POLs & Upcoming Events

Hello Families!

This week we have been spending our time preparing for POLs, reflecting on our learning experiences from our camping trip, and producing our Writers Workshop story trailers.  
 Here is a link to the the 7th grade POL Template.  This gives our students a guideline of the topics to cover in their POLS.  POL Template

Students are also creating their very own story trailers for their writers workshop stories.  Some are making them through Google Drive, Windows Movie Maker, and I Movie.  Steve was able to support the classes today in Tech Class as well.  Here is the prep work and story board the kids did before making their trailers.  Story Board
Book Trailer Examples 

As a reminder, POLs will take place next Monday and Tuesday in my classroom.  You can sign up here.

Upcoming Dates & Announcements

A student lost his walkie talkie while we were camping last week.  If you have any information, please let a teacher know. 

6/12 - 7th Grade Field Day

6/13 - Beach Day in Del Mar  ( we are looking for 4-5 parent drivers)

6/14 - Awards Breakfast & Celebrations, Last Day of School 

This week . . .

Writers Workshop is due tomorrow!  Students have been working diligently preparing for the final draft.

As a reminder these are the steps of the writers workshop that students were expected to follow.

Step 1:  Story Map

Step 2:  First Draft

Step 3:  Group Critique

Step 4:  Typed Second Draft with revisions based on group critique

Step 5:  Peer Critique on Second Draft

Step 6:  Revised, Edited & Proofread Third Draft

Step 7:  Conference with Jennie or Alex

Step 8:  Final Copy of Writers Workshop


We will be having a guest teach our cooking challenge tomorrow.  Chef Vatta will be  teaching us how to make Thai summer rolls with peanut sauce.  All students that are caught up with their work in both classes are welcome to join and we ask that they bring a $2 donation for the cooking challenge.

Please see Wes' blog for updated info on our Kings Canyon camping trip.  Also, you can find our POL sign up in my previous post and on Wes' blog.

Thanks,

Jennie

Independent Study

Independent Study 

Below is the work for students who will NOT be going camping the week of May 29th - 31st.

Due Dates - All work will be due on students' blogs by the morning of June 3rd.  Students should email me with their blog address at jennie@innovationsacademy.org

Independent Reading

You may bring a fiction or nonfiction novel you have NOT previously read. You can choose a book in class Friday, or obtain one from a library or home.  If you will be coming to class the week of camping, you must BRING your book to school.   You will be expected to finish your book by the end of the week, so choose your book wisely.  The book should be at grade level.  Please read below for your assignments and guidelines. 

1.  First Post - Due Friday, May 24th
Post your book title, author and image of your book on your blog.  

2.  Reading Responses
The rest of your posts will be your responses to your reading.  
Posts 2-5 are reading responses.  

Include a heading for read reading response post.  You can copy this one:

NAME___________________ DATE____________________ TITLE____________________ AUTHOR__________________ PAGES I READ Today ______-_______

ADD YOUR READING RESONSE!!

Here is a list you can use to get ideas for reading responses. You may choose to write a paragraph for 3 or 4 of these, or focus on one extended response. You are not writing a summary, so be sure not to just tell what happened. Instead, write about your thoughts and opinions on what happened. Each response should total approximately 1 page, or 3-4 strong paragraphs. 

1. How is a character in your book similar to a character in another book, story, or movie?
2. What does this book remind you of in your own life? Why?
3. What does this book make you wonder about? Why?

4. What exciting events just happened? What do you think will happen next, and why?
5. What character do you like most in this book and/or what character do you like least? Why?
6. What was one of your favorite lines (or sentences) in what you read today? Copy it down and tell why you liked it. (It can be more than a sentence if you like, but not too long—you still need to write 100 words of your own.)
7. Explain how the author creates suspense in this book.
8. How did what you read today make you feel? Why?
9. What do you think about a particular character's actions? Was he/she right or wrong to do that?
10. What is confusing in this book? Why? (Be specific)
11. What advice would you give to a particular character? Why?
12. What do you think is the theme (author’s message) in this book?
13. Do you think you would read another book by this author? Why or why not?
14. Which character would you like to be like? In what way? Why?
15. What other character(s) beside the main character is really important to the story? How and why?
16. Make up a motto that one of the characters seems to live by. How and why does this fit the character?
17. Which character would you like (or not like) to be your friend? Why?
18. If you could change one thing in the book, what would it be? Why would you change it?
19. What has surprised you in the book? Why?
20. What in the book upsets you or bothers you? Why?

