Great job publishing the Akeelah responses today. Our new bulletin board is going to rock. If you have not published second and third responses, please do so. You will choose which response will be your major grade, and others will be counted as extra credit.

Homework: Read/Respond Dec. #16

Mrs. Marks' Advisory: Please bring in a food item (we also need plates, soda, and cups) for our holiday celebration tomorrow. Be prepared to discuss how you and your family celebrate the holidays.
I have made latkes and will bring sour cream and applesauce.

See you tomorrow!

try dis

http://btemplates.com/ for the blogger templates. Download the zip file, open the text document and copy and paste it on the blogger template thingy mabob. Ill help u on monday if u still dont get it :)

Creative Juices Are Flowing...

We will continue to revise and publish our responses to "Akeelah and the Bee". Please note that we will publish/share on Monday, Dec. 22. These pieces will form our January hallway bulletin board. It is required that each student publish one piece, however it is encouraged that each student publish more than one.

We were especially impressed with the creativity that you exhibited during this process. For example, Alex P. has created an electronic spelling machine inspired by Akeelah, a "new product" that launched after the movie. He plans to create a sample. Rita is interviewing classmates and measuring their reactions to the movie. Sal is creating an Akeelah web site. Ariana, Thomas, Nikitas, John K. and Hannah are creating a magazine centered around the movie's characters. Wilson spent a class period perusing the dictionary in search of words for Akeelah to spell. He proclaimed, "There are some great words in here!" :) Timmy plans to try all the response strategies. Peggy recreated an e-mail screen and is writing a note to Akeelah from her dad.

Library Staff, Akeelah Continued, Classroom Supplies

Our new library staff (through the end of January):
Vicki and Brianna (a return librarian) of Class 702 and David and Michael of Class 731.

We will continue our responses to the movie, "Akeelah and the Bee" tomorrow. Each of you will publish at least one response that will be displayed in the classroom.

Homework: Read/Respond Dec. #12.
Reading logs are due tomorrow.

Thanks to those of you who brought in classroom supplies. We still need:

• Tissues
• Hand sanitizer
• Magic markers
• Pens
• Loose leaf paper

"Akeelah and the Bee" Responses

We had a great time watching "Akeelah and the Bee" and wrote responses to the film in class. Drafts were written in the Reader's Sourcebooks. Please copy your work neatly on to construction paper or loose-leaf as they will be hung on the interior bulletin board.

Response choices included: (0r you can choose your own)

1. Connection to film (to media, text, self, or world)
2. Movie review
3. Letter to a character
4. Prediction
5. Envisioning (draw a scene from the movie and write a short explanation, or write dialogue)

Homework: Read/Respond Dec. #11

Reading logs are now due Wed. Dec. 17. Please turn them in by Wed. for credit. Remember, they are being graded this term.

Reading Logs Due

Reading logs are due tomorrow. This time, they will be graded. Please make sure that they are complete. They should include at least one daily login for every weekday from 11/17-12/11. Please also make sure that you are correctly filling in the "strategies" column (at the far right of the log). You should indicate which reading strategy you used in either reading or responding, such as prediction, text-to-text connection, inferences based on characters' actions, envisioning, etc.

Tomorrow we will create critical analysis/implicit questions based on Chapter 2 of Mummies, Bones & Body Parts.

Go George, Ariana, and Zachary!

Congrats to the final three spellers, who just happen to be from our grade!
First place and WJPS Spelling Bee Champion: George Bang
Second place: Ariana Montagnino
Third place: Zachary Rippe
These three super-spellers will represent WJPS at the Queens ISC, to be held January 29 from 4-8 PM. More details to follow.

I propose that we work as a grade to design and make (0r order?) customized T-shirts that say: "WJPS: It's A 7th-Grade Thing". or "S-E-V-E-N-T-H" (get it?). I am definitely going to cheer these winners on Jan. 29. I will let you know if friends are also allowed to attend.

Homework: Read/Respond Dec. 9
Reading logs will be collected for a grade Friday Dec. 10. Please make sure they are up to date and complete.

Mrs. Moreno is planning to return to school tomorrow. We missed her!!!!

Congrats to April Tsang, our last (but not least) grade 7 representative for the WJPS Spelling Bee, to be held Wed. Dec. 10 at 9AM in the WJPS Auditorium. Parents are invited to cheer on our winners.

Grade 7 spellers will face off against winners from grades 6 and 8. Winners must be available to attend the ISC Spelling Bee on January 29 from 4-8 PM.

WINNERS: Please wear a collared white shirt and dark pants. Blazers are optional, but always look really professional.
Let's go on to the next round!!!!

Homework: Read/Respond Dec. #7.

731 Winners...Spell Off Tomorrow

731 winners are George Bang and Stephanie Kang. Congrats!

There is one slot open for Wednesday's Middle School Bee! We will have a spell-off tomorrow in class 702 among all the nonwinners. Everyone who did not spell a word correctly will be given one chance to spell their designated word, until we've found our sixth winner for grade seven.

Parents and guardians are invited to cheer on the WJPS students Wed. morning at 9 in the third-floor auditorium. Please bring I.D. to present to the security officers at the 192nd St. main entrance. We look forward to seeing you there.

Homework: Read/Respond Dec. #6.

Our wishes go out to Mrs. Moreno...she is home with a nasty cold. Feel better soon!

Breaking News - 702 Bee Winners

Spelling Bee winners from Class 702 are Zachary Rippe, Ariana Montagnino, and Eilina Shen.
Congrats to the winners and all students who studied collaboratively (with each other) and took the spelling business seriously. These winners will move on to the WJPS Middle School Spelling Bee on Wed. Dec. 10. Cheering sections are encouraged. More information to follow.

