Middle School: December 1-5, 2025
Hello, Middle School Families,
December marks a new block!
The Sixth graders are joining Ki Nicole’s Ancient Greece block in preparation for the Pentathlon in April! To read about their Main Lesson, please click here.
The Seventh and Eighth graders will be with Ki Lesley this month, jumping into the world of organic chemistry. This has been a much anticipated block for several of the students, and they have approached it with much enthusiasm. The focus of the block will be on studying some of the life-sustaining organic molecules and the role they play in our bodies. This will entail tabulating a list and testing for the occurrence of some of the molecules (carbohydrates, fats, and proteins) essential to life. One of the key concepts will be that of chemical change, how substances can react to make something new, and how energy can be diverted during such processes to provide nutrition and sustain life.
We started with sugar - testing and tasting ALL the various types of sugar that are available today. Students compared the taste, aftertaste, visual and olfactory characteristics of minimally processed sources such as date syrup, honey, and sugar in the raw, as well as the chemically derived sugar sources such as Equal and Sweet n’ Low. Having just finished the Early American History Block, we were able to recall past information and the history of sugar production, tracking the migration of the sugar cane from New Guinea and China to Europe, the Caribbean, and the Americas. Students explored how the labor intensive work of sugar production was fueled by slave labor, and how slave labor was one of the reasons for massive growth in the industry. Coupled with advances during the Industrial Revolution, sugar production was a source of economic wealth for the growing nation. They were so surprised to learn that the average American consumes 80 - 100 pounds of sugar each year.
The work during this Chemistry block is also supported by lab demonstrations and activities. After learning about the Periodic Table of Elements and the chemical formulas for each of the sugars, the class observed what happens when you burn sugar, observing and noting all the different stages that sugar goes through when heat is applied, as well as the final product of carbon ash.
Announcements & Reminders:
Our Admissions Team will be holding tours designed to address community questions regarding the phases of child development and our Waldorf-inspired curriculum. A combined Kindergarten tour and a Grades tour will be offered on:
Wednesday, December 10th, at 9:30 am
Saturday, December 13th, at 10:00 am
Wednesday, January 7th, at 9:30 am
These tours are for our current families to learn more about the respective programs. Please RSVP by emailing Crystal: admissions@thegardenmarietta.org.
December 19: Last Day of Fall Semester-Grades Assembly at 11:00 am, all families welcomed (Half Day)
December 22-January 2: Winter Break (No School)
January 5: Teacher-In-Service (No School)
January 6: First Day of Spring Semester
Thank you for the honor of teaching your children,
Ki Lesley
