It's hard to believe we have begun the second trimester! The school year seems to be flying by! The next two weeks of school will be very busy. This coming Thursday morning, our band students will be preparing at the high school for their winter concert, and Friday morning many of our students will be celebrating their academic success by spending the morning at Three Mile Project. Next week, the National Junior Honor Society will be involved in a service project at Ridgeview, and our 6th grade advisories will be having pizza parties!
A word about the pizza parties. Sixth grade advisories will be holding pizza parties on Friday,
December 21. Students wishing to eat pizza must turn in $3. to their advisory teacher by FRIDAY, DECEMBER 14. This will allow our local Dominoes to order enough supplies. This business is giving us a great deal on pizza and has agreed to deliver them for free! The $3. will cover the cost of a couple of slices of pizza, soda, and paper products. Students who do not wish to eat pizza may eat their regular lunch or bring a sack lunch from home.
I would also like to thank all the families that contributed to our Box Tops for Education collection. The money we make from projects like this often helps to cover the costs of guest speakers and other special events.
Lastly, I would like to send along my good wishes to each of you for a happy and healthy holiday season. Merry Christmas!
Lesson Plans for the Weeks of December 10-December 21
Sixth Grade -We will be working on our argumentative writing skills. We will practice writing claims and gathering evidence to support those claims. We will also learn how to use Thinking Maps to organize our ideas. If all goes according to plan, we will write an argumentative paragraph in class on Thursday, December 20 as a formative assessment.
Seventh Grade - We will be working on learning the correct way to cite sources in text. We will also work on our paraphrasing and note taking skills. If all goes as planned, we will take a formative assessment on these three skills Thursday, December 20.
Monday, December 10, 2012
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Happy Thanksgiving
As you know, this is a very short week for students. I hope your family is able to take advantage of the extra time off from school and make some holiday memories together. Perhaps the students will come back with new stories to write about! I have much to be thankful for and that includes working in a school that cares about kids, working with parents who are supportive, and most of all, working with students who want to learn. I am truly blessed. My wish for you this Thanksgiving is that you experience the same level of blessing.
A word about booktalks...
The first booktalk of the year for both my 6th and 7th graders will begin Tuesday, November 27. Students have a rubric in their binders and it is also posted in the Homework Help section of the blog. This first booktalk is a pretest. That means that I am gathering data about what the students know and can do before being taught. There is information in the rubric that the students don't know. I have tried to reassure them that this is just like taking a written pretest and the grade will not count in their overall grade.
Here are a few common questions the students have been asking...
* Does this affect my grade? No. It is a pretest. The score will be posted, but it will not be included in the final grade.
* Do I have to memorize this? No. Students may choose to write out the entire booktalk on paper or use note cards.
*Will everyone go on Tuesday? No, but everyone must be prepared to present. I will start by taking volunteers, but once students stop volunteering, I will start pulling sticks to choose the order of presenters.
*May I use a book I've already read? Yes. Right now I'm just looking to see what the students already know about public speaking and plot. They may use any narrative book they have ever read.
*May I use any book? No. The book must be a narrative (tells a story). It may not be an informational book.
Lesson Plans for November 19-November 30
All make-up work is due for both grades by the end of the day on Wednesday, November 28. The marking period ends on Friday, November 30.
6th Grade
Students will write and present booktalks at the beginning of the week. Once booktalks have been completed, we will return to our work with argumentative writing, focusing on claims and reasons.
7th Grade
Students will write and present booktalks at the beginning of the week. Once booktalks have been completed, we will begin to practice paraphrasing the work of others in order to use the information in our own writing.
A word about booktalks...
The first booktalk of the year for both my 6th and 7th graders will begin Tuesday, November 27. Students have a rubric in their binders and it is also posted in the Homework Help section of the blog. This first booktalk is a pretest. That means that I am gathering data about what the students know and can do before being taught. There is information in the rubric that the students don't know. I have tried to reassure them that this is just like taking a written pretest and the grade will not count in their overall grade.
Here are a few common questions the students have been asking...
* Does this affect my grade? No. It is a pretest. The score will be posted, but it will not be included in the final grade.
* Do I have to memorize this? No. Students may choose to write out the entire booktalk on paper or use note cards.
*Will everyone go on Tuesday? No, but everyone must be prepared to present. I will start by taking volunteers, but once students stop volunteering, I will start pulling sticks to choose the order of presenters.
*May I use a book I've already read? Yes. Right now I'm just looking to see what the students already know about public speaking and plot. They may use any narrative book they have ever read.
*May I use any book? No. The book must be a narrative (tells a story). It may not be an informational book.
