Buddy Science Experimentation

On Thursday we had the pleasure of meeting our buddies for the first time this year. After a few minutes of introducing ourselves, we got right to work! First grade studies states of matter and all grades study the scientific process, so we put the two ideas to work for us.

Working together, buddy pairs formed a hypothesis and gathered materials to test their theory.

3 freezer Ziploc bags
2 cups of non fat milk
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups of ice
1/2 cup rock salt

Mix milk, sugar, and vanilla in the quart size bag. Place sealed quart size bag inside gallon size bag and add ice and salt. Seal that bag and place inside another gallon sized bag. Move out to the grassy area and SHAKE! At 2 minute intervals, observe the state of the matter inside the bag. Is it still liquid? After 10 minutes, open the bag and pour contents in to two bowls. Observe the matter. After making careful observations, dispose of contents using a spoon.

The first graders and seventh graders did an excellent job of following the scientific method throughout the experiment. After first grade left us, we wrote up our lab reports, analyzing the results. About 25% of the experiments failed. Students identified amount of ice, amount of salt, and the speed or duration of shaking as variables that could contribute to the failure of the experiment.

Who says science can't be fun?

Harvest Festival Coming Up

Join the CHPCS community on October 18th for a fun filled evening of free family frivolity.

The Harvest Festival is a chance for CHPCS families and friends to get together and celebrate the turning of the season with music, games, and a baking contest. Hayrides, pumpkin decorating, tug o war, and needle in a haystack will keep the young and old entertained for hours. The fun begins at 6:00 p.m. and ends at 7:30 p.m.

Are you a baker? Are you the keeper of Great Granny’s apple pie recipe? Now’s the time to put on your chef hat, dust off your apron, and whip up your favorite apple or pumpkin themed recipe! The baking contest is open to all adult/child pairs. Baking with children is not only fun, but is great math practice and provides one on one time that encourages open communication. All baking entries are due on October 18th no later than 3:30 p.m. for judging. After ribbons are awarded, the baked goods will be sold at the Harvest Festival for $1.00 a piece.

WWI Begins

WWI has begun in 7th grade. This week we are focusing on the precursors to World War I. Students should be able to explain the meaning of militarism, nationalism, imperialism, and alliances.

Today we learned how the land grab in Africa escalated tensions and pushed Europe closer to the brink of war. Ask your student how we modeled the land grab and what all they learned from it. It involves balloons, hula hoops, and lots of running around!

This video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7kp3vf1uKA, shows what we've been learning and would be a great review!

Night of the Notables

For your studying pleasure, the following notable characters have been selected by students so far! Many students did not complete their brainstorm page OR forgot to get a parent signature, so those were returned to them and may be resubmitted tomorrow. I'm excited about the characters chosen so far!

Einstein

Shirley Temple

Anne Frank

Alice Paul

Vera Lynn

Joe Dimaggio

Lucille Ball

Lenin

Joe Louis

Coco Chanel

Eva Peron

JR Tolkein

 

New Unit Coming Up!

We're only a few weeks into school but the learning is in full swing! Constitution Week was a huge success. The 7th grade performance on Thursday gave me chills and reading their 8th Amendment papers was enlightening. And then, Thursday's Night of the Notable kick off really turned up the excitement in the classroom.

So what's next? This week we begin our study of the first world war. Over the next 6 weeks we will study the geography of Europe, precursors to the war, important people and events during the war, new technologies, and the impact these new technologies had on the future. Of course these things will all be learned through hands on activities, reading related novels, field trips, and plenty of writing!

While we begin our WWI unit, we will continue to read Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde together. We are reading this classic novel together as a class ever afternoon. Everyone is enjoying the storyline and really broadening their vocabulary. While there are many great Jekyll and Hyde videos out there, please don't watch them quite yet. Very few members of the class know how this ends and I don't want to ruin the suspense!

Every Thursday we spend an hour in the science lab with Mrs. Brunnings. We are learning about the structure of atoms, the periodic table, and Mendeleev's contributions to science. This last Thursday Mrs. Brunnings also introduced the upcoming science fair. More information about the science fair can be found on the science blog at http://chpcsscience.blogspot.com/. The first assignment for the science fair is due on the 10th of October.

