Field trip to the movies . . .

Tomorrow, the 7th grade team is off to see Life of Pi at Edwards Cinema in Mira Mesa.  The movie is playing at 11:55 and is about 2 hours longs.  We'll be walking to the theater, which is about a 3 mile walk. Everyone should bring their own lunch or money to buy lunch or snacks at the movie theater.  The cost of the movie is $10 and money can still be brought in tomorrow.

Other things we are working on . . .

Life of Pi
We are almost done reading the book.  This week students took a copy of the book home and read about 10 chapters at home. Also, the team has been writing journal entries as if they were Pi or Richard Parker describing key events that took place in the story using the five senses.  I think students need to practice more looking at things in other people's perspectives.  Asking questions like why did this person do this?  How did this person feel when something happened?  Understanding what it likes to walk in someone else's shoes for a few hours is a skill that all students can practice.

Important Due Dates
Journal Entry - 3 -4 paragraphs due by this Friday.

Illustration & Caption - Students choose an important scene from chapters 58-85 to draw and color.  They must include a caption of what's happening in the scene and why this was an important scene in the book.
Due this Friday

Zero Waste Lunch Project
We are wrapping up our first team project this week.  Students have been writing a five paragraph detailed reflection of the project.  They are finishing up their drafts today and getting feedback by peers or family members at home.  Final is due this Friday.

Potluck - This Friday from 10:30 - 11:30.  We decided to end 2012 with a team potluck.  Hoping students will bring dishes that are signature to their family and share these dishes with the team.  I know it's last minute, so if it's hard to bring family dishes other suggestions can be:  paper cups, salad, fruit, wipes to help clean up afterwards, cream cheese, veggie platter, etc.
A challenge was given to the class to make an Indian dish as we will be wrapping up Life of Pi and reflecting on the movie during our potluck.

Feel free to email me any questions you may have.  Hope you and your family have a restful and safe winter break.


-Jennie

What's happening in Humanities . . .

Dear Friends,

So sorry for not updating my blog the past few weeks.  I had a death in the family recently and it's been a little chaotic at home for me the past few weeks.  A big thank you to those that have stopped by or sent emails for your kind words and encouragement during this time.

I hope that your child has been sharing what's happening in Humanities the past few weeks and is keeping you in the loop.  Here's a quick rundown of what's been happening . . .

Family Night - This week we are gearing up for Family Night next week.  It takes place next Thursday night from 5:00 - 8:00.  If you are new to IA, Family Night is a chance for parents and members from the community to visit our school and discover the exciting things happening at our school.  Our team will be exhibiting the Zero Waste Project.  Their final product that they are making is due next Tuesday.

Writing - Students are going through the writing process with the DEAR Book Review.  Write now most are getting feedback and revising and editing their 3rd drafts.  They are also writing responses to specific prompts as we read Life of Pi.

Reading - DEAR is on hold in my class, since we are reading Life of Pi.  We typically read about 3 chapters a day, 3-4xs a week.  The team seems to be really enjoying the book so far and hear them talking about it outside a class (always a good sign).

Social Studies - We are focusing on world geography this week and will begin to focus each week on a specific continent and it's various geographical features.  Also, we continue to talk about different religions and philosophies around the world.  I'm looking to schedule a few guest speakers of different religions and philosophies to share their beliefs and cultures.

Language Arts - New vocabulary words for the week include:  aversion, callous, carrion, coherent, conundrum, dire, dyspeptic, empathy, lucid, and sullen.  The team was assessed on the first five last week and will be assessed on the next five this Friday.  These words are taken right from Life of Pi.

Field trip this Thursday

Hello Families!


This Thursday we have an exciting field trip planned to the San Diego Zoo.  The purpose of the trip is to see some of the animals we've been reading about in Life of Pi up close and personal. We'll be leaving at 9:45 and staying till 2:00.  Students can bring their own lunch or buy lunch at the zoo.  We need about 5-6 drivers and 2-3 chaperones.  Please email me if you are available to drive or chaperone.  Admission will be free!

