Mrs. Venekamp's 8th Grade Language Arts Blog

Tuesday

2010-12-13T23:10:00.000-05:00

Final Spelling/Vocabulary Test for 2nd Quarter -- December 14, 2010

Tuesday

2010-11-30T10:37:00.001-05:00

Are you finished with your ballad? Here are some online activities to explore while the rest of us finish word processing.

Homonym Practice
Roots and Cognates

Friday

2010-11-05T20:33:00.000-04:00

I was so proud of myself for getting my test posted online. Then Mr. Venekamp and I went to dinner, and I realized I never posted it here for you :c( My apologies.

Here it is, and it is all multiple choice. I changed the settings, allowing you to pause the test and return to it. I also changed the settings to allow you to change your answers in each section before you submit the test.

You have an hour once you sign in. As always, the secret word is ICMS.

Fondly,
Mrs. Venekamp

Click on the link below to access your test

Vocabulary Test from October 25 to November 4, 2010

Tuesday

2010-11-02T18:42:00.000-04:00

We have concluded our film, October Sky, and we will have our test over the film on Thursday. The test will consist of questions we've already addressed through our prompts and our conversations. Students may use their drafts to help them write their final responses, and I hope to see revision and proofreading from them.

Thursday will also be the last day of our new vocabulary unit. I will post that test here online this Friday, the 5th. Students have until Wednesday, November 10 to take it.

Have a good evening, everyone.

Fondly,
Mrs. Venekamp

Wednesday

2010-10-27T20:15:00.000-04:00

Anytime you experiment with something new or try a different strategy, it takes time to adjust. I'd like to let everyone know that the online test is not going away anytime soon. In all classes today we had a conversation about how we, as individuals, prepared for this test (very little was the consensus) and how we readied ourselves when the test began with only one hour to take it.

I will be in the lab again on Thursday from 3:35 until 4:15 for test makeups. To those of you who asked to take the test twice, I will average your scores.

Don't forget to spend some time (at least 10 minutes) every evening with your new vocabulary words. It WILL help.

Fondly,
Mrs. Venekamp

Tuesday

2010-10-26T16:41:00.000-04:00

I just left the computer lab where many of you were taking your online test. I was a little disappointed to see so many of you wasting your time trying to organize your notes during the test time. (Bad idea when it's a timed test.)

I need to remind you of this: Mr. Clark has it right! The best way to learn new material is to spend time with that material. He asks for 10 minutes per evening. I'm tagging onto that. YOU SHOULD SPEND A MINIMUM OF 10 MINUTES DAILY WITH THE VOCABULARY/GREEK & LATIN ROOTS THAT WE ARE LEARNING.

Research tells us that 8th grade students should spend no more than 80 minutes of time on homework. If you divvy up all of your classes and spend at least 10 minutes per evening, imagine the growth and confidence you will build!

Remember, the test closes tomorrow, Wednesday, at 4:15.

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Monday

2010-10-25T15:41:00.001-04:00

Online Vocabulary Test: Greek and Latin Roots and Cognates

http://www.quia.com/quiz/2748604.html SECRET WORD = ICMS (in all caps)

Don't forget you'll need your 4-Square sheets from this unit, your user name and password, and ONE HOUR of uninterrupted time.

Good luck! Let me know if you encounter any problems.

Mrs. Venekamp

Friday

2010-10-22T13:45:00.000-04:00

We started viewing the film October Sky yesterday, Thursday, October 21. At key points in the film, we will pause and respond to a short prompt that I provide. Students will practice forming an opinion and then supporting that opinion with "text evidence." In the film, text evidence is something the characters say or do or some bit of information the filmmaker provides.

To start the process, I asked students to respond to the following prompt by email: Why is Homer's dad so rough on his men? My school email is lvenekamp@ics-charter.org

On Monday, October 25, students will find a link here on my blog to their Greek and Latin roots test. Students will log in with a password I provide and take their test before Wednesday, October 27. On that day, the test will disappear, and students will no longer be able to log in to it. The scores to that test will come to me electronically by email.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Fondly,

Mrs. Venekamp

Monday

2010-10-11T19:24:00.000-04:00

Today we kicked off 2nd quarter by reflecting on some of our work from 1st quarter. I also handed back writing portfolios and students pulled the works they will highlight at their conferences.

We started a new series of word work with more Greek and Latin roots and cognates. We will learn 3 new roots and their cognates each time we meet. At the end of 15 sets, students will have a take-home test, which is currently scheduled for Thursday, October 21.

We also had a class discussion about revising the memoir drafts students wrote last quarter. Students will write a second memoir or heavily revise the first draft they wrote. The final draft of this memoir is due Tuesday, October 19.

Agenda: Review roots and cognates from class today; spend at least 15 minutes on your memoir graphic organizer. On Wednesday, we will share some of our lead paragraphs.

Fondly,

Mrs. Venekamp

Wednesday

2010-09-29T09:20:00.000-04:00

IF you finish your portfolio and your historical non-fiction report, explore these sites and play some grammar games:

http://www.eduplace.com/kids/hme/6_8/grammar/

http://www.schooltimegames.com/language_arts.html

Monday

2010-09-27T20:28:00.000-04:00

Students have one more class period to word process/edit/revise their body of works for quarter 1. All works are due by the end of class Wednesday, September 29. Students have written memoir pieces and have created a booklet of narrative paragraphs and expository paragraphs. All students have a rubric with detailed explanations of how they will be assessed, and they must complete the self-assessment portion of the rubric in order to receive credit.

The final portfolio of written works counts as a final exam for LA; students who do not submit a portfolio will not earn a passing grade in LA. All students have been reminded of this fact multiple times.

Families, feel free to ask your student to read the works he or she has been drafting. I've enjoyed reading many of the drafts from this quarter.

Just a friendly reminder for Mr. Clark's historical non-fiction assignment, too. Those are due Wednesday for 8th grade students, and all students have received a rubric for this writing assignment, too.

Fondly,

Mrs. Venekamp

Friday

2010-09-24T13:21:00.000-04:00

Again, the Daily Puppy has outdone itself! Check out the spaniel to the right.

Students, you worked hard in the computer lab yesterday. They set up their printers and learned some Microsoft Word basics as we formatted our documents.

The end-of-quarter portfolios are due next Wednesday, September 29. The portfolio represents a body of written work from the quarter and is worth 170 points, equivalent to a final exam. It is required to pass LA this quarter. Students are writing narrative paragraphs and expository paragraphs, including descriptive, compare/contrast, sequencing, and cause/effect. They are also drafting a memoir piece, which should include multiple paragraphs, a distinctive lead paragraph and conclusion with several body paragraphs that tell the story.

Anyone with questions should feel free to email me or send me drafts for editing/revision suggestions. The green folder is going on vacation on Monday, so get your work in while you can.

Happy Friday!

Fondly,

Mrs. V~

2010-09-24T13:18:00.004-04:00

2010-09-24T13:18:00.003-04:00

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Monday

2010-09-20T20:04:00.000-04:00

This is an important week for 8th graders in LA. We will wrap up our drafts of the ABC booklets (paragraph models) and our memoir works. On Thursday we will work in computer lab for most of the class period, word processing, revising, and editing our final drafts.

These works represent the final exam for students this quarter. Their self-assessment (rubric) is a required feature of this portfolio, and students should use it as a checklist to help them make their revisions.

I'm looking forward to all of your portfolio works.

Fondly,

Mrs. Venekamp

Monday

2010-09-13T20:42:00.000-04:00

Today we started a new vocabulary unit (1A--page 1 of 3.) Students learned the definitions and synonyms of six new terms, and we created graphics and sample sentences to match them.

After this, we read an interesting short work entitled, "High Brow." The article used both cause and effect patterns of expository writing, which was our focus for today. (FYI--eyebrows are important!) That means we've examined sttrategies for descriptive writing, narrative writing, sequencing, compare/contrast, and cause/effect. Students received their intro to the end-of-quarter portfolio last week, so they should be well on their way to producing their 10 paragraph booklets.

At the end of class, I asked each student to submit at least one cause or effect paragraph so we might share some model strategies on Wednesday.

Agenda--please spend at least 20 minutes on your drafts between now and Wednesday.

Fondly,

Mrs. Venekamp

Thursday

2010-09-09T21:49:00.000-04:00

Hey, check out the Daily Puppy to the right. What a cutie!

Today students turned in their Prepositional Phrase Take-Home Quiz and took their Survival Word List Quiz during class. After this we had a class discussion about the recent history test in Mr. Clark's class. Mr. Clark gave me the tests to read because we've been spending so much time on paragraphing skills, and this test included a paragraph response. I shared three student responses and highlighted their highlights. Thanks to John L., Julianne C., and Steven H. for their thoughtful, concise paragraphs.

After this we moved to our mini-lesson: expository/compare and contrast paragraphs. We viewed a short Power Point that reminded us about some of the most important elements of compare and contrast. We also talked about the difference between a 3rd or 4th grade compare/contrast work and an 8th grade work.

Finally, students received a pink page today that listed their end of quarter portfolio due date, September 29, and the works that will be due.

