Team Summit Blog

Home Heating Presentation

2012-02-19T14:41:00.001-08:00

On Thursday, Dave Guilliani, an energy auditor from Central Vermont Community Action Council, came and discussed with the team how to best keep our homes warm in winter. He stressed that all homes can become more energy efficient by sealing up the cracks and crevices where air leakage occurs and that most of the home's heat is lost through the attic. He also stressed the importance of first reducing our use as much as possible by conserving energy and heat. Students enjoyed the demonstrations of the negative pressure test (the "red door") and the infared scanner to see exactly where the air leaks are in Room 6/8. For more information on how you can get help with a home energy efficiency audit see CVCAC's webpage: CVCAC.org

Update #17

2012-01-20T05:09:00.000-08:00

Greetings and hello! Team Summit has been working hard for the past two weeks on mythology work and Ancient Greek Civilizations. Students have been studying the settlement of Greece, the concept of the city-state, and the different cultures of Sparta and Athens. Students will examine the Persian wars next and will take a brief quiz next week to assess their knowledge of the material we have covered.

In mythology, students have been reading Heroes, Gods, and Monsters. As they read, students are taking notes and summarizing their understanding of the ancient gods through summary paragraphs. These summary paragraphs will form the basis for the Myth Booklets. These booklets are a multi-dimensional reflection of student knowledge and require organization, consistent independent work, and an ability to follow the proscribed timeline. Please let us know if you have any questions or comments about any of these matters.

Thanks and stay warm!

2012-01-12T04:53:00.000-08:00

Team Summit has started the New Year with a bang. Our studies have moved west from the Asian continent to the Mediterranean and the early Greek civilization. In social studies, students are applying their knowledge of culture, civilization, and themes of geography to examine the influence of Greek culture on western civilization.

Specifically, students are studying the influence of Greek culture and ideas on our forms of government, architecture, drama, philosophy, and the way we interpret history. The reading of informational text will be interspersed with studies of art history, video segments, and multimedia learning experiences.

In language arts, students will be reading Heroes, Gods, and Monsters. This book details the myths of the Greeks and will form the basis for the major project of the trimester. Students will utilize their knowledge of Greek mythology and culture to create a Greek Myth Booklet. This project will span the month of January. Students will be assessed on their utilization of the reading and writing processes, their ability to take notes, respond to literary text, and communicate their finding through written and visual media.

Team Summit Update #16

2011-12-14T02:16:00.001-08:00

As we approach the winter solstice, and the long journey towards longer days and shorter nights, Team Summit is also shifting gears into a new trimester and new units of study. Currently, students are putting the finishing touches on their Ancient Civilization projects. Summary paragraphs are being edited, presentations completed, and last minute changes to bibliographies implemented. During the following week, we will be presenting the projects, asking questions, and moving into our study of Ancient Greece and Rome.With the close of the first trimester, we are also starting fresh. Students have been reminded of the importance of setting academic goals, different steps that they can take to achieve those goals, and to continue building positive work habits for the rest of middle school and beyond.Additionally, we have re-emphasized the importance of independent reading. Students are being asked to read at lead 5 books independently this trimester with at least 3 of those books being different genres. Students should log each independently read book as they finish the material.

Team Summit Update #15

2011-12-01T16:49:00.001-08:00

The first day of December was decidedly colder than the past few weeks but Team Summit and Main Street Middle School kicked off the month with a bang. Governor Shumlin and many dignitaries visited the school today to congratulate students on their Buy Local fundraiser and to announce proposed tax policy for 2012.

Students raised a significant amount of money through the sale of coupon books featuring local businesses. In what continues to be a tough economic climate, local business owners offered their first hand appreciation for the effort. Moreover, Governor Shumlin emphasized the importance of Vermonters helping Vermonters in the wake of VT Irene. It was testament to the collaborative efforts of the students and the community and it was a great experience for all involved.

In the classroom, we started our Ancient Civilization projects today. Students will be working in small groups to research, investigate, and communicate their findings regarding four ancient civilizations. Stay tuned.

End of the Trimester Approaching!

2011-11-29T08:17:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to remind everyone that the 1st Trimester will come to a close on Friday, December 2nd. Students should have all assignments turned in to be assessed by this Wednesday for LA and SS and by this Friday for Sci and Math.

Please check PowerSchool for the current status of completed work and scores on these assignments. There is also an updated list of missing assignments posted in the classroom.

Please contact Mr. Taylor or Ms. Kimball with questions about missing assignments.

Solid Waste Field Trip

2011-11-24T10:18:00.001-08:00

Team Summit had a fabulous trip on Monday, Nov. 21st to see where our solid waste from MSMS ends up.