Thanks again for your continued support!

-Jennie

Who is Richard Parker & Orange Juice?

Hello 7th Grade Families!
     
     We are in the middle of another exciting week!  The class and I finally started reading Life of Pi yesterday.  The class had lots of questions as we read and made lots of great predictions of what they think will happen.  Many wonder how Pi survived the boat ride with a Bengal tiger and many predicted that Pi will kill the tiger.  They received a character chart graphic organizer and wondered who is Richard Parker and Orange Juice?  Questions and predictions are a great discussion tool as students read any book.  As your child reads his or her own book at home each week, as them what questions they have and to make 1 -2 predictions of what will happen next.

     Looking Ahead:
Unfortunately, I will be out the rest of this week (Wednesday - Friday) to attend a funeral in Texas.  Our team will be in great hands with Tiffany.  She will be subbing for me and is a co-teacher at our school and helps out at all grade levels.

     Writing - Students began writing their first book review on their DEAR book.  They were given a template of topics to include and have time each day this week to work on their first drafts.  The first draft will be due this Friday.  This is a great time to take a look at their writing and give them some feedback.  I encourage students to read other book reviews on Amazon to see both good and bad models of book reviews.

     Vocabulary Charades & Quiz - Students have been reviewing their vocabulary words all week.  We did a crossword puzzle and will play charades today to review.  Quiz on the first five terms will be this Friday:  abiding, credible, compulsion, discernment, and exemplary.  There will also be a few questions on Life of Pi.

     Social Studies - Students are in groups and have been researching different topics that relate to Life of Pi, such as Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, India, Canada, etc.  The groups are becoming experts in their topic and creating posters to present to the class early next week.

Other exciting news:

Its Zero Waste Lunch week!  Students have taken inventory in two grades so far and saw a HUGE improvement in the amount of trash produced.  Teachers and students were very impressed with our team's assembly on Zero Waste last Friday.  Maybe we'll take our show on the road!

 Some of our Zero Waste Superheroes greeting students after our assembly last Friday.

Zero Waste Superheroes having lunch with the lower grades this week.

7th grade bake sale - We're having a bake sale Tuesday - Thursday this week from 3:30 -4:15.  Thank you to all the families that have already donated some delicious baked goods and beautiful jewelry to sell.  We're hoping to raise enough money for future field trips to Suzie's Farms and museums at Balboa Park. 

Class Buddies - Below are a few pictures of when some of the team met with their buddies in first grade.  They'll meet with them again this Friday and will continue every other Friday.  

I will have access to my email, so if you have any questions, feel free to email me.  Thanks and have a great week!

This Week in Humanities

Monday, October 29 - Friday, November 2

This week in Language Arts we are preparing to read Life of Pi.  We are
discussing components of fiction:  setting, symbols, character profiles, and different
types of narration.  We also are working on new vocabulary words for the week, which
include:

Abiding
Credible
Compulsion
Discernment
Exemplary
Illustrious
Incessant
Ludicrous
Obscure

Besides defining each word, students are writing meaningful sentences, listing a synonym and antonym for each, and listing the parts of speech - all on an index card for each word.

Help your child familiarize themselves with their vocabulary words by including them in your daily conversations.

This week in Social Studies we are discussing India, Pacific Ocean, Canada, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, & Christianity.  All of these topics are discussed in Life of Pi and the class is sharing what they know about these topics.

Other things happening in Humanities include our big Zero Waste Assembly.  The entire 7th grade team is putting on an All School Meeting this Friday at 11:00 AM.  They will present their findings from our lunch inventories, present a skit on Zero Waste Lunches, and many more exciting things they've been working on.

Due Dates - 
Vocabulary Words are due at the end of this week.  

DEAR - Students have to finish their 1st DEAR book by next Monday, 11/5.  All students will be expected to write a book review for their blog, which will be due Tuesday, 11/13.

