Links on www.ushmm.org used in class today

Nazi Camps
Buchenwald (the last camp Elie was in) scroll down for the liberation video
Personal stories about Nazi Camps
Auschwitz Info
Auschwitz Personal Stories

link to podcast

Link

Elie Wiesel

Calendar Change

Due to some changes in the school schedule on Monday, I have moved the viewing of the film to Friday.

Updates

I updated powerschool as well as the calendar. Please check both. Thank you.

Powerschool...

...has been updated. Sorry for the delay.

Upcoming grades

7th and 8th - Your Night Journals are due Friday, Dec. 18th.
6th - You will have a quiz over characterization on Friday, Dec. 18th. I'll give you some text examples and you'll have to identify which method is being used (you'll have the chart available).

Life Is Beautiful (re-post)

This pertains to all 7th and 8th grade students. I need these slips back by Wednesday, December 16th. Thanks!

I plan on showing the film Life Is Beautiful to the students after we finish reading Night. Here is the link for more information. Also, click here for the parent guide.

Please print this post and return it to me signed to give permission for your child to watch this film. It is rated PG-13 for Holocaust related themes. It is not a graphic film; on the contrary, it is a film I feel is very suitable for our middle schoolers.

I give permission for _____________________________ to watch Life Is Beautiful in class with Mrs. Smith.

Signature:__________________________________________

Out today

Well, the bug caught me too this past weekend. If you missed school, here's what each class did for reading:
8th- speaker from Women's care center, AR
7th - AR
6th - Mrs. Martin read from A Christmas Carol.

I'm feeling better right now, so I will be back tomorrow. Hope you all are well too!

~Mrs. Smith

8th grade computer assignment (7th grade can do this too)

Follow this link to the exploration activity.
You'll need your headphones. Click through each of the commentaries.

Also, there are other things to explore on the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum website.

St. Joe High School January Placement Test

The next Placement Test is on January 19th at 8:00 a.m. A reservation is needed. Call 574-233-6137.

Life Is Beautiful

I plan on showing the film Life Is Beautiful to the students after we finish reading Night. Here is the link for more information. Also, click here for the parent guide.

Please print this post and return it to me signed to give permission for your child to watch this film. It is rated PG-13 for Holocaust related themes. It is not a graphic film; on the contrary, it is a film I feel is very suitable for our middle schoolers.

I give permission for _____________________________ to watch Life Is Beautiful in class with Mrs. Smith.

Signature:__________________________________________

Night journal

Please simply write a reflection unless I specify otherwise. Reflections are simply your thoughts and feelings and do not necessarily need to be in a point and support format (you decide). I do, however, expect more than just a couple of sentences. I believe the subject matter deserves some in depth thought and writing from you.

Night Question Dec 7

For Monday, December 7:
No need for point support format with this one. Just write your thoughts in response to sections 2-3.
However, please be sure to include thoughts about the following:
How do you feel about the non-Jews who stood by and watched the deportation from the windows? In 1944, they probably knew what might happen to their "friends of yesterday."

Scholastic December Orders Due 12/10

I have posted the December orders on my book clubs page. Please place your order by December 10th. I will put the order in with rushed shipping so the kids can be guaranteed to receive their books prior to Dec. 22 (last day of school before break). I will pass out the flyers when I return.

I'm gone today

Due to my absence, I am moving the review tests for all three grade levels to next Wednesday. We'll be on the normal vocabulary schedule from then on (Wednesday quizzes and tests).

6th grade notes on characterization

Night Question of the Day

Night Question of the Day: just write a reflection (no point/support paragraph).

NIGHT question of the day

Question of the Day:
Do you agree with this statement? "It is senseless to burden our children with the tragedies of the Jewish past." (do you think it's worth learning about the Holocaust?)

Here's how you answer that question:
Think about why we learn history. Think about what Elie said when he talked about writing the book to make sure that history didn't repeat itself.
Use the same point and support format we have been studying (see previous post).

Don't forget your personal reflection. You can write about any of your feelings so you can sleep better.

7th and 8th grade: READ THIS

Here's what your Night Journal should have for each day of class:
1. Answer to the "question of the day" (see calendar)
This answer should be ONE paragraph in point and support format.

2. Thoughts/reflections
This can be a few sentences (or as many as you need) in order to jot down feelings you have as a result of our study. This is not optional. You must have thoughts or reactions for each day of our study of Night and the Holocaust.

