Out of the Dust
9/28/2017
Apple PandowdyThis week we finally finished Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse. It was a book that we really enjoyed as a class and that led to a lot of great discussions. One of the most engaging part of novel reading together is that we never fully predict know the conversation is headed, because of how differently we can all connect to the same text. This week our conversation turned to apple pandowdy. Towards the end of the book, the sheriff donates sugar to the school so that they kids in the area could have sweet things to eat. Since this in during The Dust Bowl, our main character was very excited about this and we talked about how her enthusiasm was shown through the author's use of imagery. However, we didn't know what apple pandowdy was or why it was such a luxury, so we had to look it up. That is when I got the privilege of learning that I have a class full of people that love to cook. I heard wonderful stories about things they have made and we even discussed different ways of making different desserts. It was great. So, we decided to spend some time Thursday making this dessert as a class, so we could see if it is worth all the fuss. It definitely took some team work and I'm extremely proud of how they pulled it together. Our students brought in the ingredients, peeled the apples, did the conversions to double the recipe, and put it all together. It looked great and I'm anxious to try it. After complete our baking assignment, students also spent some time reflecting on their reading with a One Pager. The assignments use a variety of different ways for students to connect individually with what they have read and to reflect on things that were important to them. This particular One Pager included an important visual, two quotes that were important from the reading, a personal response to the text, and two critical thinking questions with answers that they thought accurately fit the text. Hopefully, it included something that appealed to every student which is something these aim to do. We will do more of these throughout the year and with each one the requirements will change slightly. I was instantly impressed with the first ones, and from experience, know that these only get better as the year goes on. Student CouncilCongratulations to Clarie for becoming the sixth grade student council member! Our candidates gave excellent speeches today and their classmates voted to decide the winner. Neil will be alternate in case Clarie isn't able to attend any of the meetings.
Comparing Governments
9/22/2017
In class this week, students worked on their Social Studies projects with their partners. Students will be able to present these projects in any way they choose, so they spent their time this week writing project proposals, researching their questions, and making a task list to reach their goals which they were able to share with me through their Google Classroom. This definitely helped them divide their tasks and work on time management as they were getting started. Overall the presentations need to include the purposes of government and how the government affects the responsibilities and rights of citizens. They will look at those questions while comparing the U.S. government to the government of another country. So far they have been fascinated by just learning that other countries can have such differences. When their presentations are complete, we will begin to read Ender's Game. This book is a fiction that shows extremes for how religion, family, and the military could be handled. Ender is a rare third child allowed only because of his potential for military leadership who is moved from his family at the age of 6 to begin his training. This of course happens in the future, when the military training happens in space. We are really looking forward to reading it and I hope it brings up a lot of conversations about symbolism, what a "future" U.S. government could look like, and how much history should affect future decisions. Spirit WeekToday, our 6th, 7th, and 8th graders put on an assembly introducing Spirit Week. During the assembly, teachers and students modeled what to wear each day while our 7th and 8th grade gave descriptions and amazing commentary. Thank you to Hayden and Clarie for opening the assembly with a Greet for us and to Neil and Connor for closing it. They did a great job!Outdoor ClubThe Middle School Outdoor Club is ramping up! On Saturday, September 30, middle school students and interested faculty are invited to participate in a Coastal Trail bike ride from Kincaid to Westchester. The group will start at the Kincaid Chalet at 10:00am and then make their way toward Westchester stopping to eat lunch, play games, and snack along the way. Students are to be picked up at Westchester Lagoon by 1:00pm. Students will need to be dressed for the weather, bring a lunch, water bottle, and a working bike and helmet. Students should sign up on the MS Google Classroom AND return their Outdoor Club form to Tabitha with $5 payment so that teachers know who to expect for the outing. Alumni may participate in this event, but it is not an activity for non PNA friends. The Middle School hopes to have an Outdoor Club Activity planned every month, so stay tuned for future outings.Upcoming DatesSeptember 25-29 Spirit Week
October 3- Parent Lunch from 12-1 Ecosystem Exploration
9/15/2017
While discussing ecosystems in class, we started to look at different factors that can drastically change ecosystems. Students started this unit with a
pretty structured project where they looked at disappearing tree frogs in Florida. They evaluated different pieces of evidence so that they could form their own opinion about what happened to the frogs. The opinions were very different and we got to discuss why we thought some factors were more important than others when they were supporting their claim. Now, we have moved on from tree frogs and are looking at natural disasters and the destruction that can be left behind. As a class, we decided to look at these because of the recent news surrounding Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma. Students started on Tuesday by simply researching different types of natural disasters and compiled a list of resources that they shared with the class. On Thursday, they began working with their partner to form an essential question and decide topics that they want to cover. This project will take them through entire writing process of a research paper while they work collaboratively with a partner on a topic that want to learn about. Building Relationships
9/12/2017
The Middle School Retreat is an essential part of the Middle School Program at PNA. This is the place where bonds are formed among new and old friends alike. It is a place where students and teachers can develop relationships outside of the academic arena. Independence and trust become the underlying foundation and purpose of the trip.
This year, the theme of the retreat was loosely based on “storytelling” as this type of sharing requires everyone to present a little bit of him/herself to others. Throughout the trip, students were asked to collect their experiences in a journal so that they could have one life story to tell the group on the last day. There were plenty of experiences to choose from at the camp such as jumping into a 50 degree lake, playing porch tag, capture the flag, and pair squared tag, acting in a melodrama, rock climbing, horseback riding, kayaking, archery, singing on the bus, playing Sasquatch, roasting s’mores, ...you get the picture. Students could also choose a story from their lives outside of PNA. Everyone was able to find the “perfect story” to tell! This year’s batch of Middle Schoolers have already shown themselves to be incredibly dependable, caring, inclusive, brave, and willing! As a result, teachers and fellow students have deepened their trust in each other which ultimately leads to the personal growth we all want to see in our young adolescents. We are now ready for the academic school year to begin in earnest! |
AuthorCharlotte Woodside recently moved to Alaska from Central Texas. This is her 8th year teaching middle school. Archives
April 2018
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