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Blog |
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The following articles have appeared since the last middle school newsletter: On and On, by Bill Ivey, is a Thanksgiving piece springing from a moment in the school day. Time Passes, by Bill Ivey, draws lessons from an afternoon at the local animal shelter. |
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8th Grade Step-Up Day |
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On Friday, December 9 and during the subsequent weekend, the 8th graders will have the chance to experience life in the 9th grade. After being allowed to stay up until the 9th grade bedtime of 10:30 Thursday night, they will shadow 9th grade students through the school day (attending, however, their normal language and/or Geometry classes which are already mixed with upper schoolers). That weekend, boarding students will follow 9th grade rules for signing out to different destinations. Day students, as always, are welcome to stay overnight if they would like. Meanwhile, in the 7th grade, we will be working to add a special touch to their own day as a year is a long time to wait for their turn.
If you have any questions, please ask Bill Ivey. Thank you! |
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8th Grade STEM with Brittany |
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My 8th grade STEM classes have been busy since the last newsletter! The Physical Science class did a fantastic job presenting their Safe Cosmetics presentation to the whole school. They got great feedback from the crowd and a special mention from the speaker the following evening. Hopefully you were able to attend Colby College’s Gail Carlson’s presentation "How Everyday Products Impact Your Health and What You Can Do About It". If you missed it, ask your 8th grader for details. We plan to continue working with Gail on this issue to spread the word even farther.
After the presentation, we spent some time in the ceramics studio learning about the changes clay goes through as we change the moisture content. The class had fun getting dirty and smashing pottery. Most of them even got to finish and take a piece home. Algebra I keeps getting more challenging as they learn different ways to solve equations. We have been focusing on working with negative numbers, simplifying, and recognizing properties. Next up are algebraic proofs. |
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French I |
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Our first day back to class was an exciting one. We spent most of the period singing songs that included vocabulary for body parts. First, the body parts belonged to a bird, the famous “Alouette, gentille alouette” from the French Canadian song that some of you may know. Ask your daughters to sing it for you! We then worked on pronunciation with the rhyming comptine “Deux yeux, tant mieux; deux oreilles, c’est pareil”. These two brought us naturally into the childhood song that crosses many languages and borders “Tête, épaules, genoux, et pieds, genoux et pieds”. Things got even sillier as we played a game that includes holding your partner’s “barbichette” (little goatee, aka “chin”) and chanting the words until they laugh. Once your partner laughs, you give them a “claquette” on the head (gently, of course). We finished with the most physically demanding song, meant for jumproping in the schoolyard. Perhaps they’ll teach it to you or their younger siblings over break… Dos à dos Face à face Donnez-vous la main Et changez de place Levez le bras Touchez par terre Touchez le nez Touchez l’oreille Tournez en rond Et puis sortez |
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Spanish I |
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Is Cervantes’ tale of Don Quijote de la Mancha as simple as it seems or is his story as multi-layered as classics like Moby Dick, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, or Catcher in the Rye? That is the kind of question I hope my Spanish I students will be able to grapple with some time in the not-too-distant future. Watching the film adaptation of the Broadway play, “Man of La Mancha,” (with Richard Harris as Don Quijote, James Coco as Sancho Panza, and Sophia Loren as Dulcinea) this term was the first time most of the girls had a) ever heard of Don Quijote, either as a character or novel, b) ever heard some the iconic songs from the play (The Impossible Dream, Dulcinea, We’re Only Thinking of Him), or c) had discussed what it means to be quixotic and who, in their lifetimes, might be described by that adjective.