Specific to nonfiction texts: 

1. What argument(s) is the author making? What evidence does author provide to support argument?

2. Do you agree/disagree with author's argument(s)? Explain why. 

3. What facts or statistics do you find surprising? Explain why.

4. Do you question the validity of author's evidence, or find it believable? Explain. 

5. What else do you want to know about topic(s) author discusses? How could you find out?

6. Is the author biased? Explain your opinion.

7. What problems in society is author addressing? What does author want done about problem/issue? 

Other ideas: Write in your own!

Here is a link to a student example of a reading response to question 10.  

3.  Create your own book trailer

The last component of your independent study is to create your own book trailer.  A book trailer is basically like a movie trailer, but for books.  The purpose of it is to connect with readers and hook them into wanting to read this book.   You can check out some examples here.  You will post the trailer onto your blog.

You can create your book trailer through a powerpoint or a flip cam and set it to music.  The length should be close to 1-2 minutes.  You can do the voice over or just do text.  Steve can support you with your book trailer as well.  Have fun and be creative with it!    I look forward to checking it out.

I'll miss you guys next week!!!

Meal Planner & Grocery Lists

Hello Families,

Camping groups have put their meal planners and grocery lists together.  Click on your child's group below to see what they are bringing and what they signed up for.  Non perishable items can be brought any day this week.  We are having a gear check tomorrow, so all sleeping equipment should be brought in.

Diego & Will

Wyatt, Thomas, Jacob, Zack, Josh R & Fehung

Max

Tylor & Luke

Bryan, Brian, Spencer, Mariah, Terra and Gillian


If you do not see your child's name above, please ask them to see their list.  I posted the lists that were shared with me.

Thanks,
Jennie

Reflecting & Catching Up

Hello Students & Families,

The past few days, the team has spent our time reflecting, reorganizing, testing, and catching up.  This morning was our last day of STAR testing.  Students took the ELA STAR test yesterday and today.  Make ups will take place tomorrow, next Monday, and next Tuesday.  We are also spending time reorganizing our classrooms, expectations for the rest of the year and expectations from students and teachers.  Lastly, we spent a lot of time reflecting on Exhibition Night and The Around The World Project.

Thank you so much to all the families that attended our special night.  There was a buzz all across campus of what a great job the seventh graders did.  It was exciting to hear students sharing their knowledge of the countries they studied and the arthropods they made.  We reflected on what we could have done to make the night even better for ourselves and visitors.  Overall, the students were really proud of themselves and of each other!

Update on Writers Workshop - We put WW on hold in preparation of Exhibition, but we started working on it again.  Students are writing/typing their second drafts this week, revising their stories, reorganizing their ideas, and adding more details where needed.  Next week, we'll do a second peer critique and create our third drafts.  The goal is to have a 3-5 page typed story that includes all the elements of fiction.

Camping Trip - Our helpful room parent, Lorraine, has shared a document to all parents that needs to be filled out by this Sunday.  We need a total head count of who will be going and we are starting to collect $50, the cost of the trip.  If you are driving your child and others to Kings Canyon, your child isn't expected to pay $50.

Friday Cooking Challenges - The next three Fridays, we will be spending time cooking in preparation for our camping trip.  Tomorrow, Wes and I will lead a demo on making salsa and students will prepare their own salsa, experimenting with spices, peppers, etc.  We are looking to borrow extra cutting boards and knives, which will be returned at the end of the month. If you are interested in donating any fresh ingredients for tomorrow's cooking class, we are looking for tomatoes, peppers, white/red onions, cilantro, and limes.  More information will come for the upcoming cooking classes later this month.

