Message from Dr. Bolton -
TLRNC - Peer Leadership Training
This Friday our eighth grade peer leadership group, TLRNC (Teens Learning Respect and Compassion), received leadership training from the company Out on a Limb. The students engaged in a series of fun team building and conflict resolution activities throughout the day. Once this training was complete, the TLRNC peer-leaders were fully equipped to work with students in sixth and seventh grade over the course of the year during Advisory lessons, Mix-it-Up Day, and orientations for new students to Edison.
Halloween
If this is your first year as an Edison family, you should probably be made aware that Halloween is a BIG deal at Edison School. Halloween is a fun day where students participate fully in all of their classes, but do so dressed in costume. During lunch/study, students have the opportunity to vote for their favorite individual and group costumes for both the students and the faculty. The Edison School Student Government Association (SGA) also hosts a pumpkin carving contest and distributes Boo Grams. Boo Grams are short messages, with a small piece of candy, that students can have delivered to friends in their homeroom on Halloween (more information on Boo Grams and the Pumpkin contest will be shared in next week’s newsletter). At the conclusion of the day, the winners of the costume contests are announced and award certificates are distributed. We do ask that students not wear any Halloween masks during class time. Students are also not permitted to bring any costume weapons with them to school.
Upcoming Dates & Events
Interim Reports Issued through Genesis - October 13th
Walk to School Day - October 19th
Fall Drama Performances - October 27th -29th
Halloween - Monday, October 31st
Message from the Main Office -
As the weather has started to change, and we begin to prepare for winter months, we wanted to take a moment to share the times students can enter the building.
As reflected in our daily schedule, our doors open each morning at the 8:07 bell. Students wait outside in their respective areas.
On bad weather days (rain, snow, temperatures well below freezing) we will open the aforementioned doors at 8:00 am. Once students enter the building, they will head to the following locations until the 8:07am entry bell rings.
6th Grade - assemble in the gymnasium
7th Grade - assemble in the cafeteria
8th Grade - lineup outside of their homeroom
Regardless of the weather, if a student has made arrangements with their teacher for morning help, the student can ring the front bell at the agreed upon time. Our main office secretary will buzz them in via the front door once we’ve confirmed the teacher is in their classroom.
Curriculum in Focus -
Orchestra & Band -
6th Grade
6th Grade Orchestra - Students have transitioned well from the once weekly small group lessons they used to have in 5th grade. Now students are in a large class (20 or more!) and are working on learning the ensemble skills necessary for performing with a large group. On average, we rehearse four times as often as in 5th grade which allows for improvement in every single student! Learning the importance of having a positive attitude, respecting our fellow musicians, and being a team player have been ongoing themes for October. We have also begun practicing our pieces for their debut performance here at Edison. Some of our pieces include Into the Sky!, Once Upon a December, and Highlights from Harry Potter.
6th Grade Band - Students have done a nice job acclimating to middle school where they play their instruments four days a week. They have learned a lot of the routines and habits that will lead to success as we move through the year. They recently started practicing their first performance piece, The Star Spangled Banner, and are excited to play this at the Winter Concert.
7th Grade
7th Grade Orchestra - Students are diving headfirst into more complicated pieces for our Winter Concert series. We are constantly reviewing our major scales as well as our ensemble skills learned in 6th grade. The students have also begun using Smart Music as a practice tool both at home and in the classroom. Some of our selections for our upcoming performance include Spartacus, A Holiday Waltz, and Aspen Glow.
7th Grade Band - Students have picked up where they left off last year. We hit the ground running working on how to make more mature sounds on their instruments. They have worked on how to perform complex rhythms that they will see in their music this year. Preparation has begun for the Winter Concert as students started working on their first piece, Ash Lawn Echoes.
8th Grade
8th Grade Orchestra - Students are hard at work practicing their repertoire for our upcoming Winter Concert. Each class is a “mini” ensemble in itself, so all students have the opportunity to hear how the music will come together as a whole prior to the performance. Some of our pieces include Brazilian Sleigh Bells, Danny Boy, and the theme music from HBO’s Game of Thrones.
8th Grade Band - The 8th Grade Band is in full swing. In 8th grade, there are many performances throughout the year. The 8th graders will have a chance to join the WHS Marching Band at 8th Grade Band Day in a few weeks where they will play alongside the award-winning Marching Blue Devils. Additionally, the 8th grade band will be performing at the school-wide Veteran’s Day Assembly and have started working on two pieces for that.
Information from the EIS PTSO
Please click on this link to access the Edison PTSO newsletter. This week’s newsletter contains important information about upcoming school fundraisers, Two Lunch Tuesdays, and Bake Sales.