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PORTSMOUTH MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWSLETTER PUBLISHED BY
PAC FOR THE SECOND TERM ENDING ON NOVEMBER 2014.
The Middle School page can be found on the City of Portsmouth
website (www.cityofportsmouth.com/school/pms).
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MATHCOUNTS NEWS FROM MS. LARKIN AND MRS. JASPER
Your Middle School MATHCOUNTS Team is in full swing! Sixth, seventh and eighth graders
are getting together regularly on Wednesday’s from 2:20 – 3:20 in room C213. We work on
math skills and tricks using MATHCOUNTS materials. We also play math games and challenge
each other in mental math activities. There is room for many more math lovers to join our group.
In February we will participate in a Regional competition at UNH. This group is motivated,
making great progress, and is sure to do well at the competition. All students are still welcome to
join us for problem solving fun on a regular basis, or whenever possible. See Ms. Larkin or
Mrs. Jasper if you have any questions.
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PMS CHESS CLUB NEWS FROM MR. JAMES!
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Now that fall sports are finished, Chess Club at PMS is underway. Chess Club will
continue to meet most Tuesdays for the remainder of the school year, between 2:20pm
and 3:15pm in room A109. Students will be released in time to catch the 'Late Bus'
home."
There is no fee to join Chess Club and players of ALL levels are invited to participate.
Beginners are most welcome. This year we have 32 active members, fairly evenly
distributed between all three grades. All members will participate in an ongoing chess
league, known as the 'Chess Ladder', and several times during the school year we will
also hold knockout 'Chess Tournaments'. Please see Mr. James in room A109 if you
are interested."
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ELECTRONICS FOR BEGINNERS COURSES AT PMS!
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The first of several six-week 'Electronics For Beginners' courses is currently running
at Portsmouth Middle School after school on Thursdays."
The next course starts on Thursday, January 15th, and students can now sign up for
that course in the school office."
Each course runs from 2:20-3:20pm on six consecutive Thursday afternoons. Each
course is directed by Mr. James, one of the schools Technology Education teachers. Students are dismissed in time to get the late Bus. "
The Electronics course is intended for 'Beginners', so please don't sign up if your
child has taken this course in the past. During the course the students learn to identify,
and safely use, a variety of electronic components and they learn how to permanently
connect electric al circuits by using solder and a soldering iron. By the end of the course
each child makes an electronics project that they keep."
For safety reasons there are a limited number of spaces available on this course and
spaces will be allocated on a 'first come first served' basis. The cost for the course,
including the cost of the project, is $10. Students can only sign up by seeing Ms. Kost,
one of our school secretaries, in the school office. Please pay the fee to the school
office when signing up. Checks can be written to 'Portsmouth Middle School'."
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Please contact Mr. James at the school if you have any questions regarding this course."
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Sixth Grade Newsletter for Term 2, 2014!
As we move into our third term, students are showing they are motivated and ready to
learn! They walk the halls confidently now that they've navigated their way through two
terms successfully. They've even gotten the hang of lunchroom expectations. Managing to
get through the lunch line, eat, and socialize while showing respect for self, others, and our
environment is no small feat!
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Speaking of showing respect and the environment... have you heard about our composting
program? Garbage may not make your dinnertime conversations, so we wanted to share
how diligently your children have been working at sorting their rubbish. It’s thoroughly
impressive to watch your kids actively consider where each item should go. A big thank
you for teaching them the value of respecting our earth-it shows in their actions ☺
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Academically, all teachers are requiring common standards in the completion of written
work. Students should always capitalize the first word of a sentence and all proper nouns.
Additionally, all sentences should have correct ending punctuation. It would be a huge help
if parents and guardians would assist their child by encouraging a second or third reread. Better yet, you could act as an official editor and sit for a minute to look over
written work with your child before it gets turned in.
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The sixth grade teams wish you all a very happy holiday season and a happy and
productive New Year!
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The Sixth Grade Team!
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Sixth Grade News from Laura Burbine, Wellness Coordinator
Team Odyssey and Team Discovery have begun exploring a new social and emotional
learning (SEL) program during their Monday morning Advisory period called Mindful Learning.
Mindful Learning is a classroom-based SEL program designed to enhance a child’s selfawareness, social awareness, focused attention, self-regulation, problem solving, pro-social
behaviors (helping, sharing, and cooperating), and positive human qualities, such as happiness,
optimism, and altruism. The curriculum we are using is “MindUP”. Research has shown that
students who participate in SEL programs like “MindUP” enhance their overall learning potential,
and the resulting positive behaviors lead to lower dropout rates, a decrease in anxiety and
depression rates, a decrease in classroom conduct problems and increased academic success.
