Dynamic Dialogue 12/20/12

Happy Winter Break Dynamic Team!

Upcoming Events:           Winter Recess begins December 21^st

                                          Students Return to class January 7^th

                                          Grades will be mailed home January 11^th

Important Information:         Students should take a few moments over break to clean out their binders and restock their school supplies (especially pencils).  Some students may need a few new spirals and to check the workability of their binders.

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English –

Susan Artkras – artkras.susan@wgmail.org

Math – 

Please check the parent portal to view the updated math grades. 
There is no mandatory homework over the break, however students can practice math skills on (khanacademy.com). Also, please check to make certain that your child has a working calculator.  We will need them in class and they will be able to use them during the MAP test.  Happy Holidays!

Wilma Slaughter – slaughter.wilma@wgmail.org

Science –

In Science this week we have stormed into our Weather unit! LOL You may want to ask your student "What does temperature measure?" They have begun understanding the kinetic theory and density as it relates to temperature and barometric pressure. Barometric pressure is the way meteorologists measure air density. As air cools off the density of the air increases creating higher pressures. The relationship between temperature and air pressure can also be stated as the temperature increases the air becomes less dense.

I wish you a refreshing holiday break and hope you have TONS of FUN SHARING LAUGHTER AND JOY WITH YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS!

The links for the course websites are listed below.

Course Websites:

4^th Period - http://www.edline.net/pages/Hixson/Classes/M330004

5^th Period - http://www.edline.net/pages/Hixson/Classes/M330001

6^th Period - http://www.edline.net/pages/Hixson/Classes/M330002

7^th Period - http://www.edline.net/pages/Hixson/Classes/M330003

If you have any questions or comments please let me know

Dynamic Systems Science – Coach Daniels daniels.mark@wgmail.org

314-918-4603

Social Studies –

During this abbreviated week we continued to look at Ancient Greece.  Early in the week we focused on the Minoan civilization and then moved to the development and types of governments in the Greek city-states.  When we return, we will continue with Ancient Greece.  We will explore the beginnings of democracy, Greek art and architecture, as well as Greek contributions in philosophy, literature, and science.  Students should remove all materials from their binders prior to Greece.  Have a wonderful Winter Break!

Grades have been posted on the Portal and some will be updated over the break.  I am available for after school help every Thursday until 4:00 p.m.

The links for the course websites are listed below.

Course Websites:

4^th Period - http://www.edline.net/pages/Hixson/Classes/M340001

5^th Period - http://www.edline.net/pages/Hixson/Classes/M340002

6^th Period - http://www.edline.net/pages/Hixson/Classes/M400002

7^th Period - http://www.edline.net/pages/Hixson/Classes/M400004

Lisa Pettid – pettid.lisa@wgmail.org

314-918-4602

Please visit the following links for more information: Hixson home page - http://schools.webster.k12.mo.us/education/components/scrapbook/default.php?sectionid=7 Dr. Heisserer's blog - http://hixsonprincipal.wordpress.com/

Dynamic Dialogue 12/14/12

Good afternoon Dynamic Team,

Upcoming Events:          Last day of classes before Winter Break is 12/20/12

Important Information: Our Holiday fundraiser has ended.  In total we raised $313.48 and collected 64 cans. A special thanks to Coach Daniels and Mrs. Pettid for leading the fundraising initiative! (from your teammates and students.)

English –

With the end of the semester quickly approaching, students are busy revising assignments and taking care of any make-up work. As much as I hesitate about allowing this “Ketchup Time” in class, the conversations I’ve participated in and have overheard have been priceless. This time is promoting a review of just about everything we have studied this semester. Students are coaching one another and collaborating to resolve challenges in the writing and reading. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the conversations. The academic language—clauses, alliteration, run-on, synonym—is richer. The use of resources—dictionaries, thesaurus, digital devices—is increasing. Students are checking the Portal and advocating for their learning and academic responsibilities. The level of engagement is how I wish everyday could be!

In addition to “Ketchup Time,” we continued our work on parts of speech and sentence structures through sentence diagramming. The use of diagramming allows alternative access points, other than auditory and linguistic, into language for students. These access points include visual/spatial, analytical, and kinesthetic, even interpersonal as students work together to evaluate diagrams and correct them to deepen their understanding of parts of speech and sentence structures.

With temperatures dropping, we will take this opportunity to read, analyze, annotate and discuss a couple winter poems to continue working toward the curricular goals: 1) Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences; cite specific textual evidence to support conclusions drawn from the text, 2) Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in text, including figurative language and connotative meanings.

• Students will be receiving a reading log for the winter break.

• For English assignment details, documents and explanations, see the Portal.

Susan Artkras – artkras.susan@wgmail.org 
Website: http://schools.webster.k12.mo.us/education/components/scrapbook/default.php?sectionid=168

Math – 

Wilma Slaughter – slaughter.wilma@wgmail.org

Science –

Dynamic Scientists this week took the Universe Motions Unit test on Thursday. Weather is our next unit and today the students completed the "What Do You Know about Weather?" Please ask your students about how they think they did on the Universe Motions test and the What Do You Know about Weather. Many of the students do not like answering questions which they feel so uncertain about even though in earlier grades they have studied weather and the water cycle. We will go full steam ahead into next week and laying the foundations for the Weather unit. 

Course Websites:

4^th Period - http://www.edline.net/pages/Hixson/Classes/M330004

5^th Period - http://www.edline.net/pages/Hixson/Classes/M330001

6^th Period - http://www.edline.net/pages/Hixson/Classes/M330002

7^th Period - http://www.edline.net/pages/Hixson/Classes/M330003

If you have any questions or comments please let me know.

