What's Up, Warhawk?
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213 WHAT’S UP, WARHAWK? Principally Speaking By Erin Anderson, Principal of MJHS MAY 2015 Academic Team Updates: Find out what’s happening with your student’s grade level team. 2 Art Room News: creative achievements by Madison students 3 A note from Madison Home & School President, Bonnie Ranieri, plus It is so cliché to say, but “I just that learning takes many information about our FaceBook page. can’t believe it is already the end shapes and forms. You may 4 of the year!” just comes so hear students come home quickly! While the freezing cold and talk about “Genius Hour” Science Fair Drumline Performance of January is but a bitter memory, and wonder what that might Literary Magazine so many experiences have be. This is a loosely Parents Power of Choice Newsletter transpired since that time! structured research Jeanine Nicarico Memorial Literacy Fund G.L.O.W. 5K Run/Walk opportunity in which 5 This spring our students engaged students are engaged in in the first round of standardized exploring a question of testing known as the PARCC inquiry that they develop on assessments, in which online their own based upon an tests aligned to the common core interest or curiosity. The variety of content areas in an authentic will not only provide benchmark range of topics is vast. The experience. data on individual student growth commitment and passion the and progress, but will inform our As we step into summer, it is critical that students are displaying as students stay mentally fit and as parents, curricular development as well. they invest hours in pursuing This year, our students you can guide your child with support and the answers to their inquiries expectations just as you do during the participated in a March session is inspiring. This teaching and a May session. school year. This will not only provide the and learning strategy allows structure that adolescents crave, but it will We recognize that students are for students to apply many ease the challenges that often come in much more than test scores and skills they have learned in a Continued on page 4 12 What’s Up, Warhawk? May 2015 Academic Team Updates th Team Flyers (6 Grade) th depicting what they learned. Team Soar (6 Grade) At the May 5th, half-day institute, Topics range from birth order to `Team Soar piloted the Asus tablets Madison teachers learned about black holes to how color affects our during the 2014-2015 school year. Genius Hour. Genius Hour is an lives. Teachers & students transitioned innovative opportunity that allows from paper & pen to online & students to explore their own A few students shared their blended learning opportunities. passions. Through language arts thoughts on Genius Hour: By using the Asus tablets, we have classes, sixth grade students are I am self-directed & focused on my topic engaged in online interactive participating in Genius Hour for because it is something that I love. activities & programs in the their final research project. After classroom. Our knowledge about choosing a topic they are interested Genius Hour is a fun & exciting way for computers & technology has in learning more about, students us to learn about something we are increased as we have interacted & developed a compelling question passionate about, rather than being told communicated daily through which they wanted answer through what to research. It gives a lot of Canvas, discussion boards, virtual their research. freedom, but educates us at the same discovery, media presentations, time! project-based learning, etc. When their research is completed, You can show people what they don’t sixth grade students will create a The tablets have given us really know about you. Show what you independence by allowing students final product of their choice know & like. Continued on page 3 Team United (7th Grade) Synergy (8th Grade) Team United has been hard at work In language arts, Synergy students, exponential functions, in all our classrooms. We’re sure have worn many different writing quadratic equations, and your students have shared the joys hats. Investigative journalism statistics. All of the students of their recent end to their study of enriched their narrative skills through have been exposed to high diversity, adaptations, & natural crafting newscasts and news stories. school algebra. selection….the much anticipated An author's craft essay allowed them frog dissection. to analyze the effects of craft moves In science, students used purposefully made by authors. physics to design a propeller In Math, students are discussing Currently students are learning how to and rubber band powered car. interpreting different graphs, effectively stake a claim/position, Pairs of students used simple followed by Probability & Statistics. support it with the strong evidence, machines and their We just wrapped up total cost, create a counterargument, and