Spectrometers were used by students in 8th grade science classes to study how astronomers and physicists can determine the makeup of distant stars without ever having to travel to them! Multiple light sources are compared with this tool in an effort to reveal how we study our known universe.

7th grade science student used colored strips of paper to determine the traits of a dog and then created a portrait of their dog.

Spanish and Family Consumer Sciences students welcomed back guest educator Yaniré Zamora of Mexico City to learn how the holidays and the New Year are typically celebrated in Mexico. This opportunity allowed the students to connect family, food, and culture. What a memorable experience!

PE staff organized a fundraiser for SLMS students to play in a basketball tournament. Each student that wanted to participate had the opportunity to donate to the Sassy Massey Toy Drive. SL Middle School raised over $15,300. The top 15 fundraisers went on a shopping spree with Jillian Massey to Target and purchased over 700 toys!!!!!!

For a tasty, festive Peak Activity, students baked some cookie favorites in the FCS room after school one day. Our tasty creations were snickerdoodles, oatmeal, and chocolate chip cookies. This was a memorable time for all!

Students and teachers enjoyed an in-school choral concert.  Their hard work paid off, the concert was fantastic!

Student enjoyed a hike at the South Mountain Preserve with Mr. Assise through our PEAK program.  They completed a 3.2 mile hike over varying terrain.

The semi-formal dance, "The Snowball", was held on Friday, December 1 in the middle school cafeteria. Approximately 225 kids were in attendance and they looked fantastic. All had a great time hanging out with friends and dancing the night away!

You may have heard that we are collecting old electronics for our newly added reverse engineering makerspace activity.  Here is a glimpse at what students are doing with your donations!

After they finished reading the Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Mrs. Grubb's class participated in a breakout.edu activity to test their knowledge.  Hopefully they escaped the Headless Horseman in time.....

Profesora Yaniré Zamora of Mexico was invited as a guest speaker in Spanish classes to share what a day in the life of a middle school student is like in Mexico's capital city, Cuidad de México.

All 8th grade students recently took a field trip to explore LCTI.  

In Academic Literacy, 7th grade students have started reading the book A Long Walk to Water. In it, one of the characters spends several hours everyday fetching water for her family. Students got a small taste of what this would be like when they had an opportunity to carry water in the hallway. Most of them realized that they could not do what 11 year old Nya did everyday!

SLMS students enjoyed a special Veteran’s Day on 11/10. General Lori Robinson, the highest ranking female in military history (and a relative of Mrs. Robbins), discussed her thoughts on Veteran’s Day and answered student questions via FaceTime. Watch a brief clip of General Robinson here:  https://goo.gl/PoUhHu 

Students joined Mrs. Yocum for a PEAK activity to decorate pumpkins.

7th Grade Students joined Mrs. Lebrecht in bucket drumming activities during Spartan Period. Here is a glimpse of these drummers in action!

Students joined Mrs. Robbins and Ms. Kleppinger to talk about fantastic books and eat pizza!

7th grade science students will learn about the Scientific Method and Lab Safety by traveling through stations and participating in a variety of activities.

Mrs. Caitlin Alifirenka, author of 7th grade summer reading book, "I Will Always Write Back:  How One Letter Changed Two Lives", made an impact on SLMS students during a special assembly.

8th grade science students are learning how to use a stereomicroscope while analyzing unique insect and plant anatomy.

7th grade students became familiar with their new library during a selfie scavenger hunt.

In Mrs. Halloran's activity, students have been learning how to diagram sentences. As a culminating activity, they went outside to complete diagrams on the school parking lot, using sidewalk chalk!

SLMS students had a blast at the back to school dance.

Students will be moving from station to station and do experiments to discover if that station shows a physical or chemical change.

7th graders golf at Putt U to conduct an experiment while going through the Scientific Method. Upon their return to school, they share data to be used in their observations and conclusions.

Shhhh... students in the MakerSpace spartan group are learning and they don't even know it!

Students are learning what it takes to grow and care for mums and a variety of culinary plants.

The Spanish Immersion students investigated Latin rhythms and will present short histories of them and will do short demonstration of the basic steps to dance them.

Can you save Fred? The students did! Students worked cooperatively to learn about the Scientific Method and "save" Fred the worm.  His boat has capsized, leaving him stranded on top of the boat, hanging on for dear life with his gummy life saver stuck under the boat.

Students stayed after school for a PEAK activity to create dumplings with the FCS teacher and our two teachers from China.

8th grade science students are learning how minerals form. In class they are creating their own crystals after studying how minerals form from solutions.