HOMEWORK: Friday, September 30, 2011

1. Word Attack Quiz (Uni- and Bi-) Monday
2. 20-Minute Habit of Reading
3. We will try to finish presenting "transitions" performances, so be patient.

HOMEWORK: Thursday, September 29, 2011

1. MUG quiz tomorrow. Be prepared to submit your completed study guide.
2. Writing Development: Vomit, Outline, Essay (Dogs/cats make great pets), Highlighters due tomorrow.
3. Word Attack: Uni-   Bi-  quiz Monday
4. The 20-minute habit of reading

HOMEWORK: Wednesday, September 28, 2011

1. MUG study: "Using the Right Word."
Quiz Friday

2. Essay for Friday: Vomit, Outline (sentence or topic), essay
Be sure you word process the essay: Times New Roman, 12 pt., single-spaced

3. Word Attack study: Uni- and Bi-
Quiz Monday

4. Twenty-Minute Habit of Reading

5. Transitional Words and Phrases performances tomorrow. Please rehearse and come prepared with props.

HOMEWORK: Tuesday, September 27, 2011

HOMEWORK:

1. MUG study: "Commas H"
Quiz Friday

2. Essay for Friday: Vomit, Outline (sentence or topic), essay
Be sure you word process the essay: Times New Roman, 12 pt., single-spaced

3. Word Attack study: Uni-   and Bi-
Quiz Monday

4. Twenty-Minute Habit of Reading

5. Fry Challenge #2: Please have the template from today completed and all of your data graphed.

HOMEWORK: September 26, 2011

1. MUG Week #3: Study Guide
Quiz on Friday.

2. WORD ATTACK Week #3: Uni-   and Bi- 
Be studying both word lists for the week. Quiz on Monday.

3. Daily Reading Habit: 20 minutes!

4. Essay: Due on Friday
Topic: Dogs or Cats (you can choose either)
Thesis: "_______ make great pets."

Be prepared to show evidence of vomit, outline and essay for Friday.
Bring four colored highlighters on Friday, too.

Happy Weekend

Enjoyed meeting your parents and guardians last evening. Thank you for spreading the word.

HOMEWORK:

1. Arrive prepared to take Monday's WORD ATTACK quiz (Mono- Poly-)
2. MUG Week #3 begins on Monday.
3. Enjoy 20+ minutes of healthy reading habit. Logs just MIGHT be collected this week!!!
4. We'll review your SENTENCE OUTLINE and TOPIC OUTLINE for "American Dream" on Monday.
5. New essay assignment coming early next week.

Remember my "Staples" story? Why not perform a random act of kindness this weekend?

Hope to see your caretaker tonight at 6:30 p.m.

HOMEWORK:

1. MUG Week #2 quiz tomorrow. Be sure you've completed your entire study guide or else you will receive a zero and not be allowed to quiz.

2. WORD ATTACK (Mono- and Poly-) quiz on Monday.

3. How's your 20-minute reading habit going? Remember: your log can be collected at any time.

4. OUTLINE PRACTICE: Read the essay titled, "The American Dream." Create two outlines for this essay: one sentence outline and one topic outline.

Don't forget: Curriculum Night is Tomorrow at 6:30 p.m.

HOMEWORK:

1.) Read the "Capital Punishment" essay distributed in class today, then use the essay to create two outlines: a SENTENCE OUTLINE and a TOPIC OUTLINE. Remember: Your TOPIC OUTLINE is really just a "filtered" version of your SENTENCE OUTLINE. Please type these outlines.

2.) MUG practice: "Subject-Verb Agreement" exercises in your MUG study guide. Quiz Friday.

3.) Practice the 20-minute habit of reading.

4.) Word Attack Study: Mono-   and Poly  - for Monday's quiz.

P.S. We still need a catchy song to remember appostives! Why not create one with a friend?

"Subject + Verb = ?"

HOMEWORK:

1. MUG Study: "Commas E" and either "Irregular Verbs B" or "Verb Tense". MUG Quiz Friday
2. WORD ATTACK Study: Mono-  and   Poly-
3. Practice the 20-minute habit of reading.

Tomorrow we begin the art of outlining!

Do you know how to exit from our classroom in the event of a fire drill? If not, ask.
Curriculum Night, 6:30 p.m. on Thursday.

