YEARBOOK INFORMATION

YEARBOOKS ARE $65 THROUGH DECEMBER 1.  PURCHASE THEM IN ROOM 211 OR GO TO  www.yearbookforever.com!

SENIOR AD DEADLINE IS DECEMBER 1ST. REMEMBER, THERE IS LIMITED SPACE, SO ORDER EARLY!!!

Monday, Oct. 26 - PLANNING DAY (No School)

Tuesday-Wednesday, Oct. 27-28

I gave students their Quarter 1 grade printouts today, and they took TDL #3 (FCAT Reading Practice).  Students who qualify for grade recovery may print out the attached contract.  Once the student and his/her parent have signed it and returned the signed portion to me, I'll assign the student to the Odyssey program and he/she can get started.  ALL GRADE RECOVERY CONTRACTS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY FRIDAY, NOV. 13TH.  NO CONTRACTS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THAT DATE, AND STUDENTS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE QUARTER 1 GRADE RECOVERY PROCESS. 

Thursday - Friday, Oct. 29-30
We reviewed and revised District Timed Writing #2 today (required community service).  REVISED ESSAYS ARE DUE NEXT CLASS!!!  STUDENTS WHO DO NOT SUBMIT A REVISION WILL KEEP THE GRADE FROM THE FIRST DRAFT.

Monday - Tuesday, Nov. 2-3

2nd period students turned in their essays, and we took the opportunity to see the school's drama dept.'s production of "Voice of an Angel:  A Tribute to Michael Jackson" in the auditorium.  3rd block turned in their essays, copied Figurative Language Notes into the Reader's Workshop section of thier notebooks and discussed that we will be learning how to do dialectical journals during reading.  (This is an AP reading strategy we'll be using this quarter, instead of reading groups.) On B day (Nov. 3), all classes worked on the Reader's Workshop.

Wednesday - Thursday, Nov. 4-5
Students took the County's Write Score writing test today.  Thursday's students received the midterm exam projects and plagiarism contracts in class.  Due to early release, A day students will get them on Friday.  MIDTERM EXAM PROJECTS ARE DUE ON JAN. 7 FOR A-DAY AND JAN. 8 FOR B-DAY.  PARENTS, PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU READ THE RUBRICS CAREFULLY, AS NO LATE WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED IN JANUARY.  PARENTS SHOULD SIGN THE BOTTOM PORTION OF THE SECOND PAGE OF THE ASSIGNMENT SHEET AND RETURN IT TO ME BY THE END OF NEXT WEEK.

STUDENTS MUST HAVE A BOOK FOR INDEPENDENT READING BY MONDAY, NOV. 9!  BOOKS MUST BE AT LEAST 200 PAGES, GRADE LEVEL OR ABOVE AND MUST BE APPROPRIATE LITERARY MERIT FOR ANALYSIS AND CLOSE READING.  PLEASE - ALL BOOKS SHOULD BE CLASSROOM APPROPRIATE!
Friday - Monday, Nov. 6-7
2nd period (Friday) copied Figurative Language notes.  Both classes went over the midterm exam project and signed plagiarism contracts.  Contracts were also sent home for parents to see and are attached here.  In all other classes, we read "Us and Them" which starts on page  73 and practiced our first Dialectical Journal (AP reading strategy).  Students will be asked to use this strategy while reading their independent reading novels. 

Tuesday - Wednesday, Nov. 10-11

Students were given class time to work on their Independent reading journals.  Students should be focused on characterization - copying quotes from the text on the left that show a character's personality and conflicts and commenting on the right about what the quote shows about the character. This is a sample from the novel Things Fall Apart - characterization journal sample   We will be writing a character analysis essay using the evidence the students have found in their reading.

Thursday, Nov. 12
Due to my absence on Monday, I went over and explained the Dialectical Journal Practice with students (Thursday ONLY) and told them to complete the journal for next class, so I can guage their understanding of the task.  We will begin their independent reading logs next class.  Because the sub seemed to be confused as to what to have the students turn in and didn't leave me all the work, I'm posting the Figurative Language Notes here, so students can print them if they need to do so. For the last 45 minutes of class, students took an FCAT Reading Practice (TDL #4).

Friday, Nov. 13

Students took TDL #4 and worked on their independent reading journals for the novels they've chosen.

Monday, Nov. 16

We discussed the characterization dialectical journal students will do during their independent reading.  I gave them about an hour of silent reading today and took their journals at the end of class to make sure they are understanding the assignment.  The sample we looked at today is linked below.

Tuesday - Wednesday, Nov. 17-18
Students took District FCAT Reading Assessment #3 today.  When they finished, they were given time to work on independent reading and work on their dialectical journals.  BY NOW, ALL STUDENTS SHOULD HAVE THE COUNTRY FOR THEIR RESEARCH PROJECT EXCEPT 4B. THEY WILL GET THEIRS ON THURSDAY.

Thursday - Friday, Nov. 19-20
We are reviewing students' scores on the last two class FCAT Reading practices to see where students are at this point and where they need help.  After the Thanksgiving hoiday, students will be given work specific to their individual needs.  STUDENTS SHOULD HAVE 3/4 OF THEIR INDEPENDENT READING DONE (AND THE DIALECTICAL JOURNAL TO GO WITH IT) WHEN WE GET BACK FROM THANKSGIVING BREAK.  I'LL BE CHECKING JOURNALS FOR A GRADE AT THAT TIME.