FOR TONIGHT, 11/30/09:
Answer this question: "How did the Nazis gain so much power over the German people?" The one word answer based on our discussion would be propaganda. However, I expect a point and support paragraph:
-make your point
-support 1
-explain
-support 2
-explain
-support 3
-explain
-conclude

List of specific sites used for today - NIGHT

What is propaganda?
Propaganda Themes in the Nazi Regime
Gallery

NIGHT journal

Beginning today, 7th and 8th graders will keep a journal while we read Night by Elie Wiesel. This journal will simply be a section in their notebooks.
For today's question (on the calendar), students should use the following website to help refresh their memory about today's discussion:
http://www.ushmm.org/propaganda

REMINDER: All journal entries that are a response to one of my questions should be in a proper point and support format. "Personal Reflections" for each day can be in a freewriting format.

No vocab this week

Due to Grandparent's Day and the hectic schedule, I have adjusted the dates for vocabulary quizzes. Please check the calendar to see which days will be assessment days. As we get closer to Christmas, these dates are subject to change due to scheduled holiday events that I may not be aware of yet. Thank you for your flexibility.

Congratulations 8S!

Congrats 8S on achieving Accelerated Reader Model Classroom Status! You've done a super job so far this year. Keep up the good work!

Powerschool has been updated.

All grades are current as of 11/20/09. Please note if there is any missing work (come to me to get it completed). Also, watch for typos or any other things you think are errors.

Thanks!

Powerschool

6th and 8th grades have been updated in powerschool. I may or may not be able to get 7th grade in today based on whether I can see them this afternoon after the Pentathlon assembly.

Powerschool Updated

Hello everyone! I'm just letting you know that I have updated Powerschool. Grades are current through today.

Parent Permission - 8th Graders

I know this is a bit last minute, but we actually have the time tomorrow due to a schedule change. Miss Kendzicky and I would like to show our 8th graders a movie called The Patriot. We feel it strongly conveys both imagery and emotion associated with the Revolutionary War. The experience will provide students with a lasting memory of the passion behind the events.

Due to some violent war scenes, the movie is rated R. However, we feel the scenes are presented in a way that does not glorify the violence; rather, the pain and suffering and sacrifice of the war are highlighted with the scenes. The characters react to the violence in a way that shows how bad and negative it is.

If you feel it is ok for your child to watch The Patriot tomorrow in class, please sign a printout of this blog post and return it tomorrow. Be sure to write your child's name on the printout.

Link to more information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0187393/

Happy Halloween and Thank You!

Happy Halloween everyone! I hope you've had a safe and fun holiday.
Also, thank you to those of you who purchased books for our classroom. I'm excited to show them off on Monday!

Final Grades Posted

Your final grades for reading are posted in Powerschool. The grade you see is what will be on your report card. PLEASE let me know immediately if there are any errors. The school will be printing all the report cards tomorrow morning. I cannot make changes after that.

No School

Due to the school being closed, I have moved the vocab quiz to Monday. The following week's quiz is moved to next Thursday instead of Wednesday.
Please check the calendar for the updates.
Monday's quiz:
8th - tain, ten, tent
7th - port
6th - tri-

Thursday's quiz:
8th - fer
7th - miss, mit
6th - quad-

8th grade Homework

Write a paragraph in response to the following prompt:
"With whom do you most sympathize, Father, Sam, or Tim? Why?"
(By sympathize, I mean relate to, feel connected to, understand, etc).
You should state your point and then support it with 2-3 pieces of support. 7-9 sentences.
Please make sure you only pick ONE person. Don't come in with a paragraph in which you say "all of them." That doesn't answer the question.

Homework Monday, October 26th, 2009

ALL CLASSES:
Clear Thinking and Writing, Ch. 4 Activity 7:
READ "Staying on Point" and try the practice problem. Then READ THE EXPLANATION to see what you may have done wrong. After that, try Activity 7 #'s 1-10. Write your answers directly on the page.

Also....
Please take home the match up page, cut it up, and match the definitions to the words. Keep these pieces at home to help you study. Remember, the quiz has been moved to Thursday this week.

Vocab quiz moved to THURSDAY

Because last week was hectic, we didn't have time to begin our new lists. Therefore, I am moving the quizzes for all three grade levels to THURSDAY. The normal schedule will follow after this week. Please check the calendar for updates.

