Summer 2024: Week 7 Class Highlights

Welcome to our Summer 2024 week 7 Highlights!

During the final weeks of summer, students achieved their summer goals, mastered key skills, and completed all their main objectives. Thank you to all our parents and students for a wonderful and productive summer full of amazing growth! Read below to get up-to-date information on your child’s summer courses.

Week 7 Highlights

#1. Many test prep students started surpassing their target score!

#2. HS honor students learned 60% of the upcoming curriculum for their math and science courses.

#3. Students completed a survey on the last week of class to share their feedback on their course experience.

Test Prep: Milestones & Achievements

Foundation

Students have completed the revision for all the reading and writing skills. The last Module 1 test was covered with summative feedback. Test-taking strategies have been reviewed and verbally tested.

Foundation English

Covered skills and strategies for answering questions in all 4 domains of the SAT, reviewed reading and writing skills, and took the final practice test utilizing the strategies learned throughout the course.

Foundation Math

We continue to hone students’ math skills in cumulative practice sets, with a mixed selection of topics. We discussed various test taking strategies to help them tackle problems more efficiently and accurately.

1400 English

By the end of the course, the 1400 students have completed 20 practice tests. We spent this week clearing up any lingering questions about specific strategies.

1400 Math

In the final week of class we took the final 3 tests, so we took about 20 tests total this summer! We went over a cumulative quiz and took a College Board Bluebook test for homework, which was a change of pace for students. Some students are taking the August SAT, so we reviewed strategies they should be familiar with for common problems.

1500 English

We have learned or reviewed all skills, so this week is about solidifying the progress we’ve made. We want students to achieve their goal score 3 times to make it exponentially more likely that they achieve that goal score on the official test day.

1500 Math

Students increased their intensity for their upcoming August official test. They worked to enforce the habits, concepts, and strategies they learned while also maintaining an intense level of readiness. 

1500 Advanced

At this point, we have learned or reviewed all skills. Our last week was about solidifying the progress we have made. 

Core English

In Week 7 students took one SAT test and completed their in-class argumentative essay practice. They have been familiarized with the format and content of DSAT.

Exam Prep 8

ENGLISH – Students have completed their final simulation test (ISEE), as well as an in class essay assignment that will be used to help them practice peer review. MATH – Interpreting and solving Algebraic models. We also took the ISEE Test and reviewed it.

SSAT/ISEE 8

ENGLISH – During this final week of the summer semester, our class took its final ISEE simulation test, through which we conducted a comprehensive review of all essential verbal and critical thinking skills and strategies learned over the past seven weeks. MATH – As we move towards the final week of SSAT/ISEE students will take a final ISEE Sim Test and learn more about Probability/Stats-based questions as well as counting rules/problems involving counting numbers.

High School Honors | Topics Covered

Honors Algebra I

After finishing up quadratics we took a look at exponential functions. We examined their features and how different changes to the equation affected graphs. We learned how to model the functions and what can be considered exponential growth or decay.

Honors Algebra II

The final week! Students took their final quiz on roots, radicals, the imaginary number, and solving quadratics. We then covered the graphs of quadratic functions, writing quadratic equations, variation (direct and inverse), and polynomial division (long and synthetic division), and rational roots.

Honors Analysis I

Students continued to learn trigonometry and took their final exam as the summer semester came to a close! 

Honors Biology

Students learned about Evolution and Natural Selection as well as a brief overview of Ecology before taking their final exam at the end of the week.

Honors Chemistry

In the students’ final week, they covered the last of the Molecular Geometry topics including VSEPR tables, Polarity, and Hybridization! Students have learned a sizable amount of Chemistry this summer to prepare them for their high school class.

Honors Geometry

In the final week we covered trigonometric ratios, area of special quadrilaterals and regular polygons, and area and arc lengths of sectors of circle. 

Honors Precalculus

In the final week of Precalculus, we went over the final topics we can expect to see in a given school year. This includes Limits and Derivatives; an intro to Calculus.

Honors Physics

As we wrap up the summer, students combine all the skills learned so far to tackle an interesting application: gravitational orbit. Students will be able to find how long it takes an object to orbit around Earth and other planets, and discuss different aspects of its motion.

MEK Learning Circles & Labs: Milestones & Achievements

WRITING CIRCLES

MLC Writing 4

• Students have written 6-8 essays
• Learned effective openings and conclusions
• Completed various grammar exercises

*MLC Writing 5 – 8 students have each written 13 essays by this point (Expository, Descriptive, Persuasive & Narrative).

MLC Writing 5 & 6

• Proper comma placement for dependent clauses
• Similes, metaphors, and personification
• Sentence structure, transitions, misspelled words

MLC Writing 7

• Subject/verb & pronoun/antecedent agreement
• Rhetorical techniques: logos, pathos, & ethos
• Imagery, figurative language & effective dialogue

MLC Writing 8 

• Subordinating clauses and introductory phrases
• Pathos as a rhetorical device
• Effective dialogue, descriptive details, reflection

MLC Enriched Writing 8

• Wide range of grammar covered
• Final test assessed their understanding

CRITICAL READING CIRCLES

Critical Reading 5

• Wrote 13 literary analysis essays (nonfiction)
• Fiction essays focused on characterization, conflict, figurative language & theme

Critical Reading 6 & 8

• Read 13 texts (fiction, nonfiction, poetry) 
• Wrote 13 analytical essays
• Elements such as figurative language, tone, p.o.v.
• Writing more focused thematic statements

Critical Reading 7

• Practiced reading comprehension and essay writing
• Took a cumulative quiz during the last session

VERBAL REASONING CIRCLES

MLC Advanced 7, Verbal Reasoning 

• Conducted a Reading Drill in Poetry
• Reviewed Reading and Writing Homework
• Studied Vocab List

Nonfiction Reading 6 & 7

• Tying detailed evidence to the thesis
• How an effective speaker delivers a presentation
• How to outline for cue cards
• Techniques to rehearse a presentation

MATH CIRCLES

Math 5 ONS

• Interpreting graphs and charts
• Converting numbers between different units
• Order of operations, decimals & other review

Math 5 PSM

• Multi-Step Word Problems involving:
• Unit Conversions & Volume of Rectangular Prisms
• Homework Review and Final Exam

Math 6 PSM

• Imperial and metric unit conversions using different rational number forms
• Final cumulative test on all units

MAPC Junior

• Another full AMC8 to apply lessons
• Lengthy test, needs 2 classes to review!

MAPC Rookie

• Quiz on concepts of factors, geometry & rates
• Big test for final class
• All competition-level concepts are tested

MLC Math, Pre-Algebra I ONS

• Glimpse into Geometry
• Calculated area and composite shapes
• Cumulative test on last day of class

MLC Math, Pre-Algebra I PSM

• Writing and solving multi-step problems
• Cumulative review and test

MLC Math, Pre-Algebra II PSM

• Geometric modeling and reasoning
• Advanced problem solving methods
• Questions geared toward HS admissions prep
• Final test to assess mastery of skills

MLC Math, Algebra I 

• Properties & utilizations of quadratic equations & functions
• Exponential functions and related word problems
• Final test to display mastery of skills

What’s Next?

Again, thank you to all of our MEK families for making this summer such a huge success! And while the summer may be over, your journey with MEK doesn’t need to end!

Click here to fill out our registration form to get started!

We look forward to hearing from you!