November/December 2016 - Lexington Public Schools

Jonas Clarke School Association (PTO)
November/December 2015
Clarke Newsletter
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Principal: Anna Monaco • Assistant Principals: Jennifer Turner, Jonathan Wettstone
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Jonas Clarke Middle School • 17 Stedman Road, Lexington, MA 02421 • 781.861.2450 • http://lexingtonma.org/clarkems
From the Principal
Anna Monaco, [email protected],
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November
6 - 8th Grade Social (6:30-8:30pm)
12 - PTO Meeting (8:30am); 3rd
Cafe
12 - METCO Potluck 6:30, Mattapan
17 - Challenge Team sponsored
breakfast
17 - Parent Information Session #2:
Hollywood vs. Home, 7-8:30pm,
Clarke
18 - 7pm New Families Reception
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December
4-11 - Book Fair
10 - PTO Meeting (8:30am); 3rd
Cafe
15 - Discovery Team sponsored
breakfast
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January
12 - Adventurer Team sponsored
breakfast
14 - PTO Meeting (8:30am); 3rd
Cafe
14 - Staff Luncheon
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Dear Jonas Clarke Community,
What a great beginning to a new school year. I
hope that the transition from summer back to
school and routines has been a smooth one for
your family. I have observed students and staff
immediately jumping into new and exciting
learning opportunities and getting to know each
other. The first quarter has flown by.
It was wonderful to see so many of you at our Back To School
Night in early October. Hopefully you had a chance to experience
what your child does each day, meet new teachers and gain an
understanding of what middle school is all about.
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This week marked the beginning of our WIN block pilot and as
you have probably heard by now, this is an exciting new
adventure for us at Clarke. WIN is an Intervention / Enrichment
block after lunch on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays where
students can choose to get some quiet work done, meet with a
teacher for extra help or choose from a variety of enrichment
courses offered by Clarke staff. Each Tuesday we will have an
extended homeroom where students and staff meet to plan and
schedule their WIN blocks for the week.
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Please make sure to check our WIN website each weekend for
updated enrichment opportunities and have your child come
prepared on Tuesday morning with a few top choices. Ask them
about what they have chosen and whether it has helped them to
get their work done, try something new or even just have a break
during the school day.
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So far it has been relatively smooth and although not without
bumps, it has been an exciting week. We are looking forward to a
growing number of enrichment opportunities for students and a
smoother scheduling process as we all learn the system and it
becomes routine.
Follow us on Twitter!
@ClarkePrincipal
We are also very excited about the successful rollout of the 1:1
ipad project with the 8th graders this year. After walking through
Continued …
… Principal, continued
many 8th grade classes, it is clear to me that
this project has so far been a success. I am
consistently seeing teachers utilizing this
technology in their classrooms and students
collaborating on a daily basis. Students have
told me that they love the ability to turn work
in electronically and receive more immediate
feedback from their teachers. We are so
grateful of the support from the district and
hope to be able to expand this project into
the 7th grade next year.
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It is that time of year where we all get busy
and the calendars are filled with school and
other outside events.
We hope to see you at events such as the LEF
Trivia Bee on Tuesday, November 10. Come
support the four Clarke teams participating in
the Bee!
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The Clarke PTO will also be hosting a potluck
dinner for METCO and Lexington families on
Thursday, November 12 in Boston. Stay tuned
for details. It will be a great event for all.
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In the next few weeks, we will be sending out
information about scheduling conferences
with your child’s teachers and team. We will
be using Sign Up Genius to schedule all
parent teacher conferences again this year.
While we know that the process is not
perfect, we will work to ensure that any
parent who would like a conference can find a
time.
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Thank you for such a wonderful start to this
school year. We hope to see at upcoming
events and don’t forget to check out our
website and Twitter @ClarkePrincipal to find
out what is going on at #ClarkeMiddleSchool!
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From the PTO Co-Presidents
Alison Arshad, [email protected]
Jennifer Velis, [email protected]
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Greetings from the Clarke PTO!
We hope that the 2015-2016 school year is
off to a great start, and that families new to
Clarke Middle School have had a smooth
transition. While the Clarke students and staff
have been settling into their new routines,
the PTO has been hard at work lending
support. We provided a staff lunch the day
before school started and a pizza dinner on
Back to School Night. We also hosted our first
staff breakfast of the year with the Apollo
team parents organizing this monthly
tradition.
