As the month of October draws to a close, History students have completed one unit of study and begun another. The students took their Unit 1 test on Europe during the medieval period after completing a study guide and Jeopardy style review. They are currently at work on unit 2, “The Rise of Islam.” Students finished creating travel brochures that summarize the adaptations for the different environments found on the Arabian Peninsula. This week we they are learning about the origins of the Arabian culture during the Dark Ages and how Islam and the teachings of the prophet Muhammad united this diverse region.

In Language Arts, students are finishing a novel study on “The Midwife’s Apprentice.” We have been hard at work on standards such as analyzing characterization and setting, events that advance the plot, recognizing cause-and-effect relationships, determining internal/external conflict and identifying figurative language. The students have been listening to the story read by a skilled storyteller and they have been thoroughly engaged. Ask them what they have enjoyed about the novel and how the character has changed and developed over the course of the story.

In addition to the novel study, students are working towards their next Accelerated Reader points goal. I have met with each student who has not made progress and am encouraging them towards reading at their own pace. This includes the 30 minutes of nightly reading homework. If your student has not been completing this requirement, please check in with them and encourage them to makeup time on the weekend. Another bonus – any points beyond their reading goal becomes extra credit! The next due date for AR points is next Friday, November 6th.

Tomorrow will be our third College Friday for the year. There are more students on the list this time than there were last. We are hoping that the trend will continue to improve. Many students have been falling short of their college units by only a few points due to missing homework. Please feel free to send me an email if there is something I can do to help you at home. I am available at lunchtime four out of the five days during the week (Monday through Thursday) if your student needs more support on homework completion. Most of the work is done in class but there are students who need more time. I am trying my best to support them and provide them with a place to study. Furthermore, the progress reports will be out in another two weeks. If you have any questions, please feel free to email or call me.

Have a safe and thrilling Halloween!