A question for you to ask your child at the dinner table: Who are you when no one is watching? We know adolescents are often trying on “hats” and pushing boundaries, which is developmentally appropriate And, we have seen a huge uptick in behavior that is pushing more into the unkind and unhelpful space. It’s important that you talk to your child about how: who they are when no one is watching is just as important as who they are when people (especially adults) are watching. Just because you think you can get away with doing or saying something because no one is watching doesn’t mean you should do it. Building the self-discipline to do what is right, and best for them and the community, even when no one is watching, is such an important life skill.
Mrs. Rod
Family Groups - March 5
In our last Family Group session, we were excited to Drop Everything and Read! After a warm greeting, one or more of our middle school students kicked things off by sharing a book with the group. Afterward, the rest of the time was dedicated to independent reading, partner reading, or reading in small groups, allowing everyone to enjoy a quiet, focused time exploring new stories together.
8th Grade Pancake Breakfast - March 6
The 8th grade year at WNS holds many milestones and the pancake breakfast is one of them. Whether applying to independent high schools or not, March marks the ¾ mark of the final year at WNS. To celebrate all that the 8th grade has done thus far, including, for many, a lot of time and energy spent towards applications, interviews, and shadow days, what better way to start a day than with a meal cooked with love. As they awaited news from their schools, the class came together for a pancake breakfast cooked by Mr. Zacuto, Ms. Reimann, and Mrs. Rod. They enjoyed delicious food, watched their favorite cartoons, and reflected on how far they’d come. We loved spending this morning with them and couldn't be prouder of them all!
ARC Rocketry Team
Did you know that WNS has a rocketry team? We do! On March 1, our team of ten dedicated engineers had a fantastic launch as they competed in the American Rocketry Challenge, an international competition for 6th-12th grade students The team designed and built two rockets from scratch using cardboard, wood, 3D-printed parts, high-density foam, and a fair amount of epoxy To qualify for the national competition, their rocket must reach as close as possible to 790 feet, achieve a total flight time of 45 seconds, and safely return a payload of two raw eggs unbroken Their best flight of the day reached 756 feet with a flight time of 49 seconds an impressive result! With one more qualifying attempt ahead, we are crossing our fingers that their scores place them in the top 10%, earning them a spot in the national finals If you see them, be sure to congratulate them on their hard work and precision! ��
Curriculum Updates
6TH GRADE
6th graders just wrapped up an exciting unit reading the dystopian novel Legend by Marie Lu. Throughout our reading, we considered what makes a society dystopian and what role a dystopian protagonist plays in the plot. Told from alternating perspectives of the Republic’s acclaimed prodigy and most wanted criminal, students delved into character analysis as we looked at and compared June and Day. Students also considered why an author might use multiple narrators by selecting an Independent Reading Book written in different perspectives. This all supports our year-long theme, The Danger of a Single Story.
7TH GRADE
Now that 7th grade has wrapped up the I Must Betray You unit with impressive final essays, we are revisiting our independent reading project on banned books. Inspired by Mexican muralism, students are creating their own banned book murals. After that, we will move on to March, the graphic novel, continuing our yearlong exploration of resistance and standing up for what’s right even in the face of oppressive governments and institutions. Along the way, we’ll continue to engage in close readings, Socratic seminars, in-class creative writing challenges, and student-led readings of their work.
8TH GRADE
To close out the first semester, 8th graders studied Shakespeare’s Macbeth, focusing on themes like ambition, guilt, and the supernatural. They prepared a final essay analyzing key elements such as character development and Shakespeare's language. This essay challenged them to synthesize their learning and express their understanding in a wellorganized argument, connecting the play to modern issues of power, morality, and identity.
