2010 Summer Reading List

Required: Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

Select and read two books from the following list:

• Night by Elie Wiesel
• The Watsons Go to Birmingham by Christopher Paul Curtis
• Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea or Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne
• Goodnight, Mr. Tom by Michelle Magorian
• Summer Ball or Travel Team by Mike Lupica
• Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler’s Shadow by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
• Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson
• When My Name Was Keoko by Linda Sue Park
• The Red Scarf Girl by Ji-Li Jiang
• Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
• All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot
• The Pearl by John Steinbeck
• The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick
• Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli
• Bat 6 by Virginia Euwer Wolff

Parent Information

Some hints on how to help your child succeed in science

Science is perhaps the most dynamic subject that a middle school student will study. It is forever changing as new information and understanding displaces the outdated and unknown.

With this in mind, St. Mary School replaced all of the science texts last year with the most up to date middle school books that Prentice Hall offered. These texts are a system that will take the student from grade five to grade eight using a similar format. The texts not only provide current scientific information, but they also contain information on how to learn science.

Every chapter begins with a title page that includes the publishers web site (www.phschool.com) that has activities related to the material in the text, and a list of other activities that the students can do. Some of these I incorporate into the classes, others can be done at home. The Discover activities that begin each section are nice into to the subject being studied and can often be done out side of the class. Some of the “Try This” activities are specifically designed to be done at home and involve the family. These activities can be a great tool for understanding the important ideas of the section.

Each section begins with Guide for Reading which is two to three questions, that when answered, are the essence of the section. There are also checkpoint questions mixed into the text that the students should be able to answer before they move on.

Each chapter includes a study guide at the end of the chapter, as well as a practice test that has questions similar to the type that will be found on their quizzes and tests. I encourage the students to take these practices and correct them because it is better they discover what they don’t know before the quiz, then I discover what they don’t know during the quiz.

Every text has a skills handbook near the end. These are the science skills that the students will be developing as they study science. They are not a separate block of instruction in the curriculum; these skills are part of all the activities related to science. As such, they will be continually part of the curriculum. As their teacher I am continually assessing the students on their strengths in these skills and adjusting the curriculum when a greater emphasis is needed on a given topic. The individual students should be referring to these sections as needed.

Lastly, I strongly encourage all students to have an appropriate dictionary available in their study area at home. Although the text provides a glossary for the key vocabulary included in the book, there will be times when they will be presented with an unfamiliar term.

I will continually encourage students to understand the importance of critical thinking and understanding in science so they will be better positioned to deal with the new information as it arrives.

Thank you,
Michael T. Moakley

Classroom News - Summer 2010

Algebra with Miss Lordan

EIGHTH GRADE STUDENTS found it reassuring to learn that the rules for solving complex equations have not changed from those used to solve linear. The properties apply to higher degree equations and are easily retrieved from our reservoirs of knowledge. Factoring polynomial expressions, finding square roots, and using the quadratic formula proved to be powerful tools for solving quadratic equations. Any one of these stars will happily sing the quadratic formula, show you how to do “monkey math”, and discuss information provided by the discriminant. Just ask! Students have used linear systems and quadratic equations to model real-life situations.

Thank you, eighth graders for your positive contributions to our class, and for giving your best efforts all year. You are a talented group of individuals who made the study of algebra fun, rewarding, and a wonderful experience. My thoughts and prayers will be with you as you venture forth to high school. I will miss you!

Algebra with Mrs. MacDonough

The eighth grade Advanced Algebra class has worked nonstop this year to cover a range of Algebra topics. Most of the spring has been focused on factoring polynomials and solving polynomial equations and an extensive study of quadratics. The students solved quadratic equations using many different methods – graphing, factoring, using square roots, completing the square, and their favorite – the quadratic formula. We also looked at how the discriminant can help them determine the number of solutions that the quadratic equation will have. Currently, we are working on simplifying radical expressions and solving radical equations. Finals are around the corner so the rest of the quarter will be devoted to preparing for their final exam. These six students have worked tirelessly this year and have constantly amazed me with the speed at which they are able to comprehend new concepts. They will be very successful in high school and beyond and I wish them all the best!

Math with Mrs. Ethier

Students are currently preparing for their final exam in math. They have worked hard this year and have made a great deal of progress in solving, graphing, and writing linear equations as well as solving and graphing linear inequalities.

Classroom News - Spring 2010

Algebra 1 with Mrs. Ethier

My eighth grade Algebra 1 students have completed Chapter 5, Writing Linear Equations and next they will be solving and graphing linear inequalities. Students use white board to show their understanding of concepts. Students continue to develop their writing in math skills by explaining how they arrived at an answer in paragraph form.

Homework assignments reinforce the day’s lesson and are an integral part to success in math class.

Algebra with Mrs. MacDonough

The class is continuing to work so hard through this third quarter and their progress is outstanding! We have completed the units on graphing inequalities and solving systems of linear equations and inequalities. We are recently completed a chapter on evaluating exponential expressions and graphing exponential functions. The remainder of the year will be filled with challenging material for the students, including Factoring and Polynomials, Quadratic Equations and Functions, and working with Radicals and Rational Equations. They are always eager to learn and are an absolute pleasure to have in the classroom. Recently, the eighth graders participated in the New England Math League Competition. Congratulations to our eighth grade high scorer, Michael Curran! Along with a few seventh graders, all of the students will be participating in the next Middle School Math Invitational at Saint John’s on April 15! We wish them much success at the competition!