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It was wonderful to see so many new and
returning parents at the PTO welcome coffee
on the first day of school. We are happy to
have so many parents involved in supporting
our great school. Our first parent information
session, “Get to Know Your New School,”
drew a large crowd of new parents interested
in learning more about Clarke. We hope the
session proved helpful. For Clarke families
new to Lexington and the Lexington Public
Schools, we will be hosting a welcome
reception on Wednesday, November 18.
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The 6th and 7th graders had the opportunity
to kick back and dance at their recent socials,
where they were treated to food, a rockin’ DJ
and fun dancing. The 8th graders need not
worry, as they will get their turn on Friday,
November 6.
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We’ve also been busy raising funds to provide
opportunities to the staff and students at
Clarke. Our annual magazine drive, one of
our two big fundraisers, was a great success!
Likewise, it has been fantastic to see students
and families showing their Clarke pride by
ordering Clarke Spirit Wear. Don’t forget that
you can register to support Clarke through
the Stop & Shop A+ Rewards and the
AmazonSmile programs. If you haven’t had a
chance to join the PTO yet, don’t worry,
because it’s never too late. We would love to
have the entire Clarke community be a part
of the PTO. More information can be found on
our website: www.clarkepto.org
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We hope to see you at one of our upcoming
PTO meetings, which are open to all. The
meetings are a nice way to stay informed and
involved. If you haven’t met our principal, Ms.
Monaco, these meetings also provide an
opportunity to say hello to her. Our upcoming
meetings are on Monday, November 12 and
Thursday, December 10 at 8:45 AM in the
Clarke cafeteria. We hope to see you there!
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From the Nurses
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Ms. Motherway,
[email protected]
Ms. Towle, ,[email protected]
7th grade Screening – per MA State
Requirements, 7th grade students will receive
vision, hearing and BMI screenings done by
school nurses. This will take place on
Wednesday November 4th. Contact the Clarke
School Nurses, Donna and Joyce, with any
questions.
To help keep the greater Clarke population
healthy, parents are reminded to please keep
your child home when any of the following
symptoms are present
• Temperature of 100 degrees F or greater
within the past 24 hours
• Vomiting or diarrhea occurring within the
past 24 hours
• Strep infections of any kind or
conjunctivitis. These are contagious
infections and must be treated with
medication for at least 24 hours before
returning to school
• Rash of unknown origin - this may indicate
many different things and should be
checked by your pediatrician
• Please help us care for your child by
letting us know if your child has:
• any chronic or acute illnesses
• a new medication or change in medication
dosage
• been exposed to a communicable disease
such as a strep throat infection, chicken
pox, or conjunctivitis
• a life-threatening or new allergy
• a serious injury requiring hospitalization,
or a diagnosed head concussion
• an injury requiring casting, sutures, a
splint, or mobility assistance of crutches or
wheelchair
To parents of Clarke Student-Athletes
Please remind your child to carry their epipen and inhaler with them in their sports bag
to all games and practices, and please let the
coach know of such emergency medicines.
Please consider using fragrance-free products
for personal care and laundry. Some in our
community with asthma or allergies can be
adversely affected by being exposed to
fragrances.
For more school health information or health
resources, please visit the LPS School Nurse
Website. http://lps.lexingtonma.org/Page/
1481.
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From the Wellness World
Mr. Shannon,[email protected]
Clarke Wellness Dept. (781) 861-2450 x2080
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Greetings from the gym! The school year is
off to a great start and it is hard to believe
that first quarter is coming to a close. We
have been very busy in the gym with the
students participating in a variety of activities
that have an international flair. GaGa Ball is a
large-group, fast-action game from Israel,
and Tchouk Ball is a team game from
Switzerland, while Go For 20 is a game based
on Capture the Flag. All of these activities
give the students the opportunity for success
as an individual or a team member. It
appeared everyone enjoyed these activities.
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Our first fitness challenges for the year were
the Mile Run and the Pacer Test. Both of
these tests are good measures of
cardiovascular fitness which is reported on
our FitnessGram Assessment at the end of
the year. The weather has cooperated enough
for us to get the mile runs done and the kids
met this challenge with some great times.
The Pacer Test is run in the gym and is a test
that increases in intensity as the test
progresses. Using two different cardiovascular
testing tools gives students an opportunity to
succeed in one or both.