Thank you for all your support, communication, and feedback.  Feel free to email me if you have any questions or comments.  Enjoy the rest of your week!

Below are a few pictures taken from Exhibition Night.

Exhibition Night is two days away!

Hello Families,

Our superb seventh grade team is working diligently on their projects, as they gear up for Exhibition Night.  As a reminder, Exhibition Night is this Thursday from 5:00 - 8:00.  There is a link on the right side of my blog, where parents and students can sign up.  Students are expected to be in each of their classes for at least 30 minutes.

Students are setting up the room to look like the countries they've researched.  Some are bringing artifacts from home, making their own artifacts, and cooking traditional foods from the countries they've studied.  We have arranged for a few travel agents to attend Exhibition as well and will be asking students about landmarks, culture, cuisine, and popular tourist attractions.  It will be a fun and exciting night and I look forward to seeing you all there!


Here are a few final products from last week.

Angelina & Gillian painting the Eye of London.

Aminah & Layla painting the Hagia Sophia located in Turkey.

Luke is sketching his first draft of  the Arc de Triomf (Arch of Triumph) located in Barcelona, Spain.

Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul, South Korea

This is one of Reese's first ever paintings!  

What are you making for your main course???

April 15, 2013

Today, we shared what our final products will be for the Around The World Project.  Students have a menu of options to choose for their main course (final product) and their dessert (additional activities).

Below is what the menu looks like.  This week, the class is working on the appetizers and planning stages of their main course.

Appetizers (Do All)	Main Course (Pick One)	Dessert (Pick Three)
-Research Packet -8x10 Flag -Physical Map -Political Map -Current Event Presentation	-3D Model & Artist Statement -Painting & Artist Statement -Recipe Book -Gameboard – trivia of your country -Wooden Puzzle -Scrapbook of your virtual trip	-Backdrop – landscape of the country -Food – prepare one dish -Flag – poster size -Language – teach 10     sentences/phrases -Music playlist -Display tech project -Dress up in traditional clothing -Teach a game/hobby

AROUND THE WORLD IN A MONTH!

April 10, 2013

Hello Families,

New Project
We officially kicked off our new Humanities project this week titled Around The World.  Students will be working in pairs or by themselves if they choose to and research a country of their choice.  This Friday, we'll be taking small groups to the library to gather books on their country, DEAR, and the Arthropod project. Students should bring their library cards with them on Friday.  We are looking for 3 parent drivers for Friday morning 9:15 - 10:15.  A project description will be posted on my blog at the end of the week that will provide a description of the various activities and final products students will be working on, along with a timeline.

Writers Workshop
Students worked in groups of 3 this week to peer critique their first drafts of their writers workshop.  We talked about what is helpful feedback and what's not and the types of suggestions we can give to a writer.  Students will begin typing their 2nd drafts this week and highlighting the areas they revised based on their peer critique.

Requirements of this round of Writers Workshop

• typed, 12 font, single spaced
• 3-5 pages in length
• title page:  title of story, author's name, and one image
• story has to include all six elements of fiction:  point of view, characters, setting, plot, conflict and theme.

The Outsiders Portfolio  is due tomorrow.  

Sexual Education Letter - San Diego Youth Empowerment will be coming tomorrow to teach classes on sexual education to the 7th grade from 1:00 - 1:45.  Letters have been given to students providing more information on topics covered and dates the classes will be held.  If you choose to not have your student present for these courses, please provide a note or email stating so and we'll provide another assignment for them.  

Donations - we are looking for a few donations for our Around The World project including acrylic paint (any color), paint brushes, canvases, and cardboard boxes.

If you are able to drive and help supervise our trip to the library this Friday, please email me and include how many students you can fit in your car.  Feel free to email me any questions, feedback, or comments.

