September 1 - September 5

This week we are creating an acrostic poem in Google Slides and presenting it using the screen record feature in Flipgrid.  We started the poems today, and we will continue working on writing the poems and screen recording/presenting tomorrow.    Poems/Flipgrid presentations are due on Friday.  The assignment may have shown up as past due.  The date that I created the assignment was showing up as the due date.  Please disregard that.  The poems are not overdue.

We did have some technical difficulties today during the period 6/7 block.  Google Meet was muting me every time I spoke.  I spoke with tech support, and I think I have the issue taken care of now.  Please be patient as I get everything figured out.  I will be understanding of technical difficulties on your end as well.

In addition to working on/presenting the acrostic poems, students will be benchmarking.  Benchmarking is very important because it allows me to identify individual strengths and areas of need.  Based on these results, I can tailor a plan to best meet each student's individual needs.  Students may complain of boredom this week as they complete the testing; however, I promise to shake things up once we finish with this very important task.

Finally, I am aware that this new and unfamiliar technology can be very frustrating.  I will do my best to assist you in figuring everything out.  I went ahead and created two video tutorials for you.  The hyperlinks are below.  These videos will teach you how to do the daily attendance, participate live, access the bell schedule, and how access the curriculum for each day.  I posted them in the parent homework section of Google Classroom as well.

Attendance Tutorial

Daily Assignments/Live Access Tutorial

Thank you!

Mrs. Fowler

August 27 - August 28

Welcome back Advanced English 7 students!

I am very excited to begin the 2020-2021 school year!  You have a very challenging, rewarding, and fun year ahead of you! Things are sure to be different than in past school years, but I am confident that we will successfully navigate these waters together.

We will begin the year by going over the course syllabus, rules and expectations, and transition letter.  It is imperative that we complete these things first so you know what is expected of you.  The documents that correspond with these items will be available on Google Classroom. I am trying to avoid passing papers back and forth as much as possible.  I have included links to these documents as well for your convenience.

Course Syllabus

Transition Letter

Link to Google Meet Office Hours

*Your parent/guardian information form is due on or before Monday, August 31, 2020!  I am creating my distribution list on Tuesday so I can immediately begin sending weekly updates. The form is located both here on my website and in Google Classroom labeled "Parent Homework."

Parent/Guardian Information Form

In addition to going over the course syllabus, etc. students will complete some back-to-school activities that will help me get to know them a little better.

I'm very excited to be back in the school building and working with you!

Mrs. Fowler

Continuity of Education Update

Good evening,

At this point some of you have received a call from your student's homeroom teacher to explain how we are moving forward with education during the school shut down.  If you have not yet received a call, you will get one tomorrow. 

This week we will begin work with either Google Classroom or paper packets.  Educational materials are based on individual needs such as access to internet, etc. The material presented via Google Classroom or paper packet will be review and enrichment.  This means that we are practicing skills/ reviewing topics that students encountered at some point this year.  It is recommended that students in grades 7-12 spend approximately 60 minutes per subject area each week.

Assignments will go live online on a weekly basis every Friday with the exception of this week.  We will begin using Google Classroom on Wednesday, April 1st.  Paper packet pick up will occur every 2 weeks starting this Friday.  You can pick up paper packets at the elementary school on Friday from 4:00-6:00 or on Monday from 9:00-11:00. 

My Google Classroom is set up and ready to go.  I have already sent your student an invitation.  Your student's login is their lunch number @gapps.northschuylkill.net (ex. 1234@gapps.northschuylkill.net).  I do not know their passwords.  They should have them. If they cannot figure it out, let me know and I will send a helpdesk ticket to our IT department. 

To access Google Classroom for the first time:

Sign in for the first time

1. Go to classroom.google.com and click Go to Classroom.
   
2. Enter your username and click Next.
   
3. Enter your password and click Next.
   
4. If there is a welcome message, read it and click Accept.
   
5. If you're using a G Suite for Education account, click I’m A Student or I’m A Teacher.
   Note: Users with personal Google Accounts won’t see this option.
   
