12/1/23
Upcoming Dates:
12/19- Early Release 1:30 PM Dismissal
12/22-1/7- Winter Break
1/15- No School
1/30- Early Release 1:30 PM Dismissal
2/16- Half Day 11:10 AM Dismissal
2/19- No School
2/27- Early Release 1:30 PM Dismissal
Fist Bump Friday!
Today we were lucky to have the Buffalo Grove Fire welcome the staff and students this morning for Fist Bump Friday! It was a great way to start the day!
What’s Happening at Twin Groves?
6th Grade
Pre-Algebra Survey: The 6th Grade Pre-Algebra Survey is continuing the unit on rational numbers. Rational numbers include all positive and negative integers, fractions, and decimals. This month we will be focused on multiplication and division of rational numbers and then applying all four operations while solving problems following the order of operations. Last month we talked about encouraging the students to look for structure. This has definitely shown up in class as the students worked. This month, we’d like for you to encourage the students to be precise in their work. This includes knowing definitions, like absolute value is the distance of a number from 0, including units in answers, and converting to different units as necessary. Thank you for all the help 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.
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: 6th Grade Pre-Algebra is working on the expressions unit, which involves understanding variables, combining like terms, and writing mathematical expressions. A big focus will be on using mathematical properties to create equivalent expressions. This is the foundation of so much of their future math work, so it is great to see how hard the students are working. Last month we talked about encouraging the students to look for structure. This has definitely shown up in class as the students worked. This month, we’d like for you to encourage the students to be precise in their work. This includes knowing definitions, like absolute value is the distance of a number from 0, including units in answers, and converting to different units as necessary. Thank you for all the help 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.
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.
Language Arts: This year, we have been working on identifying themes in fiction and central ideas in informational text. Taking this up a notch for Trimester 2, students are now starting to learn how to write an analysis paragraph in order to explain how the text evidence supports their chosen theme/central idea. In addition, we will be writing fictional narratives with a focus on description and sensory details.
Science: 6th-grade scientists are in our third unit of the year on Weather and the Water Cycle. A perfect unit for entering into the winter season when precipitation in the Chicagoland area is always ever-changing. Students learn how and when hail, rain, and snow form as well as complete a number of hands-on activities.
SS: In social studies this month students will be learning all about different forms of government throughout history. We will study how pharaohs ruled Egypt, how laws were first created in Mesopotamia, and the beginning of democracy. For every form of government we learn about in the past, we will be making connections to how it impacts us in modern times.
7th Grade
Pre Algebra- We are finishing up a portion of our unit on simplifying algebraic expressions and are beginning the last portion of this unit on writing algebraic expressions from words. This unit is preparing us to write and solve algebraic equations in our next unit.
Bridge to Algebra 1- We are finishing up a very important unit where we learned about linear functions. We learned how to calculate slopes, write linear equations, and graph linear equations. Understanding linear equations is crucial because they are prevalent in many levels of math. We will start our next unit, simultaneous linear functions, next week and finish up after we return from winter break.
Algebra 1- We are finishing up our unit on simultaneous linear functions where the students we
asked to find the intersection of two linear equations. They had to do this by graphing or algebraically using one of two methods, substitution or elimination. Our next unit will focus on exponent properties and exponential functions.
Language Arts: Since finishing Lois Lowry’s The Giver, the LA classes have been delving into poetry. We have been examining structure, and the different elements of figurative language and sound devices poets utilize. In addition to beginning dystopian book clubs, students have been practicing analyzing text in response to a provided theme. Moving forward, we will further develop analytic writing skills with short stories and informational text.
Advanced Language Arts: The advanced classes are in the middle of a deep dive into the mysterious works of Edgar Allan Poe, beginning with a few of his well-known poems and now “The Tell-Tale Heart.” We have been examining the structure and the different elements of figurative language and sound devices utilized to develop mood, perspective, and theme. In the coming weeks, we will double down on analytical writing, using various texts to develop and support a claim or theme.
Science: In Unit 3, we are learning about how our bodies work and use energy to make us feel the way we do. Students are looking at a case study about a 13-year-old girl named Kenna who started feeling sick for an extended period of time. They are planning and conducting investigations into how her body works differently from that of a healthy person to help them determine what is making Kenna feel sick. Once they discover her illness, they will be investigating how genetic and environmental factors can influence health in different ways. Students are getting a lot of practice analyzing graphs and models to help them in their investigations and draw conclusions based on data.
