6th

December 12th – 30th Anniversary of Wheeling Park High School’s “Festival of Sound” @ WP High School 9:30 am – 11:30 am (Transportation Provided)
December 15th– Middle School Holiday Show 6:00 pm @ Main Campus (Drop-off that morning will be at the main campus for a run-through.) We will transport the kids over to middle school for the afternoon. Pick-up that day will be at the middle.
December 19th – Winter Break Begins @ 11:30 am (Return to school on Jan. 5th)

CLICK HERE FOR UPCOMING WCDS EVENTS

English w/ Mrs. McFadden – 

• Upcoming Tests/Quizzes- Spelling test Wednesday on ch/k/ words (in binder)
• This week we tried out one of the ideas from the recent reading conferences at Oglebay. Students made cards with the words, visualize, predict, question, clarify, evaluate, connect and summarize on them. We practiced using the cards with the whole group to encourage discussion during our reading. Then the real magic happened whe we broke into small groups and used them. The kids had the best discussions within the safe confines of a small group, and it was great to hear from the kids who usually don’t want to speak in front of the whole class. 
• Google classroom is up to date. The kids looked today to check for any missing assignenments. I put zeros in for anything that is missing, since we have talked about it throughout the week. They may still turn assignments in this weekend and I will grade it, but anything that is still missing Monday will remain a zero

Math w/ Mrs. McFadden – 

• Upcoming Tests/Quizzes – Quiz Wed (Order of Operations, exponents parts of expressions, translate expressions, distributive property)
• This week we continued to practice all of the skills mentioned above. , For the quiz on Wednesday, there are Delta Math assignments on all of these skills. Your child has an account they can use to practice. We will have some time to complete these delta assignments in class, and during Tuesday’s tutorial time.

Science w/ Mrs. McKay – 

• Upcoming Tests/Quizzes – quiz on moon phases Tuesday
• Students reviewed moon phases and eclipses and hopefully enjoyed viewing the super moon this week. We also took measurements of a “growing” toy in water and observe as it expands in the next week.

Music w/Mrs. Chelsey – 

• Upcoming Tests/Quizzes – 
• This week we focused on the details of our songs! We worked on adding in scenes and props. We are in the home stretch and I am so excited to share what we’ve been learning so far this year!

Deep Dive w/ Mr. K, Mrs. McFadden, Mrs. Ochap, Mr. Jividen – 

• Youth Show of Hands is up and running! Students have been tasked with designing an idea or project that would have a positive impact on our community. Students watched some episodes of Shark Tank to understand how an idea is pitched for funding, then a few brave souls pitched some preliminary ideas. Some of the ideas are ones that we would personally endorse! We have begun to assign students to interest groups such as music, art, food, community improvement, sports and animals.

Art w/Mr. K

• Students have finished their texture painting, and we moved on to a fun little project before break called a cartoon mashup. They will draw two characters separately and then combine them into a crossover. Think of SpongeBob and Batman mashed together!

SEL w/Mrs. Ochap – 

• This week, students are learning about self-talk. Self-talk is just that: how we talk to ourselves inside of our heads. Inside their heads, children (and adults) are often much harder on themselves than encouraging and kind. It takes five positive thoughts to make up for one negative one. Ask your students what are some positive and negative messages they said to themselves this week and encourage them to practice positive self-talk.

Elective –

• Robotics – Students are learning about the parts and components of the Vex Robotics system. They are eager to get their hands on their robots! We will continue to introduce elements of robotics, which concentrates on critical thinking, math, engineering, and organization, aside from simply building the robot.
• Beyond the Book – Our little book club is a highlight of my week! Walking to the cafe and reading our book is truly a treat. The book we are reading has an intricate cast of characters, so this week we had to map it all out to figure out who is who. It’s so nice to have informal discussions about a book!

