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5th Grade:
ELA - Readers in grade 5 continue to work on summarizing, vocabulary acquisition strategies, and will be demonstrating these skills on their Mid Unit and End of Unit assessments. Many of the students are really enjoying the novel, Esperanza Rising, as a driver of practicing these skills.
Math - Students are learning different multiplication strategies such doubling and halving, the over strategy and five is half of ten. Ask your child which strategy would be most efficient to use given a multiplication problem!
6th Grade:
Math - We are wrapping up our unit on area and will be moving into 3-dimensional figures and surface area.
Science - We have been learning about the structure and function of the honey bee and the flower. Students will now learn about how organisms reproduce in a variety of ways.
Social Studies - Students have been learning about Christopher Columbus and the Age of Exploration. Students explored the reasons people traveled to new places, the challenges explorers faced, and the impact of European exploration on different peoples and cultures. We’ve enjoyed learning through discussion, activities, and historical perspectives!
ELA - Students have been reading Chapters 5 and 6 of The Lightning Thief. Students are continuing to build their comprehension skills while exploring the characters and events in the story. We have been focusing on figurative language and using context clues to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words and phrases.
7th Grade: Science - Students are completing Molecules / Compounds stations to understand how atoms become molecules with different properties. Students will be using marshmallows to make models of simple and complex molecules.
SS - Students are now starting to learn about where early people are settling. We are talking about Mesopotamia and the Sumerians. We are also discussing why we study artifacts and how they help us to learn.
Math - This week, students prepared to take the end of Unit 1 assessment (Thursday) and then will begin Unit 2 studying proportions.
English - Students will continue reading A Long Walk to Water and exploring how the narrator point of view affects a story. Students will also begin creating their own narratives, using events and experiences from the novel as inspiration for their writing.
Spanish - We will continue talking about Hispanic Heritage Month. Some students are practicing stem-changing verbs while others are using -er and -ir verbs in the context of having breakfast and lunch.
8th Grade:
"Wagons Ho!" In social studies, we are learning about expansion into the west, beginning with the mountain men who blazed the trails and discovered the mountain passes in the 1820's, that tens of thousands of settlers in wagon trains would be following by the 1840's. Students will make decisions about what to pack for the journey on the Oregon Trail, and form arguments assessing the risks and hardships versus the rewards. We will read first hand accounts of the tragic events at the Whitman Mission--ask your student how the Whitman Massacre impacted government policy toward Native Americans in the Oregon Country. Following, our topics of study include the Gold Rush in California, the Silver Rush in Nevada, the annexation of Texas, and the Mexican-American War.
Student Government:
The 8th Grade students have begun to organize our first official spirit day. Save the date: October 2nd will be our PINK OUT! We will be showing our support for breast cancer awareness.
School Counselor:
5th Grade: Students had a short presentation on Friday from Mrs. Fusaro to introduce herself and explain her role as their school counselor. 5th grade students will also be invited to participate in Yoga 4 Classrooms, starting next week. This program is intended to provide a brain break for students while giving them strategies to use during the school day that support focus, attention and relieving stress.
8th Grade: Students will attend in-school presentations to learn about high school options. These sessions offer students a helpful overview of what each school provides.
In-School Student Presentations:
Educational Center for the Arts (ECA): October 1, 2026 The Sound School: October 9, 2026 Middletown Vo-Ag: October 19, 2026 Vinal Tech: Date TBD
Parent & Family Open House Dates: If your child is interested in learning more about one of these schools, we encourage families to attend their upcoming Open House:
The Sound School: October 22, 2026 | 5:00 PM – 7:30 PM ECA: November 17, 2026 | 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM Vinal Tech: November 19, 2026 | 5:00 - 7:00 (Note: Open House dates for Middletown Vo-Ag will be shared once finalized.)
Looking Ahead to Spring: All 8th graders will listen to a presentation and take a tour of the elective classes at The Morgan School, followed by an evening Open House for families. Dates will be announced in the spring.
Please reach out if you have any questions!
Physical Education:
Students in Mr. Robinson and Miss Angus’ P.E. class have been off to a great start. We began the year working on soccer skills - dribbling, passing, ball control, defensive and offensive skills, and gameplay. Students have now transferred some of those gameplay skills into the game of ultimate frisbee while incorporating some skill-building along the way. Throughout the year, students participate in warm-ups which include stretching, strength building, and jogging. We have been slowly increasing our jogging time in preparation for the fall mile run the first week of October. Mr. Robinson and Miss Angus are looking forward to a fun-filled year in P.E. with a focus on skill building, sportsmanship, and teamwork.
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