Pluggin' Along

HOMEWORK:

1. MUGshots Week #2: Review all skills taught today. Complete MUG practice sheet: "Degrees of Comparison A". Your study packet will be your ticket into the "game" on Friday.

2. Twenty minute habit of reading.Ask yourself:  "I wonder when Mrs. Smith will collect my evidence log?"...

3. WORD ATTACK: Mono-   and   -Poly
Study both lists of words for the week.

4. If you class got to "The House" story today, be ready to explain the purpose of this activity. A and C did not get to this activity today due to fire drill and quiz.

Enjoy your weekend!

HOMEWORK:

1. Study "WORD ATTACK" lists for the week (Pre- and Post-) for Monday's quiz.
2. How is your 20-minute minimum "Gift of Reading" fitting into your daily schedule? Figure out how you can weave this healthy habit into EVERY SINGLE DAY. Remember, your "log" sheet can be collected at any time!

3. We'll begin MUGshots Week 2 and Fry Challenge #2 next week, also!

Here come our first quizzes! (Tomorrow and Monday)

HOMEWORK:

1.  MUGshots Week #1 quiz tomorrow. You will not do well if you do not study your notes from my daily sentence lessons.

2. Find the parts of the house in the "Africa" essay issued today in class.

3.."WORD ATTACK" Quiz (Pre- and Post-) on Monday. Study both lists of words!

4. How is your 20-minute minimum "Gift of Reading" fitting into your daily schedule? Figure out how you can weave this healthy habit into EVERY SINGLE DAY. Remember, your "log" sheet can be collected at any time!

5. Margin Noting Practice: "Montana Woman Fends Off Bear Attack With Zucchini" for Friday.

6. Now that I finally have the correct answers for "Fry Challenge #1," we will revisit that assignment tomorrow and graph our "Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Vocabulary" data.

We're juggling lots of tasks at once... are you keeping up?

HOMEWORK:

1. Study "WORD ATTACK" lists for the week (Pre- and Post-). Quiz to come (maybe as soon as Friday)!

2. MUGshots Week #1: Review today's classwork to ensure you understand today's skills. Teach the skills we learned today to an adult at home. To prepare for Friday's MUG quiz, complete "Sentence Fragment Ex. C" in study packet.

3. How is your 20-minute minimum "Gift of Reading" fitting into your daily schedule? Figure out how you can weave this healthy habit into EVERY SINGLE DAY. Remember, your "log" sheet can be collected at any time!

4. Margin Noting Practice: "Montana Woman Fends Off Bear Attack With Zucchini" for Friday.

5. We'll be finishing "Fry Challenge #1" tomorrow in class. Make sure you've completed the three sets of questions (Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Vocabulary) for tomorrow's class. Again, sorry you can't take home the red Fry book! We just don't have enough. Make time in PA to get this done.

Toasty Tuesday

HOMEWORK:
1. Study "WORD ATTACK" lists for the week (Pre- and Post-). Quiz to come!

2. MUGshots Week #1: Review today's classwork to ensure you understand today's skills. Complete "Sentence Fragment Ex. B" in study packet. MUG QUIZ on FRIDAY!

3. How is your 20-minute minimum "Gift of Reading" fitting into your daily schedule? Figure out how you can weave this healthy habit into each day. Remember, your "log" sheet can be collected at any time!

Muggy Monday

HOMEWORK:
1. Study "WORD ATTACK" lists for the week (Pre- and Post-). Quiz to come!

2. MUGshots Week #1: Review today's classwork to ensure you understand today's skills. Complete "Sentence Fragment Ex. A" in study packet. MUG QUIZ on FRIDAY!

3. How is your 20-minute minimum "Gift of Reading" fitting into your daily schedule?  Figure out how you can weave this healthy habit into each day. Remember, your "log" sheet can be collected at any time!

4. Now that you have written and "dissected" your IPSWICH essay, what will you do differently in your next essay?

Happy Friday

HOMEWORK:

1. Make sure your IPSWICH essay is still in the "Writing Development" section of you ELA binder. We will continue our guided reflection with highlighters on Monday.
2. Be sure to have your Poetry Terms Study Guide (40 terms) completed for Monday.
3. Begin developing your healthy habit for reading. Give yourself the gift of reading for a minimum of 20 minutes each day. Remember to jot down your progress on the template given in class today, knowing that the template can be collected at any time!!!!

