Wizards present Mindfulness to the staff of CBMS!

Today 12 of our students stood up in front of the faculty and presented our team's experience with Mindfulness. I was extremely proud of them for sharing their insights! They were honest and articulate when speaking. Plus, they were totally willing to do some extra work beforehand. They met during lunch/study hall several times in order to prepare.
Student leadership and student voice is such an important element to the middle school experience and I was so impressed with the number of students who wanted to help me with this presentation. Thanks to everyone! You did an AMAZING job!!!

The teachers give it a try! 

Friday Folders in Math

With the hopes of increasing your understanding of what your child is learning and how they are progressing in math, Ms. Anderman & Ms. Clymer are going to try Friday folders.  Each Friday, your child will summarize something they learned in math on a reflection sheet. You will have the opportunity to see their classwork from the previous week along with their reflection.  Each weekend, please review the folder with your student, sign the reflection sheet and leave all work in the folder. You have the opportunity to write comments or questions at the bottom of the reflection sheet.

Ms. Anderman's final science projects

We spent the last 3 weeks of our science unit creating models and slideshows that help students explain the answer to the question "How does the Earth, moon & sun interact to create observable cycles?".  Students created models and slideshows to help explain their understanding of the reason we see phases of the moon, observe eclipses, and have seasons.  Here is the rubric I used to assess the final projects and slideshows.  Scores will be reported on Powerschool after break.  This group next moves to Ms. Michael to for their last trimester of science.

Geology Recap: Trimester 2

The students in Mrs. Michael's Science class put together this slideshow to share all the fun they had while learning during our Geology Unit.

5th Grade Math and Progress Reports

Greetings Parents and Guardians.  As most of you know by now, we are in the midst of an exciting but big change in the way we assess our students.  It has been a learning curve for all involved.  Today your student received their progress report.  If you have a 5th grader, you many notice some blanks where you might expect to see a score based on our explanation included with the report.  It seems as though the 5th grade standards were not linked to the progress report and therefore did not show up.  You can find all of your student's scores on Powerschool under semester 1.  You simply need to check the assignment "Semester 1 Final Score'.  There you will find all of the scores assessed during semester 1.  I apologize for the confusion and appreciate your flexibility.

Wizards Math Update and Our New Desks

Fifth grade students have begun the Fraction unit. We have been working on comparing and ordering fractions using various strategies including using benchmark numbers 0, 1/2 and 1, unit fractions, common numerators, common denominators and equivalent fractions. Students will use their knowledge of equivalent fractions as a strategy to add and subtract fractions with like and unlike denominators. They will apply their previous understandings of multiplication and division to multiply and divide fractions or a whole number by a fraction. Students will also be solving real world problems involving fractions and mixed numbers.

Please continue to have students practice their multiplication fact fluency at home. Automaticity of these facts is very helpful with fractions, for example,  finding common denominators, simplifying fractions and multiplying and dividing fractions.

In sixth grade math, students have been operating with fractions.  We began with a quick review of adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators.  More recently, we have been using area and linear models to support conceptual understanding of multiplying fractions.  Our big learning will be begin next week as we begin our work with dividing fractions.

In other Wizard news, we received a grant of $1500 to buy 6 stand-up desks for our team. Students are very excited to use them. Research shows that stand-up desks can boost student learning and have positive physical benefits and enhance classroom culture by allowing more student choice in seating. The stand-up desks will be a wonderful addition to our classrooms.

Wizard Food Drive - 12/12 - 12/2

A group of Wizard leaders have been meeting to organize a winter food drive.  Wizard students have been randomly assigned to one of the four teachers.  With their group, they will collect non-perishable food items for the next two weeks.  We are still getting organized, but the plan is for students to complete sculptures with the items their team collects on the day before break.  After the sculptures have been created, we will bag the items and take them directly to the Duxbury food shelf.  We are excited to give back to our community this holiday season.    

We can't wait to see the creative sculptures that our Wizards will make!