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7th Grade Scoop!
April/May 2024
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Upcoming Field Trips
We are excited to share with you two more field trips for seventh grade!
On Tuesday, May 21, students in grades 6-8 will have the opportunity to attend STEM day at Trinity Health Stadium. They will be able to learn about STEM topics AND watch a Hartford Athletics soccer game! This trip is free for students. Please order a lunch from school (options will be on the permission slip) or send a lunch from home for your child. This permission slip is due May 7.
On Friday, May 31, students in grade 7 will have their end of the year celebration at Northwest Park in Windsor, CT. The cost of this trip is $5, which covers the cost of a pizza lunch and afternoon treat. Students who do not want pizza for lunch should bring a lunch from home. Please note that students should apply sunscreen and bug spray prior to coming to school. This permission slip is due May 17.
Please complete both online permission slips in PowerSchool. The instructions are below. Please send $5 cash to school with your child, and ask them to turn it in to
Ms. Capellán (formerly Ms. Abreu).
Please note that students who do not meet our behavioral expectations may not be permitted to attend the field trips. The activity policy can be found on the attachment below.
To complete the online permission slip form, please login to your CREC PowerSchool Parent Portal account at https://crec.powerschool.com/public/ or by opening the PowerSchool app on your phone.
If logging into the Parent Portal, select the Forms icon and then click on the form to open. If using the PowerSchool App on your phone, go to the More menu, then Forms, and click on the form to open.
For more information about the PowerSchool Parent Portal, go to https://www.crecschools.org/for_families/family_resources/techtools
If you need to set up your PowerSchool Parent Portal account for the first time, please contact the school office to obtain an Access ID and Password to link your account to your student.
Important Dates
SBAC testing- April 23,25,26
Trinity Health Stadium Field Trip- May 21st (register by May 7th)
STAR testing- May 22-23
NorthWest Park- May 31st (register by May 17th)/ $5 paid to Ms. Capellán (F5)
7th Grade AWARDS ceremony- June 7th from 8:00 am-10:00 am in the auditorium
What is happening in the 7th grade classrooms?
Reading -Olivia Strelevitz (ostrelevitz@crec.org) 860-242-7834 ext. 2377
Current Unit: Unit 4 - Slam Poetry
Description:
We have just begun our fourth and final unit - Slam Poetry. Slam Poetry is poetry that is designed to be performed, not just written. Throughout this unit, students will watch many different slam poets perform, analyze their work, practice performing, and ultimately create & perform their own slam poem at our end-of-year coffee house. Listed below is the breakdown of our unit objective and our tentative assessments:
Students will be able to…
Analyze the theme and poetic devices within a performed poem
Write and perform a slam poem using poetic devices and public speaking techniques
Formatives:
Choose a poem & analyze it
Identity Poem Analysis
Identity Poem Draft
Recorded Poem Read Aloud
Social Justice Poem Analysis
Social Justice Poem Draft
Summative:
Create a slam poem to perform at the 7th grade-end-of-year coffee house
We will even have the treat of having an AIS alumnus who practices slam poetry come in and workshop with our students!
Assignments you should see your child working on at home:
Students will be provided ample class time to complete all formative assignments. If assignments are not completed during allotted time, students will be asked to complete them on their own time.
Students are still expected to complete 10 units of Lexia per week.
Next Summative Assignment:
Unit 4 Slam Poetry summative will be for students to write and perform their own slam poem at an end-of-year class coffee house
Science- Ms. Capellán Polanco (mcapellanpolanco@crec.org) 860-242-7834 ext. 2363
Current Unit: 7.3 Metabolic Reactions Inside Our Bodies
Description:
This unit on metabolic reactions in the human body starts out with students exploring a real case study of a middle-school girl named M’Kenna, who reported some alarming symptoms to her doctor. Her symptoms included an inability to concentrate, headaches, stomach issues when she eats, and a lack of energy for everyday activities and sports that she used to play regularly. She also reported noticeable weight loss over the past few months, in spite of consuming what appeared to be a healthy diet. Her case sparks questions and ideas for investigations around trying to figure out which pathways and processes in M’Kenna’s body might be functioning differently than a healthy system and why.
Students investigate data specific to M’Kenna’s case in the form of doctor's notes, endoscopy images and reports, growth charts, and micrographs. They also draw from their results from laboratory experiments on the chemical changes involving the processing of food and from digital interactives to explore how food is transported, transformed, stored, and used across different body systems in all people. Through this work of figuring out what is causing M’Kenna’s symptoms, the class discovers what happens to the food we eat after it enters our bodies and how M’Kenna’s different symptoms are connected.
Assignments you should see your child working on at home:
Time is given for students to complete assignments in class. However, if a student does not complete an assignment during the time given in class, then it must be completed during W.I.N block (academic study) or at home. Formative work is graded and returned for students to make corrections, if needed. Corrections/revisions are due by the due date, which is written on the returned formative assessment. Late revisions are not accepted.
The link to the weekly team homework is posted in Schoology.
Next Summative Assignments: TBD
Additional Comments:
The agenda for this unit is posted in Schoology with embedded links to assignments. The link is also below:
Agenda #4- Metabolic Reactions (inside our bodies)
Jeramys Williams (jerwilliams@crec.org) 860-242-7834 x 2526
Teacher: Jeramys Williams (jerwilliams@crec.org) 860-242-7834 x 2526
Current Unit: Unit 3: Measuring Circles
Description: In this unit, students will learn about what makes circles different from other shapes. They will learn to identify and measure the parts of a circle, as well as the relationships between the measurements. Later on in the unit, we will learn about how to find the Area of a circle.
