HSP Weekly Update
Mr. Dziedzicki- Assistant Principal, HSP Director, 8th Grade Homeroom, Mathematics
Happy March! It is hard to believe that spring is upon us and we are starting preparations for next school year! As always, if you have any suggestions for us moving forward, we are always willing to listen and collaborate to provide the best possible environment for our students. I look forward to seeing many of you this weekend at the School Auction & Gala! Please stop over an say hello if you get the chance!
In my math classes the Algebra I students are preparing to take their assessment on quadratic functions and will begin studying exponential functions, including functions to strengthen their financial literacy. The sixth grade advanced students are beginning to look into functions and how functional relationships shape our world.
Here are some thoughts from the rest of our HSP Faculty…
Mrs. Hamzik- 8th Grade Homeroom, Science
The eighth grade did a fantastic job dissecting frogs last week. Now, they are on to genetics. They will revisit the cell concentrating on genes and chromosomes.
The seventh grade will be working on their house project. They will be building scale models of houses using their science fair tri-folds. Each house will have a removable part and a light.
Sixth grade will be working on acids and bases. They will be testing various liquids, mostly cleaners and food with indicator paper to determine the strength of each acid and base.
Mrs. Noga- 7th Grade Homeroom, Social Studies
The sixth-graders have begun studying Ancient China. Last week, they researched different provinces throughout China and created travel posters to persuade people to visit their province. This week, they’ll continue to study early Chinese civilization and culture.
The seventh-graders have started learning about feudalism and life in the Middle Ages. This week, they will embark on an exciting multi-week project in which they create their own kingdoms. They will then design a scrapbook that will contain various artifacts related to their kingdom, including the kingdom’s structure, a map of a medieval manor, a coat of arms, a list of laws and more. They will also research Middle Ages-related topics of interest to them, whether it’s jousting, the Bubonic plague, medieval fashion or more. I am excited to see their final scrapbooks!
Finally, the eighth-graders have finished up their study of the Constitution. We will now begin discussing George Washington’s presidency, the creation of the national bank, and various challenges to the nation’s new government, such as the Battle of Fallen Timbers and the Whiskey Rebellion. Don’t forget that the $200 deposit for the Washington trip is due by Friday, March 9th. Thanks so much! Have an awesome week!
Mr. LaGuardia- 7th Grade Homeroom, English/Language Arts
Hello parents,
Last week, students in all three grades made great strides in writing. All three grades worked on writing in complete sentences while simultaneously completing comprehension questions. Each grade level wrote examples of sentences using different parts of punctuation. Further, 7th and 8th grade were given the opportunity to cite their sources by learning the proper MLA in-text citation technique provided by the official MLA writing guide, then they wrote out their citations in the body of their essays’ text. These skills will serve them well into high school and beyond. 6th grade was given the chance to understand a key component of citing sources: finding information in larger texts that back up their opinions as well as establishing what is a sourced fact.
This week also saw the end of individual conferencing for MAP tests. Each student met with me over the course of the past two weeks to discuss their scores. Together, they and I came up with strategies for improving their skills. I will be using this information to implement group work, to individualize plans, and to provide a framework for how the rest of the year’s curriculum will be delivered. If you have any questions about MAP scores, how I will be implementing the information from them, or anything else pertaining to MAP, feel free to reach out.
Mr. Mullen- 6th Grade Homeroom, Mathematics
This week, the six graders will be wrapping up a presentation over a specific type of data display. After all presentations have been given, there will be a couple of days of practice using each different type of display to answer questions. This week students will have homework primarily on Google classroom where they are to practice skills previously learned.
This week, seventh graders will be presenting their data display in research group presentations. After all presentations have been given, there will be a short quiz over the pros and cons of each type of display. Towards the end of the week students will engage in a few different activities to review and move forward with the topic of probability.
This week, eighth grade students will wrap up the unit on solving systems of equations by learning how to and practicing solving systems of equations word problems. Students will have a chapter test on solving systems of equations on Friday.
Ms. Kadlec- 6th Grade Homeroom, Religion
The 6th graders did a wonderful job leading the Stations of the Cross last Friday. They continue to learn interesting facts about the important people in the Old Testament. As we continue to study the details of our heritage, we will make connections to our Catholic faith today.
The 7th graders made presentation of the Corporal Works of Mercy with discussions of how to perform these services as young Catholics. We will look at the Spiritual Works of Mercy this week and begin to look at the journey of Jesus as described in each of the Gospels.
The 8th graders will be taking the ACRE test this week, which helps educators in Catholic schools and parishes know the strengths and weaknesses of their catechetical programs. This integrated assessment tool provides faith knowledge questions (cognitive domain) and questions related to religious beliefs, attitudes, practices and perceptions (affective domain). They will also be completing any needed preparation for their All School Retreat activities, which will take place next Thursday.