While it takes up a sizable chunk of time to screen and discuss this film, I find it’s a wonderful vehicle for introducing many different facets of Spanish and Hispanic history and culture to first year Spanish students. Set in the time of the Spanish Inquisition, Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra uses the story of main characters, Alonso Quijana and Sancho Panza, to represent various themes; idealism, reality, chivalry, madness, simplicity, satire, the sanctity of religion, and many more. At the early adolescent level of analysis, even the simple story of an old gentleman farmer going off to fight imaginary “great enchanters” like windmills is an entertaining tale, especially with the comic foil Sancho at his side. As we approached the end of the film, however, when Quijote is forced to confront his own demons (reality, age) I was impressed with the insight and understanding my students had of the deeper, more complicated forces at play in the movie/play/film. As a teacher of beginning Spanish, I hope my students will be able to recall some of the themes they discussed while studying Man of La Mancha when they go on to read other great works of literature and that they will be able to make connections between more recent novels and the story that is, arguably, the first great novel of modern literature, Don Quijote de La Mancha.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gustave_Doré_-_Miguel_de_Cervantes_-_Don_Quixote_-_Part_1_-_Chapter_1_-_Plate_1_%22A_world_of_disorderly_notions,_picked_out_of_his_books,_crowded_into_his_imagination%22.jpg
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Instrumental Music |
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There is a lot going on in the instrumental classes. Bill has been busy working with the guitar and bass players. Learning the fret board and proper hand positions, and picking individual notes or chords, are all difficult for the beginning (and advanced) guitarist. I have been busy with the rest of the classes teaching embouchure positions (lip positions), hand positions, and how to find notes on each instrument. It takes time for all these to come together in a way that can produce music. Whether it is learning to hold drumsticks properly, finding the notes on a piano, or learning how to execute different lip positions on the trombone, each instrument has its own inherent challenges. These challenges are so important in the development of the adolescent brain. It can help keep pathways open that might otherwise be stemmed in the natural course of brain development. Whether students know it or not, when they are attempting to play an instrument, they are giving their brains a workout that is different than most activities. I have seen some wonderful progress in these classes. For instance, in my trombone/clarinet/ trumpet class all the students (Mercedes, Lola, Maria, Roberta, and Nolka) have progressed from not knowing where any of the notes are on their respective instruments to being able to play simple Christmas carols. In my piano/percussion class, I have watched the drummers (Christina, Mailande, and Megan) work on coordinating all their limbs to play different rhythms. Finally in my advanced mixed ensemble class, I have watched the entire group progress from not being able to play together in time to playing through a few pieces while staying together as an ensemble. What is exciting is that this progress will only increase in speed in the future. Keep up the good work, middle schoolers; the classes will continue to improve as we go forward! |
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French II |
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Since we have returned from break, French II students have dived into a new vocabulary unit on food. Even though the first presentation immediately followed breakfast, it is always a difficult unit in that we inevitably feel hungry early on in a given class period. Clara very kindly offered to bring in food for one class period, and next Monday's quiz will include an oral section in which they will have to interact with me and order (and pay for) their lunch - choice of sandwiches, and several drinks. They also did a survey in class wherein we learned for example that dinner is the most popular meal, school food is rated "good," and Mexican is the most popular ethnic food. Also, setting the table was a more popular chore than washing dishes or buying the food - feel free, parents, to use this information as you will. There is a positive energy to this class, and the term is off to a good start. |
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Humanities 7 |
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Our first week back has been primarily focused on the students' individual projects, which are to be presented today (Friday) and the following Monday. Topics range from a debate on the pros and cons of single-gender schools, to a reflection on dress codes as they relate to community, to a documentary on the lives of middle school girls, to an examination of the media culture in which girls are immersed almost from birth, and more. The presentations promise to be wonderful. Meanwhile, we have continued our discussion of selections from The Curse of the Good Girl, looking at the concept of emotional intelligence and how the pressure to Be Good can hinder girls' abilities to know, understand, and express their feelings. As with prior discussions, the level of insight and honesty provided by members of the class is inspiring. They can readily identify these pressures in their own lives and/or on people they know, and are quick to empathize with and support girls who hide their authentic selves deep inside.
A quick vote determined we will move our Theatre unit up in the year; we will start it next week. Many students were clamoring to do Shakespeare, so we will be certain to include at least one of his works among productions that we view. Besides analyzing and discussing dramatic works, their themes and narrative structure, we will also be working toward the creation of two or three original, student-written plays. These will be produced in the Theatre 7 class this spring and performed at the end of the term.
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