Dynamic Dialogue 1/30/15

Good afternoon, Dynamic Team!

Upcoming Event:          Feb. 7th – Adult Trivia Night (see below)

                                        Feb. 13^th – No Student Attendance (Hixson)

Important Information:   On February 7, 2015, Hixson teachers will be hosting our sixth annual Hixson Trivia Night and Silent Auction. You may find the registration form by clicking here; you may also register online at hxtrivia.blogspot.com. Proceeds from this year’s event will be put towards the purchase of new lockers for the girls’ locker room.

Our team has been asked by the auction committee to create a themed basket to be auctioned. We have chosen "A Little Bit of Italy" as our basket theme. We would appreciate your help in collecting items that relate to our theme.  Please send any donated items to school with your child by February 3rd. We will take care of getting all donated items ready for auction.  Alternatively, if you would prefer not to purchase an item, we would be happy to accept any monetary donation that may be used to purchase items for our baskets.  We need pasta, pasta sauce, pizza pans, pizza cutters, salami, bread sticks, music, olives, olive oil, a picnic basket, a blanket, candles, and cookbooks.

Can't fill a table of 8? Click here to register and we'll try to get you connected with others to fill a table.

FYI: Many students are coming to school without fully charging their laptops the night before. Help with this would be appreciated.

English –

The week began with responding to a short story. The written response was practice in writing in a formal academic voice, which is challenging for students because they are not allowed to use the pronouns: I, me, my, you, yours.

On Tuesday, a guest from the Safe Connections Project talked with the students about Bystander Intervention. Students were provided ideas, along with their pros and cons, about ways to support someone in a crisis.

Students are continuing to draft and revise their Breaking Barriers essay. Most students need extra time at home to work on their Breaking Barriers essay. Support resources:

Essay expectations:

• expresses the student’s barrier
• expresses how one or more of JR’s values is used to face and/or overcome the barrier
• is well organized
• has a strong personal voice
• incorporates an example of Jackie Robinson
• written with correct grammar and spelling
• is limited to 700 words
• model#1, model #2
• local winner
• scoring guide

Suggested outline for Breaking Barriers essay:

Introduction:

• hook reader
• main idea (identify barrier and value[s])
• establish context as it related to Jackie Robinson

Body

• describe barrier

• explain how the values helped

Conclusion

• finishing statement which is inspirational
• echo main idea

Susan Artkras – artkras.susan@wgmail.org

Wilma Slaughter – slaughter.wilma@wgmail.org

Dynamic Systems Science – Coach Daniels

daniels.mark@wgmail.org

314-918-4603

Social Studies –

Your students really, really rose to the challenge when creating their projects over the past week.  It was a true joy to see how they pushed themselves both in the exploration of Greek mythology and with how they presented the material.  I received videos, powerpoints, board games – so many things!  We are moving on with ancient Greece next week, but will be wrapping up soon.  My hope is to have an open-note quiz during the week of Feb. 17^th.  I will have a better idea as we move through the week.  The notes are up on my website and can be accessed at any time.  

After school help is available in my room every Thursday until 4:00 

Dynamic Social Studies Course Website:

www.hixson.webster.k12.mo.us/pages/Hixson/Classes/pettid

Lisa Pettid – pettid.lisa@wgmail.org

314-918-4602

Please visit the following links for more information: Hixson home page -http://hixson.webster.k12.mo.us/pages/Hixson Dr. Smith's blog - http://hixsonprincipal.wordpress.com/

Dynamic Dialogue 1/23/15

Good afternoon, Dynamic Team!

Upcoming Events:         Feb. 7th – Adult Trivia Night (see below)

Important Information:   Hixson's Adult Trivia Night is coming up in February.  Click here for a link to all the details.  We are asking parents to contribute items for two baskets to be auctioned off per team.  Dynamic’s theme is “A Little Bit of Italy”.  Please send in items related to Italy.  Some examples would be pasta, pasta sauce, pizza pans, pizza cutters, salami, bread, music, olives, olive oil, or cookbooks.  Be as creative as you like.

Can't fill a table of 8? Click here to register and we'll try to get you connected with others to fill a table.

FYI: Many students are coming to school without fully charging their laptops the night before. Help with this would be appreciated.

English –

Susan Artkras – artkras.susan@wgmail.org

Math- Students have been learning about the 3-type of Percent problems (including solving word problems), and Percent of Increase/Decrease. Along with learning about percents, some geometry concepts (parallel/ perpendicular/skew lines) were included.  Students have been taking practice tests over these concepts and will take the unit assessments in about 2 weeks.

