Here's the plan.

Hi guys,

I will be back to school on Wednesday. I missed the first two days back from vacation because I had conjunctivitis, which is gross and contagious until the medication kicks in. Still, yuck.

In the meantime, you should be working on WW Lesson 10 for Friday.

So the plan: Q4, we will be working on an argument paper, a research project, and a project for Catching Fire. We will still be working on our reading, and vocabulary, and our blogs, which are updated and posted. I want to try to work on a Fakebook page for the Quarter Quell tributes, and I would love it if we could start our Web Quest for our research projects.

Plus, there's Mockingjay!

There is so much to do to get you ready for 8th grade!!

See you soon!

Long Write is over, but MCAS is still here! Reading Comps are Tuesday and Thursday!

Keep that momentum alive, guys! You were the boys and girls on fire last Thursday - brainstorming, getting organized, being creative for that LONG Long Write prompt, but don't hang it up yet! We still have the Reading Comps starting on Tuesday morning and finishing up on Thursday! You guys will show'em just how good you are! Cracking that multiple choice and acing the open responses! I am excited for you to work on all that we have practiced and I know you will leave it all out there!

Get a good rest, go to bed at a decent hour, eat well, and don't forget to think it all through, keep it organized, READ THE QUESTIONS FIRST, and just do what we've done in class!

KICK SOME MCAS!

9 more days until Long Write MCAS!

The pressure is on and we can feel it! The kids are working on silent sustained reading while using strategies to keep it active. The comments/questions for each page will lend themselves to a Socratic discussion of the chapter in Catching Fire. It is the chapter that makes me SO ANGRY at Katniss, and what happens to Gale is just... well, you'll see.

We will continue to work independently as well to boost our students' stamina for the long test days ahead. 7th grade has a lot of to deal with  - writing as well as reading skills are being more closely assessed, but I think the kids have a great handle on what it takes to get great scores.

Long Write requires planning and creativity - don't forget to use the first hour to write down everything you can think of about the prompt and the topic! Connect personally, tell a story, make lists, write an expanded moment! The second hour is all about organization and creativity - add great figurative language, make sure it makes sense from beginning to end, and don't forget a common sense conclusion that addresses the prompt!

The Reading Comps requires close reading skills and we've been working on those all year long! Read your questions before you even get close to the selection, look for your detractors in your multiple choice selections, and take your time. On open responses, be sure to include your GAT with your thesis that addresses the prompt, ICE your evidence with examples from the text and explanations, and add a common sense conclusion! Don't forget the conclusion!!!

I am confident in all of you! You show me how smart you are every day! Now let's show those MCAS professors what we've got!!

Seems like we made it?

Okay, I'm not saying the words "Snow Day" anymore because quite frankly, it's gotten a little crazy. MCAS Long Write and Reading Comps have gotten pushed back, and we still have so much to do. Mrs. JD will be coming into classes to pinpoint MCAS strategies to help all students, and MCAS Saturday classes started this past Saturday with Mrs. Smith! I will be there next Saturday! Get ready to kick some MCAS!!

In the meantime, we've been working so hard on the second LW prompt of the year, and from our one on one conferences (that have happened), we have seen some huge improvements on our writing. We will have another LW prompt this week, so remember all of those LW strategies, apply them to the new prompt, and WRITE your heart out! You've done so well, let's see how far you've come.

We are now looking to release responsibility to you students. We have focused on giving you working strategies to prepare you for success as you continue on to 8th grade and into high school. We will start to expect you to work independently, but we are still here to help if it is necessary. We need to see how you can fly on your own! I am excited to see you succeed for the rest of seventh grade and beyond!

Get ready to write, get ready to read, get ready to work! Spring is coming soon!

Snowmageddon Frostpocolypse

We can't seem to get past these snow days - I won't complain until June, but there's no way around it - we've barely gotten anything done!

If you aren't sure what needs to be completed, and you forgot what I showed you guys on HAC. Here's the breakdown:

Kidblog Entry Submitted for Review
WWLesson 6 A B C D
Catching Fire Worksheet
WW Lesson 6 E
Journals

and we added on Friday

WW Lesson 6 Test on Socrative Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday.

So until I see you again, I hope you have a warm place to be, a book to read, and some snacks to eat!

This is the end...

...of Quarter 2! It's hard to believe that we are halfway through the year already! We've been updating grades and making sure projects, open responses, and WW assignments are in, but if you have any questions on your grades, please feel free to come on by and ask me after school. I am happy to show you where you are. Warning notices are going out next week, so please be sure to have any and all signed and returned.

We will be working on the novel Catching Fire again next week, and I want you all to remember that any work I assign next week will be marked in Q2, so do not fall behind on the work!

We have been working hard on reteaching the Open Response from the District Assessment. It served as a good benchmark to see where we are in the year and to find out where we need to be before MCAS comes along. We are working on Close Reading skills, questioning, and using a Write Around strategy to see how we can answer the question clearly, connecting our evidence and our ideas to the text, while making the writing follow a logical sequence from one idea to the next. We wanted one clear, connected answer that responds to the question.

You guys grades the classes efforts, made suggestions on how to improve and then you are going to try to tackle your own group's question - not as easy as it seems. I am hopeful that this helps you see that the skills you use in class transfer over to the MCAS and beyond!

You can do it!

We have also started blogging. I am hopeful that the idea that students are writing for an audience will encourage them to express their ideas clearly, and creatively. First, the students will be sharing their blog posts with me, then with students in our class, then with our grade. I am excited to see how our kids incorporate links, images, and video into their ideas without skimping on the writing!

You guys work hard, get some rest over the weekend and I will see you Tuesday!

What a Week!!

Right back and down to business.

We have our Q2 assessment, our District Assessment, a WW Vocab Test on Lesson 5, as well as Lesson 5A-E and our vocab presentations all by this Friday!

No time for a breath! We'll get cracking on grading those presentations! I will grade your WW Lesson 5 while you work on your test!

And where the heck did Catching Fire go?