Team Berlin Update 18

1/2: Return to School

Gentle reminder that our curriculum moves at a set pace and with that, students who are absent will have to find a way to make up assignments outside of class. Furthermore, any student traveling over seas should be aware that Canvas does not work overseas. This means they will have to download their assignments in advance, or have a friend email them the work.

Thank you for your support in this.

Lunch Recess Support: Team Berlin teachers often make themselves available daily for extra help or just time and space in getting assignments done. Students need to plan this ahead of time so they can get a hall pass and make sure that teacher is actually available.

Wednesday CEA Reading and Completion (W104): Ms. Trenkle will begin hosting students on Wednesdays to read and start their CEA summary during recess. Students will sign up that Monday for a pass.

Thursday Academic Advising: During Advisory students have the opportunity to work on assignments in their Advisory class or may arrange to visit a particular class and teacher to complete an assignment.

Happy Holidays, Scientists!

This week students collected evidence to determine what created a channel on Mars in the Gale Crater-was it made by flowing water or flowing lava? Ask your student what our conclusion was. We finished up the week with a mini research project in which students research a planet in our solar system and make a PowerPoint presentation. Students will present their PowerPoints after winter break.

A heads up for the new year: our Roots summative will be on January 7th. I’ve uploaded Blooket links for the summative, they are available below or on Canvas under the Roots Advisory 2 module if students want to start studying over break.

Please use these links to prepare for our Advisory 2 Roots Summative on January 7th

Roots Blooket - Tower Defense Mode

https://play.blooket.com/play?hwId=67643919322992275db526b2

Roots Blooket - Monster Brawl Mode

Roots Blooket - Factory Mode

Roots Blooket - Cafe Mode

lydia.ballantine@k12.dc.gov

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Math 6
This week students worked on dividing complex fractions and real-world application of the concept. In the coming week students will continue to divide complex numbers and simplify solutions. Included in our virtual classroom is a link to a portion of Illustrative Mathematics website curriculum dedicated to allowing parents to give support of current topics from home. Please encourage students to take advantage of the winter break by working to complete and/or redo any outstanding or non-passing assignments. Students may send an email to request an Aspen update of improved scores. Included in our virtual classroom will be a link to a portion of Illustrative Mathematics dedicated to allowing parents to give support of current topics from home. During the Winter Break students will not receive PEAR homework assignments but will be required to complete IReady lessons to have passed 18 iReady Lessons by Monday, January 6 (the first FULL week of school).

Math 7

This week students began working with Proportional relationships and percentages. In the coming week, students will continue working on this concept along with its real-world application (tax, tip, and finding the percentage). Included in our virtual classroom is a link to a portion of Illustrative Mathematics website curriculum dedicated to allowing parents to give support of current topics from home. Please encourage students to take advantage of the winter break by working to complete and/or redo any outstanding or non-passing assignments. Students may send an email to request an Aspen update of improved scores. Included in our virtual classroom will be a link to a portion of Illustrative Mathematics dedicated to allowing parents to give support of current topics from home. During the Winter Break students will not receive PEAR homework assignments but will be required to complete IReady lessons to have passed 18 iReady Lessons by Monday, January 6 (the first FULL week of school.

ATTENTION

Deal will continue to offer an in-person, Summer Math Acceleration Camp (SMAC) and an Online Asynchronous Math Course (Zearn) for our current 6th and 7th graders during July of 2025 (July 7 - July 31; 8:45 am - 12:00 noon).

SMAC Math 7

This intensive course is for 6th graders currently taking Math 6 who become eligible based on the iReady MOY and EOY Assessment. Students who successfully complete this in-person course and the final assessment will be placed in Math 8 in the Fall of the 2025 - 2026 school year.

Zearn 7

This online asynchronous course is for 6th graders currently taking Math 6. Only students who qualify based on their MOY i-Ready score will become eligible. Students who successfully complete the course and the final assessment will be placed in Math 8 in the Fall of the 2025 - 2026 school year.

