11/12- Room 207- Service, Vocab, 2 more geniuses

Walk to End Alzheimer's

This past windy Suday, a group of eighth graders and some of their parents 

were able to make the Walk to End Alzheimers in Philadelphia by the stadiums. 

We partacipated as part of Pop's Paisan's in support of A's pop. 

7th Vocabulary Skits

Always a favorite. Test Monday. 

Pompous

Incinerate

Hoodwink

Abscond

Pliant

8th Grade Research

I am constantly energized by this project,

 yet I am constantly at a loss of how to convey that overwhelming inspiration here. 

Nonetheless, I will try. 

Two more 8th graders reached out to the climate scientists who are the subjects of their research

and received replies from these world renowned academics. 

V. heard back from Dr. James E. Hansen, 

a former NASA scientist 

who famously  warned the world of the threat of climate change back in 1988. 

He is currently an activist (and professor at Columbia)

doing anything and everything he can to wake the world up to this reality. 

This includes suing the US government and communicating with our V. 

Hensen not only gave V the benefit of a personal primary source inteview, 

but he also sent her links to news interviews and pieces of his own writing 

that he thought would make her understanding that much more profound. 

M heard back from Dr. Klaus Lackner. 

His research is primarily focused on the carbon cycle

 and fabricating machines that can capture carbon as quickly as we produce it. 

He spoke to M about his own CO2 capturing inventions, 

his thoughts on the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, 

and the realities surrounding our hopes for the future. 

These scientists aren't softballing our kids. 

They are speaking to them with confidence that they can understand

 the scientific, humanitarian, economic, and geopolitical complexities involved...

and our kids are getting it. 

They are asking intelligent questions, 

following up, and holding their own 

in an arena they don't even qualify to play in. 

I am beyond stoked. I am beyond proud. I am beyond hopeful. 

11/9 Not to Be Missed- interview with a genius and 7th adjective projects

Research Gets Real!

Last week J. emailed 

to the topic of his first semester research report 

Wallace Broecker, literally the

 GRANDFATHER OF CLIMATE CHANGE SCIENCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Instead of answering J.'s questions via email, 

Dr. Broecker invited J. to call him, so J. did!

On Monday, J. made the call 

and engaged in a half an hour interview

with one of the greatest minds of our times!

 "To his colleagues, peers and admirers he is a genius and a pioneer, the Grandfather of Climate Science...Broecker is arguably one of the world’s greatest living geoscientists. For more than half a century, his major research interest has been the ocean’s role in climate change. He was among the pioneers in radiocarbon and isotope dating... He was also the first person ever to recognize the Ocean Conveyor Belt (which he named), arguably the most important discovery in the history of oceanography and its critical relation to climate.

Broecker’s studies regarding biogeochemical cycles of carbon and the influence of climate change on polar ice and ocean sediments have earned him decades of international attention." - http://www.earth.columbia.edu/articles/view/2246

 AND HE TALKED TO ONE OF OUR KIDS!!!!!!!!!! 

J. got to pick this man's brain

and get his reaction to

 the most up to date events in climate change!

They even talked about an article

 in the New York Times published that day!

I am sorry for the superfluous exclamation points, 

but I cannot contain my elation 

that J. got to have this unique and powerful opportunity!

7th grade Adjective Project

7th graders worked in pairs or small groups

to write songs about assigned adjective topics. 

Adjective Phrases

by: A, C, K, and J

Ajdective Clauses 

by: W, L, L, and E

Interrogative Adjectives, Demonstrative Adjectives, and Indefinite Adjectives 

by: T, B, and J

Few and Little with Count and Noncount Nouns

By: J and R

8th Grade vs.  Faculty Volleyball Game 

Your kids were there too.

10/30- So Much To Share

Grade 7 Adjective Project

7th graders are working is small groups 

to create something wonderful with different adjective topics. 

Here is a sneak peak at the process of collaboration. 

Be sure to check out next week's blog 

for their completed projects!

Blanch's Month of Horror Continued

Stories Read: "The Gold Bug", "The Murders inthe Rue Morgue", "The Perloined Letter", "The Black Cat", "The Cask of Amontillado", "The Fall of the House of Usher", "The Pit and the Pendulum", "William Wilson", "Never bet the Devil Your Head", "The Tell Tale Heart" 

THE BOLD ONE ARE THE ONES YOUR KIDS RECOMMEND MOST. 

Even dreaded Hallway Readers are wrapt!

Grade 8 Research Paper

The beauty of the work that these students are doing on ther research papers

 is hard to capture in a picture, 

but Z's Eureka! comes pretty close. 

I found the nerd report!

8th Grade Service Wall

We are using this space as a school community to track our service efforts

and remind ourselves that we are called to walk with God. 

Mission Party's Mission

Mary Alice SHCJ, 

who has been working in the Dominican Republic for two decades, 

visited our students on Monday. 

She shared in a truly engaging way 

just how our Halloween Mission Party funds 

would go directly to helping people in need. 

Mission Party's Party

7th Lead School in Prayer for
Founder's Day and St. Teresa of Avila

Cafe Friday