news from the hornet’s nest

Principal’s Point of View HIGHLANDS MIDDLE SCHOOL / MARCH 2011 / VOLUME 07

NEWS FROM THE HORNET’S NEST

Dear Parents:

ISAT TestingOur students have been working extremely hard, they completed taking the ISAT (Illinois Standards Achievement Test) tests. We are quite confident our students did very well! I am always very impressed with the effort our students put into their tests. As soon as we receive the results from the State of Illinois, we will review these results along with the information from our local assessments to help us improve our overall school program. We view this as an opportunity for our students to display the academic progress they have worked so hard to achieve! Make sure you take the time to discuss the results with your child

The Parking LotThank you for being patient and following our drop off and pick up routines. The traffic has been flowing like a quiet, babbling brook. Please do not drop off or pick up your child on Howard Street or any other neighborhood street. It is only fair that we all follow the pick up and drop off expectations.

Summer School Make sure to check online to register. The schedule is out and filled with exciting classes and camps.

Apple Distinguished School AwardThe Apple Distinguished School Award is reserved for schools that have become centers of education excellence and leadership, consistently demonstrating “best practice” qualities of a 21st-century learning environment using Apple technology. This year, Highlands Middle School, proudly joins 51 other schools awarded nationwide and is one of four schools awarded in the state of Illinois. We will celebrate our success with our students by sponsoring a hotdog lunch. I personally would like to recognize the middle school faculty for their commitment to being 21st-century teachers! Mr. P’s Study Tip This month I would like to mention how important it is to allow your child to struggle. That’s right, I said struggle. When your child runs into a problem, don’t solve it for her/him. Discuss ideas that will steer them in the right direction, but DON’T solve it for them. Children will grow more confident as they learn to solve their own problems. We must let them overcome the obstacles in their lives, rather than remove them. Remember this includes academic challenges, time management issues, social issues, family issues and athletic issues.

Don’t intervene until you know all the facts and that your child has attempted to solve the issue on his/her own based on your advice. Of course there are circumstances that require you to immediately get involved. As parents, we must teach our children to be self-advocates and problem solvers! We can do this by allowing them to make mistakes, letting them know it is o.k. to fail, and that it’s normal to feel sad, anxious or disappointed. Let them struggle, but always be there to support them if things don’t go right!

Together we will not only prepare our children for the future, we will prepare them to lead the future!

Mr. Michael Papierski

HIGHLANDS CLASSROOM HIGHLIGHTS

Spotlight on Sixth Grade

Math – Mrs. Novotny

6th Grade Language Arts – Ms. OʼBrien and Mrs. Scheiwe

Over the past few weeks, our 6th grade Language Arts students have transformed themselves into characters from mythology! Each student researched and became an expert on one Greek, Roman, Norse, Celtic, or Indian god, goddess, demigod, hero, or monster. Then, in character and in costume, those characters "visited" our classrooms to introduce themselves to students and parent guests. We learned a LOT about the mythology of different world cultures and had fun dressing up in everything from togas to Viking helmets!

More recently, students traveled back in time to the Middle Ages! We began studying the Medieval period using a wide variety of nonfiction resources to learn about such topics as feudalism, heraldry, medieval weapons, knights and castles. We have also started to read a variety of historical fiction novels set in the Middle Ages in “book club” groups. Students were placed into book clubs after being given different novels to choose from and rank in order of preference. We'll be using the teaming website to blog our discussions before, during, and after reading these stories.

March is a big month in 6th grade! On Thursday, March 24, 2011, the sixth graders will take part in a “medieval feast” field trip. This activity will reinforce the 6th grade study of the Middle Ages in Social Studies class and the related literature study in Language Arts class. Students will travel to a castle setting (Royalty West Banquets in Willow Springs) and will be greeted by a herald and medieval knights. They'll enjoy the music of minstrels as they feast, learn about the "sport of kings" (falconry), and be entertained by the court jester. Undoubtedly, a good time will be had by all of our young lords and ladies!