731 winners to come as soon as they are selected.

Grade 7 Spelling Bee will take place during ELA class on Monday. Three winners from 702 and three winners from 731 will move on to the WJPS Bee on Wed. Dec. 10. Every seventh-grader received a Spell It! Study Packet...please use it plus visit www.spellingbee.com for more study tips, especially paying attention to the study zone link.

702: Please bring your Holiday Packet (the one with the two reading comprehensions, one was about a dolphin) with you to class on Monday. Both classes will continue with test sophistication as we examine the final standardized (test) question type - critical thinking.

Read/Respond Dec. #4.

Have a great weekend!

The middle school Spelling Bee is scheduled for Wed. Dec. 10 at WJPS. Parents, friends and other supporters will be invited to cheer on our class winners in their quest to represent WJPS in the Queens spelling bees.

Classes 731 and 702 have been practicing and competing pretty for a few days, and will continue to do so through tomorrow. On Monday, we will have the 7th-grade Spell-Off, from which we will have 6 winners, who will compete in the middle school bee.

This weekend, students will be able to take home the spelling packets we have been using in class to use as study guides. You can get more information on the Scripps Spelling Bee here: http://www.spellingbee.com/ There is a study guide, practice exercises, and history of the bee in this site. Take a look around.

Homework: Read/Respond Dec. #4.

The new term begins on Monday. Let's put our best efforts forward.

Spellbound

We will continue to prepare for the spelling bee with in-class exercises and practice competition. Winners in our class (3) will go on to the school spelling bee Dec. 10 and the winner will go on to the Queens spelling bee...then on the road to Nationals.
We will also be watching Akeelah and the Bee and Spellbound at some point this month to get us psyched to spell.
Let's spell and win!

Writer's Sourcebooks were collected today. If you failed to hand yours in, you will lose points. We needed them today because grades are due Friday AM.
Absent students, please hand in your Sourcebook immediately upon your return to school.

Homework: Read/Respond Dec. #3.

Writer's Sourcebooks...Revised Essays

Writer's Sourcebooks are due tomorrow. Please include your rubric either stapled or glued to the front or back cover.

Anyone who wishes to revise their Response essays can do so by Thursday morning. Most of 702 got theirs back (early revisions, like tomorrow morning, are welcome...it will save us time with grading before our Friday morning grades deadline). 731 will be getting essays back tomorrow and Thursday morning. You guys have until Friday morning for revision.

Great publishing parties today. Thanks for being respectful and (fairly) neat.

hey guys

ms marks can u put like printable pages of rubrics, work sheets ect.
here? i mean im keep losing so i might as well just print em

John kang 702

Publishing Celebration...Nonfiction Unit

Homework: Read/Respond Dec. #1
Writer's Sourcebooks will be collected and graded Wed. Dec. 3. Please use the rubric as a guide. Rubrics should be pasted or stapled into the book, either attached to the front or back cover.

Pizza Party/Publishing Celebration Tuesday, Dec. 2
702 will stay up for lunch. 731 will celebrate period 7.
$3 per slice/cup of soda. Please don't forget your $$$! Bring in chips, cookies, cups, plates, etc.

We are working on a nonfiction reading unit through the middle of January. Students are encouraged to visit the public library and take out nonfiction books of interest. Some suggestions are:
Biographies/Autobiographies (famous people including actors/actresses, sports figures, historical figures, etc.)
Science (animals, space, etc.)
History

We will begin to write nonfiction this month into January as well. Students will conduct research, analyze facts and opinions, and write informational reports and how-to-guides.

Response to Literature Essay, Advisory Clubs

Response to Literature 5-Paragraph Essay is due Monday. Please present your work, stapled, in the following order:

1. Cover page (with your name, name of essay (give it an appropriate title), due date (Dec. 1, 2008), and the name of our class)
2. Final draft (may be typed of handwritten; error-free and neat please!)
3. Drafts (most recent on top). Please limit this to two handwritten drafts (drafts should show revision and editing)
4. Peer Review Sheet (optional)
5. Rubric (missing rubric loses you 3 points)

Late papers will lose 5 points.

Advisory Clubs have been narrowed down to these three selections:

• Fine Arts Club (books, music, plays, etc)
• Home Ec/Life Skills Club (cooking, home skills, crafts, etc)
• Art Club (various art stations)

On Monday in advisory you will select your first, second, and third choices. We will try to accommodate everyone with their first or second choice. We can rotate these clubs or change the clubs as we go. We will then decide on a meeting schedule and let you know what you need in terms of supplies, etc.

We wish everyone and their families a safe, happy, and healthy Thanksgiving.

Mrs. Marks and Mrs. Moreno

Advisory Clubs

We took some quality time to share our works-in-progress with classmates. Letting another set of eyes (and ears) into your writing helps you become a stronger writer. Use the suggestions plus the rubric to revise tonight.
Essays are due Monday, 12/1. Please make sure you keep your rubric safe. Lost/missing rubrics will cost you 3 points.
Read/respond #15.

Mrs. Marks' advisory has been discussing advisory clubs, which would meet anywhere from 2 to 4 times per month. These are the ideas so far:

• Book Club
• Dance Club
• Technology Club
• Arts Club
• Home Ec./Life Skills Club

More details tomorrow when we have a grade meeting during advisory.

Don't forget to bring in an international dish or paper goods *plates, cups, etc.* for Wed.'s school feast.

Revising the Essay

We did a lot of great writing work today. Your essays (which are hard to do) are coming along nicely.