Lesson Plans for November 19-November 30
All make-up work is due for both grades by the end of the day on Wednesday, November 28. The marking period ends on Friday, November 30.
6th Grade
Students will write and present booktalks at the beginning of the week. Once booktalks have been completed, we will return to our work with argumentative writing, focusing on claims and reasons.
7th Grade
Students will write and present booktalks at the beginning of the week. Once booktalks have been completed, we will begin to practice paraphrasing the work of others in order to use the information in our own writing.
Monday, November 12, 2012
Conferences, Part 2
Sparta Middle School will hold its second night of conferences this week. The Book Fair will be open in the library at this time. Student-led conferences will be held Tuesday, November 13 from 4:00-6:30 pm. Sixth graders will meet in the gym and seventh graders will meet in the cafeteria. I will be located in the gym. Parents, if you are unable to come to conferences, please ask your child to bring home his/her conference materials to review with you. Also, as always, feel free to send me an email if you have any questions or concerns.
We are currently collecting Box Tops for Education, Coke Rewards points, and Campbell labels. The NJHS is sponsoring an advisory competition. The advisory that collects the most points wins a pizza party. The points will be used to sponsor activities that support Sparta Middle School. The competition ends at the end of November, but you can continue to send in labels all year. Thanks for your help!
Lesson Plans
Sixth Grade
Sixth graders will continue to work on argumentative writing. We will focus on the differences between argumentative writing and persuasive writing, including separating fact from opinion. We will also practice writing claims, topic sentences and thesis statements.
Continue to read at least 20 minutes every night for homework this week, and make sure you are filling out your ORANGE reading log. Some students will be asked to adjust their reading goals this week. Our booktalk assignment is coming soon. Students must have completed the book of their choice by November 23.
Seventh Grade
Seventh graders will continue to work on ways to avoid plagiarism. We will practice paraphrasing and citing our sources.
Continue to read at least 20 minutes every night for homework this week, and make sure you are filling out your ORANGE reading log. Some students will be asked to adjust their reading goals this week. Our booktalk assignment is coming soon. Students must have completed the book of their choice by November 23.
We are currently collecting Box Tops for Education, Coke Rewards points, and Campbell labels. The NJHS is sponsoring an advisory competition. The advisory that collects the most points wins a pizza party. The points will be used to sponsor activities that support Sparta Middle School. The competition ends at the end of November, but you can continue to send in labels all year. Thanks for your help!
Lesson Plans
Sixth Grade
Sixth graders will continue to work on argumentative writing. We will focus on the differences between argumentative writing and persuasive writing, including separating fact from opinion. We will also practice writing claims, topic sentences and thesis statements.
Continue to read at least 20 minutes every night for homework this week, and make sure you are filling out your ORANGE reading log. Some students will be asked to adjust their reading goals this week. Our booktalk assignment is coming soon. Students must have completed the book of their choice by November 23.
Seventh Grade
Seventh graders will continue to work on ways to avoid plagiarism. We will practice paraphrasing and citing our sources.
Continue to read at least 20 minutes every night for homework this week, and make sure you are filling out your ORANGE reading log. Some students will be asked to adjust their reading goals this week. Our booktalk assignment is coming soon. Students must have completed the book of their choice by November 23.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Book Fair
One more thing... I forgot to mention that I won't be sending home November book orders as I do not wish to compete with the Book Fair taking place in our library during conference week. Students in my first, second, and fourth hours will get a chance to peruse the fair during language arts class on Friday, November 9. Students in my seventh and eighth hours will have to shop during conferences as the library will be closed during their class time. I hope you get a chance to check out the fair, support our library and maybe find some great Christmas presents!
Conferences Begin This Week
Let me start by reminding everyone that student-led conferences begin this week. Conferences will be held on Thursday, November 8 from 4:00-6:30 PM and again on Tuesday, November 13 from 4:00-6:30 PM. Sixth grade students will gather their information and take it to the gym where tables will be set up for them to conference with their parents. Seventh graders will gather their materials and meet with their parents in the cafe. As of this posting, I will be located in the gym for those of you who wish to meet with me. How we do conferences are one more thing that has been affected by our loss of teaming here at the middle school. We are doing our best to meet the needs of everyone involved, but this is our first attempt. If you are unable to conference with me at this time, but you still wish to speak with me about your child's progress, please send me an email and I'm sure we can work something out. Thanks in advance for your patience and understanding. I hope to see you all there!
Lesson Plans for the Week of November 5
6th Grade
The sixth graders will start Vocabulary for Success lesson 1-3 on Monday. Look for homework on Monday and Wednesday. Encourage your child to study for these words every night this week. The test will be on Friday, November 9. In addition, we will be reviewing QAR (Question-Answer Relationships). Finally, we will spend some time preparing for student-led conferences. Reading at least 20 minutes every night is also homework.
