6th

Several students used every spare minute this week to work on their skateboard art projects for Celebrate. They look amazing, and we hope to see you there next weekend!

CLICK HERE FOR UPCOMING WCDS EVENTS
English w/ Mrs. McFadden – 

• Upcoming Tests/Quizzes- None scheduled
• We finished The Parker Inheritance! Students completed packets.
• We discussed some of the themes of the book such as community service, social justice and activism. Students will be working on essays highlighting how different characters contributed to these themes and how they see them play out in our community, as well as ways they can make a difference.

Math w/ Mrs. McFadden –

• Upcoming Tests/Quizzes- Chapter 6 Progress check sometime midweek
• Completed Chapter 5 retakes.
• Began Chapter 6 with a review of factor trees, and finding greatest common factors.

Science w/ Mrs. Farris – 

• Upcoming Tests/Quizzes – March 21st Vocabulary and States of Matter Quiz
• We expanded our exploration of the properties of matter by looking closer into physical and chemical changes. 
• Students gained firsthand experience in grading maple syrup based on its color and taste. To explain the color change in maple syrup, we studied the Maillard reaction.
• Taking our learning into the kitchen, we demonstrated how molecules transition between solid and liquid states by adding and removing heat. As a hands-on activity, we made hard-tack candy and soft maple candy, observing these transformations in action.

Music w/ Mrs. Chelsey – 

• Information about the upcoming Nailers game that 6th and 7th grade are singing the National Anthem for went out in an email last week. Please be sure to check, as it has a lot of details!! If you did not receive this email, please reach out to Carrie or Ms Chelsey! 
• This week we added tambourine to “Here Comes the Sun” and should be ready to record our video next week to welcome spring!!
• Our music journal prompt this week was “ What song would you choose as a soundtrack for your life today?”

Elective

Speech and Debate/Yearbook- This week the yearbook elective welcomed the speech and debate team to practice their pieces in front of an audience. We were all super impressed with the performances! From heartfelt poetry to a hilarious reenactment of a scene from a Bluey episode, these kiddos left us quite entertained! Well done WCDS speech and debate!

We took full advantage of our beautiful Wheeling Park Campus this week, making several trips to the playground, and holding class outside when practical.

CLICK HERE FOR UPCOMING WCDS EVENTS
English w/ Mrs. McFadden – 

• Upcoming Tests/Quizzes-  Daily Dose Quiz list 7 – Tuesday
• Continued to read The Parker Inheritance.
• Completed a new paragraph of the week
• Played vocabulary games
• Explored the poetry of Langsto Hughs

Math w/ Mrs. McFadden –

• Upcoming Tests/Quizzes- Chapter 5 Quiz- Wednesday
• Learned about inequalities (greater than less than in a nutshell)
• Students determined that these were pretty straightforward and easy to understand.
• Adding in word problems somewhat changed this, but after practcing, they seemed to get the hang of those too!

Science w/ Mrs. Farris – 

• Upcoming Tests/Quizzes – No test or quiz scheduled 
• Students explored how states of matter change at the molecular level, acting out the behaviors of gases, liquids, and solids. They also examined the unique properties of each state.
• Using prefix and suffix knowledge, students defined scientific instruments like barometers, hydrometers, and refractometers, recognizing that each measures something specific.
• Despite some sap bags being removed and taps damaged over Spring Break, we salvaged a few and collected more sap—we’ll process it next week!

Music w/ Mrs. Chelsey – 

• Information about the upcoming Nailers game that 6th and 7th grade are singing the National Anthem for went out in an email this week. Please be sure to check, as it has a lot of details!!
• We continued working on The National Anthem, as well as “Here Comes the Sun”. The students are doing very well at listening to each other and blending!! 
• Our music journal prompt this week was “ Have you ever had an ear worm?” Not sure what that is? Ask your child – you’ve probably experienced it;)

Elective

Yearbook –  This week, we explored a wide variety of yearbooks from different schools and years, exploring layouts and design styles. We compared layouts that were too busy, had too much white space, and those that were just right. 

