Week of 1/23

I can't believe it's the last full week of January and I'm still waiting for snow that piles up and lasts!  I think we're due a snow day!!

Seventh graders are learning about the protist and fungi kingdoms.  We will be working on a small writing project at the end of the week.  Eighth grade is wrapping up a challenging chapter 14!  They have risen to the challenge though.  Last Friday, we had a "snowman challenge" of balancing chemical equations.  I'd bet they'd beat most of you parents at balancing those equations.  Anyway,  test will be on Thursday of this week and will require some study time to be successful!

Week of 1/17

So...I'm full of new ideas after two days of Apple iLife training!  Maybe now I can do as much with iMovie, Garageband, and iPhoto as my students can! :)  Seventh grade finished up their bacteria lab.  Where in the school did we grow the most interesting looking stuff?  Ask them!  We will have a test on Friday of this week
   
Eighth grade continues working on chemical equations.  This is some challenging material.  I bet most of the parents will struggle to remember how to do some of the work.  I have added lots of links to websites that will help practice these steps.  Also on my page on the middle school website, I have two movies talking through the steps of how to balance equations.  Please take advantage of these!

Week of 1/9

This unseasonably warm weather is great for recess duty, but, being a die-hard Michigander, I miss snow!!  However, with no possible snow days in the foreseeable future, we are going to get a lot of learning done!

Seventh grade is starting a chapter on bacteria.  Where do you think bacteria thrives the best in our school?  Seventh graders will know after they conduct their lab this week.  Eighth grade will be learning more than they probably wanted to know about chemical formulas and equations.  Get ready parents - do you remember how to balance chemical equations? :)

If you are struggling to find out what your child has to study or wonder just what a certain project entails, I always post notes, review games, and project details in ebackpack.  Don't let your child tell you he/she doesn't know what that is - they do! And they know how to access all of it.

Reminder - 2nd quarter ends Friday, Jan. 20.  Keep an eye on your child's grades and missing work.

God's Blessings,
Mrs. Baarck

Week of January 3

Happy New Year - a fresh start in some ways, but we are actually wrapping up 2nd qtr in the next several weeks.  Seventh grade is beginning their studies of the six kingdoms of life.  Next week we will jump into the world of bacteria.  Eighth grade is working on programming their own computer animations.  Their animations will show some topic about the periodic table that they have learned in the last six weeks.  I can't wait to see what they create!