5/10/19
TGIF..Twin Groves it’s Friday! Happy Staff Appreciation Week!
A HUGE THANK YOU goes out to the PTO and all the volunteers who helped make Staff Appreciation Week so very special! The Twin Groves Staff thoroughly enjoyed the week!
A HUGE THANK YOU goes out to the Support Staff at Twin Groves who hosted a fabulous Salad Bar Lunch during Staff Appreciation Week!
A HUGE THANK YOU goes out to the Board of Education who hosted a wonderful bagel breakfast for the Twin Groves Staff during Staff Appreciation Week!
Thank you to everyone who participated, performed, and presented at the Celebration of Culture Night on May 7th! It was a magical night for our families and the community!
What’s Happening at TG?
6th Grade
Pre Algebra Survey
In 6PAS, we will be working on geometry later this month. Students will be solving problems involving finding the surface area and volume of three-dimensional shapes. Last month, we asked you to focus on attending to precision, which means labeling units and working carefully. This month, we’d like to ask you to emphasize choosing appropriate mathematical tools. The students have learned so many different ways to apply their knowledge to solve new problems, so they should have numerous tools in their mathematical “toolbox.” For example, when solving a statistics problem, students should know whether a histogram or box-and-whiskers plot is more useful to their task. It has been such a pleasure to get to know your children, and they have impressed us with their perseverance, despite the very challenging targets we’ve had all year. The next month is going to fly by! Thank you so much for your support at home.
The students have access to these apps that they should be using regularly:
Math Facts Ninja - For students who need extra practice with their math facts.
Knowre - This app covers topics in line with the Common Core Curriculum which the students are covering this year. This program is designed to develop critical thinking skills. Each class has expectations for completing lessons in Knowre each week, and students are welcome to work ahead and extend their learning.
Pre Algebra
In 6PA, students will be completing the last of their three geometry units and moving on to a brief statistics unit. Last month, we asked you to focus on attending to precision, which means labeling units and working carefully. This month, we’d like to ask you to emphasize choosing appropriate mathematical tools. The students have learned so many different ways to apply their knowledge to solve new problems, so they should have numerous tools in their mathematical “toolbox.” For example, when solving a statistics problem, students should know whether a histogram or box-and-whiskers plot is more useful to their task. It has been such a pleasure to get to know your children, and they have impressed us with their perseverance, despite the very challenging targets we’ve had all year. The next month is going to fly by! Thank you so much for your support at home.
The students have access to these apps that they should be using regularly:
Math Facts Ninja - For students who need extra practice with their math facts.
Knowre - This app covers topics in line with the Common Core Curriculum which the students are covering this year. This program is designed to develop critical thinking skills. Each class has expectations for completing lessons in Knowre each week, and students are welcome to work ahead and extend their learning.
Science
And just as a roller coaster comes to a halt, so does our 6th grade science year. To end, we hope that some of the science labs really “moved” you and we hope that you will always look forward to science class, where you can see, hear and DO science! So, spend some time outside these spring and summer months, enjoy nature and the ecological world we live in. Spend a rainy afternoon creating your very own experiments, recalling the wonders of chemistry. And, lastly, as energy is all around us and in us...use your energy every day...kick a ball, ride a roller coaster (or water slide), and stay “cool”! Keep “kinetic” (moving) scientists and enjoy the summer!
Social Studies
In social studies, students will be completing an electronic textbook on a society of their choice. We will be focusing on all of the aspects that allow these vastly different societies to either succeed or fail! Students will have the opportunity to combine all of the skills that we have taught them this year and use them to showcase a unique, personalized look at either India, Persia, the Maya, or the Vikings. Mr. Greenberg and Mr. Williams are excited to see the wonderful examples that the students are able to create! After this project, we will be focusing on Ancient China as we wrap up a very successful school year!
7th Grade
Language Arts
Book clubs are underway! We will be wrapping up the year dystopian fiction in student-selected novels. Students will be flexing their literary muscles in mastering and extending targets. The last few weeks will be dedicated to the return of the narrative story. Students will try their hand at changing a pivotal moment and crafting how it would impact the plot.
