PIERCE SCHOOL
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS

Teaching and Learning in Grades 7 and 8
December, 2006
Volume X, First Edition

Some Words from the Administration:

To 7th grade parents who are new to this upper school newsletter, we welcome you. This is the first of three such newsletters which we release during the second, third and fourth marking periods.

This newsletter has a particular focus on teaching and learning in the middle school grades. It is another way we attempt to connect to you, sharing information about key curriculum initiatives as well as about life at 7/8, including upcoming events and special activities. We hope you will find it informative and interesting.

Performing Arts Program:

We are pleased to continue the performing arts program begun several years ago for grades K-8. The PTO sponsors this program and its performers are selected from the Brookline Arts Council group. Pierce is represented on this town-wide council by parent, Deborah Swedberg and guidance counselor, Kim Manasevit. Some of the performances are curriculum connected and others are simply to expose students to the joys of the performing arts. Already this fall, students in 7th and 8th grade enjoyed Cello Man, an entertaining one-man, cellist performance. In January, Living Voices, a local theater group, will present “Dare to Dream” for our Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. assembly for grades 5-8. We are delighted about the support and benefit from these performances and thank the PTO for their financial sponsorship.

Standardized Testing:

Families of current 4th through 8th graders, who took the MCAS tests at Pierce last spring, received the results of their child's performance this fall. It should be noted that with very few exceptions all students are required to take the MCAS. These tests are especially important because they are used to determine if our school meets the federal guidelines for making adequate educational progress with every child under the No Child Left Behind law. Brookline typically performs well on these tests in comparison to districts across the state. Pierce School students did their part to contribute to these favorable district results. We are currently implementing several measures to continue to support our students as the tests are becoming better measures of how well Brookline Schools are aligned with the state frameworks.

In the spring of 2007, students in grades 3 through 8 will be taking a variety of MCAS tests. Every 3rd through 8^th grader will be tested in math. At 7th grade, students will take an English Composition test in late March or early April and the ELA and Math tests in May. The MCAS Math and Science tests will also be administered to grade 8 in May. While these standardized tests can be a helpful assessment tool, it should be noted MCAS is only one among the many measures that we use on a regular basis to monitor students' progress. Unfortunately, these tests are the only measure used by the state and federal government to assess our school's effectiveness.

A HEARTY CONGRATULATIONS

TO THE CASTS & CREW FOR A WONDERFUL PRODUCTION OF "Oklahoma!”.

Special thanks to producers, Michael Monroe, Alison Smith and Laura Stillman; directors, Shelley Bolman and Shannon Lee Jones; musical director, Steven Lipsitt; costumes, Helen Greeley and Celeste Moore, and other 7/8 parents for their time and energy in helping to make the show so successful!

What's Up for 7th GRADE?

7th Grade Seminars An important feature for 7th grade is the 7th Grade Guidance Seminars. Under the leadership of Kim Manasevit, guidance counselor, all 7th graders experienced an eight-week program designed to help them be successful and happy students at Pierce. Our expectation, and the feedback so far from students, is that this program is beneficial in the following ways:

1. Helping students to understand 7th grade expectations, academically and socially;

2. Providing students with an opportunity to share questions and concerns in a small group setting with two adults;

3 providing students with strategies on how to gather and organize information, and

4. Working with students to build relationships with various adults in the school.

Parents can be helpful by: Asking their child about the seminars. Also, inquire about the experience as a way to ease students’ transition to 7th grade (and yours) and in meeting the demands of multiple teachers and classroom expectations.

Please look for a formal invitation to our annual 7^th Grade Parent Breakfast on Wednesday, January 24^th at 7:30 am on the 2^nd floor of the Historical Building. This will be a time to view student work and greet staff. We look forward to seeing you all there.

What's Up for 8TH GRADE?

New York Trip: We are in the process of finalizing plans for the trip and seeking final approval from the school committee. An informational letter and permission slips were sent home the week of December 4^th, with the first payment due by January 12. The trip is scheduled for June 6-7, 2007. We strongly encourage you to send your first payment in on time, or the full payment if you are able. We are required to pay significant deposits in order to secure our various reservations for transportation, hotel, theater and museums. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated. We hope you enjoy this first issue of the year. Please share any feedback with either one of us.