Homework:

702 - Revise entire essay using a different color pen. Remember, you are revising for format and flow. On Monday, you will switch papers with a partner and complete the peer review handout. You will be able to use the handout you receive from your partner to further revise your work.

731: Draft entire essay on loose leaf. Skip lines and use only one side of the paper. We will begin to revise on Monday.

ALL: Read/Respond #14.

Main Idea

For those of you who want to practice main idea more, use the strategy as your response to reading. We will be reviewing and learning new test sophistication strategies that will really prepare us for the ELA 7 test in January. Keep reading and responding, it will help you be a better and stronger test-taker.

5-Paragraph Essay

Several people were confused about topic sentences. Think of the topic sentences (the top, or first, sentences in paragraphs 2, 3, and 4) as mini-theme statements. They are big ideas (not the one you chose for your theme statement in paragraph 1, but they are other big ideas from your list related to it) that guide the rest of the paragraph. We are still drafting, so anything that is unclear or confusing can be changed during revision.

Homework: 731 and 702 should have paragraphs 1-4 drafted in Writer's Sourcebook. Tomorrow we will work on the conclusion.
Read/Respond #12.

New due dates for 5-Paragraph Essay and Writer's Sourcebooks: Dec. 2. Rubrics to come soon!

Portfolio Conference Success!

The portfolio conferences have been a huge success so far....we are looking forward to the final conferences tomorrow. Mrs. Moreno and I were impressed with the mature way our students handled their presentations -- you spoke intelligently and really showed what you have learned through evidence. Get ready - we will step up our work as we complete our 5-paragraph essay, and begin a nonfiction reading and writing unit that will take us to the holiday break.

Homework: Read/Respond #11.
731: Draft intro paragraph (1) in Writer's Sourcebook
702: Draft body paragraphs (2, 3, 4) in Writer's Sourcebook

Ms.Mark, 

I have trouble  with my text evidence and reason chart

Reaction Toward Portfolio Activity

I like how we made our portfolios. I think it a was good idea to have us write a reflection for each piece. I think it helped us understand how important our work was. It also shows how hard we have worked on it.

It's also an understanding of why we have did our work.

Very nice ALL My work is up to date when is the 5 paragraph essay is due

Portfolios - Part 2 (and still going strong)

702 endured a rigorous two-hour-long portfolio selection process. I was impressed with your focus and attention to detail. Tomorow , the process continues as we write narrative reflections on all 3 portfolio selections, as well as practice "defending" our selections based on standards and learning. We are in good shape for portfolio conferences, which begin Monday evening, continue Tuesday afternoon (it is a half day for middle school students) and Wed. afternoon (when students are in field work).

731 will continue to think about why they chose their pieces and beging writing and practicing talking about their selections, and how the work represents standards-based learning and growth.

Homework: Read/Respond #8.
Writing Sourcebooks will be collected for grading next Friday. You will receive a rubric (similar tothe one you have in your Reader's Sourcebook) early next week.

Portfolios

Over the next two days, we will be reflecting on the work that we've done so far, and determining which pieces from our work-in-progress folders best match the standards (what New York State expects grade 7 ELA students to be able to know and do). Remember, we are not doing work for grades only, but also to prove that we have met standards.

Ultimately, we will select three pieces of evidence from our work-in-progress folders, reflect on the ways in which they meet ELA standards, and write about the learning/work process. These pieces will be the basis of our portfolios that we will use for conferences next Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. We will continue to build our portfolios throughout the year.

Homework: Read/Respond #7
731 only: Complete theme statement text evidence/reasons chart in Writer's Sourcebook.

Have a great day off, but don't forget to log, read, and respond.

Due Wed. (702):

1. Revised 3-paragraph essays. Please include all drafts with your new final draft. Evidence of revision/editing is necessary.
2. Writer's Sourcebook: Draft the first paragraph of the 5-paragraph essay according to the format we reviewed in class today.

Reminder for Mrs. Marks' advisory: Please have your parents fill out the portfolio conference sheet and select a first, second, and third choice appointment. Forms must be returned (or you can e-mail me with the selections) by Wed.

New York State Learning Standards

This week we will be looking at our work in ELA so far -- as it relates to the New York State Learning Standards for ELA at the Intermediate Level. Please check the New York State Education Department @ http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/ela/pub/elalearn.pdf for the complete profile.

As we learned during our Standards/Concentration game, ELA Standards are broken down into: Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening, Viewing, Conventions of English Language & Grammar, and Literature.

Everything you know, learn, and can do in ELA is compared to these Standards. Your WJPS Portfolio is evidence of this. You will need to examine yourself and your work so far to determine where you believe you are on your way to mastery of these Standards and how fast that progress is happening.

Get ready to work!

702 mini-essays have been scored and are up on Teacherease. Remember, as with all published work, you can revise. Please take note of our comments and ALWAYS submit original and revised drafts. Please note: we cannot and will not accept any more revised work if it is not accompanied by the original "final" draft and the most recent "revised and edited" drafts. We need to see the progression of your work and all of the changes you have made.
These grades are your periodic assessments, as well as the comments made on all assignments turned in since the last periodic assessment (small moment draft).

731 essays are being graded this weekend.

Please check Teacherease for revised due dates for Writer's Sourcebooks. We are moving back the due dates to allow you to review a forthcoming rubric and understand exactly what is expected of a level 4 Sourcebook.

Have a great weekend.

Mini-Essays

731 completed their mini-essays in class today. Please refrain from using work time to socialize. We need to use all of our work time efficiently, and that means accountable talk (only accountable talk) and writing, writing, writing!