Language Arts Advanced
This month we will wrap up The Book Thief and focus on examining how authors use or alter history to suit their narrative purposes. We will end the year with dystopian book clubs and writing narratives that focus on how changing a pivotal moment could impact plot.
Bridge to Algebra 1
In Bridge to Algebra 1, students have just finished their unit on the pythagorean theorem and distance formula. This week, as we begin our unit on volume, we have learned how to find the circumference and area of circles. We will use that knowledge to discover the formulas for volume for various three dimensional objects. They will then combine all of this knowledge to find the volume of composite shapes.
Algebra 1
Algebra 1 students have just finished up our unit on solving quadratic equations and systems of equations with and without a calculator. We will now explore our final unit of the year on descriptive statistics including, histograms, box and whisker plots, and two way tables. Learning how to analyze and interpret these and understanding vocabulary will to the key to success in this unit!
Science
As we wrap up our year we are learning about Newton’s 3 laws of motion. Students are conducting various experiments to prove an object’s motion depends on the sum of the forces on the object. Along with conducting experiments and following procedures, students are now asked to develop their own procedure and experimental design to explain and prove Newton’s laws.
Social Studies
We are in the depths of the Civil War, examining and questioning the many causes that led to this conflict within the United States. We are also looking at key events within the war, such as Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation and Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. We tackle those primary sources by breaking down the vocabulary and discussing and questioning the context and historical significance. We also take a look at some of the significant outcomes of the war such as Amendments 13, 14, and 15 in addition to Reconstruction challenges. As always, we read and apply the key skills of: highlighting, annotating, summarizing, developing historical claims, and gathering historical evidence. As we wind down the school year, we will investigate the history of our American Flag -- its meaning -- and proper flag etiquette. In addition, we explore the historical development of the Medal of Honor and the significance of that designation. We will have these key discussions in addition to notes of other historically significant people, places, vocabulary, and events while watching the award-winning Civil War movie, Glory, which was released in 1989 / 1990. It is important to note that we watch the “Pepsi Education Version” of this movie which was made available to schools many years ago; and that particular made for schools edited version that we watch is no longer in circulation or available.
8th Grade
Language Arts
In both Language Arts and Advanced Language Arts we have begun reading Shakespeare! Language Arts is reading A Midsummer Night's Dream while Advanced Language Arts is reading Romeo and Juliet. Both classes have done an outstanding job tackling such rigorous texts! While reading the plays students will also be analyzing author's craft and determining the purposes of characters in the stories as well as how each story develops a theme throughout the course of the play. We will also be weaving in texts that show a more modern adaptation of each story as well as continuing our analysis of how authors of informational texts develop and support their claims. We are looking forward to finishing the year strong!
Algebra 1
In Algebra 1, students have just concluded our final unit on Quadratic Equations. They learned how to solve quadratic equations using the square root method, zero-product property, and the quadratic formula. Our final unit is focusing on Descriptive Statistics. Students will be learning how to organize and analyze data from Histograms, Box & Whisker Plots, and Two-Way Tables.
Algebra 2
In Algebra 2, students just completed the Graphing Trigonometric Functions where they learned how to apply their prior knowledge of transformations to our new sine, cosine, and tangent functions. Our final unit of study is Probability. Students are learning how to calculate the probability of independent and dependent events, permutations and combinations, and two-way table probability.
Science
8th grade science students are going green for the end of the school year. They will be generating electricity using wind turbines and hydropower turbines. The students will have a chance to AMP up their electricity production by 3D modeling and printing their own hydropower blades.
Social Studies
In Social Studies, students researched a specific "Modern Day President" and created a team presentation for our Elite 8 Presidential tournament. We are continuing to battle it out for who was deserves the title of Mr. President and Mr. Disappointment and will crown the champions by the end of the year! We are currently moving on to the 1980's, President Ronald Reagan and the end of the Cold War era. In the weeks to come will continue to uncover the story behind tensions that exist between the United States and certain countries in the Middle East, as well as the War on Terror.
