Timberwolf Connection

Dear Tilden Middle School Families! As we embrace the vibrant colors of fall, our school is buzzing with exciting initiatives and celebrations.

Hispanic Heritage Month - From September 15 to October 15, we proudly celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. At Tilden, we value and celebrate the diversity within our Timberwolf community. Students will explore many exciting aspects of various Hispanic cultures in homeroom, including:

• Several styles of Latin dances
• Coloring sugar skulls while learning about Día de los Muertos
• Investigating the history and recipes of traditional foods
• Discovering the significance (and festivity!) of a Quinceañera

Student Voice Forums - We are bringing back our Student Voice Forums this year. These important sessions aim to collect data on students' experiences with hate and bias at Tilden MS. Here are the key details:

• Forums will be held by grade-level during AST and period 3
• This is an administrator-approved activity; participating students will be excused from their classes
• 6th-grade session: September 19
• 7th/8th-grade session: September 20
• Students will be randomly selected from the Homeroom sections

Tilden Parent/Caregiver Work Group - There has been tremendous interest among families about the launch of Tilden's Parent/Caregiver Work Group in October 2024. This initiative aims to provide a forum for open dialogue between families and staff, enhancing our educational environment for ALL students. If you're interested in participating, please complete the interest form (linked below) by September 13. A survey for meeting preferences will be sent on September 17.

Your engagement is truly inspiring. It reaffirms that together, we can make Tilden a place where every voice is heard and every student thrives. Thank you for your continued support and partnership in education!

Dear Tilden Community! You are cordially invited to our virtual Parent/Caregiver Information Night on Wednesday, September 18 at 7:00 pm via Zoom. This essential virtual session will cover key aspects of the upcoming school year, including:

• Overview of school policies (PMD and Tardy policies)
• Expectations for Attendance & Use of Chromebooks
• Communication with the School
• Transportation and student safety
• Supporting your child's success
• Grade-level specific information

Zoom Information:

• Link: https://mcpsmd.zoom.us/j/85824025752?pwd=1flV3tZE89cjeetMzzbSCAyLwLSAwS.1
• Meeting ID: 858 2402 5752; Passcode: TIMBERWOLF

Join us to meet our administrative team, learn about important procedures, and get answers to your questions. This is a great opportunity to start the year informed and connected with our Tilden MS family. We look forward to seeing you there!

• September 17: 2024 Fall MAP-R Assessment (Delayed Bell Schedule)
  
• September 18: Parent/Caregiver Town Hall (via Zoom) at 7:00 pm
  
• September 19: Student Voice Forum Grade 6
  
• September 20: Student Voice Forum Grades 7/8
• September 24: 2024 Fall MAP-M Assessment (Delayed Bell Schedule)
• September 26: Girls Softball vs Pyle MS @ 3:15 pm
  
• September 26: Cross Country vs. Pyle MS # 3:15 pm
• September 27: MP1 Interims Due
• September 27: Early Release for Students (Dismissal at 12:30 pm)

The 7th grade students dove deep into the study and application of the Elements of Art in their Studio Art class with Mrs. Flanagan. The students were asked to create four equal strips of paper and 3 to 4 organic shapes with pattern all to fit on one sheet of paper, creating an abstract puzzle. Students focused mainly on the elements: line, shape and space. All students worked together to create an installation with their puzzles in the classroom.

In the words of Mrs. Flanagan, "Words cannot express how proud of them I am."

For our first unit the eighth grade students stove deep into The study and application of the elements of art. Those students were asked to create two pieces of work using seven wavy lines and creating a colorful pattern along with a black and white pattern. The students focused on color line shape and space to create an installation in the classroom.

Math 6+: Areas
Students learn to find areas of polygons by decomposing, rearranging, and composing shapes. They learn to understand and use the terms “base” and “height,” and find areas of parallelograms and triangles. Students approximate areas of non-polygonal regions by polygonal regions. They represent polyhedra with nets and find their surface areas.

AMP 7 (6): Proportional Relationships
Students learn to understand and use terms like proportional, constant of proportionality, and proportional relationship, and identify when a relationship is proportional. They represent these relationships using tables, equations, and graphs, applying them to scenarios like constant speed, unit pricing, and measurement conversions. Special emphasis is placed on understanding the circumference (a proportional relationship) and area (a nonproportional relationship) of circles. Students informally derive the formulas for these circle properties and are introduced to the value π.

Math 7: Scale Drawings
Students learn and apply concepts related to scaling, including terms like scaled copy, scale factor, scale drawing, and to scale. They identify whether two figures are scaled copies of each other and use tables to analyze measurements in these scaled copies. They understand that while angle measures remain the same, lengths are adjusted by the scale factor and areas by the square of the scale factor. Students create, interpret, and reason about scale drawings, including maps and floor plans, with and without units.