702: We will publish in class tomorrow. If you wish to type your work, please do so tonight. You can read during writing time tomorrow. Please bring your written, revised, and edited draft with you. You will submit both drafts tomorrow. We will begin reading our independent short stories and work on the full essay.

Homework: Read/Respond Nov. #3.

702: 3-paragraph mini-essays are due Wed. on loose leaf. Please turn in the final draft on top (can be typed) and a handwritten, revised/edited draft attached below (please staple). Use your notes in the Writer's Sourcebook on the essay format as your rubric. Each paragraph will be 33 points. This essay will be graded as a Sourebook grade (25 percent of your total grade).

731: see above....yours is due Thurs.

Have a great day off. Teachers will be in school all day Tuesday attending meetings and planning. We are always learning how to better teach you!

Queens Library & Trip Essays

Both classes have now been to the Flushing Main Branch. We hope you enjoyed seeing the library and learning about the many, many resources available. Please refer to their website @ http://www.queenslibrary.org/ to continue to learn about, and use, the services available.
After the trip each student was given a copy of the Queens Library Schedule, with all the schedules of our local branches. We hope this is helpful.

Beginning this week, the Flushing Main Branch will be hosting Teen Research Help on Tuesdays from 3-5 PM. Every Friday afternoon between 4-5, those of you between the ages of 10-13 can enter the "Tween Zone" to relax after a long week of school. There you can play board and video games, make crafts and have a snack with other Tweens.

Did you enjoy the trip? Did you learn something new? Want to "Share what you know?" Using your experiences from this, or any other trip, you may enter Principal Schneider's trip essay contest. See Mrs. Marks or Mrs. Moreno for further details -- prizes WILL BE awarded.

Reading logs will be collected tomorrow, Monday, Nov. 3. Please bring them with you to class. If your log is in your locker, it's not "with you".

We will work on our mini-essays ("Thank You, M'am") tomorrow in class. Be prepared with your revised drafts (702) and your first drafts (731) tomorrow. The published 3-paragraph mini-essay is due Wed. at the end of class. This will count as a Sourcebook/Class Work grade.

Please check Teacherease for due dates for the 5-paragraph essay (independently read short stories), Writer's Sourcebook, and other assignments.

Boo!

Homework: Read/Respond #18.
Class 702: Complete draft of 3-paragraph Response to Literature Essay.
Class 731: Complete text evidence chart for Response to Literature Essay.

Reminder: Mrs. Marks and Mrs. Moreno's advisory is celebrating the spirit of Scary Stuff tomorrow by reading ghost stories, discussing cultural superstitions, and of course, snacking. Please remember to bring something to eat. We also need soda, cups, and plates.

Class 702 had a terrific trip to the Flushing branch of the Queens Library today.

New librarians for Class 731 are Timmy, Sal, and Jody. They did a great job of organizing and labeling bins, reshelving books, and updating library cards today.

Homework: Read/Respond #17 in your Reader's Sourcebook. Please check Teacherease for assignment updates on
....Reading Logs
....Writer's Notebooks
....and Response to Literature Essays
*due dates are subject to change

A reminder from the WJPS PTA: All notices that are distributed in class MUST be brought home with you and shown to your parents. Communication is really important. If you are absent and do not receive a PTA notice, please see me to get a copy.

Reminder: Trip slips for 702 library trip are due tomorrow. You cannot attend the trip without a signed permission slip. No exceptions. Please wear full trip uniform. Bring your library card so that you may check out books, CDs, movies, etc. You may return them to ANY Queens library branch.

Special thanks to Timmy, Somin, and Lauren S., who helped Mrs. Marks deconstruct the old bulletin board and begin construction of the new one. Stop by and take a look -- the advertising posters look amazing.

Revised Reader's Sourcebooks are due tomorrow. You will not be reminded. Please turn them in to Mrs. Marks 1st period.

Homework: Read/respond #16

702: Please bring in signed permission slips for our library trip. Anyone who needs a new one can see me tomorrow morning. We have one parent chaperone. If anyone else's parent wishes to come, have them call the school and ask to speak to me by tomorrow afternoon. Our trip is scheduled from about 9:30 to 11:30/11:45.
Everyone attending the library trip must be in full trip uniform - blue school blazer, white button-down shirt, and solid, school-color bottoms. If you have a library card, please bring it with you. You can select and check out books, CDs, movies, etc.

Homework: Read and respond #15 in Reader's Sourcebook. 702 only: Complete the theme statements/self-connections work in your Writer's Sourcebook.

Our November libarians for Class 702 are: Michael, Nikitas, and Peggy. New librarians are needed for 731. Applications are now being accepted.

So far, the Advertising Poster presentations have been really impressive. You followed directions, practiced, and recommended new books to your classmates. There are still some more presentations for Monday. Please be prepared.

Read/respond #14 in your Reader's Sourcebooks.

Class 702: Please bring in signed permission slips for the Wed. trip to the Flushing Library.

See you Monday!

Advertising Presentations: Please be prepared to present your posters tomorrow. I hope we can get the video camera to capture the presentations, which have been great so far.

Read/respond #13 in your Reader's Sourcebooks. Look at the comments Mrs. Moreno and I made on your Tables of Contents, Lessons, Class Work, and Homework. Use the rubric (and please post it on the last page or back cover) to guide your work.

Mrs. Marks' advisory pizza party tomorrow: Please bring in $3 per slice/soda.

Advertising Posters....Library Trip

Advertising Posters are due tomorrow. Please follow the directions and use the rubric as a guide (also, please bring in your assignment/rubric sheet; put your name at the top). We will begin presenting the posters tomorrow. Presentation is part of the grade, so practice how you will inform the class about your book/poster. Again, refer to the rubric for specifics.

