Dear Middle School Families,
What a great week we’ve had! On Tuesday afternoon, Emmy award-winning actor Ron Jones shared a performance which chronicled the political, social, and cultural history of the African American experience over the past 50 years. The presentation allowed students and faculty to ensure that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy lives on through education and dialogue. Yesterday afternoon, we hosted the K–8 Geography Bee. I am pleased to share that Alison (Grade 8) was our school-wide winner. Can anyone answer the following question? The Seikan Tunnel connects the island of Hokkaido with what other Japanese island? If you answered Honshu, you are correct; if not, better luck next year! We ended the week with the rescheduled visit of our sixth grade to Cradles to Crayons, where they delivered the donations they gathered and helped sort other donated goods. Thanks to the grade-level team for facilitating this work!
Just a reminder that the conferences from January 4 are being rescheduled for January 25 with the same times as were scheduled. If you cannot attend, please notify teachers directly. Also on January 25, the mathematics faculty will host a parent coffee to provide an overview of the Middle School mathematics program. The faculty will describe the curriculum, instruction, and assessment practices of our program. Questions such as, “How can parents support students’ learning?” and “What opportunities are available for students who want to do more math?” will also be addressed.
In this week’s Middle School Newsletter, you will find information about the week ahead as well as an important reminder about the new technology being introduced in Grade 7.
Have a good weekend and best of luck to our speech team,
Will
The Week Ahead
Grade 7 Movie Night, Friday, January 19, 6 p.m., Ware Hall
Speech Tournament, Sunday, January 21, Oak Hill Middle School, Shrewsbury, MA
Trustees Weekend, Friday, January 19–Saturday, January 20
Parent Coffee: A Look at Math, Thursday, January 25, 8:20 a.m., Thacher
Parent Conferences, Thursday, January 25—Conferences are scheduled for the same times they would have been on January 4. If you need to cancel, contact the teachers directly. For questions or schedule changes, contact Samantha Cristoforo.
Important Reminders
Math Team Success—Our math team hosted five schools in an Intermediate Math League of Eastern Massachusetts meet for the first time on Thursday, and placed second as a team! Congratulations to Abby B., William C., Hailey C., Thomas H., Ava M., Neha M., Karol Q., Sachin S., Katherine S., Caden S., Riya S., Vijay T., and Matthew Y. Grade 6 student Hailey was recognized as the top scorer among all the sixth-graders competing. Read more about the meet, and our hard-working math team, here.
Grade 7 Technology Studies Python Programming—During technology classes this spring, Grade 7 students will continue their study of the Python programming language using Micro:bit, a small microcontroller board. The Micro:bit will allow students to work with both software and hardware, writing code that has an immediate, real-world result. We encourage students to continue to experiment with these devices at home and to share their creations with you. Just like a textbook, these devices belong to the individual student and are theirs to keep once the course ends. Student accounts will be charged $16.50 for the cost of the Micro:bit, and the Micro:bits will be handed out the first week of February. Students are expected to bring them to their weekly tech class throughout the spring semester. Like all electronics, the Micro:bit is not indestructible—we appreciate your support in helping students care for these devices responsibly.
Community Skating— Click here for the schedule.
Add These Dates to Your Calendar
We are delighted to offer Departmental Coffees so that parents can hear about our curriculum from the teachers themselves. Coffees will be held at 8:15 a.m. in Thacher.
- January 25—Parent Coffee: Math Department
- February 9—Parent Coffee: Science
- March 2—Parent Coffee: Social Studies
- April 12—Parent Coffee: Language
- May 4— Parent Coffee: English (this session will be held in Room 101)