AMP 7: Rigid Transformations & Congruence
Students learn to understand and use geometric transformations, including **reflection**, **rotation**, and **translation**, and identify what determines each type (e.g., two points for a translation). They grasp concepts of **transformation** and **rigid transformation**, recognizing that **lengths** and **angle measures** are preserved. They describe and draw figures under these transformations on grids and coordinate planes, use them to generate shapes, and reason about measurements. They explore **congruence** in plane figures through rigid transformations and justify congruence or non-congruence using properties of congruent figures. Students investigate whether specific angle and side length measurements uniquely determine triangles, and study angle relationships, including **complementary**, **supplementary**, **vertical angles**, and the concept of **uniqueness**.

Math 8: Rigid Transformations & Congruence
Students learn to understand and apply the concepts of reflection, rotation, and translation, identifying what defines each transformation (e.g., two points for translation). They become familiar with transformation and rigid transformation and recognize that lengths and angles are preserved during these processes. They identify and describe these transformations, including sequences, using terms like “corresponding sides” and “corresponding angles.” Students draw figures under rigid transformations on grids and coordinate planes, use these transformations to generate shapes, and reason about measurements. They learn to determine congruence of plane figures through rigid transformations, using properties of congruent figures to justify their conclusions.

Algebra 1: Linear Equations, Inequalities & Systems
Students build on their knowledge of expressions, equations, and inequalities, learning to use these tools to represent and solve constraints. They reason about solving equations and inequalities, including systems of such, by finding values that satisfy given conditions. This involves rewriting and manipulating equations, with a focus on explaining and validating the steps taken. Throughout the unit, students practice interpreting and modeling mathematical situations and relationships using various tools and representations.

Geometry: Congruence & Rigid Transformations
Students first informally explore geometric properties using straightedge and compass constructions. This allows them to build conjectures and observations before formally defining rotations, reflections, and translations. They transition to more formal definitions that don't rely on the coordinate plane, and the focus shifts from transforming whole figures towards a more point-by-point analysis. Students then begin to use the rigorous definitions they developed to prove statements involving angles and distances, preparing them for congruence proofs in the next unit.

6th Grade students will be focusing on building vocabulary needed for the year. Students will begin to learn about early communities of people by discovering a skeleton that was perfectly preserved in ice, Otzi, and looking for clues as to how he lived and how he passed away. Students will then learn the GRAPES (geography, religion, achievements, politicial, economic, and social structure) of developing civilizations. Students will first complete the GRAPES on themselves before looking at their first civilization Sumer.

7th Grade students will be learn about land modifications. Students will look at how the Rio Olympic games in 2016 modified the land for both advantages and disadvantages. After that, students will look at Latin America, both the geography of the country and the land modifications by the people who lived there. Students will start to explore life of the Aztecs and their culture and impact of the land on both.

8th Grade students will be focusing on what are different political systems. Students will then narrow their learning to the British monarch. Students look at conflicts between the colonists and everyone else - the Native Americans who already lived on the land and the British government. The Colonists will take many aspects of culture away from the Native Americans including their land and their jobs.

Sign up to volunteer for the 7th grade field trip to Finance Park Feb. 12-14. Mr. Hutchison's classes will attend on Feb. 12, Mr. Polley's classes will attend on Feb. 13, and Mrs. Neumann (Taplar)'s classes will attend on Feb. 14. We need 17 volunteers per day. Volunteers do not need to be parents of students in the class - all adults are invited to attend. Please sign up at http://www.myja.org/caregivers/montgomery

MCPS is rolling out the annual "MCPS Student Expectation Lessons" for grades 6-12. This required two-part training aims to promote a positive school culture and ensure student safety.

• Part 1: "Culture of Respect" - Covers bullying, harassment, hate-bias incidents, and the Speak Up Protocol.
• Part 2: Key information from MCPS Student Rights and Responsibilities and Code of Conduct.

Tilden Middle School Schedule for these lessons:

• Lessons in Homeroom: September 11, 18, and 25
• Completion deadline: September 27, 2024
• Absent students: Complete asynchronous training on myMCPS Classroom
• Students will earn 3 Service Learning hours upon completion

Objectives:

• Promote school safety and positive culture
• Define and recognize bullying, hate-bias, and related issues
• Learn reporting procedures and analyze scenarios
• Understand consequences as per MCPS Student Code of Conduct

For a detailed message and to be able to view a demo course, please click the button below.

For questions or concerns, please contact me or your child's grade-level school counselor.