SS: Students in Social Studies are continuing to learn about the early days of our nation coming out of the Revolutionary War. We also continue to practice source evaluation and literacy skills. The Declaration of Independence will get us on the path of our own new nation. We will struggle under the Articles of Confederation, our first attempted government. Due to numerous failures, tremendous ratification debates will commence regarding how a new Constitution should look like… and whether we need safeguards… the Bill of Rights. This month, students will also begin to study the many ways citizens can take action in their communities and beyond. We will be working to determine how these citizen actions can help to protect rights and make lasting change.
8th Grade
Bridge to Algebra 1: We just finished unit 3, Linear Functions with our Benchmark on Friday. Our next unit will be Simultaneous Linear Functions which we will begin next week. In this unit, students will learn how to solve systems of linear equations by graphing, substitution, and elimination. We will be exploring real-life applications and how they relate to simultaneous linear functions. This will be an important skill students need to help them be successful in Algebra 1 next year!
Algebra 1: We are beginning our mini-unit on Exponential Properties. This is the final unit where concepts have been reviewed from Bridge to Algebra 1. Next up will be the first of the most important and rigorous units we are going to cover in Algebra 1, which is Exponential Functions. Students will be practicing writing and graphing exponential functions while discovering growth and decay models through real-world applications. All units from here on out will be very critical for students to demonstrate mastery of and are essential for building a solid algebra foundation.
Geometry: We just completed our Triangle Proofs unit! Students wrote paragraph and two-column proofs in proving triangles and their corresponding parts congruent. Next up, we are beginning our Quadrilaterals unit. We are learning about the hierarchy of quadrilaterals and what makes each shape unique. Our knowledge of congruent triangles has helped us discover properties involving diagonals of each shape. The students are excited to be working to find missing values of each shape by using the properties where algebra skills will be utilized.
Language Arts: We recently wrapped up our first book club unit in Language Arts and students did a wonderful job discussing and analyzing their novels throughout the entire unit. Students also completed many activities related to the coming-of-age journey and explored how their characters developed and changed throughout each text. Both AT level and Advanced will begin a poetry unit in the month of December. Throughout this unit, we are not only exploring what poetry is and how to read poetry, but we also look at how the lives of the poets influence their poems and writings. We explore how poetry can be a tool for expressing ourselves and relating to others, as well as a healing tool in some cases. In addition, we explore and practice using figurative language techniques. Next month we will move into our first Novel Unit: Great Expectations (ADV) and Flowers for Algernon(AT). These are great stories that I am sure students will enjoy!.
Science: In science, we have been exploring physics! Specifically, our current unit is contact forces. Student questions about the factors that result in FLEX tape will lead them to investigate what is happening to any object before, during, and after a collision. They will make their thinking visible with free-body diagrams, mathematical models, and system models to explain the effects of relative forces, mass, speed, and energy in collisions. Students then will use what they have learned about collisions to engineer something that will protect a fragile object from damage in a collision. Coming up in physics, we will focus more on different types of friction and how they can influence an object’s motion and position. From the push and pull of everyday objects to the invisible forces shaping our universe, this unit is designed to ignite curiosity and understanding! Your child will engage in various hands-on experiments to experience the effects of forces firsthand. From Kinetic Energy formulas to Newton's laws, each activity is designed to make physics come alive in the most interactive way possible!
SS: In Social studies, students finished up our Great Depression unit by summarizing and analyzing a speech made by Adolf Hitler, where they were asked to compare and contrast his actions to handle the socio-economic downturn within Germany to that of Franklin Delano Roosevelt in America. We have just begun learning about World War II and the Holocaust. We began by researching the rise of dictators in that era,, including Joseph Stalin and Adolf Hitler with his German “War Machine.” Students will use the Ladder of Prejudice to investigate the horrors of the Holocaust and the role that both bystanders and upstanders played in reaction to the Nazis. In trimester two, students will have opportunities to practice their ability to take part in the document-based questioning (“DBQ'') process. Students will work on their ability to craft a claim statement and effectively defend an argument with historical evidence.
A Message from the TG Service Club-PLASTIC BAGS NEEDED
If you have any plastic bags at home, please have your child bring them to Mrs. Koulentes' Office. These bags can be from Jewel, Mariano's, Target, Walmart, Walgreen, etc.
The goal of the TG Service Club is to collect enough plastic bags is to create Plarn beds. Plarn beds are easy to make and lightweight. After we make these Plarn beds, our goal is to give them to a homeless shelter for people in need of a bed
NWEA MAP Assessment (New)
All students in grades K-8 will be participating in the NWEA MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) assessment on Wednesday, December 6th, and Thursday, December 7th. The MAP assessment is a normed-referenced, computerized adaptive test that helps teachers, parents, and administrators improve learning for all students and make informed decisions to promote a child's academic growth. Like in previous years, all students will be taking the MAP test in reading and math during the school day.
