2011 Winter Break Assignments

Students and Parents,

It is vital that we remain engaged in learning, especially over the 2-week winter break. While we are having fun, resting, and enjoying family and friends, please manage time for academics. *Don't forget 6 books MUST be read for this quarter. Nine Weeks end 1/19/2012.
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Your Tasks over the break includes:
I) 30 minutes of reading daily and complete Journal Entries during the holidays are REQUIRED for these dates only: 12/19-22 and 12-28-29.

II) FCAT Explorer 8th Grade Reading:
Complete the stories within each theme and answer all questions.
1) The World's Largest Bicycle (3 stories),
2) Spinning Patriot (3 stories), and
3) BumperCar Wars (2 stories).
NOTE: Your score for each story will be calculated as an OnCourse grade. Do your Best.

II) FCAT Explorer: 10th Grade: Please select the Time Peiord "Now and Beyond."
Read each story and answer all questions.
1) Can computers Be taught to Think?
2) Alternative Engergy Sources, and
3) Red Hot and Blue

NOTE: Your score for each story will be calculated as an OnCourse grade. Do your Best.

Please ensure that you have completed each reading task with at least a 70% score.
* Before each 8th Grade Reading section, there is a vocabulary assignment.

Assignements MUST be completed by January 3/4 - A/B class session.

Week of December 5th: Updates and Homework

Students and Parents,

Today (Monday) is the last day for Reading Benchmarks.
We will resume our writing focus and continue post conference review of the "Us and Them" assessment.

Important Date: End of the Quarter is 1/19
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Homework Assignment Reminders:

*Students are to continue their 30 minutes of reading and Journal Entry - reflecting
Monday - thru Friday.

*FCAT Explorer: 8th Grade Reading Boardwalk
Complete Themes:
Volcano Falls (3 stories - complete all questions)
Creepy Creatures (3 stories - complete all questions)
Hydro Mania (2 stories - complete all questions)

Due Friday - A Day
Due Monday - B Day

HOMEWORK:NOTE: Students' scores will be calculated in Oncourse. Please take your time and do your best.

Week of November 28th

Hello Students,

Homework for this week:

Revising District Timed Writing I
Students, many of you have begun revising in class; some have even finished.
All will revise with Transitions in mind.
Please review the transition handouts and implement transitions within and between paragraphs.

B-Day - Due Friday, December 2
A-Day - Due Monday, December 5.

Don't forget to continue your journal reading and entries. Also, 6 books MUST be read by the end of the quarter. Note: Even if you have finished your 6 books read, 30 minutes of reading with journal entry are still required daily, except on weekends.

Week of November 14, 2011: Journal/Books Read

Students and Parents,

Please know that our 30 minutes of daily reading (except weekends) have begun, effective November 3.

Also, know that you MUST have 6 books read by the end of this quarter. 150 pages = 1book read. - worth 60 pts.

For the Thanksgiving break, journal entries are NOT required for Thanksgiving Day and that following Friday. Enjoy!

Homework for the Week 11/7/11

Hi Students,

Please write a body paragraph expository response to this question:
What does it mean to analyze?
Your expository response must be 7-10 sentences.
Please identify the strategies used to elaborate your points.
Worth - 20 points.
Due:
11/8 - A Day
11/9 - B Day

October 26, 2011

Hello Students,

The Us and Them assessment is tomorrow and Monday of next week. Please review your Deconstructive Strategy worksheets, as they will serve as reference tools.

I am proud of the way you are interpreting and analyzing this personal essay, which is full of word choice, imagery, and figurative language - similes, metaphors, and irony. In addition, ensure you are prepared to respond to questions that ask you to discuss the author's perspective and bias towards the Tomkeys from the beginning to the end of the personal essay.

Homework:
The Sanctuary of School - pages 976-979
One Last Time - pages 816-826
Complete all of the Margin ques ions.
Due October 31 and November 1

Unit 2

Students,

We will begin Unit 2 starting this week: October 10. We will begin Studying Author's Purpose/Perspective/Bias, Irony and Cause and Effect.

I am still conferencing with students one-on-one concerning their Unit 1 Test and overall GPA performance for quarter 1.
After the Unit 1 conferencing, I will begin discussing student's individual District 1 Writing results, and student revisions will soon follow.

Remember:
6 Books are to be read and logged in by October 20/21 (A/B Day)- worth 60 points
Compass Odyssey Learning Path is to be completed by October 14th - worth 40 points

Have a great weekend!

Completion of Unit 1

Students and Parents,

We have completed Unit 1 and the Unit 1 Test. Thursday and Friday of this week (September 26th) I will be reviewing the test with each class.

Starting next week, I will be conducting one-on-one conferences with each student. The focus: Review of Unit 1 learning to assess if additional tutoring is needed; and review of student's overall GPA to assess what the student needs to do to improve his/her GPA, as the nine-week period ends October 24th.

All grades are uploaded in Oncourse except students' Unit 1 Test and Reading Journal entries. I have addressed all discrepancies. If there are concerns, students discuss them with me during the conference;don't forget to bring your evidence of proof.

Students, I am proud of your Unit 1 performance. Great learning! I appreciate you.:)

Week of September 26th - Homework and Forecast of Assignments

Compass Odyssey Part 1 and 2 Diagnostic
Must be completed by Monday Night,October 3rd
(Students, I will like to see you map out in your agenda the days you will
complete your learning path assignments.) - worth 20 points for completion

Compass Odyssey Leaning Path is Due October 14th - worth 40 points for assignment completed with 80% mastery

Reading Logs are due: - worth 60 points
A Day: October 20th, Thursday
B Day: October 21st, Friday

No journal entries for the next week.