We have also begun our unit on Night by Elie Wiesel, where students explore the Holocaust through Wiesel’s firsthand account. This unit delves into human resilience, survival, and the consequences of hatred We approach this topic with sensitivity, fostering a respectful classroom environment for difficult discussions. To deepen their understanding, we are using resources from Learning for Justice and Facing History & Ourselves, ensuring the content is both informative and respectful Additionally, students recently visited the Museum of Tolerance, where they experienced a Holocaust exhibit that brought history to life through sound and light. This immersive experience helped students connect more deeply with the material and prompted insightful discussions As we continue with Night, we will explore Wiesel’s reflections on faith, memory, and humanity, encouraging students to reflect on these themes both in and out of the classroom. We hope this unit fosters greater awareness of tolerance, human rights, and compassion
6TH GRADE
Curriculum Updates
Students have been focusing on a variety of topics, including integers, rational numbers, expressions, and equations. Beyond the concepts covered, we have been working hard to encourage students to develop proficiencies in note-taking and demonstrating their full understanding through showing their work Most recently, we’ve been discussing ratios, proportions, and percentages, including real-world applications Students are in the early phase of starting their scale projects, which will be showcased at our Open House in May Groups of students select an object to either scale up or scale down, creating a 3D model This will be an ongoing project that students will work on over the next three months while we continue to the final third of the 6 grade math curriculum, which focuses on probability and geometry. t h
Students have been covering a variety of topics from the Pre-Algebra and Algebra 1 curriculums, including algebraic equations, inequalities, and functions. The focus on more abstract and algebraic thinking has required students to find ways to connect these challenging topics to a variety of applications A major skill we have been working on is translating word problems into equations or functions that can be used to find solutions 7th graders are also excited to begin the roller coaster project They have just started to build the beams and columns that will be the essential support structures The next major component is building and installing the various elements each team wants to incorporate into their design. Whether adding turns, loops, halfpipes, funnels, or other creative elements, students must collaborate in building and troubleshooting their designs while also finding a balance between maximizing project points earned and managing their team’s budget. This will be an ongoing project over the next three months, with two major deadlines in May. Each group will “compete” as part of our time trials on Tuesday, 5/20, and all roller coasters will be on display and available for testing at Open House on Thursday, 5/23
7TH GRADE
8TH GRADE
This year, the focus in math has spanned equations, inequalities, linear functions, systems, geometric proofs, and triangles. Whether in Algebra 1 or Geometry, students are pushed to deepen and solidify their thinking through applications and problems that require critical thinking While students were busy with their high school applications, their teachers have been focused on making sure they have a solid understanding of these challenging curriculums, which will allow them to take that next step in high school Along the way, we have also found time to complete some fun, engaging projects, which included creating art from linear functions or building geometric domes using regular polygons. Additionally, we continue to look for opportunities to inject lessons on financial literacy into the classroom, as students are genuinely interested in learning more about these valuable life topics. As their time at WNS starts to come to an end, we remain committed to maximizing our time with them to build a deep understanding of their course’s curriculum, so they are prepared to perform well on the eventual math placement exams their respective high schools will ask them to take before next fall
MUSIC
Curriculum Updates
6TH GRADE
Students are making great headway in honing their vocal technique and learning the fundamentals of the Ukulele We started off the year with strumming and learning a few chords, and are starting to play songs. Students will have a group project where they will have to learn and perform a song. They will be singing "Sunday Best" and Pharrell's "Happy" at the Spring concert.
The 7th graders are keeping busy preparing for their Spring Concert! In addition to singing, several students will be learning and providing their own instrumental accompaniment for their two songs, "Keep Your Head Up," and Kendrick Lamar's infamous song "All the Stars." They also are working on a project where they have to select a children's book and create their own music on Soundtrap while rapping the words.
7TH GRADE
8TH GRADE
Students in 8th grade have been introduced to basic concepts of songwriting while preparing their two songs for the Spring concert, "Die With a Smile" and "Hall of Fame " Several students will also be playing various instruments In addition, they are finishing up a project where they are put in the teacher's seat, and are given the opportunity to research, score study, and create their own setlist for a school choir concert, including creating their own digital program. Students will be presenting these projects in class soon.
We’ve had an exciting few weeks and there's more to come; 6th graders are just wrapping up their science and art climate change projects, inspired by guest speaker Jill Pelto who came to share her research and art with students. Given a selection of 5 California-specific line graphs, students created watercolor pieces with line graphs embedded to tell stories about California’s changing climate. Topics included greenhouse gas emissions, precipitation patterns, and more. We’ll be finishing up our climate change unit by learning about renewable and nonrenewable energy sources, and our culminating project for this unit will be the solar oven project. 6th graders can look forward to designing and building their own solar ovens, harnessing the power of the sun to cook a tasty treat!
7TH GRADE
After exploring the structure and function of DNA, 7th-grade students have been diving into genetics and evolution. They’ve been solving genetics problems to understand how traits are passed through generations and have engaged in hands-on lab activities, including investigating genetic risk factors for heart disease, modeling the spread of a viral outbreak, and simulating natural selection. Next, students will explore the diversity of life, with upcoming labs featuring bacteria and protozoa in action.
