On Monday, the middle school students began their day with a prayer service at the main campus. Many thanks to Ms. Schnecke, Mrs. Prinzivalli, & Mrs. McGovern for organizing this joyous event to kick off Catholic Schools Week! After the prayer service, the eighth grade class joined Ms. Garber and Ms. O'Donnell's preschool classes for crafts and stories. Can you think of a better way to spend a Monday morning?
Have you ever been to Dank Haus? The first and second grade classes can now answer that question with a resounding YES! Ms. Kreisel, Mrs. Brady, Ms. Ross, and Mrs. Jensen braved the walk down Western Avenue with their brood of students to join us for a fun-filled morning of games. Battleship, Jenga, Twister -- and more!
On Tuesday afternoon, students in grades three through eight gathered in the gym for our first annual spelling bee. These finalists were certainly risk-takers! Congratulations to our top three contestants: Fimy in first place, Madeleine in second place, and Lydia in third place! Many thanks to Mrs. Prinzivalli (and her helper Alex) for organizing such a challenging event!
On Wednesday, students in Kindergarten through eighth grade had the chance to show off their geography knowledge in the sixth annual Geography Bee. The K-3 Bee was a close race, ending in a championship round about global literature. The 4-8 Bee was quite challenging, but many students were up to the task! Congratulations to the two winners, Henry and Jeremy! We are already excited for Bee Week next year!
Who can move the most M&Ms from one bowl to the next using only a straw? Who can stack the most hex nuts on the table without using their hands? On Friday, the middle school students discovered the answers to these questions and more when they competed against one another on various "Minute to Win It" games. Who knew we had so many hidden talents?
Wait... were there classes this week? YES!
In math class this week, the sixth grade students made a human balance scale to learn about solving equations using variables! The students had a great time moving around the room and maintaining a balanced scale. They had to use their communication skills to work together as a team and their creativity to solve some tricky equations!
The seventh grade is finishing up the planning of their cross-country trips in math class! Implementation of the plan, however, is strictly at the discretion of family units. They are using their knowledge of ratios, percents, and proportions to compare the cost of flying versus driving to different cities and attractions across the country!
Seventh grade did a choose-your-own-adventure activity in religion to experience what life is like for people in other countries. They did this as an act of solidarity with the poor as we continue our study of Catholic social teaching. After reflecting on what they learned, here are some things that they said they would like to remember:
- "I want to remember how people in India had it difficult and how we should appreciate what we have now and make the best of it." -Diego
- "Today I learned that other countries have it a lot harder than I do, and I should respect the things I have." -Hannah
- "I learned that we should all appreciate what we have." -Sean
- "It's harder to make choices in someone else's shoes, and things aren't always as easy as we think, and choices you think are right can result in catastrophic choices." -Fola
- "I want to remember how bad people are treated in the world and that some people don't have as much as I do. I want to remember this so I can help people." -Rylee
Sixth grade continued working on their scientific skills as they designed their own investigations into how different surfaces of the Earth are heated. They are now working on sharing their findings with the scientific community through a lab report, and next week they will apply their data to make sense of our own heating and cooling in Chicago!
The seventh graders challenged each other in a "Take A Stand" activity answering "Which is more important: personal honor or obeying the law?" Students constructed their own arguments and justified themselves with real world scenarios. Next, they tackled the same question in "Cafe Conversations" as characters from The Outsiders. It was amazing to hear their reasoning and justifications for their assigned character!
Continuing our study of economics, the eighth grade students participated in a global trading simulation this week. The students learned how countries around the world depend on one another for various goods, such as oil, lumber, and coffee. Ms. Denten threw in a couple of curve balls -- such as droughts and counterfeit goods -- to keep the simulation interesting! Given their competitive natures, it was an exciting lesson!
In sixth grade, the students hopped on their soap boxes to determine the fate of the Elgin Marbles. Stolen from the Parthenon in the 19th century, these marble figures have been available for public viewing in the British Museum. Our brilliant students took sides -- and served as jury members -- to decide the fate of the Elgin Marbles.
- On Wednesday, February 10, please drop junior high students off at the main campus for our Ash Wednesday Mass. After, we will return to Dank Haus for the remainder of the day.
- Due to teacher professional development and President's Day, we will not be in school on Friday, February 12 and Monday, February 15. Get excited for the long weekend!
Happy weekend,
Ms. Denten, Mrs. Prinzivalli, & the MYP Team