10/29/21
TGIF…Twin Groves it’s Friday!
Congrats!
In an effort to spread positivity, Twin Groves uses our 5 Traits to recognize exemplars of the following qualities: Responsible, Accountable, Respectful, Safe, and Community. In addition to the 5 Traits, we are also recognizing students for being leaders, role models, supportive peers, brave, and positive.
As part of this focus, the Twin Groves Staff would like to recognize the following students who consistently demonstrate these qualities.
Evan Cohen
Abel George
Yukthi Gutta
Ari Liefer
Sloane Pearlman
Emma Petrisor
Jackson Puma
Elizabeth Storozhuk
Ryder Strauss
Evan Wegrzyn
What’s Happening at Twin?
6th Grade
Pre Algebra Survey: Pre-Algebra Survey classes are in the middle of their unit on rational numbers. The students are working on adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing positive and negative integers, fractions, and decimals- which can be a lot to take in! We are doing a lot of practice in class and the students are working hard to master these fundamentals. Last month, we talked about modeling with mathematics and being able to show our work in different ways. The students were very successful with this! This month, please encourage your child to look for structure and use it to help them solve new problems. For example, can the numbers in this problem be manipulated to look more like something we’ve seen before? For this, great note-taking skills are a must, which includes carefully lining up work in students’ notebooks and iPads.
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.
IXL - 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.
Pre Algebra: Pre-Algebra classes are in the middle of their unit on rational numbers. The students are working with adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing positive and negative integers, fractions, and decimals- which can be a lot to take in! We are doing a lot of practice in class and the students are working hard to master these fundamentals. Last month we talked about modeling with mathematics and being able to show our work in different ways. The students were very successful with this! This month, please encourage your child to look for structure and use it to help them solve new problems. For example, can the numbers in this problem be manipulated to look more like something we’ve seen before? For this, great note-taking skills are a must, which includes carefully lining up work in students’ notebooks and iPads.
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.
IXL - 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.
Language Arts: LA classes have been very busy these past few weeks! Students have all obtained their Book Club books and are gearing up toward our first meeting this week. These book clubs will allow students to collaborate with one another by discussing engaging, thought-provoking novels that align with our current standards. Also, students are working on writing a short scene to demonstrate their skills of narrative writing techniques, specifically sensory details and mood.
Science: We finished up our Ecology unit and are now moving into Geology. Our focus will include continental drift and the supercontinent, Pangaea. How do plates move? How did fish fossils end up on the top of a mountain? What did the earth look like millions of years ago and how has it changed? All of this and more awaits us in our geoscience unit...it’s going to ROCK!
SS: As we have worked on our migration unit, the students have begun to develop an understanding of how humans populated the world. After learning about the big ideas of how and why people migrated, we will now be focusing on some specific examples of this process. We will be learning about groups and individuals from different time periods, and exploring how the presence or absence of water and other resources has impacted our ability to live where we want.
7th Grade
Bridge to Algebra 1- We have just begun our unit on Linear Functions. Students will be exposed to two different forms of equations that are used to represent linear functions. They will be learning how to write equations and graph them in each form. Concepts such as slope, rate of change, x intercepts and y intercepts will be introduced and studied in this unit.
Algebra 1- In Algebra 1, we are exploring the concept of simultaneous linear equations and inequalities, also known as systems of equations and inequalities! We are looking at what solutions to a system of equations and inequalities are, as well as the three different methods in which a system can be solved. The class will also learn how to solve real world problems containing systems and interpret what they mean in context.
Language Arts (both LA and ADV): We’ve finished the novels we’ve been reading in class. Students should now have an independent reading book that they’re reading on their own at a pace of about 100 minutes per week (20 minutes per day, 5 days a week). Please continue to make time in your family’s schedule for your student to have a quiet, distraction free time to get some reading done. We want to keep that reading-momentum going! We continue to work on recognizing tone and mood in stories and articles, and as the new Tri begins, new targets are layered on top of the ones we started in Tri 1. Coming up in Tri 2, we’re looking for clues that authors leave us which reveal different characters' unique perspectives. Understanding perspective taking is an important SEL target, and we're grateful for the opportunity to explore literature and informational texts which offer us both mirrors (to see ourselves) and windows to the world (to understand the perspectives of others).
Science: In science, students will be learning about heredity. We will be using and developing different models like Punnett Squares and pedigrees to predict possible inherited results. We will also be focusing on the differences of mitosis and meiosis, discussing the advantages and disadvantages of these methods of reproduction, and continuing to master the 4 engineering targets with different labs and activities.
SS: Teaching and learning about history and social studies is not the kind of learning you probably experienced years ago as a student in your history or social studies classes! Now, students are challenged to investigate and develop questions to drive and focus our work and discussions. Essential questions are questions that don’t have one easy defined answer. They are arguable, debatable, and have different points of view. Focusing questions relate to, and help answer, essential questions. Focusing questions are more narrow and easily defined and can be answered with a variety of facts or definitions. How fun is it to think about historical themes, topics, and events and then determine your own point of view! We work on all of this by questioning and then developing claim statements that we back up with reliable evidence. We are currently examining the effects of the French and Indian War, which directly led to the series of many British “acts and taxes” that developed into the Revolutionary War. The remarkable Declaration of Independence is a product of this struggle and we will examine the four parts/sections of this founding document. “No taxation without representation” will be the rally cry for the Patriots, trying to convince the Loyalists of the benefits of independence. These conflicts and struggles will eventually produce the 13 United States of America. Soon after, we will be analyzing the challenges of our new nation coming out of the Revolutionary War.
