Week of April 26-30

 

Class Field Trip Friday, April 30

Eighth-grade students who returned the parent permission form and paid the appropriate fee will go on a class field trip this Friday, April 30.

 

MCT2 Preparation

Class time this week will devoted to MCT2 preparation.  I have used the MAP test data to identify each student's weakest area in the four major skill groups that we study.  Each student will be working activities designed to help the student perform better on his or her weakest area.  This strategy is the most effective strategy to provide a student the greatest possible increase in his or he MCT2 test.

 

No Written Homework This Week

As we enter the final eight days before nine weeks tests and the MCT2 test for eighth-grade students, I will not assign any written homework.  I will, however, be providing students with nine-weeks-test/ MCT2 study guides that I encourage them to review while at home.

 

Week of April 19-23

 

Progress Reports and Parent Visitation

Students will receive progress reports Monday.  Parent visitation will take place Tuesday from 4:00 p.m until 6:00 p.m.

 

Topics for the Week

This week, we will conclude a review of plot elements.  We will also contine to review text structures, sound devices, and figurative language. 

 

Homework

Monday:  List and define the common text structures that authors use.

Tuesday: List  and define six kinds of figurative language authors use.

Wednesday: List and define six sound devices authors use.

Thursday:  Write a four-line poem that illustrates at least four of the six sound

                    devices authors use.

 

 

 

Week of April 12-16

 

Lesson Topics for the Week

Monday:  Interpreting story elements.

Tuesday-Wednesday:  Evaluating Appropriate Use of Formal and Informal Language

Thursday-Friday:  Evaluating Use of Text Structures

 

Beta Club Trip

The Beta Club will take its annual trip this Friday, April 16.  Students who have not already paid their trip money must bring cash, no checks on trip day.  Also, each student must bring a completed permission form.

 

Eighth-Grade Trip

The Eighth-Grade trip will take place Friday, April 30.  Students who have paid the fee must also bring a completed permission form.

 

Homework:

Monday – review the six major elements of a story plotl

Tuesday – Write three sentences that contain informal language in each sentence.  Then, rewrite the sentences to replace the informal language with formal language.

Wednesday – Write three sentences that contain informal language in each sentence.  Then, rewrite the sentences to replace the informal language with formal language.

Thursday – Write seven text structures that authors use and list three signal words for each text structure.

 

 

 

 

Week of April 5-9

 

MAP Test This Week

This week, students will be called from class at assigned times to take the MAP Test (Measurement of Academic Progress) for the second time.  The test results will help us know how students have progressed since January.  It will also be used to place students in classes that will be most effective in helping them progress next year.

 

Test Thursday in Reading

Students will be tested again on genres, annotation of MCT2 test questions, and the annotation of passages and evaluation of summaries this Thursday.  Like many tests at this time of year, this test is intended to keep students conscious of skills learned and tested earlier so that they remember them for the MCT2 test in May.  This is a good opportunity for students who did not do well on the earlier tests of these skills  to replace the lower grades with higher grades.  Students who score higher Thursday will have their lower grades replaced with the higher grades.  Note:  If I conclude that MAP testing has adversely affected test preparation, I will reschedule my test for a later date.

 

Eighth Grade Trip Money Due

Students who plan to go on the eighth grade trip on April 30 must turn in their money by this Friday, April 9.

 

 

Week of March 22-26

 

Final MCT2 Practice Test This Week

On Monday and Tuesday, March 22-23, WMS students will their final MCT2 practice test of the year.  This practice test will give teachers and students one final preview of our students’ readiness for the official MCT2 exam in may, and the practice test will help us decide where we most need to focus during our final days of preparation.  Parents, please make a special effort to have your children at school for this final practice test.

 

Progress Reports Wednesday

On Wednesday, students will receive progress reports for their reading course.  Parents, please discuss your child’s progress report with your child, sign the report, and instruct your child to return it.

 

Spring Fling Canceled

The Spring Fling activities for Thursday, March 25 have been cancelled.  By Thursday, March 18, our school had sold too few advance tickets and had received too few donations to indicate that the Spring Fling would be a profitable fundraiser.  Mr. Walley, principal, stated that some other activities will be offered later this term.

 

Friday is a Half-Day, Next Week Is Spring Break

Students will dismiss at approximately noon this Friday, March 26.  Parents, please plan to see that transportation home for your children is arranged for this schedule.  Also, next week, March 19-April 2, is our school district’s Spring Break.  There will be no school that week.

 

Lesson Topics for This Week

Monday-Tuesday:  MCT2 Practice Test

Wednesday-Thursday:  Synthesize texts/prior knowledge/experience to draw valid conclusions

Friday:  2b7:  predict outcomes and confirm or revise based on subsequent text (DOK 3)

 

Homework

Monday-Tuesday:  No homework because of MCT2 Practice Test.

Wednesday:  List words that should be annotated on test questions and answers, write the annotation for the words, and explain what a student should think about regarding the annotated word.

Thursday:  Name and define 7 text structures authors use to organize texts

 

 

 

 

 

Week of March 15-19

 

Final MCT2 Practice Test

Students will take their final practice version of the MCT2 on Monday and Tuesday, March 22-23.  Parents, please talk to your children about the importance of approaching the practice test seriously and doing their best on this test.  While this test is a practice test for the district requirements, the test will actually count as a major test grade in our reading class for this nine weeks.

