Mr. Van

INTERESTING ARTICLE

The following article was passed along to me by Mr. Chevalier. I hope you find it as interesting as I have.   Enjoy 

Download WSJ 010512 - Solar panel tree

Happy New Year

 

 

 

 

 

 

Download 10 Nose to the Grindstone

Happy New Year and welcome back!  I am hoping that everyone had a happy, healthy, and restful break. It is, however, time to put our noses back to the grindstone.  The next several weeks will be very busy as we work toward completing science fair projects, papers, and presentations, and the second quarter.

This year's Science Fair will be held Tuesday, January 24 and Wednesday, January 25.  Junior high students will spend the next six or seven class periods working toward completion of their projects, papers, and Keynote presentations.  I will also be available after school every day should any student require use of the Apple laptops or additional time for working.  All students are expected to be ready to begin presenting their projects in class Thursday and Friday of next week and continue to do so until all have been completed.  Projects will be graded at this time and averaged into the second quarter grade.

The Third quarter will begin with review and completion of the following units:

    Eighth Grade will finalize their Rube Goldberg machine design and begin assembling their             apparatus'.  Each group is required to incorporate each of six simple machines into their design with       the purpose of completing a simple task.

    Seventh Grade will continue to discuss DNA, Genetics, and Evolution.

    Sixth grade will complete an abreviated study of the rock cycle and types of rocks.  

I am looking forward to a very busy, exciting, and enlightening second sememster.  As always, please contact me with any questions or concerns.

Respectfully,

Mr. V

Attention

Being that this will most likely be my last blog for the year, I wanted to take a moment to wish all a very blessed and Merry Christmas.

Just a few notes.   It has been brought to my attention that last year the science fair paper was not turned in until after Christmas break.  Many of the students have also expressed the need for addition time to complete this project.  As a result, I have decided to extend the deadline to January 4, 2012. That is the day we return from break.  Any students that have finished their projects and would like to turn it in to me before break can fell free to do so.  I will gladly take it and review it over the break.

We will begin putting together the keynote aspect of the project when we return on the fourth.  It is very important that the students come prepared to work on this at that time.  All pictures, videos, and information should be in hand.  

If you would like to be a part of a judging team or know somebody would, please contact me here at school via phone or email.  It is always a very positive and interesting experience. 

Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Year

Mr. V

Test Time

Junior High grades six, seven, and eight will be given an exam this coming Monday, December 12. Topics are as follows:

    Sixth grade:  Earth's structure and minerals.

    Seventh grade:  Sexual and asexual cellular reproduction and DNA.

    Eighth grade:  Energy.

Final Science Fair papers are due Tuesday, December 20.  This is the written version of a finished project and includes research, experiment, and analysis of data.  If students are in need of help they should seek it out sooner rather than later.  Friday, December 16 will be the last day that I will make myself available for this purpose.  Myself and several other junior high teachers are available nearly everyday. The longer this is put off the harder it will be to find time to assist.  

Please contact me with any questions.

Mr. V 

Technical Forms

The following are the technical forms needed for the science fair paper.

Download IJAS Abstract Form SFX

Download IJAS Human Endorsement SFX

Download IJAS Non-Human Endorsement SFX

Download IJAS Safety Sheet SFX

 

Hello

Let me take a moment to welcome all back from what I hope was a very happy, restful, and safe Thanksgiving holiday weekend. The Christmas season is always very busy and exciting.  Many wonderful things are always happening here at SFX and in science.  Our Eighth grade finally launched rockets today!!  Always an adventure and always fun, I am happy to announce that it was a success.  All middle school students will be working on science fair papers during class this week. It is important that each comes prepared to do so. I can only justify the use of class time and will only provide this time if it is put to good use. Other than science fair, students will be working toward the completion of the following units:

        Eighth grade will be completing a unit on energy and starting a short unit on machines.  An exam is         planned for December 12. We are considering adding the Ruth Goldberg model to this machine         unit if time permits. 

        Seventh Grade is working toward completion of our unit on cell reproduction and DNA.  Having         finished meiosis will will be start our discussion on DNA later this week.  An exam is scheduled for         December 12.  Our next unit will cover Genetics and Evolution.

        Sixth grade continues to discuss the Earth's structure and minerals.  An exam is also scheduled for         December 12.  The unit that follows covers thr rock cycle, rocks, and weathering and erosion.  

