Coming to an End

Here are some important dates to take note of as we approach the end of the semester.

• All Make-up/Late work is due by Tuesday, December 14th. I will not accept any late assignment after this date.
• Extra credit is due Tuesday, December 14th.
• Our last vocabulary quiz (re, sym) for the semester is Tuesday, December 14th.
• All students will be provided with a semester final study guide on Monday.
• We will review the semester final study guide on Thursday. We play review games on the computer and students will have access to those same review games at home.

Final Exams

2nd, 4th, 6th hour: December 20th

1st, 3rd, 5th hour: December 21st

Great Writing: Topic Sentences

Here are just a few great examples of topic sentences that I received a few weeks ago.



Out of all of the sports in the world, there is one specific game that I follow. That game is baseball. Nathan Blue



There are so many themes, colors, and designs to choose from for a bedroom makeover to express your personality. I would like my room to be completely transformed to make it look like Africa. Hannah Parker



Every family loves to do fun exciting things with the whole family, but sometimes financial problems get in the way. Here are three inexpensive things you should consider. Hayli Milea



This year's book fair is goign to be great, but it will get even better with these ghree books or series. Miles King



There are lots of different shows to watch in the fall. When you watch a TV show you look for humor, drama, and a good story; I think these television shows have a good dose of each. Jillian Rutherford

Classroom Book WISH LIST

The Book Fair has many great new titles, which I would love to have on hand in our classroom library for students to read. I tried to compile a list of titles to add which would appeal to a variety of readers.


Here are some titles which I think will be hit with students, along with prices. If you would like to purchase one of these books for our classroom library, our class would be most appreciative. You may send money with your student or you may purchase them online. Please feel free to let your student read the book first or even chose a different title. All DONATIONS are welcome!



The 39 Clues, Riordan, $5.99

Crossbones, Corman $14.99

Beautiful Creatures, Stohl $8.99

Dark Secrets, Chandler, $9.99

Prophecy Sisters, Zink, $7.99

Million Dollar Throw, Lupica, $5.99

The Compound, Bodeen, $6.99

The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet, Dionne, $7.99

Football Hero, Tim Green, $5.99

Runaway Twin, Peg Kehret, $5.99

Escape, Zull0, $4.99

You can also view my classroom wish list here. This will provide a short description of the books listed above.

Extra Credit Opportunity

Review vocabulary, circ/trans by either playing the review games on the website, having your parents quiz you, or making flash cards. Bring a signed note from your parent stating that you did one of the above to study for your vocabulary quiz on Thursday.

T-Shirt sales

Team Dartmouth T-shirt orders will be taken on Thursday, October 7th during 5th and 6th hour. This will be the only day that you may purchase a shirt. T-shirts are $7. Pick up an order form from Mrs. Robinson. Please bring exact cash or make checks payable to Union Public Schools.

One Month Down

Here's just a re-cap of all that's been going on in English the past few weeks:

• We've spent time getting organized, setting up binders, introducing students to the library and computer lab.
• Daily, we have been reviewing the rules of capitalization and punctuation. Students are currently working on a "me" brochure which will feature all of their new learned skills. This brochure is due Friday, September 24th.
• We've spent a lot of time discussing reading: what to read, when to read, etc. Students are now spending about 15 minutes each day in class reading. Please encourage your child to read at home.
• Last week, we spent time discussing the reading strategy of visualization. We will continue to discuss various reading strategies through out the year.
• In writing, I gave student's the District Writing Pre-test and this gave me a good indication of what we need to work on this year. We will soon begin working on how to read and respond to a writing prompt. We will also begin to work on the trait, Ideas.
• Last week students took the STAR test. This test measures mostly vocabulary and some reading comprehension. I hope to share those scores with you soon. Once again, the best way to increase vocabulary is to immerse student's in print.
• This week, we began our study of Greek roots, inter- and intra-. The first vocabulary quiz will be next Wednesday and will require students to use the correct word in context. To prepare, students can play the review games on the website.

Future Dates to Note:

• ME Brochure is due this Friday, September 24th.
• Vocabulary Quiz, Wednesday, September 29th.
• Advanced 7: Seq. Group Advertisement Project is due Wednesday, September 29th.