 

Donations Needed for Spring Fling

The annual Spring Fling Day at WMS not only rewards students for their hard work this semester but also serves as an important fundraiser for our school.  Without the money that WMS receives from this fundraiser, many basic necessities for our school will not be available.  Parents, please help us by sending us a couple of two-liter sodas, a bag or two of individually wrapped pieces of candy, or other cheap novelty items that we can sell in our country store.  A cake to give away in our cakewalk activity will also be much appreciated.  Students may now purchase Spring Fling tickets for the activities and food items (drinks are purchased with money).  Tickets are three for a dollar if purchased in advance.

 

Topics for the Week

Monday and Tuesday:  MCT2 practice activities focusing on annotation of test questions and answer choices.

Wednesday:  Strategies to analyze sequence and cause-effect relationships in a text.

Thursday-Friday:  Test on annotation strategies; test on analysis of sequence and cause-effect relationships; retest opportunities on genres, annotation, and evaluation of summaries.

 

Homework

Monday:  Practice annotation of questions and answer choices.  Study for Thurday-Friday retest/test on annotation, evaluation of summaries, genres, cause-effect relationships, drawing conclusions.

Tuesday:  Practice annotation of questions and answer choices.  Study for Thurday-Friday retest/test on annotation, evaluation of summaries, genres, cause-effect relationships, drawing conclusions.

Wednesday:  Practice annotation of questions and answer choices.  Study for Thurday-Friday retest/test on annotation, evaluation of summaries, genres, cause-effect relationships, drawing conclusions.

Thursday:  Practice annotation of questions and answer choices.  Study for Thurday-Friday retest/test on annotation, evaluation of summaries, genres, cause-effect relationships, drawing conclusions.

 

  

Week of March 8-12

 

Nine Weeks Tests This Week

Students will take nine weeks tests Monday and Tuesday of this week.  Odd-period tests will be given Monday.  Even-period tests will be given Tuesday.

 

Accelerated Reader Counts as a Minor Test

At the beginning of this term in January, students were told that they must earn 5 Accelerated Reader points on books at a reading level of 5.0 or higher in order to earn a 100 for their third-nine-weeks AR grade.  Four points earn 80, three points earn 60, two points earn 20, and zero points earn 0 as a grade.  Many students apparently made no attempt to earn AR points even though they were given many opportunities to go to the library to check out books, to read in class, and to take AR tests.  Parents, please talk to your children about their AR requirements and ask them about their AR grades.

 Topics for the Week

Monday: Nine weeks tests

Tuesday: Nine Weeks tests

Wednesday:  Sequential order and cause-effect relationships

Thursday: Inferences with cause-effect relationships

Friday:  Inferences with cause-effect relationships

 

Homework

Wednesday:  Define in writing the assigned text structures; practice analysis of sequential order with texts of your choice.

Thursday:  Define in writing the assigned text structures; practice analysis of sequential order with texts of your choice.

 

 

Week of March 1-5

 

Thursday Is the Deadline for Makeup Tests and Retests

Because this week is the last week before students take third-nine-weeks exams, students who are eligible to take makeup tests or retests must complete those tests this Thursday, March 4, during their regular reading class periods.

 

Nine Weeks Test Schedule

Periods 1, 3, 5, and 7 will take nine weeks tests on Monday, March 8.  Periods 2, 4, and 6 will take nine weeks tests on Tuesday, March 9.

 

State Science Test

Eighth-grade students will take the Mississippi science test Wednesday morning, March 3.

 

Back to Basics:  Pencils and Paper

An extraordinary number of students continue to come to class without  paper or pencils/pens with which to do their work.  The disruption caused by their constant asking for these items from other students or from me should not happen with students in the eighth grade.  Parents, please do not assume that your child is one of those who are being responsible about being prepared for class.  Please take a minute to ask your child to show you that he or she has pencils/pens and paper packed for school the next day.  If your child does, he or she deserves praise; however, if not, I encourage you to continue asking your child for proof of preparation each night until you are convince that your child has established a consistent practice of preparation.  Simple practices like this on the part of parents can contribute significantly to improving our use of class time and develop responsibility among your children and our students.

 

Homework

Monday:  Define stereotyping, cardstacking, tabloid thinking, testimonial, and glittering generalities.  Study for tests Thursday.

Tuesday:  Define sequential/chronological, cause-effect, procedure, comparison, contrast, and order of importance.  Study for tests Thursday.

Wednesday:  Define simile, metaphor, hyperbole, personification, verbal irony, sarcasm, and situational irony.  Study for tests Thursday.

Thursday:  Define alliteration, consonance, assonance, onomatopoeia, end rhyme, internal rhyme.

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Week of February 22-26

Study Island for Enrichment

WMS now offers students the opportunity to complete assigned enrichment lessons online at home on a program called Study Island.  Parents, your child has a student ID and password to access Study Island from any online computer at home or anywhere else.  Please talk to your child about Study Island and help us prepare your child for the MCT2 by seeing that your child completes Study Island assignments.  Students who do not have access to a computer outside school will have plenty of opportunities to work their Study Island assignments during their computer-based class time at school.

Topics for This Week

Monday:  Annotating state test questions about author’s purpose and tone.

Tuesday:  Annotating state test questions about author’s purpose and recalling, defining and recognizing genres.

Wednesday:  Annotating state questions about story elements.

Thursday:  Evaluating and revising summaries.

Friday:  Test on genres and evaluating and revising summaries.

Homework

Monday:  Complete annotation of questions on author’s purpose and tone.  Study genres chart for test Thursday.

Tuesday:  Complete annotation of questions on author’s purpose and genres.  Study genres chart for test Thursday.

Wednesday:  Annotate state test questions about story elements.

Thursday:  Practice evaluation and revision of summaries by annotating original texts.  Study for Thursday test on genres and summaries.

Friday:  Test.  Also, library day for periods 4-7.