April 27, 2012

Here we are in the last week of April. The end of the school year is right around the corner and another school year is going to be behind us. 

Please visit the PTO Link at the top of this page!

Attention parents of 8^th grade students:  You will be receiving a School Messenger alert today, giving you information about the Illinois Youth Survey (IYS).  The IYS is completely confidential (no names or ID numbers are used) and students can skip questions or stop taking the survey at any time.  I feel comfortable with this survey knowing the Twin Groves has participated in the past their students information is private.

This is a survey given to all 8^th grade students in the state, asking students about:

·            personal use of alcohol and other drugs, perception of risks, where accessed, consequences of use, approval or disapproval of use

·            students' feelings about their school experience

·            family and personal characteristics

·            family communication about substance use

·            feeling about self and moods

·            student health behaviors – food intake, exercise, height and weight

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me (Greg Grana) directly at Woodlawn.  Further information and a look at the actual survey can be seen on the Illinois Youth Survey link or visit the Woodlawn webpage.

Visit the Illinois Youth Survey website at http://iys.cprd.illinois.edu/

View the parent letter at http://iys.cprd.illinois.edu/surveying/parent-notification

Standards Based Report Cards: 

Why do we expect the vast majority of students to "meet" standards?

Almost all students will earn a "meets" (or 3.0) for targets. Given the rigor level of our learning targets, meeting standards is a great thing! We expect only a few students to "extend" (or 4.0), which means that the child can go far beyond what was expected. In the same fashion, only a few students will be "below" (2.0) or "well below" (1.0) when looking at their target mastery. We feel strongly that our collaborative teaching, high expectations, and systems of intervention will help most kids meet our standards. 

I hope that everyone has a safe weekend. 

Greg Grana

Incoming 6g Parent Night Information

Last Monday evening, about 80 incoming 6g parents met with Greg and me for an informational night about Woodlawn Middle School.  We shared a brief presentation, answered a few important questions, and took parents on a tour throughout the school.  Click here if you'd like to review the information that was shared.

Stay dry out there today!
Chris

Mid-Term Grade Updates, 5/4

As has been our practice thus far this school year...

By Friday, May 4, Woodlawn teachers will personally begin contacting parents of students who are earning letter grades less than a C, or who have shown a pattern of behaviors that has caused a concern in the learning environment.  Additionally, in order to provide parents a clear snapshot of student progress, all student grades will be updated in PowerSchool by Friday, May 4. 

We believe that providing an update on our struggling students during this upcoming week will afford students ample time to seek ways in which to improve upon their achievement- and for parents and teachers to increase their communication about students.  Teachers may contact parents via email or phone, depending upon your preference.  However, understanding that most everyone has quite a busy schedule, we request that parents confirm that they have received a voicemail or email, with a reply.  It is important to all of us at Woodlawn that our message is clear and productive.  

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact either Greg or me at ggrana@kcsd96.org or cmurphy@kcsd96.org or at 847.353.8500.

May Art Show Date Correction

Sorry for the mixup, but we shared an incorrect date for an upcoming event...

MAY ART SHOW DATE CORRECTION:

The District 96 printed calendar lists an incorrect date of May 14 for the Area 125 Consortium Art Show.Please note that the Area 125 Consortium Art Show will be held on Mon., May 21, at 7 p.m. at the Stevenson High School Field House. 

District Updates

Hi, Everyone,  I'm just passing along some information from the District Office... Have a great weekend!

Chris

Board of Education and Staffing News in District 96

In open session on Tues., Apr. 17, the District 96 Board of Education regretfully accepted the resignation of Board member Don Shannon. During Mr. Shannon's more than 14 years of service, the District improved in overall rank from 55th to 8th in the state and has received the highest Financial Recognition Status from the Illinois State Board of Education for the past 8 years. READ MORE about Mr. Shannon's devoted service to District 96 students, staff, and community.

The Board of Education is now accepting applications to fill the vacancy created by Mr. Shannon's resignation. Applications are due Apr. 27, 2012, by 4:30 p.m. READ DETAILS / DOWNLOAD APPLICATION FORM

Also, at their meeting on Apr. 17, Supt. Julie Schmidt recommended and the Board approved the appointment of Twin Groves Assistant Principal Andrew Fenton, effective Aug. 1, 2012. Mr. Fenton succeeds Mrs. Amy Gluck in this role, as Mrs. Gluck will assume the responsibilities of Ivy Hall principal on August 1. READ MORE

April 20, 2012

Please click on the link to the PTO newsletter at the top of this page.

