8th Grade Weekly Newsletter

January 16th, 2024

Good morning 8th grade families! As the great vocalist of our time once sang, "Woah, we're halfway there"! But, yeah, we are halfway through the final year of Middle School! Thanks as always for reading along with the news in 8th grade and please contact if there are any questions.

Grade Level Announcements

Quarterly STAG Celebration

Our quarterly celebration is coming up on tomorrow, Friday, January 17th.

New this quarter: If students do not earn their way via STAG Tags, there will be an alternate way students can earn part of the celebration time back on Friday.

Quarterly Celebration - Sledding

The Quarterly Celebration will be outdoors at the Civic Center tomorrow, January 17th. Students who earn the right to attend are encouraged to bring a sled to school as well as dress appropriately for the weather.

Be advised the students can bring a sled before January 17th. If you do so, we have a place to stash them in Ms Smith's room. Bus drivers will probably not allow sleds on the busses to school, so alternate arrangements may need to be made.

End of Marking Period

There is only a half day left between us and the end of the 1st semester. Each teacher may have a different deadline to turn in assignments and redo assessments, but it is safe to assume tomorrow is a hard deadline for most classes.

The good news is, a new semester starts Monday! Try to make sure students start on a positive path and take advantage of the clean slate.

NWEA Testing

The winter NWEA testing window opens next week. The 8th grade students will be completing both Math and Language Arts NWEA tests in the coming weeks.

Important Upcoming Dates

January 17th - STAG Celebration - Half Day for Students - End of 2nd Quarter and 1st Semester

Week of February 10-13 - Parent Teacher Conferences - Exact Dates, Times, and Format TBA

February 14th and 17th - No School - Mid Winter Break

Classroom Reminders

ELA - Mr. Gaddy

In Language Arts the students are working on wrapping up their work with a Nikola Tesla biography. Also, we are reviewing correct comma usage as we kick off marking period number three. I encourage all students to spend 15-20 minutes reading each day after school. Please let me know if you have questions or concerns- I am always available to communicate. - Mr. Gaddy

Science - Ms. Smith

Students will begin their new unit titled "Planetary Science." Our first quiz will take place 1/27 or 1/28. Click the links below to find the subject. Let me know if you have any questions!

Quiz Cards: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1niI6ZxutgAXQ5SpcjUnjSdtPIhb84tbQOaSIbt8QM_o/edit?usp=sharing

Blooket: https://play.blooket.com/play?hwId=6785378b1f27bc3337daec5c

US History - Mr. Buniewicz

We are continuing our learning about the Early Republic Era of US History (Washington's Presidency). We have a quiz coming up on Wednesday, the 21st. Study guide and note taking guide are available on Google Classroom and have been passed out in class.

Math - Mrs. Wilkins

Algebra: Multiplying and Factoring Polynomials , Pre-Algebra: Continuing with Slope-Intercept Form/Linear Equations

Sustainable Science - Ms. Smith

Welcome to our NEW semester in Sustainable Science. This week we will start small working with basic cooking and sewing terms.

Art - Ms Eichler

Be sure to check backpacks for artwork coming home next week (especially Thursday) so it doesn't get ruined riding around for days!!! I am so glad to have been able to mentor your young artists this first half of the school year! I am excited to meet my new incoming students and start the second half with those students who have me all year long!

Thank you for reading the newsletter! Make it a great day or not, the choice is yours!