Math & Science

OLPH incorporates an advanced math curriculum. In six grade, students cover all of the sixth-grade and half of the seventh-grade standards. They use the enVision 6 textbook (which students have access to online as well as the hard copy). Although the material moves quickly, I incorporate activities throughout the units like pennants, hands-on exercises and digital practice.

Topics include the following:

• Factors and Prime Factorization
• Operations on Fractions
• Operations on Decimals
• Operations on Rational Numbers
• Graphing on Coordinate Plane
• Ordering Integers
• Writing Equations
• Solving Equations
• Area of Polygons
• Surface Area and Volume
• Rate, Ratios and Percent
• Statistics

In seventh grade, students cover the second half of the seventh-grade and all the eighth-grade standards. They use the enVision 7 advanced textbook (which students have access to online as well as the hard copy). Although the material moves quickly, I incorporate activities throughout the units like task cards, FACEing math, pennants, hands-on exercises and digital practice.

Topics include the following:

• Solving Equations
• Graphing Linear Equations
• System of Equations
• Functions
• Exponents and Scientific Notation
• Inequalities
• Data Analysis
• Probability and Statistics
• Transformations
• Angles
• Pythagorean Theorem
• Circles

In eighth grade, students cover the high school algebra standards as a class. This is great because it provides choices to the eighth-graders as they move to high school. The enVision Algebra 1 textbook is also available online for easy reference. Although the material moves quickly, I incorporate activities throughout the units like matching, riddles, FACEing math, pennants, hands-on exercises and digital practice.

Topics include the following:

• Solving Equations and Inequalities
• System of Equations
• Graphing Linear Equations
• Linear Functions
• Exponential Functions
• Polynomial Equations and Factoring
• Graphing Quadratics
• Solving Quadratics
• Square-Root Functions
• Rational Equations and Functions
• Statistics

OLPH follows California’s Next Generation Science Standards. In sixth grade, students tackle earth science. This year will rock!

Earth Science Units:

• Earth and Space Science
• Launch: Geology on Mars
• Plate Motion
• Engineering Internship: Plate Motion
• Rock Transformations
• Earth, Moon and Sun
• Ocean, Atmosphere and Climate
• Weather Patterns
• Earth’s Changing Climate
• Engineering Internship: Earth’s Changing Climate

These are inquiry-based units during which the sixth-graders investigate solutions to problems. The curriculum includes reading articles, using digital simulations, completing hands-on labs, modeling, writing and discussing. Beyond the text, students also do STEM activities throughout the year.

In seventh grade, students delve into life science — topics to live for. These topics are applicable to the students’ lives as they discover how their bodies work and investigate the interaction with other organisms.

Life Science Units:

• Launch: Microbiome
• Metabolism
• Engineering Internship: Metabolism
• Traits and Reproduction
• Populations and Resources
• Matter and Energy in Ecosystems
• Natural Selection
• Engineering Internship: Natural Selection
• Evolutionary History

These are inquiry-based units during which the seventh-graders investigate solutions to problems. The curriculum includes reading articles, using digital simulations, completing hands-on labs, modeling, writing and discussing. Beyond the text, the seventh-graders do STEM activities throughout the year. The annual field trip relates to the science course, which provides hands-on application of what they are studying.

In eighth grade, students explore physical science during which they investigate energy sources and transference — the eighth-graders are really moving.

Physical Science Units:

• Light Waves
• Launch: Harnessing Human Energy
• Force and Motion
• Engineering Internship: Force and Motion
• Magnetic Fields
• Thermal Energy
• Phase Change
• Engineering Internship: Phase Change
• Chemical Reactions

These are inquiry-based units during which students investigate solutions to problems. The curriculum includes reading articles, using digital simulations, completing hands-on labs, modeling, writing and discussing. Beyond the text, eighth-graders do STEM activities throughout the year.

For success in middle school, organization is imperative. We would like you and your child to discuss what might be the best approach to organizing papers and work.  There are four options we recommend because we have seen a significant percentage of students be successful using the following tools.

Pick one of the options below:

1. A spiral bound notebook that has a pocket for each of the six subjects in middle school
2. A three-ring binder divided into six sections, with pockets for handouts, or a three-hole punch to organize handouts
3. Folders for each class for handouts and lined paper to take notes  
4. Accordion file folder with at least six pockets. You will also add lined paper.

The deciding factor in which of these systems to pick is your child and how well he/she will stick to one of these systems.

DO NOT use large rolling backpacks. It is our experience that students have trouble the first month, or so, remembering what to take to each class, but our students figure it out eventually. When students have rolling backpacks, they tend to put everything in the backpack rather than learning to prepare and differentiate.

Make sure that your child has reliable access to the internet and a device with camera and microphone to complete work digitally when at home for various assignments. 

Please be aware that some of the supplies below will need to be purchased throughout the year, as needed, to be used at home and at school.

Please label the following supplies with your child’s name:

• College-ruled lined paper (2 packages)
• Graphing paper – 8½ x 11, any size squares per inch (2 packages)
• Black or blue pens (Students should always have two available for all student work except for math.)
• Pencils (Students should always have two available. Mechanical is preferred. **Avoid plastic-coated pencils.)
• Red pens (or other color pens for correcting)
• 1 black Sharpie (fine tip)
• 1 set washable markers (thin or thick) or 24+ colored pencils (**Do not bring anything that bleeds through paper.)
• 1 Texas Instruments TI-30XIIS calculator
• 1 pair scissors
• 1 bottle glue
• 1 glue stick
• Headphone set with a microphone for use with Rosetta Stone (It must have a USB plug to connect to the computer.) – Please clearly label with child’s name. Logitech-Headset-H390-Noise-Cancelling
• 1 composition notebook (9¾ x 7½ or as close to this size as possible)
• New American Bible (one-time purchase in sixth grade but used in seventh and eighth grade)
• ELA – 1 single-subject notebook for bell rings and/or journals

• Sticky notes
• 400 index cards to use as flashcards (lined or unlined for vocabulary flashcards)

• 4 jumbo-size book covers (2 for 8th grade, 1 for 7th grade, 1 for 6th grade)
• 4 boxes tissues
• 2 rolls paper towels
• 2 cylinders Clorox wipes
• 2 packages baby wipes (last names A-P)
• 1 box freezer or sandwich bags (last names Q-Z)

1 ream white copy paper (500 sheets or more, for the office, labeled with your child’s name)

• 1 box markers (12-count, Crayola)
• 1 box crayons (24-count, Crayola)
• 1 box colored pencils (24-count, Crayola)
• 1 pack acrylic paint markers (24-count, no specific brand, dual or single-tipped)
• 1 pack chalk pastels (12-count, no specific brand)
• 1 pack oil pastels (12-count, no specific brand)
• 1 glue bottle and stick
• 1 fine-point sharpies (not ultra-fine point)