In this post...
- MYP
- Student Leadership
- Coffee Talk
- Spring Journeys
- 6th Grade Trip to the Waterhouse Center
- What We Are Learning...highlights from Arts and Math.
- Things To Do in our Community
MYP
If you've been in the Middle School this week, you may have noticed an addition to the stairwell to the MS Lounge - a beautiful graphic depicting the front of the School with the attributes of the IB Learner Profile seeming to emanate from the building. This was designed by our colleague Cristiana Ventura in the Communications team. The image is particularly fitting this week as we submit our application to IB to be authorized for the MYP. Our work toward this over the last few years impacts not only the Middle School curriculum and experience; it also links the Lower School PYP to the Upper School DP. If we attain authorization, we will be one of very few schools in the US (and ever fewer independent schools) that offers all three programs. This is a truly distinctive aspect of our program! The new graphic isn't the only visible reminder of our embrace of the MYP. In every classroom, you'll see the Statements of Inquiry for units being taught, as well as relevant concepts and contexts. As we move through the year, you'll see this language consistently applied by students, advisors, and teachers in conferences and progress reports. Please join me in congratulating the Middle School Faculty, with the leadership of our MYP Coordinator Mr. John Hunt, in completing this important (and consuming) step in the process.
Student Leadership
Student Council held its first meeting of the year! Officers Ranbir Pental (President), Caroline Hall (Vice President), and Pauline Deng (Secretary) were joined by newly elected class representatives Zoe Carlisle and Caleb Hyun (6th Grade), Kate Collie and Saul Kontos-Cohen (7th Grade), and Mary Belisle and Connor Stockton (8th Grade). The Council is already bursting with ideas and ready to plan upcoming events like the Fall Dance, Hallowgrams, and the annual Advisory Pumpkin Decorating Contest. Student Council is also designing and leading the re-introduction of Clubs to the Middle School! Clubs will meeting during the Friday Morning Activities block, and three six-week rounds of clubs will convene this year to give students an opportunity to try different things and explore new (or continued) interests. Thanks to our new Student Council for a great start to their year of leadership!Coffee Talk
Thanks to all the 6th and 7th Grade parents who came to our first Grade Level Coffees last week and yesterday! Next week, 8th Grade Parents are invited to join for coffee and conversation on Thursday at 7:45am in the Dining Room. For this first round of Coffees, we'll use two recent articles as a starting point for conversation - Sue Shellenbarger's "What Teens Need Most from Their Parents," a synthesis of research on the affective development of teenagers, and Eileen Torrez's "The myth of the Ivy League," a reflection on the author's own academic journey and what she didn't get along the way (spoiler: constant focus on achievement diminished her sense of purpose and self-worth). We'll have a few copies of each article available, at the Coffees, so no need to print them out!
8th Grade Parents Coffee: Thursday, October 6
Spring Journeys
If you haven't already, please register your student for the Spring Journeys via the links below by October 16, 2016.- 6th Grade Journey to California To register your 6th Grader, click here.
- 7th Grade Journey to the Southwest To register your 7th Grader, click here.
- 8th Grade Journey to Costa Rica To register your 8th Grader, click here.
6th Grade Trip to the Waterhouse Center
The 6th Grade will visit the Waterhouse Center on October 21 for a day of team-building activities and and ropes-course challenges. This will require an early departure and a late arrival. 6th Graders should arrive at school by 7:30am and plan for a 5:30pm pickup. The Waterhouse Center requires a Release of Liability and a medical form for all participants. Please download and complete these brief forms (or pick them up from the Middle School Office) and return them to the Middle School Office by September 30.
What we are learning...
This week, we highlight our Arts and Math programs!We're making music...
The Middle School Orchestra (now 22 members - the largest ever!) is starting three entertaining and fun pieces and is producing great sounds already. With the speedy progress we will be looking for special opportunities to perform both in and out of school. The new Advanced String Ensemble provides a more challenging outlet for the most developed players in the Middle School. The ensemble meets every Friday before school and will perform at the November 11 Veterans Day Chapel.
We had a great turnout for MS Chorus and Band auditions. Members have been selected and Chorus rehearsed on Tuesday. Band auditions have been extended until Friday for guitarists only.
Seventh Grade Music students completed their unit on Ancient Music and were assessed on drumming. They began a Band unit, learning drum, bass, keyboard and vocal parts for “Radioactive” and started rehearsing in their groups.
Eighth Grade Music students are studying The Blues, composing original Blues songs, and beginning a unit on the Broadway musical Hamilton.
We're doing math...
Both Seventh and Eighth Grade Math students have been reviewing basic operations with whole numbers, decimals, fractions, and integers. They put themselves into the role of teachers by figuring out the computing errors of some imaginary students. This provoked some insights. They used these insights to investigate of their own errors in math operations. In this investigation they selected operations in a number system that caused them some problems. They described these problems and then showed how to use the proper algorithm (recipe) to correctly find the answer. The work as a whole shows how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide with fractions, decimals, and negative numbers. The students who have already mastered basic operations investigated more complex topics such as irrational numbers or the Pythagorean Theorem. Much of the work is displayed in the middle school hallway.
This review is now completed and Seventh Graders are exploring equations. Eighth Graders are applying their quantitative skills to measures of central tendency using scatter plots and stem and leaf plots.
Sixth Grade Math students are building their number sense while working on operations with whole numbers. In class they have enjoyed group challenges where they need to arrange the expression to equal a specific value, create a “chain reaction” of expressions, and model powers. Most recently, students have been working on breaking numbers into their factors and discovering common multiples between numbers. In addition to focusing on whole number operations and number sense, sixth graders have been focusing on how to take notes in math. Next, we will build on whole number operations and begin working with fractions and decimals. Things To Do in our Community...
Looking for ways to explore Tacoma and Seattle? Stay up to date with the events calendar on The Tacoma Weekly and Visit Seattle.
