Mr. Genereux ...
8th Grade Science students recently completed production of their
infomercials about wind energy. Present plans are to share them during
upcoming parent/teacher conferences. The students did a nice job; they are
informative and entertaining.
Their next challenge is to design the most efficient blade for a wind
turbine. Students will design and construct blades for the model wind
turbines in our classroom, and then we will have a competition to see which
design produces the most electricity. So far, many creative designs have
been produced. The true test is yet to come.
On Feb 13 the class took a field trip to the local ethanol plant near Scandia
and then on to Concordia for a presentation by the Cloud County Community
College Wind Energy Program and tour of the Meridian Way Wind Farm. Despite
the wintry weather, students seemed to enjoy themselves and were able to see
first hand these two forms of alternative energy. The presentations were
terrific and the students represented our school in very positive light.
Randy Gantvoort, the CCCC presenting instructor, expressed how impressed he
was with behavior and knowledge level of our students. Thanks go out to both
organizations for a fun and informative tour.
7th Grade Science students continue preparation for the state science
assessments scheduled for mid April. Students recently completed a lengthy
unit learning about the properties of matter and now are reviewing plants,
cells, and other topics covered during the first semester.
6th Grade Science students, after spending the first semester learning
about Earth Science, are enjoying themselves learning about Newton's Laws
and experimenting with the force of gravity. Several lab activities help
reinforce Newton's Laws and lay the groundwork for more in depth
investigations next year.
Mrs. Kraus... The students have already started preparing for the state
assessment tests. We have access to two web sites that the students may also
use for extra practice. Kan-ed.org is a site the students are familiar with.
They have access to this for all subject areas. BAIP is a tutorial site that
I will assign for extra practice. The students will be receiving the site
and passwords that they must use for this. If they do not have access to a
computer at home, the city libraries have computers that they may use. If
you have any questions, please call me.
Mrs. Peters
Mrs. McGregor... The 6th graders are studying various story elements they
need to know for state assessments in reading and are studying Shurley
English to improve grammar skills. In English, the 7th graders are
practicing prewriting, the first step in writing a formal essay and, and in
social studies, we are comparing Canada to the United States in climate and
geography. The 8th graders are busy memorizing part of the Declaration of
Independence and what led up to the Revolutionary War. In English, the 8th
graders are using brainstorming as part of a prewriting skill.
Mrs. Clark
Mrs. Reynolds...We have new 6th Grade Social Studies books and we are
working on the Anicient Civilizations. We have studied the Mesoptamian
empire, the Nile River Valley, the Ancient Israelites, and we have done
latitude and longitude skills. We are ready to start with the Ancient
Greeks.I base my class around the game show- Who Wants to Be a Millionare-If
you can give me the correct answer to this question, you will get a prize-
The ancient city of Babylon lies in what modern day country? a. Iran b.
Egypt c. Turkey d. Iraq You are welcome anytime.
Mrs. Parker...Our reading class is learning about story elements. We are
currently making a graphic organizer that will help us with the elements as
we read short stories and novels.
Mrs. Russell: Our class has started the "A Tale of Two Cities"
