No School - Monday

Monday, October 13

No School for students - Columbus Day

ACT 80 Day for teachers and staff

First Issue of The Herd

Check out the first issue of The Herd, the AMS student newspaper club's publication, online! Students can join The Herd! The staff and sponsors are always looking for students to write articles about Avonworth for the paper! The next meeting will be Tuesday,  October 14. The staff meets in room 110 from 3:00 - 4:00 PM.

Grade 8 Article: Veterans Visit Avonworth Middle School

Magazine Sale

The annual student council magazine sale had its kick off on WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8!  If you are a current subscriber or are interested in getting any new titles please consider purchasing your magazines through our fundraiser.  All proceeds to go AMS Student Council and allow us to provide programming throughout the year, support classroom activities and organize social and charitable activities.  Please ask your students for their packet so that they can get you signed up to enjoy a subscription through our fundraiser!

October Events and Dates Updated

Thursday, October 9

 [Social Studies] Complete Step 3 of Historical Editorial

Friday, October 10

 [sci] quiz: velocity & acceleration 

 [Social Studies] Historical Editorial

 [Event] Halloween Social

Monday, October 13

 No School for Students - ACT 80

Tuesday, October 14

 [Social Studies] Historical Editorial Project DUE

Wednesday, October 15

 [Reading] Finish Reading The Outsiders and Complete Theme Stcky Nte Assgnmnt by Wed, 10/15

Friday, October 17

 Read AR Book - AR Points Due Monday, October 20

 [Social Studies] TEST on Society and Citizenship - Chapter 2 and 3

Monday, October 20

 Read AR Book - AR Points due

Wednesday, October 22

 2 Hr Delay Teacher In-Service

Tuesday, October 28

 [End of First 9 Weeks]

Wednesday, October 29

 [Start of Second 9 Weeks]

Visit our calendar online! 

This week...

Sent 3:00 PM 10/06/14 via Remind to all subscribers

This week: 

Tue, Wed, & Thu ISS flyover!http://amsgrade8.blogspot.com/2014/10/students-to-track-iss-next-week.html 

Fri: Science quiz w/ study guide online (https://sites.google.com/a/avonworth.k12.pa.us/sci8/unit-b/velocity-accleration) & Social

Students to track the ISS next week

Next week students in science class will be encouraged to track the International Space Station (ISS) as it appears in our night sky. This is a great way to think about the role of Newton's Laws, motion, and gravity. Finding the ISS is easy due to the various websites that post the location and viewing dates and times. However, there is a small window in which it can be viewed. Also, we will need a clear night to view the flyover. In class, we will explore the impact of sunlight reflection, the shadow of the Earth, and visibility of the ISS during our early evening or early morning.

Pittsburgh, PA - Dates, Times and Where to Look for the ISS: 

Night	Duration	Angle	Start Direction	End Direction
Tue Oct 7, 8:34 PM	3 min	65°	10 above WSW	65 above NNW
Wed Oct 8, 7:45 PM	6 min	69°	10 above SW	16 above ENE
Thu Oct 9, 8:35 PM	2 min	28°	23 above WNW	26 above N

The ISS can be tracked through several different websites and apps:

NASA Spot the Station - Pittsburgh

Astro Viewer  ISS website

ISS Spotter app available in app stores

Space Station being tracked using the Night Sky app on an iPhone.

Is this math or science class? It's both!

The students in the eighth grade are participating in a series of STEM, also known as science, technology, engineering and mathematics, activities in their math and science classes. First we are working through Ramp It Up!, which is an investigation into Newton's principles of motion. Student teams in the different science classes are independently investigating what happens to an object as it rolls down a ramp. As the unit unfolds, students learn about classical physics problems and some of the history behind so many of the discoveries of the 17^th century. They are then applying those principles to everyday problems using scientific investigation.

Students using the ramps in science class.

This week...

Sent 3:00 PM 9/29/14 via Remind to all subscribers

This week:

10/1: IM1 & Math8-quizzes

Science students must bring their science books to class all week!

Middle School Social

The next middle school social is scheduled for Friday, October 10, from 7:00-9:30PM.  It is the Halloween costume party!

What's in the box?

Students experimenting
with the black box.

In science class, we just concluded our work with "the black box" project. We referred to this as the black box because students never see what is inside. Wikipedia  describes a black box as "a device which can be viewed solely in terms of its input, output and transfer characteristics without any knowledge of its internal workings."

With the investigation into the black box concluded, the students had to design what they imagine could be the apparatus inside the black box. Using observation and experimentation the students had to use their data to help define the inner workings. Students discovered that when water was added, sometimes only a fraction of the water exited the box. Other times, the black box released more water than was added. Students had to make inferences about what would cause water in the box to behave in this manner.

Students had to defend their ideas in class by explaining how well their concepts matched the data collected during the investigation. The class discussed each team's ideas and helped them to make needed modifications.

At the end of the project, the students completed a writing activity where they discussed their confidence in their designs. Through the course of the black box experience, students were employing skills in perseverance, teamwork, critical and skeptical thinking, and problem-solving. You can see student work on the lab blog at http://amslab110.blogspot.com.

Student model of the inner
workings of the black box.

Student explanation for the
black box phenomenon.

Grade 8 Math Update

IM 1 and Math 8 will have a  quiz on Wednesday, October 1. 

  

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