Weekly Update 11/12-16

IMPORTANT REMIDNERS/EVENTS:

It is a new six weeks! Report cards will go home Nov. 16.


Links you might need…

Pin Oak Middle School PTO: www.pinoakpto.org Pin Oak Middle School: www.pinoak.us
Pin Oak School Website www.pinoak.us

The six weeks grading period is over next Friday, Nov. 9, but most of us will stop accepting work before then. The kids have been informed of each teacher’s deadlines.

Help Wanted with Magnet Tours of Pin Oak:
(Please send responses to Ms. Rita Graves, Pin Oak Middle School Magnet Coordinator -- rgraves1@houstonisd.org)

During Magnet Week, November 12-16, tours of Pin Oak Middle School will be offered daily. The tours are led by students, but parents are requested to accompany the tours to be available to answer "parental" questions and to provide supervision.

We need parents to help at the following times, and we particularly need help on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday during the day:

Monday Nov. 12th (12:45pm - 2:00pm)
Tues. Nov. 13th (12:45pm - 2:00pm)
Wed. Nov. 14th (12:45pm - 2:00pm)
Wed. Nov. 14th (6:00pm - 8:00pm) -- evening Open House, parents can work a 1-hour shift Thur. Nov. 15th (12:45pm - 2:00pm) Fri. Nov. 16th (12:45pm - 2:00pm)

Thank you for your help with this.

8C FIELD TRIP:
8C will be going on a field trip to the Holocaust Museum in Houston on Monday, Nov. 19, 2007. Letters, information, and permission slips went home with the students Thursday/Friday Nov. 1-2. Please read the letters and fill out the necessary documents as soon as possible. There is a lot that goes into planning field trips and the sooner we have a final head count, the better. Thanks for your help with this. Also, we need chaperones—please email Mrs. Parchman at cparchma@houstonisd.org if you are available and interested (HISD background check required)
So far, we are in need of several more chaperones. If we do not get any volunteers, the trip will, unfortunately, be cancelled.

English:

This week, we will continue presenting book projects, as we did not get to everyone. We will also begin reading Daniel’s Story in class. Students will be provided a copy of this book to read in class only. All reading will occur in class unless a student is absent. Then, the student must stay after school to catch up on missed reading. We will do related activities with this book including vocabulary.

Independent Books—please review the choice your child has made regarding their book. There is adult language and content in many of these books, and it is important to me that you have reviewed the book and give your permission. Just because it is on the list, does not mean it is okay with me that they read it. The decision is up to you and your child.

UPCOMING DATES:
New Independent Book Unit has been assigned. Our new unit will be Mystery/Sci-Fi/Fantasy. The book guide lists were sent home Thursday and Friday, Nov. 1-2, along with parent approval forms and other important information. Please read it carefully. Due dates are also listed! Book checks are Nov. 12-13. Parent approval forms are due on or before the day the projects are due, which is Dec. 12-13. Parent approval forms that are turned in on the day of book checks will be awarded extra credit points. On the parent approval form, please read the vital information about Literature Circles—this is something new for this unit.

History:
This week has been very hectic for the U. S. History students. On Tuesday the All-School History Fair began along with school pictures taken during our classes. The teachers then began preparing the students for their special lessons on Friday. All this time, the students have been trying to complete the six weeks by getting in the work they should have had in earlier. We are still trying to complete all the work on the American Revolution.

History Fair Winners for House C, 8th Grade

Individual Exhibit: Tie for 1st: Drew McMillan, Horace Nam, Philip Rendon
Tie for 2nd: Samira Williams, Joshua Isaac, Aaron Lavirgne
Tie for 3rd: Grace Srouji, Ashley Billard

History Fair Winners, House C, 8th Grade
Group Exhibit:1st: Chris Buitrago
2nd: Caroline Batten and Audrey Einhorn
3rd: Kori Sloan, Tatyana Jacobs, Leanna Conway

A number of students did documentaries; these, the papers, and the performance for our House are being judged now. We will announce all-school winners.This week the students are being introduced to story maps. Any not completed in class should be completed for homework, due next week.Due on November 12/13 is the activity entitled Hero/Villain. The students are to make a poster showing one half as a wanted poster for one of the founding fathers and the other half should be depicting him as a hero. This shows the Loyalist/Patriot relationship. All students should complete reading chapter 6 and answering the assigned questions. There will be a test over Chapters 5 and 6 later next week.