Sincerely,

Pipier Smith-Mumford (Principal)
Josh Frank (Vice Principal)

From the Student Council

Groups of students are working on different topics/goals. We have a group working to improve school lunches, one in charge of bake sales to raise money for more science and art supplies, one about to run a raffle to raise money for Katrina victims and the Red Cross, and one getting ideas from students about what type of after school activites/clubs they would be interested in. We are planning on having another bake sale before winter vacation and the raffle committee will be selling tickets after school next week

Jamie Lyons 7^th Grade English and Social Studies
Reed Rathgeber 8^th Grade Social Studies

GRADE 7

English, Ms. Kra and Mrs. Lyons

Seventh Graders are completing their Personal Narrative Unit in which they write five, multi-draft personal narratives. Each student will create an illustrated, bound collection of her/his writing by the New Year. We plan to hold a parent breakfast in 2007 to celebrate the work of the Seventh Graders (PLEASE STAY TUNED FOR DETAILS-A FLYER WILL GO HOME ABOUT THIS).

We look forward to seeing you all in the New Year! Additionally, 7th graders are participating in student-run discussion groups around the novel, Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes. They are exploring and discussing issues concerning disabilities, bullying and ethics.

On completion of the novel and the narrative booklets, we will begin our study of George Orwell’s, Animal Farm. Students will learn about the context of the Russian Revolution before reading this famous allegory. We will examine Orwell’s life in relation to the issues he raises in the novel. Students will have daily comprehension exercises to prepare for class discussion. They will complete this unit by writing five paragraph expository essays in which they examine a particular theme in the novel. Students will also write modern day allegories (using household objects, fruits and vegetables) in which they examine an issue prevalent in our society today.

Concurrently, students are continuing their study of vocabulary, punctuation and grammar. They are mastering their understanding of nouns, pronouns, adjectives and we will embark upon studying the wild world of verbs this quarter. Students will begin their next Independent Reading assignment of a fantasy novel, write a seven paragraph response and create a movie poster advertising their respective books. They will continue their genre-driven Independent Reading into the new year.

Social Studies, Mrs. Lyons

During the second quarter, students are studying the American Revolution, with an emphasis on the conflicts leading to war, the Declaration of Independence and its historical significance, the Revolution itself, and the ensuing struggles to create a new governing body for the newly created United States. All 7th grade students will walk Boston's famous "Freedom Trail", a valuable educational tool that will enable students to imagine the Boston our forefathers knew in the late 1700's.

Students will be creating their own "Declarations of Independence", will be generating a class newspaper called the "Revolutionary Times", and will compare and contrast the nation’s first government, the Articles of Confederation, with the subsequently created Constitution. An emphasis will be placed on understanding the context in which the Constitution was written, the nature of compromise in the creation of a government, and the system of checks and balances under the Constitution. Students will learn about members of all three branches of the US government, while at the same time learning more about the first five presidents of the United States.

This quarter, Mrs. Lyons is thrilled to be taking Teachers as Scholars seminar titled "Tea and Terror in Boston". The resources provided by this two day course, offered at the Boston Historical Society, will enable students to have hands on access to more primary source documents from Revolutionary Boston.

Social Studies, Dr. Tegnell

In 2^nd Quarter 1^st period social studies students will complete their work on the exploration and settlement of the New World by the Portuguese, Spanish, French and Dutch by filling out an Empire Comparison Chart. They then begin to investigate English colonization by theorizing about the fate of Roanoke and applying its lessons to Jamestown. Next, each student will be assigned a colony and provided with research materials in order to prepare a short report to share with classmates. Students will also employ artifacts, visuals, music, and primary source documents to examine everyday life in the colonies. Before the end-of-the-year holiday, students will take a quiz on the political, economic, and social history of the 13 Colonies. For the rest of the term students will trace the causes of the American Revolution by such means as designing posters to protest the Stamp Act and staging the Boston Massacre trial. They will conclude this unit by writing a short essay evaluating whether the colonists or the British were most responsible for causing the American Revolution. Throughout the 2^nd quarter students will continue to map the regions and continents of the world and write about and discuss current events in these areas.