On Monday students will find out who their Night of the Notable character will be. We are planning a trip to the Central Library on Thursday to allow everyone to check out books and find periodical articles. We will also visit the computer lab this week to find addresses for their business letters and contacts for their interview. If you have completed your volunteer training and paperwork, and can join us on Thursday, we would LOVE some help at the library.

What We're Studying Summary:
Riggs - Jekyll and Hyde vocabulary
IEW - Position papers, Using dress ups effectively, Choosing appropriate resources
Math - through lesson 8
Grammar - Nouns (common, proper, pronouns)
Science - Atomic Structure, Science Fair
History - WWI
Social /Emotional - Accountability

As you can see, it's busy busy busy in seventh grade! Thank you to everyone who has been in touch this week. Have a great week!

Jog a Thon

2012 Jog A Thon

Monday, Oct. 8
Top class will have a party for their great work!
Top class individual will have a pizza lunch with Principal Denman!

Kindi am-2nd 9-9:30
3rd-5th 10-1030
6th-8th 11-1130
Kindi pm 1245-115

Please return pledge sheets by Thursday 10-4-12.
Please return money, pledge sheets to the school by Thursday 10-18-12.

This is the main school fundraiser this year.

Thank you for motivating and encouraging parent and student participation!

Everyone is welcome to watch, mark laps on student's back stickers, off water, cheer, make noise and take photos!!!

Night of the Notables

Night of the Notables

 

During the Night of the Notables Project each student will be responsible for selecting an “eminent” person from a designated portion of history. They may choose notable, positive figures from the sciences, arts, politics, sports, entertainment, etc during the assigned time period.

This project will include in-depth research and will involve accumulating

material from a variety of sources including our class library and Multnomah County Library. We will be learning to use the Reader’s Guide, biographies, and periodicals. During our trip to the Multnomah County library we will additionally use the computer periodical index and the newspaper index for the Oregonian. We will also be writing letters of inquiry to various sources, which may help in providing information and/or materials for the report and learning center. Finally, students will be working with oral interviewing techniques and will subsequently arrange an interview with someone that can shed some light about the person of eminence, the particular time period or specific ramifications about that person’s contribution.

Our research will culminate with a special night to which all the families are invited! Our Night of the Notables will require all students to dress as their eminent person. Guests are invited to ask our personages yes or no questions in an effort to determine their identity. We will then proceed to the “Museum” for viewing of the learning centers representing our notable people. The children will be guided throughout this process and information will continue to come home. Support and encouragement are important, as this is a hefty project.

 

Each portion of the project is broken down into very small manageable steps. Students that meet each deadline will not feel overwhelmed at any point.

 

Timeline:

Description	Where Completed	Due Date
N.O.N contract due	At home	09/24/12
Notable person brainstorm due	At home	09/24/12
Business letter written	In class	09/25/12
Computer Lab Research Day	In class	09/26/12
Library Field Trip	In class	09/27/12
Resources gathered	At home	10/01/12
Research skills taught/Notecards introduced	In class	Weeks of 10/8 & 10/15
Notecards worked on	At home	Weeks of 10/8 & 10/15
Interview conducted	At home	10/18/12
Timeline First Draft	In Class	10/18/12
Key Word Outline	Modeled in class/Completed at home	10/22/12
Black and White Sketch	In Art Class	Week of 10/22
Timeline Final draft	At home	10/25/12
Costume Brainstorm	At school	10/29/12
Souvenir Workshop	At school	11/06/12
Souvenirs	At home	11/08/12
Rough draft of paper	At home	11/13/12
Peer editing of paper	In class	11/13/12
Final draft of paper	At home	11/15/12
Costume completed	At home	11/15/12
Presentation board completed	At home	11/15/12
Participation in N.O.N presentation	At school (6-8pm)	11/20/12

 

 

How Long Should Homework Take?

At the beginning of every school year this question comes up multiple times. How long should it take your seventh grader to do their homework?

Let's break it down by subject.

