Scroll down for most current school day agenda.

1.  This is one of three main sites you will be using to help you navigate and supplement this course.

This site will list the daily assignments and calendar (with test and assignment due dates).

2.  The second site can be accessed by visiting the SMS main site, choosing "staff information" and then clicking "website" next to my name.

This site will supplement the class, provide a student discussion forum, and list helpful links for homework assistance and classwork enrichment.

3.  To access the online textbook...visit my.hrw.com and enter the username (sms7thgrade2) and password (read!), then click "go to online textbook.  From there, use the drop down menus to select the correct unit and/or reading selection.  Each selection will provide the actual textbook pages, along with supplementary material, tutorials, enrichment, etc.

Make sure you have your supplies! (click on the link to see the list).

Late work will not be accepted 4th quarter, unless the student has been absent.

No extra credit 4th quarter (except reading logs).

Remember...no school Monday!

May 25 - SUB

all classes will watch episode 5 of Liberty's Kids and take quiz, take the lesson 4-7 open-note quiz, if time classes will score quizzes

period 3/4 will also take the lesson 1-3 open-note quiz

May 24 -

all classes watched episode 4 of Liberty's Kids and took quiz

period 3/4 reviewed "The Middle Colonies" film handout

Period 3/4 and 5/6 scored ep. 1 and 2 quizzes

Period 5/6 and 7/8 read ch. 10 The Sacrifice and had vocab./questions

Period 5/6 and 7/8 due today - colonies map, ch. 9/10 The Sacrifice

May 23 -

Advanced:  Liberty's Kids episode 3 w/quiz, scored ep. 1-3 quizzes, tomorrow we will review "The Middle Colonies" film handout from Monday (will turn it in)

Regular:  ch. 9 The Sacrifice with vocab. only, finish ep. 2 Liberty's Kids w/quiz, watch ep. 3...tomorrow we will score ep. 1-3 quizzes and the colonies map (will be turned in tomorrow)

May 22 -

Advanced:  Liberty's Kids episodes 1 and 2/quizzes after each (we will score these in class tomorrow)

Regular:  time to finish colonies map (we will grade this in class on Thursday), Liberty's Kids episode 1 w/quiz, first half of episode 2...will take quiz tomorrow and score episode 1 quiz; chapter 7 and 8 The Sacrifice with questions/vocab./turn in.

May 21 -

Advanced:  finish lesson 7 notes, film: "The Middle Colonies" w/handout-film guide, ELT: presentations begin (song analysis powerpoints)

Regular:  film: "The Salem Witch Trials", ch. 6 The Sacrifice w/questions and vocab. - turn in ch. 5 and 6 today, CBA (content based assessment for Social Studies) part 1 - map of the 13 colonies, due when complete (today or tomorrow)

May 18 -

Advanced:  lesson 5 and 6 notes, review New England Colonies film notes and turn in, ELT - work on project (due Monday)

Regular:  lesson 7 notes, ch. 5 The Sacrifice w/questions and vocab., review lesson 1-3 quiz, period 5/6 retakes on lesson 1-3 quiz...

May 17 -

Advanced: work on powerpoint project, lesson 1-7 We the People quiz Monday (open-note - yes, I changed my mind)

Regular: unit 1 lesson 5 and 6 notes, ch. 4 The Sacrifice questions and vocab., turn in The Sacrifice ch. 3 and 4 questions/vocab., gave chance for period 7/8 to fix errors on lesson 1-3 quiz (will do same for period 5/6 tomorrow) - lesson 4-7 quiz Monday

May 16 -

Advanced: unit 1 lesson 4 notes

Regular:  unit 1 lesson 1-3 open note quiz, unit 1 lesson 4 notes, period 5/6 ch. 3 The Sacrifice w/vocab. and questions

May 15 -

Advanced:  unit 1 lesson 3 notes We the People

Regular:  unit 1 lesson 3 notes (open-note quiz tomorrow over lessons 1-3), lessons 1-3 will be due tomorrow, The Sacrifice - pd. 5/6 finished ch. 2 questions/vocab. (both classes turned in ch. 1-2), pd. 7/8 read ch. 3 w/questions & vocab.

