May 2025 Issue of Lancers LEAD Story Newsletter

In Science, students have just begun a unit on astronomy. The focus is on our solar system and Earth’s motions. Students will be demonstrating their knowledge in the  Science, Technology, and Engineering (STE) MCAS on May 20th. 

In English,we are starting the Holocaust Unit. In this unit, students will work with a variety of memoirs and primary source materials connected to the Holocaust. Amplify poses the two questions” How do society and its people become participants(willingly or indifferently) in such horror?” and “ What is the responsibility of those who experienced, participated in, or now learn about these events?” In the Amplify family letter, it is explained that “the materials are selected to present events from several different perspectives- those of perpetrators, survivors, victims, bystanders, and witnesses.”

In Math, students are learning about Geometry including the volume of a cone, cylinder, and sphere. Students are also learning about the Pythagorean Theorem and that it has practical applications in fields like construction, navigation, and even sports analytics. 

In Social Studies, students are learning about the world war years including the topics include causes and consequences of the wars, rise of totalitarianism, and the Great Depression.

Students enjoying some sunshine after MCAS testing!

*** The 8th graders will be going to Kimball Farm on May 28th. Those students that are driven to school need to be at school at 8:15 AM. 

Math- The Pythagorean theorem, angle relationships, triangle features, functions…all of our 8 white students have been busy at work continuing to learn even as the end of the school year approaches.   Science- Students are wrapping up their study of tides with a series of hands-on activities.  Pretty soon they will be relaxing on the beach and hopefully teaching others how tides work.  But first, MCAS on May 20th! ELA- As our Anne Frank unit comes to an end, students will have a meaningful opportunity to connect with history by attending a presentation by Janet Applefield, a Holocaust survivor.  Ms. Applefield was born in Poland in 1935 and was only four years old when World War II began.  Students are fortunate to hear about her moving experience.  Civics- Students are currently learning about political parties and their importance throughout history.  Students are investigating the differences between parties and analyzing the pros and cons of having only two major political parties.  And of course, the joke of the day continues at the start of each class! .

7 Purple 7 Purple has had a busy spring and are still working hard in all their subject areas. Students are looking forward to the many end of the year activities on 7P including a trivia day, The Outsiders Day,  field day, field trip to YMCA Camp Finberg, and of course, Six Flags! In Social Studies, students are finishing up their study of Ancient Greece with a film project. Broken up into groups, students were asked to pick a Greek myth and create an original script to film with props, costumes, music, and of course, some fun edits! Students have been able to take advantage of some of our nice May weather and have been able to film outside. They will conclude this project with a film festival where students will get to watch their creations in the auditorium with their friends on 7 White! After the film project, students will finish up the year with a unit on Ancient Rome! In Science, students will begin their ecology unit. In this unit, they will learn about the trophic level of all organisms in an ecosystem. They will differentiate between producers, consumers and decomposers. As they continue their studies, they will build their own food chains and food webs. Students will also be introduced to symbiosis. They will learn about the three types of symbiotic relationships and will be able to identify each. As the unit concludes, students will be assessed with different methods. There will be a traditional assessment and a project. The project will involve some of the national parks in the United States. Students will identify both biotic and abiotic factors in the park. They will create food webs and investigate how invasive species are affecting the park. English classes are deeply engrossed in the popular Outsiders unit. Students are approaching each chapter with a different literature circle part: Discussion Director, Summarizer, Character Analyst, and Illustrator. Students are leading the discussion for each chapter bringing in some amazing insight about this timeless novel. Additionally, they are widely anticipating what is going to happen next. The unit will end with an Outsiders Day in June.

Even though we are in the home-stretch of the school year, things are still going strong in Mr. Beard’s Math classes!  The Second Annual Grade 7 Math Boot Camp culminated the first two days of May with a comprehensive cornhole game in the NMS Library as well as an equally impressive basketball shootout in the NMS Gym!  Both of these days were loaded with excitement, competition, out-of-you-seat-style learning, and nearly 80 MCAS review questions.  In the days following the MCAS itself, Mr. Beard’s Math students began working on a “Design Your Own Game” project.  This group assignment – often known as the “Shark Tank” project – entails students to compose three dozen original Grade 7 (or higher) math problems (and provide correct answers) and then collectively pitch their idea for an innovative, all-inclusive math game to their classmates as well as a panel of supportive NMS staff members. 7 White Teachers Going Above and Beyond!  We all can't believe the final countdown has begun already! Friday marked the end of MCAS testing for 7th grade. To celebrate, 7White teachers put together a picnic featuring "MCAS" Sandwiches (Meatballs, Cheese, And Sauce) for our hard working students (Vegetarian options were available, don't worry!)  Science  Students are immersed in learning about ecosystems! We have studied population dynamics and food chains, and will next be diving into learning about the various types of symbiosis (ways organisms either help or hurt each other). Our unit will culminate with a project in which students can research and design a creative poster to educate others about a species that is endangered in our state. Social Studies We have just wrapped up our unit on Ancient Greece and will soon be moving on to our FINAL unit of the year- Ancient Rome! Right now students are working on a group project called the Greek Play Project. Students are working in groups to create an original script based on a Greek myth of their choice. The script needs to follow the structure of a play from Ancient Greece, and students are having a blast filming their projects and are looking forward to the film festival with 7Purple on May 20. The Six Flags field trip is about a month away, so please keep an eye out for important updates and information as the date approaches. A Field Trip Consent and Release form was sent home on Tuesday, please return this form as quickly as possible.

SCIENCE

In Science class, students have been busy learning about waves! They have learned about the parts of a wave, different types of waves, the motion of waves, and lots new vocabulary! Students were able to make models of waves, create waves posters, and also participate in some engaging hands-on activities as well. 

SOCIAL STUDIES

We have been learning about the beliefs and practices of different religions around the world. Currently, students have been working on a fun project called “The 5 Pillars of Islam” where they are demonstrating their understanding of the learned material while 

being able to display their creativity. 

ELA

MATH

During math class, students are being introduced to Algebra. They are currently working on identifying the parts of algebraic expressions and writing expressions.  

PBIS student interviews

We had the chance to interview some of the students on 6W about their experiences with PBIS. 

Students reported that they look forward to the Friday raffles each week. They also reported that their favorite prizes from the raffles are snacks and gift cards. Students were asked about some of the different ways they have earned tickets. Some of the responses were “by being respectful”, “meeting class expectations”, and “helping others”.