6. Click Get Started.
   

Ready to start using Classroom?  An invitation to join my classroom will be there.  If for some reason you do not see my invitation, use the following codes:

Periods 1/2: fhgzskz
Periods 4/5: 62wssjp
Periods 6/7: uoabhzn

Once your student is in my class, you will see a message stream.  The first message is about Newsela.  Click on the box that says "Newsela l Join A Class!."  Once that step is complete, your student will be ready and able to complete his/her first assignment.  They can either click "Classwork" at the top of the page to access the assignment or scroll down the message stream.  The assignment is called Baby Yoda.

Please note that the assignment asks students to highlight certain things, etc.  Even though they are doing it digitally on Newsela, I can still see what they are highlighting, their answers, etc. so I know if they are actually doing it and if they are doing it correctly.

I will be holding office hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:00-3:00 using Google Meet.  Office hours start on Thursday, April 2nd.  If your student has any questions, they can meet me there.  I will be running a live video stream.  I posted a link for students to access the office hours in my Google Classroom.  Parents can meet with me during this time as well.  To access my office hours paste this link (https://meet.google.com/jmf-pnro-drv) into your internet browser on Thursday between 1:00-3:00.

If you are working with the paper copy, I will have a copy of the assignment with answer key ready for distribution at the elementary school on Friday from 4:00-6:00 or on Monday from 9:00-11:00.

I know this is a lot of information all at once.  I promise to be flexible throughout the closure, and I ask that you are as well.  This is just as new for me as it is for you and your student so there might be some bumps.  I ask that you be patient as we all get used to this new way of doing things.

If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know.

Thank you,

Mrs. Fowler

Hoot Chapter 12 (Optional Activity)

Mrs. Fowler reads Hoot Chapter 12

Discussion:

• What do you think Roy is going to tell his parents?

Hoot Chapter 11 (Optional Activity)

Mrs. Fowler reads Hoot Chapter 11

Discussion:

• Mullet Fingers vandalized the construction site and the patrol car. Was he justified in doing so? Why or why not?

Hoot Chapter 10 (Optional Activity)

Mrs. Fowler reads Hoot Chapter 10

Discussion:

• Beatrice and Mullet Fingers have a very different family than Roy. Do you think the characters' home lives impacted their approach to the Mother Paula's problem? Explain.

Update March 27, 2020

Good afternoon,

I wanted to provide you with an update.  The teachers had a virtual meeting with Dr. Ackell this afternoon, and he provided us with some important information. 

The 3rd marking period is over.  If your student did any Study Island grade changes during the closure, please send them to me by Tuesday, March 31st.  Grades are going to be based on what was due prior to the closure.  I'm going to give everyone extra credit for March Madness and the Al Gore essay.  If I do not have it, do not worry about it.  I saw everyone working on these things before the school closure, so everyone will get the extra credit.  I will have grades done by Friday, April 3rd.

I have some details about what to expect moving forward.  On Monday or Tuesday, you will be getting a phone call from your student's homeroom teacher.  The teacher will ask you some questions and assist you with technology needs and discuss with you the plan for continuing your student's education during the school closure.

I'm going to be setting up a Google classroom.  There will be an assignment available every week.  It is optional, and it will not be graded; however, we advise that you have your student log on and complete the work.  Though it is not technically graded, I will still provide feedback to each student.  As a district, we are offering review and enrichment during the school closure.  In order to maintain continuity of learning, I ask that you have your student participate. Invitations to join my Google Classroom will be coming out sometime this weekend.

In addition to Google Classroom, I will be holding office hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:00-3:00 in Google Hangouts.  I will be sending you more information about how to access my office hours over the next few days.

For those of you without internet access, we will be providing packets.  More information about packet distribution will be coming out in the phone call you receive on Monday or Tuesday.

I ask that you hold off on questions until after your homeroom teacher calls you on Monday or Tuesday.  Please know that I understand that these are difficult times for all, and I plan to be very flexible with 3rd marking period grades and moving forward.

Thank you,

Mrs. Fowler