CLICK HERE FOR UPCOMING WCDS EVENTS

English w/ Mrs. McFadden – 

• Upcoming Tests/Quizzes- None scheduled
• Continued with The Parker Inheritance
• Learned about segregation and integration
• Played vocabulary games

Math w/ Mrs. McFadden –

• Upcoming Tests/Quizzes- Thursday, March 13th – Chapter 5 checkpoint quiz
• Learned about using multiplication and division to solve equations. 
• Played Jeopardy to practice and review pre-algebra concepts

Science w/ Mrs. Farris – 

• Upcoming Tests/Quizzes – No test or quiz scheduled 
• We had an action-packed week! Students collected over 10 gallons of sap and, even better, explained the process scientifically. 
• They discussed why the sap was only partially frozen due to the presence of sugars (dissolved solids) and how increased pressure inside the tree plays a role.
• We welcomed STEAM Tac on Thursday and participated in their Growing with Innovations immersion. Students coded Micro:bits to solve real-world problems using light sensors and temperature monitors.

Elective

• Yearbook –  We created student editor accounts in Treering, chose this years theme and began exploring classroom blogs to copy and insert pictures. When we return, we will begin to gather information on events at WCDS in order to write articles for the yearbook.

Our middle schoolers put together a remarkable showcase of all they learned about ancient stories and hero quests and how they relate across cultures and periods. They acted, presented, cooked, and created artifacts and cabins to showcase their twelve weeks of diving deep into the world of mythology. Yesterday they wrote reflections on the experience. The kids not only learned about the subject matter but also how to listen to the ideas of others and how to compromise. Many reported that they learned a lot about people they didn’t know well before the experience, and overwhelmingly, the kids loved how hands-on this deep dive was. They loved being able to build and create! The teachers were all very proud of their hard work. Their presentations were awesome!

CLICK HERE FOR UPCOMING WCDS EVENTS

Hopefully, everyone saw Mrs. Ochap’s email last week about electives. This trimester we have two new ones (Yearbook and Speech & Debate).   We have talked to the students and they have expressed interest in one.  They need to choose by the time we return Monday.  Both electives offer unique growth opportunities—whether through capturing moments or confidently sharing ideas. Please encourage your child to choose the one that excites them the most!

6th Grade Happenings:

English w/ Mrs. McFadden – 

• Upcoming Tests/Quizzes- none scheduled
• We continued to read The Parker Inheritance.
• Students completed the 6th set of Daily Dose vocabulary words. We used classtime to review words and play vocabulary games.
• Students wrote their reflections on the mythology deep dive.

Math w/ Mrs. McFadden –

• Upcoming Tests/Quizzes- none scheduled
• We continued to explore balancing equations. Students are making steady progress with understanding that an equation stays balanced as long as you add or subtract the same value from both sides. Next week we will add multiplication and division into the mix.

Science w/ Mrs. Farris – 

• Upcoming Tests/Quizzes – No test or quiz scheduled 
• In 6th grade, we switched gears this week to prepare for next week’s visit from WVU STEAM Tac.
• We will be participating in their Growing with Innovation classroom immersion.
• To prepare, we explored how technology can enhance food security and agriculture while also practicing our coding skills. We’re excited to dive into innovative solutions and hands-on learning experiences!

Music w/Mrs. Chelsey – 

• This week we recorded “California Gurls”, complete with the rap part that several students worked on putting together. We had fun doing this song, and I think it really shows in the video! We started looking at “Here Comes the Sun” by the Beatles, and this will be our second song to record for our mini virtual concert of “Songs for Spring”.
• We are continuing our work on the National Anthem that we will be performing at a Nailers game, the end of March. Information will be going out to parents next week with all the details about this.
• Our music journal entry this week was “How do you feel about live music versus recorded music?”

Elective

• Design: Everyone was entertained with a trash bag fashion show on Thursday! Kudos to the models and designers!

