9/29/23
Upcoming Dates:
10/3- Picture Retake Day
10/5- No School- Conferences
10/6- No School- Conferences
10/9- No School
10/24- Early Release
11/22-11/24- No School
11/28- Early Release
Congratulations!
Each month, Twin Groves will be recognizing students who are model citizens of our Colts Community!
The Twin Groves Staff would like to recognize the following students who consistently demonstrate that they are Responsible, Respectful, and Safe. In addition to the 3 Traits, we are also recognizing students for being leaders, role models, supportive peers, brave, and positive.
Hazel Abraham
Iggy Conti
Kaylee Leibach
Mao Mao
Jotin Samayamantri
Jaden Shifrin
Austin Yoo
What’s Happening at Twin?
6th Grade
Pre-Algebra Survey: The students have been working really hard and transitioning well to middle school math. Pre-Algebra Survey students have just finished their unit on ratios, and are starting the new unit on rational numbers. We previously talked about encouraging the students to persevere on their homework. Thank you so much for your support at home on this! This month we’d like to focus on another math practice standard: modeling with mathematics (showing work in different ways). Part of being a mathematician includes being able to approach a problem in several different ways. In class, we often teach several strategies that can be used to solve problems. It is very challenging to be able to understand and use different representations and models in math, and it is a skill we will continue to work on all year.
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.
Edia - 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: The students have been working really hard and transitioning well to middle school math. Pre-Algebra students have just finished their unit on ratios, and are starting the new unit on rational numbers. We previously talked about encouraging the students to persevere on their homework. Thank you so much for your support at home on this! This month we’d like to focus on another math practice standard: modeling with mathematics (showing work in different ways). Part of being a mathematician includes being able to approach a problem in several different ways. In class, we often teach several strategies that can be used to solve problems. It is very challenging to be able to understand and use different representations and models in math, and it is a skill we will continue to work on all year.
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.
Edia - 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.
LA : We have been working hard on identifying themes in fiction and supporting it with text evidence. Soon we will learn about the central (main) idea in nonfiction/informational text. Up next, we will be using our imaginations and creating fictional narratives in a fun writing assignment.
Science: Scientists are busy answering the question: “Why do we sometimes see different things when looking at the same object?” Observations and hands-on activities are helping us learn about light and matter. We have learned about reflection, transmission, and how light travels so we can see. We also incorporated a fun STEM activity called Mint Mobiles where students designed a car made with mints as wheels!
SS: In social studies, the students have been learning about how geography impacts our lives. We will continue this study by seeing how and why people choose to migrate. We will focus on why people live in certain areas, how their actions impact the environment there, and how people have populated all corners of the earth throughout time. By the end of our migration unit, students should have a better understanding of our role in the world and how choices throughout time have brought us to this point in history.
7th Grade
Pre-Algebra: Students have been working hard at multiplying, dividing, adding, and subtracting
rational numbers in Unit 1. As we finish up Unit 1, students will use all of these operations with rational numbers to evaluate expressions using the Order of Operations (PEMDAS), as we prepare for the Unit 1 Benchmark Test.
Bridge to Algebra 1: We are just finishing up Unit 1 on solving equations, inequalities and real-world problems involving them. Students have worked hard since the beginning of the school year to master these skills so they can easily use them in future units. Unit 2 will introduce students to functions. This unit focuses on being able to identify, compare and interpret functions.
Algebra 1: We are in the middle of Unit 2 which includes writing and graphing linear functions and linear inequalities. The students have learned two of the three different forms of linear functions and when to apply them given certain parameters.
Language Arts: Since last month, the language arts classes have been focusing on the literary elements of the author’s craft, diving into identifying and examining mood, tone, and irony, as well as how authors develop characters, in short stories. We’ve recently begun one of our whole class novels, Lois Lowry’s The Giver, and are using close reading and critical thinking skills to examine the topics of dystopia and control. Our grammar focus has been identifying misuses of plurals and possessives, and understanding verb types. In the coming weeks, be on the lookout for a book club permission slip!
Advanced Language Arts: The advanced language arts classes have been focusing on the literary elements of the author’s craft, using short stories, like “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, to identify and examine mood, tone, and irony. We are excited to be beginning our first book club of the year, dystopian fiction! Similar to language arts, our grammar focus has been identifying misuses of plurals and possessives, and understanding verb types. In the coming weeks, we will be moving toward text structure of informational text, and focus on analytic writing.
Science: We are coming to the end of Unit 1 where we have studied the difference between physical changes and chemical reactions. We have looked at the Law of Conservation of Mass related to chemical reactions. Before starting the next unit, we will be introducing our year-long robot building and coding project. In Unit 2 (Chemical Reactions and Energy), we will be answering the question “How can we use chemical reactions to design a solution to a problem?” by looking at exothermic and endothermic reactions.
