In English class, all classes have been working on narrative writing. They have also learned the basics of MLA format, which is the standard format for English and literature classes. The tenth graders are presenting their "I Remember" poems this week. Parents, you should have received and email with times for each class. Feel free to bring grandparents or other family members who are available at that time. Please come and listen to these wonderful narrative poems. The tenth graders had a review on sentence fragments and run on sentences have some IXL work to do this week. After presentations, the tenth graders will begin learning about the Heroic Journey and how it is expressed in literature, both ancient and modern.
The ninth graders are finishing their Introduce Yourself narrative project. They have worked hard to write five essays about themselves, some on assigned topics and some self-selected topics. They will make a cover in class on Thursday. They may want to bring in a pciture of something from home for this task. They will have an oral presentation to deliver to their classmates that they will prepare after Labor Day. Soon we will start reading a biography of a founding father.
We are accomplishing many goals in all classes. I appreciate the students' hard work and cooperation in class each day! Have a great week!
Monday, August 29, 2016
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!
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!
Monday, August 15, 2016
First Day of School
We survived the first day of school! Actually, it was a great day in the English classroom. All students read their course syllabus and have the assignment to explain it to their parents and get it signed. This will be their first quiz grade, due back next Monday. All students need to have their 100 page spiral notebook in class on Wednesday. We will start putting tabs on them to make our resource journals. All students should start their home reading logs tonight. This assignment is to read a minimum of 20 minutes (distraction-free!) each school night. The first book report is September 29, so they should choose a book and get it read before that date. Even when they finish their book, they still have the assignment to read each night. This is a proven correlating factor in students who perform well on college entrance exams, so it is worth the effort.
This week we will begin narrative writing in both ninth and tenth grades. We will also try to get everyone matched up with a book they enjoy and get the resource notebooks made. We are really getting the school and class procedures down this week and hope to be in full swing very shortly. I enjoyed every class today! It was good to see the familiar faces of the returning students and we have some delightful new students as well. I even have some former fifth grade students, something I love! If you have any questions, please email me. Have those students get some rest, if they are anything like me, they will be tired tonight!
This week we will begin narrative writing in both ninth and tenth grades. We will also try to get everyone matched up with a book they enjoy and get the resource notebooks made. We are really getting the school and class procedures down this week and hope to be in full swing very shortly. I enjoyed every class today! It was good to see the familiar faces of the returning students and we have some delightful new students as well. I even have some former fifth grade students, something I love! If you have any questions, please email me. Have those students get some rest, if they are anything like me, they will be tired tonight!
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