We hope everyone has a healthy and enjoyable long weekend! It was great to have most of the kids back in class this week. We wish our fellow middle school classmates all the luck this week on their academic excursions. On Tuesday, our mathletes will travel to WPHS to compete in Math Field Day, while on Thursday two of our 7th graders will head to the high school to compete in the county spelling bee. The rest of the month will be busy as well with preparations for the exhibition and wrapping up our second semester.

CLICK HERE FOR UPCOMING WCDS EVENTS

English w/ Mrs. McFadden – 

• Upcoming Tests/Quizzes- none
• Lit circle book presentations took place this week. Students did an outstanding job with their creativity and explanations of the books they read!
• We began reading our next class novel, “The Parker Inheritance”
• This week, literary terms such as mood, tone, irony, and symbolism were discussed. Students took what they learned and applied it to their lit circle books.

Math w/ Mrs. McFadden –

• Upcoming Tests/Quizzes-Chapter 4 retakes will be Tuesday
• After reviewing their tests we felt that the class wasn’t quite ready to move on from chapter 4. We spent the week reviewing concepts, especially using the distributive property and combining like terms.
• We spent much of the week refining skills in small group centers before moving on to chapter 5 next week..

Deep Dive w/ Mrs. McFadden & Mr. K –

• Upcoming Tests/Quizzes- Exhibition – February 19th
• Students are preparing their presentations for the exhibition. They are encouraged to wear something that represents their “house” theme. For example, the house of Hades might wear black, while the house of Poseidon might wear beach garb.

Science w/ Mrs. Farris – 

• Upcoming Tests/Quizzes – No test or quiz scheduled 
• Students put their newly learned tree identification skills to the test, successfully spotting over 50 maple trees scattered throughout the park.
• As we walked, excitement filled the air as students eagerly showcased their knowledge. Here are just a few of the curious and insightful comments:
  “Look, that one still has samaras hanging!”
  “That one definitely has opposite branches.”
  “This isn’t a maple tree, but it looks cool—what is it?”
  “Let me check my notes!”
• In addition to identifying trees, students learned the basics of tapping, getting them ready for next week’s hands-on experience!

While it rained buckets on Friday, we were thankful to be warm and dry in the Stone room, but on Thursday, we took a walk to the playground to celebrate the melting snow and the (sort of) spring-like temps! The kids were a great help on Monday at the House of the Carpenter. They created cards for blessing bags and packed 220 weekend meal kits for students in need. We hope to go back again before the year is over!

CLICK HERE FOR UPCOMING WCDS EVENTS

English w/ Mrs. McFadden – 

• Upcoming Tests/Quizzes- open note lit circle books test due Wednesday. (We will be working on these during class. There are some elements that we still need to go over.)
• Culminating projects/presentations will be due on Tuesday or Wednesday. Your child may need to spend time at home completing these.
• We learned about the four types of conflict in literature using clips of Disney movies.
• We played Gimkits to practice our vocabulary, and I’m pleased to say, that no one got les than 100% in spite of our friends being in and out this week with various sicknesses!

Math w/ Mrs. McFadden –

• Upcoming Tests/Quizzes- Last week’s test is postponed to Tuesday. We didn’t feel that they were quite ready, so we took a pretest today. If they got an A on the pretest they are off the hook next week! We will return these on Monday and give it one more practice.

Deep Dive w/ Mrs. McFadden & Mr. K –

• Upcoming Tests/Quizzes- Exhibition – February 19th
• We spent the week finalizing exhibition plans, and creating artifacts. Ideas were flowing, and we are excited to show off what we’ve learned.
• For the exhibition, students should dress in the style of their house. For example, the house of Poseidon could wear beach clothes, and the house of Hades could wear all black. 

Science w/ Mrs. Farris – 

• Upcoming Tests/Quizzes – No test or quiz scheduled 
• Students researched various ways to identify a maple tree beyond its iconic leaf. 
• They then searched the loop, carefully examining bark and collecting leaves, branches, and samaras to document their findings in their journals.–

Music w/Mrs. Chelsey – 

Our music journal entry this week was “Is there any style or kind of music that you don’t like?”

