2/9/24
Upcoming Dates:
2/16- Half Day 11:10 AM Dismissal
2/19- No School
2/27- Early Release 1:30 PM Dismissal
What’s Happening at TG?
6th Grade
Pre-Algebra Survey: Pre-Algebra Survey will continue their unit on expressions this month. We will be working extensively with the properties of mathematics to combine like terms and simplify expressions. It is exciting to see the students at every level apply themselves to learning difficult targets. Last month we asked you to encourage modeling with mathematics at home. We have seen such impressive modeling in all three levels! This month, we’d like to focus on constructing arguments and being able to understand others. It is always very important in math to be able to explain why something makes sense, why a strategy is valid, how an answer was obtained, or why one choice is better than another. It is equally important to be able to understand others’ viewpoints in order to critique or expand upon them. The ability to have this type of mathematical discussion is a great indicator of true understanding. Feel free to ask your children how they solved a problem or why their answer makes sense. We ask the students these questions all of the time and it’s very impressive to hear their answers!
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: Pre-Algebra will continue learning about Algebraic equations, as we move on to equations with two variables. It is exciting to see the students at every level apply themselves to learning difficult targets. Last month we asked you to encourage modeling with mathematics at home. We have seen such impressive modeling in all three levels! This month, we’d like to focus on constructing arguments and being able to understand others. It is always very important in math to be able to explain why something makes sense, why a strategy is valid, how an answer was obtained, or why one choice is better than another. It is equally important to be able to understand others’ viewpoints in order to critique or expand upon them. The ability to have this type of mathematical discussion is a great indicator of true understanding. Feel free to ask your children how they solved a problem or why their answer makes sense. We ask the students these questions all of the time and it’s very impressive to hear their answers!
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: LA classes have been very busy the past few weeks! Students have all obtained their Book Club books, and had the first Book Club meeting last week. Everyone did a great job! Students are having fun talking in their small groups, discussing engaging, thought-provoking questions that they came up with themselves.
Science: 6th-grade scientists are deep into their learning of Plate Tectonics! We have learned about plate boundaries as well as where earthquakes and volcanoes are found. We will continue our study with the rock cycle and how plates have moved from the past to where they are today! Science is surely rock’in Trimester 2!
SS: In social studies this month, we will be wrapping up our government and leadership unit by studying local leaders. This will include investigating how both formal and informal leaders can shape a community, school, or business. We will then be shifting into our unit on culture, where we will get the opportunity to learn about a wide variety of activities that help to make a place unique, such as art, music, and games.
7th Grade
Pre-Algebra: Students just finished up a crucial unit on solving one-variable equations and have started another equally crucial unit on linear functions (two-variable equations). As we look forward to next year and the choices for math classes, success in these crucial units will help determine placement recommendations.
Bridge to Algebra 1: Students took their Benchmark on a portion of our unit on Congruence and Similarity on describing and performing four types of Transformations: Translations, Reflections, Rotations and Dilations. The second part of this unit focuses on all sorts of angle measure relationships regarding triangles and parallel lines cut by a transversal. This unit, focusing on Geometry, has been a fun change!
Algebra 1: Students just completed their unit on Graphing and Writing Exponential Functions. We are now beginning our long stretch of time where we focus on everything Quadratic. We begin our Quadratic Function stretch by introducing students to polynomials teaching them how to add, subtract, multiply, and factor them. Mastering the factoring portion of this unit will be extremely important to students in ensuring their success in mastering the remaining units on Quadratics and even for portions of Geometry next year!
Language Arts: We are continuing analytical writing and have just begun S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders. We are examining how authors develop characters and how these developments drive the plot of a novel. The students are enjoying making connections between today’s teens and the teens of the 50s! We will continue to draw parallels between the novel and the ideas of identity and belonging.
Advanced Language Arts: The advanced language arts classes just began delving into the historical fiction novel The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and are loving the imagery and German vocabulary!
Through this novel, students will analyze how and why authors use history to build a story and shape readers’ perceptions. We will be tracking motifs and analyzing how those build a theme.
Science: We are wrapping up our studies on the cycling of matter and energy in an ecosystem. Our next robot project will involve learning the basics of how to block code. We will build a robot and write code to control the robot’s movement. Looking forward, students will be studying the interactions of organisms within ecosystems with the orangutan as the main organism.
SS: 7th-grade Social Studies students are continuing to learn about our government structure and function. From the principles of the US Constitution to who represents us in government, students will learn more about the ways that ideas become laws, and the roles of local, state, and federal government. Before the end of the trimester, we also will revisit some of the many ways that citizens play in making change.
8th Grade
Bridge to Algebra 1: We recently began Unit 5, Congruence and Similarity. Students are learning how to identify if a shape is congruent or not, and what translations, reflections, rotations, and dilations are. Later on in the unit, students will learn about parallel lines and what happens to lines when they are cut by a transversal. We will also study triangles and explore what interior and exterior angles are. All of these skills will be used in future high school math classes. This unit has a lot of new vocabulary and students are encouraged to practice their skills on Edia during the unit and before tests and quizzes. Additionally, students should be encouraged to complete their homework daily.