Student Led Conferences

Hello IA Families!

Upcoming Dates
10/23 - Vocabulary Quiz

10/23 - 10/25 - Student Led Conferences

10/23 - 10/26 - Minimum Days, dismissal is at 12 PM

10/26 - Makeup/Retake Quiz Day
             Halloween Dance hosted by 7th grade team  - 5:00 - 8:00, cost is $7, costumes are welcome, cost      includes entrance, pizza, drinks, and snacks.  We still need about 5 chaperones, please contact me if you're interested.
             Yearbook Club for 5th - 8th graders 12:15 - 1:15  sign up sheet in Main Office for those interested.

Important info from the PA

1.  The IA Parent Association has created a Facebook page that will provide updates and reminders about upcoming events.  Go to http://www.facebook.com/IAParents and "like" the page to ensure that you see our updates in your News Feed.

2.  "Spook-a-Grams" will be on sale at IA starting Tuesday, October 23.  "Spook-a-Grams" are a holiday gram which also includes a treat attached.  You can send a fun, holiday message to your child, your children can send some to their friends, or you can order for an entire classroom.  Print out the attached form or pick one up in the office.  Fill it in and cut into four "Spook-a-Grams."  A sales table will be set up outside the office during student-led conferences.  The cost is 50 cents for each gram and they will be delivered to students in their classrooms on Wednesday, October 31.  The Parents Fundraising Group is hosting this event to raise funds for IA.

What's happening in Humanities . . .

Language Arts - Students finished up their Socratic Seminar on who is responsible for Kevin's death early this week.  The blame was pointed at many different groups including:  Kevin's mother, the meat packing factory, government, and the farmers who feed cows corn.  Students took their vocabulary quiz today on their 10 terms from last week and turned in their vocabulary definitions, sentences and drawings.  We continue to work on journal writing, reading our own personal books, and grammar.  

Social Studies - This week we had class discussions on the upcoming presidential election.  Many students have very strong opinions on who they'd like to see win.  A great sight to see was students not arguing about their political views, but listening and respecting everyone's different opinions.  Students also learned about the presidential election and what a popular vote is over an electoral vote.  

Things students can do at home to reinforce reading and writing:  

• Have your child read for 20 - 30 minutes at home, 5 days a week.  Maybe you can do a book club with your child and you read and discuss together.  Reading fluency, comprehension, and writing all improve tremendously when we read daily.
• Journal writing - students can journal daily before going to bed for a short period of time.  Journal writing helps students understand themselves and helps develop student thinking.  A challenge could be to include a certain number of vocabulary words in each entry.

IMPORTANT REMINDER

As you all know, our school has an agreement that we do not assign meaningless homework.  However, students are expected to complete their unfinished classwork at home or on campus outside of class time.  Students should be bringing their binders home daily and checking to make sure everything is complete.  If you have any questions about this, please speak to me during our SLCs.

Thank you for reading my blog and I hope to see you this week at your child's conference.

Jennie

Exciting things are happening in Humanities

Hello Families!

Hope you are doing well and enjoying the cooler weather!

Some amazing things are happening in Humanities the past two weeks.  The team had their first Socratic Seminar in class today.  The topic was:  should more split classes by gender?  We watched a few news clips of schools around the country that are doing this and read an article on the topic as well.  It was surprising to see that there were students who supported same gender classes as long as they had opportunities throughout the day to be with the other gender.  The Socratic Seminars gave all kids the chance to talk, even the quieter ones and helped students that talk more usually, talk less to give others a chance.  Tomorrow's Socratic Seminar will be about a boy named Kevin who died from e coli and the question will be:  Whose to blame for Kevin's death?  Ask your child tonight, who he/she thinks is at fault and why?

We are continuing to work on grammar, capitalization, spelling, and vocabulary.  Students were given 10 new vocabulary words to define yesterday.  They had to write meaningful sentences and draw pictures that will help them remember each word.  They will be quizzed on the weekly vocabulary every Friday.  Ask your child about these words and encourage him/her to use these terms in their daily conversations.