Agenda: Please spend at least 30 minutes drafting/revising/editing your portfolio paragraphs. (That's only 10 minutes per day before we meet again on Monday. You can do it! :c)

Have a great weekend.

Fondly,

Mrs. Venekamp

Tuesday

2010-09-07T16:11:00.000-04:00

Today we reviewed strategies for drafting expository writing, specifically sequencing. Students learned that sequencing includes "buzz" words or "cue" words that help readers know that you're leading through a series of events or sequence of events.

With this mini lesson, students have added three types of paragraphs to their repertoire of writing: descriptive, narrative, and expository--sequencing. By the end of the quarter, students should have fifteen paragraphs, three of each type, in a portfolio of final drafts.

Agenda: Students have a take-home quiz over prepositional phrases to complete--due Thursday, 9/9/10. Students will have a 25 point quiz over their personal survival list of spelling, which they completed last week.

Have a great evening. Come on rain! (My brown lawn needs it.)

Fondly,

Mrs. Venekamp

Wednesday

2010-09-01T13:07:00.000-04:00

Today all of the 8th grade LA classes went to the computer lab and took their NWEA Language Usage tests. I appreciate how most students concentrated, taking their time and answering thoughtfully. Your scores reflected it!

At the end of each class, we had a conversation about what the scores mean and what types of questions snagged students. I had to explain that the test adapts itself for each student. So if you are moving along, answering questions correctly one right after the other, you will eventually find yourself with more difficult questions to really test you. If you struggle to answer those correctly, the test will readapt and move you back down to find a good comfort level.

Parents, please ask your students about their scores and the conversations we've had.

Happy Labor Day Weekend! (No homework! :-) HOWEVER, we will take that Prepositional Phrase Quiz that was scheduled for today. We simply ran out of time. Students, you will be allowed to use your preposition list on the test.

Fondly,
Mrs. Venekamp

Monday

2010-08-30T21:20:00.000-04:00

Had a good time in LA today demonstrating prepositional phrases without words. The winning demonstration: "above the core of the earth!" which, of course, we are all demonstrating at every living moment (nod to Michael H.)

We also continued our analysis of descriptive and narrative writing. I shared several student samples of descriptive paragraphs and our 4 point rubric (1. 3/5 senses addressed; 2. vivid vocabulary; 3. at least one simile; 4. a distinct lead and conclusion.)

On Wednesday, 9/1/10, students will take their Language Usage NWEA test in the computer lab. I have stressed repeatedly the importance of doing one's best on these assessments. Students should remember to bring their reading book to class that day, too, just in case they finish before classmates. We will also have a short quiz over prepositional phrases after the NWEA. Students will be allowed to use their preposition lists.

Have a great evening, everyone.

Fondly,
Mrs. Venekamp

Thursday

2010-08-26T19:09:00.001-04:00

We have had a busy week in LA. Students have been refreshing their memories of prepositions and prepositional phrases, and we've analyzed descriptive paragraphs and narrative paragraphs. During Writer's Workshop we have written descriptive and narrative paragraphs, and we've all started our Survival Spelling Lists.

During Writer's Workshop, students spend an uninterrupted block of time, usually 20-25 minutes, drafting works. So far we've had a specific focus, memoir paragraphs, but we will eventually move to more independent decisions as we move closer to the end of the quarter.

Next week students will take a look at expository paragraphs, and we will set a test date for the first Survival Spelling Lists. Extended dute date for that list: Monday, August 30.

Everyone have a wonderful weekend.

Fondly, Mrs. V~

Friday

2010-08-20T16:05:00.004-04:00

I can not believe this is the end of the third full week of school. We have hit our stride and are fully into our first quarter curriculum.

During the first quarter, students will study narrative forms of writing, specifically autobiographical works and memoirs. Today, for instance, students participated in a brainstorming activity that asked them to think of two topics for each letter of the alphabet. Next week we will launch our writer's workshop and learn the procedures of this productive time in LA. All students need to have their alphabetical charts completed to be able to participate in workshop on Tuesday.

Students also took their first exam in class today. We kicked off our first quarter with a study of 15 Greek and Latin roots and their cognates. We also learned six Latin phrases that have become common in the English language, too. For instance, "alma mater," "e pluribus unum," and "mea culpa!" That last one became a favorite as students shared anecdotes from their lives about when they SHOULD have said "mea culpa." (Their translation="my bad!")

I hope everyone has a safe, happy weekend.

Fondly,
Mrs. Venekamp :c)

Friday

2010-07-30T14:56:00.001-04:00

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Sunday

2010-05-16T10:38:00.002-04:00

Good Sunday morning, everyone. I'm back on my blog and ready to keep you posted for the rest of the school year. I will post important due dates and information related to wrapped up in the new few weeks.

Tomorrow, Monday, all classes will take their Reading NWEA's. Next Monday, May 24, you will take the Language Usage part of the test. Because you take two tests for LA, Mr. Clark has offered to assign 10 bonus points for those students who reach their goal on the Reading test; I will assign 10 bonus points for those who reach their Language Usage goals. It's important to remember that the skills we develop in LA are not just related to our class. You read, write, think, listen, speak, etc. in all of your classes, so I appreciate Mr. Clark making this offer to you.

Please come prepared to read carefully, answer selectively, and just do your best. I know you will.

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Tuesday Vocabulary Exercise

2010-03-15T21:44:00.003-04:00

7th Grade: Good morning! Before we start word processing, please click on the following link and complete the multiple choice exercise. Please raise your hand and show Mrs. Venekamp your score before you close the link.

Grade 7: Unit 7 Multiple Choice Exercise

8th Grade: Good afternoon! Before we start word processing, please click on the following link and complete the multiple choice exercise. Please raise your hand and show Mrs. Venekamp your score before you close the link.

Grade 8: Unit 7 Multiple Choice Exercise

Wednesday

2010-03-10T21:27:00.002-05:00

Today we reviewed some of our new vocabulary words. Students earned a 15 point particiption and preparation grade for simply having their vocab. notes in class today. Sadly several were not prepared and did not earn these easy points.

We have set up our LA binders to house everything we need for each class period. When students don't file their materials in that binder or when they don't bring the binder to class, they find themselves unprepared. This makes it difficult to continue the work we need to do.

Today students also participated in another sentence dictation exercise. We are using these to help us move into proofreading and editing mode for next week, the last week of drafting works for our portfolios.

Finally, we had a conversation about the topics and the possible audiences for our final work, a persuasive letter that we will mail to its recipient. Parents, I've asked students to provide a single postage stamp for this assignment; I will provide the envelopes.

Enjoy this lovely evening. I smell spring! :-)

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Wednesday

2010-03-03T20:04:00.002-05:00

Today the 8th graders took their first ISTEP tests. I was very proud of my homeroom's efforts on both of their tests. They used all of their time and checked their work when they were finished. It was an example of the best effort that every teacher dreams of, and I thank them for knocking my socks off! :-)

Tomorrow we finish 8th grade testing, but the 7th graders get one more morning of testing on Friday. We will again flip-flop our morning and afternoon classes.

Have a great evening, everyone.

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Monday

2010-03-01T18:23:00.002-05:00

It seemed like everyone was in a crabby mood today, but we tried to remedy that by talking about our upcoming ISTEP tests this week :-)

It saddens me when students moan and groan about the chance to show how much they've grown as thinkers and learners. While I agree that taking standardized tests is not the most dynami way to spend the day, they do give students an opportunity to shine. That is my hope for all of our 7th and 8th graders this spring--that they will sit up straight, focus on the goals that they've set, and do the hard work that real learning takes.

No homework tonight folks. Tomorrow's schedule is posted in the locker banks for your convenience.

Fondly,

Mrs. V~

Monday

2010-02-22T15:37:00.002-05:00

Today students continued to work on their Civil Rights persuasive piece. I am seeing a bit more confidence in students who are drafting the body of their works. I think these works will be impressive when they are finished.

I returned the unit 6 spelling and vocabulary tests today. I am happy to report that scores were well above the unit 5 test scores. We had quite a few conversations about the importance of studying the word lists and exposing yourself to those words as often as possible.

Tomorrow we will continue drafting; we will also focus on our lead paragraphs.

Have a good evening, everyone!

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Thursday

2010-02-18T15:36:00.002-05:00

Today we worked on some editing/proofreading exercises using my amazing first period's short answer response sentences. (The vocabulary test scores were much improved this time; I'm very happy with the results thus far!) After that, we talked about writing effective leads and the different strategies authors use. Students received a handout with examples of these types of strategies, and we will continue to explore a variety of leads/hooks to interest our readers.

Tomorrow is Reader's Workshop, so everyone needs to bring his or her book to read. We will also begin to chat about our upcoming test season and review some strategies we can use when we're resonding to literature.

Have a great evening, everyone!