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As we roll into the second quarter, we will try
and stay outside as long as the weather
permits. This is a great time to remind
students to wear sweat pants and sweat
shirts to PE as the weather gets cooler. Given
the fickle New England weather we will be
snowshoeing before you know it!
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If you have questions or concerns regarding
your child and PE, please don’t hesitate to
contact your child’s PE teacher.
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News from the IMC
Ms. Kelly, [email protected]
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At the end of last school year, the
IMC reorganized the nonfiction collection. We
decided to try out a new trend. We ditched
the Dewey Decimal System! Well, not really.
We pulled out subjects from their Dewey
number, gave them a bright color label and
change the way we shelve them a bit to look
more like a bookstore. So far, the results are
really promising. Sports, Cooking, Animals,
Art, Music, Stage and Fun; each have seen an
increase in circulation;. The largest increase
was art, a 400% uptick! That’s pretty
promising. I’m hoping this trend continues as
I continue to renovate the non-fiction
shelves.
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Reading Suggestions
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For the Realist Fiction Lover:
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Blackbird Fly by Erin Entrada Kelly
Apple has always felt a little different from
her classmates. She and her mother moved
to Louisiana from the Philippines when she
was little, and her mother still cooks Filipino
foods and chastises Apple for becoming “too
American.” When Apple’s friends turn on her
and everything about her life starts to seem
weird and embarrassing, Apple turns to
music. If she can just save enough to buy a
guitar and learn to play, maybe she can
change herself. It might be the music that
saves her . . . or it might be her two new
friends, who show her how special she really
is. —Bulletin of the Center for Children’s
Books.
I think students will relate to the
pressure Apple feels from home as well as
from school and friends. If your child has
enjoyed Wonder or Counting by 7’s, suggest
this one.
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Another Dystopian:
Hunger Games and Divergent fans in need of
a new dystopian book?
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Stung by Bethany Wiggins
Fiona doesn’t remember going to sleep. But
when she opens her eyes, she discovers her
entire world has been altered-her house is
abandoned and broken, and the entire
neighborhood is barren and dead. Even
stranger is the tattoo on her right wrist-a
black oval with five marks on either side-that
she doesn’t remember getting but somehow
knows she must cover at any cost. And she’s
right. When the honeybee population
collapsed, a worldwide pandemic occurred
and the government tried to bio-engineer a
cure. Only the solution was deadlier than the
original problem-the vaccination turned
people into ferocious, deadly beasts who were
branded as a warning to un-vaccinated
survivors. Key people needed to rebuild
society are protected from disease and beasts
inside a fortress-like wall. But Fiona has
awakened branded, alone-and on the wrong
side of the wall. ~Walker Childrens
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Action-packed with plausible future make this
quite a thrilling read. Sequel, Cured, was
published this year and will be available in the
library soon.
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Something for Yourself?
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The Girl On the Train by Paula Hawkins
Rachel takes the same commuter train every
morning. Every day she rattles down the
track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban
homes, and stops at the signal that allows
her to daily watch the same couple
breakfasting on their deck. She’s even started
to feel like she knows them. “Jess and Jason,”
she calls them. Their life—as she sees it—is
perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost.
And then she sees something shocking. It’s
only a minute until the train moves on, but
it’s enough. Unable to keep it to herself,
Rachel offers what she knows to the police,
and becomes inextricably entwined in what
happens next, as well as in the lives of
everyone involved. ~Riverhead Books
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Between trying to keep up with some of
Clarke’s voracious readers and raising my
own three children, I hardly ever read
something just for me. But when my niece
started reading this over the summer, I
nicked it when she was done! Hawkins
developed these characters so well. I marvel
at how she teased out the story to reveal the
truth beneath. If you haven’t read this one,
be sure to pick it up before the movie comes
out!
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This week I attending a training session on
the Commonwealth eBook Collections. I
mentioned this in the summer issue. This
collection provides access to best selling
authors like Suzanne Collins and Veronica
Roth. These books come from a vendor, Baker
and Taylor. The company just updated their
mobile app and it needs some more tweaking
before I feel comfortable rolling it out to
Clarke students. Look for an update in the
next issue! However, US History teachers
have been introduced to another part of the
collection, Biblioboard. Biblioboard offers a
wealth of primary source information to
support the curriculum. These teachers dove
right in and, being historians themselves, got
excited by all the goodies they were finding.
