| This
week...
Savvy Seventh graders...
...are watching current events!
We are reading
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton! Seventh graders are keeping a
journal relating the experiences of the characters to present day
experiences of young people. They are encouraged to find examples of
young people in the news. So far we have found both positive and
negative examples how how young people influence society. Every class
day is opened up with a discussion of the assigned chapter they read the
night before followed by 5 minutes of journaling.
Tuesdays and Thursdays are "Grammar Days". We go over short
grammar lessons in class and then apply the examples to current Literature
we are reading. Tuesdays they turn five example sentences and
Thursdays we go over them together in class. Great job Seventh
Graders!
**************************
 Poetry
Corner!
Every month one of our seventh- or eighth-graders will submit a poem they
have written for all to enjoy!
In a recent lesson, the Seventh-graders learned about different types of
poetry and we worked on some poetry of our own.
This week, Eve Jones submitted her holiday
haiku!
Christmas time is here
Even though it's cold outside
our good will is warm
Thank you, Eve!
***************************************
What We're Reading...
A challenge this semester was to have each student read two
books outside of class time. Once the students finish their books,
they fill out short evaluations that we post on our "What We're
Reading..." board in the back of the classroom. Many students have found
this helpful in selecting their next book for outside reading! |
HOLIDAY REMINDER!
For the holiday season, each grade level has adopted a family in which
they are gathering gifts individuals in the family cannot afford.
Please have your donations or items in by Wednesday December 15, so we
have time to shop before Holiday Break!
****************************************
Excellent Eighth Graders...
...are writing diligently!
We are working on comparative papers! We just finished
reading the novel,
The Catcher in
the Rye by J.D. Salinger. Students have read another novel of
their choice outside of class time (the novels all have teacher
pre-approval). We are working on outlines and using our graphic
organizers to organize information and start our first drafts. For the
next two weeks, we will be busy writing, revising and peer editing our
papers for our final semester project.
Wednesday is our day to work on grammar and review for our
high school placement exams. Students begin the class by working on
examples for five minutes. We then discussion the questions as a class
and students are given exercises to complete for the next Wednesday.
So far it has been a success and students like the extra review time!
****************************************
Note to the Parents...
Thank you for taking the time to read about what we are
learning in our classes. You will notice several hyperlinks throughout
the newsletter. We are excited about our learning and hope that you
have the chance to participate as well!
****************************************
Winter Break!
December 17, 2004 - Last day of class!
 
January 3, 2004 - School resumes! |
What's Happening!?