1. Riggs - Regular Riggs homework (write each word three times and sentences) should take approximately 10 - 15 minutes.

2. Math - Math consists of 30 problems each night. This should take approximately 30 - 45 minutes. Someone that excels at math should be able to do the work in 20 - 30 minutes while someone having to get help in math may take up to an hour.

3. Writing - Writing is likely to take the longest to complete, at least at first. IEW (Institute for Excellence in Writing) is used in every classroom. The writing process has four steps. First a KWO (key word outline) is created. This key word outline allows students to organize their thoughts before committing to the rough draft. A KWO summarizing a text should take them no more than 15 minutes total. A KWO on a position paper should take about 15 minutes after 15 minutes of discussion. The discussion time allows students to clarify their thoughts, consider new ideas, be challenged or validated. After the KWO, students create a rough draft. This should take minimal time if their KWO is complete. It's simple taking the three keywords on each line and making a complete sentence out of it. A rough draft should take about 20 minutes per page to complete. The final draft, completed after sharing with a classmate, editing, and rereading should take no longer than 20 minutes per page.  In the beginning, it will take new seventh graders a bit longer to complete their keyword outlines and to revise their rough drafts. They will hear "I need more evidence." and "Why?" a lot! The expectation in seventh grade is that they will back up their reasoning with evidence every single time. This is where parents come in. You can help by having open family discussions about the topics being covered. Help to guide them towards evidence that is age appropriate, broadens their thinking, challenges their preconcieved notions, and fits into your family's comfort zone.

4. Other - Rarely there will be other work that needs to be done. The time needed for those items varies but is balanced with these other three main sources of homework.

In all, homework should take approximately 90 minutes to complete. If it's taking longer than that, please take a good look at what is taking longer than expected. Is it that they don't have the proper materials gathered? Is it that they don't know what to do? Or is it that they are spending as much time trying to avoid the work as they are actually working?

Have faith that over the first few weeks, they will settle into a routine and it will get easier.

PTA Social

Come one, Come all!  All friends and family of CHPCS welcome!  The first PTA social event of the year will be next Tuesday evening, on the 25th of September.  Please arrive at the CHPCS Library by 6:30 p.m. to receive your raffle tickets!!  The event will last one hour, and is not to be missed!  Please join us to learn more about our wonderful school, as well as ways that each of us can make a difference in the lives of our children.  The goal of the PTA is to be inclusive of as many Cascade voices and interests as possible. We need your help!

First Family Dine Out

Family Dine Out's are a great way to spend time with other Cascade families and help raise money.

How does this work? Well, I'm glad you asked! All you have to do is take your family out to dinner on the designated night, let the server know you're with Cascade, and sit back and enjoy your dinner. Really, that's all there is to it. Yes, you'll have to plan extra time to say hello to the teachers, classmates, and friends you'll see, but that's not too difficult.

The first one of the year is on Tuesday, October 9th at the California Pizza Kitchen. I hope to see you there!

It's Constitution Week

In honor of the signing of the highest law in our land, CHPCS is celebrating Constitution Week! Look for decorations, reenactments, displays, and costumes. On Thursday at 2:30 join us for an assembly to watch each class present one of the many things they learned this week!

7th grade will be focusing on the 8th and 19th amendments.

Night of the Notables

On Friday the middle school team met to talk through all the details and review our timelines. We are very excited and know you are too! This Thursday we will hand out the contract, timeline, and brainstorming page. I can't wait to see who everyone decides to study!

Setting Yourself Up for Math Success

In Course 2, formerly Math 8/7, we are using a binder system that will set ourselves up for success. Today was day three of math lessons, which means our binders should be starting to take shape. Let's take a look at what a successful math binder looks like.

The math binder is a 1 inch binder just for math. This binder is labeled clearly with your name and the word "Math" in large letters on the spine and the cover. This allows you to quickly identify which binder you need eliminating the possibility of bringing the wrong binder to class.

Inside there are three sections. Section one contains your math bill of rights and the math objective trackers. We haven't passed out any math objectives yet, but they will be coming soon!

Section two contains your daily notes. In class each day you will use a page of loose leaf graph paper to take notes on the lesson. Each page will be headed with the lesson number and title. Below that will be any vocabulary words and then the steps and hints for the new concept. These notes go in to your math binder in order.