We had a great Standards Based Report card meeting on Wednesday night here at Woodlawn.  The presentation was excellent and parents were able to have their questions surrounding SBR’s answered.  I am excited about our journey into standards based reporting and the details that parents will get from this new system. 

Two weeks we sent out a notice regarding a case of whooping cough here at Woodlawn.  We have had another case reported to us, and after contacting the Lake County Health Department, they informed us that no additional notification was needed because we were within a three week grace period.  I will continue to share important information as it occurs. 

Mark your calendars!  On May 9^th, Stevenson High School will be hosting a Drug Awareness Symposium for all parents.  The presentation will include information on student drug and alcohol use.  Be prepared to have those important conversations with your children. 

If you know any incoming 6^th grade parents, let them know that Mr. Murphy and I will be hosting our incoming parent night on April 23^rd at 7p.m. in the gymnasium. We will have a presentation and question and answer period. 

Anyone who needs help registering for the 2012-13 school year will be able to come to Woodlawn/Country Meadows and get assistance on April 25^th from 6-8p.m. in our cafeteria.

LAWN TREATMENT APPLICATION NOTICE

District 96 uses Integrated Pest Management--a program that combines

preventive techniques, non-chemical methods (such as bait traps), and

the appropriate use of pesticides (with a preference for products

least harmful to human health and the environment).

On the weekend of My 5 & 6, 2012, the District 96 lawn treatment

provider, Zenith Landscaping will treat grassy areas adjacent to all

District buildings. Signs will be posted to indicate that the

treatments have been applied. In the event of rain, the applications

will occur on the following weekend, May 12 & 13, 2012.

Standards Based Report Cards Update

What does Stevenson think about the idea of using standards-based report cards?
One of our main goals is to make sure students leave Woodlawn prepared in every way to be successful at Stevenson. We have had many conversations with Dr. Twadell, the SHS Superintendent, to ask for his thoughts on our work. He is fully supportive of our efforts to be more specific in our reporting, and is enthusiastic about the work.

By reporting student learning with both an overall course grade as well as specific indicators of target mastery, we are confident we will provide parents and students more accurate, thorough information as to what learners have mastered and where they need to keep working.

To learn more about the middle school standards-based report card, please plan to attend the Middle School Standards-Based Report Card Parent Info Session coming up on April 18 @ 7:00 pm in our Woodlawn Gym. Twin Groves and Woodlawn parents are welcome to attend! As always, if you have specific questions, please feel free to contact me directly.

April 13, 2012

PLEASE VISIT THE PTO LINK AT THE TOP OF THIS PAGE!

Early next week I will be updating the blog and sharing information regarding the next steps for our journey into Standards Based Report Cards.

Please join us this Wednesday, April 18th at 7p.m. in the Woodlawn Gym for an information night on Standards Based Report Cards.  Myself, Twin Principal Heather Friziellie and District Office Administrators will present and answer any questions you might have.  This would be a great event to attend so that you have the most accurate information regarding standards based reporting.  If you have any questions, please call me at 847-353-8500.

Here are the classroom updates for April...

6-1

Social Studies: This month we will continue our unit of Egypt and finish off the unit with a project that will require the students to research a particular Pharaoh and build an Egyptian tomb for their Pharaoh.  After we complete this task, we will begin our units on ancient India and China.

Science:  In science we are continuing our Geology Unit. April will consist of continuing learning about Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic Rocks. After our test on Rocks and Minerals on Friday, April 13 the students will be learning about the layers of the Earth and tectonic plates.  We will also be studying volcanoes and earthquakes. The Geology Benchmark is scheduled for the first week in May.

Math:  At level and advanced level students will be studying ratio/proportions and percents. Please keep an eye out for our extra credit tip assignment. The honors class will be applying number theory to their pre-algebra knowledge.

Reading/LA: We are starting our persuasive writing unit.  We will be discussing how writers consider the demographics of their audience to persuade them, and will also learn about the three forms of persuasive appeals: emotional, authority, and logical.  From there, the students will begin writing a multi-paragraph persuasive essay, using a graphic organizer to organize their ideas.  All classes will also be starting a novel unit, which was very popular with many of the students in the fall.  The students will either be reading Maniac Magee or Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry.

