8th grade virtual thursday september 3rd 1:00-3:00pm
TRANSCRIPT
8th Grade Virtual Curriculum Night
Thursday September 3rd1:00-3:00pm
Please mute your mics and type any questions in the chat
Meet the team:Mrs. Banaszek- Science - [email protected]
Mrs. Conrad- Math/Algebra- [email protected]
Mrs. Dusel- Civics/Social Studies- [email protected]
Mrs. Graham - Reading - [email protected]
Mr. Silva- Reading/Math [email protected]
Mrs. Jeanessa Munoz - SECA [email protected]
Mrs. Hanson - School Counselor/High School Planning- [email protected]
Ms. Iammartino - Engineering/MTSS [email protected]
Remote Learning Supplies
In order for your student to be successful during remote learning, they should have the following basic supplies:
● One notebook for all specials - you may organize how you wish.
● Science notebook● Math notebook● Reading notebook● Civics/Social Studies notebook● Pen or pencil● Chromebook or other technological device to
view live presentations
8th Grade Remote Learning Schedule
● Mimics an in-person school day● Reading, Math, Science, Social
Studies, and Specials daily● Balance of live instruction
(synchronous) and independent work (asynchronous)
● Scheduled lunch break● Advisory for social emotional
learning on Mondays and Fridays
● Academic intervention, reinforcement, and extension (MTSS) Tuesdays-Thursdays
Curriculum Information
Reading- novel-based, balance of fiction and non-fiction
Math- CMP3 digital
Science- Amplify
Social Studies- Civics
*Writing is integrated into all subject content areas
Writing Across the Content AreasTo reinforce the importance of writing in all content areas, all reading, math, science, and social studies teachers will contribute to writing grades. Each teacher will focus on subject specific writing for their content area.
Writing focuses in middle school:
● Informative/Expository● Opinion/Persuasive/Argument● Narrative
Meet the Specials TeamMs. Tracy Iammartino - Engineering - [email protected]
Ms. Katie Gray- Art- [email protected]
Mrs. Kristin Seraj- Technology- [email protected]
Mr. Ryan Springer- Physical Education- [email protected]
Specials Half-Quarterly Rotation
● Students will attend the same Specials class every day for half of the quarter
● Students will switch to new Specials after progress reports and report cards
● Example:○ Chris will go to PE every day for the first 5
weeks until progress reports and then attend Technology for the next 5 weeks until report cards.
○ Chris will only receive grades in PE and Technology for the 1st quarter
○ Chris will do a similar rotation with Art and Engineering in the 2nd quarter
○ Rotations continue throughout the year
Student DevicesAll students in the middle school have been assigned a chromebook device. These devices are CPS property and have an asset tag used for inventory purposes.
Chromebooks are generally the best way for students to access remote learning as they have cameras, microphones, and are compatible with the Google Suite.
If you have tech difficulties with your device throughout the year, please contact our Tech Coordinator, Mr. Frackiel- [email protected]
Chromebooks should be used for schoolwork only, and not for student’s personal use outside of school assignments.
Accessing Student Email
All CPS students have a unique username, which is usually their first initial, last name, and sometimes a number. Students will use this to log in to their chromebooks.
On Monday August 24th, ALL Bridge student passwords were temporarily reset to Bridge123.
From another device first, please log in with the temporary password and change to a new password before logging in to your CPS-issued chromebook.
Google ClassroomStudents can access their virtual classrooms and assignments via Google Classroom. This is linked directly with their CPS email. It is imperative that students check their CPS email daily. Meet links are displayed at the top of each Google Classroom.
Google Classrooms have been labeled by class period (1st-5th) and time of day (8:00am, 9:00am, 12:40pm, etc) for easy schedule navigation. We have created a short video if you need help accessing Google Classroom or your Google Meet.
Frequently Used Links for Curriculum, Resources, Etc.
Here is a list of Links that students will be using throughout their learning process
www.commonlit.org www.noredink.comwww.readworks.org www.kidblog.org www.newsela.com www.flocabulary.com www.ixl.com www.amplify.com www.khanacademy.orgwww.desmos.comwww.mathshell.org
Aspen Student Portal
Students can access their grades via Aspen student portal. They will use their CPS credentials to log in. It is important for them to check their grades a few times each week.
