Monday, October 31, 2016

October 31 - November 4

English
Periods 1, 4, 6, & 8

This week we will finish working on the explanatory essay and move into writing a narrative.  Students will work on planning, writing, and revising.  Some of the goals are using a consistent point of view in writing and using dialogue and description to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.

We will take a grammar quiz on Friday.

Career Exploration
Periods 3 & 7

The first marking period rotation is wrapping up, and the second marking period rotation will begin on Wednesday.  The teacher will go over the course syllabus and rules/expectations with the new group prior to moving into learning how to fill out a job application.

PSSA SSR
Period 2

Students should bring a book with them and read from bell to bell unless otherwise indicated by the instructor.


Sunday, October 23, 2016

October 24 - October 28

English
Periods 1, 4, 6, & 8

*Students saw their An Invisible Thread  tests on Friday.  Scores went into CSIU on Thursday evening for parents to view.

*Please note that the end of the marking period is fast approaching.  All makeup work must be turned in by Friday.

This week the focus will be on writing.  We are going to develop a thesis statement, cite evidence to support the thesis statement, and follow a clear organizational pattern.  This process will take the entire week.

There will be a grammar quiz on Friday.  Students will take a practice quiz on Thursday.  Expect a study guide that day as well.

PSSA SSR
Period 2

Students should make sure to bring a book with them each day.  Students are expected to read from bell to bell unless otherwise indicated by the teacher.

Career Exploration
Periods 3 & 7

Students researched their dream careers last week and began working on a personal budget based on the average yearly salary for that specific career.  We will continue budgeting this week.

Sunday, October 16, 2016

October 17 - October 21

English
Periods 1, 4, 6, & 8

Due to unforeseen circumstances, we had quite a few changes in the schedule last week.

We were unable to have our grammar quiz last week.  The grammar quiz will be Friday, October 21, 2016.

The selection test for "An Invisible Thread" will be on Thursday, October 21, 2016.  The study guide can be accessed using the following link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8tzX_0EGf3CZjZtWkVTdFBmUmc/view?usp=sharing

This week we will be writing an explanatory essay.  We will gather textual evidence, develop a thesis statement, draft an essay, revise, and edit.  This is an elaborate process that will take the entire week.


PSSA SSR
Period 2

Students will read silently from bell to bell.  We will be handing out a project this week.  Students will have a list of possible projects to choose from.  Students complete the project that interests them the most.

Career Exploration
Periods 3 & 7

Students will continue to work on wages and budgets.  Students will research the career that they would like to have after high school.  Based on that information, they will create a budget for their future selves.



Monday, October 10, 2016

October 10 - October 14



English
Periods 1, 4, 6, & 8

Please note that there is no school on Monday.

This week students will continue to study the excerpt from An Invisible Thread.  Students will continue to work on adjectives, vocabulary, and narrative point of view.  Toward the end of the week, we will be writing an essay to compare "A Simple Act" and the excerpt from An Invisible Thread.  Students will analyze ways in which the authors of the two pieces present information about the same topic: the friendship between Laura and Maurice.  Students will gather evidence from the texts, plan using a graphic organizer, write a first draft, and review/revise.

There will be a grammar quiz on Friday.  Look for a practice quiz/study guide on Thursday.  Your student should bring one home to study the material.  The highlighted areas correspond with the skills that each individual needs to work on for the quiz.  No highlighting means that your student has mastered the concepts.

We will have a test on An Invisible Thread on Monday, October 17, 2016.  Your child will receive a study guide on Wednesday.  I will also send one to parents via email.

The only homework this week is to study.


PSSA SSR
Period 2

Students are to read independently from bell to bell.  As students finish books, they are to write book recommendations to be displayed on the bulletin board.

Career Exploration
Periods 3 & 7

Students will be wrapping up the shark tank entrepreneurship unit with the last of the presentations taking place on Tuesday.  We'll be moving into a unit on wages starting on Wednesday.

Monday, October 3, 2016

October 3 - October 7

English
Periods 1, 4, 6, & 8

This week, we will continue working on our daily paragraph editing.  We are on week 5.  To view daily paragraph editing, click on the following link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B--I9A7NEPugek5Za1hIMW5IZ1E/view?usp=sharing

Monday is the last day of CDT testing.  We will be wrapping up in the library.

On Tuesday, students will be working in various stations (text-based evidence, adverbs, and/or point of view) depending on their individual needs.  Teacher will provide one-on-one instruction to help students master the area in which they need more practice

Adverbs Station: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1flY1rzJaK8SDJcu8ehF2VwoNDaKKxx-4QuiFgE7zPEM/edit?usp=sharing

Point of View Station: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ikqbGrWQDwODRjPa7l4zibz0Xsx-xyKttU0U14jnpbs/edit?usp=sharing


We will be moving on to the last narrative model, an excerpt from "An Invisible Thread."

Some of the skills that we will be working on in conjunction with the narrative are adjectives and narrative point of view.  Follow the links below for worksheets dealing with these topics.

Adjectives additional practice: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HCFUyhfqs9u2rJ1nL95RYwJtsuPRxt4Er8JUKTb_NjU/edit?usp=sharing

Adjectives:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PpIvu7f9qO7rQ07QSZVlJixYNxS7gIksnFkfFVbohpk/edit?usp=sharing

Narrative Point of View additional practice: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cswriuyBvsKXQgLqRyMR36kTXCRcGbvqDEwxAzncMts/edit?usp=sharing

Narrative Point of View:   https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Zii3vPCBdf0LOEk2cBW42D120NWZXmAKSM3T6N3rFbM/edit?usp=sharing

*Please note that we will be having a grammar quiz on Friday.

There will be no homework this week except to study for the grammar quiz unless a student fails to complete his/her work in class.

PSSA SSR
Period 2

Students are to read independently from bell to bell.  As students finish books, they are to write book recommendations to be displayed on the bulletin board.

Career Exploration
Periods 3 & 7

Students will be wrapping up their shark tank entrepreneurship unit this week.  Students will finish the packets and present their inventions.