February 6, 2012

Today students changed groups.  I have almost all my past students with a few new faces.

Please note that students are still working on their biographies.  I discovered today that many students are not reading or taking notes at home.  We are reviewing skills in preparation for the CMTs in March and working on the biography and open-ended questions for Book Club books.  Therefore, it is important to put at least 30-40 minutes of reading and notetaking into your schedule at home, each night. 

I will be checking Record Sheets again this Thursday.

February 2, 2012

Students conferenced with me today on their rough drafts for the Touching Spirit Bear summary. The final draft should be typed and is due with the rubric on Monday.

Students worked on their questions for their book club book today.

Students should continue to work on reading and taking notes for their biography.

If parents haven't seen or signed the timeline for the biography, please take time to do this.

Jan. 30, 2012

Please see last homework- 1/25

Sign rubric/contract at bottom of packet. Please review packet. Come in tomorrow with any questions. Bring all materials including biography each day to school. We will be working on this in class.

January 25, 2012

All book club books should be finished.

Monday we will start working on biographies. Students are encouraged to go to the library to get a biography. Bring to class. I asked them to discover someone new and to choose carefully (no athletes or singers). Choose someone that has changed the world. They will receive the rubric and a timeline on Monday. We will go to the media center also and I have some biographies in class if they cannot find one at the library. Parents are asked to sign the timeline.

Also Students are asked to bring in a pocket folder if they don't have one already for class. They will be given many handouts to keep in this folder and it will help them with organization. Thanks.

January 17, 2012

Study for midterm tomorrow. A study guide was given to students last Monday. We have gone over this and practiced quizzing eachother for 4 days.

Assigned reading-no writing. Remember to bring your book with you tomorrow for class.

January 10, 2012

We discussed the "Punctuation Prompt" in class. Students will need to complete this at home.

Compare and Contrast essays are due Thursday.

There will be a midterm exam next Wednesday, 1/18. A study guide was sent home with students. Definitions for terms can be found in students notebooks.

January 9, 2012

Students were given reading over the weekend and were asked to answer the following question about their reading:

Choose information from the book that you think is interesting. Describe clearly and explain why it is interesting. Support your answer with details.

Complete final draft for compare and contrast essay. Follow the rubric carefully. If you were absent when we watched the movie, then write an essay describing in detail what you did over the holiday vacation. Due Thursday 1/12.

January 3, 2012

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Students were given book club books to read each night.

Be sure to answer the following questions after you read:

1. Who is the main character?

2. Where does the story take place?

3. What happened?

Be sure to answer in complete sentences.

Scholastic Book Order is due Thursday. code: J3YTM

Dec. 19, 2011

Tomorrow will be the last day to assemble foldables. They are due at the end of class.

I will be collecting Touching Spirit Bear books; be sure to bring yours in to class.

Dec. 13, 2011

Group Project Touching Spirit Bear. Typed writing due Friday, 12/16.

Dec. 12,2011

Read independent reading book. Record Reading Logs.

Reading Logs are due Thursday.

December 7, 2011

REad Ch. 26. Complete the summary.

I will be collecting the summary packet tomorrow. Make sure it is completed. You will receive a grade for it.

December 5, 2011

ADMIT SLIP: READ CHAPTERS 23 AND 24. COMPLETE ADMIT SLIP FOR WED.

COMPLETE SUMMARY FOR THESE CHAPTERS.

December 1, 2011

1. Read Chapter 22. Complete summary.

2. Scholastic Book order is due Monday, 12/5

3. Vocabulary Quiz 12/5

Nov. 30, 2011

Finish Summary for Ch. 20 and "Conflict" handout from class.

Nov. 29, 2011

1. Read "Setting and Spirit Bear Facts" handout. Complete directions for each. Then read it again and highlight similes and metaphors.

2. Vocab. Quiz still set for 12/5, so study.

3. I will collect summary packets on Thursday. Make sure you are completing each after you read.

Nov. 28, 2011

Be sure to read Chapter 18 for Tuesday. Complete Ch. 18 summary.

Study for vocabulary quiz on 12/5.

Nov. 23, 2011

Be sure to read Chapter 18 for Tuesday. Complete Ch. 18 summary.

Nov. 22, 2011

Complete Cloze activity and personal sentences. Be sure to write sentences on a separate paper and underline vocabulary.

We also read Ch. 16 and completed the summary packet.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving.

Nov. 16, 2011

In marble notebook: Write one page or more about something you wish you could do over. Describe what you did. What were the consequences? What would you have done differently?

Nov. 14, 2011

REad a book of your choice for 20 minutes or more.

Locate 10 adverbs in any book you are reading. Write them down in your one-subject notebook.

Nov. 9, 2011

Read Ch. 12 and complete summary packet for Ch. 12

Scholastic Book Order is due Monday

Nov. 7, 2011

REad chapter 11 of Touching Spirit Bear. Complete Ch. 11 of summary packet. Locate 3 similes from the chapter. Copy them down on a separate paper. Be sure include a proper heading. Explain what each simile means.

Grades have closed for the first quarter. Make sure you have turned in all your work to teachers to receive credit for the quarter.

Nov. 4, 2011

Correction- the setting assignment is due MOnday Nov. 7. There is no school on Friday, Nov. 11. Students have been told this in school since Monday. Thanks.

Nov. 3, 2011

1. "How to" Paragraph is due. You only need one copy. Remember to underline 2 compound sentences.