6-2
Science: Science students are  currently studying rocks in our geology unit. They have learned how to identify rocks as sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous . Earthquakes, volcanoes , layers of the earth and tectonic plates are just some of the topics they will learn about as they continue their journey in  geology. Students had the option  ( due April 12 )to make a rock friend for extra credit in fourth quarter! The geology benchmark will be  the last week in May.

English/Language arts:  We are starting an exciting persuasive unit where students will learn how to appeal to an audience through different persuasive appeals.  Students will be applying audience purpose and appeals through persuasive activities and their writing.  All classes will also begin a novel unit this week: Roll of Thunder-Hear My Cry, Maniac Magee, or Tuck Everlasting, depending on their English class.

Math:
Honors:  We are finally finishing up our Geometry unit.  We will then be moving on to Factors, Fractions and Exponents.

Advanced:  We have just started our unit over Ratios, Rates and Proportions.

At Level:  We have just started our Ratio, Rate, Proportion and Percent Unit.





7-1

Math:  In at-level math we will continue to investigate rates, ratios, and proportions.  In accelerated math, we will study exponent rules and begin to examine the graphs of linear functions.  In honors math, we will be completing the unit on exponential functions and beginning our study of quadratics.

Reading/LA: In at-level R/LA, students are learning the different forms of the oral tradition. In honors, the students are studying the different forms of drama, and they will participate in a variety of presentations. Both levels are also beginning to view and write persuasive pieces. We are continuing the study of the parts of speech until the end of the year.

Social Studies:  Students will research the various reform movements in the mid-nineteenth century and present their findings to the class in the form of a “glog,” or virtual poster.  We will then examine the abolitionist movement in nineteenth-century America by role-playing various abolitionist figures and by taking a virtual “field trip” on the Underground Railroad.  Classes will then study the social and economic differences between the North and the South and the causes of and events leading up to the Civil War.

Spanish:  Students are working in Unidad 3, Etapa 1.  They have been practicing with accepting and declining invitations and answering and talking on the phone.  This week students are creating and performing skits using all the vocabulary and grammar points in this chapter.



7-2/8-2

Reading and Language Arts/Russell (7th- Honors)
Students have begun a unit in drama where they will participate in a variety of dramatic presentations that include The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street, The Diary of Anne Frank, and more.  In our ongoing study of grammar and the parts of speech, students are learning about coordinating conjunctions, correlative conjunctions, and interjections.  WOW!  During the remainder of the month, student-generated topics for the benchmark persuasive essay will be shared and students will begin drafting their compositions.  All work and research relating to the persuasive benchmark writing assessment will be completed entirely in class and submitted using Google Documents.



Reading and Language Arts/Russell (8th - At Level)
Students are currently composing literary analysis essays on the novel, The Call of the Wild, by Jack London; this writing assignment will be completed entirely in class and submitted using Google Documents.  Students will then begin a drama unit where they will refine their character/conflict analysis skills through the experience of reading and discussing The Diary of Anne Frank.  This unit will culminate in students bringing Anne’s story to life by participating in a small scale production of the play in our classroom theater.

Social Studies (7th):  In Mrs. Miller’s 7th grade Social Studies classes, students will be investigating the causes of the Civil War.  We will begin this unit by exploring the institution of slavery and the growth of the abolition movement, including a virtual trip on the Underground Railroad.  We will then continue through history, focusing on the series of compromises over slavery that increasingly polarized the North and the South and ultimately led to the great tragedy of the Civil War.

Social Studies (8th):  In Mrs. Miller’s 8th grade Social Studies classes, students will investigate the Kennedy assassination and draw their own conclusions as to whether Oswald acted alone or whether there was a greater conspiracy at hand.  Could there have been a “magic bullet”?  Was it the mob?  The Communists?  LBJ?  The mystery remains alive and well in the public eye as well as at Woodlawn!  We will also explore the domestic policies of Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, followed by the Nixon presidency and his demise due to the infamous Watergate scandal.

Science (7):  Spring has arrived early this year and we will begin studying weather to see if we can figure out why.  For the first couple weeks we will be learning about Earth’s atmosphere and how and why air moves around the planet.  Next we explore fronts, severe weather, the differences between humidity and relative humidity, dew point, and the causes of various types of precipitation.  There will be some focus on understanding el nino/la nina and jet streams to help explain what might be causing this year’s unusual temperatures. The unit wraps up with reading weather maps and making weather forecasts.

Science (8):  Astronomy is the current topic in 8th grade.  We’ll spend time in the beginning studying different types of waves and their parts.  Exploring light waves will lead us to an understanding of the life and death of stars and the characteristics of galaxies.