Important Announcements:

This Thursday's field trip is to Sea World.  The cost of the trip is $6.00 for both students, teachers, and chaperones.  Anyone that has a Sea World pass can enter free.  If you're interested in joining us, please let us know.  We'll be leaving promptly at 9AM and pick up is at 1:30PM.  Students will be eating lunch there, so please pack a lunch or students can buy lunch at Sea World.  Parking is free!

SLCs - Student Led Conferences will be held next Tuesday - Thursday.  Here is a link to sign up.  https://docs.google.com/a/innovationsacademy.org/document/d/1HxKoq05xOs2QoibuP8dTDeVlW2g6I_9JmiLCoLhrAb4/edit

Minimum Days - Due to SLCs, next week students will be dismissed at 12:00 Tuesday - Friday.

DEAR - several students are coming in to class without a book to read.  Students are welcome to pick a book from my class library, but there are several that aren't interested in those books.  Please check with your child and make sure they have a book they are reading for class that they enjoy.

There will be no field trip next Thursday, October 25th, due to SLCs.

Feel free to email me if you have any questions at jennie@innovationsacademy.org

Did Indians use elephants to fight in wars?

Hello Friends & Families,

Thanks so much for all of those that attended our Back To School Night last Thursday.  It was wonderful talking to each and everyone one of you and sharing what great things our students are working on.  Please know that my door is always open and you can come by anytime after school to see what your child is working on or share celebrations and/or concerns.


Where I'm From
This week students finished editing their Where I'm From poems and self assessed them using a writing rubric.  We'll be framing the final copies this week and they will be displayed throughout the room.  Students will continue to work on charcoaling their sketch for our team mural.  Ask your child what did they sketch?  How does their sketch define who they are and where they are from?

Zero Waste Project
Students have started to take a photographic inventory of different classrooms on campus and will do a data analysis in Wes' room.  In humanities, teams will make posters on what to recycle and what to compost for their assigned classroom.  Looking ahead, students will come up with a plan to educate and help their assigned classroom reduce their waste.

India & Life of Pi
We are gearing up to start Life of Pi in a few weeks.  This week, we had discussions on tigers and why they are considered such vicious animals.  We read the poem "Tiger" by William Blake and analyzed it.  Also, we are discussing India, since the beginning of the book takes place there.  The kids filled in a KWL chart on India and came up with great questions of what they want to know.  One being my title:  were elephants used to fight in wars?  We'll use these questions to guide us as we learn more about the country.  Looking ahead, kids will be in groups researching different topics of India and presenting their findings to the class.

Vocabulary 
-brawl      -illiterate     -patronize     -docile     -aspire    
-indifferent     -pristine     -export     -import    -duped

Students will be assessed on the ten words above this Friday.  They'll be expected to know the meaning and write a meaningful sentence.

Announcements
Field trip to Birch Aquarium is this Thursday from 9 - 12PM.
No school for students on Monday, 10/8

Where Our Team Is From . . .

The team is revising their individual Where I'm From poems this week and adding  images that symbolize parts of their poems.  
Here's an excerpt of one of our student's poems. 

Where I'm From

I’m from beaten-up Ghostbusters posters, peeling off the walls.

From Nerd memorabilia and Geeky T-shirts.

I’m from Long-lost friends on a Thanksgiving morning, Fall breeze soft and cold.

From Gathering around a barbecue for warmth, mouths watering over the food.

I’m from a sunlit playground, seen through a classroom window.

From absent-minded doodling in the margins of a math quiz.

I’m from Airport layovers in a Starbucks at midnight.

From departures and arrivals, people and places.

I’m from whispers passing in cupped hands,

From a best friend, who moved to Georgia or Florida, someplace far away.

I’m from home cooking, eating Raman noodles every night.