Periods 5/6 and 7/8 seem to be having great difficulty controlling behavior...in response, I have added a daily behavior grade to Skyward.  We still have 25 school days left; let's not make them more difficult than they have to be.

May 14 - SUB

Advanced:  unit 1 lesson 2 notes We the People

Regular:  unit 1 lesson 2 notes, The Sacrifice ch. 2 questions/vocab., reading log due, signed prog. report due

May 11 -

Advanced:  work on powerpoint project due 21st

Regular:  unit 1, lesson 1 We the People notes handout

May 10 - final MSP test!  Writing: persuasive

May 9 (Wednesday)

Advanced:  social studies quiz and unit 1, lesson one notes (handout)

Regular:  ssr, writing review (finish)

May 8 (Tuesday) READING MSP test in a.m.

Advanced - film clip/discussion, soc. st. quiz tomorrow (highlighting packet and notes due tomorrow, too)

Regular - practice writing thesis statements - signed progress report due by 5/14 - reading logs were due Monday!

May 7 (Monday)

Advanced - continue working on social studies highlighting and note-taking (due Wed./quiz Wed.), reading review Jeopardy

Regular - review writing summaries for fiction, review poetry/test-taking strategies, reading review Jeopardy

May 4 (Friday)

Advanced:  work on story analysis powerpoint in computer lab

Regular:  summary practice (non-fiction) - post-it note and margin notes strategy, discuss yesterday's poetry assignment

May 3 (Thursday) - Math MSP

Advanced:  continue working on social studies background (highlighting/notes) - quiz next Wednesday...highlighting packet and notes due at same time....song analysis powerpoint will not be due until end of month

Regular:  poetry practice (simile, vocab, metaphor, theme) - handout due tomorrow for us to review!

May 2 (Wednesday) -

Advanced - begin social studies unit - background information packet (highlighting, then 2-column notes, studying, and quiz)...we will continue working on this for the rest of the week.  Friday, we will have lab time to work on our song analysis powerpoint project (no due date yet, since we don't know when we will be able to use the computer lab throughout the MSP testing)

Regular - silent reading, poetry practice (simile, metaphor, personification, mood, rhyme scheme, story elements, narrative) - handout due at end of class

May 1 (Tuesday) - Writing MSP Expository

April 30 (Monday) -

Substitute - I'm home sick

Period 3/4 will do some review with writing

Period 5/6 and 7/8 will practice with thesis statements and discuss test anxiety

April 27 (Friday) -

All classes did a Jeopardy review for the MSP (writing)

period 5/6 and 7/8 - reading logs due Monday

Advanced:  mini-lesson on how to create academic/professional powerpoints, new assignment (Theme Song/song analysis/powerpoint)

Regular:  lots of one-on-one with students reviewing intros and conclusions...Flash cards were due today!!!!

April 26 (Thursday) -

Advanced: poetry packet due, writing review (introductions and conclusion)

Period 5/6:  poetry (metaphor, simile, personification, stanze, rhyme scheme, mood/imagery), due: intro./conclusion practice sheet

Period 7/8:  due: conlusion practice sheet, work on introduction and conclusion practice sheet

April 25 (Wednesday) -

Advanced:  Poetry!  Lots of discussion, questions, and practice!

Regular:  SSR/silent work time, period 5/6 worked on combining introductions and conclusions...period 7/8 worked on writing conclusions

April 24 (Tuesday)  - If you can donate healthy snacks (granola bars, fruit, etc.) for the MSP testing starting next Tuesday, we'd be grateful.  $$$ is welcome, as well...We can head to Costco and purchase snacks if we have enough donations.  Thanks!

Advanced:  poetry story map and summary due today, continue working with narrative poetry (Cremation of Sam McGee, Boy Named Sue, and The Raven)...more great presentations of lit circle books

Period 5/6:  introductions due today!  ssr/silent work time, flash cards will be due Friday!  work on conclusions today (they will be due tomorrow during ssr/work time)

Period 7/8:  ssr/silent work time, work on introductions - due by end of class!  work on flash cards.