Math

Ms. Bare, Ms. Galolo, and Ms. Hintzman

In math class, students recently completed work on the Buyer Beware unit, which focuses on the math concepts of rates, ratios, percents, and proportions. Students have learned to use these mathematical tools to make decisions about money and to become more educated consumers. They have calculated unit prices to determine the best buy when given several packaging choices; used proportions to determine the quantity and cost of the ingredients in a recipe; and estimated percents of numbers to determine sale prices and projected costs. Finally, students had the opportunity to maintain a personal budget by making reasonable choices about such real life expenditures as food, housing, transportation, and entertainment. Students used all of the mathematical tools that they have learned in this unit to make their budget decisions, and to present their data in a logical and accurate manner.

Life Science, Ms. Hintzman

Students have spent first quarter practicing their experimental design skills and studying environmental science. Students designed their own experiment to evaluate the growth of bacteria and submitted lab reports to report their findings, relating their work to their studies on Louis Pasteur. Students were also able to make connections between their class work and the lessons they learned at Farm School.

Students are now starting to explore classification systems, and will be working their way through the six kingdoms of life. After learning about several common viruses and using an online, interactive geologic timeline to set the stage for the beginning of life, students will explore the first two types of life forms: bacteria and protists. They will be asked to make connections to common misconceptions and social issues surrounding unicellular life, and will select an infectious disease to research for their quarterly reports.

Spanish, Sra. Megias

During this quarter our cultural focus continues to be on daily life in Spain, specifically how young people prepare for school, what their rooms are like, and their family relationships. Our students are enjoying the video, which accompanies the curriculum that shows Paco, a young teenager from Madrid, and his interactions with family and friends. We are also learning how to talk about our needs, our rooms and how to greet people.

Grammatical concepts to be studied include the gender and number of nouns, definite articles, personal pronouns, the verb ser and adjectives.

We will also be working on an art project which involves creating paper tiles modeled after ceramic ones found in the Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain. In December we will discuss holiday celebrations in Spain and Latin America, which will include traditional songs with guitar accompaniment,

A highlight of the term will be an interdisciplinary project with the library staff. Students will select a theme based on a Spanish-speaking country of their choice. They will spend several days in the library utilizing research skills to achieve their goal: a written report, which will be complemented by an oral presentation. Preceding this project will be map work, which will involve learning all the Spanish-speaking countries and capitals of the world.

Mandarin, Mrs. Sun

My seventh graders have learned something about China and the Chinese language. They also learned how to greet and say goodbye to one another, and how to identify themselves and say what country they come from. They are also in the processing of learning how to talk about where they live, the members of their family, their pets, their ages, and counting in Chinese numbers. The Chinese New Year celebration, which will fall in February this year, will also, be one of the topics during the second quarter.

The supplementary reading materials, “youer hanyu” and “zhong wen tian di” will be provided to enhance their reading and speaking skills.

Art, Mr. Rae

The seventh grade classes have just completed creating some small wire sculptures that are now on display in the showcase in the dining hall. For many this was the first time that they had worked with this material and for some it proved to be a challenge. However with some practice and some patience they created some truly fun sculptures.

Music, Ms. Sheridan

Seventh graders began the year with an extensive review of reading music notation through playing percussion ensemble music. We began our introduction to guitar and learned how to read tablature and finger pick melodies. Both classes just concluded a unit using GarageBand, a digital composition program, to create two original pieces. Using these works, we analyzed form and style in music.

In the 2nd quarter, students will continue to practice guitar and improve their skills picking and strumming chords. They will each choose songs to work on and perform for the class. We will study the roots of traditional American music found in Gospel, Country, Folk and Blues and the role that the guitar has played in all of these styles. For our final project, students will create songs written in the folk tradition using a standard chord progression and original lyrics.

GRADE 8

English, Ms. Kra

Eighth graders finished up their study of the short story in which they examine the art and craft of this genre. They learned about plot structure, point of view, foreshadow, setting, theme and characterization. They wrote two expository paragraphs and one, multi-drafted, original short story. They conducted a close reading of a collection of ten short stories and they responded to questions that required a close analysis of the texts.