Fondly,

Mrs. V~

Wednesday

2010-02-17T15:35:00.002-05:00

Today all classes took their unit 6 spelling and vocabulary test. We learned that it takes 14 exposures to a new word/phrase to really learn that word or phrase. We spent a lot of time in class reviewing the words and refreshing our memories over the last two weeks. I'm anxious to see the scores. (So are the handful of 8th graders who came to me after school, begging me to grade their tests because they were too anxious to wait :c)

Tomorrow we HAVE to move on to effective leads in our persuasive works. All students should be prepared to focus on that mini-lesson and draft more of their body paragraphs and lead paragraph.

Stay warm, everybody!

Fondly,

Mrs. V~

Tuesday

2010-02-02T16:01:00.002-05:00

We started unit 6 spelling and vocabulary today in all classes. 7th graders--your word list included agenda, amiable, befuddle, blight, boisterous. 8th graders--anonymous, browse, dupe, dynamic, eradicate. We will add 5 more tomorrow.

Tomorrow I ask that you bring your draft of a graphic organizer that we discussed in class today. We'll analyze them and see which one fits our needs the best.

You also need to bring your notations page for the persuasive work we are writing.

Have a great evening.

Mrs. V~

Monday

2010-02-01T17:29:00.002-05:00

Today we spent some time with more works of nonfiction related to events of the Civil Rights Movement. Students have three articles and a play script from which to choose. I have asked them to select at least one of these sources to include in their persuasive prompt assignment.

Today we also had the sad task of "inviting" students to Academic Detention on Wednesday. Parents, please ask your child if he/she is required to attend. This will be the final chance for most students to turn in late work; we plan on printing progress reports on Friday.

Stay warm, everyone.

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Friday

2010-01-29T15:51:00.003-05:00

Wild day today! The 8th graders made a noble attempt to beat the faculty team at volleyball, but alas it didn't work out so well. Congrats, though, to The Exceptions team for actually breaking a school record and beating the teachers in one game :c)

It's been difficult for absent students to see the films we viewed in class this week. I have, though, been able to find the Children's March online on YouTube for the 8th grade to watch. It is divided into four sections, so if you need to view it, make sure you watch all four parts.

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7ctiaiujJU

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0oftqyWYqU

Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LG765MwXEx4

Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epBT8qxXuW0

The absent 7th grade students can stay after school on Monday afternoon, and we will view the Rosa Parks documentary again. There is a 24 pt. viewing guide that accompanies it, and students need this information to draft their persuasive essay.

Everyone have a great weekend.

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Thursday

2010-01-28T19:38:00.002-05:00

Wow, another great day of conversations related to our readings on the Civil Rights Movements. Students are not only answering questions; they have started to ask amazing questions, too. Who started racism? How could nonviolent protesters just sit or stand there and take it? I hope some of these thought-provoking questions have made it home for more conversations there.

Tomorrow we have Reader's Workshop, and we will finish reading the play we started today. It will give students more insight into the practice of peaceful, nonviolent protest. Don't forget your books and bookmarks.

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

P.S. Students who have been absent should plan on attending my tutoring afternoons for their grade level. It is taking way too long for students to catch up from their absences. Missing work will eventually become a zero in PowerSchool.

Wednesday

2010-01-27T20:53:00.002-05:00

We had some powerful conversations and quite a few questions related to the documentaries we finished today. I am always surprised at the level of interest that middle school students show toward the American Civil Rights Movement, and it's a unit I enjoy exploring with them through literature and film. Again, extremely powerful.

Everyone should have his/her viewing guides for continued class discussions tomorrow. Students should also be prepared to start organizing their thoughts for their persuasive piece. I will introduce one final opportunity to read an anecdotal article related to that era, which will also help with the persuasive piece.

Have a good evening. It's spitting snow as I type this; nothing too serious in the forecast, though. Bummer, huh? ;c\

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Tuesday

2010-01-26T17:21:00.002-05:00

Today we started with a little MSG--mechanics, spelling, and grammar. Students worked on some editing exercises (written by their wild and wacky LA teacher, who was too tired when she wrote those sentences!) Then we moved on to a review of effective persuasive strategies. Thanks to the 8th grade classes for providing our growing list of strategies.

Finally, we turned to our current writing prompt--a persuasive argument. Students are in a fact-gathering mode as we view a documentary about the American Civil Rights Movement and read a play about the 1961 Freedom Riders, which we did on Friday.

Students were very mature and asked some great questions during the films. I hope to see more of the same tomorrow when we finish them.

Stay warm.

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Monday

2010-01-25T17:55:00.002-05:00

It's so nice to return from an absence and find a positive note from the substitute. A big thank you to my 1st, 2nd, and 4th period classes for their cooperation and participation on Friday. My homeroom was, apparently, hard to settle, so I'll save my compliments to them for another day :c(

Today students took their winter version of the NWEA language usage test. Ms. Woo and I have determined that there is a definite correlation between taking your time and improving your score.

We will continue with our powers of persuasion tomorrow. Stay warm, everyone.

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Thursday

2010-01-21T18:24:00.002-05:00

Today we analyzed a work of persuasion entitled "Save the Elephant." I must say, my 8th graders are taking their knowledge of ineffective persuasive strategies to the extreme. They are becoming very critical readers--very opinionated of what they deem effective persuasion. (Parents, you may have to sharpen your persuasive skills, too. Or you can dust off the old, "...because I said so!" response : )

We also started reading a class play entitled, "The Long Road to Freedom," a work about the Freedom Riders of 1961. Students will be developing a persuasive topic that centers around the US Civil Rights Movement, so all of these works that we read will become important resoures for that piece. Keep the great conversations coming, folks!

Stay warm and dry tonight, everyone. Reader's Workshop is tomorrow; don't forget your books and bookmarks.

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Wednesday

2010-01-20T19:46:00.002-05:00

Well, students shared their superbly written INEFFECTIVE persuasive pieces today. Some were humorous; many were ironic; all were gloriously ineffective, which means students are recognizing those strategies that they'll want to avoid in their formal works of persuasion. We learned today how to write an annotation explaining how these works are utilizing ineffective strategies (No, parents, I'm not purposely leading your children astray. It's a strategy I'm banking on to help students connect to tone and voice.)

Tomorrow we will shift gears and begin to analyze formal works of persuasion, noting those strategies that we might use when drafting our own works this quarter. Students will also begin to read a play in class entitled "On the Road to Freedom," a work about the Freedom Riders of 1961.

Have a great evening, everyone. Stay warm.

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Tuesday

2010-01-19T18:36:00.004-05:00

Today we had a make up/catch up class period. Those students who were missing any assignments due to an absence had an opportunity to complete those assignments.

Those who did not have any work to make up worked on their first persuasive pieces. We have been studying ineffective persuasive strategies and how those strategies often lead to humor and/or sarcasm. We will jump feet first into EFFECTIVE strategies tomorrow, and students will be reading/studying works from the Civil Rights Era to develop their formal persuasive works.

I will return the spelling and vocabulary tests tomorrow, everyone. See you then!

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Monday

2010-01-11T19:04:00.003-05:00

Today students took their winter NWEA Reading Tests. Parents, please ask your students how they did. For the most part, students took the test seriously and improved their scores, which pleases me greatly.

Tomorrow we will wrap up our unit 5 word list and complete some textbook exercises related to those words. Students can expect a test over this unit on Thursday. We will also spend some time on our short persuasive works, which will help us launch our persuasive writing unit. We are playing around with irony and humor on this one, so hang onto your hats, everyone :)

Everybody stay warm. The temperature should be rising later in the week...hooray!

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Friday

2010-01-08T15:46:00.002-05:00

Today we initiated our new Reader's Workshop procedures. As a class, we read an article by Connecticut writer Mike DiMaura entitled "What Exactly is Wrong with Being 'It'?" In this article, DiMaura attempts to persuade his reading audience that the banning of tag from playground is a ridiculous idea. He uses much humor and examples of ineffective persuasive techniques that we have studied this week, but the article works because the author's sarcasm and irony make it humorous.

Students responded to the article with a prompt I provided; then they wrote a second response to a prompt about their reading from this week. The standing homework assignment in LA is to read 30 minutes per school day and keep a reading record on a special bookmark I also provide each Monday. Parents, please ask your student about this expectation and procedure as it will have an impact on grades and on growth as a reader, writer, thinker. I read a recent online article stating that reading for pleasure is an indicator of academic success. I actually cheered when I read this!

Everybody have a good weekend and keep reading great works.

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Thursday

2010-01-07T18:31:00.002-05:00

Well, I was disappointed that we had to cancel our Student-Led Conferences this evening, but it was very nice to beat the rush hour traffic home in this slick and slushy weather. We will see all of our Thursday appointments next Thursday evening.

Tomorrow is our first new Reader's Workshop of the new quarter. We will initiate a new format with a class reading of an article and a written response to that article. The second response that students write will stem from each student's reading from the week. This is why it's so important for each student to do that daily reading assignment. RRJ's are no longer homework, but the reading continues to be so.

Today we took a mid-unit quiz on the first 10 words of unit 5. Students spelled their words and wrote beefy sentences filled with context clues. The quiz was worth 30 points and will post to PowerSchool asap.

Have a warm evening, everyone.