Through a series of simple lessons, students learn strategies to calm their minds, focus their
attention and become more aware of themselves, others and their environment. Each lesson
also teaches students about their brain (anatomy and function), and how they can positively
influence their own brain development. !
SEVENTH GRADE NEWSLETTER FOR TERM 2, 2014!
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Mrs. Chicooree, Team Navigator Math!
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It's amazing that the second term went as fast as the first! This term students
learned how to simplify algebraic expressions using the additive inverse and the moved
onto the distributive property and combining like terms. The students concluded the unit
learning how to solve one and two step equations. The term also included our annual
coordinate graphing project where the students applied their knowledge of quadrant
graphs to create a colorful picture.
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Mrs. Garganta – Team Voyager and !
Miss Littlefield – Team Navigator !
Seventh Grade World History and Cultures!
Map skills, application of informational writing skills, finding and using appropriate
classroom resources, and making connections between our units continues to be the
focus for the school year. We will continue to expect students to provide evidence of
written answers and showcase knowledge in the form of short written responses,
independent pencil sketches, and highlighting selected items on maps with accuracy.
We have just concluded looking at the big picture of medieval Europe. Students
investigated the importance of the Christian Church, the formation of kingdoms and
eventually, the feudal system. Picture note-taking was applied to two readings and
students are always encouraged to stay active readers as they move through the
informational text. Map reading and adjusting the focus from a map of a hemisphere
to the Mediterranean Sea was expanded to address classroom concerns about the
need to practice this skill. Geographic reasoning continues to be our long term goal
as students begin to build the social studies binder. Students are now able to
comfortably reference a completed map in the social studies binder to work on a
current map activity.
The second half of term two was dedicated to a thorough examination of the Black
Death. As we moved into material that was not as familiar, students were
encouraged to adjust their reading pace and to seek help after school for
clarification. Students were presented with the essay question and organizer at the
introduction to this interesting disease in order to lay the foundation for a successful
experience. Buboes, rats and fleas always capture the imagination of seventh
graders! Attention to details and tapping into writing skills helped students to
showcase their understanding of the impact of this disease on medieval Europe. As
we wrapped up our unit on medieval Europe, we invited our students to reflect upon
the personal connection made to the compelling questions posed at the beginning of
the unit. For medieval Europe, students were challenged to consider if feudalism was
a just society. The expectation was for students to wrap back to the big picture
during the conclusion of the essay. We are confident that more of our students will
now return to the introductory web in the next unit in order to reach for a higher
level of thinking.
As a prelude, to The Growth of Islam Unit, we investigated the impact of the
Crusades. Our students understand that this was out of chronological order but does
serve as a meaningful bridge to introduce the third monotheistic religion. The focus
will continue to be on achieving “personal bests” and stepping up to a deeper
understanding of the topics by revisiting the compelling questions and applying
geographic reasoning.
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Ms. Barone and Mr. Ruel Science Classroom News!
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Term Two Navigator and Voyager science students completed their study of length,
volume and mass. Students participated in labs that included measurement skills
they had learned in term one. Students were very interested in the lab that had them
measuring and mixing specific amounts of blue, yellow and red water. The
outcome was a rainbow display of test tubes. One measuring mistake and the
rainbow takes on a very different look.
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Term Three starts with discovering density. Students will apply all of their new
measurement skills to discover the density of different materials and use this
information to understand Archimedes Principle. A review of the composition of
matter and the kinetic molecular theory follows. Late in January students will
switch over to Life Science. The content of the second half of the year is based on
living things. Topics such as classification, interaction, extinction and the impact of
living things on the crust of the earth will all be covered. Most students find the
microscope unit during this time fascinating. The unseen world is very exciting.
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As the year moves on students need to stay current with their work. If they are out
of school there is usually some thing in science to be made up. Labs and activities
are most often made up after school.
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EIGHTH GRADE NEWSLETTER FOR TERM 2, 2014
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Ms. Larkin Team Piscataqua Math !
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In Introduction to Algebra term 2, students finished a unit on Rational numbers
including negative fractions and decimals and spent a lot of time working with
monomials and powers. We found powers of numbers and investigated many
mathematical patterns while practicing basic addition, subtraction and multiplication with
integers. The culmination of our power work was the use of scientific notation, squares
and cubes, square roots and cube roots. At the end of the term we were studying
equations in depth. The algebraic procedure of showing each step of the work is much
more important than the answer when we practice equations. The process is needed to
arrive at correct solutions for the many applications of equations and formulas that we
will be doing the rest of the year and in high school math.
