Newsletter

Friday October 30, 2015

Conferences!!!!
Please plan to attend student-led conferences next week with
your student. Conferences will be held on Monday 11/2-4:00-8:00;

Wednesday 11/4-2:30-3:50 and Thursday 11/5-4:00-8:00. You do not need to

sign up for a time.
Below are the times teachers will NOT be available:
Monday
Wednesday Thursday
Larsen 5:00 - 5:30
5:00 - 5:30
Fischer 5:15 - 5:45
5:15 - 5:45
Damman 5:30 - 6:00 3:00-3:50
5:30 - 6:00
Loneman 5:15 - 5:45
5:15 - 5:45
Simpson 5:30 - 6:00
5:30 - 6:00
Vetter
6:00 - 6:30 3:10-3:50
6:00 - 6:30
Smith
5:00-5:30
Petersen 5:30-6:00

5:00-5:30
5:30-6:00

Social Studies-Mrs. Larsen

Connee.Larsen@indianola.k12.ia.us

We will be finishing up our Physical Feature Geography Dictionaries the first

part of the week and then we will prepare to work on a big map project for
several class periods called the Cartographers Challenge. This project will be
a culminating assessment over all that we have learned so far this year about
maps, physical features, and the tools of geographers. Students will be creating
their own island which they have discovered in a large open area of the ocean. This is my most
favorite project of the year! Looking forward to seeing you at conferences!

Computers Ms. Petersen

Kathy.Petersen@indianola.k12.ia.us

In Computers, students will be applying bold, italic and underline to their report and
using the cut/copy/paste features in word. Students should be in Lesson 6 in
Keyboarding Online as a minimum goal for this week.

Science Mrs.Simpson
Dorisa.Simpson@indianola.k12.ia.us

We have been preparing for conferences, completing a vocabulary assessment, and elaborating on
famous scientists through substantive conversations. Students have multiple Science items to share with
their families at conferences next week, as well as items from other classes. The vocabulary assessment
covered 11 Science terms that all 6th graders should now know. Students were assessed over the other
12 terms as well, but are only graded on the 11 that they are expected to know at this point in the year.
Students also worked on refining their communication skills through elaboration. They discussed the life
and work of various scientists, which will help them on an upcoming activity where students will be asked
to compare various scientists and the accomplishments of each.
I still have quite a few books from my classroom library that are unaccounted for (see list below). Please
ask your student if they have borrowed any book(s) from my library and help them look around for them. If
they are still reading one of my books, GREAT, they just need to let me know. If they are finished with it, I
would appreciate it if they bring it back so other students have the opportunity to enjoy them as well.
The Hunger Games
Mockingjay
The Horse Whisperer
Lilys Crossing
Marley & Me
The Missing- Book 1: Found
From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
The Batboy
How To Steal A Dog
Percy Jackson- Book 4: The Battle of Labyrinth
Insurgent
IQ- Book 1: Independence Hall
A Series of Unfortunate Events- Book 9: The Carnivorous Carnival
I Survived The Shark Attacks of 1916

Library News-Mrs.Wanamaker
Karma.Wanamaker@indianola.k12.ia.us

The book fair will begin on Monday during conferences in the library! You
can pre-order the new Wimpy Kid book: Old School as well. For those of
you unable to attend in person we have an online page:
http://bookfairs.scholastic.com/homepage/indianolamiddleschool
Online orders have begun! Books are delivered to the school. Online
orders count toward the schools sales which are then used to buy books
for the library.
Mrs. Wanamaker is STILL looking for adult volunteers to work the book fair. Please
contact her if you can help.

Box Tops

Send to school anytime! Collection tubs are located in

Language Arts rooms
and main office.

Ms. Loneman Language Arts

This week students
did book and Internet research to write notes about their nonfiction topic
were introduced to different kinds of nonfiction text structures
prepared materials for student-led parent-teacher conferences
set a new Personal Reading Goal for the 2nd quarter
took a story map common assessment
Next week students will
be introduced to lesson 15, a nonfiction lesson
review text and graphic features
use their nonfiction notes to write paragraphs using different text structures
Lesson 15:
Main Selection: Team Moon
Big Idea: Sometimes you need to give it all youve got.
Essential Question: How do text and graphics show a crisis in space?
Target Skill: Text and Graphic Features Target Strategy: Analyze/Evaluate
Vocabulary Strategies: suffixes ous, -ic, -ure
Target Vocabulary: lunar, hovering, ascent, likelihood, impending, perilous, option,
presumably, unpredictability, random
Important Dates:
November 2nd, 4th, and 5thStudent-Led Parent-Teacher Conferences
November 6thNo School
November 16thNonfiction Newsletter Project Due (subject to change)
November 17thLesson 15 Tests (subject to change)
November 19thTest Retakes offered at 7:30 and 3:30
November 20thTest Retakes offered at 7:30 and 3:30
Please feel free to contact me at any time with comments, questions, or concerns.
Email: melissa.loneman@indianola.k12.ia.us
Phone: 961-9530 ext. 3134
Twitter: @msloneman (twitter.com/msloneman)
Instagram: @msloneman
Website: msloneman.weebly.com
Enjoy your weekend!

