Shuksan+Notes

Notes from SMS

Hi there, students! I am Mr. Mac and I teach grade 8 science over here at SMS. I was asked to share a few things with you about what it takes to be successful at middle school (especially in science). And the number one thing that I can think of for success in science is to be present. I don't mean that you should just not be absent. Being in the classroom is necessary, of course. But we have students every year who are here every day and they don't do well! So just being here isn't enough.

You also need to have your mind present. What do I mean by that? I mean that it's not enough to just fill out worksheets and do the things a teacher asks you to do. In order to be successful in middle school science, you have to think about the ideas yourself. Bad news is that sometimes things are confusing for a little while. But the good news is that once you understand something, that hard work pays off and thinking about the science becomes fun!

Always be willing to doubt how you think the world works; even when you have done experiments to figure things out!

Good luck in science this year, and I hope that we see you soon at Shuksan Middle School, the best place for science in Bellingham!

Sincerely,

Mr. Mac

Grade 8 Science Instructor