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Wednesday

2010-01-06T22:14:00.002-05:00

Well, my husband and I, like some of you I'll bet, are watching the weather and hoping our daughter has made it back to Purdue before the snow hits. It's truly the end of the holiday season now that everyone is back to their old routines.

Today in LA, students studied five new spelling and vocabulary words and continued their focus on effective and ineffective persuasive strategies. I'm approaching the start of this unit a little differently this year, asking students to analyze what makes a person's persuasive efforts ineffective. It's my goal to have students learn to read and write persuasive pieces with a more critical eye. Name-calling, biting sarcasm, confrontation, and other "tone" issues have no place in a logical, level-headed argument; in fact, those practices often cause readers/listeners to stop reading/listening. As writers and speakers, students must consider their audience and strive to persuade them when that is, indeed, their main goal.

Students had 30 minutes of reading to do today in preparation for Friday's reading response in class. Stay warm, everyone!

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Monday

2010-01-04T20:16:00.002-05:00

Whew! Everybody was excited to be back today; I could tell by the sheer volume of the conversations I overheard in the hallway and in my classroom. I'm personally hoping we'll be able to dial it down a notch tomorrow because it promises to be a long day, especially with student-led conferences starting at 5:30 p.m. (Looking forward to seeing the scheduled families then; the others we will see on Thursday.)

Today I returned the quarterly writing portfolios, and students practiced their conferences with a pseudo-parent (peer.) I witnessed several groundings and more than a few stern talking-to's. (Students seem to have a firm grasp on playing the role of parents!)

We also cleaned out our LA binders, inserting a new section in the back and discarding old materials. Parents, please ask your students about their need for writing utensils as I'm finding myself having to provide wayyyy too many pens and pencils.

I shared a new method of responding to literature, which we will begin this week. Instead of writing two RRJ entries as homework, students will begin writing their RRj responses in class on Fridays. They are still responsible for a week's worth of reading (30 minutes daily,) and this remains their LA standing homework assignment. However, we will start reading more short works together in class on Reader's Workshop days, too, and students will use that material for the sources of one of their entries each week.

Have a great evening, everyone!

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Thursday

2009-12-10T17:20:00.003-05:00

All classes took a spelling and vocabulary test today. Tomorrow we will wrap up all of our Book Talks and begin our word processing work in the computer lab. We'll spend three class periods pulling our portfolios together. Portfolios are still due on Tuesday, December 15.

Everybody stay warm tonight.

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

www.ics-charter.org

Tuesday

2009-12-08T14:59:00.002-05:00

7th grade classes--Today we learned all about Snapshot Poems, poems that describe a scene or tell a very simple story based on a vivid memory or snapshot. Congratulations to Gabi, Maleha, and Olivia, who were already Snapshot Poets and didn't even know it! :c)

8th grade classes--We took a look at a model compare and contrast essay by Sara. Sara did a superb job of weaving the subjects of her essay into her colorful lead and circular design conclusion. (Students in her class even gave her a round of applause after they read it.)

We also took a fresh look at ballads, and I offered to let students collaborate with one other member of the class as they write their ballads for the portfolio.

All classes reviewed unit 4 vocabulary with a Select the Correct Word exercise. All classes also have a vocabulary homework assignment, which will serve as our Give Me Five! tomorrow.

December 15--Portfolio Due Date!

RRJ's are finished for the quarter.

Have a great evening. Don't get blown away!

Fondly,

Mrs. V~

Monday

2009-12-07T15:57:00.004-05:00

Well, it was a treacherous drive to school this morning, but thankfully I made it safe and sound--late but safe and sound!

Today we heard more Book Talks. Students who miss their due dates are required to attend a special Book Talk detention on the tutoring day. (Tuesday for 7th grade; Friday for 8th grade)

I also passed out the portfolio rubrics today. All students are required to complete the self-assessment portion of the portfolio and include it in the portfolio folder. The 7th grade portfolio is worth 180 points; the 8th grade portfolio is worth 200 points. The portfolio is a requirement to pass LA this quarter.

On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of this week, I will be checking in on my student writers, making sure drafts are ready to word process in the computer lab on Friday, Monday, and Tuesday. Portfolio due date for all classes--Tuesday, December 15.

Finally, students need to plan on a spelling and vocabulary test covering unit 4 on Thursday, December 10.

Stay warm and safe this evening, folks.

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

P.S. After school we were discussing old superstitions related to snow days. Two favorites: flushing ice cubes down the toilet and placing an upside-down spoon under your pillow before going to bed. Hmmmm... :c)

Friday

2009-12-04T21:13:00.002-05:00

Today we had a few Book Talks, promoting some interesting works. We also learned the last of our 20 new words for unit 4. Students now have a four-page document with notes, definitions, synonyms, examples, and graphics for each of their words. Tentatively our test for this unit is scheduled for next Thursday, December 10. On Friday, December 11, we will start our first of three days in the tech lab to word process all of our portfolio documents.

The end-of-quarter portfolio is due Tuesday, December 15.

Have a great weekend. Stay warm, everyone!

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Thursday

2009-12-03T15:34:00.002-05:00

Today we continued our unit 4 vocabulary study with five new words. I'm happy to see students use their new words in conversations and in writing. Tomorrow we will wrap up the unit with the last of the twenty words. Students continued to work on their portfolio drafts, too. The official due date for the portfolio is Tuesday, December 15. (The green revision folder closes on Friday, December 11.)

Friday (tomorrow, December 4) will usher in another round of Book Talks. It will also be a Reader's Workshop day.

Bundle up tomorrow, folks. It's supposed to be a nippy day!

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Wednesday

2009-12-02T15:35:00.003-05:00

I decided that we needed a little drama in class today, so I turned the east side of my room into a coffee shop and students wrote skits set in this coffee shop that included their current vocabulary words.

It was a hoot! Students seemed to really get their creative juices flowing, and the quote of the day comes from Ryan, who said, "I see a penguin, and I think he has stolen my desk!"

Tomorrow we will introduce five new vocabulary words to add to our unit 4 list. Friday we will complete the list.

Agenda: 2 RRJ entries, student's choice, due Friday, December 4. (Book Talk presenters for Dec. 4 and Dec. 7 are exempt from this assignment.)

Stay warm and dry.

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Tuesday

2009-12-01T18:50:00.003-05:00

Today all students continued their study of the new unit 4 vocabulary words. During these mini-lessons we spell the words, identify parts of speech, identify synonyms and define the words. Finally, we brainstorm examples of these words and create small graphics to help us cement the usage in our minds.

Students usually come up with some creative ideas and often think of other words in the same "families" of words. It seems to work, and I actually enjoy our word work days very much.

I also finalized the 2nd quarter portfolio contents today:

7th grade--Book Talk, Free Choice Piece, Gift Poem, 2 Stellar RRJ entries from 2nd quarter.

8th grade--Book Talk, Compare/Contrast Piece, Ballad, Ode, Writing Prompt.

Portfolio due date for all classes--Tuesday, December 15.

Have a great evening, everyone.

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Monday

2009-11-30T15:43:00.002-05:00

Everyone seemed to be in good spirits after the long weekend. With only 2 and 4/5 weeks left until the end of the quarter, there remains a load of work to do and goals to accomplish.

All classes--today students listened to Book Talks in all classes. Reminders, all students have their own due date for the Book Talk, and the grades will not appear in PowerSchool until students have presented.

We then opened our 4th spelling and vocabulary with our first five words. Students take their notes, which become their only resource other than the www.vocabularyworkshop.com website.

Finally, students had Reader's Workshop. Some read their self-selected works; others continued to work on their Book Talks.

Agenda: 2 RRJ's due Friday, December 4. Select two entries from the following: Determining Important Ideas, Visualizing, Questioning, Inferring. (Students who present Book Talks on Friday, December 4 or Monday, December 7 are exempt from this assignment.)

Wednesday

2009-11-25T16:11:00.002-05:00

We had a great day today. Students were busy working on their writing projects and catching up on absent work. The 7th grade classes both played a rousing game of Worst-Case Scenario. (Quick, how do you remove a pine needle that's stuck up your nostril?)

Thanks to Arielle for the quote of the day: Commas Save Lives--LET'S EAT GRANDPA!

And don't eat too much turkey!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone :c)

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Tuesday

2009-11-24T15:32:00.002-05:00

Today we reviewed the basics of paragraphing. I have received way too many drafts in the green folder lately in one big block of text, so it was past time to hit this mini lesson.

Basically, writers indent a new paragraph any time they (1.) have a new idea to discuss; (2.) have a new action to describe; or (3.) have a new speaker speak in dialogue. We worked on a big block of text, inserting paragraph symbols where necessary.

7th grade classes--We discussed gifts of writing, especially poetry. I shared a variety of works from former students, works that would have made or did make wonderful, thoughtful gifts for loved one.

8th grade classes--We were introduced to a new poetry artform--the ODE. We learned that an ode is written as a celebration of someone or something and that it includes heightened language. Students seemed to have some interesting ideas for their odes, and I look forward to reading them.

Again, there are no RRJ assignments due this week, although I hope students will continue to read great works.

