Junior High School News
December 1, 2019
Events
12/13 Half day for students, 11:30 a.m.
12/19 Holiday Family Fun Night at CHS, 6:30 p.m.
12/20 15 minute early dismissal drill
12/23 to 1/01 Winter Recess, No School for Students
Math News
Math 7
Students are in the middle of a Proportionality Unit. They will be working with scale maps and scale drawings. The next unit will be Percents for example, how to calculate sales tax and interest on loans.

Math 7A
Students also completed the Proportionality Unit. They will be completing the Percent unit and continuing to implement Algebra into the content.

Math 8
Students are finishing up our exploration of Functions. Soon we will be starting our Transformations unit. Transformations fall under the Geometry category in mathematics - we will not be manipulating numbers or variables, but rather shapes.  Open up Resources is a very helpful site for review and practice.

Algebra
Students are continuing our study of linear functions. We will also be talking about linear inequalities and will work our way to talking about systems of both. Systems allow us to look at a lot of real world mathematical applications. eMathInstruction is a very helpful online site for extra practice.

7th Grade Applied Math
Applied Math 7 students are working on solving one-step equations. They have learned that there are two types of algebraic equations--one type where the variable is known (A=7 so A+3=10) and the other type where the variable is not known (A+7=10 so A=3). Students have practiced the sequential steps of solving for the variable using addition and subtraction and are feeling successful in their first days of algebra!

8th Grade Applied Math
Applied Math 8 students are working on solving two-step equations (5X-3=7) and solving two-step equations using the distributive property (5(X-3)=5). This has been a challenging unit for the students but they are getting more and more comfortable with the steps of solving multi-step equations! Ask your student which method he/she likes better--the “double eyebrow” method or the “box” method, when using the distributive property. 
Foreign Language News
Spanish 1
Students are learning to describe themselves and will be learning about family, relationships and how to describe other people.

We have new groups of Foreign Language Exploratory students! They are starting the exploratory course learning about the importance of languages. We will then begin learning about Spanish culture and language.

French 1
Students have learned to identify classroom items and they are now learning school subjects and commands that come in handy in school. We will practice by playing “Simon dit”, card games, Quizlet and Quizizz games, and many other activities that will allow students the chance to hear, speak, read and write the new French vocabulary. This month, they will choose a speaking project and practice it with their group. Choices of projects include: singing (karaoke style or in a video recording), reciting a short French poem, or performing a skit. 
Health Class Students Focus on Social Emotional Health
November is the month we cover Social and Emotional health. We have two guest speakers including Officer Reyngougt who will talk about emotional intelligence and Leslie Patriarco who will teach and conduct mindfulness strategies with students as part of self-care. The movie Wonder will be shown with the expectation students will tie in vocabulary words, empathy, gratitude (also the P2 word of the week) perseverance and resilience. Students will complete the unit by writing precepts and sharing the importance or significance of their precept with classmates.
Art News
8th grade Studio Art
Students have been working on their Pop Art Pet Portraits using bold complementary color schemes and tempera paints. 

7th grade Art
Students have been learning about Zentangle, a very relaxing way of drawing using repetitive patterns. It’s a great way to help with focus because the process is almost like a drawing meditation. 

Next, students will be returning to their tempera batik paintings. They are excited to get back to painting and using what we’ve learned about color schemes and color theory. 
Music News
36 students in band had perfect lesson attendance for the first marking period. Congratulations everyone! We celebrated with making our own ice cream sundaes. Due to the auditorium project, there will be no December concert. However, there will be a concert in the upstairs gym on Saturday, January 25th. Please keep this day clear on your calendars.

The junior high band will be taking a recruitment trip on Friday, December 20 from 9:00 am to 1:30 pm during the school day. They will play for the Smith 3rd and 4th graders and demonstrate various instruments to help those students decide which instruments to play. Then we will be going to Randall and doing two assemblies, one for 5th grade and one for 6th grade. Our students will share with the Randall students what they enjoy about being in junior high band and playing their instrument.
Physical Education Update
The Girls' PE classes have completed the weight room and are beginning volleyball. The Boys' classes have completed their basketball unit and are beginning their rec games unit.

Both classes will have completed the pacer test as part of the fitnessgram fitness testing. The Pacer run tests each students cardiovascular endurance. In the fall we completed the mile run as part of the cardiovascular endurance component.
ESports Club Started at Library
The JS/HS library is hosting the Cortland E-sports club. The students participate in a team-based video game to complete an objective. They have been coming to the library to learn more about the game and develop their strategies! Currently we have a handful of junior high students working on this game and they are eager to play this game. 

We still want to see if there are any other students who would be interested in participating. If you want to know more or know any students who would like to participate should see Mr. Abbuhl in the library!
English News
November was a busy month in 8th Grade English! We finished our first essay, met with a published author, and started The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. We are looking closely at all the different forms of characterization and focusing on short answer questions in this unit. At the end of the unit, we will be having an “Outsiders Day” where students are encouraged to dress like either a greaser or a soc. Many of them have already started looking for their costume!
7th & 8th Grade Applied English News
Students have been reading A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park. Students first listen to the chapter and then re-read out loud together in small groups. Next they do a close reading and discussion of the chapter while filling out a graphic organizer of the plot. Students have talked about the challenging situations that the two main characters are going through and written about challenging situations they have been through. We have tied in the P2 theme of gratitude, comparing the relative safety and ease of our lives with the great difficulties that Nya and Salva faced. 

Students will be learning more about the African countries of Sudan and South Sudan and the history of the conflicts there. 
Junior High Musical News
Auditions for the junior high musical “The Trial of the Wicked Witch” will be held on December 16th & 17 at 6pm in the choir room (192). Packets with audition information as well as a full rehearsal schedule will be available in the choir room in December. Contact Mr. Wells bwells@cortlandschools.org with questions. Any 7th or 8th graders interested in singing, acting or dancing should come out to one of the auditions. Hope to see YOU there!
Social Studies News
In 8th grade social studies we have just finished our unit on Westward Expansion and begun learning about U.S. Industrialization. Fun class activities have included in ice cream sundae making, big business vs small local business, the influence of Wickwire as an industrialist, Sears Ads, and Captains of Industry. Coming up after Thanksgiving break is a major immigration project! Stay tuned!
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