This week we focused more on matching pitch and controlling where our voice is when we sing, as well as energy and volume. We worked on a rhythmically challenging section of “California Girls” and continued to the next part of The National Anthem. 

CLICK HERE FOR UPCOMING WCDS EVENTS
Aimsweb testing in English will begin Tuesday for 6th-8th graders, and math will begin Wednesday.

6th Grade Happenings:

6th grade will travel to the House of the Carpenter on Monday from 9:00-12:00 to help with sorting meals and items for their thrift shop.

English w/ Mrs. McFadden – 

• Upcoming Tests/Quizzes-  Monday, January 27th Daily Dose 5 quiz
• We learned more about perspective and point of view. As an extension, the class was split into two groups. One group was told they would be real estate agents, and the other group was told they would be burglars. Then we listened to the same story about a house. They were to write as many details they could remember about the story from the perspective of agents or burglars. Then each group had to guess the other group’s role. They really enjoyed this.
• Students continued to read their literature circle books. They should all be preparing their discussion guides for their meetings next week. The group I met with today had fantastic discussion points!

Math w/ Mrs. McFadden –

• Upcoming Tests/Quizzes-  none
• We practiced using the distributive property to evaluate expressions. It took a few days for the kids to become comfortable with this. 
• Next we added in the associative and commutative properties.

Deep Dive w/ Mrs. McFadden & Mr. K –

• Upcoming Tests/Quizzes- none
• Students finished presenting their Norse creatures and adding details for the exhibition projects. They are shaping up! 

Science w/ Mrs. Farris – 

• Upcoming Tests/Quizzes – Thursday Jan 23rd 
• We kicked off our Maple in the Classroom program with an introduction to tree cookies.
• Students created their own tree rings to tell personal stories—some sharing scars like a broken bone or the loss of a loved one, while others marked moments of growth, like coming to WCDS and experiencing newfound happiness. 
• We identified the parts inside of a tree and learned their functions. 

There are study resources in Google Classroom for their science survey on Thursday. 

Music w/Mrs. Chelsey – 

• This week we continued working on the National Anthem and started working on another of our choral pieces. The students wanted to sing “California Girls” by Katy Perry, so that’s what we’re doing!! 
• Their music journal entry this week was “How does music influence your mood?”

CLICK HERE FOR UPCOMING WCDS EVENTS

6th Grade Happenings:

We would like to welcome Silas Herbert to 6th grade! The boys are delighted to have another to help balance the scales!

Students are encouraged to participate in the Middle School spelling bee on Friday this week. Practice word lists were distributed.

English w/ Mrs. McFadden – 

• Upcoming Tests/Quizzes- none
• Students selected books for literature circles. They began reading their books and writing journal entries about what they had read this week. 
• We put the finishing touches and final edits on their Awesoe Author contest essays. Some students will still be meeting next week to work on final edits.

Math w/ Mrs. McFadden –

• Upcoming Tests/Quizzes- none
• We spent Wednesday reviewing the concepts we worked on in December.
• Students practiced using the distributive property with algebraic expressions on Thursday and Friday. They are becoming more comfortable with order of operations and variables!

Science w/ Mrs. Farris – 

• Upcoming Tests/Quizzes –
• Students were introduced to genetics by taking a trait quiz and comparing their traits with classmates. They then created a chart to highlight similarities and differences. 
• Next, we made genetic gingerbread models to demonstrate how traits are inherited. These activities set the stage for our next study on DNA!

Music w/Mrs. Chelsey – 

• It was great to see the students again!! We jumped back into choral warm-ups and breath work and played one of our favorite rhythm games “Pass the beat around the room”. We will be starting to learn “The National Anthem” in preparation for singing at a Nailers game at the end of March. There will be information going home about this in the next few weeks. We will also be starting to learn a couple of other choral pieces to do a short virtual choral video of “Spring Songs”. 

Elective

Design – Students are starting their upcycle projects in class on Tuesday. They need to gather their materials to start their “build”. Please do not spend any money on these items. The students should use all upcycled/recycled materials.