understanding of Newton's sales price, commission, gratuity, conclude their reasoning. laws to create a self-propelled & percents for various real life car, measuring how far their car In math, students covered topics situations. So next time you’re traveled. including: solving linear equations, figuring out that tip at a restaurant, line slope, the Pythagorean Theorem, In social studies, students ask your child to help! and the distance formula. Honors covered a variety of topics from math topics include solving, graphing, learning about the earliest In Honors math we are finishing and writing linear systems, Americans to the "Duck and slope & systems of equations & Cover Drills" of the Cold War. moving on to Statistics. Continued on page 3 Continued on page 3 2 123 What’s Up, Warhawk? May 2015 Art Room News Municipal Center Art Show Madison students proudly displayed their artwork at the Municipal Center Art Show this past February. We had 52 AWESOME pieces of art displayed! Artwork consisted of Amate Bark Paintings, Chinese Ink Brush Paintings, Surreal Hand Drawings and several different pieces of Conceptual Art inspired by Tom Phillips, Jenny Holzer, Barbara Kruger, Keith Haring and Jaune Youth Art Month Quick-To-See Smith. In March, during Youth Art Month, Madison th Some sample work included: was represented by an 8 Grader who created a powerful piece titled, Disabled Not Dumb. Team Soar (continued) Team United (continued) Synergy (continued) to work on their own with guided Heading out of town? Perhaps your For skill development, we support. Major benefits included student’s Europe Travel focused on learning a note taking taking quizzes & tests more Presentations for Social Science style used at Naperville Central effectively, increased collaboration could tip the scales for a trip High School:Cornell Notes, along with peers, & immediate feedback overseas. Students are collecting with effective test taking from peers.. information on a European country, strategies. Finally, weekly preparing visuals, & current events helped students A few students shared their thoughts keep a connection between the about DLI this year: creating/performing speeches designed to attract visitors. If you’re past, present, and future. I found the DLI to make basic tasks like still on the fence on where you’re writing or taking tests much more simple & going to travel, ask your student to efficient. It has made everything much debate the pros & cons of a smoother. particular location. DLI has made our school year more Congratulations to effective & fun. I hope that we can use In Language Arts, we are studying these tablets in the future. the art of argument, including our Eighth Graders researching a controversial topic & as they move on to “It has helped us because most of the debating the affirmative & negative modern world is surrounded by sides for it. In addition, students will Naperville Central! technology, so it makes school more fun & relevant .” be writing a paper on their findings. We’ve also finished up our book study, Gym Candy. 3 4125 What’s Up, Warhawk? May 2015 Madison Home & School "Like" Us on FaceBook A as you plan for summer, Home & H &S will be ready to go again in School volunteers are working August with school supply Did you know that Madison Home & hard. In addition to year-end work distribution & magazine drive. School has its own FaceBook page? in the LRC, the 8th Grade Moving Please consider volunteering at There you can find out the latest On Ceremony prep is in full swing. Madison. Whether you have one information on opportunities & hour to spare or ten, whether you happenings within our school I want to take this opportunity to want to be in the school or work thank all the chairs & volunteers for community, such as the link to from home, there is an purchase school supply kits the wonderful work they did this opportunity for you at Madison th year. School supplies, magazine (deadline was May 15 ) and a call H&S. It is a wonderful way to for donations to the Madison drive, LRC, staff appreciation, and show your child how much you all the other jobs we have done Closet, which provides dress clothes value our Madison community. for eighth graders needing outfits could not happen without the You can find more information in tireless volunteers that make our for special events like the boat trip the summer mailer or on the H&S and Moving On ceremony. Don't Madison Community great. A page on the Madison website. miss other timely announcements. special thank you to my executive Our first H&S meeting of the "Like" Madison Junior High Home & board, Linda Hansen, Lori Halldow, 2016-16 school year on Thursday School. and Jeanne Mason for not only all August 27th at 8:45 am. the time and effort they put in to making H&S run smoothly, but also I wish you a summer filled with for the grace, humor, patience family, friends, and fun! (with me) they showed through out the year.