Monday, November 16, 2015

Newsletter: 2nd Trimester, Elective Update, and More!

Important
It’s a brand new trimester!

Report cards will be distributed at Parent Conferences next week. I have scheduled 25 minute conferences for all parents, and we have a lot to discuss. I look forward to seeing you!

Please continue to sign for your student’s homework and reading minutes.

Upcoming Dates
§  November 18-20 are minimum days for parent conferences.
§  November 25-27, we are off for the holidays.
§  December 9th and 10th are minimumd days.
§  December 10th we perform Winter Programat 6 pm.

New
In ELA, we are getting serious about knowing our grammar rules and practicing for the Winter Program.

8th graders will be consumed in Constitution until winter break. They will need to study at home.

6th and 7th graders will begin the history of China, India and Japan.

In science we are focusing on soil.

Updates and Info
Students honored veterans, finished final exams, reviewed work, and practiced blocking for our Winter Program play. 6th and 7th graders practiced perfect dialogue punctuation and 8th graders began the famous Constitution unit! We all celebrated another 1600 dojo points earned for good behavior and strong thinking!

Second trimester we will not be offering electives because we weren’t able to find enough adults who could facilitate. A big thank you goes out to all the folks who showed up for the kids first trimester. We had a lot of offerings. Our elective program truly is a labor of love!

We will be using our extra chunk of time on Thursdays to prepare for Winter Program and squeeze in more science and social studies.


Electives will resume (hopefully!) third trimester. Please consider reaching out to me if you or someone you know is willing to teach!

Monday, November 9, 2015

Newsletter: Last Week of Trimester

I'm tardy on posting this on the blog though, of course, it was sent home with all students last week. There's still some useful information!

Important
We are on the last week of the trimester!

Report card will be distributed at Parent Conferences next week.

There is a history test scheduled for this Thursday.

Upcoming Dates
§  November 11th is Veteran's Day - no school.
§  November 13th is the end of the trimester
§  November 18-20 are minimum days for parent conferences.
§  November 25-27, we are off for the holidays.
§  December 10th 6:00 we perform Winter Program.

New
In ELA, we are playing with some creative writing techniques and practicing for the Winter Program.

In social studies, we have a test on Thursday. 8th graders will begin Constitution studies which will require some homework – good preparation for highschool!

My math group has a cumulative test on ratios, rates and percents on Thursday.

In science we are still focusing on weathering and erosion.

Updates and Info
Students finished final drafts of literary arguments, discussed and debated on the class blog, summarized current news stories, presented their Keynote presentations for social studies and practiced their Veteran’s Day performance.  


It’s time to begin thinking about costumes for your student’s performance in the play. Discuss with your student what type of outfit they will need, and begin looking through closets and thrift stores. The sooner costumes can be brought to school, the better. Thanks in advance!

Monday, November 2, 2015

Newsletter: Wrapping Up The First Trimester!


Important
Students will need to turn in completed forms for Service Learning hours for this trimester on Thursday. Reminder, students need to complete their allotted hours every year in middle school to be eligible to receive a diploma from Camptonville School.

Parent conference schedules are being sent home. Please confirm or reschedule by Wednesday. You will recieve your student's report card at our meeting.

Math test at the beginning of next week for students in my math and a history test on Africa next Monday.

Upcoming Dates
§  November 4th is a minimum day.
§  November 11th is Veteran's Day - no school.
§  November 13th is the end of the trimester
§  November 18-20 are minimum days for parent conferences.
§  November 25-27, we are off for the holidays.

New
In ELA, we will revise our first draft of our literary argument responding to Bud, Not Buddy.

Student groups will present about their assigned social studies lesson. There will be a test and the students wrote the questions!

I will be collecting science notebooks at the end of the week for a final grade!

We will be practicing our Veteran's Day speech and poem.

Scripts for the winter program will be heading home for practice.

Updates and Information
Student posted essays on our class blog, created powerpoint presentations on the history of Africa in social studies, learned about physical and chemical weathering in science, and completed a first draft of their literary arguments relating to Bud's "rules to live by". Then we had a Halloween party!

Please consider joining us at 1pm on November 9th as our whole school joins together at the Camptonville cemetary to honor our veterans. We would especially like to welcome veteran friends and family members. We will also be planting flower bulbs on the graves of veterans buried at the cemetary. 

We are always looking for elective leaders. Electives for second trimester begin in December. Do you or someone you know have an interest in sharing skills with our students? Music, technology, survival, arts and crafts, cooking, drama! Please contact me.