For the week of October 30th - November 3rd.

Here is what you can expect this week:

There will be an all school celebration of Journey to the Center of the Earth on October 31st with treats and the movie Journey to the Center of the Earth. This movie is PG. If your parent would like you to skip out on this movie, please ask them to drop me an email. If you choose to bring a treat please make sure it is dairy free and peanut free. Here is a list of treats that are dairy free and peanut free: pretzels, fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, lunch meat and cheese slices, popcorn and most potato and corn chips. We will begin our celebration during 3rd period. Don't forget you can dress up as a character/scene from the book. Your imagination is your only limit. PS. (That and the dress code 😉)

Student Lead Parent Teacher Conferences
Will take place from 3:30 - 7:00 pm on November 2nd and 3rd of this week.  This is a new format you may not have experienced.  Students will lead parents on a tour of the school/their classes and talk about the programs they use.  Report cards will be available for pick up and all middle school/ high school teachers will be in the gym to visit with.  There will also be a parent survey to fill out.  Parents and students finishing the conference checklist will be entered in a drawing for a free movie ticket.  

Math 1

We just finished our Topic 2 test.  I think a lot of the students were surprised how much studying is required to do well in math this year.  The program we use, Digits, moves rather fast and each concept builds off of one another.  Even if your student doesn't have homework, they should be studying math every night.  They can be reworking problems from their student workbook or can even go online back into the slides and do the "Close and Check" section.  15-20 minutes a night will make all the difference in the world.  

Reading

We are working on reading and digesting (aka comprehension) of all types of literature and informational text.  The class is covering everything from classic stories to speeches given by Presidents.  We will be moving into small book-club like reading groups to work on literary circles to assist on comprehending literary texts independently.

**Book orders will be due on Wednesday**

Science

We just wrapped up our unit on weather and the atmosphere.  Students should have walked away the following "big ideas":

1. Weather is a set of environmental conditions at one time in one place.
2. Weather conditions that can be measured and recorded include temperature, air pressure and humidity.
3. Air has mass and takes up space.
4. Air is made of particles that can be compressed or expanded.
5. Earth is surrounded by a layer of gases called the atmosphere and each layer is integral to life on this planet.

Home Econ

We continued on with seasonal treats and using the apples that were graciously donated to our class.  The students made pan made cinnamon applesauce.  This week we will tackle pretzels.  

Survey

Survey Link

For the week of October 22nd - 27th

Can you believe it is the end of first quarter on Tuesday?  Even though 6th graders are now on Semesters, along with all of junior high and high school, there are some changes you need to be aware of.  Any student with a C- or lower, in a core subject will be placed in mandatory study hall. Progress reports will be printed and ready for pick up at Parent Teacher Conferences on 11/2 and 11/3 from 3:30 - 7:00 each evening. I hope to see you all there.  If neither of those evenings work, please don't hesitate to set up another time that works for you.  I am available most days after school. 

This week is a busy week.  It is Homecoming week!  Here is what you can expect:

HOMECOMING WEEK:

All grades are invited to participate in the dress up days. (Dress code rules still apply.)

Monday, October 23^rd: School Colors -  wear maroon and gold

Tuesday, October 24^th: Twin day – match a friend

Wednesday, October 25^th:  PJ day - wear your jammies!

Thursday, October 26^th: Throwback (Dress up like a prior decade of your choice)

Friday, October 27^th:  Class Colors  - support your favorite high school class and wear their color!

Freshmen: Orange,  Sophomores: Green,  Juniors: Pink,    Seniors: Blue

VISION CHARTER MIDDLE SCHOOL MASQUERADE SOCIAL:

Sixth through eighth grade VCS students are invited to attend the Masquerade Social Friday, October 27th   from 4:30pm-6:00pm.  The entrance fee is five dollars and includes pizza and drinks. Prizes will be given for best costumes including one boy and one girl from each grade 6^th- 8^th grade. Costume Guidelines: No weapons or weapon-like objects. No gruesome, violent, or bloody costumes.  Modesty rules apply.  Dresses and shirts must cover to the edge of the shoulder. Skirts and shorts must extend to three inches above the top of the knee. Leggings must be covered by a shirt/shorts/skirt that extends to the finger tips.

**(Friends from other schools are not allowed to be brought to middle school dances.)

READING

We are learning all about characterization and what it takes to make a good character.  We are also diving into Washington Irving's "Legend of Sleepy Hollow".  

SCIENCE

The class just finished up with our unit on Weather and Atmosphere.  We will be working on study guides/notes this week for the test.  Students will be allowed to use their science journal on the test.  The test is scheduled for Wednesday.

MATH

In order to teach the students all the skills needed to pass 6th grade math, I have started having to teach 2 lessons each class.  Please make sure your student is diligently using their Digits workbook for the pre-read lessons.  I don't expect them to completely understand, but it helps the class move faster if they have seen the material prior to my teaching.  We are coming up on the end of another chapter.  I am aiming to have a test on Thursday, possibly Friday of this week.  

HOME ECON

We were blessed with an abundance of apples that were donated to the class.  Our next few recipes will involve using what we were given.  This last week, I introduced the class to the fine art of candy making.  We learned about about the different stages of cooking sugar:  soft ball, hard ball, soft crack and hard crack to make candy apples.