March is full of fun for the 6th grade math classes! They will begin operations with fractions in Chapter 4. Students will build on their knowledge of fraction concepts to estimate and compute with fractions and mixed numbers. They will also revisit equations, this time solving equations that involve fractions.We will also start a measurement unit using both metric and customary measurement systems. Students will then apply their measurement skills when determining who has launched the jelly bean the farthest. That's right, the 6th grade class will be creating and building catapults or trebuchets that launch jelly beans!! The project will be in conjunction with the 6th grade Middle Ages Interdisciplinary Unit. There will be a longest launch group taken from each class. These groups will then compete on the day of the feast for bragging rights. Good luck to all contestants!

Social Studies – Mrs. Phillip

The end of the Roman Empire marked the end of the historical period that is considered Ancient History. Sixth grade has now moved into the Common Era (also known as A.D.) This begins with medieval times: Crusades, the Plague, Viking attacks, knights and, of course, CASTLES! We will be teaming up with Language Arts to look deeper into this time period. When the Roman Empire collapsed, the western half of the empire broke apart and entered a dark age where little learning occurred. The eastern half of the empire continued with Roman ways for another 1,000 years. They were known as the Byzantine Empire. We will be making a mosaic in the style of the Byzantines and acting out scenes of daily life.

Outside of Europe, we will compare medieval Japanese society to the feudal system found in Western Europe at this time. For example, how were knights and samurais similar and different? We will also look to the Americas to see how the Aztec and Incan empires developed to set the stage for world exploration.

All of this hard work will culminate in a medieval feast field trip where students enjoy the food, clothing and entertainment of the time. This cross-curricular event is sure to be a highlight of the month for 6th graders.


Spotlight on Sixth Grade (cont.)


Students have recently completed their studies of the moon; the phases, tides, lunar geography and the Apollo missions to the lunar surface. We are now working on the early astronomers including Galileo, Brahe, Copernicus, and Ptolemy. From there, we will investigate the sun, the planets and the stars.

ADVENTURES IN ASTRONOMY

We are learning to use Google Moon, Mars and Google Sky to study how the solar system works. You can use these tools at home as well. Simply open Google Earth and find an icon that looks like the planet Saturn. There you will see options for the software we use in class.

After a trip around the universe to learn about the lives of stars and black holes, we will work on our weather unit during the 4th quarter.

Students will be doing internet research on each planet, plus discovering the similarities and differences between comets, meteors, and asteroids.

Our special showing of Apollo 13 will be on Friday, March 4th at

the end of ISAT testing.

Our special showing of Apollo 13 will be on Friday, March 4th at

the end of ISAT testing.

FRIDAY, MARCH 4


Spotlight on Seventh Grade

with Mrs. Clark and Mrs. Racolta

In grammar this month, all seventh grade students are studying verbs. Students recently completed a creative writing activity to study the power of vivid verbs and the function of action and linking verbs. Currently, some classes are in the midst of a poetry unit. Students will be creating keynote presentations about a poet to accompany our study of notable poets and their work. Along with studying various elements of poetry, students are learning how to write and read poetry with an understanding of poetic devices and figurative language. Students will also get to write poetry; for example, they will create an imitation poem following our study of Langston Hughes’s poem, “Theme for English B”. We will be reading various types of poetry from our anthology, as well as from the text Bronx Masquerade.

In advanced language arts, students are involved in a literature unit focused on the idea of utopia and the study of man’s search for a perfect world or community. In this unit, students will examine utopian ideas through novels, short stories, poetry, and music. As we read the literature, we will look for insight into the concept of utopia and how society’s ideas of the ideal have changed over time. Students will keep a response journal to clarify thinking and to help prepare for written and oral assignments. We recently read Kurt Vonnegut’s Harrison Bergeron, and our upcoming novel is Orwell’s Animal Farm.

Math with Mrs. Curran


Spotlight on Seventh Grade (cont)

Students in Pre-Algebra are just finishing their unit on solving one-step equations and one-step inequalities. They did a great job on this unit and worked very hard to show the algebra process. Next, the students will be introduced to two-step equations and they will still need to show the algebraic process. It is very important that the process is shown, not just the answer. After this mini-lesson, students will then begin Unit 3, which includes rounding, estimating, measuring central tendencies, solving more equations and using the metric system.

