To check out students' alliteration poems click here.
In just a matter of minutes, students created clever, original poems featuring alliteration, the repetition of beginning consonant sounds. The work demonstrates the usefulness of alliteration to create a pattern that catches their readers' eyes and focuses their attention. Nice work!
To check out students' alliteration poems click here.
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Greetings Grizzly Families,
I want to ensure the STAR Reading Parent Report makes it home to you safely! Earlier this school year students completed the STAR Reading Test, a computer-adaptive test for reading. Students will take home their report on Wednesday, August 29th. The report contains a summary of your child's scores. Please take a moment to review the report with your child to determine strengths and areas of improvement. (Note: I do not need this report signed and returned to me. Please keep this report for your records.) The report can help you and your child select Accelerated Reader books. The Instructional Reading Level (IRL) of your child determined his or her Accelerated Reading point goal, along with reading 30 minutes a day. The Zone of Proximal Development is the book level/reading level range your child should use to select Accelerated Reader books. SCMS's library books contain the book level in the front cover or you may check the book level at www.arbookfind.com. Students will take the STAR Reading Test two other times this school year with the goal that their reading levels increases each time. Reading at school and home will help make a difference in your child's reading ability. I look forward to seeing how they've grown the next time we take the STAR Reading Test. Ms. C Greetings Grizzly Families, Personal Narrative Unit. This week begins our personal narrative unit called “Changes in Me.” As we move through the unit students will work towards answering the questions: 1) What is the relationship between change and growth? 2) How do writers use different types of writing to express their ideas? In answering the two questions, students will be preparing to write a personal narrative about an event in their life that brought about change. In the past, students have written personal narratives about going to middle school, the birth of a sibling, a death in the family, getting a pet, and many other incidents. This is one of my favorite assignments because I get to learn so much about my students. Students will be expected to define the vocab words, identify examples in writing, and create writing samples demonstrating their understanding of the terms. Vocabulary words for the unit include the following: 1. Alliteration 2. Cause & Effect 3. Characterization 4. Conflict (Internal & External) 5. Dialogue 6. Frozen Moment 7. Hook (Anecdote, Quote, Question, & Statement of Intrigue) 8. Incident 9. Mood 10. Personal Narrative 11. Point of View (1st, 2nd, & 3rd Person) 12. Sensory Details 13. Sequence of Events 14. Setting 15. Tone 16. Transition Words & Phrases 17. Vivid Verbs The unit assessment includes a multiple choice test, as well as, the personal narrative writing piece. Students will review the personal narrative rubric throughout the unit; I have attached a copy for your use at home. Please note that there may be slight adjustments to the final rubric used to grade students’ writing pieces; if this is the case, an updated copy will be provided to students.
Reading Logs. In addition to beginning the personal narrative unit this week, students will also be introduced to the Reading Log. The Reading Log is a weekly homework assignment that students complete Monday through Thursday. They will include the title, page numbers read, summary, and connection for the book they’re reading. They should also show this to you at home for a parent signature nightly. Because students have a 50 minute reading class, they may fill out their log and receive their teacher’s signature in their reading class. A sample Reading Log is attached below.
Accelerated Reader Due Dates. Believe it or not we are almost halfway through the first quarter! As a reminder, students should earn half of their AR point goals by the midterm, Friday, September 7th. Because the mid-term has jumped up on us, I am only requiring that students earn 30% of their AR point goals by Thursday, September 6th. Students will still need to meet 100% of their AR point goals by the end of the term, Thursday, October 11th. If students are able to meet 100% of their AR point goals and at least an 85% on their quiz averages, they will not be required to complete Reading Logs for second quarter.
The following is the agenda for the week of August 27th to the 31st: Monday through Thursday: Read 30 minutes & complete reading log. Wednesday: Library Day! Friday: No school. Reading log due Tuesday. Upcoming Deadlines: Earn 30% of AR Points Goal by Thursday, September 6th. Earn 100% of AR Point by Thursday, October 11th. Have a great week and a fabulous 3-day weekend! Ms. C After a tough week at Writing Boot Camp, we’re now in the home stretch with our last week starting this Monday. The troops should be pumped and prepared for the unit test this Friday, August 24th. If you need a refresher on what will be covered on the test check out the update dated August 13th.
