By: Natalie 12-15-04

8a

The second quarter has been very busy for the 8^th graders. On October 29, 2004 the 8^th graders visited the Health Museum in Cleveland, Ohio. They did some experiments that involved finding evidence to convict the defendant of a crime by matching DNA. They also went to the reproduction room to watch a video about different sexually transmitted diseases. Although the video was very educational, it was a little too descriptive and everyone was grossed out. The 8^th graders did an activity in which they spit into a cup of water and poured their water into someone else’s water. This showed how easily diseases could be spread. When they were all done with the workshops and activities, the students were allowed to go upstairs and explore by themselves. They experimented with riding in wheel chairs and crutches to see how life would be if you were crippled. The 8^th graders also played a decision-making game on drugs and the things you should say to a bully.

(8^th graders performing an experiments.)	(8^th graders working on marking DNA.)	(8^th graders checking their reflexes.)

The 8^th grade choral group put on a show for the grandparents on Grandparents Day. The choral group met after school every Monday for a month to practice their songs. They sang “Grandma’s Feather Bed.” Mrs. Falagna put the choral group together and Mrs. Jacobs played the guitar.

(8th grade choral group singing “Grandma’s Feather Bed” at Grandparent’s day.)	(An 8^th grader with the skeleton dressed up as a character from the song.)

The 8^th grade has been putting on a tournament for the game club. The students started a game club where they play games such as: chess, scrabble, checkers, yahtzee, and euchre. Every week the students in game club contribute a quarter which will pay for a party at the end of the year.

When the school comes back from Christmas break, on January 10th, the 8^th graders will be taking mid-terms. They will be tested in Social Studies, Science, Literature, Religion, and Spanish. In Social Studies, the 8^th graders will be required to know chapters 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6 which includes facts about geography, natural resources, latitude and longitude, isthmus, the climates in the United States, the physical regions of the United States, the Boston Tea Party, the Puritans, proprietary colony, royal colony, the patrons, and much more information. In Literature, the 8^th graders will have to know many vocabulary words they have learned in the past. They will have to read short stories and state the conflicts. In Religion, the 8^th graders will need to know the Ten Commandments, Bible passages, the Apostles Creed, venial and mortal sins, and facts about Confirmation. In Science, the 8^th graders will need to know about cells and label the parts, microscopes and scientists who invented different kinds of microscopes, and mitosis and the mitosis cycle. In Spanish, the 8^th graders will need to know how to conjugate ir verbs, the definition of verbs and adjectives, how to tell time in Spanish and label a clock, and saying different classes, semesters, and periods in Spanish.

The junior high will be performing the musical Annie in the spring. In January, they will be trying out for specific speaking parts. The musical will be put together by Mrs. DePew (the music teacher), Mrs. Wyzinski (the gym teacher), Mrs. Comeriato (the art teacher) and any other volunteer workers that would like to help. In the first and second quarters, the 8^th graders have been working on the music and speaking parts for Annie. The third quarter the 8^th graders will be working on acting out the musical on stage in the gymnasium.

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