SS: Our 7th graders have learned a lot about the reliability and credibility of sources this month, focusing on several key elements/criteria. We will continue to practice these skills and concepts throughout the school year. In the coming weeks, students will be reading about several groups of early Americans, and using evidence from those texts to identify cultural characteristics common to members of those groups. Were the risks of immigration and colonization worth the rewards of settlement in one of the three colonial regions? Geography and regional culture both influenced the growth and development of the colonies. We’ll also start digging into how the colonization of the eastern seaboard of today’s U.S. will eventually lead to conflict, unrest, and eventually… revolution.
8th Grade
Bridge to Algebra 1: We just finished our first unit of the year in Unit 1: Solving Linear Equations! Students learned how to solve simple equations, multi-step equations, equations using the distributive property, and equations with variables on both sides. Our next unit of study is Unit 2: Functions! Please encourage students to complete all homework assignments to ensure they are practicing the necessary skills to be successful! Practicing integer rules outside of class would be extremely helpful for most students as well!
Algebra 1: We are currently in Unit 2: Writing and Graphing Linear Equations. Students are learning about domain and range, function notation, graphing, and writing lines in slope intercept form, standard form, and point-slope form. This unit is very exciting and also critical for students to master! Please encourage students to complete all homework assignments and get help when needed. Next unit students will need to bring their TI-84 graphing calculator with them to class every day.
Geometry: We are in the middle of Unit 3: Coordinate Geometry. Students have been having to access Algebra 1 skills to help them be successful. We have been working on calculating the midpoint, distance point to point, and distance point to line. In addition, students have been learning how to apply parallel and perpendicular slope relationships and write equations of lines in all forms (slope intercept form, point-slope form, standard form, and general form). Please continue to stay involved in your student’s progress by checking TeacherEase.
Science: In Science, we are finishing our Genetics unit. The storyline for our unit focuses on what causes cattle to get extra-big muscles. Students have been using data, readings, pictures, and video clips to investigate how genetic factors (e.g. mutations) and environmental factors (e.g. exercise and diet) affect an organism. Next week, we will wrap up the unit by considering genetic technologies such as GMOs, selective breeding, and artificial selection.
In the second week of October, we will begin our Natural Selection and Common Ancestry unit. We will explore how things living today are connected to things that lived long ago. We will learn how organisms change or adapt to their environment over time.
Fall Family/Educator Conferences
Fall Family/Educator Conferences are right around the corner. The conference dates are Thursday, October 5th from 5:00 PM to 8:30 PM and Friday, October 6th from 10:00 AM to 1:30 PM.
Conferences will be held virtually using Meet the Teacher’s video conferencing platform unless parents request an in-person conference using the instructions in bold at the end of this message. After you have scheduled your conferences, you will receive an email from Meet the Teacher with a link you will use to access the video conferences.
Middle school parents will have the option to sign up with one core content teacher (see below) and pertinent exploratory/PE teachers. Please note: Students on the A-Day schedule will have their Spanish teachers available during this round of conferences. Students on the B-Day schedule will have this opportunity in the spring.
Available Middle School Core Teachers
6th Grade: 2nd Period Teacher
7th Grade: 1st Period Teacher
8th Grade: 1st Period Teacher
If you are unable to schedule a conference with a specific teacher, please remember that conferences are not the only time to communicate with teachers. Please feel free to reach out at any time.
REQUESTING AN IN-PERSON CONFERENCE
If you want to have an in-person conference with the teachers, you must notify the teachers via email by the end of the day on Tuesday, October 3rd.
Lake County STEM for Girls Conference
We are excited to share that the Lake County STEM for Girls Conference is back! The conference hosts women from various STEM fields who work with the attending students by engaging in hands-on activities with real-world applications. Each session is interactive and inspiring! Girls in grades 6th-8th are invited to attend.
We have a STEM fair (with lots of goodies) and also invite parents/guardians to attend adult sessions to learn more about saving for college, how to support students in high school academic paths and mindfulness. We have a fantastic keynote and an enthusiastic closing for both students and parents!
This year the conference is being held at Vernon Hills High School on November 4th, 2023. We've attached a flyer to this email and can't wait to hear how it goes when your child attends.
Registration is open!
If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].
Middle School Health (Repeat)
Please click HERE to access the ‘23-’24 Health Education letter.
Daily Announcements
Please see the 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.
Twin Groves Athletics
Please click HERE to access the Twin Groves Athletics site.
This site will be updated frequently.