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For 8th Grade
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The library has a page off its homepage
specifically instructing students on how to set
up their school I-pad for the library catalog,
Destiny Quest and for Brytewave, Follettshelf
e-books and audiobooks. Both are found in
the LPS app catalog and both are quick and
easy to set up. If your student hasn’t
downloaded these two apps, have them to it
now!
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Clarke Team Updates
Atlantis 6
Quest 6
Mr. Rogers, Atlantis Team Leader
[email protected]
Ms. Richmond, Quest Team Leader
[email protected]
Atlantis Team students are off to a great
start. Coming from a number of different
elementary schools, we are learning about
each other and quickly becoming a team. We
have learned to navigate our way around the
building, use the correct stairs, read our
schedules, and we can open our lockers
(most of the time).
We enjoyed our Annual Team Breakfast
on October 13. Though the weather outside
wasn’t cooperative, we participated in games
and team building events before celebrating
the season with a spooky Halloween video
favorite! You might ask your children why it
makes sense to check inside their shoes
before putting them on! We look upon our
team breakfast as a wonderful opportunity for
getting together with old friends and making
new ones.
The Atlantis Team Homework Club will
start Wednesday, November 4. All students
are welcome to come and work on homework
in room 367. There will be LHS students
earning community service hours serving as
peer tutors for our middle school students.
Homework Club runs every Wednesday from
3:00 to 4:00. Students need to make
arrangements for rides home.
The Atlantis Team is taking advantage
of the fall weather by enjoying outdoor recess
whenever we can. Our recess bag is running
low so any donations are welcome. Used
equipment is absolutely fine!
Finally, as first quarter comes to a
close we encourage parents to check their
child’s binders in all subjects. We’ve noticed
that some are looking less than well
organized. We know your children are busy.
Organizing their school lives can only help.
We look forward to an exciting year.
Quest Science is finishing up on its
introductory unit. Our team is equipped now
with the tools to explore earth and space
science. We will start astronomy in the outer
reaches of the universe next week. What's
out there? How big is our universe? What's
moving galaxies? What's holding them
together? What causes the phases of the
moon? Why do the seasons change? These
are some of many questions we will consider
—questions we all think about from time to
time. Now we will uncover the answers
together.
Quest Ancient Civ has just finished
their first mini-research project. Mrs. Kelly
came into class and taught us about the CART
sheet, which is about analyzing sources. We
then went into the IMC and found databases
and websites to help with our research about
famous early human archaeologists. We took
all of the information researched and created
famous archaeologists baseball cards.
In English, we are finishing our study
of personal narrative writing. Students
learned to write about their lives in ways that
are meaningful and powerful. Much personal
and academic growth occurred during this
unit. As a final project, students will condense
their stories to just six words and publish
their six-word memoirs on the sidewalk
leading into the school building.
Quest Math recently completed our first
unit of study on number theory. If you dare,
try your hand at this problem to see if you’re
smarter than a sixth grader!
Q: Sammy is selling coupon books for
a school fundraiser. The coupon books sell for
$11. The school gets $8, and $3 goes to
Sammy’s homeroom. If Sammy sold 24
coupon books, how much money did he
collect? How much money went to his
homeroom? How much went to the school?
A: Sammy collected $264, $192 for the
school and $72 for his homeroom.
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Clarke Team Updates
Voyager 6
Johnathan Schechner, Voyager Team Leader
[email protected]
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Voyager English students started the year
with the selection of an award- winning novel
from our library. After reading it, they created
an original book jacket about it. This included
an illustrated cover, a personal connection, a
two- to three- paragraph summary, three new
vocabulary words, and their opinion about the
book. They then presented their book jackets
to the class. Hearing about 23 or more books
gave everyone some choices for their next
book selection.
Students also generated many ideas
for the writing of a personal narrative in their
writer’s notebooks. They wrote about “First
Times…” and “Last Times…” as well as
moments with a “Big Meaning.” They selected
one of these ideas to develop into a final copy
narrative. Voyager students are now
beginning a unit titled Reading Narrative
where they will learn about story elements
and plot and how to analyze a short story for
these. We will be starting the reading of our
first novel in November.
Voyager History is off to a great start!
We have been busy perfecting our mapping
skills and can now say good-bye to all those
GPS devices we have come to rely on in the
car. Just be prepared that your son or
daughter may announce, “recalculating!” We
have kicked off our archaeological unit and
will be answering life-long questions such as,
what exactly does an archeologist do? What
are the steps of an archeological dig? How do
you date artifacts? And who exactly was Otzi
the “Ice Man” (with apologies to George
Gervin).
