|
In preparation for TCAP, the Starhawks are focusing on the remaining State Performance Indicators (SPI’s) for the different academic areas. The teachers encourage students to use their Agenda Mates daily to record assignments. The support of parents is appreciated. Helping students find time after school to concentrate on daily homework assignments is necessary in order for students to be prepared for classes. VALENTINE POETRY CONTEST Congratulations to Savannah Shepherd for writing the poem that won first place for Hunter Middle School. The theme of the poetry contest was “heart song”. Savannah’s entry will be competing in the county-wide poetry contest. “Heart Song” Valentines is a special day, To show someone you love them in a beautiful way. You can give them your heart Or a candy one To make their eyes rise Like the morning sun. Like my mom has always said, “The best card is one with pink and red.” Send them a card with hugs and kisses, Filled with lots of Valentine wishes. CHARACTER EDUCATION Congratulations to the following students who were nominated to represent the Starhawks as outstanding examples of the character traits for January, February, and March. Self-discipline Sarah Book Jeffrey Chastain Alex Crowe Taylor Williamson Citizenship Alley Chapman Bryan Contreras Rebecca Ingalls Walker Shelton Erik Thomas Honesty Kristen Buhl Jorge Castillo Callie Ray Garrett Sealor Mrs. Kelly Motivates Students to Read
Mrs. Kelly, Hunter Middle School’s media specialist, has been having book talks with the sixth-grade students. She has introduced students to different authors and has shared excerpts from various books the authors have written. The students are excited about reading the books that have been featured. The reading teachers expect to see a sudden increase in the number of AR points that students accumulate during the third quarter. Mrs. Kelly presents great prizes to these students. NEWS FROM ACADEMIC CLASSES
By Kristen Buhl, Olivia Graves, and Erika Kilgore We have had a lot of fun in Mrs. Sandidge’s reading class. A few weeks ago, we got to drink hot chocolate. A few very trustworthy people were chosen to bring in hot chocolate packets, cups, napkins, and marshmallows. Mrs. Sandidge provided the coffee maker to heat the water. We got to drink the hot chocolate during class. Thankfully, nobody spilled the hot chocolate. We have also been working on different types of poems and what we can put in them to make them sound better. Our main study has been on literary terms. Some of the words we have learned are simile, metaphor, personification, onomatopoeia, end rhyme, refrain, alliteration, and lots more. I learned that onomatopoeia means that the word sounds like what it’s supposed to be telling. This past week we’ve been reading “The Emperor’s New Clothes”. It was an interesting story about an emperor who gets tricked into buying new clothes. The lesson was good because it taught you to be honest even though you may think it makes you look stupid or foolish. To help us learn teamwork, Mrs. Sandidge passed around a dry erase board and asked us to draw one article of clothing on a stick figure. It was a very nice, fun lesson.
By Alex Crowe and Alex Doss In Mrs. Chesnutt’s class, we are reading a novel called Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt. We have read nineteen chapters of the book, and so far, Winnie, one of the main characters, has met the Tucks, a family that drank water from a mystical spring that gave them immortality, the ability to live forever. Winnie has found the spring and met Jesse Tuck who has warned her not to drink the spring water. Before long, the Tucks have kidnapped Winnie in order to explain to her why she cannot tell anyone about the spring. Meanwhile, in the area of Treegap, a mysterious man in a yellow suit has approached Winnie’s family and offered to trade his knowledge of her whereabouts for the woods with the mystical spring. You must read the book or see the movie to understand all the mysterious events that occur. As we read the novel, we are learning new vocabulary words by using a Word Splash and our Word Banks. Every time we see a word that we don’t know, we write it in the Word Splash. Later, we work with partners on definitions and test preparation. We also look for different examples of figures of speech, such as similes, metaphors, idioms, personification, and onomatopoeia. Mrs. B. Holmes’s classes and Mrs. Chesnutt’s classes are working on a “snow character” project that is very interesting. Creativity is a major part of the project. We have to recycle materials we find at home to make a “snow character” that represents one of the characters from an AR book that we have read during the school year. Then we’ll write poems about the characters. Doing this project is a good way to express yourself by using your creative abilities. I constructed Benjamin Franklin after reading a biography about him. Jeremy made the character R2 – D2 from Star Wars, Revenge of the Sith , and the largest character that has been made is the dragon from Dragon Rider by Nick. Rooms 103 and 108 are beginning to look like “winter wonderlands” of snow characters.
By James Hughes, Kiante Taylor, and Erik Thomas In social studies, we have been doing a lot of things. First, we do warm-ups so we are ready for the real work. This past month our class did group projects. We had to make our own polis, which is a city and state. We came up with a name, government, economy, and culture for our polis. Some of the names were Roids, Mia, Sparticus, Krull, and Stugardiljefty. The group who won, the Roids, got to make a commercial about their project. It was very interesting. Usually, we take notes to study for tests. I think it’s a good strategy. We also learn history from our teacher who gives us examples so we can understand. That helps us get better grades. On Fridays, we play a game called Civilization. We learn about the growth of different civilizations.
By Jeremy Benson In science we have been learning about ecology, the study of living things and their interaction with the environment. We have also learned about various science vocabulary words like the carbon cycle, nitrogen cycle, and water cycle, which are all cycles of nature. In addition, we have been studying how energy is produced through photosynthesis and chemosynthesis. In conclusion, we have learned and are learning many things in science. STUDENTS’ POETIC CREATIONS “Heart Song” by Nikki Davis Cherry Blossoms Big and small Sweet and sour All day long, Let it melt All night long Wow! I love you Mom!
“My Heart Song” by Sarah Book The song in my heart Sings a great love song, A song about a cross, So long ago. A man hung there And shed His blood. Jesus died On that old rugged cross To save us all Because He loved us All so much. What great love! “Heart Song” by Candace Jones It’s time for hearts to sing, So boys, go pick a love. All girls dance and swing, Waiting and wishing For a dove. It’s about Valentine’s Day, Boys, get ready For romance. All you have to say is “May I have this dance?”
MR. BROWDER’S BABY SHOWER By Taylor Cholota and Olivia Graves
Mr. Browder, our social studies teacher, his wife, Jennifer, and newly adopted daughter, Mia, were given a baby shower on January 30, 2007. Mr. Browder did not know that his students were also invited. The students brought gifts, cupcakes, and cookies. Some of the classes also helped decorate the library in pink and green for the shower. Mr. Browder was really surprised that so many students showed up. Mia got tons of presents and loved them. She was mainly interested in the tissue paper though. There was enough to make a tree. Everyone had so much fun! |
|
|