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Monday

2009-11-23T20:33:00.003-05:00

All classes had more Book Talks today. Students who are doing well have paid close attention to the original directions sheet with the checklist. I am particularly interested in hearing about the themes of the novels and the comments of reviewers.

A big thank you to all of my homeroom students and families who have contributed food in the past week. Eight of us from our homeroom ran to Aldi's after school and doubled the amount of food we will donate. Way to work together, team! :-)

No RRJ entries due this week. Enjoy your Thanksgiving celebrations and long weekend.

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Thursday and Friday

2009-11-20T18:41:00.004-05:00

On Thursday, all classes had the opportunity to practice their presenting skills. We refreshed our memories on what makes an engaging presentation--chins up, eye contact, projected voices, scanning the room, etc.--and we practiced with short picture books. I was impressed with some of the readings; we obviously have some good big brothers and sisters who read to their younger siblings!

On Friday, we started Book Talks. The goal of this assignment is to promote the reading of good books, and students need to follow the guidelines carefully in order to earn the maximum points. I actually created the rubric in the shadow of the assignment directions. No surprises here, folks!

Have a wonderful weekend, everybody. Short week next week :-)

OH, and no RRJ's are due next week, but keep reading great works!

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Wednesday

2009-11-18T20:48:00.002-05:00

Today I shared my book talk on the novel Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns with students. At first we focused on the writing of the book talk, how to pull it all together. I gave some hints about trouble spots that I faced, such as straying away from character in the character section. After examining the writing, I shared some presentation strategies.

Students will be more confident and comfortable if they practice their presentation, so that's the best advice I can give. Don't bring the book talk hot off the printer to class and think the presentation will go well. Read it aloud and to a "crowd" at least a few times before you share it with our class.

Friday--all students except those who are doing book talks on Friday or Monday have two inferring entries due. (Students will have exemptions from RRJ's on the week of their book talks.)

Mr. Venekamp and I did some Christmas shopping tonight, trying to beat the crowds that will appear after Thanksgiving. I like the lights at night. I hope you had a nice evening, too.

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

P.S. I'm hoping to hear all about a basketball victory in the morning!

Tuesday

2009-11-17T16:14:00.002-05:00

Shew! It's been a while since I blogged, and we have a lot going on in LA right now. Let me fill you in...(excuse my dangling preposition!)

7th grade classes--Today we reviewed point of view. We discussed 1st person and all of the 3rd person points of view and what they mean to readers. Students had a good 20-25 minutes of writer's workshop after our work with p.o.v. REMINDER: Book Talks begin on Friday. All students have their own personal due dates. Parents, please ask your students about theirs.

8th grade classes--We, too, worked with point of view. In this class we focused on the author's craft behind point of view and what it means when authors choose a particular voice for their narratives. Students who did not have enough time on their compare/contrast writing prompt last week had a good 20-25 minutes of writing time to improve their work.

Congrats to Gary B. who "knocked my socks off" today with his writing prompt!

Tomorrow--I'll share my Book Talk with you and show you the written model. You won't want to miss it :-)

Fondly,

Mrs. V~

Thursday

2009-11-12T15:20:00.003-05:00

It's always a pleasure to return to school after an absence when the substitute leaves a positive note about my classes and students. That was my morning today, and it WAS a pleasure. Thanks, everyone!

All classes--we reviewed Inferring entries in class today. We learned that you really have three choices: predicting, sharing what you liked about the writing, or sharing what you didn't like about the writing. As with all entries, you must provide plenty of text evidence to support your thoughts and opinions.

After this we read a play entitled "The Blind Side," which is based on the upcoming film of the same title. Students met Michael Oher and his adopted family, the Tuohys. Students read fluently and with volume, and we had some great discussions about the inferences students made from the reading. I invited (urged) students to write their first Inferring entry about this work, which we read together, and then write their second entry about their own reading.

Everyone get ready for Reader's Workshop tomorrow!

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Wednesday

2009-11-11T20:07:00.002-05:00

I hope you had a great day. I was home today but will return on Thursday.

All classes--An Inferring entry shows your reader how you've gathered information and drawn conclusions. In doing so you might predict while you read or you might share what you liked or didn't like about the author's craft (evaluate.)

If you check your RRJ inserts, you will find that an Inferring entry often starts with "I predict..." or "I liked the way the author..." or "I didn't like the way the author...." Of course all of these prompts must be followed by adequate text evidence to show your readers why you think what you think.

I've placed some model Inferring entries in the blue models box on the south wall by the window. During workshop feel free to read over these.

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

P.S. Homeroom students should have returned their grade checkup. Parents, if you haven't seen this, you can expect a phone call in the next few days. Thanks!

Tuesday

2009-11-10T15:39:00.002-05:00

7th grade classes--Today we reviewed prepositional phrases and infinitive phrases. Students worked on exercises created to mimic a quiz they will take in class tomorrow. The quiz is open note and is worth 30 points.

After that, we continued our conversation on themes. Students received examples of their own themes from current works they are reading. I then asked students to mark each statement as an F (for fact) or T (for theme.) We had some interesting philosophical conversations about the differences between themes and factual statements.

For workshop today, most students chose to work on their Book Talk assignments.

8th grade classes--We continued our conversation on themes. Like the 7th grade classes, we had conversations about the differences between theme and facts. Students came up with some interesting anecdotes to match themes, too.

In my homeroom class, we went over the 12-Step Process for Prompt Writing in anticipation of tomorrow's prompt writing assignment. My 4th period class will receive this information tomorrow.

All classes--2 Inferring entries due Friday, November 9.

Have a great evening.

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Monday, Monday

2009-11-09T15:02:00.002-05:00

Today was a good day. Students worked hard and asked great questions related to our upcoming Book Talks.

All classes--We reviewed the meaning of "theme." Theme is not the same as "subject;" it is also not "what the book's about." Theme is a universal truth about a work. Themes are usually recurring and fit with a variety of works. In some cases the theme is a moral to the story; in other cases, the theme comes from a lesson the characters learn.

At the end of reading time today, students jotted down 2-3 themes of the novels they are currently reading and left it with me at dismissal. Tomorrow I will post some of these samples, and we will continue our conversation about themes.

8th grade classes had a due date today--the draft of their compare and contrast works.

Agenda--2 Inferring RRJ's are due on Friday. We will have at least two mini-lessons this week on Inferring entries so you should have an idea of the expectation.

Fondly,

Mrs. V~

Friday

2009-11-06T22:37:00.003-05:00

I'm still tapping my foot from the great dance we had tonight. It was a good turnout and definitely a good time. We missed those of you who couldn't make it.

All classes--We drew our due dates from the class hat today for the Book Talks. All students received detailed instructions for this presentation, which will be given by all students from Friday, November 20 to Monday, December 14. Every Friday and Monday between these dates will have 3-4 students promoting a work of fiction (historical fiction for 7th grade) that they have read. Students will create a written document first, which will then act as the script for the presentation on the due date. The written document will also be included in the end-of-quarter portfolio.

Reader's Workshop followed this, and all classes had approximatelty 35-40 minutes of quality reading time.

A BIG compliment to my first period 7th grade group. All of you were on task and engaged in your historical fiction works today. It was a pleasure to read alongside you today, even IF I was reading your RRJ's :c)

Hope you keep tapping your foot this weekend!

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Thursday

2009-11-05T22:27:00.003-05:00

7th grade classes--Students got their spelling and vocabulary tests back this morning. I was happy to report scores were higher across the board in 7th grade. Students and I had a conversation about why they did better than the first two tests of the year. They made some insightful observations regarding how we learned the words and their meanings and how I formatted the test for them.

8th grade classes--Students got their spelling and vocabulary tests back this afternoon. I also shared some of the new selections in our library. In my homeroom class, we managed to focus in on our circular design conclusions.

All classes--2 RRJ's due tomorrow. Don't forget your reading books; 7th graders, you need your selected work of historical fiction.

Happy Thursday!

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Wednesday

2009-11-04T20:26:00.002-05:00

First of all, a BIG thank you to the ladies and gentleman (Devyn) who helped tidy up our classroom after school today. I hosted the faculty meeting after school and needed a helping hand to get ready. I appreciated all the hard workers! I hope the hot cocoa payment hit the spot :c)

7th grade classes--Today we continued to review prepositional hot spots, including dangling prepositions and infinitive phrases. Students seem to be getting the hang of these grammatical concepts, and I'm impressed with their "sentence dissecting" abilities. Coming soon...helping verb villages! Get ready to think outside the box.

Students also received the requirements for their historical fiction book talks. Students should have a detailed checklist for this writing assignment in their LA binders. Hint, hint: Make friends with Mr. (or Ms.) Sticky Note while you read.

8th grade classess--Today I tricked my students into writing the lead paragraphs of their compare and contrast essays about the two Johns. We completed a Quick Write, pretending we were coal miners heading down to the mine at the start of our shift. Students wrote some wonderfully descriptive, thoughtful paragraphs, and then we looked at how we could tag on a thesis statement to connect to the body of the essay, which we'd been writing over the last week or so. Really impressive body of work today, folks!