In Math the students have done a
wonderful job making sense of problems and
persevering with CMP3, our inquiry based
math program. They have recently finished
Unit One, Prime Time, and will begin
Comparing Bits and Pieces which focuses on
ratios and rational numbers. The students will
begin using their MathXL For School accounts
to access practice problems as well as
individualized study plans.
Voyager Science has had a great start
to the year! We have refined our observation
skills so that we can use them throughout the
course. Students collected and analyzed data
using triple beam balances and graduated
cylinders. Last week we started astronomy.
We are learning about current space science,
including our team’s namesake: the Voyager
Satellites. We also had wonderful
conversations about the lunar eclipse that
happened earlier this year.
As a class we have enjoyed rich
conversations as students share their
personal experiences, cultures, and interests.
This has created a wonderful community of
learners. I am looking forward to a fantastic
year in Voyager Science.
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Explorer 7
Danielle Paddol, Explorer Team Leader
[email protected]
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Explorer team is off to a great start this year. We
are learning about all sorts of interesting topics,
as well as getting to know our teammates.
In Math, we have started a new unit called
Comparing and Scaling. This unit will focus on
ratios, rates, percents, and proportions. Students
will be completing an end-of-unit project called
"Paper Pool." In class, students have been
engaged in collaborative group work, with each
student having a specific role to do during class.
Ask your child what role they were in class today.
In November the CML will be offered during a WIN
block for students who would like the opportunity
to take the 30-minute math competition. The
students are off to a great start this year!
In Science, students are learning about the
basic organic compounds that make up living
things; carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic
acids. Once we have an understanding of what
these compounds do for and do in living things,
we will begin to examine the basic unit of life, the
cell.
In English, we are finishing up our first
unit, Investigating the Short Story. Students are
analyzing each story in our anthology, The
Unusual Suspects. Soon, we will start our second
unit, where we will work on writing narrative
Clarke Team Updates
stories. Students will concentrate on writing
captivating stories with engaging hooks, sensory
language, and captivating endings.
In World Geography, we have been
learning about the five themes of geography:
location, place, region, human and environment
interaction, and movement. Through these themes
we have been exploring latitude and longitude,
climate, and government. We have also been
creating our country profile iMovies with our new
countries.
We are excited to keep on exploring!
in gelatin capsules. Do you think the animals
emerged quicker in Sprite or in water? Ask an
Adventurer student to find out the answer!
We recently studied the characteristics and
needs of living things, and are now learning
about organic compounds. Did you know your
hair and fingernails are made from the
hamburger and cheese that you have eaten?
Next we'll be investigating cells and using
microscopes. The Adventure continues!
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Adventurer 7
Ms. Moll, Adventurer Team Leader
[email protected]
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Adventurer students have begun the year
with our Unusual Suspects short story unit.
We're reading closely and diving deep for
meaning. Discussions are thought-provoking
and when writing, we're proving our
compelling thinking using the text. The focus
is plot, conflict, characterization, and
evidence, evidence, evidence!
Adventurer Geography has been
covering the basics that will help us to
understand the world: how to understand
maps, how the different climates affect
people's lives, and the factors that explain
population patterns. Soon we travel to our
first stop: Europe!
In Math, we have started a new unit
called Comparing and Scaling. This unit will
focus on ratios, rates, percents, and
proportions. Students will be completing an
end-of-unit project called "Paper Pool." In
class, students have been engaged in
collaborative group work, with each student
having a specific role to do during class. Ask
your child what role they were in class today.
In November the CML will be offered
during a WIN block for students who would
like the opportunity to take the 30-minute
math competition. The students are off to a
great start this year!
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In Science, students have learned
about and applied the scientific method to an
experiment about sponge animals contained
Endeavor 7
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Ms. Alexander, Endeavor Team Leader
[email protected]
!Endeavor Team teachers have enjoyed
getting to know both new and returning
students to Clarke. We appreciate the
enthusiasm and energy that is brought to our
classes everyday through lively and engaging
conversations. In an effort to encourage
students to extend school conversations with
you at home, you might want to ask them
about: current Choice Reading material or a
favorite short story that has been read from
the "Unusual Suspects" anthology in English,
the exploration of the geography, history, and
economy of Europe, the "Comparing and
Scaling" unit in math that will focus on ratios,
rates, percents, and proportions with an endof-unit project called "Paper Pool", or perhaps
you might even want to inquire about which
non-living item students had to debate in a
court of law in the case of Beldar Conehead
vs. the People of Remulak, or which specimen
was the most interesting when viewing it
under a microscope. We hope you enjoy
talking with your child about the exciting
things happening this quarter. "
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Apollo 8
Ms. Gagnon, Apollo Team Leader
[email protected]
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Our Apollo students are off to a great start as
they navigate life here at Clarke as the new
leaders of the school! 8th grade is sure to be
Clarke Team Updates
a challenging, yet rewarding, year for
academics, leadership, extracurriculars, and
more. As a team, we look forward to sharing
this experience with your students and you!