Entering this busy holiday season it is important to remain focussed and continue to work hard.  I have scaled down the quantity of work students bring home in an effort to allow them the time needed to review their notes and other materials.  It is through this constant review that they will become comfortable with the material and come prepared for class. It is expected that students will take advantage of this time and do just that.  As such, students should expect a quiz everyday.  

Mr V

 

 

 

New Quarter

A very heart felt thank you to all who have kept Paddy in your thoughts and prayers.  He is doing well and is expected to be back in school next week.  While this unexpected event has been very trying, the outpouring of love has been very comforting.  It is truly a blessing to be accepted as part of this wonderful St Francis Xavier family.

 Download 01 Danke Schoen

On a lighter note, I am amazed at how quickly the first quarter of our school year has passed. The unseasonably warm weather has played tricks on my sense of time. Is it really November?  The new month brings with it cooler temperatures, a new school quarter, and even cooler units of study.  Topics currently being discussed include Newtonian (Isaac not Wayne) laws governing energy and motion, the cell cycle, and the structure of the earth.  

We continue to work toward completion of the science fair review of literature.  The students will be turning in a completed first draft on Monday November, 7.  Time has been given to them in school to work on this.  Please take the time to check that they have what they need to complete this task.

If their are any questions please do not hesitate contacting me.

Mr V                                                                                                                                                         

 

Winding Down

Now that the warmer weather is behind us and we are headed into the stretch run of the first quarter, I am happy to report that students seem to have begun settling into the new school year. The late summer early fall season always makes this difficult due to a combination of warm weather and time taxing activities. As the end of the first quarter approaches students should try to be ever more dilligent in terms of preparing for class. I have attempted to decrease the amount of work the students have to take home in an effort to increase the amount of studying they should do.  Studying should remain a top priority and as such should be done as often as possible.  Progress reports have been given to each student.  Please inquire about these and contact me with any questions or concerns. 

Summary of materials covered in Junior High Science include the following:                                          Eighth grade continues to exam motion and the methods of measuring and calculating              motion. Examination will take place in the next two weeks and will include both the conceptual              and the calculable aspects of the topic.  Closure will include an inertial olympics and the trditional          rocket build.

     Seventh grade continues to examine the structure and function of the cell and will be tested next          week.  We will then begin an extensive unit on cellular reproduction.     

     Sixth grade is studying atomic structure, chemical bonding, and the periodic table.  We will begin          examining Earth's structure, minerals, and rocks later next week. 

Science Fair is underway.  Now that project problems have been chosen, students have begun writing the research portion of the paper.  The past few class periods have been spent searching for information and assembling a prelimanary draft of an outline.  Students will be expected to work on this at home. As a result, it is important that additional assistance in this endeavour come from the home. Common problems include choosing appropriate topics for research and citing and referencing sources.

As always, please contact me with any questions.

Mr. V

 

Mid-Quarter

Hello to all.  I am amazed at how quickly the past few weeks have passed.  We will be at mid-quarter by weeks end! Middle school has been busy studying the basic foundations of science.  Key ideas have included experimentation, measurement, and graphing.  Basic skills which include notetaking, outlining, and study strategies have also been discussed.  We will bring closure to this unit this week with a lab activity and review.  This will be followed with a test in all grades next Monday, Sept 26.  The science fair will be introduced this week. Please encourage your son or daughter to begin considering projects. I will be happy to assist in any way that I can but I will not choose individual topics for the students.  

Students are expected to review materials each night in preparation for the next day's lesson and upcoming exams.  Study strategies are discussed as part of the science curriculum.   Finding what works best for each student is a matter of trial and error.  This often makes that task very difficult. However, it is well worth the time and frustration.  Creating good study habits early in the school year is not only neccesary but very important if we expect our students to succeed in learning meaningfully here at St. Francis and in their future academic endeavors.  As such, they should be practiced and reinforced at home.

On a lighter note, I look forward to seeing all at the back to school night this coming Thursday.  Have a great week and as always, if their are any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me here at school.

Mr. V       

WELCOME BACK

Now that we are back into the swing of things, Hello and welcome back!

Many new and exciting things are happening in the Junior High Science program.  The newly renovated science room complete with furniture, storage, and a smart board is a true positive for our science program and our school itself.  One can not help be overwhelmed by the energy that permeates and exudes from every corner of our school and enlivens the faculty and students.  We are truly blessed to be part of this environment and belong to this wonderful community.

I look forward to seeing all of our Junior High parents tomorrow night.

Respectfully

Mr. V