SLC
The past couple of weeks we have been busy with IAR testing, and MAP testing. Every student put forth their best effort to show their best work! We continue to work on all the direct instruction programs for reading and math, which is individualized for each student. As a team, related service providers of Speech, OT and Counseling continue to provide weekly group activities such as Peer Buddy Lunch, Life Skills lessons and counseling as a whole group lesson as well as meeting individual student needs. As a team, we work with the students to build their independence while providing them with the tools and strategies to become future independent members of society. We completed our Social Science unit on Maps a few weeks ago. The students all enjoyed learning all about maps and the characteristics of a physical, road, weather and political maps. To end the unit, the students all collaborated and constructed a group map. They worked together to decide if the map was going to be a rural, urban or suburban map. They decided to construct a suburban map, including a compass rose, map key, housing, transportation, restaurants, schools, parks, and all that suburban communities offer. They even voted for the name of their suburb. Grapevine Texas won! Finally we are concluding the year with our final Science unit, adaptations. The class is enjoying learning about both physical and behavioral adaptations in mammals, reptiles and insects. We are also learning about the various habitats and diets of of different animals! Each student is completing a research project on their favorite animal. Be sure to ask them about it!
ILC
The students have shown much perseverance and resilience as we worked our way through IAR testing. Eighth graders have impressed our classroom staff with the amount of grit they have demonstrated this past week! In Language Arts, students continue to work on a variety of skills in the ILC, based on individual need. Students may work on skills such as reading decoding, reading fluency, writing argument essays and editing for writing conventions. As students master individual skills, they are required to integrate multiple skills into one task. In Guided Reading, students have most recently read a non-fiction book about the ground beneath us. There are many unique perspectives that the everyday person is often too busy to consider! Students have been working to annotate while reading to keep track of main ideas. They have also been listening to and discussing a novel that their general education peers are reading. In Math, students engage in individualized learning as well. Students may be participating in a Direct Instruction group targeted to individualized skills or learning life skills math through a variety of practical applications, such as preparing for community outings. The ILC has wrapped up its Social Studies unit of the United States Constitution and made its way back to Science. We are currently learning about adaptations -- the special things about a living thing that help it to survive in its environment. Students are learning to identify an adaptation, tell how that adaptation aids survival and identify multiple pieces of evidence to support their thinking. Did you know that living things can have physical or behavioral adaptations? We just learned that!
SHS Dance Auditions Next Week
Incoming Stevenson freshmen interested in participating in dance are invited to SHS to audition on Wednesday, May 15, and Thursday, May 16. SEE DETAILS
Notice of Scheduled Weed Control Treatment
On Saturday, May 11, 2019, the District's landscape contractor will treat grassy areas adjacent to all District properties. (The back-up date for weather delay is Saturday, May 18, 2019.)
The District uses Integrated Pest Management–a program that combines preventive techniques, non-chemical methods (such as bait traps), and the appropriate use of pesticides (with a preference for products least harmful to human health and the environment).
Please direct questions regarding this application to the District Director of Facilities and Transportation Sam Miranda, 847.459.4260.
6th Grade Dental Information- DUE NEXT WEEK
Attention parents of 6th Graders. Proof of dental exams for all 6th graders are due by May 15th. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Borzych at 847-821-8946.
Daily Announcements
The Daily Announcements will be posted each morning. Please see Twin Groves website for up to date school announcements. The announcements let you know what exciting activities and clubs are going on at Twin Groves. Please click HERE to access the Daily Announcements.
PTO
Attention PTO Volunteers!
The PTO thanks all the wonderful, generous families who contributed to Staff Appreciation Week! We had a great week celebrating the teachers and had quite a few surprises for them, thanks to all the donations!
You can see pictures of all the activities on our Twin Groves PTO Facebook page at www.facebook.com/TwinGrovesPTO.
We still have many committee chair positions open for next year. Please consider leading a committee so we can continue to do great things for Twin Groves. Login to Membership Toolkit at twingrovesmspto.membershiptoolkit.com to see the different opportunities.
Upcoming Events
-May 15th Dessert Day
-May 21st 8th Grade Pizza Lunch
-May 22nd Special Lunch
-Mary 29th 6th and 7th Grade Pizza Lunch
Band & Orchestra Boosters
Please click the BLOG to access the latest news from the Band & Orchestra Boosters.