This is a double-entandra. Meaning, it has two meanings. Let me explain. I've been lurking around the Blog for the past week and I've finally decided to post -- to "share my voice". And, as you may have noticed, I was not in school today. That is because I was a program called Urban Voices: A Choral Music Initiative run by the Metropolitan Opera Guild.
What this means is that we are going to have a Guild-trained (that means professional) choral artist working with us this year. How does that sound? (exciting! scary! confusing!) I thought all of those things. I'll explain more next week, but for now it made me think of all the ways we can share our voices. I hope you find many ways to share your voice this year as 7th graders at WJPS -- through your writing and speaking and (hint, hint) singing, not just in ELA but throughout your whole educational experience. I can't wait to hear you. I'll be listening...
My former school had an art program called Studio in a School. We did a lot of fun activities that tied ELA and the Arts together. We could do some of the activities in our ELA classes. What do the students think? Post your comments here.
Past tests (including the one we took in class) plus the scoring guides are available for you to download and use as practice. 7th-grade ELA is April 26-27.
Betrayals (a Strange Angels novel) by Lili St. Crow
Poor Dru Anderson...Her parents are long gone, her best friend is a werewolf, and she just learned that the blood flowing through her veins isn't entirely human. So what else is new?
Now Dru is stuck at a secret New England school for other teens like her and there's a big problem - she's the only girl in the place. A school full of cute boys wouldn't be so bad, but Dru's killer instinct says that one of them wants her dead. And with all eyes on her, discovering a traitor within the Order could mean a lot more than social suicide.
Can Dru survive long enough to find out who has betrayed her trust - and maybe even her heart?
Choose one from list A and add the word "for", then choose one from list B - and presto! - you have a NY State ELA Learning Standard
A: Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking, Viewing for... B: Information & Understanding; Literary Response & Expression; Critical Analysis and Evaluation; Social Interaction
ADVISORY CORNER
Let's think of some fun ideas for upcoming Advisory meetings. Email Ms. Marks with suggestions at shari.marks@wjps.org
Advisory
ePortfolio
Please continue to digitize -- type and save on thumb drives/Googledocs, etc.; scan; photograph and upload -- your portfolio selections from Terms 1 and 2 and what you think you may include from Term 3.
Select assignments from the list of ELA assignments. Mrs. Moreno and I are in the process of finalizing all of the assignments, complete with descriptions and standards.
By the second week of June, we are expected to have 9 pieces (3 from each term) of ELA work and reflections in our ePortfolios. If you need help, see me or Mrs. Moreno.
YOU HAVE TO READ...
***Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson. An amazing book that tackles very serious and real problems among today's teen girls - eating disorders and self-mutilation. It is written in such an interesting way, and moves so quickly. I read it in a few hours - couldn't put it down.
***Project 17 by Laurie Faria Stolarz. A creepy account of a teenage wannabe filmmaker who gathers an unexpected crew of students to film a Blair Witch Project-like movie. It documents one night the gang spends in a local mental hospital, which is about to be torn down.
***Love is Hell - stories of paranormal proportions. Authors include Gabrielle Zevin (Elsewhere) and Scott Westerfeld (Uglies). My fave is a story about a vampire novel that is too close to real life.
***The Christopher Killer, Angel of Death, and Circle of Blood by Alane Ferguson. A teen helps her dad, the coroner, speak for the dead. Through forensic investigations, Cameron Mahoney uncovers mysterious deaths in a small Colorado town.
***The Immortals Book 1: Evermore by Alyson Noel. Great read. The story is Twilight-ish, but much better written and in my opinion, much more interesting. Second book due out in August.
4 comments:
This is a double-entandra. Meaning, it has two meanings. Let me explain. I've been lurking around the Blog for the past week and I've finally decided to post -- to "share my voice". And, as you may have noticed, I was not in school today. That is because I was a program called Urban Voices: A Choral Music Initiative run by the Metropolitan Opera Guild.
What this means is that we are going to have a Guild-trained (that means professional) choral artist working with us this year. How does that sound? (exciting! scary! confusing!) I thought all of those things. I'll explain more next week, but for now it made me think of all the ways we can share our voices. I hope you find many ways to share your voice this year as 7th graders at WJPS -- through your writing and speaking and (hint, hint) singing, not just in ELA but throughout your whole educational experience. I can't wait to hear you. I'll be listening...
My former school had an art program called Studio in a School. We did a lot of fun activities that tied ELA and the Arts together. We could do some of the activities in our ELA classes. What do the students think? Post your comments here.
i think it sounds like fun!
~rita
I hope we get to do this amazing chorus thing. I love to sing and I am looking foward to doing this.
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