Science:
Please email Mr. Scott with any questions.

Math:
Algebra 1- 2nd & 4th Period Only:
Students in algebra 2nd and 4th period will have an opportunity to re-test, (the re-test is not required, but is optional), on Chapter 2 on Tuesday, November 13th. Students must bring back a signed copy of the original exam. We did a test analysis in class. Students are aware of where their individual weaknesses lie, and should study accordingly. The students have a matrix we filled out in class. Please ask to see the matrix so that you can help your student prepare for the redo. Students had difficulty with topics they should have memorized, such as the difference between an integer and a whole number. Students had to learn to recognize different properties being used within a problem, such as the distributive, associative, and commutative properties. These are simple concepts that require memorization. These were problems in the homework. Some students are having difficulty adding and subtracting values containing negative numbers, a sixth grade concept. Please ask your student to show you his or her agenda. Check to see that your student is completing the given assignments.

This week, students will continue to use the Carnegie laptops and to work on the Russian Equations Handout. Students will also cover section 3.8 in their textbook. A TAKS Objective 1 Packet has been assigned and will be due the last class meeting before the Thanksgiving Holiday. The Objective 2 Packet will come home over the holidays, but will not be due until the second Monday or Tuesday after they return. There are a few outstanding assignments we will grade this week, including section 3.4 and 4.5, as well as two Carnegie assignments. Please consult with your student. Final reports will go home Monday and Tuesday. Your child understands that he or she is to bring home the report for you to see.

Algebra 1-6th Period Only:
Students will work on the entire Russian Equations packet in and outside of class. We will cover topics in class that are in the packet, with students continuing at home for practice. Students will work on the Carnegie Laptops, part of Tuesday and all of Friday. Thursday, students will learn how to use the graphing calculators to graph and compare functions, read tables, set their window, and trace functions. Students will continue to learn about more advanced formula manipulation, with homework from Chapters 2 and 3.


Pre-Algebra 3rd Period Only:
Students will complete Chapter 3 of their Glencoe Textbook. Students will learn how to use the Pythagorean Theorem and will learn about distance in the coordinate plane. Students will prepare for their third exam covering Chapter 2, to be held next week.

Pre-Algebra 5th Period Only:
Students will study sections 3-4, 3-5, and 3-6 in their textbooks, with the focus being on the real numbers system and the Pythagorean theorem. Students can expect a quiz covering sections 3-1 through 3-3, to help them gauge how well they have mastered the sections. This quiz will be to see where they are, not for me to take a grade.

All Math Classes:
Tutoring is held for math on Thursdays and redos of class work, homework, and warm-ups is allowed on Fridays during the first five weeks of the grading period. The 5th Friday is mainly for grading, but redos, as time permits, are allowed. My priority this fifth week is for student work done on previous Fridays to be graded, so that I can get the items in the grade book. This takes time and usually, there is no time left for students to do redos that fifth Friday. If I allowed redos and had to grade the items myself, I would not have enough time to do so and would not be able to offer this service to my students. Please respect this policy, and remind your students of it. Students who have neglected their work all week or over a series of weeks cannot reasonably expect to complete it all during Friday re-dos. I respectfully ask that you assist your student in completing assigned work the night it is assigned.

Reports will come home after week 3 and 6 of any grading period. I will also send a report during the period between week 3 and 6. Please note that I have sent multiple reports throughout this six weeks that your student has received. If you have not received them, please consult your child.
I will continue to give at least a single report during the period between the 3rd and 6th week, if not more. Please realize a weekly report is no longer feasible.



Foreign Language Department BLOG: See link below

http://pomsfl.wordpress.com