• November 25th – Thanksgiving Luncheon @ Main Campus 12:30 pm early dismissal (Drop off and pick up @ Main) 
• December 1st – 5th  – Middle School Book Fair @ Middle School 
• December 12th  – 30th Anniversary of Wheeling Park High School’s “Festival of Sound” @ WP High School 9:30 am – 11:30 am (Transportation Provided)
• December 15th– Middle School Holiday Show 6:00 pm @ Main Campus (Drop-off that morning will be at the main campus for a run-through.)  We will transport the kids over to middle school for the afternoon.  Pick-up that day will be at the middle.
• December 19th – Winter Break Begins @ 11:30 am (Return to school on Jan. 5th)
  

CLICK HERE FOR UPCOMING WCDS EVENTS

English w/ Mrs. McFadden – 

• Upcoming Tests/Quizzes- none scheduled
• Trivia, cabin quizzes and Wanted Posters were some of the book extensions we did this week.
• We watched videos of Hercules, Medusa and the furies to build background knowledge and help bring the book to life.

Math w/ Mrs. McFadden – 

• Upcoming Tests/Quizzes – none scheduled
• We are halfway through chapter 4. This week, students continued to work onorder of operations, translating  words into expressions, and evaluating expressions.
• Students enjoyed a gimkit and some logic puzzles this week as well.

Science w/ Mrs. McKay – 

• Upcoming Tests/Quizzes –  none scheduled until after break
• Students completed lesson on moon phases and solar and lunar eclipses.
• On Thursday, students used different masses to cause helium balloons to hover above ground.

Art w/Mr.K-

• Students have been focusing on textured paintings and have the freedom to use any material at their disposal. 

Music w/Mrs. Chelsey – 

• Upcoming Tests/Quizzes – 
• This week we worked on our three holiday songs being memorized – we’re almost there!! We also added the finishing touches on our piece “cold snap”! It’s got some fun surprises!
• Our music journal entry this week was responding to the piano piece “Moonlight Sonata” by Beethoven. It’s known as one of the most beautiful pieces for piano ever written – take a listen!

Deep Dive w/ Mr. Jividen, Mrs. Ochap, Mrs. McFadden, & Mr. K- 

• This week we introduced our new deep dive to the entire middle school.  We have chosen to do a Youth Show of Hands.  The students will get to hear from previous winners and then try their hand at entrepreneurship. 

Social Studies w/ Mr. Jividen –

• 6th Graders started a unit on Native Americans
• Early Focus has been on regional tribes surrounding the Ohio River Valley

SEL w/Mrs. Ochap – 

• This week, students learn more about the development of an adolescent’s brain. Through hands-on learning and discussion, students explore the different challenges teenagers face and how many of their thoughts and feelings are completely normal for their age.

Elective –

• Robotics w/ Mrs. Boldrick & Mrs. Bishop – Students will learn and use the VEX robotics system. They will work in teams to build a robot and follow a curriculum using the robot. We will also build two competitive robots which everyone will learn to use. These competition robots are used in the VEX Robotic Competitions held all over the United States.

Beyond the Book w/ Mrs. McFadden – We started the Inheritance games today, and so far, everyone seems to really enjoy it! We have decided to meet at the cafe on Fridays, so the girls may purchase a treat if they would like. It is so much fun to meet with them in this small group to share our thoughts and connections!

Nov. 17th – 7th/8th Grade Around the World Exhibition 5:30 pm @ Middle School
Dec 1st -5th – Middle School Book Fair!
Dec. 15th – Holiday Show 6:00 @ main campus. Morning Drop off will be at main campus for practice. Pick-up will be at Middle School

CLICK HERE FOR UPCOMING WCDS EVENTS

English w/ Mrs. McFadden – 

• Upcoming Tests/Quizzes- none scheduled
• We made it to Camp Half Blood in Percy Jackson. We have been annotating and analyzing the book, while having some fun watching videos starring characters from Greek mythology. We also had a rousing trivia quest in which students tested their knowledge of mythology and events from the book.

Math w/ Mrs. McFadden – 

• Upcoming Tests/Quizzes – chapter 4 halfway checkpoint quiz Wedesday or Thursday
• This was a shor week for us due to exhibition day and Veteran’s day, but we packed a lot in to the last three days. We reviewed order of operations with a walking trail/scoot activity. Then, we learned the parts of an expression and completed a coloring sheet to lock in the new vocabulary such as, constants, variables, coefficients, and terms.