7th Grade
The seventh graders will start Vocabulary for Success lesson 1-3 on Monday. Look for homework on Monday and Wednesday. Encourage your child to study for these words every night this week. The test will be on Friday, November 9. In addition to vocabulary, we will be reviewing the Seven Keys of Comprehension and active reading. Finally, we will spend some time preparing for student-led conferences. Reading at least 20 minutes every night is also homework.
Lesson Plans for the Week of November 5
6th Grade
The sixth graders will start Vocabulary for Success lesson 1-3 on Monday. Look for homework on Monday and Wednesday. Encourage your child to study for these words every night this week. The test will be on Friday, November 9. In addition, we will be reviewing QAR (Question-Answer Relationships). Finally, we will spend some time preparing for student-led conferences. Reading at least 20 minutes every night is also homework.
7th Grade
The seventh graders will start Vocabulary for Success lesson 1-3 on Monday. Look for homework on Monday and Wednesday. Encourage your child to study for these words every night this week. The test will be on Friday, November 9. In addition to vocabulary, we will be reviewing the Seven Keys of Comprehension and active reading. Finally, we will spend some time preparing for student-led conferences. Reading at least 20 minutes every night is also homework.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Lesson Plans and Reading Goals
It's hard to believe the trimester is half over! Conferences will be held at the Middle School on November 8 & 13 from 4:00- 6:30. We hope to see you there.
READING GOALS
All students have set their own reading goals. They each considered how many books they read last year, and I challenged them to increase that number this year. They have several documents in their language arts binders pertaining to their reading goals and levels, including a reading log which they are supposed to fill out for every book they read. Please check on this once and a while to help your child stay on task.
I have told the students that I expect them to read a minimum of twenty minutes a night as homework. This amount of time coincides with reading research that says that twenty minutes a day is the minimum time required to maintain reading levels. Additionally, the more a person reads, the higher their reading level. Students with higher reading levels do better in ALL academic subjects including math, science and the arts. One of the best things parents can do to help their children be successful in school is to encourage them to read. Read out loud together, ask your child about what they are reading, set aside quiet hours for reading, model reading in front of your child, and go to the library or book store together. It all helps!
LESSON PLANS
Because I am teaching two different classes this year, I attempted to post lesson plans in a separate section of the blog. That did not work. (Probably due more to my lack of expertise than to the blog site itself.) Any way, from this point on, lesson plans will be located at the bottom of my posts. I will list each class separately. I will not list daily plans as these often change based on how well the students progress through the previous day's lesson. I will, instead, post the general standards and concepts we will be working on for that week. I will also post any deadlines for summative assessments. Since there is often a several hour turn around time from when I post the blog until it reaches your email inbox, I will not post nightly homework on the blog. I do post it in the classroom and give students time each day to fill out their planners. I suggest parents check the planner daily to see if there is homework in addition to the nightly reading expectation.
Lesson Plans for the Week of October 29
Grade 6
The sixth graders have been busy learning a new vocabulary program, working on our reading goals, and learning about the parts of an argumentative paragraph. This week we are focusing primarily on the content vocabulary related to argumentative writing, and on what makes a strong claim.
Grade 7
The seventh graders have been busy learning a new vocabulary program and working on their reading goals. In addition, they have been working on collaboration. We just started working on identifying credible sources and giving credit to our sources.
READING GOALS
All students have set their own reading goals. They each considered how many books they read last year, and I challenged them to increase that number this year. They have several documents in their language arts binders pertaining to their reading goals and levels, including a reading log which they are supposed to fill out for every book they read. Please check on this once and a while to help your child stay on task.
I have told the students that I expect them to read a minimum of twenty minutes a night as homework. This amount of time coincides with reading research that says that twenty minutes a day is the minimum time required to maintain reading levels. Additionally, the more a person reads, the higher their reading level. Students with higher reading levels do better in ALL academic subjects including math, science and the arts. One of the best things parents can do to help their children be successful in school is to encourage them to read. Read out loud together, ask your child about what they are reading, set aside quiet hours for reading, model reading in front of your child, and go to the library or book store together. It all helps!
LESSON PLANS
Because I am teaching two different classes this year, I attempted to post lesson plans in a separate section of the blog. That did not work. (Probably due more to my lack of expertise than to the blog site itself.) Any way, from this point on, lesson plans will be located at the bottom of my posts. I will list each class separately. I will not list daily plans as these often change based on how well the students progress through the previous day's lesson. I will, instead, post the general standards and concepts we will be working on for that week. I will also post any deadlines for summative assessments. Since there is often a several hour turn around time from when I post the blog until it reaches your email inbox, I will not post nightly homework on the blog. I do post it in the classroom and give students time each day to fill out their planners. I suggest parents check the planner daily to see if there is homework in addition to the nightly reading expectation.