Dynamic Systems Science – Coach Daniels

daniels.mark@wgmail.org

314-918-4603

Social Studies –

Students began their investigation of the Classical World this week with a focus on geography.  In the previous unit our focus was entirely on River Valley Civilizations – but now we have moved to the civilizations around the Mediterranean Sea.  With one exception, every area we study for the rest of the year will be focused on control of the Mediterranean, and students are currently being asked to analyze why that might be.  While studying Greece, we will not only look at the geography of the region, but also the tremendous impact of the Greeks on Western Civilization.  I will be asking your students to look for evidence of ancient Greece all around us.

Grades have been posted on the Portal.  If your child has a missing assignment, they are welcome to still turn it in.  I am available for after school help every Thursday until 4:00 p.m.

The links for the course websites are listed below.

Course Websites:

4^th Period - http://www.edline.net/pages/Hixson/Classes/M340001

5^th Period - http://www.edline.net/pages/Hixson/Classes/M340002

6^th Period - http://www.edline.net/pages/Hixson/Classes/M400002

7^th Period - http://www.edline.net/pages/Hixson/Classes/M400004

Lisa Pettid – pettid.lisa@wgmail.org

314-918-4602

Please visit the following links for more information:
Hixson home page - http://schools.webster.k12.mo.us/education/components/scrapbook/default.php?sectionid=7

Dr. Heisserer's blog - http://hixsonprincipal.wordpress.com/

Dynamic Dialogue 12/7/12

Happy Friday Dynamic Team,

Upcoming Events:            School Play, December 7^th

                                         7^th Grade Band Concert, December 11^th

                                          Winter Recess Begins, December 20th    

Important Information:  We continue to collect money and canned goods for Webster-Rock Hill Ministries.  As of today, we have $238.13    , and 35 cans.

English –

December 6, 2012

This week students are reviewing and honing their skills of annotating text and of summarizing material. For our text this week, we worked with song lyrics on the topic of dress codes (last week we read an article about a public school district in Texas that is enforcing a rigid dress code.) After annotating the text of the lyrics, students discussed their thinking regarding the central or main ideas that the musician was conveying to his audience. Once each student has honed a main idea, the next step is to select text details to support that main idea and convey the overall context of the material. This work supports our curricular goal of:

Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence to support conclusions drawn from the text.

1.     Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis.

2.     Determine two or more central ideas in a text and provide an objective summary of the text.

Also this week, students revisited the sentence combining activity “Street Smart.” We have already worked with the Street Smart clusters to develop compound and complex sentence structures, and this time, we concentrated on developing simple sentences.

Susan Artkras – artkras.susan@wgmail.org

Math – 

This week students finished the assessments on the (Variables & Patterns) unit; I was really please with the quality of their work.  Next week, we will start a new unit (Stretching and Shrinking).  In this unit students will learn how to:

*Identify similar figures by comparing corresponding parts

*Use scale factors and ratios to describe relationship among the side lengths on

  similar figures

*Construct similar polygons

*Draw shapes on coordinate grids and then use coordinate rules to stretch

  and shrink those shapes

*Predict the ways that stretching or shrinking a figure affects lengths, angle   

  measures, perimeters, and areas

*Use the properties of similarity to find distances and heights that you can’t

  measure

Wilma Slaughter – slaughter.wilma@wgmail.org

Science –

In Dynamic Science the students are finishing their unit on Universe Motions. They have their Universe Motions Unit Test on Thursday, 13 December 2012 which is next Thursday. They have their study guide and to be studying at least 15 minutes every day. This week the students investigated the relationships between the Moon and Earth which includes the Moon phases, eclipses, and Causes of Seasons.

Course Websites:

4^th Period - http://www.edline.net/pages/Hixson/Classes/M330004

5^th Period - http://www.edline.net/pages/Hixson/Classes/M330001

6^th Period - http://www.edline.net/pages/Hixson/Classes/M330002

7^th Period - http://www.edline.net/pages/Hixson/Classes/M330003

If you have any questions or comments please let me know.

Dynamic Systems Science – Coach Daniels

daniels.mark@wgmail.org

314-918-4603

Social Studies –

This week we finished The Ancient World.  On Monday and Tuesday, we went over the study guide; the answers were also posted on Edline.  On Wednesday, Students spent time with Mrs. Bodi for their Career Lessons.  The unit test was given on Thursday.  Students who did not finish their test have until next Thursday to come in and finish up.  On Friday, students began The Classical World unit with a look at the geography of Greece.

Grades have been posted on the Portal.  If your child has a missing assignment, they are welcome to still turn it in until December 14^th .  I am available for after school help every Thursday until 4:00 p.m.

The links for the course websites are listed below.

Course Websites:

4^th Period - http://www.edline.net/pages/Hixson/Classes/M340001

5^th Period - http://www.edline.net/pages/Hixson/Classes/M340002

6^th Period - http://www.edline.net/pages/Hixson/Classes/M400002

7^th Period - http://www.edline.net/pages/Hixson/Classes/M400004

Lisa Pettid – pettid.lisa@wgmail.org

314-918-4602

Please visit the following links for more information: Hixson home page - http://schools.webster.k12.mo.us/education/components/scrapbook/default.php?sectionid=7 Dr. Heisserer's blog - http://hixsonprincipal.wordpress.com/