Students in Algebra 1 (PAL) have just finished Unit 3 on solving different equations, using ratios, proportions, similar figures and scale drawings, and applying the Pythagorean Theorem. In Unit 4, the students will continue to use the algebraic process to solve and graph inequalities and compound inequalities.

Extra Credit for both math groups:Write a humorous paragraph describing what it would be like to live in a world without numbers. You may type this out or write it out, but it needs to be neat! Have fun and be creative. (McDonald Publishing)


Spotlight on Seventh Grade

with Mr. Kissel

Science with Mr. A

This month, our 7th graders are learning about genetic disorders, Charles Darwin and his voyage that led to the theory of evolution, and how genetic traits are passed down from generation to generation. Some of the projects that we did were extracting DNA samples from various fruits and vegetables and then examine them under a microscope, create posters to show the various steps of cell division (mitosis and meiosis), and work on an independent research project of their interest that explains and further investigates a genetic disorder of their choice or scientific process from chapter 4 or 5 of their choice.

Stay tuned for next month as we switch gears from cells and genetic to human biology and anatomy!

Seventh grade Geography students have been studying Latin America with an emphasis on the Amazon Rainforest and sustainability. We created newscasts on specific groups that live in the rainforest and use itsʼ resources in various ways. Students wrote scripts and acted as newscasters while interviewing rainforest natives, settlers, loggers, cattle ranchers or environmentalists. They researched and found short video clips “on the scene” and included them in the newscasts. They also tried to persuade others to see their groupʼs point of view on how to best use the resources of the rainforest without destroying it. We identified a number of ways to use the rainforest and developed an appreciation for the “lungs of the earth.” Most recently, we have begun studying Mexico and life in Mexico City. We looked at the Aztecs and their unique culture as well as how they were conquered by Cortez and his soldiers. We know why Spanish is spoken in Latin America today and how Christianity was spread. We will be looking at inequalities that exist in Mexico Cityʼs neighborhoods and address the issue of overcrowding in large cities worldwide. We will try to recommend solutions to the economic inequalities found in big cities today.

The 8th Grade TeamMrs. Schweizer's language arts classes have been practicing two vital skills - annotating text and response to literature. When annotating text, students practice active reading strategies - summarizing, predicting, making a judgement, making connections, asking questions, etc. in order to understand the text. The students actually mark the text while reading, and use these markings as a basis for discussion and clarification.

Response to literature is critical for not only ISAT response, but any written evaluation of text. In the response, students need to demonstrate their understanding of the text by answering a question or prompt using specific details from the passage along with their own interpretations. The eighth graders have come a long way this year in their responses, and the they recognize the value of organization and word choice in written pieces.

In March, the classes will study Unit 8 in our literature books on reading nonfiction materials. This study will prepare us to begin researching our topics for our Post World War II Research Project. Students can prepare for this project by gathering reading material on their topics and doing background investigation.

Mrs. Babcockʼs classes are concentrating on their drama unit this month, as well as building their oral presentation skills. They are reading playwrights that have greatly influenced cultures around the world and throughout the ages. At the beginning of the month the ISAT tests will give the students a chance to use all of the reading and writing skills they have been working on since August. With all of the activities going on in the next several weeks, it is important that students stay focused and organized. The end of third quarter will be upon us just before Spring Break. As usual, included in this month are vocabulary units and continual skill building in research writing for their research paper.

The 8th Grade Team (cont.)

Social Studies - Mr. Steele

In SOCIAL STUDIES, the 8th graders will spend the first part of March finishing up their study of the United States Constitution. We are just finishing up the Articles, and then we will move onto the 27 Amendments. After finishing the Amendments, we will spend a few days in class reviewing the material. The final exam will be on Thursday, April 7, or Friday, April 8. There will be several review sessions before the final test both before and after school. Please donʼt hesitate to contact me if you have any questions before the exam.