Backpacks 4 Hunger
No Child Goes Hungry Over the Weekend
Sign up for Backpacks 4 Hunger- Food for over the weekend
Backpacks are filled Friday and sent home with meals and snacks for over the
weekend.

Backpacks and contents provided by donations and volunteers in the community of

Indianola.
ALL students are eligible.
TO SIGN UP: Contact 961-5755 or your School Counselor, Lacey Cherniss,
at 961-9530 X3106

Mrs. FischerLanguage Arts

We have been getting ready for conferences this week. We also have been continuing to
work on a research project. The students have used books and the internet to do research on
a topic they selected. We will be continuing to work on this next week and will be starting to
do some writing along with it. Listed below is the Journeys story we will be starting next
week.
Lesson 12:
Main selection: Team Moon
Big Idea: Sometimes you need to give it all youve got.
Essential Question: How do text and graphics show a crisis in space?
Target Skill: Text and Graphic Features
Target Strategy: Analyze/Evaluate
Fluency: Intonation
Vocabulary Strategies: Suffixes -ous, -ic, and -ure
Target Vocabulary: lunar, hovering, ascent, likelihood, impending, perilous, option,
presumably, unpredictability, random
Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.
Email: sara.fischer@indianola.k12.ia.us
Phone: 961-9530 ext. 3146

Math-Mrs. Vetter
alisha.vetter@indianola.k12.ia.us

Math 6
This week we continued work in Unit 2 in the Everyday Math book; Operations
with Whole Numbers and Decimals. This week we worked on dividing whole
numbers and decimals. We also continued reviewing adding and subtracting
decimals, and Multiplying by Powers of 10. We will be wrapping up Unit 2 soon!
Next week we will continue reviewing the above skills and working with Scientific
Notation.
Math 6/7
This week we began work in the Big Ideas book Chapter 3Algebraic Expressions and Properties. This chapter only has four
sections, so there will be a quiz after lesson 2 and a quiz after
lesson 4. Students will quiz next week over lesson 4.1 and 4.2
(Algebraic Expressions and Writing Expressions) on Wednesday
(11/4). REMINDER: your student is more than welcome to take home a textbook to
review before the quiz.
Math 7/8

From Mr. WesterlyMath 7/8we spent a couple days working with similar figures
and the relationships between their corresponding sides, their perimeters, and their
areas. We have one more section to cover in chapter 2 and the test will be next
Friday.
Please contact me with any questions or concerns.
Phone: 961-9530 ext. 3147
Have a fabulous weekend!

Art-Mrs. Smith
lisa.smith@indianola.k12.ia.us

Art Class Website: www.artinspiredbylife.com

This Weeks Accomplishments:

This week students prepared their artwork for the art show by making title
cards and putting up their square 1 art drawings. They understand a little
more about what goes into planning and setting up an art show, like how
many tape rolls are used and how much time is spent backing artwork on
paper, and the techniques that go into making the display look professional.
Students should be able to tell parents exactly what artwork they have in the
art show and where it is. Absolutely amazing creative work they have done!
Students also reflected on their learning so far this semester and what they
need to improve on as far as academics and behavior. During conferences
students will be able to show parents their portfolio and learning growth.
Next week students will be learning how to use substantive conversation and
having a debate with partners about the elements of art in two different
artworks. Their conversations will connect the still life drawing unit and
painting unit we will begin next. We will focus on the concept of styles or
movements in art and more specifically impressionism. The next artwork
they will make will be an impressionist style of painting or another style of
their choice.
Square 1 Art:
Online orders can still be made, but in a few days the company will
get most of the profit instead of our Art Dept. The important thing
is that orders can still be made online if you missed the deadline!
www.square1art.com/shop
November 12th: School will receive products
Thank you for being such a big support for your childs creativity
and the Art Dept! I truly hope you enjoy your keepsakes and gifts.