We must also send out a HUGE THANK
YOU to Apollo parents for our unbelievable
Staff Breakfast on 10/20!! What a wonderful
way to start the school year. The Staff Room
was ablaze with conversation about all of the
delicious food & drink displayed for us, and
special notice was given to the fine detail you
crafted into the arrangement of everything
despite clear space challenges. A special
thank you, too, to all who volunteered on
10/20 from set-up to clean-up! THANK YOU!
Now that first term is almost complete,
some updates from each Apollo class:
In English, we began this year with our
study of identity by exploring elements and
devices in The Outsiders. This novel begin our
year-long thematic thread of looking at how
individuals and society interact, while also
working to grow our ability to read and write
with enhanced insight. A memorable day in
the unit was “The Insider/Outsider relay
races,” as well as the day we dressed up as
Greasers and Socs. As this unit ends, we will
move towards Unit II: Thematic Development
in which we will explore John Steinbeck’s
message in Of Mice and Men. This will be a
shorter unit where we build upon Unit I’s
skills to understand the true purpose of
literature: to change a reader’s understanding
and perspective.
In Math, students are beginning to look
at linear functions and will begin graphing two
variable equations in various forms. Systems
of equations will follow.
In Science, Apollo students have been
busy exploring physical properties. In early
October they learned about density-massvolume relationships and used tools from the
prior measurement unit to calculate each of
these properties. In addition to attempting to
make a canister suspend in a tank of water,
we explored the graphical relationship that
shows Density = Mass/Volume. Ask your
eighth grader how small a difference in
density can produce an object that floats
instead of sinks.
When a unit ends, 8th grade students
in science are typically tested on both their
“book knowledge” and their practical skills. I
am already seeing a difference
(improvement!) in their ability to make
careful observations. I am looking forward to
hearing students’ ideas for our heat unit
assessment. We are just beginning our heat
unit now, exploring the transfer of heat
among a variety of materials.
Apollo US History students have had an
accelerated overview of the story of the first
Americans, European exploration and early
settlements in the the “new world”. Recently,
I have witnessed much enthusiasm as
students examined the many critical events
leading to the American Revolution. As
tension in the colonies continue to grow,
students have been called to examine
primary and secondary documents in the
effort of constructing their own philosophical
views of the deteriorating relationship
between England and the 13 English colonies.
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Challenge 8
Ms. Kaw, Challenge Team Leader
[email protected]
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Students in Challenge Team U.S. history classes
continue to investigate the causes of the American
Revolution. Coursework includes analyzing
documents and other artifacts from events such
as the Stamp Act Crisis, the Boston Massacre and
more. As the year semester continues, students
research, discuss and debate the events of the
American Revolution and the beginnings of the
United States.
Students in Math 1 have completed two
units on the foundations of algebra and equations.
Moving forward, they will begin to explore linear
relationships and do more problem-solving
activities involving collaboration. Students in Math
1A have been working on solidifying foundations
of algebra and are beginning to dive into
equations.
Challenge Science students have been
studying density as a property of matter.
Scientists use density to identify matter, predict its
behavior and characterize the physical world
around them. Students have been doing several
experiments exploring this topic. Just ask them
Clarke Team Updates
about the Coke and Diet Coke demo or the
floating, sinking ice cubes!
In English, students are wrapping up their
reading of The Outsiders, the novel in which they
have applied and developed their understanding of
complex literary concepts (mood, indirect
characterization, irony, and symbolism). We've
been impressed by the depth of empathy and
insight that our kids are bringing to the reading of
this timeless novel! In discussion with their peers
and in writing, students have expressed their
insightful ideas, practicing the essentials of
argumentation.
On October 27, the eighth grade held their
annual “Dress Like a Soc/Greaser” day; students
were encouraged to join us in dressing up like the
characters in The Outsiders. We all enjoyed this
fun tradition!