As we move into April, we will begin discussing World War I by looking at the “spark” that started the entire war – the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo. We will discuss how this led to a series of events that pulled all of Europe into the war. We will then look into how the Americans got involved in this war. \. We will continue by discussing trench warfare and the use of new technology in this war, including the use of gas and gas masks for the first time in warfare. We will end our study of World War I by analyzing the Treaty of Versailles to see what this treaty did to Germany as a country, and how it helped lay the foundation for Adolf Hitler to come to power. Part of this unit will include analyzing several pictures from World War I and artwork made during the war. This will help students better understand the war, the feelings associated with the war, and the attitude that artists from around the world had about the war. One of the paintings that we will look at is entitled “Gassed”, painted by American John Singer Sargent in 1918. The painting is seen below. Study it with your son and/or daughter and discuss with them whether or not this painting was pro- or anti-war, and whether or not it is an accurate portrayal of what happened to soldiers fighting in World War I.

The 8th Grade Team (cont.)

Mathematics - Mrs. Funk

Science - Mr. Zeman

During the month of March regular 8th grade will begin a study of inequalities with a focus on graphical representations and algebraic solutions. They will also be completing a project entitled “Statue of Liberty: Statue of Me” which will apply their knowledge of scale factors to the history of the statue of liberty. At the end of the project each student will have created a graph of what the Statue of Liberty would look like if they had been the model.During the month of March the advanced 8th grade class will complete their study of polynomials with a focus on performing basic calculations and factoring. They will also be beginning a study of quadratic equations at the end of the month.All 8th grade students will be taking the math ISAT tests on March 1st, 2nd and 3rd. Please make sure students get plenty of rest and eat a balanced breakfast and lunch. Students will need a number two pencil and a calculator for the math tests.

The science students have had the chance to look at chemical equations from all angles and will now begin to look at acid and base reactions. This is where the chemistry fun truly begins!If students have any questions about science they can visit the 8th Grade Science Teaming page. Here they can find a calendar mapping out daily work, assignments, and upcoming tests/quizzes as well as extra materials including podcasts to help them review class material. This is also a forum where they can post questions to have their peers and me make comments. As the students have been told, learning does not end after assignments are turned in so corrections and retakes are always possible to increase learning.

Reading Workshop - Mrs. Sheers

For all Reading Workshop students, March is a month to deepen comprehension through sharpening language skills. We have been reviewing literary terms and devices. In addition, students have been working on improving their written responses. Of course, we’ve continued to read engaging and award-winning fiction. Sixth graders are finishing the novel A Long Way from Chicago and will also complete a short novel set in the Middle Ages before spring break. This will help prepare them to be involved in the sixth grade Middle Ages study and field trip. Seventh and eighth graders are reading a regional novel of hardship and survival situated in rural Florida and the 1980’s. Both groups seem captivated by this novel, which was generously donated to our classroom by our PTC. We are really enjoying their gift.

PERFORMANCE TEAM

Dans les classes de français March this year brings Mardi Gras! In all French classes we will discuss the significance of this event, as well as have a lesson in cooking crêpes, the dish most traditionally served for Mardi Gras in France. Crêpes will be provided for sampling, and students are invited to bring any crêpe topping they wish. Powdered sugar will be provided. Parents of current French students are welcome to attend during their child’s class on March 8 as well. In addition, March in the French classes keeps eighth graders thinking about food! We will begin our recipe projects, which will culminate in April and May with the preparation of the recipes the students research, so that we can sample them all! Seventh graders continue to work on verbs, and will finish their “ER” verb projects (on Keynote or iMovie) by March 11. Much creativity goes into these projects; I am looking forward to seeing some great work. We will also be talking about how to ask questions and get information. Sixth graders continue to talk about dates, weather, celebrating holidays in France, as well as their likes and dislikes. Also in March, eleven of our eighth grade students will participate in the National French Contest, sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of French. “Bonne chance” to them all!