-Jennie

Holi (Holy) Moly, What A Terrific Week

March 28, 2013


Hello 7th Grade Families,

The Outsiders

     What an amazing week I had with the 7th grade class.  We began the week finishing The Outsiders and discussing the major themes of the book.  Some of the takeaways students had from reading the book included:

 "Even though there are different cliques and groups, many of us have a lot in common."
"It's always better to face problems, then runaway from them because they can get worse."
"Teenagers from the 1950s have a lot of the same problems that we do in 2013."

We also began watching the movie and discussed the similarities and differences between the movie and novel.  When we return from break, we'll finish the movie and do a move/book critique.  Students worked their Outsiders portfolio and finished their first draft of their character bio poem.  Here's one of our student's finished piece:

Dallas

Who is a hard criminal, a swearing fiend, a person with an uncontrollable personality.

Who loves jumping people, to swear, along with smoking and drinking.

Who feels no affection from his parents, who feels that jumping people is fun, who feels hatred toward the Socs.

“We gotta win that fight tonight. We gotta get even with those Socs! Let's do it for Johnny, man. We'll do it for Johnny!”

Who needs cigarettes, alcohol, and gang fights.

Who gives a heater, no yankee dime, and a meal at Dairy Queen.

“You think my old man gives a hang if I'm dead in a car wreck or drunk or in jail or something, he doesn't care but that doesn't bother me. You're not going anywhere.”

Who fears losing Johnny, that people thinks he’s a hero, and that he misses a big rumble.

Who would like to see death after Johnny’s death.

Who shares weapons for emergencies.

Who is a tough, greasy criminal.

“You're never gonna get me alive!”

Who is a resident of The Cooler.

Winston

Writers Workshop

We are continuing to write our first drafts of our fictional short stories.  Students have been focusing on their introductions and grabbing the reader's attention.  

Some of the expectations of this round of WW include:

-include all the elements of fiction:  dynamic characters, a setting, a point of view, conflict, a theme, and an interesting plot.

-the length of the short story is 3-5 pages typed (students will begin typing their 1st draft once they've received peer critique on their finished first draft).

-the short story must have a resolution for it's conflict.  Many students have shared they want to write a chapter book, but for this round there still needs to be a resolution, no cliffhangers :)

Holi

Finally, we ended our day today by celebrating Holi.  It was a great way to mark the beginning of spring and spring break and enjoy our dynamic team.  We celebrated Holi with the 4th graders and 1st graders.  The students had so much fun and asked if we could do celebrate Holi every month and if we could make it school wide next year.  We have a few students who'll be working on a video in Tech class when we return from break.  In the meantime, check out the photos below of our celebration.  Here's a link for more.

Hope you have a great weekend and Spring Break  Thank you for sharing your amazing students with me, we're having so much fun.  Feel free to email me at jennie@innovationsacademy.org if you have any questions or concerns.

Thanks,

Jennie

This week in Humanities . . .

March 25, 2013


Hello Families,

Sorry for the delay in my weekly updates.  I hope your child has been sharing the exciting things happening in Humanities.  Below are a few important announcements and dates that are coming up.


Student Led Conferences - SLCs will take place Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of this week.  Please sign up here if you haven't already.  Sign Up for SLCs  During these days, students will be dismissed at 12:00.  This is the packet students are working on in order to prep for this week's SLC.

Holi Celebration - This Thursday from 11:30 - 12:00.
Holi is the Festival of Colors that is celebrated in many places around the world.  The festival originated in India to mark the end of winter and celebrate spring.  It also is a time to let go of any bad feelings towards others and have a new beginning, as a new season is coming.  During Holi, people take color powder and throw it at friends and families, dance, and have fun!  The class has shared that they wanted to celebrate it since learning about India and reading Life of Pi last semester.  The official date of Holi is March 28 and March 29.  So, we'll be celebrating it from 11:30 - 12:00 this Thursday.  It's optional for students to participate and we've invited the 1st and 4th graders as well.