Advanced Group Project: Book Advertisement

As a group, you will create one advertisement for the Sequoyah book you just read. It is your job to get others to read it!

·Create a poster or a book trailer
·Advertisement should be visually appealing, creating interest in the book
·Your advertisement should include:
·the Title of Book & Author
·Genre
·Theme(s)
· Just enough information to convey a sense of what the book is about without giving a way the entire book and CREATE interest.


*You will be given a min. of 2 days in class to work on this project. Project is due on Wednesday, September 29th.

Read, Read, Read

After spending most of the week discussing classroom procedures and getting to know each other, we began discussing reading. Good News...no book reports or book projects. Even better news, each student will read 40 books of their choice. Ten books will be of a specific genre. To assist students in meeting this challenge, I will be providing student's time in class to read, in addition to the 20 minutes of DEAR time they have each day. We will work hard to create a community of readers, sharing good books with one another, and I will conference with each student to assess their progress throughout the year.


On Monday, students will begin keeping a reading journal. In their journal, they will keep a record of what books they read, by recording the book title and beginning and end date for each book. Students will also keep a list of "to read" books.


Friday, we discussed how to "steal" time for reading and came up with a possible list of places and times to read. We also spent time discussing how to find good books. Please be aware I introduced students to this website: http://goodreads.com

Students may search for books and read book reviews on this site. If they choose, they can create an account, which will allow them to enter books which they have read, plan to read, write book reviews etc. It's really a great way to converse with a community of readers and create an extension of our classroom, as we can "friend" one another. As always though, please be aware and monitor your student's activity. This site offers reviews on all books, not just young/adult.


I would also like to thank everyone who has donated a book to our classroom library. It's very much appreciated. For those who were not able to make it to Open House, here are a few suggestions on how to help your student reach their reading goal.

• Take an interest in what they are reading


• Encourage reading time, even if it's in short intervals. Steal time in the car, waiting for appointments, bus etc.


• For struggling readers, take turns reading. Student reads a page and then parent reads a page


• Listening to books on audio is acceptable


• Make sure student's have access to books. Help student's return school library books in a timely manner and visit the Tulsa County Library from time to time. Used book stores also offer a good variety at an affordable price.

Please don't hesitate at anytime to contact me if you have any questions. I want this year to be a successful year for your student, reading more books than they ever imagined.

Attention Advanced Students: Please Read

It has been brought to my attention that in order to become a follower of this blog, you have to have a yahoo or google account/email. In order to have a yahoo or google email, you have to be at least 18. So, please skip this part of your instructions. I am very sorry for any inconvenience or frustration this has caused. Please just familiarize yourself with the website and complete the rest of this assignment. You may want to book mark this site or add it to your favorites.

By becoming a follower, you would have received an email alerting you to the fact that the blog had been updated. I will find another way to alert you when the blog has been updated or you may check the blog at anytime for updates. Parents, if you have a yahoo or google account, feel free to become a follower or I will alert you via email when the blog has been updated.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me. I will also go over all of this on Monday.

Enjoyed meeting all of you and I hope you have a great weekend!

Introductions

This is my seventh year teaching English on the Dartmouth team. I have a bachelor's degree from Northeastern State University and I became a National Board Certified Teacher in 2008. I am currently the team leader for the team Dartmouth, and I assist with the D-FY (Drug Free Youth) organization.

At home, I am the mother to triplets, two boys and a girl. They are entering the first grade and have already managed to fill my calendar with lots of extra curricular activities. I understand the need for family time, so rarely will I assign homework, unless it's a special project. However, should a student not complete their assignment in class, they they will be expected to complete it at home.

I am very excited about the upcoming school year. Students, as a team, we have some fun cross-curricular activities planned for you. In English, you can look forward to hands-on learning opportunities and I can't wait to share my love of reading with you. My goal is to help you become a better writer, reader, and thinker.

Parents, I will do my best to keep you informed. I strongly believe that academic success is a team effort. If at anytime, you have questions, please email or call me.

Students, feel free to leave me a comment. Tell me a little about your self, your goals for the year and/or the best book you read this summer.