Spanish
It’s hard to believe we are already in the 4th quarter and that it’s spring! In 7th grade we began a new unit on Puerto Rico and learned a few facts about “Borinquien” or “la isla del encanto” as the natives call it. Did you know that Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory and that they use the U.S. dollar?  They also have a representative in Congress called the Resident Commissioner. There is also a beautiful rainforest in Puerto Rico called El Yunque. Their national symbol is the coquí, a tiny frog that sings. We are now working on free time activities such as going to the movies, playing sports etc. and also verb constructions to help students talk about the past.
 
8th grade students are in etapa 2 of the Barcelona Spain unit and are discussing chores and work in the home. They are diligently working on the preterite tense (the past tense) which they must master before moving on to high school. Our Tomatina fight was a big success and the students followed all the official rules from Spain. Our next planned cultural event is Flamenco dance so stay tuned....we are all going to dance!!


7th Math - At Level
We are presently working on ratios, rates, and proportions, converting customary units of measure and metric unit of measure.  We will also be solving scale drawings and similar figures.    We will continue on to percents where we will find percent of a number, use the percent proportion and percent equation.  Solve problems involving percent of change, sales tax and discount, and simple interest.  


7th Math - Accelerated
We are presently working on Chapter 9 - Powers and Nonlinear Functions where we will cover powers, prime factorization, multiplying and dividing monomials, zero and negative exponents, scientific notation, powers of monomials, and compare linear versus nonlinear functions.  We will then continue on to working with graphing linear equations.

7th Algebra I - Honors
We are working on Exponents and Exponential Functions.  We are applying exponent properties involving products and quotients, define and using zero and negative exponents, scientific notation, and write and graph Exponential growth and Decay Functions.  We will work problems that involve exponential models in the real world.  We then will continue on to Polynomials and Factoring where the students will learn to add, subtract, and multiply polynomials, find special products of polynomials, solve polynomial equations in factored form, as well as learn how to factor polynomials in the form x2 +bx + c and ax2 + bx + c completely.


8th Algebra I - Accelerated

We are working on polynomials at the present time, we are classifying, adding, subtracting, and multiplying polynomials.  We will find zeros of a polynomials, special products of polynomials, solve polynomial equations in factored form, as well as learn how to factor polynomials in the form x2 +bx + c and ax2 + bx + c completely.  We will move on to graphing quadratic functions and solving quadratic equations.  Students learn the effects of a and c on the graph of y = ax2 + c and y = ax2 + bx + c, solve quadratic equation by completing the square and use the quadratic formula to solve quadratic models that are not factorable.  




8-1

English/LA
Honors classes are starting introductions to Shakespeare and his language. Students will begin examining Shakespeare’s shorter works to help transition us to the reading of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.  
At-Level classes are working on writing their first literary analysis paper based on The Call of the Wild. After that, we will be starting our drama unit by reading the play The Diary of Anne Frank.

Social Studies
In Mrs. Shannon’s Social Studies classes, students will investigate the Kennedy assassination and draw their own conclusions as to whether Oswald acted alone or whether there was a conspiracy.  Could there have been a “magic bullet”?  Was it the mob?  The Communists?  The Cubans? LBJ?  The mystery remains alive and well in the public eye as well as at Woodlawn!  We will also compare and contrast the Presidencies and the domestic policies of Presidents Kennedy and Johnson.  Finally, we will examine the complex Presidency of Richard Nixon, examining at his incredible ability to navigate foreign policy while at the same time harboring insecurities that eventually led to his downfall.

Spanish
This month we will be continuing our study of Barcelona, Spain.  We will be learning household vocabulary as well as more food words.  The most challenging grammar will be the irregular preterite.  This will require a lot of memorizing and practice.  We will also go back to the daily “no ingles” grade.  As usual, vocabulary and grammar can be practiced online (classzone.com and quizlet.com).  

ENCORE: We have begun our final quarter Monday, April 9!

ART
All grades are working on our first drawing and design projects in sketch books.  The 2 required free drawing dates for this quarter are April 24 and May 9, with a third optional one for extra credit due May 23rd.  These will need to be done for the most part outside of class as homework, so look for the green sketch books  to be coming home occasionally over the next few weeks.

Grade 6 is learning to shade and we will then go into a design project before we start our clay unit.
Grade 7 is working on the Letter Logo project and we will then start the wooden animal sculptures.
Grade 8 is currently working on the Word Design project and we will then move on to the clay masks.