Section three contains all of your completed assignments. Assignments will be turned in daily. The daily checklist will be on top. The checklist contains the fact practice (power up), mental math answers, problem solving answer, and the answers for the lesson practice. All boxes must be filled out. The written practice is completed on loose leaf graph paper. Your name, the date, and lesson number should be in the top left corner. Fold your paper into eighths and then use each box to complete one problem. Answers are then written in the answer column, located on the far right side of the paper. All problems must be written out and work shown. After completing all of this, staple your pages together, checklist on top, and turn it in. I will check your work, comment on any major errors, and return it to you to be placed in section three. These should be in order so you can easily locate them to study for tests.

That's it! If your notebook is in order, you have set yourself up for success! Keep up the good work.

Court House Tour Field Trip

From the Classroom Law Project web site "The Courthouse Experience Program provides students in grades 5-12 with an authentic opportunity to learn about the justice system by observing real cases and court procedures.

Each year, nearly 6,000 students watch the law come alive on these enriching and valuable visits to the Multnomah County Courthouse and the Justice Center, led by committed volunteers who range from law students to retirees, paralegals and lawyers.

Groups visit three buildings during the tour. It begins in the Gus Solomon Federal Courthouse, 620 SW Main Street in Portland for a brief orientation. Next, you will walk three blocks to the Justice Center to observe arraignments and community court. The last stop is the Multnomah County Courthouse where you will observe trials and other court procedures"

I have found this field trip to be exceedingly beneficial to students. Not only does it demystify the judicial system, but it makes the people, places, and topics discussed in school come alive. It also provides students with opportunities to explore possible career paths.

Our tour is scheduled for October 4th at 9:00 AM. We will leave school at 8:00 and return after lunch. Students will wear their regular uniform and bring a healthy lunch.

If you can chaperone for this trip, please let me know and make sure you have completed all the necessary forms through the office!

Thank you

Riggs

Today we began Riggs. Riggs is more than simply spelling. It is a systematic way to analyze words, understand the English language, explore dialects, and learn to love the language we use on a daily basis. Each day all students at Cascade use the Riggs methodology to learn approximately 6 new words introduced by the teacher. They also apply this methodology to thousands of words that they encounter in their own writing and in the books they read.

In 7th grade we get 6 new words a day. In order to meet the needs of all learners, students are placed into 3 groups, based on their latest spelling assessment. The group they are placed in determines what they are responsible for each day.

Everyone is responsible for engaging in the analysis of all six words as they are introduced in class.
Everyone is responsible for writing all six words down in their Riggs book with markings so that the words can be easily decoded.
Everyone is responsible for using all six words in sentences that meet the rules outlined in their Riggs book.
Group 1 is responsible for writing the first two words, three times each for homework.
Group 2 is responsible for writing the first four words, three times each for homework.
Group 3 is responsible for writing all six words, three times each for homework.
Everyone takes the spelling test every day. Students should attempt every word. They will only be scored on the words they were responsible for practicing. Students will receive a 3 on the scoring rubric when they are consistently spelling the first 4 words correctly each day.

Student levels will be reevaluated every month when we take our Orthography test. The purpose of the different levels is to provide practice with words that are just hard enough to challenge each individual student. This will allow them to use the skills they are learning without being overwhelmed. As the skills become second nature, they will being working with more difficult words.

If you have any questions about this, please let me know!

First Day of School

Welcome Back Falcons!

Our first day has been wonderful. The anticipation of a new year got us moving from the first bell! First we'd like to welcome Scott, our only new student this year. He bravely jumped right in after getting the call last night. If you see him in the halls, please introduce yourself.

In class today we created posters to tell about ourselves, learned our new schedule, settled into our room, and read through the syllabus. After a fire drill, we practiced car line procedures and attended the first assembly of the year. I was very proud of our classes behavior throughout the day. Everyone enjoyed music and world languages as well as getting to let their hair down during lunch outside.

After lunch we talked through the syllabus, homework expectations, and mastery expectations. World Languages and PE took up a large part of our afternoon.

Before heading home we filled out our planners, which we will do every day.

Tomorrow we introduce science in the science room, math, and spelling. There's never a dull moment in 7th grade!