Wilma Slaughter – slaughter.wilma@wgmail.org

Science –

This week in Dynamic Science students have been working on Levels of Organization and Cells.  We have been watching a video, pausing the video and having class discussions, taking some notes, answering their questions, having brief class presentations/examples. Today as were reviewed Levels of Organization we drew a graphic organizer to help them see the pattern in the relationships between the levels. We also introduced the 6 characteristics of all organisms!

On Thursday this week the students began taking an online formative Quia quiz, www.quia.com/web, covering the levels of organization and cell function concepts. As a formative quiz they will take it about every 5 class periods. As a formative quiz it does not affect their semester grade. You should be seeing their scores improve as we go through the unit. Since the quiz covers all the major concepts of the unit some of their initial scores will be low. As they develop their understanding and make connections among the concepts their scores will improve. The formative quizzes help them see their progress and areas of which they need to focus and help me as well to see what concepts need more work. The students may take the quiz as many times as the like!

The learning goals, proficiency scale, and targets are listed below.

Goal 1:    Student will understand that living organisms are systems of interacting subsystems composed, on the most basic level, of cells.

4	Student demonstrates innovation, in depth inference(s), or advanced application(s) with the learning goal. In addition to level 3 the student will be able to: predict the effect(s) on an organism if a specific cell does not function properly or does not exist.
3	Student will use both cell theory and levels of organization to show that an organism is living.
2	Student will use either cell theory. or levels of organization to show that an organism is living.
1	Student will recognize some components of cell theory. levels of organization.

Goal 2:  Student will develop and use a model to describe the function of a cell as a whole and ways parts of cells contribute to the function.

4	Student demonstrates innovation, in depth inference(s), or advanced application(s) with the learning goal. In addition to level 3 the student will be able to: create an analogy between cell and non-cell.
3	Student will develop and use a model to describe the function of a cell as a whole. describe the function that each organelle contributes in the cell.  (cell wall, nucleus, chloroplast, mitochondria, cell membrane).
2	Student will distinguish the functions of the parts of the cell as they contribute to the function of the cell as a whole.
1	Student will match parts of the cell with functions.

Targets

1.            I am able to describe how cells are the smallest unit of living organisms.

2.            I am able to describe each of the jobs of these organelles: cell membrane, cell wall, chloroplasts, chromosomes, cytoplasm, mitochondria, & nucleus.

3.            I am able to compare and contrast photosynthesis and cellular respiration.

4.            I am able to describe the levels of organization within complex organisms.

5.            I am able to compare and contrast plant cells and animal cells.

This semester you will see more assignments scores posted on the portal. “Summative assessment” scores are the only grades with are used to calculate the semester grade.

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 –

It’s project week here in the social studies room!  Students were given a choice menu on Tuesday.  They should have discussed their choice with you at some point this week and asked you to sign off on their paper.  They will have every day this week and Monday and Tuesday of next week in class to complete their projects.  You should also see some of the work coming home.  If you don’t see any Greek mythology related materials, you may want to ask them for an update.  The project is due on January 28^th.

After school help is available in my room every Thursday until 4:00 

Dynamic Social Studies Course Website:

www.hixson.webster.k12.mo.us/pages/Hixson/Classes/pettid

Lisa Pettid – pettid.lisa@wgmail.org

314-918-4602

Please visit the following links for more information: Hixson home page -http://hixson.webster.k12.mo.us/pages/Hixson Dr. Smith's blog - http://hixsonprincipal.wordpress.com/

Dynamic Dialogue 1/16/15

Happy Weekend, Dynamic Team!

Upcoming Events:         Jan. 19 – MLK Day, No School

                                         Feb. 7 – Adult Trivia Night (see below)

Important Information:   Hixson's Adult Trivia Night is coming up in February.  Click here for a link to all the details.  We are asking parents to contribute items for two baskets to be auctioned off per team.  Dynamic’s theme is

FYI: Many students are coming to school without fully charging their laptops the night before. Help with this would be appreciated.

English –

This week students were introduced to a writing assignment that also offers them in opportunity to enter a nationwide writing contest and to win prizes such as a laptop computer. The "Breaking Barriers in Sports and Life" encourages students to tell their story of overcoming a barrier with the help of one or more of Jackie Robinson's Nine Values. The contest writing combines two types of curricular essays-- narrative and explanatory. Students began their writing by examining winning essay models, generating topics, analyzing the overall structure of the writing and reviewing ways to get their ideas down into a first draft.

For students who are absent, details of the day's work and necessary documents or links are being posted to their ELA Google Classroom.

Susan Artkras – artkras.susan@wgmail.org

Math- 

Wilma Slaughter – slaughter.wilma@wgmail.org

Science –

This week in Dynamic Science students have been working on Levels of Organization and Cells. The learning goals, targets, and vocabulary are listed below. Some aspects of the target skills are already in place.

