Text Box: HILLSIDE MIDDLE SCHOOL

Hillside’s seventh and eighth graders recently completed short story units that were instituted as part of the new language arts curriculum.  Essential questions such as: What inspires a reader?  How can we learn about ourselves from short stories? Along with, What makes a short story so powerful? were a few of the questions that students examined as they proceeded through the unit.  Story elements such as characterization, conflict, setting, plot, and theme, as well as figurative language were addressed throughout each story.  Some of the short stories the seventh graders enjoyed included:

Lose Now, Pay Later, Monsters Are Due on Maple Street, Seventh Grade and The Noble Experiment.    Eighth grade selections included:  A Cap for Steve, Night Burial, The Necklace, The Lottery, and The Tell-Tale Heart.  Both grade levels worked on answering questions directly related to Strand 3 of the CMT—Making Connections.

 For each new unit in Language Arts, students are given a pre-assessment. This is a tool we use to determine areas of weakness for each individual. The data we collect from this pre-assessment helps us focus and differentiate our lessons. The

results are discussed in our department meetings and lessons are geared towards helping students master certain skills. At the end of the unit a post test is given to see how much progress has occurred. Individual and class  growth is charted and the data is used to target areas of concern  for future units.

This year our department  has been placing an emphasis on one particular skill : making connections to the text. This strategy allows students to  relate what they read  to their own lives thus promoting enduring understanding. We are confident that all of our efforts will increase literacy for our students and help foster a life-long love of learning.
Text Box: Currently, our 7th grade students are studying economics. This timely unit helps children understand the complexities of a global-market system. Students have been exploring the causes of our nation’s slowing economy by learning about rising oil prices and the problems associated with the “housing bubble”. Eighth graders are studying the causes and events that led to the Revolutionary War focusing on timeless themes, such as conflict leading to change. Students were also able to make Text Box: This year the social studies department has embraced our school’s initiative of data-driven decision making. The teachers have been analyzing student work to identify strengths and weaknesses. Based on pre-test results the department created goals and selected specific teaching strategies to focus on their social studies classroom. The results have been terrific. seventh and eighth grade post-test scores showed that our students made great gains in their ability to make connections to the text. Text Box: meaningful connections to the current war and changing times. In addition to our curriculum, the social studies department also places emphasis on current events. Students have been closely following the presidential candidates and primary race. We are all looking forward to our exciting and historic 2008 election in the fall. Text Box: STUDYING THE PAST FOR A BETTER TOMORROW Text Box: your child’s understanding of the work that they have been assigned. Each PBA contains a rubric for the student to follow. Currently the seventh graders are working on a PBA entitled “Survey Says…” and the eighth graders are working on a PBA entitled “The math that surrounds us. Is everything related to math?” In addition to working diligently on their PBAs, the seventh graders are working on Text Box: their geometry unit and the eighth graders who are in Pre-Algebra are working on their probability unit. Those students who are in algebra are just completing their Unit on linear equations, which includes slope. The goal for the students is to have a better understanding of mathematics and to see why mathematics is essential to their everyday life. Text Box: Math has seen a new curriculum this year in both the 7th and 8th grades. Units are now a part of the curriculum, where previously it was chapters. Each unit begins with a pre-test and essential questions. The students are then able to know where their need for improvement is as well as what they are expected to learn within each unit. There have also been performance based assessments (PBA) within each unit. These projects are an overview of the unit and ensure Text Box: READ FOR ENJOYMENT

HILLSIDE DEPARTMENT REPORTS

USING MATH FOR LIFE !!!