April 25-29, 2016

General Announcements:

• May 2nd will be Elementary and Intermediate Transition Night.  Students will go to their Elementary schools from 5:30-6:30.  The Intermediate Transition will be from 6:30-7:30.  Students will be able to visit their new elementary or intermediate school to see the facilities, meet teachers, and learn more about the programs within the schools.
• On Monday, May 9th, the middle schools will have a Middle School Transition Night.  All middle schools will be open from 6:00-8:00 p.m. for any student who will be NEW to their middle school next year.  This includes rising 6th graders.  We will not be visiting Bumpus at a separate time during school this year.  Please see the attached flyer for more information: HOOVER MIDDLE SCHOOL TRANSITION NIGHT FLYER
• Our front office has created a document that will help as you navigate our recent zoning changes.  Please see this link for information on what students will attend Brock’s Gap:  Brock's Gap Rezoning Information

• Please check your child’s grades from time to time on INOW.  
• If your child is interested in Bumpus Show Choir, you must attend a mandatory parent meeting on Thursday, 4/28 at 6:30 at Bumpus.
• To go along with our read aloud book, Schooled, we are asking each child to bring in one white t-shirt. We will be tie-dying these as a class closer to the end of the year. Please write your child's name on the tag and send these in as you can.

Important Dates for This Week

• Friday, April 29:  Yearbook money due--$35

Important Curriculum Dates

• Friday, April 29th:  DOL Test
• Friday, April 29th:  Reading/Vocabulary Test

Looking Ahead

• April 28: Bumpus Show Choir Mandatory Parent Meeting (6:30 at Bumpus)
• May 2:  Elementary (5:30 -6:30) and Intermediate (6:30-7:30) Transition Night
• May 6: Invention Projects due
• May 9:  Middle School Transition Night 6:00-8:00
• May 20: Poetry Slam (more information to come about this)

Curriculum News:

Math News:

**Math: We are still working with number patterns and graphing for a few more days. However, we will soon begin to look more at geometry of shapes. When we finish these standards, we will begin to use all of our math skills in some long-term math projects.
Math Homework: Math Computation

Science News:

**Science: In science, we are still discussing the movement of matter, Newton's laws of motion, and some of the forces that can affect movement. Later, we will talk about friction and resistance of motion, specifically air resistance. Then, we will use this understanding to help design ways to safely drop an egg from a second story window and assure it's survival.

Language Arts News:

Topics of Study -

**Reading: Today, students received a new passage and vocabulary words.  We will read the passage several times, but it is always important to read it again at home throughout the week.  A comprehension and vocabulary test will be on Friday.

**Language/Language IXL- We will review verbs this week.  Students will complete IXL pertaining to verbs throughout the week, due before they come in on Friday.

Social Studies:

Topics of Study – We began our unit on slavery last week and will begin our study of the causes of the Civil War.

                   

We hope everyone has a great week!

April 18-22, 2016

General Announcements:

• Please return the permission slip for your child to view the maturation video and attend the Dr. visit.  
• If students signed up to sing tomorrow night with Mrs. Vines for Fine Arts Night, this portion of the program has been cancelled due to a family emergency for Mrs. Vines.
• May 2nd will be Elementary and Intermediate Transition Night.  Students will go to their Elementary schools from 5:30-6:30.  The Intermediate Transition will be from 6:30-7:30.  Students will be able to visit their new elementary or intermediate school to see the facilities, meet teachers, and learn more about the programs within the schools.
• On Monday, May 9th, the middle schools will have a Middle School Transition Night.  All middle schools will be open from 6:00-8:00 p.m. for any student who will be NEW to their middle school next year.  This includes rising 6th graders.  We will not be visiting Bumpus at a separate time during school this year.  Please see the attached flyer for more information: HOOVER MIDDLE SCHOOL TRANSITION NIGHT FLYER
• Our front office has created a document that will help as you navigate our recent zoning changes.  Please see this link for information on what students will attend Brock’s Gap:  Brock's Gap Rezoning Information

• Please check your child’s grades from time to time on INOW.  