From shooting for the stars, but needing a Spaceship.

I’m from reading a blank book, inventing chapters as you go.
From Picking up a pen, and starting your adventure.

This week's goal is to finish revisions and make edits (proofread and check for grammar, spelling, and capitalization errors) to their poems.  With the help of our school's art teacher, Monique, we are adding an art component to our project.  We will be creating a team mural that represents where we each are from.  Each student choose an image online that symbolizes a component of their poem and draw the image.  With the help of Monique, they will charcoal their drawings.  We'll assemble all the drawings together to create our team mural.  Above are some examples of what we're hoping our mural will look like.  Ask your child to read their poem when you get a chance.  It's amazing to see what childhood memories we hold onto!

We are continuing to work on building our vocabulary in Humanities.  Our words for September include:  pristine, duped, import, export, and indifferent.  Students have been playing a game called Vocab Showdown in class, where two students come to the board and have a showdown of who can write a more meaningful sentence using one of our vocabulary words.  It's a fun game that can definitely be played at home   with your family.

Last Friday, the team went on a field trip to the Miramar/Scripps Ranch Library.  Several students signed up for library cards and they learned how to use the library's resources for future projects in our class.  A big thank you to parents who assisted in driving and chaperoning that day.  Also, a huge thank you and high fives to two parents who bought a ton of books for our class library.  The entire team appreciates it and already started reading many of the books during DEAR time this week.

Important Dates:
Thursday - Field trip to Los Penasquitos Canyon Reserve to explore the plants and wildlife.
Thursday Evening is Back to School Night -
• 5:00-6:00 visit classrooms to see student work and meet with teachers

• 6:00-7:00 all parent meeting in the MPR, hear important information about Innovations Academy (note: classrooms will be locked and teachers will be in the MPR as well during this time).

• 7:00-8:00 more classroom time.

Friday - Vocabulary Showdown

Weekly Newsletter 9/10 - 9/14

     Another great week down with my amazing seventh grade team!  We had two successful field trips happen this week that were all organized by students.  I want to thank all the parents that gave up their time to drive and/or chaperon  Both trips went smoothly and this couldn't have happened without the help of our dedicated parents.  The first trip took place on Tuesday, which was an all middle school field trip.  The kids had tons of fun in the beach, playing volleyball, grilling vegetables.  Our team brought in quite an array of food for our potluck.   We also had a short field trip to Torrey Pines and spent the morning there.  The purpose was for the kids to see what a pristine beach looks like.  Pristine is one of our vocabulary words for the month of September.  When we cam back from the trip, we discussed what made that beach pristine compared to others the team has visited.
     We continued creating and discussing our team agreements.  Small groups will be presenting their agreements with the class this upcoming week.  We also kicked off DEAR (Drop Everything & Read).  We will dedicate 30 minutes 3 days a week to just reading.  Students are expected to bring their own book from home or pick a book from our class library.  They'll read the entire time and when they are finished reading the entire book, they'll get to write a book review/critique on Amazon or Barnes & Nobles.  Here's a link to suggested books for 7th graders in case your child needs some helping finding a book he/she will like.  http://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/read-in-7th-grade
     Most of the team finished up the first step, brainstorming, of the Where I'm From poems.  The purpose of the Where I'm From poems is for our team to know a little more about each other on a deeper level.  We'll learn what memories and events have helped shape each of us so far.  Here is a link to the original "Where I'm From" poem, written by George Ella Lyon.  http://www.georgeellalyon.com/where.html  We will go through a mini version of Writers Workshop with our poems.  The steps include:  brainstorming, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing.  This upcoming week, we will draft our poems and then give and receive feedback from our peers.  The final piece will be there published poems and individual collages of images that represent where we each are from.

 Small groups presenting their posters on their class agreements and getting feedback from the team.

 Above are our subtopics for our class agreements.  Each small group is focusing on one of the subtopics.

Team agreements on what DEAR will look like in class.