April 23 (Monday) - reading logs due for periods 5/6 and 7/8

Advanced:  ssr/library, narrative poetry (story map and summary due tomorrow - on one of the two poems we read today or one of your choosing), presentations of lit. circle projects begin today!

period 5/6:  ssr/library/work time; poetry:  imagery/sensory language; practice writing introductions

period 7/8:  ssr/library/work time; finish outlines from last week (yikes...we are falling behind!), continue working on flashcards

April 20 (Friday) sub - I'm at the regional literacy team meeting

Advanced will work on poetry forms practice (due Monday), and there will be a handout on poetry (speaker/narrator, figurative language, questions, mood) due Monday

Regular will work on academic vocab. and unit 5 notes (handouts) and continue flashcards

April 19 (Thursday)

Advanced:   Poetry - imagery/sensory language, repetition poem due, work on projects (lit. circle) due Monday

Regular:   writing review: elaboration/outlines; flashcards

April 18 (Wednesday)

Advanced: Due - list poem, poetry lesson #4 (repetition - poem due tomorrow), poetry:  "The Names" imagery/senses, ELT: work on project

Regular:  ssr/silent work time, writing review (ideas/brainstorming, elaboration), continue working on flashcards for MSP

April 17 (Tuesday)

Advanced:  poetry lesson #3 (emphasis - list poem--due tomorrow), folktale: "The People Could Fly" - rvw. story elements (character/setting/conflict/resolution) and summary writing...style in folktales

Regular:  ssr/silent work time, same folktale and story elements review...pd. 7/8 did not do the style handout - both classes began making study flashcards for the MSP

April 16 - SUB

Advanced will work on the story "A Day's Wait"  and "How Hemingway Wrote"

Regular will work on style in poetry (handout).  Period 7/8 will finish style notes.  Reading log will be due.  Period 5/6 HW will be due (from Friday).

April 13 (Friday)

Advanced -poetry lesson #2 - sound devices (definitions, practice...will continue Tuesday) - mood poem due Tuesday, notes on style (handout), time to work on lit. circle project

Regular -

Period 5/6: SSR/silent work time, reading log due Monday, style notes (handout), HW: "How Hemingway Wrote" article with fact/opinion handout - due Tuesday

Period 7/8: SSR/silent work time, reading log due Monday, activity "How Hemingway Wrote" (fact/opinion), style notes (will finish Monday)

April 12 (Thursday)

Advanced - finish poetry lesson #1, "cherished item" poem due tomorrow, worked through two poems together (handout), turned in pg. 21 handout ("Dark They Were..."), did character analysis handout ("Dark They Were..."), took open-book quiz ("Dark They Were...", ELT:  worked on lit. circle projects, due 4/23

Regular -  work time (pg. 21 handout and character analysis handout - same as advanced class), turned handouts in - due no later than tomorrow, took open book quiz (same as adv. class)

April 11 (Wednesday)

Advanced - poetry warm-up (definitions/practice - handout), listen to "Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed" w/mood handout due tomorrow, HW: finish "cherished item" poem, if you didn't finish in class, due tomorrow; ELT - lit. circle project work time

Regular - silent reading, review/score vocab. homework handout, same story and handout as Advanced L.A....finish for homework - due tomorrow.  HW: reading log

April 10 (Tuesday)

Advanced -  writing warm-up (mood music - mood/tone lesson), notes handout (mood - powerpoint/practice), pg. 458-9 "close read" questions (practicing mood/style/tone), lit. circle meeting 4, choose project (due 4/23 - work time given during ELT), turn in meeting 4 role sheet, HW:  vocab. handout due tomorrow, reading notecard

Regular - same writing warm-up, same notes handout...pd. 5/6 did pg. 458-9, but pd. 7/8 did pg. 457 ("close read" questions about style), HW:  vocab. handout due tomorrow [book jacket project was due today]

April 9 (Monday)

Advanced -  library/ssr, academic vocab. handout (turned in), unit 4 note-taking handout (turned in), excerpt questions from textbook (pages 455/457) on own paper (turned in)

We will be meeting (#4) in lit. circle groups tomorrow - role sheet will be due.  We will discuss project options tomorrow.  Projects will be due 23rd.

Regular -  library/ssr, academic vocab. handout (turned in), unit 4 note-taking handout (turned in), excerpt questions from text book (pages 455/457) on own paper (turned in)

Due today:  extra credit reading log from spring break, book jacket project (I will still take these tomorrow)