Mr. Brilla's Musings

Welcome:  It was unbelievable how quickly this week seemed to fly by! The students and I were commenting that finally having a "normal" uninterrupted week was nice and seemed to make things go so quickly. As a reminder, the students have to finish their course selection in Skyward by January 30.  A full & normal week also meant a full class period on Friday and the chance to show another video. This week I showed the students a 3-minute video of Jay Shetty. It's a great video about the importance of being true to yourself and who you really are.  All Classes  This Past Week Course Selection: The first two days of the week were focused on high school course selection. We watched two videos all about graduation requirements and course selection directions. The students will need to finalize their course selections for next year by January 30, 2024.  ✅ #01-Quarter Three Timeline:  The students spent time investigating some key events from the two Industrial Revolutions i

Welcome Happy FID Friday! I'll be honest, I'm torn on how I feel about them. I'm so thankful that we are all able to stay safe at home and not burn through snow days, but I also understand the struggle of trying to keep up with my work and help my sons stay on top of theirs--but the good news is, those decisions are way above my pay grade so it doesn't matter how I feel, haha. This week has been a bit crazy because of the choppy nature due to the weather. With a FID on Friday, there was no time to show a video for the week.  Social Studies (1, 5 and 6):  This Past Week:  ✅ #40-Wars for the West List/Group/Label: The students completed the List/Group/Label assignment that we started last week. It was great to hear the students discussing and using the terms to help make connections in their minds. This is by far  the most challenging thing the students have done to this point in the year. 50 States Quiz: This quiz turned into an optional assignment for the students--whil

Welcome:  We are officially done with our 19th week of school and on to the last week of the second quarter. It's amazing to me how much time flies (and it seems to be going faster now that my own son is in 8th grade). The school started a Penny Wars competition sponsored by our Positive Behavior and Interventions Support team this week. Additionally, the students also started thinking about the courses they'd like to take when we watched the video about available electives from the high school. The video is 35 minutes long and has a ton of great information--here it is if you'd like to watch it for yourself.  Social Studies (1, 5 and 6) This Past Week:  Wars for the West Key Terms:  The students worked in groups to identify and explain each of the terms that we will be discussing throughout the week. This activity was meant to introduce them to the topics we'll discuss and to practice researching.  Indian Wars Iron Chef:  The students worked in the same groups, but thi

Welcome:  Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a great first week back after the holiday break. As crazy as it may sound, we started discussing course recommendations for next year in my class because my initial recommendations are due very soon. I'm sure many of you will have questions about the course selection process--don't worry, there will be a TON of information coming your way and some presentations from the high school guidance department meant to help you and your student navigate this time.  Since it's the new year I thought it was a great time to show another video by Prince Ea. This video is called "New Year, New M...Stop!" and was updated for this year. It's a great video with a powerful message about setting goals and living the lives we are meant to live.  Social Studies:  This Past Week: Clash of Cultures:  We started our discussion of the "Clash of Cultures"--the time when the American government and Native American tribes began to i

Welcome:  Well, we are finally finished with the first quarter content and moving on to our next topic--Westward Expansion! I'm very excited to dive into the new content as we get closer to Thanksgiving Break and parent-teacher conferences next week.  The week after Thanksgiving starts one of my favorite things we do as a school community--Operation Giving Tree. This drive helps make the holidays better for families within our school community. Check out the quick video, flyer and spreadsheet for more information.  Operation Giving Tree Social Studies (1, 5 and 6)  This Past Week:  Monday:  We took time today to go through a self-directed Pear Deck activity meant to help the students learn the meaning of the term "Manifest Destiny," review for the Civics Exam, join the new Google Classroom, and start working on the first assignment for the second unit called ✅ #01-Westward Map & Timeline Activity.  Tuesday:  The students got a preview of the Civics Exam today when we

Welcome:  Wow--and just like that the first quarter of the school year is over! The students and I were talking in class this past week about how slowly the year started (partially because of the Cavalcante days I believe) and how quickly time is flying by now. The first quarter is over and I am working my way through the last few graded assignments we had and any work that had been resubmitted or submitted after the due date.  We were able to take a little extra time and watch a longer video on Friday at the end of the quarter. This past week we watched one of my favorite Goal Cast videos all about wisdom and the ability to never give up. I hope you can take 10 minutes to watch the video--I think you'll love it.  Social Studies (Periods 1, 5 and 6)  This Past Week:  Monday:  We started the week with a quick reading about the Electoral College so the students got a better understanding of how we elect our president. The students then did a Sketch and Tell and worked on their #040-T