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.