Important Dates for This Week

• Tuesday, April 19th:  PTO Meeting and Fine Arts Night 6:00-7:30 p.m. (NO SINGING WITH MRS. VINES)
• Thursday, April 21st:  Students will view Maturation videos and Drs. will visit
• Thursday, April 22nd:  Middle School Course Selection Sheets due

Important Curriculum Dates

• Friday, April 22:  Reading and Vocabulary Test; DOL test
• Friday, April 22: Math test on number patterns and graphing

Looking Ahead

• May 2:  Elementary (5:30 -6:30) and Intermediate (6:30-7:30) Transition Night
• May 9:  Middle School Transition Night 6:00-8:00

Curriculum News:

Math News:

**Math: In math, we are starting to look at patterns in geometry, algebra, and graphing. We started by working with function charts, and trying to find the "rule" for finding any unknown variable. Today, we began by looking at growth patterns in data and how that would look on a graph. We will continue this before we move into more basic geometry.
Homework: Math Computation and for Mr. Williams' homeroom, finish pages 15 and 16 in Unit #8.

Science News:

**Science: We are starting to wrap up our lessons on shadows and how the position of the earth, sun, and moon will affect them. We graphed our data from previous weeks of shadow data collection. We will soon begin to look at gravity and Newton's Laws. As a culminating activity, we will made devices that will hopefully protect an egg from breaking, after being dropped from a second story window.

Language Arts News:

Topics of Study -

**Reading: We are back to a normal week this week.  Students received a new reading passage and vocabulary words.  We will read the passage several times, but it is always important to read it again at home throughout the week.  A reading and vocabulary test will be on Friday.

Homework: vocabulary sheet; READ!! Finish Personification sheet if it wasn't finished in class

**Language/Language IXL- Beginning this week, we will review grammar skills from this year.  A test will be on Thursday.

Homework: work on IXL if not finished in class; study DOL for test on FRIDAY (this day was changed from Thursdsy!)

Social Studies:

Topics of Study – We will begin our unit on slavery this week and soon move on to our study of the causes of the Civil War.

Homework: map sheet; answer questions on the back (due on Wednesday)

                   

We hope everyone has a great week!

April 11-15, 2016

General Announcements:

• Spring Pictures were sent home before Spring Break.  Your order and money are due by April 13th.
• May 2nd will be Elementary and Intermediate Transition Night.  Students will go to their Elementary schools from 5:30-6:30.  The Intermediate Transition will be from 6:30-7:30.  Students will be able to visit their new elementary or intermediate school to see the facilities, meet teachers, and learn more about the programs within the schools.
• On Monday, May 9th, the middle schools will have a Middle School Transition Night.  All middle schools will be open from 6:00-8:00 p.m. for any student who will be NEW to their middle school next year.  This includes rising 6th graders.  We will not be visiting Bumpus at a separate time during school this year.  Please see the attached flyer for more information: HOOVER MIDDLE SCHOOL TRANSITION NIGHT FLYER
• This week is our ACT Aspire testing. The testing schedule will be as follows:  Monday, April 11th:  Reading Test; Tuesday, April 12th:  Math Test; Wednesday, April 13th:  English Test;  Thursday, April 14th:  Science Test.  
• We will be keeping all Chromebooks and chargers at school until ACT Aspire testing is complete.
• On Thursday, April 14th at 5:30, we will be showing the physical maturation video to parents at BGIS in preview for the showing for the students the following Thursday, April 21st.  Please plan to attend or contact your homeroom teacher with any questions.  A letter was sent home about this as well as a copy sent in a separate email.  Please return this letter by April 19th.
• Hello Parents!   Your child should have received an invitation for the June 2017 Florida Trip and hopefully shared it with you! There will be a parent meeting on Tuesday, April 12th at 6:00pm in room 304 about the trip.  At this time, Mrs. Maynard will share further information about the trip. Should you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Maynard ad maynard@hoover.k12.al.us
• Our front office has created a document that will help as you navigate our recent zoning changes.  Please see this link for information on what students will attend Brock’s Gap:  Brock's Gap Rezoning Information

• Please check your child’s grades from time to time on INOW.  Please note that there might not be as many grades this 9 weeks, due to ACT testing. We've talked to our students about making every grade count this last nine weeks! :)

Important Dates for This Week

• April 11:  ACT Aspire Reading Test
• April 12:  ACT Aspire Math Test
• April 12:  6:00 p.m. meeting in Mrs. Maynard’s room about the June 2017 Florida Trip

• April 13:  Spring picture money/order due
• April 13:  ACT Aspire English Test
• April 14:  ACT Aspire Science Test
• April 14:  Physical Maturation video and parent meeting at 5:30

Important Curriculum Dates

• No scheduled tests or quizzes this week

Looking Ahead

• April 19: Fine Arts Night/PTO at 6:00-7:30 p.m.
• April 21:  Physical Maturation Lessons with students
• May 2:  Elementary (5:30 -6:30) and Intermediate (6:30-7:30) Transition Night
• May 9:  Middle School Transition Night 6:00-8:00

Curriculum News:

Math News:

**Math- In math, we will be working with measurement and graphing this week. There will not be any math homework, this week. Our next area of focus will be in geometry.

