We've had a couple of days to get back into the swing of things after what I hope was a relaxing and rejuvenating break. The highlight of our first week back was the completion of our classroom spelling bees. I was very proud of all of the students. They took our class contract to heart and truly gave their best effort for the competition. Our classroom winners are: Tommy Smith, Jacob Osmolinski, Noah Meyers, Dylan Marczynski and Blake Walters. These young men will now go on to compete in our school-wide bee. Our alternates, who will compete if the winner is not able, include: Ricky Hill, Zac Ridout, Elise Andersson, Gwen Koolman, and Hazen Harter. Many of these students went several rounds head-to-head with the winners, and are to be commended. The school-wide bee is open to the public. It will be held on January 17 at 7:30 AM in the cafe. Parents, if you do plan to attend, please allow yourself time to stop in the office and pick up a visitor's pass before heading to the cafe.
As you all realize, our return to school coincides with the flu season. Here at school, we are elbow bumping instead of shaking hands when we greet, and we are trying to wash our hands or use hand sanitizer when we should. There are a couple of things you can do to help keep us all healthy. Please talk with your family about the following precautions.
* Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze - preferably into your
elbow instead of your hand.
* Use hand sanitizer after coughing, sneezing, blowing your nose, etc.
* Make sure you are eating healthy foods instead of junk, and be sure to get at least
8 hours of sleep each night.
* STAY HOME if you have any flu symptoms such as headache, fever, muscle
aches, or cough.
Donations of tissues and disinfecting wipes are appreciated. These classroom supplies are running low. Right now we are set with hand sanitizer. Thanks in advance if you are able to help out in this area. Working together will help us all stay healthy this flu season.
Lesson Plans for the Weeks of January 7-January 18
Sixth Grade
Due to teacher illness, things did not go as planned for the formative assessment before break. As a result, we will be spending some time reviewing the skills and vocabulary that make up argumentative writing. Students will use their research to build a brace map which they will later use when completing their argumentative writing. We will also spend some time practicing skills such as SQ3R and the 7 Keys of Comprehension in order to prepare for our upcoming Articles of the Week assignments. Watch the blog for additional information about what will become ongoing weekly homework assignments.
Seventh Grade
Due to teacher illness, things did not go as planned for the formative assessment before break. As a result, we will be spending some time reviewing the skills and vocabulary that make up note taking and paraphrasing. We will also practice organizing our thinking before writing paragraphs using Thinking Maps such as brace and tree maps. We will be modeling, practicing and collaborating on writing good thesis statements, topic sentences, reasons, supporting details and explanations. We, too, will spend some time practicing skills such as SQ3R and the 7 Keys of Comprehension in order to prepare for our upcoming Articles of the Week assignments. Watch the blog for additional information about what will become ongoing weekly homework assignments.
Book orders for both grades are due Friday, January 17. If you order online, you receive a coupon for a free book up to $5.
