October events and dates

Monday, October 13

 No School for Students (Columbus Day) - ACT 80

Wednesday, October 20

 [Reading] AR Points Due!

Wednesday, October 22

 2 Hr Delay Teacher In-Service

Wednesday, October 27

 First Nine-weeks ends

Environmental Club

Students are welcome to join the environmental club. Our first meeting will be on Wednesday, October 1 until 4 PM in room 110. We will be talking about environmental projects at our school. Also, we will start the paper recycling for the middle and high schools. If you have questions, please see Mr. Haskins or Mrs. Abate.

Summer Vacation Story for The Herd

Have you had an interesting summer vacation? Well you should share it with us! If

your vacation was exciting, adventurous, horrific, or just plain fun you should send it to

the Avonworth’s Middle School newspaper! We are looking for your summer vacation

stories. If you have a good story for the newspaper summer vacation section, you should

share it with The Herd by sending it to Mr. Haskins, The Herd school newspaper sponsor. You

will have your final draft printed in the newspaper or posted to our website!

This week...

Sent 3:00 PM 9/22/14 via Remind to all subscribers

This week: 

Tuesday: [Science] unit test (study guide online) &  [Reading] AR Progress Check

Wednesday: [Reading] Study Island Inferences due

Thursday:  [English] Advertising Project

Students learn how to honor the flag

On Friday, September 12, 2014, Avonworth Middle School was visited by local veterans from the South Hills Veterans Honor Guard. The 8th grade team would like to express our gratitude to Brian Allen, US Marine, Vietnam Veteran, Bruno Fontenasi, US Navy, Vietnam Veteran, Paul Kubas, Army Air Corps , WWII Veteran, Shannon Crowley, US Air Force, Ret. Lt. Col., Joseph Cevarr, US Air Force, Vietnam-era, and John Normile, US Army, Vietnam-era. The students have been learning about USA Symbols in civics class.

Students learn how to ceremonially raise the flag each morning. To the Colors is usually played and the flag is hoisted quickly into place.   

Veterans explain how the flag is to be retired each evening. Typically, Retreat is played on the bugle and all military personnel salute. The flag is lowered slowly with dignity and ceremony. 

The students were taught how to fold the flag so that it may be presented to the next of kin at a funeral service. 

Following a rifle volley, the students were taught how to salute the flag while a bugler played the taps. 

The Black Box Conversation

Students experimenting with the Black Box in Lab 110.

Students in science have begun the conversation about the Black Box with two other schools. Eighth graders at Quaker Valley Middle School in Sewickley and Milford Grade School in Milford, Illinois have joined the students at Avonworth in discussing the results of experiments and possible solutions with the Black Box dilemma.

In science class, the students have collected data from the Black Box and have share their inferences and observations with the other laboratories using the blog located at http://amslab110.blogspot.com/. The students have been posting comments and sharing ideas across the different schools.

This is part of the skills unit where students are learning and practicing the work done by scientists. The graphic below explains that part of the work done by scientists which includes community analysis and feedback.  By sharing the results of the Black Box experiment, the students are experiencing the tasks scientists endure to propose and modify ideas due to collected data as well as feedback from the scientific community.

The Black Box project will end with the students proposing final solutions to the question, "What is inside the Black Box?"

The Week Ahead!

Tuesday, September 23
- Science Test
- AR Progress Check

Wednesday, September 24
- Study Island Inferences due

Materials needed for the science lab!

Parents and students are asked to bring to school their clean, plastic recyclables. We are looking for 2-liter bottles, plastic cups (such as those from fountain drinks), and containers (such as Cool-whip and butter). Students will be using these materials for several engineering projects this school year. We will accept these materials throughout the school year.

What's good for use in Lab 110:

• Any plastic bottles

• 2-liter bottles 

• 20 oz or 1-liter bottles

• Any plastic cups (recyclables - new not required)

• Plastic containers

• whipped topping

• butter / margarine spread

• peanut butter/ jelly

• sugar

• coffee

• snacks

What's not good for lab 110:

We cannot use aluminum or steel cans or glass bottles. 

This week...

Sent 3:00 PM 9/15/14 via Remind to all subscribers

This week: 

Tuesday: School Portrait Day

Wednesday: Pre-Algebra Quiz  & Algebra: Quiz

Thursday: Civics USA Symbols Test 

Special Event Tomorrow

Students and teachers in the 8th grade will participate in a flag retirement ceremony tomorrow morning with local veterans. This activity is part of the patriotic symbols unit in civics.

Parent Resource - AR Renaissance Home Connect

Click on the button below and check out Accelerated Reader Renaissance Home Connect, a terrific parent resource for monitoring your child's AR progress.

• Use your student's AR login information. 
• Monitor AR quiz scores.
• View the"Bookshelf" and see all the books your student read in middle school.
• View progress towards reaching an AR point goal.
• Sign up for email alerts about quiz results.

Tweets from #lab110

Students using data to explain a mysterious phenomenon- black box #lab110 pic.twitter.com/sZu26RRLlE
— AMS Science 8 (@science8haskins) September 11, 2014

Solving the mysteries of the black box using experimentation and observation #lab110 pic.twitter.com/hCCJhBq2EJ
— AMS Science 8 (@science8haskins) September 11, 2014

Students started to implement their experiments with the Black Boxes today. Neat observations & inferences! #lab110 pic.twitter.com/hx4hsTEt9G
— AMS Science 8 (@science8haskins) September 10, 2014

AMS School Portrait Day

School Picture Day

Avonworth Middle School

Tuesday, September 16, 2014 

Forms were sent home with students on Thursday, September 11.

