10/31/12 - Happy Halloween!

Conferences: Thursday & Friday -  November 1 & 2 (no school for students those days)

English 8th: Watched part of the Anne Frank movie.  *homework: Outline due Monday - read AR!!
Geography 7th: Current Event due.  Students watched a film on cultural tolerance and integration into the United States as refugees from Sudan.  *homework: read AR
English 7th: Simile/Metaphor practice due.  Students completed a "write your own QAR" activity within cooperative reading groups.  We will start our class novel, The Giver, next week.  *homework: read AR

10/29/12

Conferences Next Week November 1 & 2 (no school for students those days)

English 8th: Research NOTES from the three sources are due tomorrow.  No vocabulary this week.  *homework: research notes & read AR
Geography 7th: Study for Ch. 16 TEST - students spent the class period reviewing and using the study resources available through their online textbook.  *homework: study Ch. 16
English 7th: Students completed the second round of assessments on the chart within their portfolio.  We discussed and practiced similes. No spelling program this week.  *homework: simile worksheet - read AR

10/26/12

Conferences Next Week November 1 & 2 (no school for students those days)

English 8th:   3 sources for research paper due today - students should start taking notes.  *homework: notes for research paper - read AR
Geography 7th: Current event and vocabulary review worksheet *homework: read AR
English 7th: Spelling TEST - all spelling work was due today - Final Narrative Essay due today *homework: read AR

10/24/12

English 8th: *homework: 3 sources for research paper due Friday









Geography 7th: *homework: pg. 450 #1-6 (picture vocabulary)

English 7th: *homework: word choice changes, start final essay, spelling (all due Friday)

10/23/12

English 8th: We are doing the second round of assessments (MAZE comprehension, WPM (words per minute, and STAR this week). Students did the STAR reading comprehension test today, then worked on their class journal ending.  We discussed all areas of the research packet, including due dates.  Students will need 3 sources (one that is not Internet) by Friday.    *homework: research topic and 3 sourcesd - read AR









Geography 7th: Students started Ch. 16, Section 2 - pg. 446-450. Within groups, they read the passage and completed a chart on climate.  Independently they worked on Guided Reading Activity 2.    *homework: GR Activity 2 & chart if not completed in class - current event - due Friday

English 7th:We are doing the second round of assessments (MAZE comprehension, WPM (words per minute, and STAR this week). Students did the STAR reading comprehension test today, then worked on peer editing review with the narrative essay rough drafts. We will continue peer editing and word choice changes tomorrow.  **Change in date: Final essay will be due Friday.   *homework: spelling (due Friday) 

10/22/12

English 8th: We are doing the second round of assessments (MAZE comprehension, WPM (words per minute, and STAR this week). Students received a research paper packet for the Anne Frank unit we are working on.  Their job today is to decide on a topic and get a parent signature on the packet.  Students will need three resources for research on their topic by Friday - one source must be non-Internet (a book from the library, or perhaps an interview). No vocabulary program this week - sources for research are homework.  *homework: research topic & signature on packet - read AR









Geography 7th: Students worked on a map activity on the Middle East to prepare for their quiz.  The map was used when taking ch.16, section 1 quiz.  *homework: current event - due Friday

English 7th: We are doing the second round of assessments (MAZE comprehension, WPM (words per minute, and STAR this week). Students received their spelling worksheet, and we discussed their word list for the week.  We postponed peer editing for their narrative character story due to absence.  Final essay is due Thursday, October 25.  *homework: spelling & work on final essay

Saturday - 10/20/12

HOMECOMING:

• JA dance - 4:00-5:30PM
• Homecoming Game - 7PM
• Academy dance - 9:00-11:30PM

Friday - 10/19/12

• pep rally 8:15AM - basketball court
• Spirit Week Theme: Black & Gold Day

English 8th: Vocabulary TEST - all vocabulary work was due - Students went to the Pep Assembly at 8:15AM *homework: read AR!!









Geography 7th:We corrected pg. 446 #1-6 *homework: Quiz Ch.16 Sectoin 1 Monday - study

English 7th: All spelling work was due - Spelling TEST - the rest of the period was spent working on the narrative essay rough draft (due today) *homework: If rough draft was not completed, that is homework over the weekend - we will be doing peer editing Monday - read AR

Thursday - 10/18/12

• Sports pictures - bring uniform
• Spirit Week Theme: Hero Day
• **EXPLORE TEST - 8th grade only (block 1 & 2)**

English 8th: **EXPLORE TEST** *homework: vocabulary work due tomorrow









Geography 7th:pg. 446 #1-6  *homework: pg. 446 if not completed in class - oil response sheet due tomorrow

English 7th: Students worked on story mapping (setting, plot, characters), and started the rough draft of their narrative essay.  *homework: all spelling due tomorrow - rough draft due at end of class tomorrow

