Auction and Honors Society deadline

Thank you to all parents who donated to make the sports basket a success! Doors to the auction open at 6:00 pm Tuesday March 1st.

All NJHS applications must be submitted by March 1st to be considered for admission.

Grade 5: Week of February 28th to March 4th

Students are continuing to explore weathering and erosion, and their possibly devastating effects. I showed students two sets of pictures to illustrate weathering and erosion: one from Chimney mountain, North Carolina and the other one coastal erosion from Nanaimo, Vancouver Island. Students gained a greater idea of how weathering and erosion is happening all the time in the environment around them.

Students have received a review sheet on "Weathering and Erosion" and will take their test on Wednesday. We will then explore how to prevent erosion from causing landslides and blowing away of topsoil. Construction, agriculture, and deforestation practices will be discussed, as well as solutions: replanting trees so roots hold onto the soil, windbreaks, drainage channels, and so on.

Grade 6: Week of February 28th to March 4th

Students are continuing to explore the universe and all of its elements and constructs. Our test will cover the basics of the universe: types of nebulae, types of galaxies, the immensity of the universe, and life cycle of stars. We will go more in depth with the video "The Universe" and have a Paeidia workshop as a culminating activity.

A review sheet will go home on Wednesday and students will receive a test on Friday.

Grade 7: Week of February 28th to March 4th

Presentations went fabulously! Students were very interested in learning about brain conditions, and diseases, and asked many questions of our presenters. Great work!

One grade 7 class is still watching "The Incredible Human Machine", a fascinating look into the human body and a culmination of all we have learned about the circulatory, digestive, respiratory, and skeletal systems.

Our other grade 7 class has just begun a unit on genetics. Don't be surprised if your child comes home and asks you about genetic traits in the family. We are learning about "The Human Genome project", an ambitious project that categorized and sequenced over three million DNA samples from various people all over the world. Finished in 2003, the Human Genome project provided hope for eliminating various diseases, while raising moral and ethical questions.

Students will examine how traits are produced by dominant and recessive genes, and codominant genes. There will be no test this week.

We are still missing three textbooks. Please check at home for any missing textbooks. Thank you.

Grade 8: Week of February 28th to March 4th

We had a very successful last week exploring the properties of matter. Students used different substances such as vinegar and baking soda to test chemical reactivity, bent substances to test their malleability and ductibility, calculated the density of various objects, and finally tested various objects for their solubility. Students will hand in their "Properties of Matter" web tomorrow and will take their small test on Properties of Matter on Wednesday.

Students will have homework every night this week since we are beginning the periodic table and much review is needed to familiarize oneself with it. We will learn how to read the periodic table, and examine elements' atomic number, number of electrons in the outer shell, element symbol, and isotopes.

We will begin reviewing for the E.O.G. in March.

Grade 5: Week of Feb. 14th to 18th

We will examine how water erodes steep and slightly inclined slopes in an experiment. We will also discuss mudslides, landslides, and improper construction practices, and watch videos relating to the subject.

Your child will receive a Rivers Review sheet on Tuesday and take the Rivers test either Thursday or Friday depending on which class s/he is in. We will then begin our weathering and erosion segment.

Grade 6: Week of Feb. 14th to 18th

The space projects look fabulous! Parents, thank you for your help on the power points. Students are continuing to present their projects and power point presentations throughout this week. We will then move on to our next unit: The Universe!

Grade 7: Week of Feb. 14th to 18th

Our two hour delay interrupted one class, and the other not. Therefore, we have different due dates for various assignments on the Brain Project.

7A and B: Bibliography due Tuesday Feb. 15th

7B: Notes and Paragraphs are already due, but some students might be adding "cures" or other details to their paragraphs. Students were required to bring in materials for the additional project Friday. Monday will be the last day to work on any additional notes, paragraphs, additional paragraphs, or practice for the presentations.
7A: Notes are already due. Paragraphs are due Wednesday. Additional project is due Friday. Please bring in materials for the additional project on Thursday or before.

Presentations will be on Tuesday through Thursday for 7B and Friday to Tuesday for 7A.

Our next unit is genetics.

Grade 8: Week of Feb. 14th to 18th

Grade 8s were very creative in modeling their covalent and ionic bonds Friday. We will have them on display in the classroom - no eating the M&Ms or Nerds! Students used these to model the protons, electrons, and neutrons of each bond.

Grade 8s will receive a review sheet to prepare them for the quiz on elements, compounds, mixtures, and covalent and ionic bonds. They will take the quiz on Wednesday. Then we will begin learning about the properties of elements: acids and bases, density, malleability, boiling and melting points, solubility, rigidity/flexibility, conductivity, chemical reactivity, and specific heat. We will also learn about states of matter: gases, liquid, solid, and plasma.

We are still in need of a hot plate, scale, and magnet.

Progress Reports: January 18th

All progress reports will go out January 18th. Please check for any missing or incomplete assignments your child may have. I will highlight these assignments on the progress report. Your child may stay Tuesday or Thursday after school from 2:40 to 3:40 to receive help to complete them if you wish, or complete missing assignments at home.

If I mark "late" on the progress report, this means your child turned in an assignment late, but it is complete. If your child receives a "0" on any assignment, this means your child turned it in incomplete and I will not give it a grade until complete, or your child did not turn it in at all.

Thank you for your support.

Auction basket request for 7B homeroom

February 14th, 2010

Dear parents,

It is basket auction time again! For those of you new to Neuse Charter School, we auction off baskets of various themes as a fundraiser. This year your child’s homeroom chose “sports” for the basket theme. We would appreciate if you could donate an item related to sports, whether it be a sports item or gift certificate. If you are able to donate, we request that your donation arrive at the latest Monday February 21st to prepare the basket for the auction.

Last year we raised thousands of dollars for our school with your support. Thank you in advance for this year’s success.

Sincerely,


Christine Rennie

Grade 5: Week of February 7-11th

We have studied landforms, topographic and aerial maps, and have created landform models. We are now ready for a test! 5B will receive a Landform test on on Wednesday and 5A on Thursday. Then we will begin studying about river landforms, how rivers deposit sediment, and flooding.

Grade 6: Week of February 7-11th

This week students will be presenting the information they gleaned on their planet. I have moved presentations to Thursday and Friday so certain students may have extra time to complete their power point presentations in Mr. Richard's class. This is part of Neuse Charter's technology collaboration effort. Additional project materials need to be brought in Monday so students begin to work on their poster, model, diorama and so forth. If there is time, we will begin studying the universe, a highly fascinating and engaging topic.

Grade 7: Week of February 7-11th

Students will continue their research on the brain (disease, condition, or drug) until Wednesday when their notes and bibliography are due. They will have time in class to write notes, but will need to bring in their research, which may be an internet print out, magazine, encyclopedia, or book. Time will be given in class to write their paper and I will model how to write the introduction and conclusion. Students will mostly likely also need to do part of the writing of their paper at home. Additional project material needs to be brought in next Monday. *Please sign the project paper if you have not already done so, so I may see that your child has your approval for his/her topic.

Our test on the brain is Tuesday.

Grade 8: Week of February 7-11th

We are moving on to Chemistry and will spend more than one month studying the Periodic table, chemical bonds, properties of matter, and chemicals in our everyday world. Students will study the basic building blocks of matter - atoms and molecules - and their sub-atomic particles - electrons, protons, and neutrons. We will investigate covalent and ionic bonds and how they are constructed.

We are in need of a scale that measures ounces, a hot plate, and pots for experiments in chemistry.

I will be handing back the Chapter 14 test on Biological, Geological, and Technological change.