We started at the CSWD Materials Recovery Facility in Williston and watched the big conveyor belts and machinery sort the paper, metal, cardboard, glass, and plastics from our blue recycling bins into big bales to be taken away and processed into new products.

Then it was off to the Moretown Landfill where we got a first hand look at where any trash that isn't recycled ends up. One surprising fact we learned is the methane gas that is produce is burned and provides energy for over 2,000 homes.

We ended the day with a visit to Grow Compost Company where MSMS lunch scraps end up some of the time to see how compost is produced. We were amazed at how warm the piles get - over 150 degrees Farenheit. Here's a picture of us taking the temperature of a wind row of compost in the making.

With all the statistics and information gathered from our trip, the question for the students now becomes: What can we do at MSMS to increase our composting and recycling and reduce the amount of trash ending up at the landfill? This will be the focus of the Team Summit service learning project for the rest of the year. Stay tuned!

Update #14

2011-11-14T17:41:00.001-08:00

Time flies when you get busy and busy we have been. Team Summit students completed the first segment of the Ancient Civilizations Unit by reviewing elements of cultures, studying the tenets of civilization, and looking at the Mesopotamian region to start our line of inquiry.

This portion of the course of study culminated in an Ancient Civilizations quiz last Friday. Students are will now be looking for resources, artifacts, and online information related to other ancient civilizations; particularly those built around rivers.

In language arts, students have been polishing their grammar skills, completing reflection writes, and trying to finish the last two books of the trimester. Please remember to fill our your reading logs!

Update #13

2011-11-01T05:23:00.000-07:00

According to VPR, Halloween marks the mid-point of autumn. We are halfway to winter......Again, according to the story, Halloween is a traditional celebration marking the beginning of the "dark time". Scary indeed. The recent snow announced that winter is, in fact, right around the corner.

That said, the classroom is heating up with studies of archaeology, ancient civilizations, and matter. Having finished the poetry portfolio and North Branch River papers students are now focusing on some basic skill work (reading comprehension, sentence structure, etc.). Additionally, students are being encouraged to continue developing their organizational skills so that they can finish the first trimester on a positive note.

Don't hesitate to let us know if you have any questions, comments or concerns.

Team Summit Update #12

2011-10-24T11:28:00.000-07:00

Thank you to all the parents who attended conferences Friday, October 21st, and through additional appointments. We find these conferences to be very informative and we were glad to share your student's accomplishments, goals, and achievements.

The North Branch River Paper concluded on Wednesday, October 19th and those are now past due. Additionally, students have their Poetry Portfolio due on Friday, October 28th.

In social studies we are transitioning into a new unit: Ancient Civilizations. Stay tuned as we begin our explorations of several ancient civilizations across the world.

Team Summit Update #11

2011-10-17T17:45:00.000-07:00

Team Summit is working hard to get things done in our abbreviated week. River Papers are due on Wednesday and the Poetry Portfolio is due on October 28th. Additionally, students are prepping for their conferences, setting goals, and trying to finish their third book of the trimester.

If possible, please review Powerschool assessments. Additionally, if you have not signed up for a conference, please do so at your earliest convenience.

Update #10

2011-10-10T16:43:00.000-07:00

The beautiful weather continues and it's hard to believe that we aren't in for quite a winter/cold weather shock.....But we'll enjoy it while we can.

Team Summit is embarking on the most difficult part of the Environmental Interaction unit: the investigative report on the North Branch River. Students will take the evidence developed during their research and parlay that into a 5 paragraph essay detailing their opinion of the health of the river. Students will be given plenty of time to work on the essay in class but time management, utilization of the writing process and organization will be key.

Team Summit #9

2011-10-09T05:23:00.000-07:00

Team Summit finished an arduous week with some creative thinking and brainstorming. The past week was marked by three days of NECAP testing. Students performed admirably but the consensus was that these activities were tough....Congratulations to the students for finishing so well.

On Friday, Team Summit students participated in their first Technology, Innovation, and Creativity (T.I.C.) sessions. The team welcomed our superintendent, Dr. Ricca as he joined us in our activities.

Based on current research regarding innovative thinking, creativity, and brain science, students were given the opportunity to explore issues, problems, or topics that spark their interest. For more information on these sessions, please visit this website.

2011-10-04T07:35:00.001-07:00

Template change for the Team Summit blog is causing some serious issues.

Update #8

2011-10-03T13:13:00.000-07:00

A rainy weekend was quickly forgotten as students returned to school to review their River Day results. Because last week's rain prevented our gathering of macroinvertebrates on River Day, Mrs. Kimball went out and found some interesting critters over the weekend that were viewed by students, sketched, and identified.

