8th Grade Updates SY26-27

Students began the year by building a strong classroom community, establishing shared norms, organizing their notebooks, and participating in conversations centered on empathy, identity, kindness, and belonging. Using mentor texts such as Each Kindness and The Other Side, students reflected on how our words and actions impact the people around us. They also launched the Community Tapestry Project, analyzing mentor texts and rubrics before beginning personal writing and visual art pieces. The finished pieces will eventually be laced together into one tapestry, symbolizing how each individual voice contributes to our larger community. Students also created personalized name cards, while 6th graders painted kindness rocks to add a meaningful personal touch to our classroom space.

Students spent the week establishing classroom procedures, getting to know one another, and laying the foundation for a collaborative math community. They practiced greeting one another, engaging in conversations, and discussing what effective communication and teamwork should look and sound like when solving problems together. Students put these skills into action through the Lost at Sea Challenge, where groups ranked a collection of survival items based on their importance if stranded at sea. The activity encouraged students to explain their reasoning, listen to different perspectives, negotiate with their peers, and work toward shared decisions—skills that will be important throughout the year as they tackle challenging math together.

Students kicked off science by welcoming new and returning classmates and strengthening their classroom community through a series of hands-on, collaborative challenges. Activities such as the Maze Challenge, PVC Pipe + Tennis Ball Challenge, and interactive partner dice games asked students to communicate, problem-solve, take risks, and work together toward a common goal. Just as importantly, students reflected after each challenge on what their experiences could teach them beyond the activity itself. Discussions highlighted the importance of trusting one another, communicating effectively, learning from mistakes, and persevering when something does not work the first time—skills students can carry into science class, throughout school, and into the greater community. 

Students began the year by establishing classroom and Jr. High norms with an emphasis on taking care of one another, recognizing the value each person brings, and creating a community where everyone feels a sense of belonging. Through our Name Plate activity, students highlighted their interests, hobbies, and personality traits while also sharing the stories and meaning behind their names. We then explored Value Setting, with students individually ranking the values most important to them before discussing, negotiating, and prioritizing values as a group. Together, we developed a shared set of classroom values that will help guide our decisions, actions, conversations, and the ways we support one another throughout the year.