8th Grade
Algebra 1: We just began Unit 3 on Systems of Linear Equations and Inequalities. We will be using our skills from the previous unit on graphing linear equations and inequalities. We have developed a strong understanding of slope, rate of change, finding and interpreting intercepts, and relating all of these concepts to the real world. This is one of the last units before we dive into our rigorous content!
Algebra 2: Polynomial equations benchmark is this week. Our factoring skills are getting so much better, as well as understanding the relationship between zeros and factors. We have really put our skills to the test as we’ve learned to write our own equations from tables and graphs, understanding end behavior, and regression models. Each class is packed with new notes and new information. It is so important that they practice each and every night/day.
Language Arts: In Language Arts, we will be starting our book clubs and book club discussions during the upcoming weeks. We are so fortunate to have the opportunity to receive modern, popular, young adult novels for our 8th grade students to read, discuss and enjoy. Students will be placed in groups based on their book club choice. There, they will learn to have rich, insightful discussions about the author’s craft in their chosen novels. In addition to our book clubs, we will continue looking at nonfiction, informational text to determine how authors develop the central idea of a text.
Science:: In science, 8th graders just finished learning about natural disasters. As we begin Unit 2, students will be looking at patterns in the fossil record and examining rock layers to compare modern and ancient organisms. Students will also learn about radioactivity and radiometric dating of rocks and fossils.
SS: In Social Studies, we have recently learned about World War I, including the various causes of the war, advancements in technology that led to so many casualties, United States entry into the war, and the long term impact the Treaty of Versailles had at the conclusion of the conflict.
We also covered the story behind the 19th Amendment and what it took for women to achieve the right to vote in this country. Most recently, students have been learning about the innovations and products created throughout the 1920’s that made life easier and connected more people over greater distances. The “Roaring 20’s” was truly a “Boom to Bust” decade and students have begun working on understanding the social and economic factors that led to the Great Depression. Students have been working to master the skill of closely reading primary sources, where they then have to summarize what it says, as well as be able to analyze its historical significance.
Science Olympiad Coaches Needed
Twin Groves is looking for Science Olympiad Coaches for the 21-22 School Year.
We are in need of a Head Coach and an Assistant Coach. The coaches do need to be eligible for a license issued by the State Board Of Education.
The minimum requirements for the license are 60 hours of college. If you meet the requirements, the district will assist you in obtaining the licensure.
Please email Jessica Barnes at [email protected] if you are interested or have questions.
A Message From Our District
Our top priority is to keep kids in school with as little disruption as possible and we need your help and support to do so. As we head into colder fall and winter weather and we begin to spend more time indoors, we encourage you to stay vigilant when it comes to health and safety measures. The recent interest survey indicated that the parents of over 1,600 District 96 students are interested in scheduling vaccination appointments for their 5-11 year olds as they become available in the coming weeks. =However, we are mindful of the continued risks that COVID presents to the school community and families of KCSD 96. The Illinois Department of Public Health has released guidance on how to celebrate more safely during the 2021 Fall season.
Guidance on Celebrations from the IDPH
As we continue through Fall and head into the holiday season, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is issuing updated guidance to help people celebrate more safely as we continue to battle COVID-19.
Masks
Masks are currently required, per Executive Order, in all indoor public locations in Illinois. A costume mask is NOT a substitute for a well-fitting mask to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Wearing a costume mask over a face covering to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is not recommended because it could make breathing more difficult. Safer options include choosing a costume that does not come with a costume mask, or find a costume that incorporates a face covering.
Trick-or-Treat
Trick-or-treating outdoors in small groups is best, but if outdoors is not an option, there are steps people can take to make indoor trick-or-treating safer. Those handing out tricks or treats indoors should open doors and windows as much as possible to promote increased ventilation and wear a mask. It is also important for everyone handing out or receiving treats to wash their hands.
Alternatives to door-to-door trick-or-treating can include setting up tables in a parking lot or other safe outdoor area where individually wrapped treats can be set out or holding an outdoor costume parade for kids along with a parent/guardian.
If you have symptoms of COVID-19 or have been exposed to someone who has COVID-19, do not participate in any Halloween or Fall events.
More information on Halloween and Fall Guidance is on the IDPH website at https://dph.illinois.gov/covid19/community-guidance/Halloween.
Lake County STEM for Girls
Please see below for more information.
NEW *Covid Metrics*
To stay up-to-date this school year on local metrics, please visit the COVID DASHBOARD for District 96. Our priority remains to keep our students safe and follow guidance from the CDC. If your student is identified as a "close contact", you will be notified individually through the contact tracing process.
Daily Announcements
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.