Tips on what to wear:

•  It's best to wear a white or light colored t-shirt, so all the colors show up.  
• Wear clothes that are old and that you're okay to part with, just in case the colors don't come out in the wash.  
• Wear flip flops or shoes you're okay with color getting on.
• You might want to wear sunglasses to protect your eyes, in case you get powder in your face :)
• Bring a change of clothes and towel for afterwards.

Class Auction - This Thursday

Our class auctioneer, Bobby, is organizing an auction this Thursday.  Students can buy items with their fake money from our Class Economy project.  We are looking for donations of anything you're willing to part with that kids might be interested in buying (mugs, magazines, books, arts/crafts, etc.)  Anything that isn't purchased would be donated to Good Will.  If you have anything, please feel free to drop it off to our classrooms or send it with your child.

The Outsiders movie - The team just finished reading the novel and it's amazing how kids still find connections with the Greasers and Socs :)  Many of the students dressed up like a Greaser or Soc today and we'll be having a Socratic Seminar on the book tomorrow.  Students will be watching the movie this week in class as well.


If you have any questions, feel free to email me.  I look forward to seeing you all this week during SLCs.

-Jennie

Tomorrow is our seventh grade bbq!

BBQ - We are having a bbq tomorrow during lunch over by the grassy area near the basketball court.  Please check in with your child to see what item he or she will be bringing for our bbq.

The Outsiders - Thanks again to our families who have donated copies of The Outsiders.  We now have a class set and will begin reading tomorrow!

Readers Theater will take place on Monday and Tuesday.  The skits cover Marco Polo, the bubonic plague, Leonardo da Vinci, and Hernando Cortez.

Student Led Conferences - sign up for your child's SLC here SLC Schedule

Kings River Camping Trip - Wes and I will be having a parent info night on our camping trip on Thursday, March 21st at 5:00 PM.  We will be providing info on our itinerary, activities, cost, etc.  We hope you can attend!

Balboa Park field trip - We are planning a field trip to the museums at Balboa Park on Tuesday, March 19th.  We are in need of parent drivers and chaperones, please email us if you are available.

Thanks for reading!

Tomorrow is the STAR Writing Test

Hello Families,

In case you didn't hear Christine's weekly message, the 4th and 7th grade classes will be taking the STAR Writing Test tomorrow.  The 7th graders will be taking their test at 10 AM.  Please make sure your child has a healthy breakfast before school and packs a snack during testing.  Also, all electronics cannot be brought into the testing room.

If you are looking for some more info on the writing test, check out the link below.  Feel free to email me any questions you may have.

Take Care,

Jennie


7th Grade State Writing Test

This week in Humanities , , ,

Hello Families!

Hope you are all doing well and enjoying the spring weather!

Announcements -

Report Cards are here!  Please come by my room anytime during the day to pick up your child's report cards.

Parents' Night Out - A big thank you to parents and student volunteers who helped coordinate Parents' Night Out last Friday.  It was a big success and we raised over $200!  The seventh grade is planning to organize another one in April.


Field Trip to Balboa Park - March 21, 2013  We are looking for 4 - 5 parent drivers and chaperones.  We'll be visiting Museum of Man and Museum of Modern Art.  Please contact Wes or me if you are interested.


This week in Humanities:

Weekly Vocabulary - our weekly vocabulary was assigned last Monday and due Tuesday at the end of the day.  Our words are:  barbaric, compel, compensation, divine, desolate, galling, judicious, mesmerize, reconcile, and transient.  We've played vocabulary charades and will play vocab showdown to practice our words.


Writers Workshop - we kicked off writers workshop this week.  Each students has a writers workshop notebook that is kept in the classroom.  Students were introduced to the elements of fiction and will be applying each element to their stories they'll be writing in writers workshop.  The elements of fiction include:  setting, characters, plot, conflict, theme, and point of view.  Students are very excited to start  writing and sharing their creative stories.  We'll be spending 3-4 days each week on writers workshop.