Las clases de español - sra. Rus6th grade

The 6th grade Spanish students have completed working on greetings and introducing oneself, doing “mini - dialogs”, and Spanish vowel sounds and the alphabet. This month we will be reviewing numbers and classroom objects.

7th grade The students have been busy learning all about verbs. Now that they know the verbs, the next step is to conjugate "ar" verbs. They will also learn the forms of two irregular verbs - "ir" (to go) and "jugar" (to play). We will finish up the chapter talking about weather.

8th grade The students are starting Chapter 7 which is talking about daily routines. It is titled "Cuerpo sano, mente sana" which means healthy body, healthy mind. This chapter will include learning about reflexive verbs and body parts. We will also review infinitives and stem-changing verbs.

PERFORMANCE TEAM (cont.)

Music with Mrs. O’Reilly

7th and 8th grade MusicalHighlands 7th and 8th graders will begin preparation for this year’s production of Guys and Dolls! This show is filled with colorful characters and fun and familiar music. I look forward to directing, teaching the songs and choreographing the production numbers. Mark your calendars early for Thursday, April 28 at 1:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Friday, April 29 at 7:30 p.m. in the Highlands Middle School gym. I hope to see you there. Bring a friend!

6th grade MusicHighlands 6th graders are working on their rhythm unit. They are working in groups to create their own rhythms and perform them on classic rhythms instruments such as woodblocks, bongos, tambourines, maracas, claves, and the ever-popular cowbell! They will go on to put the whole, half, quarter, eighth, and sixteenth notes and rests onto the staff. We will compose melodies in the keys of C, F, and G. Finally the students will use the single notes to build chords and conclude our block playing acoustic guitar.


March Hornets Nest 2011

February was a wonderful month of performances for the Highlands Bands. I am so proud of everyone that performed on the February 24th concert. It was a wonderful evening filled with diverse music and great performing. Thanks for all your hard work! You sounded wonderful!

The 8th graders rehearsed and performed with the LT High School Wind Ensemble mid February. The daytime performance made it very evident we have very talented students that will be joining a very talented band at LT.

Solo and Ensemble season has begun this year. This will take place at LT south campus on Saturday, March 12th from 8:30-12pm. I will be sending out detailed information including times and room assignments for this event. I am looking forward to hearing how they progress and prepare for this wonderful event.

The Jazz Band performed in a clinic at LT South on February 23rd. The group performed for Mr. Dahl, one of the LT high school band directors, and received some great feedback. We were also able to observe other jazz bands from the area, as well as the LT Jazz Band. We also got to go to a clinic given by a wonderful jazz trumpeter. It was a great chance for us to observe and perform! I also so proud of the evening performance at the LT Jazz Ensemble concert! Thank you for putting in the extra hours for a wonderful extra performance this year!


Health with Mr. Yena

Physical Education – Mrs. Eskra and Mr. KolarThe physical education classes recently finished the badminton, fitness, and team handball unit. Currently, students are participating in the floor hockey unit, where students are learning the rules and regulations of the game, in addition to developing their skills and playing games. Each day, one team puts on a heart rate monitor and uses the cardiovascular fitness equipment on the stage while watching a fun movie. These students are required to stay within their target heart rate zone for a specific amount of time to receive their points for the day. The floor hockey unit will end with a written test to assess the students’ knowledge of the sport. The week leading into Spring Break will begin the track and field unit, starting with the high jump.

The second half of the 6th grade Health classes have started off the 4th block developing a base for the rest of their years in Health classes. The students were engaging in activities to determine the 4 Parts of Health in their everyday lives. The students created the 4 Parts of Health Comic Life pages displaying each part of Health in their own unique way. The classes are just beginning to discuss self-esteem and self-concept in class. In this unit the students will find a strong appreciation for who they are as a person, and that everyone is unique in their own way. The students will be creating a self-esteem poster at the conclusion of the unit to display how they have changed as a person in their lives and what they look forward to in the future. In the coming weeks, we will be discussing and developing a sense of their personal hygiene and the upkeep of their bodies through various activities and readings.

