Welcome!

Hello, my name is Melissa (MJ) Bach and I teach 7-8th grade science at Kennedy Community School. I also coach girls softball in the spring.

In 7th grade, we study life science. Topics include: ecology, evolution, animals, plants, cells, microscopes, genetics, bacteria and diseases, human body systems. Here is a link to our course syllabus.
8th grade is all about earth science. We explore the structure of the Earth, rocks and minerals, volcanoes and earthquakes, weather, and space. Here is a link to our course syllabus.

I use Schoology to post all assignments and daily work for students. You may view your child's Schoology science course on their school-issued device (Chromebook). (Please contact me if you need help having parent access to Schoology.) Students can also access their science textbooks digitally using their Chromebooks. In addition to these, we also use a physical notebook in class for some note-taking and assignments.

Grades for all students can be found on Skyward, and they are updated weekly.

Here is my contact information:
email: melissa.bach@isd742.org
phone: 320-370-7461
classroom number: 313

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I started at Kennedy in December 2016. In my free time, I enjoy camping, hanging out at the lake, playing music, making art and spending time with my family. I earned a biology degree from the College of Saint Benedict. After college, I spent several years working as a field biologist for the MN DNR and teaching environmental/outdoor education at Saint John's University and Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center. I earned certificate in Environmental Education from University of MN Duluth, and went back to school to earn my teaching license from the College of Saint Scholastica.