Readers Theater - RT is a drama performance done in class with groups of students.  The students practice their oral reading skills, creative expression, and learn about important historical events.  We'll be looking at The Travels of Marco Polo, The Bubonic Plague, Leonardo da Vinci, and The Conquistadores.  Performances will take place next Wednesday and Thursday, we'd love for you to be a part of our audience.

DEAR - Drop Everything & Read takes place in both classes every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday.  Please check in with your child to make sure they have a book to read for DEAR.  Students are expected to bring their own DEAR book to class and read a book at or above grade level.  Book reviews will be written by students each month beginning in March.

Class Novel - We'll be reading The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton starting next week.  A big thank you to Sara Brana and Mrs. Barnhill for purchasing books for our class to read!  The kids are excited to read about the Socs and the Greasers!


46 Cents Projects - We sent our persuasive letters today and look forward to getting some responses soon.

 Using some of the money we raised during Parents' Night Out, Mariah bought stamps for the team's 46 Cents Project.

 Bobby putting a stamp on his persuasive letter to Apple.

The team took a walk over to the mailbox in our neighborhood to mail out their letters.

Feel free to email me at jennie@innovationsacademy.org or stop by my room if you have any questions.

Take Care,
Jennie

POLs

POLs kick off tomorrow!!!
The groups presenting tomorrow have been working diligently on their POLs.
Below, I included a few sentence starters for students' captions.  Captions should be about
a paragraph long.  Students should proofread their work and be sure to check for spelling, capitalization, and grammar.

• In this subject, we learned ____________, __________, and _________.

Example, In Social Studies, we learned about India, religions, and the fall of the Roman Empire.

• This picture is an example of when we learned ______________.  Describe the picture, video, or artifact.  

Example, this picture is of my world map where I learned about the continents and major oceans.

• A challenge for me in Social Studies was _________________.  A goal for me next semester in Social Studies is ____________________.  

Example:  A challenge for me in Social Studies was taking neat and organized notes in class.  A goal for next semester in Social Studies is to take better notes in class and make a copy of a friend’s notes in case I missed anything in class.

Pick one of the 3 sentences below to answer in your captions.

• In Social Studies, I enjoyed _______________.
• In Social Studies, I’m most proud ___________________.
• A big success that I had in Social Studies was __________________.

More Semester Pictures

This Week in Humanities

January 14th - 18th

Hello 7th Grade Families,

Sorry for the delay in my posts.  I hope you're all doing well and staying warm in this chilly weather.

Overview Of This Week . . .
POLs
We are preparing for POLs that will take place next week.  The purpose of presentations of learning (POL) is for students to reflect on what they've learned this semester, their struggles and successes. The 7th graders will be creating a photo gallery on their blog that represents all their learning this semester.  Here is a link of the POL prep packet they received yesterday.  POL Prep Packet

POL's will take place Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of next week.  Students will be presenting their POLs to a small group and also be a panel member and ask questions to other presenters.  We encourage that you be present for your child's POL.  They've been working hard this semester and want to share the exciting skills they've learned in and outside of the classroom.  Here is a link to schedule your child's POL.  Thursday, January 24th POL Sign UP  or Week 2 POL Sign Up.

Vocabulary
The team took their vocabulary quiz today.  The words included:  authentic, canny, figment, melancholy, robust, trivial, majestic, excellence, toxic, and consult.  Students always can retake any of their quizzes on Fridays if they want to do better.
Challenge - use all 10 words in conversation over dinner!

Social Studies
This week we are looking at the Medieval Era in Europe.  We will be watching a documentary on this next week.

Writing
Students are practicing how to show, not tell in their writing.  In other words, students are practicing writing with more details.  Instead of writing I had a good dinner last night, students are using words like juicy, mouthwatering, zesty, bitter, golden brown, buttery, etc.  to describe their dinner.

Reading
We kicked off DEAR (drop everything and read) again.  All students must bring a book from home or library to school on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays for the next month.  It should be a book that they haven't read yet.


I hope you all have a great week and feel free to email me any questions or concerns.
Remember next Monday the school will be closed in observance of Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday.

Semester Photos

More photos