All classes--Friday's RRJ entries x2. Visualizing, Questioning, or Determining Important Ideas.

Have a great evening.

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Tuesday

2009-11-03T19:02:00.002-05:00

7th grade classes--We learned about "preposition hot spots" in class today. Hot spots include dangling prepositions, which are usually just adverbs, and infinitive phrases, which look like prepositional phrases with verbs!

Throughout these grammar mini lessons, we have focused on how modifiers impact our language. In fact, we often get a kick out of seeing how we'd talk without these modifiers--like cavemen and women!

8th grade classes--We got up out of our seats today and sorted some comparing and contrasting expressions. Students should have the body paragraphs of their C/C work written by early next week. In fact, we'll be talking more about the lead and conclusion tomorrow and Thursday, so it's completely possible that students have a complete draft finished by then.

Hint: Don't forget to explain those scenes you mention in your paper. Dust off your anecdotal skills and use your sensory description in your explanations.

All classes: 2 RRJ entries due Friday, November 6, 2009.

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Monday

2009-11-02T15:52:00.003-05:00

All LA Classes--Students took their unit 3 spelling and vocabulary test today. The test included a spelling test, a synonym section, a multiple choice section, and a short answer section. It was worth a combined 60 points.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, students will have Writer's Workshop. Grade 7 students will continue to work on their self-selected pieces; grade 8 students will pull together their comparison pieces (aka the two Johns.)

Next due date--Friday, November 6--2 RRJ's--visualizing, determining important ideas, or questioning. OH, and mid terms progress reports are right around the corner. Catch up with that absent work; keep up with the assigned work!

Have a great evening.

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Friday

2009-10-31T09:35:00.002-04:00

7th grade classes--Today I gave students a preview of our next writing work. They will write and present a book talk on a work of historical fiction that they read. I told students that they would receive their book talk presentation date in the next week, so they need to get started on the book they choose.

8th grade classes--The 8th grade students will also write and present a book talk, but they are free to choose their genre--fiction or nonfiction.

We had Reader's Workshop today, and most students received their RRJ's back during class.

MONDAY--all classes have a schedule spelling and vocabulary test over unit 3. Students will need to spend some time with these words over the weekend. We've been working with them for two weeks.

Happy Halloween!

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Thursday

2009-10-29T19:40:00.002-04:00

7th grade classes--We started this morning with an editing exercise that included words from our current vocabulary unit. Students did a good job of correcting capitalization, punctuation, and spelling errors that I "inserted" in some of their sentences.

After this we moved back to where we left off yesterday, reviewing seven methods of elaboration. (Students who were absent received a copy of the notes from Wednesday.) To practice these strategies, students revised a single "blah" sentence using these seven strategies. I have to say, I was very impressed when students volunteered to share their new and improved work. I look forward to seeing more elaboration in the writing students complete in LA.

8th grade classes--We focused on outlining our comparison pieces for the two Johns. First we read two compare and contrast essays and working in reverse, we created the imaginary outlines the original writers should have created. After this, students worked on their own outlines.

Agenda: All classes will have their unit 3 spelling and vocabulary test on Monday, November 2. Also all students have two RRJ entries due tomorrow, Friday.

Have a great evening.

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Wednesday

2009-10-28T18:45:00.002-04:00

7th grade classes--Today students participated in an interesting exercise. They worked in small groups, each group viewing an enlarged print of a random scene. Together students worked to create sentences with their vocabulary words (unit 3) that fit into their scenes. Some were funny; some were creative; some were just downright silly :c) I think we all enjoyed the activity, though, and we worked with our current word list in an unique way. It is something we will definitely do again.

After this we had our writing mini-lesson on elaboration strategies. Students learned seven strategies to use as they beef up their writing both through first drafts and through revision. If you were absent, I have a copy of my notes for you, and I will probably need to touch base with you about this lesson. Some explanation is needed.

Students were then challenged to find two ways they could elaborate a current work in their LA binders.

8th grade classes--Today was our short class period, but we managed to complete a vocabulary exercise (synonyms and antonyms, pg. 39 in out textbook B) and a mini-lesson on organizing our comparison piece. Students received a set of notes on this, and I gave everyone a copy of "Big John" by Jimmy Dean. You will need this to include text evidence in your comparison piece. Again, if you were absent today, I'll have copies of these notes for you.

All classes--7th and 8th--your next spelling and vocabulary test will be Monday, November 3 before Reader's Workshop. This test will cover unit 3.

2 RRJ entries due Friday, October 30. Students may choose two different types of entries to write: visualizing, questioning, questioning important ideas.

Enjoy your evening.

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Tuesday

2009-10-27T17:49:00.002-04:00

7th grade classes--We read an article in our Scope magazine today about singer/songwriter Taylor Swift. Miss Swift has some very interesting opinions about writing and believes that the lyrics make the music special. Students seemed very interested in what she had to say, and I hope some found some inspiration for their own writing projects. Writer's Workshop followed the article.

8th grade classes--All classes have now finished the film, October Sky, and once again I am pleased that students seemed to enjoy it. (It's a wonderful family drama, and students learned quite a bit of background knowledge about the Sputnik era and coalmining.) We used our viewing charts, which noted character qualities of John Hickam and Big John from the ballad, and started to organize our information. We used a T-chart to do so. As a matter of fact, the assignment for Wednesday is to finish filling in the T-chart for each character, selecting four of the most prevalent traits from the viewing chart and noting evidence about both Johns from the ballad and film.

Agenda: 2 RRJ's due Friday, October 30. Student choice: visualizing, determining important ideas, questioning. (To my homeroom, I have your RRJ's home with me tonight; you should have them back tomorrow, Wednesday.)

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Monday

2009-10-26T15:17:00.002-04:00

7th Grade Today--Students completed a vocbabulary exercise over unit 3 in class--synonyms and antonyms. They also had Reader's Workshop.

8th Grade Today--As a class we went over our comparison chart of Big John from the ballad of the same name and the character John Hickam in the film, October Sky. Tomorrow all students should bring their comparison charts, which we will transfer onto a T-chart for comparisons.

Agenda: 2 RRJ's due Friday, October 30. Students may choose from visualizing, questioning, or determining important ideas. Please submit 2 different types of entries.

Thursday

2009-10-22T18:27:00.002-04:00

Yes, it's true. I demonstrated the correct usage of a neti pot in my 8th grade classes today. A neti pot is a nasal cleansing tool; I actually refer to it as a nasal gravy boat. You fill it with warm water and saline solution and gently pour the contents into one nostril. Breathing through your nose, you wait for the magic to happen...the liquid streams out of your other nostril, cleaning your nasal passages.

Lots of "Ew's" and "Ah's" were heard, and I owe a shout out to Micah for sharing his doctor's opinion about the flu bug entering through the mouth and nose. (Everyone take those pen caps out of your mouth!)

In other LA news...

7th grade classes--3rd set of vocabulary words with definitions, examples, and visuals/graphics. Students received their prepositional phrase quizzes back, and we went over the correct answers. Students then wrote creative beefy sentences using 1. at least 10 words; 2. with prepositional phrases; 3. with at least one new vocabulary word in each sentence. I will use these sentences, worth 15 points, in quizzes and worksheets in the near future.

8th grade classes--also 3rd set of vocabulary words with definitions, examples, and visuals/graphics. We also went over our compare/contrast charts, noting especially the character of John Hickam in the film October Sky.

All classes have 2 RRJ entries due tomorrow, Friday: 1 Questioning entry and 1 Free Choice entry, which may be Visualizing, Determining Important Ideas, or another Questioning entry. Worth 20 points.

Have a great evening.

Fondly,

Mrs. V~

Tuesday

2009-10-20T20:59:00.003-04:00

Whew! It's been a busy start to the week, so busy that I failed to post a message on my blog yesterday. So sorry :c(

7th grade classes--we've been reviewing one of my favorite parts of speech--PREPOSITIONS. Today we learned all about prepositional phrases and objects of the preposition. We looked at sentences with prepositional phrases then we examined those same sentences without! I think all would agree that prepositional phrases help us sound more sophisticated and less like cave men and women.

8th grade classes--we took another look at the ballad "Big John" by Jimmy Dean. Students developed a character chart, digging deep into the text of the ballad and discovering what made John "big and bad."

Tomorrow, Wednesday, we will view the start of the film October Sky, which is based on the memoir Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam. All 8th graders will eventually draft a compare and contrast piece between Big John in the ballad and Homer Hickam's father, John. In addition to analyzing characters, students will learn quite a bit about the era of Sputnik and the business of coal mining.

Have a great evening.

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Friday

2009-10-16T21:37:00.002-04:00

All students got a happy surprise today, a free book from the Book Fair. This gracious gift came from our wonderful PTSA. A BIG THANK YOU to the parents who made this possible.

Students had Reader's Workshop today, and I was impressed by the quality of many of the questioning entries I read in the RRJ's. In a questioning entry, students first question a facet of their reading; then they note an observation related to that question. Finally, students predict what they think will happen based on their observations. Then they repeat the process.