Instructional Focus for the Week of September 19th

Instructional Focus for the Week of September 19th
Students, this week we are reviewing in-class assignments and Homework: The poems and Gil's Furniture Bought & Sold. We are analyzing and self-assessing to repair misconceptions or to confirm responses.
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Homework this week:
1)Reading 30 minutes and Journal Entry
2)Reading Journal Entry check - Friday for B-Day students; Monday for A-Day students (each week is worth a total of 10 points)
3)Pandora's Box :
-Complete the reading on pages 456-460.
-Think about the analysis questions in the right margin of the pages.
-Complete the After Reading section (1-8) on page 460.


Assignment Due:
B Day - Wednesday
A Day - Thursday

Homework Due Next Week September 19

Homework Due Week of September 19th

Resource: Literature Textbook
Page 452 #9 under Extension and Challenge
Page 453 under Writing Prompts
-Complete A {worth 20 points}
-Complete B (Explain what you learned about the store owner in a 5-paragraph Expository Essay) {worth 20 points}

A-Day: Due Tuesday, September 20
B-Day: Due Monday, September 19

Instructional Focus for the Week of September 12th

Students, were are completing the District Reading Benchmark Assessment, Session II Monday and Tuesday.

Compass Odyssey Diagnostic is scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday.

Homework
1) Complete Theme Graphic Chart for the poems The Lion & Mouse, Parting at Wineshop, The Peace of Wild Things, and Dust of Snow.

2) Complete Theme worksheet #120-121.

3) Be prepared to discuss your Best Answer with text support.

Assignment is due this WEEK:

A Day - Friday (Team A Day, you will receive this task Wednesday)
B Day - Thursday

4) Complete your daily reading and journal entry daily.

Have You Seen My Blue USB Flash Drive?

Hi Students,

I cannot find my blue USB flash drive that is attached to a blue string-like cord. If you find it, please return it to me so I can check the documents to confirm it is mine. I appreciate you so much. :)

Changes to Daily Required Reading & 25 Book Campaign Log

Changes to Daily Required Reading & 25 Book Campaign Log

Students and Parents,

I have made changes to the required 30-Minute Daily Reading and Journal Entry. Readings and journal entries will reflect Monday thru Friday. No weekends. Enjoy!

Regarding the 25 Book Campaign Log, 150 pages = 1 (one) book.

Instructional Focus for the Week of September 5th: Analyzing Theme

Students,
This week, we will explore Theme - recurring and universal - and discover how the author implies the central or broad message (theme) through the revealing of
1) What the main characters say
2) What the main characters do
3) How the conflict is resolved
4) How the characters change
5) How the title provides important information or highlights ideas the author wants to share.

There is Homework:
30 minute Reading and Journal entry
Literature Text reading: Pages 1-15
Write a separate 5-7 sentence summary for each of these pages: 2,3,4,6,8,11,& 12
Last, after reading pages 13 and 14, answer the Close Read section, questions 1-6.

A Day - assignment is due Thursday, September 8th
B Day - assignment is due Friday, September 9th
(ESTIMATED TIME of COMPLETION - 2.0 hours)

Week of September 5, 2011, Schoolwide Highlights

Open House
Tuesday, September 6th @ 6PM

Early Dismissal
Wednesday, September 7th

1st Benchmark Assessment for Reading - Session I
Thursday, September 8th (A Day)
Friday, September 9th (B Day)

6B Students

Hello 6B Students,

Your Homework Assignment:

You are to illustrate an accurate comprehension of the poem "Our Deepest Fear".
Your pictorial or story board must include words to "generally" explain the illustrations. This 20-point assignment is due Wednesday, September 7.

Wrapping up the Week

Wrapping up the Week:

Students, we have had a great time identifying our preferred learning style. In addition, I am proud of how you have applied the Superintendent's Super Six Reading Strategies to construct meaning in text. You have shown effective use of your Metacognitive skills.

Thursday and Friday, we will take the District's Writing Prompt Assessment - first one for the school year. Afterwards, we will finish illustrating our Super Six Hero characters and finalize how each class will present the Multiple Intelligences data. Wow! We are off to a great start.

Next Week:

Open House is Tuesday, September 6, 2011, @ 6pm.

Homework for the week 8/29

Homework for the week of August 29, 2011

Required 30-minute Reading and Journal Entry

A Day Students: Complete "Our Deepest Fear" Comprehension sheet. Assignment is due Thursday, September 1, 2011.

B Day Students: Complete "Our Deepest Fear" Comprehension representation using words and/or pictures. Ensure your product reflects or aligns with the main idea of the poem. Assignment is due Friday, September 2, 2011.

Required Daily Homework

Required Daily Homework - 30-minute Reading and Journal Entry
 Response Guide:
Monday – focus on Predicting & Proving
Tuesday – focus on Making Connections
Wednesday – focus on Characterization
Thursday – focus on Mood and Tone
Friday – focus on unfamiliar Vocabulary words

Weekends are no longer required. Enjoy!

Note: Your journal entry response must be at least five (5) sentences. Ensure your entry reflects that day’s focus.

Our Deepest Fear

Students, allow me to share one of my favorite poems.

Our Deepest Fear

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear
is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness,
that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous,
talented and fabulous?
Actually who are we not to be?

There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people
won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine as children do.
We were born to make manifest
the glory that is within us.
It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.
And when we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously give other people
permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.

By Marriane Williamson

Welcome Students,

We had a great week of learning one another. I appreciate you completing the Multiple Intelligences Assessment. Knowing your preferred learning style is powerful.

Homework for the week of August 29th:
Reading 30-minutes daily.
Complete journal response. Refer to the Curriculum Paper for daily journal requirements.