8TH GRADE
8th grade has made the shift from Chemistry to Physics this semester. We are starting with speed, velocity, and acceleration, and unfortunately, I can't take them drag racing down on a quarter-mile track. Luckily, we have the next best thing: RC cars and Hot Wheels. Don't worry; we are keeping it under 100km/hr. Soon, we will dive into Newton's Laws of Motion and apply their Physics knowledge once again to cars, car accidents, and most importantly, car safety. And if they come home telling tall tales of me speeding down 5S to San Diego at 1:00 am, I plead the fifth.
6TH GRADE
Curriculum Updates
6th graders have continued to explore the concept of increasing complexity as we have moved through the thresholds of stars, elements, and the creation of planets. This has set the stage for life where we will dive into ideas such as collective learning and consider the impacts of the move from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle into agrarian societies, the major catalyst for civilizations. Most recently, students created stunning maps of continents depicting human and geologic history, along with creative posters to promote travel to the continent. They have also continued to explore claim testers - evidence, authority, logic, and intuition - recognizing that having more than one makes a claim stronger. Finally, the role of causation and changing views over time has been a consistent topic of dialogue through a variety of case studies, such as how we moved from a geocentric to a heliocentric view of the universe and how we have come to understand the way continents interact.
In 7th grade social studies, we completed our study of classical empires, examining their significant political, cultural, and economic contributions to world history Students successfully finished their comparative essays, analyzing the similarities and differences between two classical empires of their choice More recently, we wrapped up our unit on world religions, exploring how various belief systems shaped civilizations throughout history Students have been hard at work learning to identify each country in Africa on a map, after successful units focusing on Asian and European geography, and soon we will begin a longer-term project where students will choose one country in the world to research in depth. Looking ahead, our next history unit will explore the fascinating world of the Middle Ages, exploring how civilizations across the world adapted to change and set the conditions for the rise of the modern world.
7TH GRADE
8TH GRADE
Building on knowledge gained during our DC Trip last fall, 8th grade US history students have engaged in thoughtful discussions about monuments and memorials, analyzing what these structures reveal about our national values and historical memory. Students have applied this critical lens to their own creative projects, researching historical figures and events they believe deserve recognition. This culminating assignment has challenged students to conduct research, write persuasive essays justifying their chosen subject, and design original monument or memorial models that they've presented to classmates Upon returning from break, students will delve into a study of the US Civil War and Reconstruction, with a special focus on distinguishing historical facts from falsehoods and misconceptions
6TH GRADE
The 6th graders wrapped up their unit 3 and started their project. In this unit, they learned about activities and things they do in class and after school. They expanded their vocabulary to talk about school supplies, classroom objects, and different extracurricular activities. They also practiced how to conjugate -AR verbs in the present tense, allowing them to describe their daily routines and hobbies. Additionally, they learned how to use the contractions “al” and “del” correctly in sentences. For their unit project, they are creating a comic strip illustrating a school day, incorporating the vocabulary and grammar structures they have learned.
7TH GRADE
The 7th graders wrapped up their “En tu tiempo libre” (In your free time) unit this month. They learned about different leisure activities, such as going to the movies, attending concerts, celebrating at parties, and visiting museums They explored how these activities are enjoyed in Spanish-speaking countries and compared them to their own experiences Throughout the unit, they practiced using the preterite tense of -ER and -IR verbs to talk about past events and learned how to use affirmative and negative words correctly in sentences They are now starting their unit project, where they will write a script choosing one of the topics from the unit They will also create props to bring their scene to life and perform a short sketch about visiting the place with friends
8TH GRADE
The 8th graders learned about foods in Latin America and Spain They learned to order and pay for a meal in Spanish. Throughout this unit, they explore how foods differ in certain parts of Latin America and Spain and how food is part of a cultural experience. At the moment, they are working on their final project, which consists of planning a 5-day trip to a Spanish-speaking country and creating a booklet that will detail their plans, including a plane ticket, the hotel they are going to stay in, and what activities they will be doing. Every detail must be accurate, so they will use their computers to search for information and prices for their trip.
They have also been on an exciting journey through Chapter 3, En tren (By train), exploring the role of trains as an important mode of transportation in the Spanish-speaking world. They expanded their travel-related vocabulary and mastered the preterite of irregular verbs and prepositional pronouns. Beyond grammar and vocabulary, students engaged in meaningful conversations both spoken and written sharing information, reactions, and feelings. They also deepened their skills in interpreting and analyzing texts, audio, and visuals across a variety of topics.