The following is the agenda for the week of August 20th to the 24th: Monday: Students will take home a letter containing Accelerated Reader (AR) information and their Renaissance Home Connect log-ins. This will explain how AR is used and the expectations of students, plus the log-in information will allow you to check up on your child’s AR progress. Tuesday: Work on vocab cards & prepare for unit test on Friday. Wednesday: Vocab Cards Due. Students should complete flashcards for material covered in Writing Boot Camp up to this point. Thursday: Students will take home an AR Update. This information will provide you and your child with his or her 9-week AR goals and current progress towards meeting the goals. After reviewing this information, your child should ask you to sign his or her agenda in a location marked “AR Update;” this signature will be checked on Friday and will not be accepted late unless the student is absent. Friday: Writing Boot Camp Unit Test & AR Update Due. The following week we’ll start our next unit as we prepare to write personal narratives… I’m excited to see what these kiddos can create! Miss C Ahhhhh-ttennnnn-tion! Drill Sergeant Clifton here. I will take Miss Clifton's place tomorrow as we kickoff Writing Boot Camp. For the next two weeks students will exercise their writing skills as they review writing fundamentals, become more confident writers, and improve their writing skills. During today’s class students wrote down what they needed to be able to do by the end of the unit. I informed them that I had just given them the answer to the unit test with these notes. I have provided it below for your use at home. Please use this to help monitor your child’s progress and as a study tool for the unit assessments (The first quiz is Friday!). By the end of the unit I can…
I have also provided an agenda for this week in language arts class. I wanted to especially share this information with you during the first weeks of school in order to make sure everyone gets off to a great start. All students should have this information written down in their agenda. You may check your child’s agenda on Mondays to view what’s coming up in language arts class for the rest of the week (August 13-17th).
Monday- Begin Writing Boot Camp Vocab Cards. Students should complete vocab cards on notes from this week, including 1) Requirements of a Complete Sentence, 2) Subject, 3) Action Verb, 4) The Search & Check Step (M.A.R.K.), 5) Linking Verb, 6) Infinitive, and 7) Prepositional Phrase. Please note the schedule is flexible to meet students’ needs, so that some of this material may be added or carry over to the next week. Tuesday- Writing Boot Camp Kickoff- Wear camouflage today! Wednesday- Library Day. Students will complete the STAR Reading Test to determine their reading grade equivalents. Thursday- Due: Vocab Cards. Friday- Writing Boot Camp Quiz & Binder Check. I hope to see lots of camo tomorrow! -Drill Sergeant Clifton Greetings Grizzlies, We (students, parents, and teachers) have officially survived our first week of middle school! The year looks like it’s off to a great start and I am looking forward to working with excited and enthusiastic students. We spent today getting organized by putting together our language arts binder and folder. There were only a small handful of students who were not able to complete theirs in class today, so I wanted to send out an update with the information shared in class.
Next week students will begin Writing Boot Camp, also known as Kansas Writing Strategies. My overall goals are to: 1) Review & practice the fundamentals in writing, 2) Improve writing skills, and 3) Increase writing confidence. More information will be sent out soon on what to expect and how you can help your child.
Enjoy your weekend and get ready for Boot Camp! -Miss. C P.S. Well over 150 people visited our class website in the first 3 days of school- pretty neat stats! Last year my students came up with a silly idea to buy a llama.
What started out as a joke turned into $155 of student donations. We affectionately dubbed our llama "Pablo" and donated the money to Heifer International. With the donations, Heifer International will provide a family in an impoverished area of the world with the gift of a llama. Look what a silly idea can turn into! I'm proud of you 2011-2012 6th graders. -Ms. C |
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April 2016
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