Algebra 1: In Algebra 1, we just began our Polynomials and Factoring unit! Students are learning how to add, subtract, multiply, and factor polynomial expressions. All of these skills will be used in the majority of future math classes so we make sure we work on developing accuracy skills when completing these types of problems. Coming up later this month, students will learn how to solve and graph quadratic equations. This unit is a very important unit of study for Algebra 1. Please continue to encourage your child to get help and ask questions if needed and utilize Edia/ Khan Academy!
Geometry: We recently started our unit on Right Triangles. We have been discovering the relationships between the side lengths and angle measures of right triangles. Pythagorean theorem will lead us to efficiently use Pythagorean triples when solving for unknown sides of right triangles. We will then work through special right triangles and the relationships of 30-60-90 triangles and 45-45-90 triangles. Finally, we will be working on discovering right triangle trigonometry to solve for missing angles and sides of triangles.
Language Arts: In ADV Language Arts students have been exposed to the classic novel, Great Expectations. They are doing a wonderful job analyzing this challenging text. Meanwhile, AT Level Language Arts just finished reading Flowers for Algernon. Students explored the many themes and unique authorial techniques throughout this short story. Coming up in February and March we will be picking up some more short stories and articles. Our focus with the fiction texts will be studying the author's craft in order to learn what makes each story unique and classic. Our focus with the Informational Texts will be on comparing the text structures authors use to craft their arguments in an effort to ultimately determine the effectiveness of the article. Our writing focus will be on writing fictional narratives as well as analytic essays.
Science: In science, we are currently studying sound waves and the energy transfers that occur within those waves. This engaging and hands-on exploration will not only deepen their understanding of the physics behind sound but also foster a sense of curiosity and discovery. Throughout this unit, students will embark on a sonic adventure, unraveling the mysteries of how sound is produced, transmitted, and received. From the vibrations of a guitar string to the echoes in a concert hall, your child will discover the science behind the music they love. Students will gather data on how objects vibrate when making different sounds and be able to characterize how a vibrating object’s motion is tied to the loudness and pitch of the sounds they make. Students also conduct experiments to support the idea that sound needs matter to travel through, and they will use models and simulations to explain how sound travels through matter at the particle level. We will use multiple different mathematical formulas to represent these wave behaviors and calculate the amount of speed, frequency, and length of specific sound waves.
SS: We have continued learning about the Cold War, having covered the Korean War and practicing the skill of evaluating the credibility of sources. We have begun our Vietnam War unit and students have shown enthusiasm towards the early stages of the war and learning about the various points of view portrayed throughout the conflict. Students are learning about the divisive times that were the Vietnam Era, both through protest and music of that generation. We will be taking our next DBQ assessment soon on this topic!
Up next, students will continue to learn about the 1950’s and 60’s America, as we begin our Civil Rights unit. Students will be introduced to a variety of people and strategies that worked to make change for the black community in America during that time period.
Illinois Youth Survey- 8th Grade Only
On Monday, February 26th, the 8th Graders will be taking the Illinois Youth Survey.
Please click HERE for more information.
If you would like your child to opt out of the survey, please email Mrs. Barnes at [email protected].
NEW *5Essentials Student Survey*
Beginning the week of February 12th, District 96 students in 4th-8th grade will be administered the Illinois 5Essentials Survey. This 25-minute survey is based on over 20 years of research at the University of Chicago and asks students about their experiences in school with the purpose of providing school leaders with critical student input to help develop school improvement plans. Students’ identities will be completely confidential, and teachers and administrators will never see individual responses to survey questions and will only receive aggregated information.
Please be aware that under the Protection of Pupil Rights Act. 20 U.S.C. Section 1232(c) (1) (A), you have the right to review a copy of the questions asked of your student(s). Survey questions can be found at the UChicago Impact Support Center. (https://impactsurveys.my.site.com/s/article/illinois-5essentials-survey-questions)
If you do not want your child’s input to be considered for school improvement purposes, please contact Jessica Barnes at [email protected] by February 9th.
NEW *5Essentials Survey for Parents/Guardians*
Beginning January 30th through March 29th, District 96 invites you to share your thoughts on the inner workings of your child’s school. On behalf of the Illinois State Board of Education, the Illinois 5Essentials Survey will be administered online by UChicago Impact at the University of Chicago.
As a parent, this opportunity will allow you to share your thoughts on the important elements of school effectiveness in a survey about your child’s school. Your participation will help us understand the conditions at your child’s school and guide our improvement. Parent identity and survey responses will be kept completely confidential and will never be connected to you or your child.
Please visit http://survey.5-essentials.org/illinois/survey/parent/ to begin the parent survey. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact UChicago Impact Client Services at 1-866-440-1874 or [email protected].
6th Grade Dental Forms Needed
Dear Parents/Guardians of District 96 6th Grade Students:
Please note that your child’s completed dental examination is now due, per Illinois school law. The deadline for the dental examination is no later than May 15 of the current school year. Proof of this required dental examination must have been completed within eighteen months prior to the May 15 deadline.
If you haven’t already done so, please make an appointment with your child’s dentist for a dental examination, have him and/or her complete the required form, and return it to your child’s school nurse.
State of Illinois Proof of Dental Examination Form
In the event that you are unable to fulfill this requirement, the state of Illinois does permit a waiver of the examination.
State of Illinois Dental Waiver Form
Dental examination forms, as well as dental waiver forms, can be downloaded from the District’s website.
If you have any questions, please contact Cindy Borzych at [email protected] or call the Twin Groves office at 847-821-8946.
Thank you for your prompt cooperation.
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.