Assignments you should see your child working on at home: Check Your Understanding questions. Zearn.
Next Summative Assignment: TBD
Additional Comments: Students should be coming to math class prepared with a pencil.
Design Technology Teacher: Aleta Dubecky
Students are finishing up their three dimensional standing figures. They are adding details such as facial features, hair and clothing. When the sculptures are complete, they will be put on display by the student entrance of the school.
The next design technology project will be to use embroidery and sewing skills to create a design on fabric, or to create a three dimensional fabric sculpture.
Global Systems- Mr. Gold (rgold@crec.org) 860-242-7834 Ext 2524
Current Unit: Russia and Eastern Europe
Students are approaching the end of our unit on Russia and Eastern Europe. Our study began with a focus on geography, and students created their own maps of these regions. Next we used the film Animal Farm to introduce important concepts such as communism and authoritarian rule. Then, we explored the history of the Russian Revolution, along with the rise and fall of the Soviet Union. Students used historical documents to examine the controversial rule of Joseph Stalin and then developed an argumentative essay evaluating his impact on modern Russia and how he should be remembered. Finally, we are ending the unit with two “mini-inquiry” projects on the Cold War and on the current war in Ukraine.
Assignments you should see your child working on at home:
Most assignments are done in class. Occasionally, students need to take unfinished work home (or complete this during Academic Study). Students may also get extra credit opportunities, which are generally done outside of class time. Please note that if a student misses class, it is their responsibility to get the work they missed. Old lessons and assignment are posted in the “Materials” section of Schoology for students to review and use, as well.
Our next unit will take us to Russia and Eastern Europe (very timely as we mark the anniversary of the war in Ukraine). During the first few weeks, we will focus on the geographic and cultural features of this region. Students will create their own maps and have a summative quiz on vocabulary and concepts related to this new unit.
The second mini-inquiry (on the War in Ukraine) will be summatively assessed for Criteria B: Investigating and Criteria C: Communicating. Then, we will turn our attention to the final unit of the year, which is on the topic of South Asia: The Indian Subcontinent. Like previous units, we will begin with geography, examine the history, and end with an inquiry project that includes student choice.
Resource 7th Grade- Susanne Brannstrom (sbrannstrom@crec.org) 860-242-7834 ext. 2367
Unit 4: Inferences and predicting outcomes reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning.
Description:
Students will work on their goals/objectives and learn to read for details, make inferences, draw conclusions, and summarize. One day a week students will start class by reading a short article. When finished students will work on: reading for details/locating answers/inference/vocabulary/ sequence/relating story content to personal experience/ and predicting outcomes. During student work time the teacher will circulate the room, giving feedback, and providing help with assignments for other classes. Students will demonstrate their understanding through teacher assessments and answering questions about completed work.
Assignments you should see your child working on at home: All assignments if not completed in their classes or in the resource room should be completed at home.
Band
Teacher:Elizabeth Campbell, elcampbell@crec.org
We’re in full swing getting ready for Competition! On May 3rd, the Dragon Thunder Symphonic Band will take the stage in competition at Holyoke HS, then spend the day at SixFlags New England with an evening award ceremony! Historically, our band has taken home First Place!!! Musicians should be practicing “Cha’La”, “Skyfall”, “Clouds”, and “Bruno Mars”
International Trip to Ireland, Wales, and England- April 2025
Great News!
The $200 off the registration for the International trip to Ireland, Wales and England has been extended until April 30,2024. Please take a moment to look at the itinerary outlining everything this trip has to offer. We will be visiting well known European tourist attractions but will also go off the beaten path to the countryside in Ireland, and a National Park in Northern Wales. It's going to be an unforgettable adventure. Come for the food, come for the culture, come for the experience. Parents are welcome to join us!
Here is the link: http://www.explorica.com/Abreu-7243
Our Team contact information
- Assistant Principal- Eleisha LeMay, elemay@crec.org
- Dean of Students - Raynette Holmes, raholmes@crec.org
- Team Leader - Maria Capellan-Abreu, mabreu@crec.org
- Guidance Counselor -Tania Thibault, tthibault@crec.org
- Social Worker- Desiree Stewart, dstewart@crec.org & Dr. Keniesha Johnson, kejohnson@crec.org
- 7th Reading - Olivia Strelevitz, ostrelovitz@crec.org
- 7th Writing- Anthony Yacavone, ayacavone@crec.org
- 7th Individual and Societies - Robert Gold, rgold@crec.org
- 7th Math - Jeramys Williams, jerwilliams@crec.org
- 7th Science - Maria Capellan-Abreu, mabreu@crec.org
- 7th Spanish - Elizabeth Parada, eparada@crec.org
- 7th Design (Tech) - Lindsay Petroski, lpetroski@crec.org
- 7th Visual Art - Heather Groenstein, hgroenstein@crec.org
- 7th Physical Education (Gym & Health) - April Meyer, ameyer@crec.org & Tyler Champ, tchamp@crec.org
- 7th grade Design Technology- Aleta Dubecky, adubecky@crec.com
- 7th Speech & Language - Amanda Hernandez, ahernandez@crec.org
- 7th Reading Intervention - Alicia Soares, asoares@crec.org
- 7th Multilingual Learners (MLL)- Danielle Triompo, dtriompo@crec.org
- 7th Special Education Case Manager - Sally McAllister, smcallister@crec.org