Good morning!
The sun is shining and the weather is just gorgeous today (minus the iciness of the roads...). I hope all of you had a fantastic weekend. I know I did! There's something about being able to just sit on the couch and read a good book that makes the day seem so much more peaceful. I hope you were able to find that time to feel relaxed, even if it was for a few minutes :)
Also, thank you to all of those that sent money with their child to buy a book from our author on Friday. I know that he really appreciated the support, and know that a part of the profit he makes goes back into the community to support children and local schools. If you or your child are still interested in purchasing a book, you can find Tyrants and Traitors by Joshua McHenry Miller on Amazon or in Barnes & Noble. Overall, I thought it was a great opportunity for the students (I think they enjoyed the visit), and I hope that we can do something like this again in the future!
Important Events
February 13th - February 16th - Box Top Collection
February 16th - Box Top Clipping Party (for Student Council Members) in Mrs. Valdez' room from 2:30 - 4:00 p.m.
February 17th - No school
February 17th - Mid-quarter
February 20th - No school
February 21st - Student Council meeting @ 7:05 a.m.
February 27th - Book Orders Due
Last Week
6th Grade ~ Last week, the 6th graders continued to work on their Author Research Projects. On Monday, I showed them an example project to provide them with a better understanding of what the project should look like. Remember, that projects are due Tuesday, February 14th (note the change of due date). If students have any questions about the videos, please make sure they ask. I will be going over the rubric tomorrow with them again (rubric found in Google Drive in LA folder - titled "Author Research Project Rubric"), making sure they are aware of anything that they still need to add/fix. Tomorrow (Monday) will be the last day of class to work on the project. Anything not finished in class tomorrow should be completed at home. The rest of last week was devoted to working on the projects. In grammar, the students reviewed pronouns, and then took their Chapter 4 Checkup/Test. I was very impressed with how well the students did on their tests!
7th Grade ~ Last week, the 7th graders discussed chapter 3 of The Outsiders, and began discussing the difference between the different social groups in the book. They did an activity where they compared Ponyboy to the Greasers, and were then assigned a prezi project where they were to then compare the Socs to the Greasers. They had most of the week to work on the projects, and the final project is due this coming Tuesday. In grammar, the students reviewed pronouns, and then took their Chapter 4 Checkup/Test. I was very impressed with how well the students did on their tests!
8th Grade ~ Last week, the 8th graders finished reading Part 6 of The Book Thief, and then took a quiz on Part 6 via Google Forms. All did very well, fyi :) We did a Socratic Discussion as a class which was counted as a participation grade, and then the rest of the week was dedicated to a WebQuest on Auschwitz the concentration camp. On Thursday, we went over the WebQuest and had a very in-depth and serious conversation about the effects of the Holocaust and Auschwitz. It was my hope that this assignment would not only provide the students with a better understanding of concentration camps in the novel, but also give them a stronger appreciation and understanding for when we visit the Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C. I thought the students handled themselves very maturely during our discussion - I am very proud of them. In grammar, the students reviewed pronouns, and then took their Chapter 4 Checkup/Test. I was very impressed with how well the students did on their tests!
All ~ I sent home book orders for those that were interested this past week. Note that all book orders are due Monday, February 27th. If you are ordering online, please use the classroom code: PBKZC. If you are ordering via check, please make the check out to Scholastic.
Have a great rest of your Sunday!
God's blessings!
Grace