If you spend time this weekend watching any of the 9/11 documentary programs we discussed in today's class, I'd be interested in hearing your reactions.

We're Busy...

HOMEWORK:

1. Essay: "Ipswich" due tomorrow. Please remember to type the essay in 12 pt. Times New Roman Font. Single-spaced, please. Also: please do not have an adult "correct" your essay. We are looking to see what "YOU" are capable, not your parents, and it's important for us to see your mistakes and design our lessons based on that information. Please arrive to class with your work printed!!
2. Please find four different colored highlighters to bring to class tomorrow.
3. Poetry Terms Study Guide: Please have all 40 terms defined for Monday, 9/12. This study guide should be kept in the "Elements of Literature" section of your red English binder.
4. Make sure you have at least two of your "I Pledge, I Will..." books in your locker. Do you have a plan to obtain all six books in the next week?
5. Plan Ahead: By now, every class has experienced the "Reading Minute" activity. You will be asked to prepare and present a "Reading Minute" in the coming weeks. Review the instructions on both sides of the "Reading Minute" handout given in class. Begin shopping for the piece of text you will eventually share with the class.
6. WORD ATTACK: Study the prefixes issued today: Pre- and Post- . Can you find any new words that begin with these prefixes? Look in the dictionary!
7. Explain the "Margin Noting" process that we learned today to an adult.

It's a Wet Wednesday...

HOMEWORK:

1. Essay: "Ipswich" due Friday, 9/9. Please remember to type the essay in 12 pt. Times New Roman Font. Single-spaced, please.
2. Please find four different colored highlighters to bring to class on Friday, 9/9.
3. Poetry Terms Study Guide: Please have all 40 terms defined for Monday, 9/12. This study guide should be kept in the "Elements of Literature" section of your red English binder.
4. Make sure you have at least two of your "I Pledge, I Will..." books in your locker. Do you have a plan to obtain all six books in the next week?
5. Plan Ahead: By now, every class has experienced the "Reading Minute" activity. You will be asked to prepare and present a "Reading Minute" in the coming weeks. Review the instructions on both sides of the "Reading Minute" handout given in class. Begin shopping for the piece of text you will eventually share with the class.

Feels like Fall....

HOMEWORK:

1. "Words to Live By" due tomorrow
2. Essay: "Ipswich" due Friday, 9/9. Please remember to type the essay in 12 pt. Times New Roman Font. Single-spaced, please.
3. Make sure you have at least two of your "I Pledge, I Will..." books in your locker. Do you have a plan to obtain all six books in the next week?
4. Plan Ahead: Most classes (all but A Block) experienced the "Reading Minute" activity today. You will be asked to prepare and present a "Reading Minute" in the coming weeks. Review the instructions on both sides of the handout given in class today. Begin shopping for the piece of text you will share with the class.

P.S. Only one student approached me with a Spanish mini-lesson. Will you be next? Buenos Noche!

Please arrange to print your own work...

I have received several e-mails from students who are asking me to print their "Words to Live By" or "I Pledge, I Will..." assignments. While I appreciate students digitally sending work to me, I'm often inundated with requests from students to print their work.  I realize several students do not have printers at home, but there are more than 100 of you and only one Mrs. Smith.

Here's an idea for the future, which I already suggested to students:

I do not have a functional printer at home, either. As a result, I often e-mail my work to my own e-mail address and print it at school the next day. I encourage students to do this, too. Would it be possible for you to e-mail work to yourself and "CC" it to me as a backup? If you do not not have a Hotmail or Yahoo account, I can help you make one. This way, students can take care of their own work, and I don't have 115 students asking me to print their work.

Does that make sense?

Thanks for taking care of this issue. See me if you need further help. :)

Happy Long Weekend!

HOMEWORK & REMINDERS:

1. Be sure to have your "I Pledge, I Will..." document ready to submit on Tuesday. Remember: your LLM teacher will have a copy of this contract!
2. Bring at least two of your "I Pledge, I Will..." books to school! Students who go the extra mile would bring more than two!! Be that kid!!
3. "Words to Live By" due on Wednesday.
4. Do you have your signed syllabus and your summer reading work in your classroom mailbox? If not, solve that problem.

Enjoy this lovely long weekend!

Mrs. Smith

P.S. Learn a new Spanish word or phrase to teach me!  :)