Students have begun their study of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. They will complete daily journal responses in which they will examine: plot, character, figurative language, and a five line focus. They will learn the structure of the Sonnet and write their own love sonnets modeled after Shakespeare’s poems. Students will be expected to perform a scene from the play with their classmates and complete a five paragraph essay in which they examine a character's tragic flaw that in some way contributed to the deaths of Romeo and Juliet.

Concurrently, students will continue their study of vocabulary, the parts of speech and grammar. They will complete their Independent Reading of the “Classics” by writing a seven paragraph response in which they discuss point of view, setting, plot, characterization, and appropriate themes (Due date: 12/15). Students will continue their Independent Reading throughout the new year.

Social Studies, Ms. Rathgeber

We began social studies this quarter by taking a look at the West and how is changed America. We looked at early settlers, Native Americans, cowboys, and other groups of people. Eighth graders are now beginning work on their West project. Each team of students is studying a different group that contributed to the West. They are creating PowerPoint presentations to emphasize each group's importance. After the completion of the West unit, we will begin our study on industrialization covering the building of the network to labor vs. capital. Students will look over the beginnings of workers, unions, and guilds, the push for a twelve hour day, Haymarket Square, the Battle of Homestead, and more. Before the quarter ends, students will begin work on Immigration in America. Students will look at both "old" and "new" immigrants and choose a group to study and write a "Letter Home".

Mathematics, Ms. Bare and Ms. Amico During the first quarter students learned the basic rules of algebra and began using those rules to simplify expressions and to solve equations in one variable. We also began our study of slope and linear equations. During the next quarter students will complete their study of linear equations and will begin to learn about quadratic and exponential equations and inequalities. In addition, we will continue to work on problem solving and writing skills through the Problem of the Week.

Outside math class, students are encouraged to explore more difficult problems by attending MathCounts every Tuesday at lunch. During this time, students work on problems in preparation for the Boston area MathCounts competition in February.

Science, Ms. Amico

Second term begins the study of the atom and the periodic table. Students will use their understanding of the table when learning to write chemical formulas and balance equations. Each student will investigate either a particular element or a family of elements to further understand chemical reactions and the composition of things in their world. We will then look at states of matter and phase changes.

Spanish, Sra. Megias

The cities of Quito and Otavalo, Ecuador are the setting for our eighth grade studies this term. We will be watching video scenes of the daily life of several teenagers. Students will learn how to talk on the phone (!), how to extend, accept and turn down invitations, how to get ready to go out, and how to plan a trip to Ecuador. We will also learn about food in the Spanish-speaking world and how to order in a restaurant. Students will be writing skits based on the theme “En un restaurante”. These will be videotaped complete with props and original menus.

Grammar functions include the verbs pensar + infinitive, ir + infinitive, reflexive verbs, tener idioms, stem-changing verbs, encantar and indirect object pronouns.

As we work towards our goal of improving writing competency, students will be preparing short paragraphs based on prompts that suggest the content, such as writing about their weekend plans. After correction, students write a final draft, which is then assessed. A similar exercise will be done with audiotapes and the computer to improve oral proficiency. Both of these assessments will prepare the students for the type of evaluations they will encounter in high school.

Mandarin, Mrs. Sun

My eighth graders have learned how to identify places, objects and people. They learned how to talk about their classroom, how to say which things belong to which people and how to ask their teacher questions. They are working on a project about the Great Wall of China. They are going to learn how to say the date and how to wish someone “Happy Birthday” in Chinese. The Chinese New Year celebration, which will fall in February this year, will also, be one of the topics during the second quarter.

The supplementary reading materials, “ni hao”, “yu wen bao”, “Common Knowledge about Chinese Culture”, “Common Knowledge about Chinese Geography”, “Read about China” will be provided to enhance their reading and speaking skills and understanding of Chinese culture.

Health, Ms. Amico, Ms. Bare, Ms. Hintzman

Each of the sections has now rotated to a new teacher and thus a new topic in Health. Students with Ms. Bare will discuss harassment and what the legal implications are for such inappropriate/illegal behavior. Ms. Hintzman's group will be looking at decisions around wellness vs. destructive decisions while those with Mrs. Amico will be studying the human reproductive system.