Class 731 visited the Flushing Main Branch of the Queens Library (Class 702 will visit next Wed. - please remember to wear dress uniform, including a blazer). We had a blast (especially when I was able to get a NYC library card and check out 3 CDs!). We learned a great deal about the many resources on the Queens Libary web site. Here is the link to the teen page. Bookmark it, use it.
http://queenslibrary.org/index.aspx?page_id=45

Midterm Grades

Congratulations 702 & 731, we are halfway through our first Trimester. Grades are in and progress reports are on their way. 731 spent the afternoon going over our midterm test and reviewing what they know, want to know, and have learned in ELA so far.

WHAT THEY KNOW/WHAT THEY HAVE LEARNED
That ELA is About Reading & Writing
Genres
Small Moment
Personal Narrative
Writing Process (Prewriting/Drafting/Revising/Editing/Publishing)
Sequence
Using Descriptive Words
Character's Motivation
Making Inferences in Literature
Making Text Connections
What Good Readers Do
Peer Review
Grammar/Mechanics
Prediction
Characterization
Timelines/Webs

WHAT THEY WANT TO KNOW
Limerics
How to be better readers
5 senses by memory
Bid Idea
Poetry
How to write Haiku
How to write Couplets
How to write a Novel

Reader's Sourcebooks....Advertising Posters

Reader's Sourebooks will be collected for grading tomorrow (Tuesday). Those of you who did not have it together today, consider this a gift :). Everyone is expected to receive a level 4 (use the rubric as a guide).

Advertising posters are due Thursday. Late posters (Friday) will lose 5 points. Please use the rubric as a guide. If you have any questions, please ask tomorrow, not the day before it is due. Take your time with this...it will be our next hallway bulletin board.

Class 702 started a Response to Literature unit today. Please make sure that you correctly create three theme statements from the big ideas you chose for the story, "Thank You, M'am". We will use those theme statements tomorrow.

A gigantic round of applause to Mrs. Marks' Advisory for excellent teamwork, creativity, and dedication to our Parent Conference poster. We really rocked!

TEACHEREASE

Most of the 702 midterms have been graded and you can check your scores/comments on Teacherease. 731 scores will be input later on today as Mrs. Moreno is at Urban Advantage all day. Please check Teacherease frequently to see your progress on reading logs, tests, and published work.

If you are having any issues using or logging in to Teacherease, please see me, Mrs. Moreno, or Mrs. Reed (parent coordinator).

Midterm Exam Friday...Study Please!

Please review your lessons and notes for our midterm test. We did a thorough review today, so we are confident that you have the tools you need to study tonight and do really well on the test tomorrow. The test will consist of true/false questions, the writing process (identify steps in order and explain each step), reading comprehension and connections/inferences, and editing (find and correct errors).

Reminder: Reader's Sourcebooks will be collected on Monday. Please use the rubric to guide any work you may have to do to earn a level 4.

A note for Mrs. Marks' Advisory: We are having pizza tomorrow. Please bring in $3 per slice/soda. If we have leftover money, we can use it for our next party/snacks day.

Celebrating Teen Read Week

Even though Teen Read Week is officially over this weekend, we will continue to celebrate our love of reading next week as we create adveritising posters that "sell" our favorite books. You will get the details this week. Thanks to those students who voted (though there were only 7 of you)...it's important that everyone exercises their voice in the choices we give you in class.

Reading logs will be collected tomorrow. Please do not forget them at home, in your locker, or lose them. You will not receive credit unless you hand in your reading logs during your class' ELA period.

Review for midterm test will be tomorrow. Please bring your Reader's and Writer's Sourcebooks to class so we can clarify anything that has confused you. This is a good time for you to check the Reader's Sourcebooks to make sure you have all the lessons and notes.

See you tomorrow.

731 and 702 will take a midterm assessment on Friday, Oct. 17. Please mark anything that confuses you in your Reader's or Writer's Sourcebooks with a question mark. We will review on Thursday.

****UPDATE****Reader's Sourebooks will be collected Monday Oct. 20. We originally planned to collect them Thursday, but we want to give you an opportunity to use the Reader's Sourcebook as a study tool. Review notes from both Sourcebooks to prepare yourselves for the test.

Reading Logs will still be collected on Thursday. Please DO NOT FORGET TO BRING THEM TO CLASS. They should be complete - including logs for every school day plus at least one log per weekend/holiday.

702 is creating a very cool bilingual dictionary that we will post and add to in our classroom. 731 will do the same soon.

Have a great time on the trip. I will be at school administering the PSAT. (Don't have TOO much fun without me).

Online Writing Help

Here is a link to a wonderful web site hosted by Purdue University. It helps me teach you how to edit .... use it to pump up your writing. It has great lessons you can go through yourselves, and practice activities.
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/

Author's Chair and Peer Response

Mrs. Moreno and I are very proud of you (both 702 and 731) for the amazing attention and focus you exhibited during Author's Chair and Peer Response. We will continue to celebrate our writing as our ELA community learns and grows. The hallway bulletin board (right across from the main office) is filling up with exemplary (high-level) work. Look through your peers' stories as you pass by. These stories should serve as models for your writing. If your story didn't make it up there this time, you will see it displayed inside our room. Everyone should aim to be highlighed outside. That takes focus, hard work, and attention to detail. Revision is key. Many of you worked very hard to revise after handing in a final draft. Thanks to all of you who checked comments on Teacherease, met with me and Mrs. Moreno in conferences, and wrote a new and improved published piece.

