SPX
Middle School Blog
Friday,
November 8th, 2019
Welcome
to the Saint Pius X Middle School Blog!
Fall seems to have come and gone, and with it we welcome new and
exciting lessons and activities here at school! Make sure to read all about
what’s happening in every middle school classroom in this newest edition of the
St. Pius X Middle School Blog!
Have a Blessed day!
-The Middle School Team
General
Middle School Updates
1. The end of the First Trimester of the Academic Year is November
22nd, 2019.
2. Please join us at the following school Masses hosted by our
middle school classes:
-December 4th, 2019 hosted by Mrs. Erickson’s 6th grade!
3. Have you heard about the Middle School Virtual Planner? Each
day every middle school teacher posts homework on our virtual planner at https://sites.google.com/stpiusxschool.org/middleschool
This is a great way for students double-check the
assignments recorded in their student planners! We encourage parents to check
the virtual planner as well to assist their student as they complete their
homework and prepare for assessments!
4. Pius Academy is available every Tuesday afternoon – take
advantage of this great opportunity to get one-on-one assistance for any
subject!
Pius Academy is offered on Tuesday afternoons from 3:00-3:45pm.
Pick-up takes place outside the front entrance of the school (West
doors) at 3:45pm.
We look forward to working with your children during Pius Academy!
Teacher
Updates
Middle
School Science with Mrs. Erickson:
We apologize for the
absence of Mrs. Erickson’s blog this week. She is out of the building to attend
a family funeral. Please keep her and her family in your prayers!
6th grade
and 7B Language Arts with Ms. Fannon:
11/08
6E & 6K - In writing, students
are finishing up a unit on nouns, and their test is tomorrow. Next week,
students will begin a short unit on pronouns. In reading, they just completed
an elements of plot test. Next week, students will be given the choice of three
stories and will complete a plot diagram project. The end of the trimester is
November 22nd. Students are to have met 100% of their AR goal by then.
7F - In writing, students have been
learning about conjunctions, clauses, and sentences. They will be tested on
Tuesday over these concepts. In reading, students are beginning a science
fiction unit with Ray Bradbury as our “spotlight” author! The end of the
trimester is November 22nd. Students are to have met 100% of their AR goal by
then.
6th and
7T Language Arts with Mrs. Pedersen:
7 Tallman - In
writing, students have been learning about conjunctions, phrases, clauses, and
sentences (simple, complex, compound). They will be tested on Thursday (11-14)
over these concepts. Next week students will finish writing the final draft of
their compare and contrast essay. In reading, students are beginning a science
fiction unit with Ray Bradbury as our “spotlight” author! Students will have a
DOL quiz next Friday (11-15).
Students have two more weeks to finish with their AR goal. The
last day to take a test is Friday (11-22), which is the last day of the
trimester.
8th Grade - Students are
working on writing a compare and contrast essay using the literary devices in 2
poems written by Robert Frost. Students are also finishing up a unit on subject
complements. There will be a test on Thursday (11-14) over these concepts. We
will continue to read poems in the poetry unit.
Students have two more weeks to finish with their AR goal. The
last day to take a test is Friday (11-22), which is the last day of the
trimester.
Have a great weekend!
Mrs. Pedersen
Math
with Mrs. Gipple:
6th Grade Math
The 6th grade has been spending time practicing how to perform
operations with decimals as well as estimating, interpreting, comparing and
ordering them. We will end the chapter by putting decimals into 1 step
algebraic equations and solving. The kids will take a quiz over
multiplying & dividing decimals as well interpreting the quotient and
decimal equations next Thursday, Nov. 14th. Then the chapter posttest
over all our decimal concepts will be Tuesday, Nov. 19th. Accelerated
Math for chapter 3 will also be due by Nov. 19th.
7th Grade Math
This class has been working on decimal and fraction operations
including negatives. Their quiz over fraction operations is next Wed,
Nov. 13th. The chapter posttest will be the following week and all
Accelerated Math practices and tests will need to be finished as
well.
Next up will be proportional relationships.
7th Grade Pre-Algebra
This class finished up this week our work with equations and
inequalities. The inequalities quiz will be next Tuesday, Nov.
12th. We will review the whole chapter and take the posttest next Fri,
Nov. 15th. Accelerated Math for Ch. 3 will be due by the 15th as well.
Next we will be focusing on fracters, fractions, and exponents.
8th Grade Pre-Algebra
This class has been working with rules and properties of
exponents as well as operations in scientific notation. The quiz over
these concepts will be next Tues, Nov. 12th. Then we will focus on
squares and square roots and apply these concepts into the Pythagorean
Theorem. The accelerated math practices and tests will help the students
a lot since this chapter has so many challenging concepts.
8th Grade Algebra
This class has covered our work with inequalities and took the
final test over multiple types of inequalities today. Those scores will
be posted on Powerschool early next week.
Next week we will start working multiple ways of graphing linear
equations and functions.
The trimester ends Friday, November 22nd so all Accelerated Math
practices and tests must be completed by then in order to be calculated into
1st trimester grades. Please check with your child to make sure they have
everything finished.
Please let me know if you have any questions. Have a great
weekend!
Mrs. Gipple
Religion
with Mr. Tallman:
6th grade: Both 6th grade classes took
their 46 Books of the Old Testament Test today! They looked like a confident
group! Watch for these scores to be posted next week!
Next week we’ll wrap up our investigation of the biblical covenant
with Adam.
7th grade:
I was so impressed with the job the 7th grade did at
the Saint Fair! They made us all proud! Great job!
This week we started a new study of vocations and discernment. We’ve
been having some great discussions and look forward to watching discernment in
action next week as we watch the reality-documentary “God or the Girl.”
8th grade:
Papal Reflection Papers were due today in class. I’m been pleased
with what I have read in these so far! Watch for these grades to be posted next
week.
Next week we’ll continue to investigate various elements of
Catholic Social Teaching as we prepare for our Social Justice Project!
I pray that you all have a wonderful weekend!
Peace,
Mr. Tallman
Social
Studies with Mr. Klein:
6th Grade:
-We have finished up our Geography unit and have started
learning about North America, specifically Canada. We will be looking at the
different regions and provinces, while also working on a 5 Themes project on
Canada later in November.
7th Grade:
-We will continue learning about why people migrate and also
begin researching how certain countries populations affect the
environment.
8th Grade:
-The 8th grade are almost done learning about the
American Revolution. They will be taking their Unit test as well as finishing
up Johnny Tremain both before we leave for Thanksgiving. After that, we will
learn about the Articles of Confederation, and the challenges that the newly
created United States faced those early years.