Algebra with Miss Lordan

EIGHTH GRADE algebra students are continuing to work diligently this term. Their knowledge of linear equations assisted them in solving compound inequalities, absolute value equations and inequalities, and graphing inequalities in two variables. We are currently in the process of mastering the laws of exponents and can be heard explaining how to find a product of powers, a power of a product, and a power of a power. We appreciate the power of the graphing calculator to assist us in graphing exponential functions and learned that we must always look out the appropriate WINDOW! Applications of exponential functions involving growth, decay, compound interest, and depreciation of values are in our future. On February 25, students enthusiastically participated in the New England Math League contest. This contest challenged students to answer 40 multiple-choice questions in 30 minutes on a variety of topics. Every student received a commendation for excellent achievement. CONGRATULATIONS math stars!

Classroom News - Winter 2010

Algebra 1 with Mrs. Ethier

My students are currently working on Graphing Linear Equations and Functions and will follow up with Writing Linear Equations. Real life problem solving activities are part of each lesson. Students continue to develop their writing in math skills by explaining how they arrived at an answer in paragraph form. Homework assignments reinforce the day’s lesson and are an integral part of success in math class.

Assessment is ongoing through class work, homework, quizzes and tests. My students have put forth great effort as we progress through the Algebra I text.

Classroom News - Fall 2009

Math with Mrs. Ethier

I share the grade 8 math teaching assignment with Mrs. MacDonough and Ms. Lordan. Students are divided into three homogeneous groups. Students in my Algebra 1 class have completed chapter 1, Connections to Algebra and will soon complete chapter 2, Properties of Real Numbers. Following this is the chapter on solving limear equations. Problem solving activities are part of each lesson. Students continue to expand on their writing in math skills by explaining how they arrived at an answer in paragraph form. Homework assignments reinforce the day’s lesson and are an integral part to success in math class.

Algebra with Mrs. MacDonough

The six students that I have for eighth grade algebra work energetically to master all material introduced to them. As we work through their curriculum, the students are reviewing topics such as evaluating expressions, inequalities, and functions, number properties, absolute value, solving multi-step equations, and proportions. We will investigate the intersection of lines using the graphing calculators and will explore different programs on the calculators as we work through the year. We will begin graphing linear equations and inequalities, solving exponential equations, and factoring polynomials in the months ahead. They are never afraid of a challenge and it a pleasure to see them work so hard and enjoy their accomplishments. Additional resources related to our text can be found at www.classzone.com.

Literature with Ms. Seraichick

We opened the year with a review of our summer reading books, including Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl, And Then There Were None, and To Kill a Mockingbird. We analyzed characters, settings, plots and historical background to these books. We also used these texts for Book Check I, Paper bag Book Check.

Next, the class delved into the first unit in Holt’s Elements of Fiction, Plot and Setting. We have read several short stories by notable authors such as Walter Dee Myers and Daniel Keyes and discussed how setting directly affects plot. Our next unit, Character, will take us into December. In this unit the class will explore character development and characterization, both direct and indirect. Students will analyze character’s motivations and actions. The class will read short stories by O. Henry, Ken Mochizuki, Yochiko Uchida and Maya Angelou. Written and oral expression will be incorporated into class lessons and homework assignments.

English with Ms. Seraichick

We have been working on an in-depth review of parts of speech including: nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs. Formal assessments and workbook assignments have been incorporated to assess mastery of each part of speech. Additionally, students have already begun to write short, descriptive essays. A formal study of writing will be introduced within the next month. Students will receive direct instruction in all phases of the writing process and written assignments will be assigned on subjects of interest.

Spelling and Vocabulary with Ms. Seraichick

Students are tested weekly on specified spelling and vocabulary lists. Spelling lists are taken from grade level spelling books. Vocabulary lists are taken from Holt’s Elements of Literature anthology as well as SAT preparation books. The goal is to have students develop robust, active vocabularies.

American History with Ms. Seraichick

Our study of American History began with launching the new government and the first three administrations of Washington, Adams and Jefferson. Emphasis was placed on key issues such as the emergence of political parties, the beginnings of sectional and regional interests, industrialization and growth, the rise of the national bank, the quest for neutrality and the astute leadership of the founding fathers. Prior to the holidays our class will study the Jacksonian era (1824-1840), westward expansion, and the crucial issues that caused deep divisions between the north and south. As part of our integrated curriculum we will incorporate a joint technology/social studies project into our curriculum, focusing on the Lewis and Clark expedition.

Math with Ms. Lordan

Sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students enter the math room each day eager to begin our time together by writing the date and objectives of the day in their notebooks. Next they contemplate the RAP question(s) of the day. This activity is designed to involve everyone in the study of mathematics immediately upon entering our classroom. RAP is an acronym for Review and Preview. The questions posed often assess students understanding of the objectives from previous lessons or preview their knowledge of the next topic.

EIGHTH GRADE students began the study of algebra, the foundation of all upper level math courses, by writing and evaluating variable expressions, checking solutions to equations and inequalities, using verbal and algebraic models, and organizing data to represent functions. We developed number sense by exploring categories of numbers in the real number system. Next, we performed operations with real numbers, learned to combine like terms, and use the distributive property to simplify expressions. The end of the term finds us solving a variety of linear equations. I am counting on this topic to keep us all in line! This creative group poses many interesting questions.

Music with Mr. Gannon

The seventh and eighth graders have been discussing “Music and the Media.” We have talked about radio, record companies, and music and television. The class is moving into discussing and producing their very own music video. The project will involve discussing the various roles in producing a video, and they will also compose and perform their own music for the project. This is always a fun, rewarding, and challenging project for both the students and me.

The 7th and 8th Grade Ensemble is off to a great start. We have nine students participating this year on piano, drums, saxophone, and vocals. I am very excited about this year’s group. We will be working towards our first big performance coming in 2010!