We ended the afternoon with our homeroom celebrations for first quarter. Students were recognized for perfect attendance, A-B honor roll, and A honor roll. Parents, check backpacks or certificates.

Happy Weekend, everyone!

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Thursday

2009-10-15T14:21:00.002-04:00

7th grade--Students responded to the following Quick...Write! prompt: If you were alone in your house and had only a few minutes to hide from home invaders, where would you hide? Describe the best hidign place in your house.

After students wrote for 7 minutes, I asked them to meet with someone they trusted and share what they wrote. We then focused on how easy it was to stray from the prompt and list the things we'd do rather than a description of the place we'd hide.

After that students refreshed their memories with prepositions. Mr. Frog and his log reappeared to help us cement our understanding of prepositions. We also looked at examples of prepositional poetry to see how poets use prepositions to help them craft their poems.

8th grade--Students completed the same assignment for Quick...Write! as the 7th grade.

After this we reexamined ballads. Today we read/viewed "Candle in the Wind 1997" and "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald." We analyzed the ballads, looking for characteristics OF ballads.

Agenda: 2 Questioning RRJ entries due Friday. 20 points possible.

Wednesday

2009-10-14T18:48:00.005-04:00

7th grade--Today's Quick Write prompt: Wash your hands! Clean your room! Take a shower! Why are so many adults worried about cleanliness? We had quite a few interesting responses, including "to keep us from getting sick" and "because they like to boss kids around." Hmmm...

We also focused our instruction on prepositions--one of the parts of speech in the English language. We used my buddy the frog and his log to demonstrate place prepositions. The frog was on the log, under the log, around the log, and even through the log!

For Writer's Workshop, students resumed their work generating ideas for their first work of 2nd quarter. Some students have decided on their genre and have begun drafting!

8th grade--Today we focused all of our attention on BALLADS. We read "The Ballad of the Triangle Fire" (:c( and watched video versions of "Cats in the Cradle," "The Ballad of the Green Berets," and "On Top of Spaghetti"--ballads one and all.

If you missed class today, you can view the video versions of these poems/song by clicking below:

Cats in the Cradle

The Ballad of the Green Berets by SSgt. Barry Sadler

On Top of Spaghetti

Agenda: Don't forget your evening reading and 2 RRJ entries, due Friday. (Questioning, please.)

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Tuesday

2009-10-13T20:20:00.002-04:00

Student-led conferences this evening seemed like a big success! All of the appointments from my homeroom attended, and I enjoyed eavesdropping on your conversations. Parents, we welcome your feedback on this new conferencing format.

Today in LA we completed a Quick Write on the following topic: If you were given a round-trip ticket in a time machine able to travel into the past or future, where would you go and what would you do when you got there? We had several interesting responses, and I was pleased to see so many students formatting their responses appropriately. (Begin the answer to a question by repeating the question, folks!)

After this we had a procedural mini-lesson involving a new method of getting my attention during Writer's Workshop. Students who were absent today, ask me for your HELP! strip and instructions.

Finally, we started generating ideas for our first written work of second quarter. We used an ABC chart to brainstorm topics we are interested in and topics we are experts in. If you were absent, I'm sorry to say that you missed a vivid description of my expertise--baking the world's FINEST cinnamon rolls! (My recipe only makes a dozen, though, so you'll just have to take my word.) Your first piece will be a Free Write--Name Your Genre.

Agenda: You have two RRJ entries due on Friday--Questioning entries, please. Don't forget that there are three parts to a Questioning entry. Check your RRJ for the last set we wrote together in class. It will refresh your memory.

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Saturday

2009-10-03T10:57:00.002-04:00

Thanks to Mr. Clark for showing me how to install gadgets on my blog. Now I'm having too much fun finding cool gadgets for all of you (and me!)

Check out the little aquarium to the left. The fish will chase your cursor if you put it in their water :c)

Everyone have a relaxing break and find some time to read a good book (or two or three, etc.)

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Friday

2009-10-02T19:38:00.002-04:00

I had hoped to finish grading all of the portfolios today, but I had to bring one crate home. I will post my homeroom's class grades as soon as I finish grading their portfolios.

Check PowerSchool for your final grade (and comments!) Homeroom students, I'll have yours updated asap.

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Wednesday

2009-09-30T21:17:00.002-04:00

I've been enjoying the writing portfolios. I've been working on my first period class tonight. If I manage to grade one class set per day, I'll have them finished mid-weekend.

Students seemed to be interested in The Miracle Worker today. Helen Keller's teacher, Annie Sullivan, was certainly an inspiring person and an amazing teacher. She's one of many teachers I have admired in my life. We will finish the film tomorrow (8th grade) and view the entire film in the morning (7th graders.) Mr. Clark's class will join us with the exception of those who have not finished their portfolios. You will have a study hall next door to do so.

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Tuesday Part 2

2009-09-29T20:47:00.002-04:00

Ladies and Gentlemen,
I've had some questions about tomorrow, Wednesday, our portfolio due date. As I announced in class today, we will not have time during class to work on the portfolio. They are due at the start of class. If you must print, you must do so before 8:00. You should have all drafts and your rubric ready to place in the portfolio binder when you enter LA.

Late penalties -10% (15 points) per day.

TO THOSE WHO'VE BEEN ABSENT DUE TO ILLNESS--Talk to me individually about your due date.

Hope this helps!

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

As of 8:45 p.m. I finished grading all the 7th grade Early Bird portfolios. Well done! (B+ average)

Tuesday

2009-09-29T18:11:00.003-04:00

We worked in the computer lab today, our last day there for this quarter. I was pleased to see so many students focused and productive; however, it would be AMAZING to see so many students focused and productive throughout the whole quarter (not just the day before a big due date.)

Mr. Clark and I had a conversation about that today. We were both hearing reports of extreme studying session for the history test today. (We've talked about the pitfalls of cramming, folks.) I hope all that extra work paid off in high test scores, but I'm even more hopeful that it paid off in real, sustainable knowledge.

Portfolios are due tomorrow. I brought home the early birds tonight. Time to get a cup of coffee (my treat for tonight,) my fuzzy slippers, and my favorite pen. I have grading to do! :c)

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Finished with Your Portfolio? Part II

2009-09-28T20:30:00.003-04:00

Post your scores on the blog (for my eyes only.)

Alpha-Bots Spelling Game (choose your level)

Robo Bee Spelling Game (Cloze)

BIGbot Spelling Game (watch your angles or you'll miss its mouth :c)

Confusing Words: Lay vs. Lie (Help Box Available--Difficult)

Commonly Confused Words Quiz

Grammar Blast Review

Grammar Blast Review II

Pronoun Review

Prepositional Phrase Exercise

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Finished with Your Portfolio?

2009-09-27T20:22:00.005-04:00

Check out these online LA activities. Send me your scores with the names of the activity as a posting on the blog. However, I will not publish your scores. They will be for my eyes only ;c)

Grammar Blast--Sentences

Grammar Blast -- Nouns

Grammar Blast -- Verbs

Grammar Blast -- Modifiers (Adjectives/Adverbs)

Grammar Blast -- Capitalization & Punctuation

Confusing Homonyms: Your & You're

Good vs. Well

Spelling Challenge 1--Multiple Choice

Alphabetizing Exercise

Commonly Confused Vocabulary 1

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Friday

2009-09-25T16:23:00.002-04:00

Shew! I have to admit, I'm glad today's over. As much as I appreciate the computer lab and the technology we have available to us, it's an exhausting day for teachers.

We started the day by having Ms. Woo reload Open Office because so many students had started drafts in it. (First period, great job at being flexible and working together to get a job done.) Students helped by manning their computers and clicking the NEXT and FINISH prompts. This made second period go much smoother, too.

Eighth graders, we must stop the chatting and off-task behavior in our time down there. It is not a productive use of our time, especially when there are others in the building who would happily take it off our hands.

I'm going to explore more options for posting the memoirs and poetry on my blog, so keep revising and proofreading. Each time you do, your drafts only get better.

Happy Weekend.

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

P.S. 8th grade students who were absent today may want to call a friend. We had the big announcement about your class trip today...hint, hint...LONG bus ride.

Thursday

2009-09-24T15:32:00.004-04:00

Today students gathered data for their end-of-quarter reading reports. (Yes, we used CALCULATORS in LA!) Students are required to track all of the books that they read throughout the quarter so that they can calculate the number of pages they read on average per day.

The standing homework assignment in language arts is to read 30 minutes every day that we meet--5 days a week. If students complete this "assignment," they should have several hundred pages read per quarter. It is evident when students cut corners or don't read at all. And it has to have a negative impact on their reading participation grade. (More importantly, it has a negative impact on their ability to improve their reading skills!)

Tomorrow we are in the computer lab, word processing and assembling our writing portfolios. I like these days because we are all busy, all productive. There is a metaphorical light at the end of the first quarter tunnel (metaphor alert! :c)

I'll see you all in the lab tomorrow. Don't forget your drafts, something to write with (for revising/proofreading,) and your 3-ring portfolio binder IF you haven't already stashed it in the class crate.