Powerschool Update

Please check powerschool to make sure all your grades have been entered properly. I still have to meet with some of you to either make up work or to "retake/redo" some assignments. For MOST students, the grades currently in Powerschool are the final 1st quarter reading grades.

New AR Goals

Parents--on Wednesday, I sent home copies of new AR goal contracts with the students (with a few exceptions due to absences). I met with each student and we agreed on goals for Quarter 2.

Please make sure the copy gets signed and returned to me so I know that you've seen your child's new goals. Monday marks the day that quizzes will start counting toward the 2nd quarter goals.

Alteration to Skills Test Study Guides

In the interest of reducing the amount of time needed to take tomorrow's test, I will be shortening it to only 3 sections. I am removing the "responding to literature" section from all three grade levels. I have reviewed the assessments I have given this quarter and determined that I have enough to feel satisfied that students have met the literature standards covered this quarter.

The sections that will remain are vocabulary, inferences, and point/support. This reduction in length will make the test easy to complete in our 40 minute class period.

6th and 7th grade homework

Write a paragraph that has a POINT and at least 3 items of support. Be sure to use transition statements as modeled to you in the activity we did in class today (Ch. 3 of Clear Thinking and Writing).

Make sure you have an outline to go with the paragraph (point, supporting detail 1, supporting detail 2, and supporting detail 3).

Don't forget to explain your supporting details in order to have a well constructed paragraph.

Write about ANYTHING! Make it interesting please. I don't like reading boring papers.

DUE TOMORROW, 10/20/09

Quarter 1 Skills Test

Each grade level will have a cumulative skills test on THURSDAY of this week. Please try to be here at school since the end of the quarter is Friday.

All three grade levels can access their study guide HERE.

8S Computer Assignment, 8K weekend HW (for a reading grade)

Write a paragraph that has a POINT and at least 3 items of support. Be sure to use transition statements as modeled to you in the activity we did in class today (Ch. 3 of Clear Thinking and Writing).

Make sure you have an outline to go with the paragraph (point, supporting detail 1, supporting detail 2, and supporting detail 3).

Don't forget to explain your supporting details in order to have a well constructed paragraph.

Write about ANYTHING! Make it interesting please. I don't like reading boring papers.

DUE MONDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Powerschool has been updated

PLEASE CHECK YOUR GRADES to make sure everything is correct. Teachers are human, humans make mistakes. If you see a mistake, make a note and talk to me on Monday. For late work, anything accepted beyond this point is more than a day late (with a few exceptions due to absences). You'll get 50% credit if you turn it in (half is better than none).

IMPORTANT NOTICE! Last day for latework

Students/Parents--WEDNESDAY, Sept 30th, is the last day to turn in any late work for our book units.
This means:
-any work from Tuck Everlasting chs 9-26 (6th grade)
-any work from Tom Sawyer that was due Sept 21 or later (8th grade)
-and work from The Outsiders that was due Sept 21 or later (7th grade)

Keep in mind that even though you will only get 50% credit for this work (unless it is the day after it was due, in which case you get 90%), it is still a good idea to turn it in for 2 reasons:
1. It won't be a zero that will count against you for Fun Day
2. It won't be a ZERO averaged into your grade! Trust me, half the points is better than no points. I promise.

Things that went home today

Parents--progress reports went home today. You should also have gotten a separate page explaining how the AR grade is calculated. Also, if your child had turned in his or her Smithstorian permission slip, I sent home the two cards detailing login information. If your child has not already sent in the permission slip, please have him or her bring it to school as soon as possible so he or she doesn't miss out on participating.
Please see the links section of this site to access HomeConnect, Powerschool, Smithstorian, and other important sites.

Book Clubs - Order Online!

October book orders are due September 30th, 2009.
The more we order, the more free books the middle school gets.

There are 2 ways to order:

1. online (best-we get a free book for each order placed)
Just visit www.scholastic.com/bookclubs and enter the username ccssmith and the password cougars. Use debit or credit card to order.

2. bring check or cash to school with the order form.

Keep in mind that there are additional catalogs from which to order listed on the website, so remember to visit!

Welcome!

Welcome to the new blog for Middle School Reading at Corpus Christi School. I will post classroom updates, assignments, reminders, and various other items on here in an effort to communicate better with both students and parents. Please also visit Cougar Social Studies, now run by Miss Kendzicky here at Corpus!
http://cougarsocialstudies.blogspot.com