Announcements:

• Brainstorm packet "Where I'm From"  was due last Friday, 9/14.  
• DEAR will take place on Monday, Tuesday, & Thursday from 1:15-1:45.  Please remind your child to bring in a book.
• We are also looking for families who are interested in Suzie's Farm Raiser boxes ($25 for a box full of local organic fruits and vegetables). If you would like to sign up please email Beth Foster at beth@innovationsacademy.org or sign up in the front office.
• If you have any used books that you'd like to donate for our class library, we'd greatly appreciate it. 

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email me at jennie@innovationsacademy.org

Where my parent is from . . .

This week, I'd like you to write a post describing where one of your parents, grandparents, or caregivers are from.  Talk to them over dinner, on your way to school, etc. and ask them to describe where they are from.  Remind them to think beyond a location, think of the ways we as a class described where we are all from (food, traditions, holidays, etc.).  Once you've gathered the information, write a paragraph (5-7 sentences) on your blog describing where your family member is from.  Include the title (Where My Parent Is From), paragraph, and image.  Use the example below as a model.


Where My Mom Is From . . .

My mom, Sally Abraham Chacko, is from the houseboats, backwaters, busy streets, and rubber trees of Kottayam, Kerala.  It's a highly populated city in the state of Kerala, located in Southern India.  It's a city filled with people of all different religions and backgrounds who accept each other's differences.  Education is valued in Kottayam and has the highest percentage of literacy.  Kids wear uniforms to school even if they go to a public school and all the schools are English speaking schools.  Sally and the kids of Kottayam would play cricket, ride on houseboats, and hopscotch for fun.  

Welcome to 7th Grade

Welcome to our 7th grade community!  I am extremely excited to start the new school year and meet you and your amazing kids.  I hope to see you tomorrow night at Open House from 5pm - 8pm.  If you haven't had a chance, please visit Wes' blog at http://superbseventhgradeblog.blogspot.com/ to complete our parent survey.

Below is a list of supplies that will help your child and our class have an amazing start to the school year.

Student Supplies

(2) Pocket Folders
(2) 2 inch three ring binders
(1) Writing journal (any notebook that inspires writing)
(1) Pack of twelve pencils
(1) Roll of Scotch Tape
(1) Texas Instruments TI-30 Series Calculator

(8) Binder tabs/dividers

(1) Pack of colored pencils

(1) Pack of markers

(1) Large durable pencil box/pouch

(1) Pack of binder paper - college rule

(1) Bottle of White Out

(1) Pack of 3 Glue Sticks

Updated Wish List

Glue guns and hot glue sticks

Acrylic Paint - Assorted colors and sizes

Paint Brushes

Gift cards to Michael’s, Home Depot, Target, Wal-Mart, etc

Floor Pillows

Area Rug

Classroom Plants

Board Games - used or new

Deck of Cards

This week in Humanities . . .

June 12, 2012

Dear Families,

The class and I are all feeling excited, happy, and a little sad all at the same time this week.  I can't believe graduation is just a few days away.  Lisa and I have been sending out emails about POLs and Graduation, but just wanted to add a few things about this week.

Tomorrow -
America Through My Eyes is due.  The kids have been working on an art/poetry project that will be showcased in the classroom the rest of this week.  Tomorrow is the last day to turn it in and kids can take the posters home with them tonight to finish

POLs begin tomorrow through Thursday.  Please have your child practice tonight.  Having everything written and complete isn't enough, they'll do much better if they practice saying everything aloud a few times.  At the POL, you will receive your child's portfolio that has all their work from the entire school year.

Thursday-
POLs will continue.

Graduation is at the Gazebo at Old Poway Park.  Students need to arrive at 5:45 and the ceremony begins at 6PM.  Potluck will follow at the picnic table immediately after.  Students will receive their report cards at graduation.

Friday-
8th grade Beach Party.  See Lisa's email for more info.

