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).