!
Discovery 8
Mr. Vincent, Discovery Team Leader
[email protected]
!
Discovery students have been busy in Science
practicing skills like measurement, graphing,
and lab safety. Please be sure you have
signed your students' lab safety agreement.
As we begin our unit on heat students will be
embarking on a mission to use their
knowledge of heat transfer to Save the
Penguins. We will be building huts to keep the
penguins cool as our planet is warming.
US History classes “began at the
beginning” of North American history,
travelling in time from early Native American
settlement through colonial development in
the Americas. More recently, they studied the
build-up to the American Revolution and are
moving toward the war itself. All the while,
!
they continue to explore these events from
multiple historical perspectives, diving deep
and exploring the rich content of a variety of
primary sources.
In Mr. Owens' Math 1 classes we are
beginning a unit on linear relationships. We
began the unit by using a 15cm ruler and 10
styrofoam cup to calculate Mr. Owens' height
in units of styrofoam cups. We also used
information found online to determine the
cost of a 100 by 100 Burger from the In-nOut Burger Secret Menu. Both of these
problems launched our discussion of rate of
change and will lead into our discussion of
slope and the use of the slope-intercept form
of an equation to model linear relationships.
We will also begin our use of graphing
calculators this unit as we explore how to use
both a table and a Graph to model Linear
Relationships.
In Mr. Owens' Math 1A classes we are
in the middle of our Unit on Equations. We
have already learned how to solve multi-step
equations, including absolute value equations
and simple quadratic equations. In the
second half of the unit we will be looking at
using equations in context to solve problems.
We will focus on using a four-step process for
modeling those problems as well as for
solving word problems.
In English we are learning to identify
and describe literary elements that help us
read with insight: irony, symbolism, mood,
and indirect characterization. We are reading
The Outsiders and other, selected texts. We
are also studying vocabulary from these texts
and grammar topics, including being able to
distinguish between phrases and clauses and
the "sentence core." ClarkeCommunity
Team News
Clarke
!
PTO Parent Information Sessions
!Please join us for our Parent Information
Session on the important topic of body image
and body confidence. This is our second
session for the 2015-2016 school year. We
have several additional sessions in the works
so be sure to be on the lookout for more
information.
!
Hollywood vs Home: How to Talk about Body
Image with Your Children
!
Monday, November 17, 7-8:30 pm, Clarke
Middle School Auditorium
Families who openly discuss the unrealistic
images seen daily on television, the internet
and in magazines can help children foster a
healthy relationship with their bodies. Join us
for a conversation with Amy Cody, manager
of parent ducation at Planned Parenthood, to
learn more about how parents can play a
critical role in promoting a positive sense of
self and “body confidence” in children. Join us
for this interactive and educational
discussion.
!
Clarke METCO Potluck
Habiba Davis, [email protected]
!Celebrate the start of the school year with
Boston and Lexington families and Clarke
staff! The Lexington METCO program invites
Boston and Lexington students and their
families and Clarke Staff to enjoy a potluck
dinner together at the Roxbury Boys and Girls
Club. Enjoy shared food and conversation; all
are welcome.
to sign–up: http://www.signupgenius.com/
go/30e044daaa628a20potluck
!
Teacher Trips
!
Clarke Middle School
Mandarin teacher
Shwuling Jane
encountered a sea
urchin last summer
during a trip to China.
Teachers from Clarke’s
Social Studies, Visual Arts
and World Language Departments traveled to
China last summer, courtesy of an LEF grant,
to explore locations for future student
exchange trips to China and to collect
instructional
materials.
!
Clarke 6th-grade
science teachers Jim
Werner, Richard
Rogers, and Jodi
Sandler explored
glaciers, active
volcanoes and hot
springs in Iceland last
summer, courtesy of
an LEF grant. Their
tour was led by specialized scientists
including PhD’s in the study of volcanoes,
glaciers, and botany. The trio returned with
volcanic rocks and first-hand knowledge of
how great forces shape the earth.
DATE: Thursday, Nov. 12 (6:30PM 8:00PM)
!
LOCATION: Boston Nature Center - 500 Walk
Hill St. Mattapan, MA (parking available on
site)
Submission Deadline for
November Newsletter:
January 8, 2015
Please sign up and bring a dish and/or
beverage to share! Click on the following link
Please submit articles to:
[email protected]
!
!