This week in Humanities 5/29-5/31

So happy to have the kids back from their trip.  It was very lonely here the past two weeks without them :)
This week we have been discussing immigration in the past.  The kids have been learning reasons why immigrants chose to come to the US during the Immigration Boom.  We also did an Ellis Island simulation today for them to experience the difficulties entering the US back in the day.  Tomorrow, we will do an Angel Island simulation and the class will be able to compare and contrast both experiences.  If you have the time this week, maybe during dinner, discuss with your child the reasons why your ancestors left their home country and came to America.

Next week, we'll be looking more at present day immigration.  The class will also write poems on America and their views and feelings of the country.

Upcoming Dates
-Vocabulary Showdown/Quiz - Thursday 6/7  (immigration terms)
-Six Flags - 6/8
-Presentations of Learning - 6/13 & 6/14
-Graduation 6/14

**I will be sending an email out shortly on details of graduation.  I'll also be looking for volunteers to help set up chairs and tables at gazebo for that evening.

Thanks again for all you help and support.  I can't believe this school year is already coming to an end.  It's been a really wonderful experience for myself to work at Innovations Academy and be a part of this amazing class.  

This week in Humanities: April 30th - May 4th

     I am so proud of my students this week!  They've been working so hard on their Superheros Project as we have come to the final week of the project.  You can see the pride and ownership they have of their superhero's story and comic strips.  Their comic strips are due today.  Lisa and I decided instead of having the kids produce an entire comic book, they will produce 5 comic pages instead that represent parts of their short story.  The final pieces of the project are preparing for Exhibition, a student project reflection and partner evaluation.  


     We are all excited for you to visit the classroom and meet their superheroes!  A few of the superheroes you'll meet are:  EnerJoe, Matter Man, Static Man, and Mr. Chintastic!  School wide student led conferences are being held May 9th - May 11th.  We'll be holding our Superhero In The Making Exhibition on May 10th and May 11th.  This will be your opportunity to see the process of this project and learn about our students' superheroes.  We will send an email shortly with specific times of the Exhibition.


     In other news, Innovations Academy will be participating in the 13th Annual SRCA COMMUNITY FAIR and ARTS & CRAFTS FESTIVAL!  It will be held this Sunday, May 6, 2012, from 12:00-5:30p.m. at the Scripps Ranch Community Park on 11454 Blue Cypress Drive. We will have a booth set up where various activities will be available for friends and families to enjoy!  Our theme is RE-USEABLE ART:  making art out of PAPER you might normally throw away! 

This week in Humanities . . .

April 23 - April 27

Upcoming Dates:

Monday - 4th draft/Final Draft of Short Story due in class.

• Make all corrections teacher commented on.
• Proofread (spelling, grammar, punctuation, & capitalization)
• Include all Elements of Fiction (Expostion, Rising Conflict, Climax, Falling Conflict, Resolution, & Theme)
• Cover Page - title of story, authors, school name, teachers' names, and date
• Turn in copies of completed peer edits.

Tuesday - Star Test - Language Arts Part I

Wednesday - Continue working Superheroes Comicbook / Civl War & Reconstruction

Thursday - Star Test - Language Arts Part II / Civil War & Reconstruction

This week at a glance - We getting closer to the end of the Superhero Project. The final draft of their creation short story was due before lunch today. The checklist of what needs to be done before being complete is listed above. The creative and exciting part gets to come into full swing this week and students begin working on their actual comic book. We are using www.comiclife.com to create the book and are very excited to see the finish products.

The kids are also learning about the Civil War this week, which many are really interested in. The best part is that they'll get to watch a Civil War reenactment during their 8th grade trip in a few weeks.

They will also be doing two days of Star testing, so please make sure they get a good night's rest and arrive on time to school this week.

Feel free to email me if you have any questions or concerns.

