Scholastic Book Orders

FYI: I just handed out new Scholastic book orders, and there's some really great books out right now.   If you want to order, just have your student return the form and money sometime to me next week.  If you need me to wait a bit longer - like your next pay day, for example -  just let me know.  We can make it work!

If you want to order online using a credit card, visit www.scholastic.com/bookclubs and enter a one-time class activation code of H789J.  This will allow you to view the current catalog and order online.

AR Projects Due Jan 25/26

As a reminder, the first of the third quarter AR projects are due on Jan 25/26. Students can create a book jacket, write diary entries, or create a new ending of the book.  You can find the detailed explanation posted back at the end of November if you need it. 

What's Going on in Writing?

Since we've been back from break, students have been busy putting their persuasive writing skills to the test.  They've completed several persuasive letters and essays - including debating whether child beauty pageants were harmful or worthwhile and if gifted students should be moved into higher level classes with much older classmates.  The final persuasive essay and poster project is a topic that your student felt was important to this school or this community.  After choosing his/her topic, your student devised a thesis statement, created a pro/con T-chart, and began drafting their essay.  Now we are typing the essays, beginning to peer edit, and creating the poster portion of the persuasive project. 

Please note: ALL Writing students must bring a poster board to class by next Monday! I've reiterated with your student that I'm not interested in fancy trifold boards or even foam boards. A simple, cheap posterboard is all they need. The instructions for the persuasive poster project is listed below: 

Since most middle school kids aren’t going to stop in the hallway and read a two-page essay about your persuasive topic, you will be creating a fun and eye-catching poster to get them to become interested in what you have to say.

Your poster should include:
 A creative title – not just “Bigger Lockers” or “No AR”
 A catchy slogan that will help viewers remember your topic
 Your typed essay attached to the poster
 Your 3 pros listed somewhere on the poster
 2-4 pictures – no more or no less
 Bright colors and appealing decorations

You will need to present your poster on a poster board. Remember, you can reuse the back of a board that you’ve previously used. You will also be responsible for a short (2-3 minutes) presentation of your poster where you explain your topic, why you think the change is important and your pros for making the change. The presentation counts for 20% of your overall grade, so be prepared. Absolutely no reading directly from the poster – or you will not receive credit for the presentation!!

One last thing:  For this project, students will be doing ALL of the work in-class. I'm very interested to watch them work their way through the project individually and how they deal with potential issues or problems.  Thanks for understanding!

Extra Credit Opportunity in Reading

As a part of our study of poetry, you will have the opportunity to memorize a piece of poetry and present it to the class. You may choose any poem you like – including those from your textbook, ones copied into your notebook, the poem you choose out of my books, or another poem you like – but it does need to be a minimum of 12 lines long.

When you present your poem, you will do so from memory without the aid of notecards. You will first tell us the title and author of your poem and then recite it for us. You will need to provide Mrs. Allen with a copy of the poem prior to your presentation.

You will have the opportunity to earn up to 20 possible extra credit points. Your grade will be based on the accuracy of your memorization and the quality of your presentation. Please speak with emotion and enthusiasm!

You will need to sign up to present your poem Jan 27 – Feb 7. Please see Mrs. Allen if you have questions!

What's Going on in Reading?

The first few weeks of third quarter have been very busy in Reading class.  We've started a new unit on poetry, and the students have been exposed to many different types and styles of poems.  They have written concrete and haiku poems, practiced identifying rhyme schemes and learned about figurative language and sound devices.  Students also took time to look through collections of poetry to find a poem that truly spoke to them. We will be doing some analysis of these poems as well as comparing the poems to the poems chosen by your student's peers. 

Please check out the above post for more information about an extra credit opportunity!

Thank You!

Thank you so very much for allowing me to be part of your child's education this year. I've enjoyed getting to know your student and am excited to see how they will continue to develop throughout the rest of the year.  I also appreciate the support that you provide at home to ensure your student is as successful as he/she can be.  I hope that you and your student have a relaxing and refreshing holiday break.

Sincerely,
Melanie Allen

PS - Thanks also for the holiday gifts! You are too kind :)

New Semester

When we return in January, we'll be beginning a new semester.  To start off the year on the right foot, please encourage your student to:

* Clean out their binder and recycle old worksheets, papers, etc.
* Use some time each day to read an AR book
* Restock their backpack with new notebooks, pencils, pens, and other supplies
* Come back refreshed and ready to learn!

W-L Education Foundation

For anyone looking for a good end-of-the-year tax donation:

The Warrensburg-Latham Educational Foundation is a non-profit organization that supports the work we do here at WLMS.  In the past, the Educational Foundation has provided novels, classroom materials, newspaper resources, and other items to my classroom.  Their generosity provides students with resources that we would otherwise not be able to provide.  You can visit the following link to find out more information:  http://www.wl.k12.il.us/community/makegift.asp

What's Going on in Writing?

In Writing, we've taken a short break from diagramming to review some of the important punctuation rules, specifically those dealing with commas. When we return in January, we will be studying compound and complex sentences and begin the process of learning to diagram them.

We've also recently implemented a new Diagramming Challenge. Posted on the board and outside my door is a challenging sentence that students are asked to diagram and label. Those that complete it correctly earn the kudos of their classmates and a bit of extra credit as well.  Please encourage your student to take advantage of this opportunity when we return.

I've begun the (slightly daunting!) process of reading all of the NaNoWriMo novels and will begin posting those grades as I read.  As I reminded students, with 50+ stories to read ranging from 10-50 pages, it's a healthy reading load.  I will continue to read over Christmas break and post grades as I finish stories.

Over break, students can also visit the NaNoWriMo page to receive their promo code for the free novel.  The page will direct you to the website where you can work with your student to design his/her novel.  If you have questions, please feel free to email me. 

What's Going on in Reading?

We're quickly wrapping up our drama unit by reading a play version of The Christmas Carol. The students enjoyed being able to perform the play in a reader's theater-style and several really took to their parts. At the conclusion of the play, we compared the traditional version of our reading to some of the more nontraditional versions of the tale.  When we return in January, we will begin our study of poetry!

Over break, please encourage your student to take some time each day to read silently from their AR book. The first project on third quarter is due at the end of January, but many students have made it a personal goal to have the project complete when they return from break.