To the left is an example of a common stonefly. Students were able to observe a variety of creatures who, after class, were returned safely to the North Branch.

Tomorrow, students will look at the chemical results and in combination with the wildlife, determine what the evidence says about the health of the North Branch River.

In addition to writing poetry, students used watercolors to represent various themes of geography and the sensory images presented by the environment. Students will use these activities as pre-writing exercises for more poetry work.

Team Summit #7

2011-09-28T02:30:00.000-07:00

Team Summit has spent the past few days working on our Real World Application project. The presentations are coming along and the level of integration (social studies, science, writing, technology), has been impressive. Additionally, students are beginning to work with different forms of poetry in language arts.

On Thursday, weather permitting, the team will travel to the North Branch recreation fields to conduct our river study. Please be prepared for different types of weather and pack accordingly.

Update #6

2011-09-26T02:43:00.000-07:00

The fine September weather has continued with unseasonably warm weather and sunshine....How long will it last? Meanwhile, in the classroom, students are rapidly engaging in several different studies designed to heighten their understanding of geography, watersheds, and how these impact our culture.

Specifically, students are looking at the impact of Tropical Storm Irene and synthesizing their understanding of geographical themes and the elements of culture to evaluate the long term impacts of this storm on the state of Vermont.

In science, students continue to examine sources of pollution, best practices for land development, and the importance of water quality.....All of this in preparation for our big River Day project which will occur on Thursday.

Team Summit Update #5

2011-09-20T08:45:00.000-07:00

We are rapidly progressing through our study of environmental interaction. Over the past two days we have been applying our understanding of the themes of geography and elements of culture into an analysis of the Lascaux cave paintings in France.

Students came up with a number of insights as to what elements of culture were displayed in the paleolithic art works. We are hoping to transfer understanding of the interconnectedness of geography, culture, and the environment to a study of how VT Irene impacted the people, communities, and culture of Vermont. Additionally, we have started our poetry portfolio project which should start taking off in the next few days.

Team Summit Update #4

2011-09-18T17:17:00.001-07:00

Monday Memo and homework assignments for the week of September 19 - 23 have been posted.

Team Summit Update #3

2011-09-17T09:01:00.001-07:00

Thanks to all the parents who attended Open House on Thursday night. We appreciated the participation and if you have any questions, please contact us at your convenience.

The first full week of school came to a close with students examining water quality issues (point and non-point pollutants, development issues, watershed and water basins), elements of culture, and themes of geography. Additionally, the first round of regular assessments: Problems of the Week in math, reflection writes, Word Journeys quizzes, and blog entries were all due on Friday.

Next week we will begin preparing students for our river investigation. Team Summit will travel to the Montpelier Rec Fields and conduct a study of the North Branch's water quality.

Stay tuned!

Update #2

2011-09-15T05:26:00.001-07:00

Yesterday we finished our in-class work on our first reflection write. Students were guided through the writing process, including drafting, revising, proofing, and publishing. Additionally, students were invited to share their reflection writes with teachers for online editing.

In the afternoon we talked about the elements of culture and reviewed the themes of geography. On Friday, we will examine the cave paintings of Lascaux to evaluate elements of culture and how these are influenced by geography. This will be our real world application. The piece we will focus on is below.

http://www.metanexus.net/magazine/tabid/68/id/10167/Default.aspx

Elements of Culture

2011-09-13T16:47:00.000-07:00

Today in social studies the team categorized the elements of culture that were brainstormed yesterday. Students grouped the 31 different ideas into 6 categories: Inventions and Technology, Beliefs, People, Learning, Systems/Organization, and Basic Needs.

Tomorrow's challenge will be to identify how these elements of culture can be affected by physical and human geography. Finally, we hope to synthesize our learning by applying these ideas to the recent devastation wrought by Tropical Storm Irene.

Monday Memo September 12 - September 16

2011-09-11T09:03:00.000-07:00

Here is a link to the Monday Memo for the week of September 12 - 16. You can also find this on our Twitter Feed at msms_teamsummit.

Team Summit Update

2011-09-11T08:56:00.001-07:00

Greetings readers!

We've had a productive and busy 1.5 weeks to start the school year. We hit the ground running but have slowed the pace a bit to make sure that all students understand the processes, standards, and objectives of Team Summit.

In language arts, we have reviewed the reading and writing processes. Currently, students are completing a Team Summit paragraph identifying at least 3 effects of Hurricane Irene on Vermont. This will serve as the Team Summit Reflection Write #1 and will be due on Friday, September 16th. Students will be expected to post this Reflection Write on Global Classroom.

In social studies, we have been studying the Themes of Geography. In the coming week, we will be looking at human and physical geography as well as the definition of culture.

