RED TEAM

8th Grade 18th Annual Lip Sync

Our 18th Annual 8th Grade Lip Sync is going to be held on the morning and early afternoon of March 23rd.  This is a chance for 8th grade students to be a part of a team, present a song from the past (1950-1985), and experience the Performing Arts.  Students gain a sense of accomplishment, pride, and respect while learning about the origins of music.  Groups are required to be prepared for daily practice time, work as teams, and stay on task in assigned practice areas.  The five winning acts from each team will perform for the entire 8th grade after lunch on March 23rd.

1. Group members and song titles must be submitted to teacher by Friday, March 16th.  Song Lyrics must be submitted by Tuesday, March 20th.

2. The maximum number in a group is six (6); no cross-teaming.

3. Songs must be school appropriate (no sex, drugs, violence, suicide, etc.) and dress/costumes must adhere to the WRMS Dress code Policy.

4. Songs should be no longer than three (3) minutes; fade out if longer.

   

5. Students must bring to practice sessions their own iPods or Docks and their music.

6. All students must participate and all students will receive a final participation grade which will be applied to all core classes.

7. Students leaving early for Spring Break need to join a group with others leaving early and perform for the teachers prior to March 23rd.

Practice Schedule
Monday 3/19/12          6th Period
Tuesday 3/20/12          5th Period
Wednesday 3/21/12     4th Period
Thursday 3/22/12        1st and 2nd Periods
Friday 3/23/12             AM performances - PM 8th grade performances

**Students practicing after school must have supervision from a WRMS teacher.  That teacher promises to supervise students until parents pick them up.  Unauthorized practices after school could result in disqualification.

Stories From the Edge of Your World

Red Team teachers presented the Stories From the Edge Unit to students:

"We all have stories to tell, and some of those stories reflect minor, or occasionally, major life-changing experiences.  The story will be about your own experience or the experiences of someone close to you.  Perhaps an adventure or experience while traveling caused you to look at the world in a different way.  Maybe you discovered an activity or sport that has enriched your life.  Families and family members often face challenges and change.  It is critical that you reflect on how the experience has affected your life."

The task was to complete a multimedia PowerPoint presentation using their story and pictures.  The goal was to write a brief account of an important event, person, or activity in your life and provide images to go with it.  The pictures could be photos of places, family, friends, animals, works of art, objects, maps, or other things that help tell the story.

The experience was as powerful to those in the audience as it was to the presenters.  The Stories From the Edge Reflection Wall (8th grade hall) reveals how this powerful assignment brought growth and insight into the lives of the students involved.

8th Grade Rock and Mineral Show

Rockhounds know that to find the best mineral samples, one must be patient, diligent, optimistic, and look carefully beyond the dirt to find the gem within to bring out the brilliance that lay hidden.  This was the case when 8th grade Wood River Middle School students gathered for the Annual 8th Grade Rock and Mineral Show. 

Every 8th grade student was required to collect and identify up to 20 different rocks and/or minerals using skills and knowledge gained in their Earth Science class.  With the help of peers, teachers, and parents, the collections harbored everything from boldly blue azurite to glistening, gleaming galena and even your basic, boring basalt.

To add a bit of pizzazz to the collections, students let their imaginations run wild when displaying their specimens.  They were to create a unique display in which to showcase their samples and there was no shortage of high quality, amazingly artistic endeavors to view.  There were playing fields, fashion shows, movie theaters, rock concerts, and even a Rock-A-Doodle Doo Chicken Coop!

Many collections were worthy of a small museum and have sparked student interest in, not only nature's inorganic beauty, but perhaps an artistic nugget hidden inside themselves.  There are some who would argue that all of the gems were mined out of the Wood River Valley long ago, but there are a number of parents and teachers who know that there are many hidden gems walking the halls of Wood River Middle School. 

How Do I See My World?
A Teenage Perspective