Monday, August 22, 2016

Foundational Writing Skills

The second week of school is off to a busy start.  The signed syllabus slips were due today for all students.  If your student forgot, they have one more day to get it in, for a 25% reduction in their grade.  Also, parents, thank you for those who signed the reading logs.  Those should be signed each weekend.

This week we are focusing on foundational skills in both grade levels.  In ninth grade, we learned the basics of MLA format.  This is the format they will use for all their English writing, so it's good to learn it early on.  We are applying this with our Introduce Yourself Narrative essays.  Students should have their first three reflective essays done by the end of this week.  We are spending time in class working on these essays, but many students will want to perfect their essays, which will require more time outside the classroom.  This project is due Tuesday, September 6, including the biography which is about your student, written by someone else.

Tenth graders are writing poetry, which is challening them to use precise word choice.  They are focuing on the small moment and choosing words to accurately descirbe their memory.  This week, tenth graders will apply the skill of selecting strong verbs in their writing.  They will also review MLA formatting basics.  Their "I Remember" poem is due this week, Thursday, August 25.  They have class time Monday and Tuesday, after that, they are on their own to complete their poem.  They have a rubric to guide them as they write revise.

It was a pleasure to meet so many parents at Back to School Night last week.  Thank you for attending and for supporting your student's education!

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