Wednesday - 10/17/12

• Literacy Club - 2:30PM
• Picture Day - free dress (follow dress code)
• Spirit Week Theme: Wear Pink - cancer awareness
• **EXPLORE TEST - 8th grade only (1st block)**

English 8th:  *EXPLORE TEST - Part 1*   *homework: vocabulary (due Friday) and read AR








Geography 7th: Guided Reading Activity 1 was due.  Students worked on a "foldable" graphic organizer to itemize information from Ch. 16 regions. *homework: foldable if not completed in class - oil response sheet & essay (due Friday)
 
English 7th: We worked on the final portion of the essay pre-write, a story map.  We discussed in detail (students also have a handout) the structure of a narrative essay and what each paragraph entails.  *homework: story map - start on rough draft (due Friday), spelling (due Friday)

Tuesday - 10/16/12

• Spirit Week Theme: Western Day

English 8th: DOL quiz - Students read Anne Frank within cooperative reading groups and worked on their character wall quotes.  *homework: vocabulary & get good rest - EXPLORE TEST tomorrow (bring an AR book!)

Geography 7th: Students started Ch. 16 - Southwest Asia.  They read pg. 442-446, completed a chart within groups, and were assigned Guided Reading Activity 1 as independent work.  *homework: GR Activity 1 & chart if not completed in class - oil response sheet due Friday

English 7th: DOL quiz - Students worked on character descriptions as part of the pre-write activity for a narrative essay.  *homework: character description & spelling

Monday - 10/15/12

English 8th:  We discussed the upcming EXPLORE TEST (Oct. 17 & 18), and students received a brochure and parent signature sheet that needs to be returned.  Many students took AR quizzes today, and several need to quiz this week.  *homework: Vocabulary packet - due tomorrow

Geography 7th: We finished The Story of Oil video and discussed the response sheet.  Instead of a current event this week, students will complete the oil response worksheet (writing a 3 paragraph essay as well). We will be starting the Middle East (Southwest Asia) tomorrow - Ch. 16.  Students received a map activity in preparation.  *homework: Map Activity - Middle East

English 7th: We are starting a new essay this week - narrative character story.  The assignment tonight is to create (draw) their main character, give him or her a name,  and start thinking about personality. Students received their spelling worksheet, and we discussed the words, their pronunciations, and meaning.  *homework: spelling (due Friday) and create a character to write about - does not yet have to be colored, just drawn

Have a fantastic fall break - see you Monday, October 15th

English 8th:  All vocabulary work was due.  Students took a Vocabulary TEST and finished their Anne Frank quizzes.  *homework: READ AR OVER THE BREAK!

Geography 7th: Current events were due.  We continued the Story of Oil video and discussion sheet.   *homework: READ AR OVER THE BREAK!

English 7th: All spelling was due.  Students took a spelling TEST.  They worked with parts of speech completing Mad Libs activities in pairs for the remainder of class.   *homework: READ AR OVER THE BREAK!

10/4/12

English 8th:  Anne Frank Quiz - pg.1-24 - open book.  Some may need to finish tomorrow.  *homework: All vocabulary work due tomorrow - study for vocabulary TEST

Geography 7th: We started a video called "The Story of Oil," which will be continued tomorrow.  It is a nice introduction to our next chapter on the Middle East.  *homework: current event due tomorrow

English 7th: Students worked on "sentence stretching" and spelling.  We briefly explored the online grade book, making sure all students are capable of signing on and finding their classes with the login information.  *homework: all spelling work due tomorrow  - study for TEST

Extra Credit

This cute little guy was in my car port last night.  Tell me what he is and where he was found (write on the bottom of an assignment) for extra credit points.  I say "he" for a reason.  The males of the species are seen more often this time of year because they are migrating, and looking for a mate. 

10/2/12

English 8th: Students worked on a character wall project for the Anne Frank book. We graded the vocabulary packet and discussed unfamiliar words.  *homework: vocabulary - due Friday

Geography 7th: Students completed a study guide for their test tomorrow in small groups.  Each group was responsible for part of the guide, then each group taught their part to the class.  Every student left today with a completed study guide.  *homework: study for Ch. 3 TEST tomorrow - current event due Friday

English 7th: Students worked on their final persuasive essay draft in class, as well as spelling.  *homework: spelling (due Friday) - final essay - due tomorrow

10/1/12 Welcome to October!

English 8th: Students received their vocabulary packet with word list.  The packet is due tomorrow for correcting and discussion.  Students worked in their reading groups with Anne Frank.  *homework: vocabulary packet & read AR

Geography 7th: We reviewed key ideas from Ch. 3 Section 3 before taking a quiz.  Students finalized all three sections within their foldable study item.  *homework: current event (due Friday)

English 7th: Students received their spelling worksheet with word list.  They worked on editing their rough draft (persuasive essay letter) - particularly on word choice changes (10 are required).  *homework: spelling (due Friday) - Final Persuasive Essay due Wednesday