Algebra students spent much of term 2 working with percents and mixture and
uniform motion problems and are beginning coordinate graphing, translations, and
relations. Much more on all these topics during term 3, along with linear equations,
arithmetic sequences and slope.
All Piscataqua math students are expected to keep a binder exclusively for math.
The Daily Work section includes all warm-ups, notes and examples done in class, all
homework that is not handed in and all homework handed back after being graded. This
is the section that should contain examples that should help students with their daily
homework. Every paper in the binder should be dated and all the papers should be in
order according to date. We have cleaned out binders, but if your child is holding on to
everything, let me know and I will help him/her get organized. Weekly Computations
are in a separate section of the math binder.
Computation worksheets are handed out the last day of every school week and
are due in the last day of the following week. These are designed to provide practice on
the specific skills that will be needed in class and on homework. Students are expected to
know how, or learn how, to do these math concepts. They can get help from any one
including me. Tests and quizzes can be in a separate section but fit well into the daily
section as they are compilations of topics and concepts learned and practiced in class.
Tests and quizzes are given about every three weeks
Math grades are calculated by averaging the scores earned on daily work,
averaging the test grades, and then averaging the two averages. Points can be earned
frequently by showing effort on assignments, participating productively in group and
class discussions, and by being prepared for class.
Intro to Algebra students have about one-half hour of homework daily. Algebra
students may have as much as one hour of homework daily. Daily homework is noted on
the white board throughout the class period and time is allotted at the beginning of class
to record it in the Agenda Book. Examples of how to do the assignment are usually done
in class and should be in the math binder.
I am available after school most Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays and as many
Mondays as possible. Students needing more time to master a particular concept, or
those who want to get their math done before leaving school, are welcome.
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Ms. Howard, Team Foley Mathematics!
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During Introduction to Algebra we worked on square roots, cube roots and
comparing real numbers. After finishing up that chapter we started our long journey
of solving equations. Students investigated writing one and two step equations.
Students started solving one step equations and then moved to two steps equations.
We are going to move into solving equations with variables on both sides and then into
multi-step equations.
In algebra we spent a great deal of time on solving linear equations. We
focused on solving one and two-step equations, and headed to equations with
variables on both sides of the equal sign. Some of the equations were very
challenging (multi stepped, parentheses, fractions, and decimals.) Then we started
doing problems dealing with percents, proportions, ratios, uniform motion and
weighted averages. Students in all my classes continually work on problems solving
and math computations for extra practice.
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Mrs. Langton’ s Team Foley ELA Classroom News!
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During term three Mrs. Langton's ELA classes participated in our whole class read unit.
Five different classes read three different books, each supporting similar themes.
Periods four and five read Rodman Philbrick's The Last Book in the Universe; period
seven journeyed through Lois Lowry's novel The Giver, and periods one and six tackled
Ray Bradbury's sizzling classic Fahrenheit 451. Each dystopian novel offers warnings to
each story's society about overdependence on technology, the concept of sameness,
and stereotypes that can occur when one group of people does not understand or
appreciate the other. The students explored these themes and others through the use of
metaphor, simile, personification, paradox, hyperbole, foreshadowing, and other
important types of figurative language. "
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Students will explore many guiding questions related to each novel and pick one on
which they will write a comprehensive essay. Please encourage your student to use his
or her school-issued Google Apps account to word process this essay."
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Ms. Capone’s Team Piscataqua English Classroom News for Term 2
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This term in English, we read a variety of novels in order to once more examine the
elements of literature: plot, characterization, narrative, setting, and point of view. The
novels are:
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Babbitt, Nathalie. Tuck Everlasting. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 1975.
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Greene, Bette. Summer of My German Soldier. New York: Puffin, 1975.
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Munoz Ryan, Pam, and Peter Sis. The Dreamer. New York: Scholastic, 2012.
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Myers, Walter D. Fallen Angels. New York: Scholastic, 1988.
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Potok, Chaim, The Chosen. New York: Ballantine, 1967.
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Soto, Gary. The Afterlife. New York: Harcourt, 2003.
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Yep, Laurence, Dragonwings.New York: Harper, 1975.
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Zindel, Paul. The Pigman New York: Bantam, 1968.
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Students also worked on their own short fiction excerpts.
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Vocabulary study included the word families “capere” (capable, capacity)
“credere” (creed, incredible), and “chronos” (anachronism, chronological).
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Grammar included a review of gerunds, infinitives, and noun clauses. In particular, we
are looking at ways to make our writing more efficient.