Science Quiz Friday

There is  a science quiz to be held on Friday, 9/12/14. Students are encouraged to use the study guide online: https://sites.google.com/a/avonworth.k12.pa.us/sci8/home/quiz-review-science-experiments 

Prudential Spirit of Community Award

Students may apply for the Prudential Spirit of Community Award! Learn more by clicking on the link below:
http://www.edline.net/files/_4EK7N_/fb100197baf71fec3745a49013852ec4/2015_Prudential_Spirit_of_Community_Award.PDF

Positions open in the newspaper!

Join the middle school newspaper club! We will meet in room 110 after school until 4PM on Tuesday, September 16, 2014. The Herd needs cartoonists, writers, layout and graphic designers, and social media promoters! If you have questions, see Mrs Abate room 201 and Mr. Haskins room 110.

December 2013 The Herd logo

This Week...

Sent 3:00 PM 9/8/14 via Remind to all subscribers

This week: 

TONIGHT 9/8/14 - Sci-Module 3 http://home.comcast.net/~mrhaskins/A/Module3.html

TUE- English:fake essay due end of class

WED- Civics:Flag Project

FRI- Science:quiz

Date Change *** Middle School Social - October 10

From the MS Office: 

Due to the September 12, 2014 Avonworth High School football game being changed from an away game to a home game, it has been decided to cancel the social.  The next social is the Halloween costume party scheduled for Friday, October 10.  More information to follow. 
 

Please remember to complete the Social Rules and Expectations form and return it to the school, and plan to attend the first Parent Network meeting at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 17, in the school library.

8th Grade Team Contact Information

8th Grade Team Contact Information

Mrs. Abate; learning support teacher

Mrs. Crothers; mathematics teacher

Mr. Haskins; science teacher

Mrs. Galecki; reading teacher

Mrs. Hickman; English teacher

Mr. Smith; social studies teacher

Math textbooks are online!

Use the following directions to access the math textbook online:

Math 8

IM 1

Science Quiz Tomorrow

Students will be taking a science quiz tomorrow, 9/5/14. Students should use their science notebooks as well as the study guide webpage to review the content from class.

Middle School Social

First Middle School Social 

Friday, September 12, 2014 from 7-9:30PM

Be sure to return your middle school social rules and expectations forms! You may download a permission form from Edline.

Students can join the newspaper club

The Herd, the student newspaper at Avonworth Middle School, will hold their first meeting on Tuesday, September 9, 2014 from 3:00-4:00PM. The staff needs photographers, writers, and layout editors. Students and parents can learn more about The Herd from our website. 

The Herd logo from the November 2013 edition of the newspaper.

Science Help Online

Students in science are going to be using many features of the science website. Parents may also find the content of the website helpful. Students will be using the website for completing assignments as well as studying for quizzes and tests.

Most Helpful: 

Quiz Friday - Study Webpage

Virtual Science Notebook - Updated Daily

Timeline - Science Class Topics Updated Daily

Current Learning Unit - Assignments, Notes, and Tutorials

The science 8 website is located at www.HaskinsSci8.info.

Grade 8 Curriculum Night

Thursday, September 4, 2014 

6:30 - 8:30 PM

Middle / High School Library 

 

Happy Labor Day

Read more about Labor Day!

Bring the AMS Grade 8 newsletter to your email inbox!

Stay Connected. is a communication tool used by the 8th grade team to send parents, students, and interested community members information about our classes. The posts are updated and submitted every Thursday. If you subscribe by email, you will receive the newsletter posts via email!

In our posts we describe important projects that students are completing as well as snapshots of the finished projects. We post information on field trips, tests, assignments, guest speakers, and many other important events at Avonworth Middle School. Stay Connected. can be accessed through Edline at the following address: http://www.edline.net/pages/Avonworth_Middle_School/Team_Teaching/8th_Grade/Stay_Connected_

Grade 8 Homework Calendar

Review what's for homework on the Grade8 homework calendar. Click here!

The 8th grade team uses a Google calendar to keep students and parents informed on due assignments! The Google calendar can be viewed on our webpage page at the following address:
https://www.edline.net/pages/Avonworth_Middle_School/Team_Teaching/8th_Grade/8th_Grade_Calendar

Since our calendar information is available to the public, you may add the calendar directly to your mobile device, tablet, or computer. If you are using Google calendars, all you must do is click on the + Google Calendar icon at the bottom of the calendar. This will allow you to add our information to your calendar!

Don't have a Google account? You can just view the calendar on our website!

Want a Google account? Click here to get started.Create an account and sign-in. Then, come back to our calendar and click the + Google Calendar icon.

You can get the calendar on iPhone, iPod, and Android devices. The easiest way to do this is to sync your Google account with the settings in your phone. When you load your calendar information from Google, the added 8th grade calendar information will be added too!

Back to School!

Students:

Welcome back!

AMS Grade 8 Uses Remind

Students and Parents:

Get the Grade 8 text alerts through the messaging service called Remind, formerly Remind 101.

Follow the directions above!