Class Update

 

I have really enjoyed getting to know all the kids--they are a FANTASTIC bunch, and as a team, we can't believe how lucky we are to have them representing Green Team this year! 

 

The students have been working hard in Language Arts on our first fiction unit, and I am very proud of every student's individual effort. I want to update you on what we've been working on and the assessments that are coming up:

 

-Making strong annotations while reading

-Analyzing character change, conflict, and theme in short stories

-Directly quoting from the story to support their answers

-Correctly citing those quotes to give credit to the author

-Learning how to craft a single, solid evidence-based paragraph response to a question 

-Discussing a story with peers and sharing ideas respectfully

-Using a rubric to assess their own paragraphs and their peers' paragraphs

-Analyzing a sentence for grammatical moves made by a published writer (Patterns of Power daily grammar lessons)

 

• 1 IXL lesson per week in Language Arts --this is a new district expectation that we all must follow; graded in PS as a 2 point homework assignment
• Week of 10/6: 
• Work on slideshow projects in class
• Week of 10/13:
• Slideshow Projects due Tuesday, 10/14
• Fiction Unit Test:
• A Day: 10/14
• B Day: 10/15

*This test is about application of skills, not memorization, so studying is not necessary. On the test students will read a new short story, answer 2 multiple choice questions, write 1 paragraph about character change, and write 1 paragraph about the theme. These are skills we have practiced repeatedly throughout the unit, so students are very familiar with them.

 

As always, please reach out with any questions or concerns! 

 

Find ALL HOMEWORK ON OUR GREEN TEAM PADLET BOARD: Padlet Board Link

 

I am so excited to welcome you to the Green Team! I was lucky enough to meet many of our students at the orientation on Wednesday. I saw lots of nervous faces but some eager ones ready to jump into middle school. Whether you feel nervous or excited, I am here to support you! I cannot wait to officially welcome you to our class on Monday, 8/25 and Tuesday, 8/26. Both days will be half days, so we can ease back into the swing of the school year. Please bring an open mind with you and your best smile; I'll be sure to bring the same!

 

We will kick off the year getting to know one another both socially and academically. Our first unit will be focused on fiction and refreshing our understanding of the fictional elements (ie. setting, character, plot, theme, etc.). Students will read short stories and their own choice stories or books as we lay the foundation for the year. In this unit we will practice active reading strategies, deepening our ideas through discussion, and writing about our reading. I'm so excited to start the year!