Thanks,

Jennie

This Week in Humanities 3/26-3/30

Upcoming Events:

Monday, 3/26 - Superhero Short Story Draft 1 due by 9PM. emailed or shared to Jennie

Tuesday, 3/27 - Science Benchmark #3 due in class. emailed or shared to Lisa

Thursday, 3/29 - Superhero Short Story Draft 2 due by 9PM. emailed or shared to Jennie & Amendment Test Retake

4/2 - 4/6 - Spring Break

Amendments Test - Kids took their Amendments test 2 weeks ago. Anyone that earned below a 70% has to retake the test this Thursday and anyone who wants a better grade can retake it too.

We are continuing to work on the Superheroes Project. They started their 1st draft of the short story last week in class and it's due this evening. We'll be doing a peer critique and the draft and will then make some revisions to complete a second draft. It's really exciting to see how the kids are so into their superheroes and have a sense of ownership over their characters. As of now 3 benchmarks have been due in Humanities: the story pitches & superhero sketch, the character profile of the main superhero, and the short story outline. Please check in with your child to see if he/she is on track with the short story 1st draft due tonight.

On another note, a big thank you to those that attended the Family Night last week, their will be 1-2 more this semester. We'll also hold an Exhibition for our current project sometime in April.

Tuesday, February 28th

This Week:

The kids have started presenting their Amendments to the class the past two days. They had a choice of how they wanted to present their amendment to the class, some choose a comic strip, poster, skit or a slideshow. The presentations have been going well so far, they've led to some really great conversations that deal with controversial topics. One of the things I love about this class, is how comfortable they all feel to talk about difficult and challenging topics. I'll be uploading some video of the presentations this week and also display some of the bio poems that the kids have been working on the past few weeks.

We'll continue and finish the presentations on Thursday.

Upcoming dates:

3/5 Monday - Kids need to bring their independent reading book to class.

3/7 Wednesday - Launching The Superhero Project with Lisa and Jennie & Amendments Test

Important Reminder - Any work that isn't finished in class, must be done on the student's own time (after school, at home for homework, etc.) This was agreement that our kids made at the beginning of the school year and it seems like some may have forgotten about it :)

Feb. 6 - 10 This Week In Humanities . . .

Weekly Newsletter
Dear Families,
Our 8th graders have been kicking off their last semster of middle school amazingly!
The kids started getting some background knowledge on the US government and the 3 branches of power to prepare for their Amendments Project that is coming up. They all had a chance to come up with a bill that they'd like to see as a law in CA and will present their bill
to their fellow Congress members. Some of the bills include: free healthcare, banning cigarettes completely, and lowering the working age.
We also set some time aside Monday morning to read for 20 minutes. The kids have all chosen their own books to read for the next few Mondays. After reading, they complete a reading response in order to work on their writing skills and critical thinking. I included a list of the books our class is reading, so you're aware. There will be a final component once they've completed the book that I will share with you as the date gets closer. Also, 3 day students are expected to spend 20 minutes outside of class to read, complete the reading responses, and turn them in on Wednesday.

Karlee - Arabians & Other Horses
Nathan - Big Nate On a Roll
Duncan - First Things First
Breanna - Matilda
Anthony - Charlie Bone & The Castle of Mirrors
Madison - The Beasties
Isabel - Heart to Heart with Mallory
Micah - Coraline
Soatikee - Holes, Murder and Other Acts of Literature
Chase - Treasure Island
Elisa - The Tale of Despereaux
Enoch - The People of Sparks
Alec - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime
Erik - Greetings From Afghanistan Send More Ammo

Finally, the students have started writing a bio poem about themselves. We did a round of peer critique on their first drafts and so far their poems look great. It's wonderful to see what thoughtful, honest poets we have in class. They are so knowledgeable of what's happening in the world, have true fears of war and the environment, but find true happiness and love with their families and friends. I'll be displaying their final bio poems in class at the end of the month.

Upcoming Dates:
Wednesday - Continue Bill Presentations
Thursday - Test - 3 Branches of Government
Mondays - Bring book from home to read for the next few weeks.