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SPANISH AND FRENCH CLASSROOM NEWS FOR TERM 2, 2014
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Grades 8 Spanish
¡Buenos dÍas! We've wrapped up our unit on health conditions and using Indirect Object
Pronouns (IOPs) to describe how we feel. We've been doing some spontaneous story
telling as well as increasing our conversational Spanish. The students are really doing
well with this and get very creative! We are now moving on to Airport Travel, some new
irregular verbs and the Present Progressive.
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Grades 7 Spanish
¡Buenos dÍas! We are nearing the end of our chapter on activities you do at home as
well as at school. We have learned -AR verbs in the present tense along with three
irregular verbs. We've been doing some spontaneous story telling as well as increasing
our conversational Spanish. The students are really doing well with this and get very
creative! We will soon be moving on to -ER and -IR verbs in the present tense while
learning about shopping for school supplies and clothing.
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Grade 6 Spanish
¡Hola! We will be increasing our use of conversational Spanish in class as we learn how
to describe people, use pronouns and the verb "to be". The students are handling the
material very well and are full of energy! Once we have some more vocabulary and
sentence structure under our belts, we will transition to doing some oral creative
storytelling in class. The kids have great imaginations and are eager to use the
language.
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Ms. Ross Spanish Teacher
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6th grade French: The 6th grade is beginning a unit on weather, ordering in a café, and
school supplies, as well as learning requests (like "May I go to the bathroom?") and
commands (like "Take out a piece of paper") in term 3. Their enthusiasm continues to
make teaching them a pleasure!
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7th grade French: The 7th grade is beginning a unit on the family and the home. Keep
an eye out for a paper and project on the home (real or imaginary!)! They did a great
job on their first chapter test and oral exam!
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8th grade: The 8th grade is picking up speed in the curriculum. After a chapter on
clothing and a culminating fashion show, they are moving on to airplane and travel
vocabulary. I can't wait to see these skills at work in Quebec!
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Ms. Siegel French Teacher
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PMS Physical Education and Health Term 2
Kathy Birse Siegel
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Students in Mrs. Birse Siegel’s Physical Education classes Term Two at
PMS participated in Nitro Ball, Field Hockey, Soccer and self-assessed their
Physical Best Fitness skills. Endurance running, flexibility and strength skills
were practiced and measured. The 8th grade completed the Mill Pond Mile practice
run and learned their distance times. To start the 8th grade learned a new activity
called Nitro Ball which is an inverted volley ball activity which helps improve
volley ball skills. We played outdoors on the Tennis Courts and on rainy days
indoors. The 6th graders learned the basic skills of Field Hockey and have had
the opportunity to participate in some small sided games on Leary Field. Mother
Nature’s rain wiped out a few classes so we learned a new indoor team game
called Rollerball. We finished the term with a Soccer Unit reviewing basic skills
and rules and playing in small sided games.
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In Health class the eighth grade views the student produced film called the
“Gateway” and had very informative round table discussions. They participated
in an OTC and Prescription Drug Lab activity demonstrating skills in
understanding drug fact labels; the dangers the medicinal drugs represent and
refusal skills needed for healthy decision-making. We finished the unit with
lessons on tobacco and marijuana use and the effects on the human lung. The
students were able to view and touch a healthy and tar infested pig’s lung. The
8th grade classes got a special class visit from Detective Cashman, PMS school
SRO, where he shared the legal ramifications of tobacco, marijuana and other
illegal drug use.
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The 6th grade classes began their Health class program with learning about
Self Esteem and students created a self-image portrait with a sharing of
complements activity. We spent time with a power point from the CDC on
Medicines In My Home focusing on the difference between over-the-counter and
prescription medicines. Students then learned about the Dangers of Inhalants
and Tobacco use. The 6th grade students viewed the pig’s lungs, a huge cigarette
and Mr. Gross Mouth. The effects of using “chew tobacco” were discussed in
detail. We wrapped up the Health Unit Term 1 talking about finding your Natural
High; something you like to do that gives you a good feeling and makes you
happy! Students created “My Natural High is________!” banner that are hanging
on the bulletin board outside the Health room.
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There are three TEEN YOGA studio sessions left on Thursday
afternoons after school Dec 11th and Dec 18th and a visit to a local Yoga studio on
Friday Dec. 12th See Mrs. Birse Siegel to sign up to come!
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PMS is offering a student CPR/AED American Heart
Association certification course. The Dec 16th session is full but an additional
class will be held in January 2015 date to be announced. Please email Mrs. Birse
Siegel if your child is interested in taking the certification course:
kbirse@portsmouth.k12.nh.us
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