Lesson Plans for the Week of October 29
Grade 6
The sixth graders have been busy learning a new vocabulary program, working on our reading goals, and learning about the parts of an argumentative paragraph. This week we are focusing primarily on the content vocabulary related to argumentative writing, and on what makes a strong claim.
Grade 7
The seventh graders have been busy learning a new vocabulary program and working on their reading goals. In addition, they have been working on collaboration. We just started working on identifying credible sources and giving credit to our sources.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Instructions for Vocabulary for Success
This year Sparta Middle School has started a new 6-8 Vocabulary program called Vocabulary for Success. This program uses research-proven methods to teach students vocabulary necessary for career and school success. We will cover 21 lessons of ten words each over the course of the school year. We are still "playing" with the program to find just the right schedule, but essentially it includes a new list of words on a Monday, interactive classroom activities and homework followed by a multiple choice test.
One of the most important aspects of this program is the access students have to online resources. Each student has an account at http://www.sadlier-oxford.com/vocabulary/vocabularyforsuccess.cfm To log on, students first choose their level (A for 6th grade, B for 7th grade), then choose "student" user. Their user name is their student number and the password is "Sparta". There are videos, games, practice tests and a dictionary. The first test is Friday, October 5 over Unit 1, lesson 1.
In addition to the vocabulary work, we continue to review and practice the QAR (Question-Answer Relationship) reading/testing skills. Students are also working on their personal reading goals, however limited access to the library, especially for our 6th graders is making this difficult for the kids. They are being troopers, but any help you can give them in getting books is very much appreciated!
The Spartan Value of the month for October is Pride. I am encouraging students to learn both the Sparta fight song and the Star Spangled Banner as one way to show their pride in their school and country.
Lastly, this week is Spirit Week. Sparta Middle School participates with dress-up days, Paint the Town, and marching in the parade. The dress-up days are: Monday - sports day, Tuesday - country western day, Wednesday - career/professional day, Thursday - 80s day, and Friday- blue and white Sparta spirit wear.
One of the most important aspects of this program is the access students have to online resources. Each student has an account at http://www.sadlier-oxford.com/vocabulary/vocabularyforsuccess.cfm To log on, students first choose their level (A for 6th grade, B for 7th grade), then choose "student" user. Their user name is their student number and the password is "Sparta". There are videos, games, practice tests and a dictionary. The first test is Friday, October 5 over Unit 1, lesson 1.
In addition to the vocabulary work, we continue to review and practice the QAR (Question-Answer Relationship) reading/testing skills. Students are also working on their personal reading goals, however limited access to the library, especially for our 6th graders is making this difficult for the kids. They are being troopers, but any help you can give them in getting books is very much appreciated!
The Spartan Value of the month for October is Pride. I am encouraging students to learn both the Sparta fight song and the Star Spangled Banner as one way to show their pride in their school and country.
Lastly, this week is Spirit Week. Sparta Middle School participates with dress-up days, Paint the Town, and marching in the parade. The dress-up days are: Monday - sports day, Tuesday - country western day, Wednesday - career/professional day, Thursday - 80s day, and Friday- blue and white Sparta spirit wear.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Welcome Back!
I hope you are as excited about starting the school year as I am! I can hardly wait to hear about all the cool books you read and read about all the cool things you did over the summer!
You will need a three-ring binder to be used only for language arts class, a set of three-holed punched dividers, and pencils for my class. College ruled paper, highlighters, sticky notes, pens, and blank index cards would also be helpful, but are not required.
For my sixth graders:
Most of last year's sixth graders reported the most difficult thing about starting middle school was knowing how to open their lockers. My daughter found this helpful video on Youtube. It demonstrates how to open your locker. Click Here to watch the video. Another thing you can do to make this easier is to go to the dollar store and get a basic combination lock. Have a sibling, friend or parent show you how to open it and then practice it until you understand how to work it. Good Luck!
You will need a three-ring binder to be used only for language arts class, a set of three-holed punched dividers, and pencils for my class. College ruled paper, highlighters, sticky notes, pens, and blank index cards would also be helpful, but are not required.
For my sixth graders:
Most of last year's sixth graders reported the most difficult thing about starting middle school was knowing how to open their lockers. My daughter found this helpful video on Youtube. It demonstrates how to open your locker. Click Here to watch the video. Another thing you can do to make this easier is to go to the dollar store and get a basic combination lock. Have a sibling, friend or parent show you how to open it and then practice it until you understand how to work it. Good Luck!
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