Our next unit will be Response to Literature. We will discuss this more when we meet early next week.

Reading Logs and Reader's Sourcebooks will be collected on Friday (both classes). Please refer to your Reader's Sourcebook Rubric to get yours ready for grading. Reading logs should be complete and contain reading information for every day (some days will have two log-ins). Read this weekend and respond according to the Homework assignment (October #6): Make an inference based on characters' motivations.

Have a great three-day weekend!

Amazing Read-Alouds

702: I had a terrific time reading "Blue Diamond" with you. You were focused and thought critically. There are many, many, many great read-alouds ahead. Use the strategies we learned today in doing your homework tonight. Make inferences about characters' relationships or motivation.

731: We had two great period of reading today, and we got to know characters even more deeply by looking at their relationships and motivation. Practice what we learned today with your independent books tonight.
Also, your narratives will be returned tomorrow and we will have a last round of peer review. Final papers (in the format we reviewed today) are due Friday. No excuses!

Two more students were able to get on to the blog today with my help. If your friends are still having log-in problems, please assist them. We need every single student on the blog everyday.

The Write Stuff

731: Edit drafts to find and fix spelling, punctuation, grammatical, tense, and other errors and correct them in a different color pen. Rewrite on clean loose-leaf. Continue to skip lines and use only one side of the loose-leaf. KEEP ALL DRAFTS> THEY ARE PART OF YOUR FINAL PRODUCT. Mrs. Moreno and I will collect your drafts Monday and review them. You will see comments on Teacherease soon after.
702: GREAT publishing party. You really impressed me with your ability to give your fellow writers specific feedback (the chips and cookies and other treats were yummy, too.)
Read this weekend (at least 25 mins. each night). Log and respond each time you read. Everyone will get a Reader's Sourcebook rubric on Monday. Reading logs will be collected each Friday and Reader's Sourcebooks will be collected and graded every two weeks. Keep them updated and neat.

Published....

702 had the first half of a publishing party today as we celebrated the amazing small moment personal narratives. Thanks to everyone who was prepared, took the time to read and respond positively to their classmates' stories, and for those brave enough to sit in the "author's chair" and read their stories to the class. Tomorrow, we eat!

731 is editing like crazy....finding and correcting all kinds of mistakes. Their stories will join the growing list of 702 titles on the bulletin board soon (Check out our position, right across from the main office!!!)

Please remember to bring in the following supplies:

• Loose leaf paper
• Post-it-notes

Reminder: 702 Small Moment Personal Narratives are due Thursday.
This is the order in which you should submit your papers:
Top: Cover page
Next: Final draft (handwritten, no mistakes you know of, no cross-outs)
Next: Most recent rough draft
Next: Least recent rough draft
Bottom: Rubric (copied neatly from the writing workshop chart the class created today)

Papers are due Thursday at the start of class. Any papers submitted after that lose 5 points. Friday is the last day to get credit for submitting your narrative. Please make sure all the parts of the narrative are there (see above) and stapled before you turn it in.

Read over the break. Continue to log your reading and respond to the text.

Happy New Year to those who celebrate.

See you Thursday...

Revisions, Reading Logs, and other Reminders

Those of you who are rewriting your goal letters, please include your first draft along with the new (and better) copy and rubric.,and hand it in on Monday. All goal letters will be graded by Monday. If you did not get your letter back today for revision, you will get it on Monday and you will need to rewrite it (following the directions above) by Thursday.

Please take the time to read at least 25 minutes each weekend night and respond at least once per reading. Log your reading! Reading logs will be collected Friday, October 3. There should be reading log-ins each night at home (H) and every day that you read in school (including DIR).

See you Monday...

Homework: Read at least 25 minutes. Respond to reading on post-its or in sourcebook. Please keep all of your responses in your sourcebook (past post-its onto the pages). Your sourcebooks will be collected and graded in two weeks.

Those of who you didn't turn in the Goal Letter must turn it in tomorrow or suffer a zero. Late papers will suffer minus-5 points. In the future, missing rubrics will lose you 3 points.

All students must submit revised and edited drafts on Friday. THERE MUST BE PROOF OF DRAFTING, REVISING, and EDITING. These drafts will be used as your periodic assessments (or how we measure your progress at the halfway point of the term). If you do not have your drafts to turn in on Friday, you will receive a zero. Please bring your work to class with you each day. Your drafts will be returned to you so you can work on them Monday and all of next week in class and at home (use the time over the two-day break to write). The due date will be on or around Friday, October 3. We will plan our publishing party soon afterward.

See you tomorrow.

Thanks to the Parents...

Meet the Teachers Night A Success!
Mrs. Moreno and I would like to thank the enthusiastic parents who came out to meet us (and Ms. Fong) in our ELA classroom.
I am tired, so that's all for tonight (yes, teachers get tired, too.)
Remember that goal letters are due tomorrow.
See you then.

Reminder: Please bring ALL of your work to class with you everyday. If it's in your locker, it's not in class. If it's at home, you may not be able to try the strategy we learned in class. Mrs. Moreno and I will give you feedback on your readers' sourcebooks this week. Please organize/update them according to our comments. Also, please keep all of your writing drafts in a folder.

Continue to revise your drafts tonight. 702 and 731 should have a clean Draft #2 ready for further revision/editing on Thursday. 731 will switch papers with a fellow writer tomorrow to get a new perspective.

Use the field work time on Wed. to complete your goal letters. They are due Thursday.

We look forward to seeing parents tomorrow night...

Supplies

These are some of the supplies that you will need every day for reading and writing workshops. Failure to have these supplies can cause unnecessary delays and missed work. Please make sure you bring these supplies with you EVERYday.