Classes in Aspen have also been labeled with period (1st-5th) and time (8:00am, 9:00am, 12:40pm, etc)
Homework Policy
We understand the obstacles many families and students face during remote learning. Outside of asynchronous independent work, students should typically have no more than 1 hour of additional homework assignments outside of the school day
● It is expected that students manage their time efficiently during asynchronous periods during the school day and reach out to their teachers if they need assistance
Contact Us!
For specific content/curriculum questions, please reach out to your child’s teacher(s).
For questions about high school applications, please contact the 8th grade teachers or school counselor.
For scheduling and programming questions and concerns, please reach out to administration.
Stay connected! Visit our website bridge.cps.edu and join our Facebook page: Norman Bridge School Community
Angela Banaszek - 8th Grade Science
Welcome to 8th grade Science. I began my teaching career at Bridge 17 years ago. Prior to that I attended the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (Go Illini!) for my undergraduate degree and the University of Illinois at Chicago for my Master’s degree. I am endorsed in Science, Math, Social Studies, Language Arts and ESL. I am looking forward to being your Science teacher.
I am extremely excited to use the curriculum called Amplify Science. Amplify Science blends hands-on investigations, literacy-rich activities, and interactive digital tools to empower students to think, read, write, and argue like real scientists and engineers. You will be a Spectroscopist, Energy Scientists, Physicists, Mechanical Engineers, Biologist, Biomedical Engineer and Paleontologist.
The goal of the Launch unit is to introduce students to norms, routines, and practices that will be built on throughout the year, including the practices of argumentation, active reading, and using the Amplify Science technology
The majority of units in a course are Core units, which guide students in constructing a deep understanding of important science concepts by using key science and engineering practices.
In Engineering Internship units, students take on the role of interns for the fictional Futura company as they design solutions for real-world problems.
Science Grading:
50% Formative Assessment
50% Summative Assessment
Percentages subject to change depending on unit
Jessica Conrad - 8th Grade Math and Algebra
I LOVE Math!! And I am excited to be your teacher. Together our goal will be to help you create a love for the learning process by understanding how your brain works.
I received my Bachelor’s in Education at Illinois State University where I specialized in Middle Level Education and was endorsed in Mathematics and Language Arts and then went on to complete my Master’s in Mathematics and Leadership at Illinois Institute of Technology. Post Master’s degree, I continued my education and became endorsed in Algebra 1 and ESL. I have been working at Bridge since 2011 teaching Mathematics to 8th grade students. I am currently Head of the Mathematics Department and a part of the Instructional Leadership Team.
Mathematics Curriculum
The CMP curriculum development has been guided by our single mathematical standard:
CMP is a problem-centered curriculum promoting an inquiry-based teaching-learning classroom environment. Mathematical ideas are identified and embedded in a carefully sequenced set of tasks and explored in depth to
allow students to develop rich mathematical understandings. The curriculum helps students grow in their ability to reason effectively with
information represented in graphic, numeric, symbolic, and verbal forms and to move flexibly among these representations to produce fluency in both
conceptual and procedural knowledge.
Jessica Conrad - Class Participation
A notebook is used daily in this class. The students are responsible for
keeping this notebook organized and up to date even if they are absent. The
notebook is used to help students understand the concept being taught in
an organized matter, used during investigations, used to help students with
homework completion, used for examples completed with teacher and used
to review for quizzes and tests. Participation will be assessed based on
classroom participation, positive/constructive behavior, and teacher
observation and notebook checks.
Jessica Conrad - Classwork
Class Work ACE Problems from Textbook
The Applications help students solidify their understanding by providing practice with
ideas and strategies that were in the Investigation..
The Connections provide the opportunity for students to connect new knowledge to
prior learning—a powerful learning strategy. Connections can connect to “real-world
problems.”
The Extensions may provide a challenge for students to think beyond what is covered
in class, provide an interesting excursion “side ways” that looks at related mathematical
ideas, foreshadow mathematics in future Units, or pursue an interesting application.
Jessica Conrad - Classwork
Writing in Mathematics
At the end of each Investigation, students reflect on what they have learned in the Mathematical Reflections. This set of
questions helps students organize their thoughts and summarize important concepts and strategies. After thinking
about the questions and sketching their own ideas, students discuss the questions with their teacher and their
classmates and then write a summary of their findings. Reflection questions help teachers assess student
understanding of the “big” ideas.
