Language Arts

Welcome back! In the coming weeks, we will be spending time on some mini units focusing on Op-Ed writing and science fiction short stories by authors such as Vonnegut, Asimov,  Le Guin, Bradbury.   We will be working on analyzing author’s moves, rhetorical devices, and close reading as students use professional writers as mentors for their own writing. They will craft their own op-ed mirroring the techniques they have analyzed. One relevant theme tying with the science fiction unit is A.I. regulation and use of technology in schools, and we will be examining a variety of informational and persuasive pieces before they write their own.

In the new year, we will be asking that every student has a physical book within their level for independent reading time (we have a school library!), as well as doing weekly iReady practice. As always, email us with any questions at erin_brauer@dpsk12.net or rachel_sommer@dpsk12.net. 

Algebra

Welcome back 8th grade math students! We will be spending the first week after break finishing up our Multistep Equation unit. The test for this unit will be Friday (1/9). For the remainder of January, we will dive into Unit 6: Systems of Linear Equations. In this unit, students will first learn that two linear equations happening 'simultaneously' form a system of equations. They will build on this understanding throughout the unit by learning how to calculate the solution to a system (where the lines intersect) using three methods (graphically, substitution and elimination). These skills will be applied in a project at the end of the unit in which students will create their own business plan and model cost and revenue equations to find the break even point. Pat_Mahoney1@dpsk12.net 

Integrated II Math

Math 2 students are returning from break to - you guessed it - more quadratics! Fear not, we are in the home stretch! By January’s end, your jumper math student will have mastered the basics of quadratic functions and we will finally move on to our next topics - geometry and trigonometry. I want to say that I am very proud of our 8th grade jumpers for working through months and months of challenging content, taking high-school-level exams, engaging in meaningful tasks and challenges, and persevering throughout. 

Science

Welcome back from break!

We’re kicking off 2026 with a new unit, Force and Motion! In this unit, students will be designing Rube Goldberg machines while learning about contact forces, Newton’s Laws of Motion, non-contact forces, and energy transformations. Feel free to ask your students about their machines and how it connects to what we’re learning about in class!

If you have any extra wrapping paper rolls, or toilet paper rolls please send them to school with your students as we’ll use these materials when designing the Rube Goldberg machines!

Social Studies

This month your students will begin a civics project focused on the U.S. Constitution and how laws are created. Students will step into the role of lawmakers and explore how rules are proposed, debated, revised, and approved through the branches of government.  They will start by identifying school-related issues, then work collaboratively to write and defend proposed “bills” for change.

Throughout the project, students will practice skills such as argument writing, respectful debate, collaboration, and critical thinking. They will also learn how the three branches of government function by experiencing them firsthand: students will act as Congress, school leadership will serve as the Executive Branch, and the school board will act as the Judicial Branch, helping students understand how power is shared and limited.

The project will culminate in a grade-level assembly where each class presents one bill to school leadership. Along the way, students will reflect on fairness, individual rights, and compromise, gaining a deeper understanding of how democracy works in real life.