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

P.S. As for the BONUS work, you may type one or two of your finest RRJ entries and include them in your writing portfolio after the memoir and poem. They should be revised and edited thoroughly, and you should label each entry as Visualizing, Determining Important Ideas, or Questioning. You can earn up to 5 bonus points for the extra effort.

Wednesday

2009-09-23T17:40:00.002-04:00

Today we focused on some procedures for wrapping up the end of the quarter. It's not my favorite type of "lesson" to teach because it doesn't involve language arts, but I guess in a way...it does. If we are unable to follow directions and learn procedures, life is ultimately much more complicated.

If I never learned to follow directions, I would have never learned how to cook some of my beloved Grandma Lottie's favorite family dishes. If I never learned to follow directions, I would have never learned how to complete my taxes (ok, Mr. Venekamp does that, but HE had to learn by following directions!) Finally, if I had never learned how to follow directions, I would have never learned how to create these really cool blog postings and remind my students about the "important stuff" from our day.

Next I'm going to learn how to post your wonderful memoirs and poetry onto this site, so I have many, many more directions to learn! (See...it never ends!) :c)

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

P.S. More tomorrow on some bonus opportunities with your writing portfolios. You can thank Gary B. for the idea (insert a shoutout to Gary here!)

Tuesday

2009-09-22T18:20:00.002-04:00

Yikes! I just realized that I didn't post any messages on my blog yesterday. My apologies...

Uneventful day yesterday; students took their NWEA Language Usage test in the lab. About half of the 8th graders and not quite half of the 7th graders met or exceeded their scores from last spring (good for all of you!) As for the rest...what happened? My observations tell me that some of you aren't REALLY reading carefully and/or choosing answers accurately. When I see students punch keys quickly after a lengthy page of text pops up on the screen, I'm more than confident about my observations :c(

Onto today, Tuesday--all classes received their 1st quarter writing portfolio rubrics. Students are required to complete the rubric's Student Self-Assessment section and include the rubric in their portfolio of final works. Portfolio due date: Wednesday, September 30.

Reminder: the portfolio is worth 150 points and should be considered a sort of "final exam" for our writing curriculum. It is your opportunity to show what you've learned through our mini-lessons, model texts, and interactions with one another throughout the whole quarter.

We will be word processing final drafts in the computer lab on Friday, Monday, and Tuesday. I have suspended RRJ assignments for the rest of the quarter so students can focus on their writing portfolios. Don't forget to SAVE, SAVE, SAVE as you type and bring your USB with documents saved to class. You might also consider emailing documents to yourself.

Have a great evening!

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

P.S. To all 8th graders--GREAT AFTERNOON TODAY!! :c)

Friday

2009-09-18T15:54:00.002-04:00

Today students learned how to write Questioning the Author entries in their Reader's Response Journals. Together we read a nonfiction article about a 16-year-old young man who has been labeled the next "great" one in baseball. As we read, we questioned, observed, and predicted, which are the steps to a strong questioning entry.

Students will take their NWEA Language Usage test on Monday. All students need their reading book and their FINEST thinking skills for this test.

Happy Weekend!

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Thursday

2009-09-17T20:13:00.003-04:00

We had a good day today in LA. We took a little field trip to the Metaphor Museum and analyzed some interesting sentences. Many of them were quotes from Shakespearean plays. Others came from English poets. (Hey, everybody...what's a "fen?" What does it mean to be "wan?")

The 7th grade classes got a nice chunk of time for Writer's Workshop; the 8th grade classes were shorter today due to the Spanish schedule. Next week is our last week of Writer's Workshop for the quarter, so students who are behind on their memoirs and/or metaphor poem should be spending some time at home, either drafting or typing.

Tomorrow is going to be a great day for the teachers. We've got a "theme" day planned. Be on the lookout when you arrive; you'll surely notice ;c)

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Wednesday Well-Done

2009-09-16T16:44:00.002-04:00

Today we continued our work with similes and metaphors, viewing more interesting photos (I still giggle at the thought of that laughing cat!) and creating interesting metaphors to accompany them. Students also received a copy of a poem we will use as a model to write metaphors in poetry.

I promised some of the students a copy of the clown....err....kitten photo on my PowerPoint, so as soon as Mr. Clark shows me how to make a link to that, I'll post it here.

It's late--almost 5 p.m.--and Academic Detention will be over soon. Thank goodness for Crockpots and potroasts! I can smell it from here at my desk :cP

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Typical Tuesday

2009-09-15T17:35:00.002-04:00

Today was a good day; it's always a good day when I get to share my excitement about metaphors. Metaphors are a wonderful way to share the human experiences that we all have. (That's one reason why young children don't understand them!) When you use metaphors and other figurative language in your writing, you please your readers, which makes them want to read more of your writing.

To practice creating metaphors, we viewed some vintage photos today and shared intriguing similes/metaphors with each other. Some of my personal favorites: The man towered above the ladies like Mount Everest. Mother Nature blanketed the city with a cover of snow. The pitcher stood out like a sore thumb.

I've challenged all students to include similes and metaphors in their memoirs and look forward to seeing how clever they can be.

Oh, and FYI--we are learning how to write questioning R.R.J. entries on Friday, so we will write our "beefy" entry in class on Friday. Students should still complete their nightly reading and come to class prepared to write this new type of entry. (8th grade--we'll review questioning strategies and write your entries in class, too.)

Enjoy your evening.

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Monday, Monday

2009-09-14T21:33:00.003-04:00

I just looked at the clock and realized I hadn't posted my message for today (and it's approaching my bedtime!) It's been an uneventful day, which can be a good thing. All of my LA classes took their NWEA Reading test in the lab with Ms. Woo. I was pleased, for the most part, with the scores, although those of you who rushed paid for it with lower scores. Some of you will even be "invited" to retake your test because your scores dropped significantly :c(

I don't remember who said, "Anything worth doing is worth doing well," so I extend my apologies for "borrowing" your quote. It's a great idea. If you have to do it, you might as well do it well! And I've told all of my students repeatedly that their performances on the NWEA are just one of many things that help us keep our doors open at ICS. This is just the start of being judged on your performance, of being assessed on your skills. As a teacher I face this daily, and in this competetive world we live in, you'd have a hard time finding any profession where you aren't observed and given criticism on your performance.

Sleep well and come to school tomorrow morning ready for the challenge!

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Family Fun Day Today Part II

2009-09-12T16:13:00.002-04:00

WHAT A GREAT EVENT! I enjoyed watching all of you play games, make ice cream, search for treasures, dance, and paint your faces. (You Corn Hole fanatics wore me out! :c)

I will forward all my photos to Mrs. Blocher and Ms. Woo for the yearbook.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Family Fun Day Today

2009-09-12T09:43:00.002-04:00

What a beautiful day for a Family Fun Day at school! The sky is blue, the sun is shining, and I can personally attest to the fact that the popcorn is going to be delicious. (The ladies and gentlemen in the Title I room popped corn across the hall from my room all day yesterday. My students and I were salivating at the aroma :cP )

I don't know where I'll be helping or what job I'll be doing, but I'm sure I'll see you all there today. (Events like this make a small school community a great community!)

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Fabulous Friday

2009-09-11T16:09:00.003-04:00

Why do four-day weeks seem to drag? If anyone ever figures it out, please let me know.

Today we had our Unit 2 Spelling and Vocabulary Test. After the test students had their traditional Friday Reader's Workshop. On Monday students will take their NWEA reading test. We only have a few weeks left in the quarter, and we'll hit the ground running with our memoirs on Tuesday's Writer's Workshop.

Don't forget to SAVE, SAVE, SAVE your documents as you word process. You also need to either email or save to your USB to have access to your documents during class writing time. If I get time to proofread drafts during class, I will do so in a conference with you. After that you can go back to your draft and make some revisions/corrections.

Happy Weekend!

Fondly,
Mrs. V~

Thursday's Thoughts

2009-09-10T15:12:00.003-04:00

We tackled revising and proofreading expectations in class today. I introduced students to "The Green Folder," which is my homework assignment each night. After students word process, revise and edit their own work, they ask a trusted friend to act as their editor. The students received a green checklist of revision and editing suggestions for their editors to use. This green checklist needs to be attached whenever a draft is ready for "The Green Folder." I then take TGF home in the evening and put my proofreading and editing suggestions on drafts. Students make corrections/revisions and publish their final final draft.

Students reviewed proofreading symbols and learned the "Lucky 13" grammar, usage, and mechanics expectations for first quarter's works. Parents, ask to see the green slip/checklist. You, TOO, can act as a proofreader/editor, and it's a great way to see what your student has been writing in class :c)

We have a Unit 2 Spelling and Vocabulary Test tomorrow (60 points possible.) We've spent three weeks on these words, so I expect EXEMPLARY results on this test. Students also have an RRJ due tomorrow--Visualizing or Determining Important Ideas. It should be beefy since it represents a week's worth of reading. (20 points possible--as always.)

Fondly,
Mrs. V~