Grade 7: Week of September 12-16th

Grade 7s will take their Severe Weather test on Wednesday this week and have already received a review sheet which will help them study. 

We have had to extend some project deadlines.  The project letter needs to be signed by parents by Monday.  Please let me know if you have questions! Students will take notes on their severe weather project this Tuesday and Thursday.  Notes and bibliography are due this Friday.  We will begin the essay and choice project Friday and will continuing writing next Monday and Tuesday.  Presentations will begin Wednesday the 21st and Thursday the 22nd.  The essay and choice project are due Wednesday the 21st.

Grade 8: Week of September 12-16th

Grade 8s will have their first test on the Hydrosphere Wednesday.  They received their review sheet which contains real questions from a previous End of Grade test.  Most tests will have some multiple choice questions from a previously released EOG so students can get practice answering these type of questions.

Students enjoyed the "Properties of Water" lab. Our latest adventure was calculating the density of various objects.  The student helpers of the month measured water in a beaker and calculated the amount of displaced water when we put in the object.  They weighed the object on the scale and then divided the object's mass by its volume to get the density.  We compared the different density of the objects tested.  Students could see by this hands on activity that the cotton ball actually was less dense than the metal bolt and piece of wood.

This week we will begin studying the ocean, its parts, its dissolved gases and minerals, and marine life found there.

Trip to China extended!

Dear parents,

I talked to EF tours and I am happy to announce that they have extended enrollment to China to September 8th at the same price.  If you would like more information about the trip's itinerary, pricing, or enrollment, you may visit:  www.eftours.com/1122186,  If you wish to enroll online you may click on either the student or parent tab and at the bottom of webpage you will notice an enrollment box.  Type in the tour number: 1122186 and you will be guided through a series of steps.  You may also enroll by phone at 1-800-665-5364, or by faxing the enrollment package to 1-800-318-3732.  If you do not have this enrollment form or brochure, I will give you an extra one.  You may email questions to crennie72@gmail.com.  Thank you for your interest in China!

Grade 5: Week of September 6 - 9

We have been learning about weather, specifically about the sun's angle of insolation, the different zones of the earth (tropical, temperate, polar), and the water cycle.  Students also learned about hurricanes: its causes, effects, and safety.   We especially discussed Hurricane Irene and students shared their experiences.  Finally, we did an experiment last Friday to show how water evaporates and condenses to make a cloud on the top of a pie pan.

This week students will examine the water cycle more deeply by acting it out, comparing the different parts, and examining examples of the water cycle in the real world.  Students will learn about humidity and complete a concept map.  On Friday students will receive a review sheet to prepare for their test next week.  Students will receive homework in Science either every night or every second night.  However, students will not receive homework September 8th due to many sports games.

If you would like your child to have his or her own Competitive Edge textbook, please send in $15.00 ASAP (as mentioned in the introductory letter).  I will order these textbooks this week.  If your child does not purchase a textbook it is possible s/he will be sharing with another student and will not get to write in it.

Grade 7: Week of September 6 - 9

We have been learning about severe weather:  its causes, effects, and safety.  Some topics we have explored are tornadoes, thunderstorms, hurricanes, flooding, and blizzards.  We especially discussed Hurricane Irene and students shared what they had experienced and heard on the news.  Students will receive a review sheet to prepare them for the Severe Weather test this Thursday.  Since we have many sports events September 8th, students will not receive homework that night or a test on Friday.  If I feel students are not ready for a test on Thursday I will delay the test until next Tuesday.

Students will begin a project Friday on Severe weather.  They will have a choice of tornadoes, thunderstorms, hurricanes, flooding or blizzards.  You can expect a project letter to go home with students this week detailing all of the project requirements.  Please return the bottom portion signed and keep the letter for yourself.  You may also see the project letter on this blog. 

Grade 8: Week of September 6-9

We have learned about the parts of the hydrosphere, groundwater, the effects of overusing aquifers, and water as the universal solvent.  This week we will continue to examine properties of water through labs.  Last week students tried to dissolve many substances in water such as crackers, chips, sugar, and even Oreo cookies to examine water as a universal solvent.  This week we will examine water's high specific heat compared to other materials, density of water and other objects, buoyancy of objects in water, and adhesion of water to other substances such as celery.  Upon examining the properties of water, students will draw conclusions in a lab exercise.  We will have a quiz on the properties of water Thursday and a review sheet to prepare for our Hydrosphere test next week.

Please note that students will most likely have homework every night of the week except Friday from now until the end of the year.  I do not give homework on the weekend unless it is signing a form.  However, I will not give homework on September 8th because of many sports games.

Introductory letter grade 8

 NEUSE CHARTER SCHOOL SCIENCE GRADE 8

                                                                                        

Welcome to eighth grade Science!  It is my pleasure to teach your child.  This year will be a year of discovery and exploration.  We will cover various themes over the semester:  The hydrosphere, geology, chemistry, microbiology, and cells.  Grade 8 is a tested year so your child will take the End of Grade test in Science.  Students will explore scientific concepts in a variety of ways:  by reading and questioning, assignments, multimedia, experiments, models, games, simulations, and other hands on activities.

SCHOOL SUPPLIES

Many students have already brought in supplies.  The school supply list may also be found on Neuse Charter school’s website:  www.neusecharterschool.org.  For Science, students will need two spiral notebooks, a hand held pencil sharpener, a Science folder, and a $5.00 Science fee.  The Science fee will be collected by Grades 5-10 and will be used to buy Science equipment and experiment materials.  Other materials to be replenished through the year are loose leaf paper, pencils, erasers, and pens (red/blue/black).  Wish list items for the Science are:  markers and colored pencils for the class, a class pencil sharpener, Lysol wipes, expo board spray, and Kleenex.

GRADING

Every effort will be made to ensure your child is learning, engaged, and thinking critically.  The vast majority of children do very well in Science and enjoy it very much.  However, if your child is falling below grade level – below 77% or C – then I will contact you and we will discuss ways to improve your child’s grade. 

GRADING

          I have very high expectations for your child and believe every child can learn.  My grading system is as follows:

50% tests

30% assignments and labs

10% participation

10% homework

TESTS:  Students will be allowed to rewrite one test per quarter if s/he receives 70% or below.  I will re-teach any concepts that are repeatedly missed on tests.  Concepts on tests are directly related to what your child will be tested on the EOG.

ASSIGNMENTS/LABS:  Many assignments will be done in class, but some, such as projects will also need to be worked on at home.  If assignments are turned in late they will receive a maximum late mark of 70% (a D grade).

PARTICIPATION:  Your child’s enthusiasm, participation in discussions, and discipline will determine his/her participation grade.

HOMEWORK:  Homework will be marked as complete or incomplete and 0.5 to 1% will be taken off each time it is not completed.  This includes if it was completed but students forgot to bring it to class.  If there is an extenuating circumstance, please write a note for your child and I will give him/her an extra day to complete the homework without penalty. Parents will receive an email or phone call if homework is not completed consistently.

Every effort will be made to ensure your child is learning, engaged, and thinking critically.  The vast majority of children do very well in Science and enjoy it very much.  However, if your child is falling below grade level – below 77% or C – then I will contact you and we will discuss ways to improve your child’s grade. 

CONTACTS AND SCIENCE INFORMATION

Weekly information on themes we are covering and when tests and assignments are due may be found on the Neuse Charter School website:  www.neusecharterschool.org.  Click on the “More…” tab and then the “Teachers Blogs” link.  If you have any questions or concerns you may email me at crennie72@gmail.com  or call the school at 919-938-1077. 

I look forward to exploring Science with your child this year!

Sincerely,

Christine Rennie