Elective –

• Cooking w/ Mrs. McFadden – We made some outstanding recipes this week, like pecan pie truffles, carrot cake muffins, spicy roasted pumpkin seeds, pumpkin no bake cookies, pumpkin chai lattes, and pumpkin donuts!  

Today, I am grateful for these kids. Working on your birthday could be a drag, but instead, I am reminded of what a special school this is. From heartfelt birthday wishes to handmade gifts, these kids have touched my heart today! Thank you for sharing them with us!

Nov. 10th – 6th Grade Face Your Face Exhibition 5:30 pm @ Ohio County Library
Nov. 11th – No school for students (professional development day) no aftercare
Nov. 17th – 7th/8th Grade Around the World Exhibition 5:30 pm @ Middle School
CLICK HERE FOR UPCOMING WCDS EVENTS

English w/ Mrs. McFadden – 

• Upcoming Tests/Quizzes- Daily Dose Quiz Wednesday
• We spend time each day learning classic Greek myths in order to better understand the book we are reading, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief. Several of them have extensive knowledge on the topic, but they still really enjoy hearing those timeless tales. 
• We are practicing annotating every few chapters, and while some of them fight me on this, it is an important skill to learn. It also provides me with an opportunity to guage their comprehension and to explain anything that they didn’t understand. I also love gaining insight on what they are feeling as they are reading. 
• Some of our more outgoing classmates enjoyed another round of the hot seat. They came up with excellent questions for our character actors, who in turn came up with excellent responses. 

Math w/ Mrs. McFadden – 

• Upcoming Tests/Quizzes – none scheduled
• This week we began a review of exponents and order of operations. It was great to hear that many of them enjoy PEMDAS! 

Science w/ Mrs. McKay – 

• Upcoming Tests/Quizzes -quiz on moon phases Thursday, 11/13

Music w/Mrs. Chelsey – 

• Upcoming Tests/Quizzes – 
• This week we are continuing our newest holiday song “Cold Snap”! We reviewed and started trying our two other holiday songs from memory. They are doing so well!!!
• Auditions for chipmunks will be next Friday!!
• Our music journal entry this week was “Have you ever been to a live performance? Did you enjoy it? What is the most memorable part about the experience?”

Social Studies w/ Mr. Jividen –

• 6th Grade students continued to explore the responsibilities of citizenship, beyond the voting booth

Elective –

• Creation Lab w/ Mrs. Boldrick & Mrs. Ochap – 
• Cooking w/ Mrs. McFadden – Gluten free oreo truffles and cinamon sugar pumpkin seeds were a great success! This week Madame McAteer made paella with them during World Language class as well. It was sooo good!!

Oct. 24th – Glow Fest Fall Party (7pm – 9pm @ Middle School)
Oct. 28th – Pumpkin Drop @ Middle School
Nov. 10th – 6th Grade Face Your Face Exhibition 5:30 pm @ Ohio County Library
Nov. 13th – 7th/8th Grade Around the World Exhibiton 5:30 pm @ Middle School

CLICK HERE FOR UPCOMING WCDS EVENTS

We had a gorgeous day to welcome our special persons. Our middle schoolers were proud to show off their learning spaces and some of the projects they have been working on. Lunch was delicious, and it was lovely to see the big smiles on both our students’ and guests’ faces as they spent time together talking and touring.

English w/ Mrs. McFadden – 

• Upcoming Tests/Quizzes- Daily Dose Quiz Wednesday
• We continued reading Walk Two Moons and unpacking the characters, motivations and plot. Students developed interrogation style questions, then took turns portraying different characters in the “hot seat”. They asked tough questions, and the kids did an outstanding job of steppiong into their roles. They answered the questions thoughtfully and in a way that felt like how the characters actually would have answered.

Math w/ Mrs. McFadden – 

• Upcoming Tests/Quizzes – none scheduled
• We finished our chapter 2 test and made corrections. Then we began chapter 3, which focusses on division. We reviewed the long division algorithm, and after a handful of practice problems, everyone remembered the process, and they were able to work independently. 
• There was an excited buzz on the porch as some kids worked out the “Bridge riddle” on our Google Classroom. Try it! The kids were so proud when they finally solved it! Then they asked for more riddles to work on after they finish their practice problems.