Science News:

**Science- We will continue with looking at the relationship between the sun and shadows on the earth and moon. After looking at this, we will start to look at gravity, and how it affects objects above and on the earth's surface.

Language Arts News:

Topics of Study -

**Reading: We will pick up with our normal language arts schedule after testing is over.

Social Studies:

Topics of Study – We are completing our study of the Industrial Revolution this week in class.  There will be no tests or quizzes.

                   

We hope everyone has a great week!

April 4-8, 2016

General Announcements:

• Scroll down the page to see a few pictures we snapped at the 5K! :)
• Spring Pictures were sent home before Spring Break.  Your order and money are due by April 13th.
• May 2nd will be Elementary and Intermediate Transition Night.  Students will go to their Elementary schools from 5:30-6:30.  The Intermediate Transition will be from 6:30-7:30.  Students will be able to visit their new elementary or intermediate school to see the facilities, meet teachers, and learn more about the programs within the schools.
• On Monday, May 9th, the middle schools will have a Middle School Transition Night.  All middle schools will be open from 6:00-8:00 p.m. for any student who will be NEW to their middle school next year.  This includes rising 6th graders.  We will not be visiting Bumpus at a separate time during school this year.  Please see the attached flyer for more information: HOOVER MIDDLE SCHOOL TRANSITION NIGHT FLYER
• Next week is our ACT Aspire testing. The testing schedule will be as follows:  Monday, April 11th:  Reading Test; Tuesday, April 12th:  Math Test; Wednesday, April 13th:  English Test;  Thursday, April 14th:  Science Test.  
• On Thursday, April 14th at 5:30, we will be showing the physical maturation video to parents at BGIS in preview for the showing for the students the following Thursday, April 21st.  Please plan to attend or contact your homeroom teacher with any questions.
• Our front office has created a document that will help as you navigate our recent rezoning changes.  Please see this link for information on what students will attend Brock’s Gap:  Brock's Gap Rezoning Information

• Please check your child’s grades from time to time on INOW.  

Important Dates for This Week

No dates for the week

Important Curriculum Dates

• No scheduled tests or quizzes this week

Looking Ahead

• April 11:  ACT Aspire Reading Test
• April 12:  ACT Aspire Math Test

• April 13:  Spring picture money/order due
• April 13:  ACT Aspire English Test
• April 14:  ACT Aspire Science Test
• April 14:  Physical Maturation video and parent meeting at 5:30
• April 19: Fine Arts Night/PTO at 6:00-7:30 p.m.
• April 21:  Physical Maturation Lessons with students
• May 2:  Elementary (5:30 -6:30) and Intermediate (6:30-7:30) Transition Night
• May 9:  Middle School Transition Night 6:00-8:00

Curriculum News:

Math News

**Math: We are still working with decimals in math. Looking at how to divide decimals, will continue to be our focus. However, throughout this week, I will be adding in some opportunities to review prior learning and skills. We will be implementing ways to use our understandings to solve multi-step word problems.

Science News

**Science: In science, we will continue to look at how shadows created on the earth, and the moon, are directly connected to the position of the sun. We will also using this knowledge to help us explain the apparent movement of stars in the night sky. As time permits, we will also look at using our inferencing skills to help us solve science questions.

Language Arts News

Topics of Study -

**Reading: Our focus this week will be to prepare for the ACT Aspire test. We will discuss test taking tips, key words to look for in questions on the reading portion of the test, take online practice tests, etc.

**Language/Language IXL- We will continue to work on skills that will be present on the ACT Aspire.  All 3 IXL skills are due before class on Friday.

Social Studies:

Topics of Study – We are studying the Industrial Revolution this week.

                   

We hope everyone has a great week!