SMAC Math 8

This intensive course is for 6th & 7th graders currently taking Math 7 who become eligible based on the MOY and EOY iReady Assessment. Students who successfully complete this in-person course and the final assessment will be placed in Algebra I in the Fall of the 2025 - 2026 school year.

Zearn 8

This online asynchronous course is for 6th or 7th graders currently taking Math 7. Only students who qualify based on their MOY i-Ready score are eligible. Students who successfully complete the course and the final assessment will be placed in Algebra I in the Fall of the 2025 - 2026 school year.

We will host a Virtual SMAC & Zearn information Meeting for families on Teams at 6:30 pm on Thursday, January 9 - bit.ly/DEALJAN9

marcus.brown@k12.dc.gov

jeremiah.gawthrop@k12.dc.gov

This week we wrapped up Tuck Everlasting. When we return from break, we continue to explore some of the themes from the book (i.e. growing up) and expand our literary analysis to comparing and contrasting multiple texts. And in this case we actually will be watching the movie Tuck Everlasting as we do that compare/contrast work.

To see what books Team Berlin students are recommending, check out the Term 2 Book Talk presentations HERE. Our original goal was for students to present their second book talk before Winter Break, but I'm extending that deadline and many of those will happen in the short week when we return from Winter Break.

I hope you all have a wonderful break and that students have time to rest, relax, play video games and read books :)

Katy Byrns

Katy.byrns2@k12.dc.gov

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Happy Holidays! I want to thank everyone for a wonderful start to the SY24-25 and share that I am looking forward to all the New Year brings! Thank you for sending your children ready to learn and engage, thank you for your support at home, and for all of your kind words and gestures. They are so appreciated! I wish each of you a happy, safe, and restful holiday season!

This week in Geography, students finished writing their Three Religions Essay, typing it, and submitted it as double summative grade. Students will receive their feedback the week of January 6. On Thursday and Friday students learned a little bit about Hinduism and Buddhism as a bridge to our next unit: South and Southeast Asia (SSEA).

The week we return students will explore the SSEA region through the Five Themes of Geography and define key vocabulary as well as label their political and physical maps. There is no CEA that short week that we return from break. Links for our Seterra games and study tools will be posted by Friday, January 3 in Canvas.

Shout out to periods 5 and 7 who celebrated reaching their class incentives this week! :)

If you’re traveling anywhere please consider sending us a postcard—especially if you visit Central America, South America or Africa!!

See you in 2025!!!

Please find Team Berlin photos of our students in action here: https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B1g5IRuBxGAvG9 It will be updated as we go along!

Team Berlin’s Playlist can be found here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6XGJMmooyuna2fwFQ9pj9A?si=416e41ad228f4c11

amy.trenkle@k12.dc.gov

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Congratulations to our December IB Learner Profile Students of the Month for Principled: Noga Hulata and Emil Nooruddin. The IB Learner Profile states that a person who is principled is someone who respects the dignity and feelings of others, is honest and accountable, and accepts both responsibility for their decisions and the consequences that accompany them.

Congratulations to our IB Learner Profile Students of the Month, exemplifying CARING: Evelyn Fielding and Pasha Rubio. Students who are caring show empathy, compassion, and respect towards the needs and feelings of others. They have a personal commitment to service, and act to make a positive difference to the lives of others and the world around them. From helping a friend, to picking up garbage after lunch, if you care, it will show!

INQUIRER learner profile: Alma DiRuggiero and Jake Maretich. The IB Learner Profile aims to develop students who are inquirers. Students who are inquirers nurture their curiosity, developing skills for inquiry and research. They know how to learn independently with others. Inquirers learn with enthusiasm and sustain their love of learning throughout life.

RISK TAKER learner profile: Camryn Jolly and Abdisa Kiyvyra. Risk takers approach uncertainty with forethought and determination; they work independently and cooperatively to explore new ideas and innovative strategies. They are resourceful and resilient in the face of challenges and change.