• post-it-notes (standard size or larger)
• a colored pen - other than blue or black (for revising and editing)
• a highlighter
• loose-leaf paper (our class supply will soon run out); we can store your packs in our room and use them to replenish the class supply
• a pocket dictionary and thesaurus (we can store them in our room; please write your full name on the front or inside covers)
• a folder for writing materials (drafts, etc.)

Other helpful items:

• hand-sanitizing gel and/or wipes
• tissues
• paper towels
• extra pens (for our class supply)

Thanks....

Reminders: Goal Letters are due Thursday. Please attach the rubric to the letter (it should be the last page). Small Moment Personal Narratives will be due Thursday, October 2 - more publishing instructions to come this week.

Library News, Pen Pals, and Other Thoughts

The 702 library staff (Michelle, Rita, and Brianna) have been working hard to get our library in order. We will be adding more books to the collection this week as we clean out the closets and categorize the titles. Each time you finish a book, please head over to the reading response center (located next to the sharing shelf) and take a reading response that makes sense for the title you just completed. Once the sheet is filled out, place it in the reading response bin next to our library card catalogs. It will go into your portfolio eventually as evidence of your reading achievement.

Take time this weekend to work on the self-addressed goal letter. IT IS DUE THURSDAY, 9/25. The handout contains the due date of Monday, 9/22. Ignore that.

Please give me some feedback on the pen pal idea I threw out there a few days ago. I am thinking that we could correspond with seventh-graders in another state and get to know how people in other parts of the country think, feel, and entertain themselves. Post ideas/comments here.

See you Monday.

Drafting, Career Project...and What Do I Do When?

Most of you are at the point where you are out of the Sourcebook and drafting scenes on loose-leaf paper. Please keep your papers organized (in a folder, for example). DO NOT THROW AWAY ANY DRAFTING PAPERS. You will need your Sourcebook each day in class as we learn a new technique and try out the strategy. I am impressed with scene development. Keep stretching the moments with details and descriptive words. Use your classmates as "sounding boards". Peer review will be a big part of what we do in our ELA community.

702 has been introduced to the career goal statement letter project. Class 731 will get the details tomorrow.
Due date for 702 is Thursday, Sept. 25 and 731 to be determined. Please use your field work time on Wednesday to work on this letter.

Over the next week, you will learn ways in which you can spend your class time if you finish the work time assignment early. We have set up a reading center in the room, where library assistants have stocked reading response sheets. We will also create an interactive word bank that will help the writing community experiment with word variety.

Keep up the good work...

Welcome to the new contributors...Thanks for checking your e-mails and signing up for the blog. Both classes should be fully functional soon. I am resubmitting all the e-mail addresses over the next two days.

Over the course of the next few days, Mrs. Moreno and I will be assessing student reading levels so that all students are reading books that they can understand (and of course, that they like). We will also review procedures for responding to text once a book is finished. The library assistants for each class have been hired; A new group of assistants will be hired in early October. We will also have other classroom jobs - think about how you would like to contribute.

Our career project assignments have been copied. Next to copy is the rubric. Hopefully, we will have the opportunity to review the assignment and the rubric Friday or Monday. Keep investigating careers and colleges in the meantime.

See you soon...

Small Moments

Develop small moments through the five senses.
731: Choose at least one sense as a focus for each idea you develop (1/2 page each minimum).
702: We will start to draft tomorrow.

JOB POSTING: Library Assistants Needed!
Michelle will be our first library assistant (702). We are in need of one more assistant for her class, plus two assistants for class 731. Your job responsibilities will include keeping track of library cards, reshelving returned books, and making sure all bins are neat and organized. You will also check reading response sheets and make note of which sheets need to be replenished and/or copied.
Applications will be taken via the Parking Lot.

See you tomorrow....

Ideas

You have been gathering, developing and choosing ideas (702 did that today) for personal narratives. We have some great ideas! You have been responding to literature by connecting ideas from the text to your lives, the world, and other texts. Mrs. Moreno has posted ideas for sharing our voices in and out of class. With all these ideas being generated, we are off to a great start. After two weeks of school, Mrs. Moreno and I are impressed with your ideas.

Tonight, read for at least 25 minutes in a quiet place and respond to the reading according to the homework. 702 should finalize their small moment timelines, while 731 will continue to develop story ideas. Bring in all of your career info... we will begin the project later this week.

Here's another idea: I want to start a pen pal program with a seventh-grade class somewhere else in the U.S. I have some ideas about how to do this. Share your ideas here.

Mrs. Marks

SKATEBOARDING

A hint you can leave with Mr. Moroney:
Skateboarding could be in your phys. ed. class! Skate Pass, a Colorado company that supplies skateboards, helmets, and pads plus a skateboarding program for phys. ed. teachers, is changing the rules about "no skateboarding in schools"....11 states have taken up the program. Maybe we can write a persuasive letter to Ms. Schneider and get this program in our school. What do you think?
-Mrs. Marks

Sharing Your Voice

Small moments...and connections

Great work today in 702 - amazing story ideas as we zoomed in and stretched with details. Develop your ideas further by Monday.

731 did an excellent job with the read-aloud today. We generated a great working list of character traits for two characters in our new story. Continue to make connections as you read independently.

Have a great weekend.
Mrs. Marks

You did an amazing job with text connections today. Keep making connections as you read your independent texts. We will continue to learn more ways to respond to reading.

Class 702 is on a roll....you deeply engaged yourselves in the read-aloud today. More of the story to come next week. We will dig deeper into our writing by developing more personal narrative ideas tomorrow.

