Dear Friends,

As we keep our fingers crossed for a continued mild winter, the 8th Grade will continue to stay on track academically and to work as a team to fundraise for the Washington D.C. trip. Please refer to the payment schedule distributed in September as to ease the burden of payment. The total cost will continue to be readjusted as the year progresses.


U.S. History II: The students will appreciate the revolutionary changes made in the areas of communication, transportation, urbanization, education, and American culture achieved during the Industrial Revolution. They'll also understand how the rapid ascent of monopolies, government corruption, and the widening gap between rich and poor during the Gilded Age led to sweeping Progressive changes that put power back in the hands of the people. Also, the students will evaluate American foreign policy during expansionism and during the Spanish American War, where America began to become a powerful player in the international community.

Language Arts: This month, the 8th Grade will read various examples of personal narratives and memoirs. After analyzing the structure and writing style of these stories, the students will apply what they have learned to their own personal narrative. Some skills they will practice are writing with voice, having a good beginning and ending, and using a flashback. In addition to the personal narrative, the students will read "Flowers for Algernon" in their Anthology while analyzing the relevance of setting and theme to the story.

Algebra I: During the month of February, students will continue to build knowledge and skills relative to polynomials. These skills include combining monomials, binomials, and polynomials using the various operations. Factoring, the inverse process for multiplying polynomials, is used to factor trinomials, including recognizing certain special patterns and factoring by grouping.

Science: Students will review for their mid-term exams at the beginning of the month. In addition, students will learn about Newton's Laws of Motion and examine the various formulas involving speed, acceleration, and momentum. Labs will include observing friction, measuring force pairs, and designing roller coasters.

Spanish: In the beginning of February, the eighth graders will focus on reviewing for, and taking, the Mid Term Exam. This exam will cover all the material that has been presented from the beginning of the text book through page 135. In the second week, the students will be presented with vocabulary related to food, ordering food in restaurants, and requesting a check. In grammar, the children will learn the irregular conjugation of the verb "poner". Additionally, they will properly use the verb "gustar" when talking about things they like. The review section will concentrate on the vocabulary for clothing and the prepositions used to express location.

FEBRUARY 2012 EVENTS

  • Monday, Feb. 6-Friday Feb. 10: Middle School Midterm Exams / Interim Reports Issued
  • Tuesday, Feb. 14: Valentine's Day
  • Wednesday, Feb. 15: Hoops For Heart
  • Thursday, Feb. 16: Coffee & Tea with Rose, 8:30am
  • Friday, Feb. 17-Monday, Feb. 20: School Closed for Winter Break