6th graders got to put their periodic table of elements skills to the test with this unconventional lab. Coach Bohn’s science classes used gumdrops and toothpicks to construct the element Lithium while reviewing all they have learned about atomic structure during the first few weeks of school. In this special lab, students even to got to eat their work! I guess you can say it was pretty sweet.
6th grader uses a sewing machine for the first time
The library is packed on Mondays during lunch with middle schoolers looking for opportunities to unleash their creativity. Legos, sewing, stacking straws, friendship bracelets, art, and anything else that fosters hands-on student creations is an option during Create Club. This club is perfect for White Oak’s future inventors, designers, and builders.
7th graders measure material for their scrunchies
6th graders make friendship bracelets
The principal learns to sew!
6th grader sews like a professional!
6th graders construct legos
7th graders show each other what they have learned
8th graders explore stacking straws
7th graders make cars
Cards
Students are showing up for Game Club! Every Thursday White Oak Middle Schoolers get the opportunity to bring their lunch to the library and play card games, chess, dominoes, scrabble, and any other non-tech games of their choice. In today’s hi-tech world, a little game break goes a long way for kids. Check out Scholastic’s article describing the benefits of children playing board games.
Girls Game Club
Chess
You’re never too old for Go Fish!
More card games
Spoons
Students show off their video game designs.
Middle School Power Math students spend Fridays in the Think Lab using Bloxels Builder, a video game making app for kids. Students are no longer just playing video games, they get to be the creators! To build video games, students must work through the design process, develop critical thinking skills, and effectively collaborate with team members. This project has made math relevant and sparked some serious creativity in the Think Lab. Thanks, Mrs. Henry, Ms. Broussard, and Mrs. Harrison for partnering with me on this project!
6th graders design a video game.
Mrs. Henry shows students how to use the Bloxel Builder app.
Middle Schoolers collaborate.
Students work through the design process.
Students connect math to the real world.
Students engage in critical thinking.
The Roughneck Tech Club had a blast planning and building the White Oak Community out of gingerbread. Please take a moment to watch the following video of the building process and our Skype with Prescott Learning Centre in Spruce Grove, Alberta, Canada.
Book club spent time today reflecting on the meaning of Thanksgiving. Students took turns writing thankful thoughts on pumpkins and then shared with each other.
The pumpkin exchange was followed by a reading of A Plump and Perky Turkey by Teresa Bateman. Book club followed Pete on all his adventures and loved how he outsmarted the townspeople.
Next, everyone joined in reading Over the River: A Turkey’s Tale by Derek Anderson. Who knew traveling to Grandma’s house could be so dangerous? At the close of the meeting, all the students gathered together and sang “Over the River” by Lydia Maria Child.
Happy Thanksgiving from the White Oak Middle School Book Club. We hope you take the time to cherish your family and friends during this season of gratitude.
November is a month of thankfulness, compassion, and kindness. The library is kicking off November with a kindness campaign initiated by our students. Each day during the month, students will share a kindness tip. Please follow us on Twitter @WOMediaCenter to see all the tips during November. You can view our first tip below!
Book club participated in the The Great Halloween Escape today and emerged victorious! The students solved a series of puzzles and riddles by deciphering clues hidden in various Halloween articles. 
The students who make up book club are incredibly talented, intelligent, and creative ladies who Mrs. Logan and I have the honor of spending time with every Friday. Have a Happy Halloween!
It is the spookiest time of the year! Are you ready for monsters and magic potions? Check out the new Spooky Brew Tynker project! Today, WOMS Tech Club learned programming concepts like messaging, costumes, sounds, and advanced animation as they created a potion-making game for their friends. 
What effect will their potion have on a monster? Will it turn the monster into a fire-breathing dragon? Transform the monster into a spooky skeleton? Or make the monster change in size? With a multitude of coding concepts available, students have the ability to customize their monsters and potions. Happy Halloween!
Teaching and modeling digital citizenship is essential to helping our students learn how to responsibly use social media. My goal as a librarian is to help our young people understand that images and messages posted on the Internet today can affect their future forever. Fortunately, Common Sense Education provides a wealth of resources for educators and families.
Three years ago White Oak Middle School implemented Common Sense Education curriculum, and the change in our school culture has been significant. Our students have learned to use social media responsibly, show respect for other’s work, and avoid the negative effects of cyberbullying. Through Common Sense we became a digital citizenship certified school and district.
In addition to educating our students, we shared the digital citizenship resources with our students’ families through parent lunch and learns, blog posts, and newsletters.
Common Sense Media helps families make smart media choices. We offer the largest, most trusted library of independent age-based and educational ratings and reviews for movies, games, apps, TV shows, websites, books, and music. Our Parent Concerns and Parent Blog help families understand and navigate the problems and possibilities of raising children in the digital age. -Common Sense Media
An easy way for families to start the digital citizenship conversation is by participating in the #DeviceFreeDinner Challenge. Use the Common Sense Media resources to create a family media plan.
Check out all the resources at Common Sense Media to get students started on the path to being responsible digital citizens.