Don't hesitate to review the material on the Team Summit web page if you have any questions.

Beauty Queens

2011-08-31T15:05:00.000-07:00

When a plane crashes containing 50 contestants of the Miss Teen Dream Pageant, the pilot, and chaperones, only twelve desperate beauty queens survive. Stranded on an island, they hope for help. Like it's not hard enough to survive on the island, they also have to survive from getting shot by a crazy secret agency on the island. Could this get any worse and will they survive?

This book is about survival, but it is also about being yourself and excepting that you are who you are. One connection I had to this book was that I have seen a show called Lost, where a bunch of people are on a plane and it crashes on an island where they are stranded for a long period of time. Another connection I have is that in many situations in the book, the author describes the sounds of the forest at night. I remember when I go camping, I here noises in the forest too. The last connection I have is that one of the cotestants states that she is applying to Brown, Yale, Harvard, and Columbia, and so am I.

Double Identity

2011-07-06T14:03:00.000-07:00

12 year old, soon to be thirteen year old, Bethany was not prepared for what she is about to incounter in her future. When her mom starts crying constantly and her dad has them get in their car and drive to an aunts house that she didn't even knew exhisted to drop Bethany off for an unknown amount of time, she expects anything but the explination she uncovers. With the only clues of her family whispering about a girl named Elizabeth, who her aunt refuses to talk about, Bethany is baffled. But as her stay goes on her parents send a mysterious package, she recieves asstonished looks, and Bethany feels as though someone is watching her. Are her parents in trouble? Are Bethany's parents who she thinks they are, for a matter of fact, is Bethany who she thinks she is? This book is about a girl who uncovers the mystery behind her parents and her own past. I had many connections to this book. One connection was that Bethany likes to swim, like me. Also, before swim meets she says her mom will try to calm Bethany down, but Bethany yells at her to leave her alone and stop, which I do too. My last text-to-self connection is that I am also almost thirteen (but her birthday was closer than mine is in the book). I think this book was well written and would rate it a 4 out of 5 stars.

2011-06-28T13:32:00.000-07:00

Katsa has one blue eye and one green. This singles her out as a Graceling, someone with special powers such as swimming, cooking, mind reading or in Katsa's case - fighting. Unfortunately, having a grace also means she must serve the king and her king, Randa, is not a good king. Eventually, as Katsa grows both more mature and powerful she rebels and sets out to right her wrongs. This leads to a great adventure full of freedom, truth, understanding, friendship, love, and grave danger. As I read this book I connected strongly with Katsa's desire to do something good in the world. I became a librarian so that I could help people and hopefully make the world a better place. Altogether, if you like fantasy, adventure, or romance, this is the book for you. It is very well written with great characters and even won the Green Mountain Book Award last year.

The Wedding Planner's Daughter

2011-06-23T11:14:00.000-07:00

Twelve year old Willafred Havisham has only ever wanted and wished for one thing, a dad. When she moves to Bramble, Cape Cod, It seems, Stella, her single mother,is falling for Willa's English teacher. Lots of other great things seem to be happening also, like Willa makes a new best friend, her mothers buisiness,as a wedding planner, is doing great, and her grandmother has fallen for someone too. But could the past of her father's fatal accident prevent her mother from making the perfect life Willa has always dream of? Could a cherry cordial take everything away? The Wedding Planner's Daughter is about a girl who struggles to find the life she has always dreamed of. I have many connections to this book. One of my connections is that I also live with a single mother. Another connection is that in the book there is a Mrs. Hickey. In the book the Mrs. Hickey is a retired nurse and my 4th and 5th grade teacher, Mrs. Hickey, works at the hospital sometimes. My last connection is that my mom and Willa's Grandmother both love the smell of lavender. My mom may not love quite as much but she still does. I reccomend this as a summer read and rate it a three and a half stars out of five.

The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen

2011-06-14T07:01:00.000-07:00

Jessica is 16 years-old and a star track athlete. Her life changes dramatically when she is in a car accident and her leg is amputated below the knee. The Running Dream is about Jessica's struggle and eventual triumph to adapt to life as an amputee. As I was reading this book I made several connections. I made a text-to-text connection to the memoir Soul Surfer by Bethany Hamilton. This is a true story of a young girl whose arm is bitten off by a shark. She returns to surfing less than a year after her arm is amputated. I also made a text-to-self connection. I am a runner and I connected with Jessica's drive to keep running despite her seemingly impossible situation. I would recommend this book as a good summer read. Jessica is a very strong and realistic character. Her struggle to accept and overcome the challenges that come with her amputation (being accepted at school, keeping up with school work, raising money to pay for her medical bills) is believable. I give this book four out of five stars.