit sale. Please look forward to our next article where we will  discuss  our fruit sales and Christmas center pieces.

 Home and Careers Skills News

 The 7^th Graders have had a very busy few months.  They completed units in self discovery and community connections.  During the Community Connections unit the students participated in community service projects.  Their projects included helping out individuals in the community and community groups, raising funds for Children’s Miracle Network, raising funds for and volunteering at the Lewis County Humane Society, and collecting canned foods for local pantries.  All of the students seemed to really enjoy this.  We will complete this semester with our Food and Nutrition unit.  The students will make healthy snacks and foods with the nutrition information that they have learned in class.

 The 8^th graders have completed units in Child Development and Sewing.  These students have completed a toy project in which they had to make a toy out of recycled materials appropriate for a young child based on the knowledge they gained during the unit.  They  also sewed baby caps and made quilt blocks during the sewing unit.   The baby caps will be sent to hospitals to be used for newborns.  The quilt blocks will be made into a quilt which will be raffled for charity.  We have just completed the financial management unit in which they learned about banking and how to handle their personal finances.  We will finish up the semester with the Career Development unit.  Students will research careers that may interest them and begin to consider what they would like to do in the future.