Consortium Art Show at Stevenson is coming up May 21st.  Invitations will be coming home the second week in May if your student has work chosen this year.

Music
Each quarter, we have added a different dimension to the use of technology in music and we have created some fabulous projects that have been enhanced by new software, hardware, and online portfolio resources.  The 8th grade has begun their history of rock and roll decade project which will culminate in a music video done utilizing green screen technology and an interactive class presentation.  Seventh grade has begun to compose using a program called, “Finale Print Music 2011” and adding their original composition using MIDI keyboards.  The sixth grade has begun to compose their own original “answering machine rap” using Garage Band and putting their voice into their composition.  All of these projects in grades 6, 7, and 8 will be uploaded to www.myvrspot.com/kildeer where they can share their projects with you at home!


FACS
In sixth grade, for the next few weeks we will be talking about the stages of child development and the characteristics of each age group.  In addition, we will be talking about baby sitting and  learning the skills to becoming a good babysitter, emphasizing areas of safety and babysitting tools.  We will end this unit by creating a babysitting flyer that will emphasize their specific strengths.  Seventh and eighth grade will be learning about the characteristics and benefits of various textiles and creating a web page.  

Band and Orchestra
The 6th grade band and orchestra have been learning about tone colors in music.  This April we will continue to explore a wide variety of classic compositions that highlight the way composers can creatively alter tone color.  This unit will end with a field trip to the Elgin Symphony to hear live performances of those works.

Communications:
This week begins a new quarter for Encore classes. All this week, in all grade levels, we will be going through classroom rules, policies, participation points, and reviewing the curriculum  for the quarter. 6th graders will then begin with a unit on nonverbal communication and will start a ‘silent’ iMovie project. 7th graders will begin a unit on advertising, study advertising strategies, create magazine ads, and write a commercial which they will act in and turn into an imovie commercial. 8th graders will write a public service announcement and turn the PSA into an imovie. All grade levels will work on the iMovie projects at the same time. Students will learn to use the green screen technology and then learn to edit an iMovie.  It’s a lot of Fun!

April 6, 2012

Welcome back.  The principals' blog is up to 80 followers.  Wow!

Today is opening day for my White Sox.  In all honesty, I am not expecting much from my boys this year, but opening day is still special.  My dad took me to opening day at old Comisky Park in 1971.  They lost.  I also attended opening day at the new ballpark.  They lost, 16-0.  Still, hope springs eternal.  The Cubs lost yesterday, but their future looks promising.

It was great to see everyone the last two nights at our student/teacher/parent conferences. I hope that parents were able to get a good insight into the progress of their student, from their student's point of  view.

STANDARDS BASED REPORT CARDS:
How will work habits "count" if you're measuring student progress on specific academic learning targets?
As I've described, a standards-based report card is one that depicts student learning by specific curriculum targets. For example, each specific skill a student has learned during the course of a trimester would be reported on individually. This will give the student and the parent a clear picture of what the student can do, and where he/she needs to continue to improve.

With that said, we continue to value developing students who do their best, make good behavioral decisions, and are independent and organized with their work. To that end, we will report on work habits within each content area in addition to specific academic target mastery. We have teams conducting an informal trial with this now in order to develop our own understanding of how to separate skill mastery from work habits. As specifics of these measures become more clear, you can expect that we will share information with you as well as ask for your input on the process.

To learn more about the middle school standards-based report card, please plan to attend the Middle School Standards-Based Report Card Parent Info Session coming up on April 18 @ 7:00 pm in the Woodlawn Gym. Twin Groves and Woodlawn parents are welcome to attend! As always, if you have specific questions, please feel free to contact me directly.


I hope that everyone has a safe and healthy holiday weekend.


Greg Grana

Schedule for Woodlawn this week

Dear Woodlawn Families, 

I hope you had a great Spring Break! Baseball begins on Friday, but before we get there, here is a look at the schedule for this week:

Monday, April 2-Full day of school

Tuesday, April 3-Full day of school

Wednesday, April 4-Early Release at 1:30 pm, Student-Teacher-Parent conferences from 5:00pm-7:00 pm

Thursday, April 5-No school, Student-Teacher-Parent conferences from 2:00pm-7:00 pm

Friday, April 6-No school

There's still time to schedule your spring conference if you haven't already done so. Please call the main office at 847-353-8500 to make your appointment.

Have a great day! 

Greg Grana