10-13-14

As I mentioned during Open House, you will receive an email from me after every unit. I must state that I am very pleased with how this first quarter has gone. I am beyond grateful at the amount of support that students receive. Thank you for all that you do. Please email me with any questions, comments, concerns, or praises. 

I will be using ClassDojo as a way to help students become aware of their behaviors. I will pass out parent codes during parent-teacher conferences. Some of you may have already received an email because I asked the students to put in your email address. I explained to them that this is my way of taking notes on them.

ALL

Please help me to encourage students in their reading and writing. It is expected that students are reading 30 minutes a day everyday. They should be logging their minutes at Reading Rewards. In order to become better readers, they need to read often. The same is true for writing as well.

7th

The seventh graders just finished their unit on identity. We read Stargirl and had several class discussion regarding the book.  The students completed an happy art project where they wrote down all the things that make them happy and presented to the class. Students had to perform a random act of kindness and compare themselves to Stargirl. Students debated whether someone should change for others. Students then reflected on what makes them unique. The final summative assessment was an identity essay where students should have described themselves through memories, traits, personal preferences, and how all those aspects shape what they believe and value about life.

8th

The eighth graders just finished their lesson on conflict and resolution. We read The Outsiders and had several class discussion regarding the book. Students examined the characters from the book and created a biopoem for the main characters. The students created a news article based on an event that happened in the story. Students debated whether violence and murder are justifiable. The final summative assessment was a contingency plan to prevent and also resolve conflicts with family, friends, school, and social media. Students then presented their plans to the class.

Overall

I am very pleased with how the students have grown in the area of discussion. We will continue to work on this throughout the year as well as reading, writing, and presenting. Please help students to be prepared and ready for school by encouraging 8 hours of sleep, nutritious food, and exercise.