[email message sent out to 8th grade magnet families 4/20/2020]
Good morning, Clemente MSCS 8 families,
I hope this message finds you healthy and positive amongst the many unanswered questions we all have.
In an alternate reality, in which there was no COVID-19 pandemic, we would have woken you students up at 7:00 a.m. this morning to enjoy a continental breakfast together in Boston, Massachusetts. Today would have been our first “real” day spent exploring the city together.
Since that is not possible in this new reality, I’ve taken the liberty of creating a “Virtual Boston” website for you to explore. It hits upon many of the sights and scenes we would have experienced together… and even some things we wouldn’t have had time for. I hope you will enjoy clicking through what’s been collected for you, and even go off the path into a rabbit hole or two of your own interest.
Once you’ve had a chance to explore, please send a brief email to your trip chaperones (listed below, and also CC’ed on this email) about something you learned or found interesting, as well as how you and your family are coping. No due date, just take your time and have fun with it. (Also, Mr. Young tells me that Apollo 13, which we would have watched together this week, is on Hulu if you have a subscription… and don’t forget bowling night!)
I hope you are all doing well, and I look forward to seeing everyone again soon on the other side of this. Take care of yourselves and each other, and be well,
-Mr. Orders (and your teachers & chaperones)
Chaperones:
Steve Orders (steven_orders@mcpsmd.org)
Greg Young (gregory_young@mcpsmd.org)
Sascha Simkanich (sascha_j_simkanich@mcpsmd.org)
Roseann Brady (roseann_m_brady@mcpsmd.org)
Steve Walker (steven_b_walker@mcpsmd.org)
Lindsey Vernon (lindsey_m_vernon@mcpsmd.org)
Steve Orders
Assistant Principal/Center Coordinator
Roberto Clemente Middle School
301.284.4750
Together, we are Roberto Clemente
Welcome to Magnet Computer Science for grade 7. Discovery, inquiry, design, creativity, problem solving, and evaluation are key tenants of developing an understanding of how to program hardware to perform a function or task. In 7th grade, students will evolve from engineering and programming Arduino circuits to making robots complete dynamic moves as they navigate the surface of Mars. As we navigate the year, the students will learn Arduino circuits where they will use hardware, jumper wires, sensors, and breadboards to make their own circuits and program them to create their own hydroponics prototype. They will transition to designing and developing mobile apps for Android devices using object-oriented blockly programming through MIT App Inventor. Their programming knowledge will translate into the venue of designing, building and programming LEGO robots to perform a series of challenges and missions as if they were in Space or on Mars. The students in computer science will be assessed in two different IB MYP subjects: Design and Arts. 
prototypes. They used this knowledge to make a 21st century hydroponic system that utilized Arduino’s to either automate their system or create warning mechanisms to ensure that their hydroponics system is working correctly. 
We are reading Uncle Tom’s Cabin, which is a chore for some of them. It’s almost 500 pages of not-easy text, but it’s an important piece of literature that really supports what we’ve been talking about all year long (what does it mean to be American and how does perspective affect our beliefs and opinions). We are actually writing pages on this book, and we will participate in Socratic Seminars around it. For the common writing task, in which the rest of the 8th grade writes about 12 Angry Men, we will write a 2-3 page dialogue between Uncle Tom and their choice of one of the people we studied (MLK, Malcolm X, Medgar Evers, James Baldwin, Colin Kaepernick, Angela Davis, a few more). The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is coming up, and while the rest of the eighth grade only reads 3 chapters, we read the whole book. Shakespeare rounds out our year, and it looks like we will be doing a compilation of Shakespearean scenes this year, rather than one entire play.
Last night we welcomed 8th grade Math, Science, & Computer Science parents in the Media Center for a brief presentation followed by a Q&A session. There were lots of great questions, and we are excited to be getting closer to the Boston trip every day!
On Tuesday and Wednesday last week, 8th grade students learned about secret world of codes and ciphers in a fun and exciting way. They started the day by hearing a story, “The Gold Bug,” and then tried to decipher the message from the story using substitution cipher. Then, they were given a Scavenger Hunt Questionnaire, which they had to complete by exploring the museum. The hunt was followed by an answer session in the museum classroom. The museum staff went over the questionnaires in a fun and interactive way, and she also gave additional historical information concerning the exhibits. Students were rewarded with frisbees and pencils for correct answers. In the following weeks, students will learn about some basic encryption algorithms and program it using python.
Outside the museum, we held one final session of the 2019 Humanities Poetry SLAM (SLAm, Slam, slam), featuring a healthy balance of inside jokes, personal connections, and emotional reflections. While listening to the students and chaperones share their poetic offerings, we adults were struck by an idea: we should pull all of this year’s poems together into a printed compilation later in the year. Stay tuned for updates; meanwhile, here is 
It was a blessedly uneventful trip home, with huge props owed to our drivers, J.T. and Monica, who became an integral part of our 2019 NYC experience throughout the week, and especially on our smooth return trip. Parents reunited with their children, teachers bid fond farewells (until Monday), and everyone was relieved and a little sad to see the adventure come to a close. As Mr. Young and I shared with the group outside the museum today, it is important to take all of the things we learned, experienced, and practiced together — patience, awareness, creativity, problem-solving, flexibility, support, and the ability to be present in the moment, just to name a few — back with us into our “normal” lives. 
Monday will definitely bring us back to life, back to reality… but our reality will never be the same. We have all been changed by this chance to get to know each other, this city, and ourselves, a whole lot better.
Today was our first day of using the Subway, and we learned a lot about problem solving and having a plan B (and C and D!) We found out there are several types of fare cards, and not all work in all situations. These tenacious kids made it work, however, and we had a great ride to Chinatown! We saw diverse architecture, a wide variety of family owned small businesses and stores and eclectic street performances. We enjoyed a delicious lunch and learned all about dim sum table-side service, dividing checks, and tipping.
After a morning spent immersed in the rich cultural experiences of Chinatown, we headed to the studios of New York Public Radio where we interviewed Mr. John Schaefer, host and producer on WNYC Radio. He was very impressed with the level of questions, and invited us back anytime we wanted to be a part of a show!