• Music w/Mrs. Chelsey – 

• Upcoming Tests/Quizzes – 
• This week we finished learning “Here Comes the Snow”. We will start our second Holiday show song, “The Chipmunk Song”, which the kids are excited about!
• Our music journal entry this week was “What is your favorite song right now, and why? Is there a specific lyric that stands out to you, and why?”

UPCOMING DATES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
CLICK HERE FOR WCDS UPCOMING EVENTS

Thursday Oct. 2nd – Interims cam home (Due back Oct. 7)
Friday, October 3rd – Early Dismissal, 11:30 am
Monday, October 6th – No School/Fall Long Weekend
Tuesday, October 7 – Classes Resume, 8:45 AM
Friday, October 10th – Special Persons Day! (11:15 am – 12:15 pm)
Saturday, October 18th – Vantoberfest!! (See the email from the office)
Friday, October 24th – Glow Fest Fall Party (7pm – 9pm @ Middle School)
Tuesday, October 28th – Pumpkin Drop @ Middle School
Monday, November 10th – 6th Grade Face Your Face Exhibition 5:30 pm @ Ohio County Library
Thursday, November 13th – 7th/8th Grade Around the World Exhibiton 5:30 pm @ Middle School

English w/ Mrs. McFadden – 

• Upcoming Tests/Quizzes- none scheduled
• We are about halfway through Walk Two Moons. Students are making great predictions and outstanding discussion points! We played a Gimkit to keep questions fresh, and learned a little about the myths of Prometheus and Pandora… yikes!

Math w/ Mrs. McFadden – 

• Upcoming Tests/Quizzes -Chapter 2 Test postponed to next Wednesday
• We wrapped up the chapter 2 review, and felt like we needed a little more time before we took the test.
• We played estimation and multiplication games. The kids really enjoyed the strategy involved in The Factor game, and we finally won the grocery game! The chapter 2 Gimkit will be in the Google classroom if anyone wants to use that to study.

Music w/Mrs. Chelsey – 

• Upcoming Tests/Quizzes – 
• This week we continued learning “Here Comes the Snow”!! We also played the theatre games “zip zap zop”, and “silent club”.
• Our music journal entry this week was “Do you play a musical instrument? If so, what do you like about it? If not, what instrument do y

UPCOMING DATES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
CLICK HERE FOR WCDS UPCOMING EVENTS

Thursday, October 2nd – 6th grade trip to the Ohio County Public Library
Friday, October 3rd – Early Dismissal, 11:30 am
Monday, October 6th – No School/Fall Long Weekend
Tuesday, October 7 – Classes Resume, 8:45 AM
Friday, October 10th – Special Persons Day! (More details coming soon)
Saturday, October 18th – Vantoberfest!! (See the email from the office)

English w/ Mrs. McFadden – 

• Upcoming Tests/Quizzes- None scheduled, however, a trip to the Ohio County Public Library is planned for this Thursday! We will be using the van as transportation. We’ll leave after Advisory, and return by 11:30.
• We began reading Walk Two Moons this week.
• We practiced annotating, and shared what exemplary annotations looked like.
• Discussed events from the book, annalyzed characters, learned new vocabulary, and identified figurative language.

Math w/ Mrs. McFadden – 

• Upcoming Tests/Quizzes – Chapter two test Thursday
• In chapter two, students are learning how to estimate and solve decimal products, how to convert word expressions to numerical expressions, and how to substitute a given for a variable in an expression.
• We continued to play “The grocery game”. While we still haven’t won, we are getting infinitely closer!
• Early finishers have been working on identifying set of mystery numbers using a wide array of math skills to eliminate and then identify numbers on the hundreds chart. Critical thinking is a must!

Music w/Mrs. Chelsey – 

• Upcoming Tests/Quizzes – 
• This week we continued learning our piece “Here Comes the Snow”!
• Our journal entry was a response to the avante garde piano pieces “Sonata V by John Cage” and “The Banshee by Henry Cowell”. Take a listen!!

SEL w/Mrs. Ochap – 

• This week, students are learning about coping skills. Coping skills are the tools we use to handle our difficult emotions. Coping skills can be used anytime we feel the need to ‘cool down.’ Ask your students what coping skills they are learning and practice using some at home together.