Class Work IXL and KHAN Practice Problems for Procedural Practice
IXL is a computer-based program that your child can access during Math Class to practice a variety of mathematical
skills that connect to our Connected Mathematics Projects 3 textbook. Students are able to practice the skills and have
the work assessed in real-time so the students know right away if they need more help or if they are understanding the
skills. In addition, IXL allows parents to monitor and access their child's detailed IXL reports which provide valuable
information regarding his/her progress in the classroom.
Tracy Iammartino - Engineering/8th grade MTSSThis is my 25th year teaching! I taught high school Biology, Anatomy/Physiology, and Earth Science in Franklin Grove, IL before moving to Chicago. I taught 7th and 8th grade science for many years at Philip Rogers Elementary before moving to Bridge where I have proudly taught for 18 years. I am looking forward to working on Engineering Challenges with you this year!
I earned a Bachelor's in Secondary Education at the University of Missouri. I earned a Master’s in Science Education from Illinois Institute of Technology. I achieved National Board Certification in 2007 and renewed my Certification in 2016. I was proud to be named the 2015 "River Educator of the Year" by the Friends of the Chicago River. I completed the MSU-Wipro Urban STEM Fellowship Program in 2016.
A lifelong learner, I enjoy a variety of hobbies including gardening, cooking, biking, knitting and crocheting. I host the Knitting Club here at Bridge and am always excited to teach students this new skill. I am the mother of Grace, a 18 year old Senior in high school. I have a dog named Dixon (yes, named after my hometown), and two cats; Peanut Butter and Jelly.
Michelle Dusel - Civics / Social StudiesI’ve lived in the Chicago area all my life, and have taught in the city and suburbs for 21
years and at Bridge for the last 13 years. I am very happy to be a member of the Bridge
Middle School team!
I studied English Literature and Education at DePaul University, and I also received my
ESL teaching certificate through National Louis University. I am a Teacher Fellow through
the Chicago Area Writing Project and National Writing Project. I am also a member of
the new 2020 Bard Core group for middle and high school teachers through the Chicago
Shakespeare Theater.
Civics / Social Studies Curriculum and Grading
Students will study Civics for the first semester of 8th grade and Social Studies for the second
semester of 8th grade. I am very excited to begin teaching the new Participate Civics
curriculum through CPS. The essential questions we will focus on for the first semester are:
❏ What knowledge, skills, and dispositions (intention to act) does a person need in order to be a powerful
civic actor in our democracy and in our community?
❏ How will I use my rights and responsibilities to promote the common good in our democracy and
community?
Students will be graded with a combination of participation grades through synchronous lessons and classwork grades during asynchronous learning time.
Civics / SS Classroom Procedures Commonly-used Classroom Links:
❏ Google Classroom - All teachers will use this as a hub where students can find information, assignments,
the Google Meet link, etc. All of the following links can be found through Google Classroom.
❏ Bitmoji Classrooms - Students will have a virtual Bitmoji Classroom for their Homeroom and Civics classes
where they will be able to find their weekly lessons and classwork.
❏ Pear deck - This is a way for students to interact through daily lessons and earn participation points. This
does not require students to create an account or login. They will be directed to enter a join code when
using this during a lesson.
❏ Kidblog - This is a publishing platform where students will post their writing, edit and revise their work,
and be able to see and comment on their classmates’ posts.
❏ NewsELA - This is a website in which students will create an account through Google that will lead them
to current events and history-related articles that we will study in class.
Julie Graham - ReadingHello! I am excited to teach 8th Grade Reading. I am born and raised here in Chicago, and truly enjoy teaching in CPS.
I obtained my Master's Degree in Curriculum and Instruction, and my Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education. This is my 12th year in Education. In my free time I love to go for runs, play sports, watch all Chicago sports teams (Cubs girl all the way), and relax with friends and family. I live in Chicago with my husband Kevin, my two sons Jackson and Ryan, and our dog Stella.
8th Grade Reading Curriculum consists of a Novel Based Learning approach, while using supplemental resources to make connections to the Unit Concepts that are covered throughout the school year. Novels we read are from different genres, and supplemental resources range from short stories, poetry, informational text, and online videos to enhance the learning experience for all students.
Reading Unit TopicsUnit Topics that are covered:
*History Connection: Interdisciplinary study between Reading and Social Studies, how it impacts us today as a society
*Utopia vs Dystopia: compare and contrast the similarities and differences in a utopian and dystopian society
*American Dream within society: How does this change over time? What obstacles do we face today that may be similar to past dreams of Americans?
*Desire for Change: How do experiences change our point of view? Who we are as individuals in an ever changing social environment?