The 7th Grade Health 2 students just finished up discussing the dangers of using alcohol in class. The students did some independent research on the topics in class, and reported to the class on the various topics. The students learned about what alcohol is, how it enters and affects the body, and the negative effects it could have on your life. The students created alcohol posters with a partner on topics such as drinking and driving, underage drinking, alcohol abuse, etc. at the end of the unit. The students are currently presenting Keynote presentations about different topics regarding drugs. They are learning about what drugs are, how they enter the body, drug use as medicine, marijuana, hallucinogens and inhalants, and drug abuse and addiction. As always, the 7th graders are gaining an understanding of how to make intelligent decisions regarding these substances in their lives and the dangers they present.

The 8th grade Health 2 students just finished up discussing the dangers of using alcohol in class specifically alcohol abuse, drinking and driving, and binge drinking. The students watched movies displaying real world experiences teens have with these very serious topics. The students are currently creating news reports with a group about an illegal drug seen being abused by people throughout the country. The students researched specific topics regarding the drug, and then created a script for a newscast. A green screen is being used to help the students film their news reports. The green screen allows the students to act like they are in a real newsroom or at an on scene site. As a conclusion to the block, an Illinois State police officer will be coming to speak to the students regarding tobacco, alcohol, and drugs. As always, the 8th graders are gaining an understanding of how to make intelligent decisions regarding these substances in their lives and the dangers they present.


ART with Ms. Zill(substitute teacher while Mrs. Cavello is on maternity leave)

6th Grade:Sixth grade art is off to a great start! Our pinch pot animals are coming out of the kiln and will soon be painted or glazed. Last week we learned about Antoni Gaudi, a Spanish artist and architect that worked in the early 1900’s and utilized mosaics in many of his works. Park Guell in Barcelona is one of his biggest projects that highlights a sea serpent inspired mosaic bench that winds it’s way around the central park square. Students will be creating their own mosaic squares using pieces of colored glass. Works will then be grouted and put on display. Once our mosaics are complete we will begin our unit on drawing and work our way into repoussé, or embossing on foil sheets.

7th Grade:Graphic Arts students have been busy working on a number of projects. Our calendars turned out beautifully and will be a treat all year long! Learning Adobe Flash proved to be a challenging, yet exciting experience. Students did a wonderful job utilizing all the basic shape and motion tools to create unique animations. At 12 frames per second, it took a little over a week to create a 10 - 30 second movie! The block will end with the claymation animations created in iStopMotion. As soon as we add our finishing touches we will be posting several animations on the school website. !The new 7th grade block, Sculpture and Handbuilding, will be using plaster, clay, wire, and found objects to create unique pieces. Starting with self-portrait masks and then moving into bowls, relief sculpture, shoes with a creature feature and Dada pieces, we have a full and fun block ahead of us!

8th Grade Sculpture and Handbuilding students have been busy working on all their projects. More and more projects are being added to our displays everyday, so be sure and check out the fabulous work! Sculpture students have been working on abstract pieces, sculptures constructed from magazine coils, Giacometti inspired sculptures, and more. Handbuilding students have created vases, soft slab containers, mugs, and bowls. Not to mention the polar bear ceramic sculpture and a car built out of slabs.

As the new block begins we will shift to graphic arts and set design. Graphic Arts students will be working with digital photography creating an alphabet book with letters found in the architecture around the school, creating flyers for this years production of Guys and Dolls, working in Adobe Fireworks, and finally designing in Google Sketchup. We have a busy block planned, but I know we can do it!

Set Design students will start off the block designing for the back stage wall. Once we agree on a design the painting and construction can commence! We have 5 scene changes to design and paint, but many hands to help!

HOTDOG LUNCHEONThis year, Highlands Middle School, proudly joins 51 other schools awarded nationwide and is one of four schools awarded in the state of Illinois. We will celebrate our success with our students by sponsoring a hotdog lunch.

FRIDAY, MARCH 25TH during all lunch periods

FSP lunches will not be served that day!If you do not like hotdogs, then please brown bag your lunch!

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