Music, Ms. Sheridan

Students began the year with a review of music notation, music theory and percussion ensemble playing skills. Our review also included reading treble clef and guitar tablature. Both classes just concluded a unit using GarageBand, a digital composition program, to create several original pieces. Using these works, we analyzed form and style in music. We will continue examining these concepts as we explore the roots of Blues and Jazz in America. In January, students will combine their knowledge of the blues scale, common themes in the style of music and a traditional 12-bar blues chord progression on guitar to craft a song. This final project will involve a performance of their Blues composition.

Physical Education, 7/8, Ms. Leach and Mr. Miceli

In the fall, students in Physical Education learned the skills and strategies of Flag Football and Indoor Soccer. We also practiced for the Annual Cross Country Meet held at Larz Anderson. Many of the runners who finished in the top ten were Pierce students.

The curriculum has moved inside for the winter with such sports as Team Handball, Basketball, Floor Hockey, Aerobic Activities and Yoga. All classes begin with an aerobic warm-up of exercises, jogging laps and jump ropes. Skills of the specific sport are taught and practiced and then reinforced in a game situation.

For the past few weeks the students have been working hard on the Physical Fitness Assessment Gram. Results of this assessment will be mailed home sometime during this quarter.

The winter season also means the start of the much anticipated 7&8 Basketball League. Pierce Boy’s and Girl’s Teams play all of the other Brookline Elementary Schools and at the end of the season there is a Championship Tournament. Game days are Wednesdays and spectators are welcome starting in January. Billy Harris coaches the boys and Michael Miceli coaches the girls.

PIERCE PRIDE!! Our Coed Volleyball Team was undefeated during the fall season and won the Championship.

Art, Mr. Rae

The eighth graders have completed their name design paintings and they are on display outside the music office and in the art room. The students are currently deeply involved in a self portrait printmaking unit that requires them to create a large variety of prints with a linoleum plate that was created from their own pencil drawing. At this point we are seeing some very strong prints that speak of emerging artists. They will be on display somewhere in the building once the prints have been completed. Keep an eye out for the prints soon.

PIERCE AND BEYOND

Amy Hintzman continues to serve on the Town’s Science Program Review Committee. Tracy Bare continues to serve on the Town's Mathematics Program Review Committee which is now in its second year and just recently presented its report to the school committee. Steven Rae works on the Building Task Force Committee and is also a member of the Art Department Program Review Committee. Jamie Lyons attended a workshop through the Teachers As Scholars program on the Boston Tea Party in the Revolution. Pipier Smith-Mumford attended the Boston Area Kodaly Educators’ workshop on how school administrators can support music education as part of an interdisciplinary approach with the traditional academic subjects. Geoff Tegnell is a staff member of Pursuing Justice, a non-profit organization that provides professional development workshops in American history for area teachers. Norma Steinberg and Annice Kra are working with Ms. Bare, Ms. Hintzman with Joshua Frank on the Pierce Equity Team.

Important Upcoming Dates

DECEMBER

15 Midterm Progress Reports

22 School vacation begins at 2:00 pm. Full Day!

24-1/1 SCHOOL VACATION

JANUARY

2 RETURN TO SCHOOL

10 6:30 PTO/ Principal’s Forum

12 First New York Payment due—8^th Grade

2-19 7/8 Magazine Drive

15 NO SCHOOL (MLK Birthday)

17 Martin Luther King, Jr. Assembly, Living Voices, 9:00 AM, Grades 5-8

19 7/8 Marks Close

24 7^th Grade Parent Breakfast

25 8^th Grade Mock Trial Visit

25 Superintendent’s Open Forum for Pierce and Lawrence Parents at Lawrence, 7 PM

26 7/8 Report Cards Issued

30 High School Planning Begins

FEBRUARY

7 PTO Meeting, 7 PM

10 25^th Annual Pierce School Auction and Teacher Appreciation Dinner, 6-10 PM

20-24 SCHOOL VACATION

28^th Chinese New Year Assembly

MARCH

8 PTO Meeting /Principal’s Forum, 6:30 PM-School Council-Parent Input Night

14 Pierce’s Courageous Conversations #3 of 4, 7 PM

16 Midterm Progress Reports

20 MCAS ELA Composition, 7^th graders

22 High School Planning Concludes