Sense of Belonging Survey (REPEAT)
In District 96, we believe that feedback from students regarding their perception of the school climate and teacher-student relationships provides valuable input about their sense of belonging. Our school district is committed to providing our students with every opportunity to succeed. Substantial research indicates that supporting students’ social-emotional development improves their readiness to learn, positive classroom engagement, and overall academic performance. As a result, District 96 will administer a student belonging survey to all students EC-8. These surveys are below for your review. A physical copy will be available from the district office upon request.
Surveys Below:
-Grades K, 1, and 2
-Grades 3, 4, and 5
-Grades 6, 7 and 8
With this information, the District can make thoughtful and informed decisions to support students' deeper sense of belonging at school. As always, student privacy and safety are of the utmost importance. This survey is FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act), COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy and Protection Act), and PPRA (The Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment) certified. The collected data will improve our students’ sense of belonging and will only be used by our schools. Student responses will support group patterns so schools can provide support in those targeted areas. Thank you for supporting our school communities and their corresponding sense of belonging.
If you would like to exclude your child from participating in the survey, please contact your child/children’s building principal.
Current Patriot Consortium Mathematics Placement Process- 8th Grade Only
The consortium has created criteria that define the four strands of mathematical proficiency to highlight the attributes of a proficient mathematical thinker. The criteria are grouped into three categories (See chart on second page):
-Procedural Skills & Fluency (How well you can correctly use mathematics.)
-Conceptual Understanding (How well you utilize mathematical ideas, transfer your knowledge into new situations, and apply it to new contexts.)
-Problem Solving with Adaptive Reasoning and Strategic Competence (How well you can apply strategies and sound reasoning.)
Over the course of the year, the mathematics teachers will be discussing these criteria with the students in class to create a portrait of each student. This portrait will be used to recommend the students into the mathematics course at Stevenson High School that matches their content knowledge as well as level of mathematics proficiency at this time.
As a district and consortium, it is our vision that each student moves on to the next course in the sequence providing that there are no significant gaps in content knowledge. If there are significant gaps in content knowledge and a change in recommendation occurs, we will contact you. We feel that this process allows a mathematical picture of the student to develop over time, which will provide a more informed recommendation.
Course Sequence for Bridge Algebra 1 Students
-Algebra 1 with Mentor Math or Algebra 1 with Math Guided Study will be recommended if students need to reinforce and refresh targets in Units 1-4
-Algebra 1 will be recommended if students have mastered targets in Units 1-4
Course Sequence for Algebra 1 Students
-Geometry will be recommended if students need to reinforce and refresh targets in Units 1-4
-Geometry AB/BC will be recommended if students have mastered targets in Units 1-4
Course Sequence for Geometry Students
-Algebra 2 will be recommended if students need to reinforce and refresh targets in Units 1-3
-Algebra 2 AB/BC will be recommended if students have mastered targets in Units 1-3
PORTRAIT OF A MATHEMATICALLY PROFICIENT STUDENT
Procedural Skills & Fluency
How well you can correctly use mathematics.
(skill in carrying out procedures flexibly, accurately, efficiently, and appropriately)
-I can identify and use the most efficient method for the problem. (MP7)
-I can use mathematical computations, terms, symbols, formulas, and language appropriately. (MP5, 6)
-I can recognize the algebraic structure in problems and use rules or procedures to solve or simplify. (MP7)
-I can solve problems with accuracy. (MP6)
Conceptual Understanding
How well you utilize mathematical ideas, transfer your knowledge into new situations, and apply it to new contexts.
(comprehension of mathematical concepts, operations, and relations)
-I can use diagrams, pictures, and symbols to justify my work. (MP4)
-I can understand and justify the “why” of the procedure. (MP3)
-I can justify solutions algebraically, graphically, and numerically. (MP3)
-I can explain my solution with sound mathematical reasoning using precise mathematics vocabulary and terminology. (MP3, 8)
-I can determine the reasonableness of my answer. (MP2)
Problem Solving with Adaptive Reasoning and Strategic Competence
How well you can apply strategies and sound reasoning.
(capacity for logical thought, reflection, explanation, and justification and ability to formulate, represent, and solve mathematical problems)
-I can select and use all the pertinent information to solve the problem. (MP2)
-I can determine a solving strategy by forming logical relationships among concepts and situations. (MP7, 8)
-I can represent a situation mathematically using modeling. (MP4)
-I can retain and apply information and skills from previous units to solve problems alongside new concepts. (MP7,8)
-I can make connections between multiple mathematical concepts to solve problems in unfamiliar situations. (MP7,8)
-I can persevere when encountering new and difficult concepts.(MP1)
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.