The Specialists Update
April 26, 2024
Here is a monthly update about what is going on in the Specials classes at WMS!
Students have art, music, technology education, health and physical education throughout each of their three years at WMS. We are fortunate enough to really get to know your students and see them grow throughout the three years here with us!
The specials classes are listed below.
Art: 6th, 7th and 8th grade
Technology Education: 6th, 7th and 8th grade
Health: 6th, 7th and 8th grade
Music: 6th, 7th grade and 8th grade
Physical Education: 6th, 7th and 8th grade
Orchestra, Band and Chorus: 6th, 7th and 8th grade by student choice
Specials classes meet for 1 trimester every other day with the exception of physical education; physical education meets every other day for 2 out of the 3 trimesters. This means that by the end of the school year your student will have had all four specials for one term and physical education for two terms.
Art Class
6th grade has just completed our postage stamp projects. Student each got a postage stamp to use as the basis for their painting. They glued the stamp on the paper and the continued the image outside of the stamp to fill the whole page. Some really creative solutions!
7th grade:
7th graders just finished up our Logo design projects. We learned about the history of logo design and why it is important. Each student sketched 3 designs for a personal logo or for a company that they made up. They they had to choose one of their designs to bring to a final draft. Some really interesting and powerful logos were created!
8th Grade:
8th graders just began a clay sculpting project where students were instructed to create a sculpture of either a creature or a candy. Students also had to develop a background for their creature and candy, even going so far as to create a wrapper or an environment for their sculptures. They did a great job with a lot of really sophisticated designs being created!
Technology Education Class
Grade 7 Students have been exploring transportation systems and subsystems, as well as the forces that affect transportation systems.They've made some great 3D structural illustrations in TinkerCad to show their understanding of these transportation systems and subsystems. Soon we will be preparing to make a variety of transportation system physical models.
Grade 8 Students have been working together to understand the Engineering Design Process through a variety of engaging design case studies. They have formed small robotics groups and are applying the Engineering Design Process and their understanding of Inputs, Processing, and Outputs to their work with Mindstorms robotics kits. They will be doing a number of lessons to understand the hardware and software they are working with, and soon apply their understanding to either a custom design proposal or to the task of solving an obstacle course called The Candy Challenge!
WIN Block: Students have been working with a few different 3D software design tools to create either underwater or Mars habitats for human sustainability. There are some sample images below of their work in progress.
Music Class
MUSIC RECOMMENDATIONS
Syro- Aphex Twin
Scary Monsters and Super Creeps- David Bowie
Capacity- Big Thief
Students are reminded that treating classroom instruments with care is a crucial part of ensuring the longevity and success of our music program. We have been fortunate enough to obtain a classroom set of keyboards and guitars; students must be careful not to drop or abuse these instruments.
What are we working on?
6th Grade- We’re working on learning new songs on the ukulele and guitar, utilizing new chords and strum patterns. Some students have worked on some simple songs on the keyboard, and played drums along with our class songs. Some examples of songs have been “Paperback Writer” by the Beatles, and “Super Trooper” by ABBA.
7th Grade- We’re learning about the Blues; what it sounds like, how it works, and why it is important. We’re writing our own Blues verses using AAB form and playing the 12 Bar Blues on Ukulele and guitar.
8th Grade- We’re continuing to grow in our ability to play the keyboard. Students have been working on a variety of simple piano pieces using notes in C Major using the right and left hand, and have been assessed on their playing ability. So many students are making great progress during their first experience playing the piano!
Chorus- We’re just coming off of our amazing Spring Concert, and our trip to Six Flags for Music in the Parks. Over the next few weeks, we’ll celebrate our accomplishments, practice sight singing more, sing some fun songs, and look at some music ideas for next year.
Health Class
6th grade: Students have begun talking about themselves. For some students this is a simple task and for others it is a bit more challenging. We focus on self-image in 6th grade, so that students can feel confident and comfortable with who they are. Having a positive self-image is the foundation for healthy decision making! Students are working on a self-image project and they we will begin our final unit of the term on decision making.
7th grade: Last week we began the discussion around mental health. We discussed the difference between sadness and depression. Students learned that depression can happen to anyone and identified warning signs to look for. We discussed the importance of having a trusted adult both in and out of school, as well as having healthy ways to cope with a variety of feelings.
Our next unit of the term is Marijuana. Students are identifying short and long term effects of marijuana. We are taking a look at the laws around marijuana and defining the term “gateway drug”. A big focus when learning about marijuana is how THC affects the developing teen brain.
8th grade: This week the Song Evaluation Project was introduced. Students will choose a song of their choice and evaluate the lyrics. They will identify characteristics of the relationship described in the song and determine the overall message of the song. They will be presenting their project to the class, and explaining if their song was healthy or unhealthy with lyrics to explain why.
*** As always, please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns about when topics are being discussed in Health class! My email is nicole.lewis@watertown.k12.ma.us.
Physical Education Class
Students will be continuing the Racquet Sports Unit, which includes Tennis, Pickle Ball, Ping Pong and Badminton.
Students are also taking part in the PACER Test, a Cardiovascular Fitness event to determine how they compare to other students across the country in this standardized test of endurance/stamina.
Our athlete this month is .....
Viktor Axelsen
Age: 30
Birthdate: January 4, 1994
Nationality: Danish
Birthplace: Odense, Denmark
Dominant Hand: Right-handed
Current team: Representing team Denmark
Viktor Axelsen is a professional badminton player from Denmark, and is currently ranked number one in ‘men’s singles’ around the world. He has won two world championships and is currently the reigning Olympic champion, winning in 2020.
Viktor started playing badminton at just six years old, when his father introduced him to the sport. His achievements began when he won the national juniors event in 2006 and 2008 and has continued to accrue accolades since.
REMINDERS: PLEASE BRING A REUSABLE WATER BOTTLE TO CLASS!!
SNEAKERS SHOULD BE WORN FOR FOOTWEAR DURING P.E. CLASS... CROCS, FLIP-FLOPS, BOOTS, ETC...ARE NOT SAFE AND SHOULD NOT BE WORN.
Digital Learning
Our coding WIN is making wonderful progress in learning Python. Many students are not only able to code intricate designs with static shape, but now they are able to code animations. Here is an example of a students' work making the ball drop after clicking the mouse and stop if it gets close to the mouse.