happy halloween!

With Halloween just around the corner, things got sweet, spooky, and sporty in junior high!

Spooky sports

Junior high rounded out the week with a rousing game of wiffle ball during spooky sports. It was a close game at the start, but the jerseys ended up winning with 16 points. Some of our students are ready to play for the Cubs this weekend! Thanks to Georgina and PILLARS for making this fun event possible!

Tag, you're it!

The eighth grade students participated in a tag team debate on gun control this week. After researching the Second Amendment and the presidential candidates' positions on gun control, the students wrote their own opinions on how to solve this controversial plaguing our country. This modified debate gave all a chance to shine, as they could only speak when tagged by a member of the opposing side. They worked together as teams to strategize and share their research. Overall, a successful day rooted in teamwork!

Beach time!

It may not have exactly been beach weather on Thursday, but sixth grade braved the cold and wind to visit Montrose Beach. Five scientists from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources met us to explain how they track changes at the beach over time. They started off with some excitement, seeing the longshore current in action by throwing fruit into the water and observing its drift down the beach. Then they used simple tools to profile the beach and graph how the elevation had changed due to erosion and deposition over the last week. Sixth grade did an excellent job of showcasing their ability to analyze earth processes at beaches!

Boo!

On Tuesday, author Peter Kujawinski visited with seventh and eighth grade to talk about his new novel. Peter is a local author who has been published by Penguin Random House, one of the largest publishing companies in the world. He shared with us his journey from working as an American diplomat to becoming a full-time writer. Peter gave an opening monologue for his book, Nightfall, which spooked many of our students!

Sugar of a different kind

Although we may get lots of sweet treats on Halloween, what about the sugars that plants produce? Seventh grade used their own breath, bromothymol blue, and aquatic plants to gather evidence about what plants need to produce their own food. Then we ventured into the garden for a look at some real life producers, including the hybrid plant Ketchup 'n' Fries, which they will learn more about in a genetics unit in the spring!

Wasting away

Now that we have made circuit boards by etching away copper, what do we do with the used copper chloride waste? Our materials scientists are investigating several different ways to deal with the toxic substance. So far we have tried out dilution and incineration!

Mustang mummies

Mustang cup competition continued this week in a spirited fashion! Between Halloween trivia, mummy-wrapping relay races, and spooky Bingo, students got to showcase a variety of talents.

The heat is on...

Both literally and figuratively. This week was all about organizing for sixth grade! We had our first competition between Ms. Scheiber’s homeroom and Ms. McKenna’s homeroom to see which class was most organized! Students took their first weekly planner quiz on which they had to use their planners to answer questions about when their assignments were due. Each student who gets all three questions correct earns a point for his or her team. Currently, Ms. McKenna’s homeroom is in the lead by ONE point! 

Pretty papyrus paper

​The sixth graders got their hands dirty this week, making a modern version of papyrus. They soaked thin strips of paper in a top secret mixture, arranged the strips in overlapping vertical and horizontal sheets, and pressed the sheets together firmly to secure the papyrus. Next, each student will write an original short story on the papyrus - in hieroglyphic text!

"Wood chips!"

Junior high may be the leaders of the school, but they still know how to have fun at recess! Sixth grade played relay races, and eighth grade enjoyed a classic game of wood chips.

Happy Halloween!

We loved seeing students' creativity with their Halloween costumes today -- quite the range from scary to silly!

Looking ahead...

October 31 - No school (teacher professional development)
November 1 - All Saints' Day Mass - drop students at main campus
November 4 - No Mass - drop students at Dank Haus

Go Cubs!
-Ms. Scheiber and Ms. Denten