As a small, E.L.A.-aligned treat after HNOM's 2nd Annual 8th Grade vs. Faculty Free-Throw Basketball Competition, 8th graders received bags of Cheez-It crackers and Oreo cookies with labels that featured punny Basketball jokes. In addition, for winning the game against their teachers in a 19 to 15 victory, the Class of 2022 also received a new Spalding basketball for outdoor recess and a new book for their classroom library: DIARY OF A WIMPY KID #16: BIG SHOT. Congratulations on the win, 8th grade!

To immediately immerse students in the setting of Roald Dahl's short story, "The Landlady," 7th graders were greeted with window signs in their English classroom door - a yellow chrysanthemum photograph, a B&B notice, and a travel marker to a nearby lodging - as well as a tray of vanilla and chocolate tea biscuits and lemon Lipton iced tea. 7th grade enjoyed munching on the tea and biscuits during an interactive read-aloud of the classic suspense story. Throughout the reading, the 7th graders were able to understand the other classroom changes, like the plush parrot hanging in a cage at the front of the room, the fireplace video crackling away on the Smartboard, and the small plush dachshund on the floor beneath it. 7th graders love when the story - from its sights to its tastes - comes to love in their own classroom.

In Ms. Brown's English class, 8th graders researched the New Year's traditions of countries and religions around the world because the New Year - as it is their graduation year - is particularly significant in 8th grade. On their Chromebooks, students conducted online research to write an informative paragraph that focused on and described three main traditions from their randomly assigned country/religion. 8th graders compiled source information on graphic organizers to be able to generate a Works Cited page and include M.L.A. format parenthetical citations in their writing as they synthesized the information from at least two websites. Students also created a Google Slide that brought their country's/religion's traditions to life, since they were challenged to locate photographs of the New Year's festivals, "lucky foods," and rituals. Since pomegranates are considered a lucky New Year's food in Turkey and other Mediterranean countries, students enjoyed a fruit strip treat as they listened to each other's research presentations! 8th grade learned a lot about why many different foods and activities mark the New Year!