Goal 1:    I am able to describe that living organisms are systems of interacting subsystems composed, on the most basic level, of cells.

Goal 2:  I am able to develop and use models to describe the function of a cell as a whole and ways parts of cells contribute to the function.

Targets

1.            I am able to describe how cells are the smallest unit of living organisms.

2.            I am able to describe each of the jobs of these organelles: cell membrane, cell wall, chloroplasts, chromosomes, cytoplasm, mitochondria, & nucleus.

3.            I am able to compare and contrast photosynthesis and cellular respiration.

4.            I am able to describe the levels of organization within complex organisms.

5.            I am able to compare and contrast plant cells and animal cells.

Cell membrane

Cell wall

Chloroplasts

Chromosomes

Cytoplasm

Mitochondria

Nucleus

Organelle

I have enjoyed being back to work this week. I had a total knee surgery on my right knee over the winter break. My knee is healing very well and I’m about 2 weeks ahead of schedule! J Ms. Krueger did a great job as the guest teacher and the students are made very good progress in the cell unit while I was out on medical leave.

This semester you will see more assignments scores posted on the portal. “Summative assessment” scores are the only grades with are used to calculate the semester grade.

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 have continued exploring the differences between Athens and Sparta this week.  They completed both Reading Notes 27 and a Venn Diagram comparing the two cities.  Towards the end of the week, we began to look at the war with Persia and the Golden Age of Athens.  Next week, we will begin work on the Greek Myth Project.  The directions are posted on my website it you would like a preview.

After school help is available in my room every Thursday until 4:00 

Dynamic Social Studies Course Website:

www.hixson.webster.k12.mo.us/pages/Hixson/Classes/pettid

Lisa Pettid – pettid.lisa@wgmail.org

314-918-4602

Please visit the following links for more information: Hixson home page -http://hixson.webster.k12.mo.us/pages/Hixson Dr. Smith's blog - http://hixsonprincipal.wordpress.com/

Dynamic Dialogue 1/915

Welcome Back, Dynamic Team!

Upcoming Events:         Jan. 15 – Orchestra Festival – 7 p.m. WGHS

                                       Feb. 7 – Adult Trivia Night (see below)

Important Information:   Hixson's Adult Trivia Night is coming up in February. Click here for a link to all the details.  You may also register at  hxtrivia.blogspot.com. Parents are being asked to contribute to gift baskets for the silent auction.  Dynamic's theme is "A Little Bit of Italy".  Please send in items related to Italy.  Some examples would be pasta, pasta sauce, pizza pans, pizza cutters, salami, bread, music, olives, olive oil, or cookbooks.  Be as creative as you like.

English –

Susan Artkras – artkras.susan@wgmail.org

Dynamic English students began the new semester with a discussion of life barriers. Our discussion focused on a non-fiction article and documentary video about the barriers faced by Jackie Robinson as he broke the color barrier in Major League baseball.

With the non-fiction article, students practiced their text coding skills, a highly effective skill for improving reading comprehension. This was followed by a set of questions for identifying main idea and author’s purpose and developing responses with textual references.

On Wednesday, students visited the library for their bi-weekly visit.

Our discussion barriers continued on Thursday as we discussed Jackie Robinson’s Nine Values and how these values might help 7^th grade students work through common 7^th grade problems (barriers.)

On Friday, students will be writing an explanatory paragraph as to how a common 7^th grade barrier can be overcome through values.

Math- 

We finished the Proportion and Ratio unit this week.  Next week, we'll start with work on some geometry concepts dealing with lines, and take the assessments for Proportion and Ratio.

Wilma Slaughter – slaughter.wilma@wgmail.org

Science –

Dynamic Science Course Website

http://hixson.webster.k12.mo.us/pages/Hixson/Classes/daniels

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

314-918-4603

Social Studies –

Students have been continuing their exploration of ancient Greece this week.  They completed a group activity that involved researching the elements of Greek temples and designing their own versions.  We also began looking at the forms of government within ancient Greece, and began a comparison of Athens and Sparta.  We will continue looking at Athens and Sparta next week.

After school help is available in my room every Thursday until 4:00 

Dynamic Social Studies Course Website:

www.hixson.webster.k12.mo.us/pages/Hixson/Classes/pettid

Lisa Pettid – pettid.lisa@wgmail.org

314-918-4602

Please visit the following links for more information: Hixson home page -http://hixson.webster.k12.mo.us/pages/Hixson Dr. Smith's blog - http://hixsonprincipal.wordpress.com/