Wednesday, April 8, 2015

As many of you are aware, we have a very large lunch group this year.  House C and D eat together in the cafeteria from 12:00-12:25.  Most kids take 5-10 minutes to chow down and then spend the rest of the time period socializing, which is great.

Lately, the behavior has become too loud, rowdy, unsafe, and messy.  Kids have been throwing food, leaving food and trays on the tables, and there has even been some vandalism of cafeteria supplies. Students were given a stern warning on Friday to clean up their act but no major progress was made this week.  So....  we are going to assigned tables in the cafeteria for the next seven days (until April break) to try to re-set the expectations.  Students will be sitting with their advisory groups at assigned tables.  Students will be dismissed one table at a time.

Students can earn back the privilege of sitting where they want by doing the following things:
-speaking in a reasonable way (no screaming or swearing)
-treating the cafeteria supplies with respect (tables, trays, silverware, etc.)
-treating the cafeteria workers with kindness and respect
-picking up after themselves at the end of lunch (dumping trays, throwing away trash)

We hope that by practicing the correct behaviors in a more structured environment, the students will understand what is expected of them and be able to do this even when sitting with their friends.

Monday, April 6, 2015

Weekly Goals: 4/6-4/10

Hello Parents,

We hope everyone had a good weekend.  Last Thursday's "Power to the People"  Humanities celebration was a success.  It was great to see the wide variety of projects and topics.

Our "D-Back" program is becoming very successful.  This past Friday, we had the most students yet complete all of their goals to earn D-Backs.  We are hoping to continue this success this week.  Please check your son's/daughter's planner on Friday to see if all goals were met (circles indicate incomplete work).  Below are the goals for this week:

____  SS  Why Gov't? worksheet
____  SS  Sovereign State worksheets
____  LA  Vocab 1-4
____  LA  Reading Log
____  LA  Power to the People Reflection
____  SC  Energy Angles Part I   (Tues)
____  SC  Energy Angles Part II  (Wed)
____  SC  Energy Angles Part III  (Fri)
____  MA  Complete homework assignments
____  MA  Complete 2 Ten Marks with 70% or better
____  MA  Complete Journal reflection

Let us know if you have any questions.  Have a great week.

House D

Power to the People Reflection

please complete reflection using the following link:

Power to the People Reflection

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1nSgogq2QB6uCe1GT1kMhTCIgRzNOLsUB2StdVwXyZUM/viewform?c=0&w=1

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Upcoming "Power to the People" Celebration

Hello Parents,
 
Humanities (Social Studies/Language Arts):
 
“On Thursday 4/2 from 5:30pm-7:30pm at the high school, Milton Middle School students will celebrate the culmination of their learning during the Power to the People unit. Students have been engaged in an examination of the historical struggle for all Americans to gain their full civil rights. We have followed the struggle for equality of African Americans, women, and gay Americans, paying particular attention to the current state of these struggles. The students have worked on their literacy skills in the areas of research, informational and reflective writing, as well as speaking, and listening. The learning has been synthesized in the form of an artistic representation of a group's struggle and/or the changemakers who have worked to secure civil rights for all. Please join us in celebration and attend what is sure to be a powerful and enlightening evening.”
 
Students have been working hard on their projects.  By the end of tomorrow, their written piece of the project should be complete.  This is a 6 paragraph "artist's statement". 
 
We hope to see you at the celebration!
 
Mr. Badeau, Ms. Talbot, Ms. Lovell, and Mr. Burton


 

Monday, March 16, 2015

Links to different mediums of art that inform and influence the audience about a struggle for equality:

The following are links to help allow student to interact and analyze art, while also becoming more informed about Human Rights issues across the globe:

Child Labor:

Children in Poverty:

Mentally Disabled Abuse:

Physically Disabled discrimination:

Starvation:

Homlessness:

Ethnic Cleansing”:

Medicine:

Human Trafficking:

Civil Rights:
Keep your eyes on that prize: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIBxTAPYw54
WE shall overcome:                        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMYbd2Zhhj

Michael Jackson- Black or White: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjZwi_PJiio

Women's Rights:
No Doubt- Just a Girl:         https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4o8-1Zfop94\

Homosexuality Discrimination:
https://www.scoutsforequality.org/ - slideshow at top of page

racism/discrimination against Muslims:
Are All Terrorists Muslims?  It’s Not Even Close (oly 6%)

has a play button on the right to hear quotes about practicing Islam

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Weekly Goals: 2/16- 2/20

Hello Parents,

We are now into our third week where we have incorporated our "goals" program for students.  I have to say that we are already seeing the success of having the "D-Back" and Friday "activities" room incentives.  More students are actively trying to meet goals set at the beginning of each week.  We hope that we will continue to see more students meeting all goals.  This translates into greater productivity of the students during the week.  We want students to continue to develop better work habits and a stronger work ethic.  You can help by checking your son/daughter's planner to see if goals are met on Friday (circle means goal was not met and initials means goal was met) and using this week's goals listed below as a way to check in during the week to see if the work is being completed.  Thanks.  Below are the goals for this week:

____  SS  Civil Rights worksheets completed (3)
____  SS  Journal Entry #2
____  LA  Reading log or book Report
____  LA  Immigration narrative reflection
____  S  Complete plate tectonics homework (Fri)
____  M   (6th-8th)  Complete assessment
____  M  (6th-8th)  Complete 4 Tenmarks
____  M  (6th-8th)  Complete daily assignments

Have a great week.

House D

Thursday, February 5, 2015

House D "D-Back" Incentive Program

Hello Parents,

We have launched a new incentive program this week to help build work habits and a stronger work ethic within students.  This program rewards those students who are doing the things necessary to be successful in school.  This includes completing classwork, putting effort into work, completing homework assignments, demonstrating appropriate behavior, and showing up prepared to learn.  At the beginning of each week, students will write down goals in their planners that have been set for the week.  Most often these are work based, but sometimes they can be announcements of up coming quizzes or tests.  This will give the students a preview of what is expected in each core class for the week.  This week (we started yesterday), students wrote the following goals in their planners which you can see in a list format:

____  LA (Language Arts) - Reading log
____  LA  - labor conflict summary
____  SS (Social Studies) - completed Rosa Parks questions
____  SS  -  1st journal entry
____  SS  -  Timeline (this was due last Friday but several students did not turn it in)
____  M (Math)  - complete homework assignments
____  M  - Journal Entry
                    6th grade - Explain how to find % of number
                    7th grade - demonstrating understanding of integer and rational number operations
                    8th grade - demonstrating understanding of how to solve a system of equations
____ S (Science) - questions and hypothesis (complete - typed in google docs)
____ S  - Procedure typed and complete in google docs

On Fridays, we will initial on each line if the goal is complete or put a circle around it to indicate that the work was not done.  This will help you get a better glimpse of not only what we are covering but if your son/daughter is completing the work.  We created our own currency called "D-Backs" which students will earn in each class if they complete the goals for that class.  We are also incorporating other ways for students to earn D-Backs such as through  demonstrating Habits of Mind.  We will then have chances for students to spend the D-Backs on a variety of things or events.  Lastly, the last block of the day on Fridays will be used as "work rooms" or "activity rooms".  Work rooms will be used for students who have not completed goals for the week.  There will be teachers there to help when needed.  Activity rooms are used for games and other organized "fun" things for students who completed all goals.  We are hoping this will serve as an incentive for students to be more productive during the week.  Let us know if you have any questions.  We will be putting together an email list to send the goals directly to parents on Mondays to help build better communication between our House and you. 

House D