Tomorrow 702 (and next week 731) will get to know our classroom library. We will learn about the various genres, sort some books that Mrs. Moreno and I have yet to place in the library, and review a system for checking out and returning books.. Also, if you want to be a library assistant, please let us know tomorrow.

Mrs. Marks

Brainstorm

Now that the writing process is becoming clearer, continue to brainstorm ideas for the personal narrative. Class 731 got to try out two strategies, and I was impressed with the enthusiasm and creativity the class showed in the process. We have a great and growing list of story ideas. Class 702 did an amazing job with the timeline, and tomorrow will try out the web and develop some story ideas.

Read and respond to reading tonight. Tomorrow, we will review the text-to connections.

Keep compiling information about your career and colleges/universities that offer training. You will begin the project next week.

Mrs. Marks

The Writing Process

We will learn the truth behind the mysterious writing process and brainstorm ideas for the mysterious personal narrative tomorrow. All things will be revealed...

Homework: Research colleges/universities that offer academic programs related to your career. Choose a college or university that interests you, visit the schools' web sites, and find out if they offer courses and a degree in the job/career you want. Take notes in your writer's sourcebook. You will use the information you gathered from researching the career, and from the colleges/universities, for your first project.

Read for 20 minutes in a quiet, focused place. Respond to reading using post-it-notes or your reader's sourcebooks.

Second week off to a good start

Continue to investigate your career by using keywords in Internet searches, and talking to people who work in the jobs you wish to have. A 702 student found someone who works in the career field he likes, and he e-mailed her a list of questions and got amazing responses in return. First-hand knowledge is always a great source of information.

Read 20 minutes tonight in a quiet place without TV or music to distract you. Check your understanding by finding the main idea every few pages, or for each chapter.

See you tomorrow...

Keep exploring...

Exploring a career is the first step in creating a plan for college and beyond. Next week, you will continue to investigate your chosen career and work in groups to find common threads among the class' career choices. Success in ELA will prepare you nicely to be anything you wish to be...

In your writer's sourcebook, continue to take notes from information you find online, through interviews, and by reading magazines, newspapers, etc. We will begin a project early next week that includes a resume (a document that tracks your academic and personal experiences and accomplishments) and goal statement letter. These will help you set goals for yourself in ELA and across all your classes.

Have fun reading this weekend. Remember, at least 60 minutes total. Response to reading should be written in your reader's sourcebook, or on post-it-notes.

See you Monday.
Mrs. Marks

Reading..and Careers

You are reading and responding to literature really, really well. Please find a quiet, comfortable place at home to read each night - we will start with 20 minutes and build stamina (how long you can do something) each week. Log your reading (time you read, pages you read) and a reaction in your reader's sourcebook.

In your writer's sourcebook, continue your inquiry into future careers. Research the career you chose yesterday by Googling a keyword (for example, "teacher") or asking someone you know who is in that career. Once you have gathered some information, take notes in your writer's sourcebook. You will come up with a list of questions you still have about the career tomorrow, share your ideas with your classmates, and do more research this weekend. You will start your career project on Monday.

More details about my former life as a journalist tomorrow.

~~Mrs. Marks~~

As you consider which career path I took to get to teaching (hints: I was not an astronaut or a comedy show host), you are also thinking about careers in which you are interested, and more importantly, what you need to do to make your dreams a reality.

All classes: Your homework (Writer's Sourcebook) should include a brief description of the career, requirements (character traits, training, experience, education, etc.) and any other information you would like to add. You will use this reflection as a starting point for our first project, which will guide our work in ELA this year.

731 - Have fun reading your newly selected books. Respond to the reading with post-it-notes or in your Reader's Sourcebook.

702 - We will select books soon.

Great first day...

It was a very productive first day of school. Now that we got to know you a bit, I want each of you to think of two questions you have for me and Mrs. Moreno. You can jot these questions on post-it-notes and place them on the parking lot tomorrow. We will answer them as the week goes on.

Remember, your Sourebooks and supplies are due tomorrow. 731 will have their Sourcebooks set up and 702 will set them up tomorrow so that we can start writing. We will also be choosing independent reading books and begin learning strategies that will make even the most resistant readers love to read.

See you then!
Mrs. Marks

Welcome to ELA 7

Hello and welcome to our grade 7 English Language Arts class. It is so exciting for me to join WJPS in its third year as the teachers, students, and staff continue to create a unique school culture. I am sure that our time together will be amazing. Mrs. Moreno (class 731) and I look forward to teaching you -- and learning from you.

At the start of a new school year, we form the basis of our learning community by getting to know each other. You will have many opportunities to become acquainted with each other in our ELA class. We will be participating in a lot of group and partner work. You will also get to know me very well. Here's a sneak peek:
1. I interviewed Derek Jeter
2. I make time to read every night
3. I wanna break my bad habit of saying, "wanna" (there I go again)

Now back to you (the reason for this blog). Get ready to be challenged. You will grow as readers and writers in an exciting, fast-paced learning environment. Your goal as students is to get to college, and this year you will learn a variety of strategies that will help to prepare you to advance to the next grade, enroll and succeed in high-school-level Advanced Placement (AP) classes, and ultimately attend the college of your choice (perhaps with a nice scholarship to help you along the way).

You will be expected to meet your abilities and exceed them. Mrs. Moreno and I will be here to help you every step of the way, with encouragement, with requests to read and write daily, and with very high standards for excellence.

This blog will serve as a place to share ideas, news, announcements, etc. Check it daily.

Let's start an amazing new school year at WJPS.

Mrs. Marks