Matt Silva- 8th Grade Math and Reading Welcome to the 2020-2021 school year! This is my 7th year teaching and my third here at Bridge Junior High. I was born and raised in the Garfield Ridge neighborhood on the Southwest Side of Chicago. I graduated from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 2014 where I earned my Learning Behavior Specialist 1. I have experience teaching in many different settings, from freshman/seniors in high school to at risk, middle school students on temporary suspension, to incarcerated youth at Madison County Juvenile Detention Center. If there is one thing I have learned throughout experiences, it is that all students deserve excellent teachers!
This year is especially exciting for me because I get to teach the students I taught when they were 6th graders!
A little about me… I have a cat named Pancake. I love travelling, biking, camping, hiking, and exploring different genres of music!
Mrs. Munoz - 8th Grade SECAI am the 8th Grade SECA this school year, and have been a member of Bridge for the past 4 years.
I provide additional academic support for our Diverse Learners here at Bridge Junior High. I have been servicing this graduating class since 6th grade, and I am excited for them to continue to grow.
A little bit about me: I love to read, spend time with my family and friends, and enjoy outdoor activities.
Questions?
Caitlin Hanson- School Counselor/ High School Planning
My name is Caitlin Hanson and I am the School Counselor at Bridge. This is my 9th year as the counselor and I love working with kids of all ages in a school environment. In 2012 I graduated from National Louis University with a Masters in Counseling. I hold a Professional Educators License and I am also a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC).
My job as the school counselor is to help support students social, academic and mental health needs. I can meet with students as a whole class, in a small group or individually.
I love to help students with problem solving, making friends, resolving conflicts and understanding their feelings. I can also help support students in the classroom with attention/focus , listening and organizational skills. And I am always happy to provide community support and resources for students and their families.
It is always important to start thinking about your future! I help all of our middle school students research careers, set goals and plan for high school, college and beyond…
Keeping kids safe, healthy and happy is my number one priority. Although learning looks a little different right now, remember that we are all here to help and support you throughout your school day. Together we can make this an awesome year!
Contact Info - [email protected]
High School Planning Updates● NWEA -To determine eligibility for students applying for high school admission for the fall of 2021, CPS will consider students’
highest NWEA scores from any of the following prior administrations: Winter, Spring or Fall of 2019.*If students do not have any valid NWEA scores from these administration windows, or have not taken the NWEA with CPS, the district will be administering the exam in October, on select weekends, for interested families.
● Grades- For the 2020–21 high school admission process , the district will use the highest scores of either their 7th year final grades or the average of their first and second quarter 7th year grades.
● Activation Codes/Eligibility Letters - Information will be sent out to either students cps email or by mail the week of October 5th, 2020. Counselor will also have access to codes and eligibility criteria week of October 5th.
● Selective Enrollment Exam -The selective enrollment exam is administered during the winter of eighth grade as a component of the selection process for selective enrollment high schools. CPS plans to administer this exam in person as scheduled during the winter of SY2020–21 with proper health and safety protocols in place. The dates of the selective enrollment exam will be announced in the fall.
● International Baccalaureate (IB) Information Sessions - IB programs required students to attend an information session; however, students’ abilities to attend these information sessions has varied leading to inequitable outcomes for applicants to IB programs. In light of the transition to remote learning, these information sessions will not be required for the SY2020–21 application process.
● Auditions -Auditions for students applying to fine and performing arts programs will be conducted remotely. Auditions vary depending upon the program; school staff will have additional information about auditions and how they will be conducted in the fall.
High School Planning UpdatesRemote tours, information sessions, open houses and other events:
● High Schools will tour open house virtually.● Event details will be posted on go.cps.edu as we receive information from schools, as well as
individual school websites. ● https://go.cps.edu/about-gocps/2020-process-changes
Key dates & Info
● September 14, 2020: The GoCPS website, with refreshed content for the upcoming admissions cycle, will be available for families to start researching their options.
● October 5th, 2020 - Activation codes and eligibility information sent to students.● October 12, 2020: The application opens for families to begin to apply. ● December 11: Deadline for families to submit their applications. ● Subscribe at https://go.cps.edu ( scroll to bottom of web page) to get updates and
information on high school application process.
*Bridge MIddle School - Virtual High School Information Night - TBD ( Early October)
*Weekly high school updates on 8th grade google classroom
Dont stress! Your teachers & school counselor will be there to support you every step of the way!
School Counselor - Mrs. Hanson - [email protected]