THEATER ARTS
Curriculum Updates
6TH GRADE
6th grade is all about physical theatre, where students are gaining confidence and honing their storytelling abilities through engaging performances like Lip Sync, using movement to express emotion and narrative They finished their project and are now working with object puppetry, creating original scripts and puppets
In 7th grade, students are modernizing Shakespeare by exploring iconic plays like Romeo & Juliet and Macbeth. Through creative writing and scene work, they’re building a deeper understanding of these timeless works.
7TH GRADE
8TH GRADE
The 8th class recently performed a highly successful original play, The Great Escape: An 8th Grade Story, and is now moving into an improv unit. They'll focus on building improv skills and create their own group to perform their unique version of Whose Line Is It Anyway? Across all grades, students are developing their creativity, collaboration, and performance abilities in a fun and supportive environment.
Theatre elective students are engaging in exciting, hands-on performances and skill-building. This fall, students tackled the physically demanding and high-comedy The One-Act Play That Goes Wrong, which brought them together as a team. Spring musical students are now diving into Monty Python’s SPAMALOT, where they’re learning original choreography and creating music and direction for one of Broadway’s most celebrated comedies, which will be performed on May 30th.
VISUALARTS
6TH GRADE
Digital Art: In this social-emotional skill-based digital art lesson, sixthgrade students use Procreate on iPads to explore emotional regulation by designing their own stress monsters. Through guided reflection, they consider what their monster looks like, where it lives, and how long it has been around, helping them externalize and process their emotions. Students learn to experiment with different digital brushes and textures to bring their creatures to life. Using imagination and abstract thinking, students create symmetrical monster illustrations with backgrounds that reflect their creature’s personality, incorporating radial symmetry.
Visual Art: 6th graders have plunged into their Tasty Ceramic project. For their inspiration, they viewed and discussed a slideshow highlighting the importance of food as an ongoing theme for artists throughout history. They have decided on a theme, which will include a minimum three different foods, printed these out as reference, and are now exploring the hand-building techniques to create their life-sized yummy sculptures.
7th graders are collaborating on a cross-curricular mural project with the Spanish, Social Studies, and Art Departments. Inspired by Chicano and Los Angeles muralists, they are designing and painting a 3x6-foot canvas mural that explores political and social issues affecting Los Angeles or the U.S. This project encourages critical thinking, artistic expression, and teamwork while developing mural-painting skills. Students began the project in visual arts class and will continue painting in social studies and Spanish.
7TH GRADE
8TH GRADE
The 8th grade students are nearing the completion of their Pop Art-inspired four-panel self-portrait This project involved a combination of digital art as well as traditional, hands-on art They strengthened their digital art skills by using a program called Procreate to create two versions of their self-portrait. They learned new tools to manipulate their school photo and composed a portrait line drawing using line, color, and texture. For the two traditional versions, they experimented with watercolor in a painterly style and lastly, transformed their final panel with painted papers to create a collage/mosaic feel.
6th Grade Family Game Night - March 21
6th grade students, families, advisors, and teachers gathered in the MPR for an evening filled with fun games, friendly competition, and great community spirit. After enjoying a delicious pizza dinner, everyone started the night with classic games like Jenga, corn hole, and Connect Four. The group was then divided into smaller teams to take on a series of challenges led by faculty members that tested their communication, teamwork, fact knowledge, and creativity. The night flew by in a blur of laughter and excitement, a sure sign that everyone had a great time!
ch 25
eme with a fun twist—Mad Libs! Students worked together with their buddies to fill in the blanks, using their creativity to complete silly and exciting stories. This activity helped enhance their teamwork and communication skills while also encouraging imaginative thinking together.
Upcoming Dates
EVERY FRIDAY IS SPIRIT DAY!
Student-Led Conferences are on Wednesday, March 27, and Thursday, March 28
Spring Break: March 31-April 4
Classes resume on Monday, April 7
School Closed for Good Friday & Faculty/Staff Professional Development: April 18 & 21
MS Spring Fling Dance on Friday, April 25 (7-9pm)
Announcements
If students are absent from school, they are responsible for following up with their teachers to figure out what they need to make up.
Please help us by removing your child’s devices at night and supporting our no chewing gum and no eating candy at school policies.