2. Read Ch. 10 in Touching Spirit Bear. Complete Ch. 10 of summary packet.

3. Setting Project is due Monday.

October 31, 2011

1. Setting Project due Nov. 11. See rubric for details.

2. Type "How to" paragraph in your marble notebook. Be sure to underline two compound sentences. Due: Friday 11/4.

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October 27,2011

Students took a quiz today for Touching Spirit Bear.

Remember to complete Chapter 6 summary. Read Ch. 7 and complete the summary for MOnday.

Oct. 24, 2011

Invitation Project is due tomorrow. Remember to print two copies. You only have to decorate one version. The other is for me to grade.

Review Ch. 1-4. There will be a quiz on Thursday. Review characters, Cole's feelings and description of his mom and dad, and Edwin's advice to Cole about the island.

Reading Logs

October 20, 2011

1. REad Ch. 4 in Touching Spirit Bear. Locate similes. Write them down on a separate paper. Remember to explain the meaning of each simile.

Be sure to work on your invitation project. Due 10/26.

Oct. 19, 2011

Students are now in new book club groups. We started to read Touching Spirit Bear in class.

Please make sure you hand in your book club letter. You will only be able to take the book home after I receive this signed aggreement.

Scholastic Book Order is due tomorrow. Checks only. You can order online with my teacher code: J3YTM.

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October 17, 2011

1. Invitation project due Oct. 26.

2. Read for 30 minutes.

3. Correct test. Rewrite any quotations you had wrong; please do this on a separate paper. Get your test signed by a parent.

4. Scholastic Book Order due: Oct. 20.

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October 14, 2011

Students were given an invitation project with a rubric today. We spent time going over directions. This is an at-home project and will not be worked on in school. Due date: Oct. 26.

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October 13, 2011

Students took a mini-midterm on Wed. after they returned from the long weekend. They should receive their grades by Monday. Please sign tests that are 60% or lower.

We are working on organizing our Marble Notebooks today and One subject Notebooks tomorrow, by pasting a "Table of Contents" in both books. Some students are realizing they are missing work or are disorganized; they are even surprised by this. So I told them to get it done and try to catch up.

Next week Proress Reports will be mailed home. However, grades have already been averaged. Made up work will count for the second part of the quarter.

LA-03 Remember to glue your photo on the front of your marble notebook.

All Groups: Read article about juvenile delinquency and answer questions. Bring in signed Book Club Letter.

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October 5, 2011

Locate 5 direct quotations from your independent reading novel. Copy or type them on a separate paper. Pay close attention to capitalization, punctuation, and quotation marks. Be sure the quote has who said it.

Study for test 10/12.

REad for 30 minutes. Log reading.

October 4, 2011

Students should be reading each night and logging in their reading log. Reading logs will be collected tomorrow.

Students should be studying for a test next Wed., Oct. 12. The topics to study are:

1. 5 Parts of a Friendly Letter

2. Abbreviations p. 2 in packet

3. Figurative Language: simile and metaphor

4. Word Wall Vocabulary (posted in the classroom-we are reviewing in class)

5. Quotations in dialogue.

In addition, a practice sheet on abbreviations was assigned today and is due tomorrow.

September 26, 2011

1. Read for 30 minutes.

2. Scholastic Book Orders are due tomorrow. If you are ordering online, my code is J3YTM.

3. Metaphor and Simile practice- due Wed. 9/28.

4. Rough draft of friendly letter is due Wed. 9/28. Remember to write this in your marble notebook in letter format with a heading, greeting, body, closing, and signature. Parents, we have spent 2 days working on this in class.

5. Students who haven't finished any work in notebook need to do this. I am checking notebooks. Final check will be Wed. for a grade.

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September 22, 2011 Thanks to all who attended Open House. It was wonderful meeting you and seeing some of you again.

Today students worked in reading groups. By now groups should have completed their vocabulary charts, paragraph on character traits, and possibly finished their character connection paragraph.

All students should be finished with their research on geographical facts and customs. Some students are not doing this and it is causing problems within their groups. They are realizing that it is important to get work finished or there may be consequences; specifically disappointment from group members.

Tomorrow we will work on the writing process for the friendly letter.

September 19, 2011

Be sure to have your materials for tomorrow. We will work on vocabulary and group designs for the posters.

Also read for 30 minutes. I am collecting reading logs on Friday.

Finish Friendly Letter Packet and Personality Survey.

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September 14, 2011

Be sure to research your 10- 12 facts for reading. Look over the handout I gave you. Write or type your answers on a separate piece of paper.

Remember, this is an in-class group project.

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Sept. 13, 2011

Students were given a reading log to record reading each night. Some students already had books they were reading and some students borrowed books.

Read every night for 30 minutes or more. Complete and sign reading log.

Due tomorrow: Metaphor and Simile practice handout, 1-8.

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Sept. 8, 2011

So far we have had a great start to the year. Can someone please do something about the rain?

I have met all my students and they are wonderful. We have been working on the 5 Parts of a friendly letter, Cornell Note taking, and general procedures throughout the class and building.

All students should have their supplies by now for my class. Tonight tape or glue a current photo of yourself to your marble notebook. We will use this to focus on our writing tomorrow in class.

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Welcome all new students to Cloonan Middle School. It was so nice to meet some of you last Friday. I look forward to meeting all of you this week.

Please pay close attention to the supplies you need for your classes.

Bring your Agenda Book to all your classes.

HOMEWORK: Tuesday, Sept. 6

Complete all paperwork in white envelope. Bring back to your homeroom teacher. If you had me today, please read the letter I gave you outloud to your parents. Make sure your parents sign the bottom of the letter.