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The ASU Sun Devil
These are the proud colors of ASU, Arizona State University, the college I have adopted for my classroom. As students enter the halls of San Jose Middle School this coming Thursday, August 20th, they will be seeing many different colored pendants and banners from colleges all over the U.S. As a staff, we are excited about the new college focus and have many activities planned around it. The first activity will be our College Readiness Kick-off Event on Tuesday, September 1st from 1:00-2:00p.m. This event will include guest speaker Dr. Jeri Echeverria, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs of the California State University system. That following Friday will be our first College Friday for students who have been responsible, respectful, engaged and adhering to the SJMS Commitment contract that each student will have signed.
To start out the Language Arts and History core curriculum, students will begin with a strong focus on writing. We will begin with improving vocabulary, writing strong paragraphs and expanding paragraphs to organized essays. In addition, each class will be focusing on writing for the daily warm-ups for the first few weeks to get the students comfortable with writing. Mini-lessons on reading comprehension will be integrated into each History lesson, which will eventually work into collaboration lessons. The intent is to help the students work towards working in groups to investigate mini-inquiry/research questions. Students will eventually be taking a reading placement test (STAR test) using the Accelerated Reader program provided by the district. Once the students reading levels are determined, an AR points goal will be set for each student for the semester. This points goal is a formula based on students reading at their level for a minimum of 30 minutes per night, 5 nights a week. Please help your student by making sure that they have a book (I strongly encourage you to get a free Marin library card) and that they are reading for the minimum time nightly. You could also read to or with them. This is a great way to connect with your teen and to ask questions in order to gauge what they comprehend while reading.
Unfortunately, Technology is not an elective that is being offered this year. My hope is that I will be able to integrate technology into the different subject areas in different ways with the students. That being said, it is important for you and your students to make sure that all information from the packets that are passed out on the first day are returned as soon as possible. Within that packet there could be a form that allows students to get onto the computers at school. If they did not attend SJMS last year or did not turn in their form (AUP – Acceptable Use Policy/Network form) they will not be able to use the computers. This will greatly hamper their academic experience if they cannot participate along with their peers.
A few events that you should be aware of by now include the mandatory parent meetings on Tuesday, August 25th, Wednesday, August 26th, and Thursday, August 27th at 7:00pm. Please find a day that works for you in order to attend one of the meetings. In addition, Back-to-School night is slated for the evening of Wednesday, September 9th from 6:30-8:00pm. I look forward to meeting you face-to-face on that evening and I anticipate this will be a new, exciting year for us all!
With a week remaining, Core students are trying to finish out the last of the unit on the Maya, Incas and Aztecs. They are also preparing for a fashion show where they must write descriptive paragraphs/scripts to read during the show for the designs they create. It should be a hoot!
Next year, there will be a school-wide emphasis on reading and Accelerated Reader. In order to motivate summer reading, I asked the Novato Teen public librarian to come and speak with the students about their summer program. There is an online site where students go to write book reviews for books they have read. For each review, students will obtain an e-raffle ticket towards weekly drawings and the final, grand prize…a voice activated shuffle. If you want your student to keep track of what books they have read, I have a Reading Record on my resources page.
The Technology/Exploratory class is viewing the projects they have created with iMovie. We are finishing out the year with a few fun art projects inspired by artists like Matisse and Escher. Students will be bringing their Technology portfolios home. I try to encourage the students to keep them, as they may want to create and adapt the projects at a future date.
In closing, I would like to say it has been a great year. I have enjoyed teaching all of your students and learning from them, also. Please, encourage them to read over the summer months. Share what you are reading with your students and ask them to share. Read a book together, as a family. On long trips, download audiobooks onto ipods or borrow audiobook CD’s from the library. The main Novato library has quite an extensive selection of teen books. I hope to have the opportunity to talk with the students in the fall about the novels they have read over the summer. Have a peaceful and relaxing summer.
As I write this post, I am sitting at my computer trying to accomplish the last of my summer reading goals. There are so many good books and blogs to read out there. Although I have learned a great deal, there is still so much I was hoping to cover and learn about but all good things must come to an end.
I have learned about some great new technology tools which I hope to be able to use with students this year. One of the sites I learned about, called Wordle, uses a “tag cloud” technology where the words that are used most often are displayed in a larger, bolder font than others. Based on my blog I created the following Wordle image. You can take any block of text and paste it in, or use a blog or website address which has an RSS feed to create an image. What an interesting use of technology to investigate what are the most prolific words used on a site or in a block of text.
Another piece of technology I have been researching is a type of clicker which uses radio frequencies to send data to a computer in order for the teacher to get instant feedback on student assessments. Imagine asking students a question during a lesson and instead of calling on one student to answer, each student is able to give their input. Although the tool is cheaper than using laptop computers, there is still a fairly large sum to incorporate this technology into the classroom. I hope, down the road, we will be able to find the monetary funds to support these new interactive technologies.
Overall, I have to say I had a very productive summer. I took two online courses, attended one three-day conference, and read numerous books from the YALSA 2008 Best Books for Young Adults List. I have also had the opportunity to meet a couple of times with my colleagues to plan for the coming school year.
In addition to my professional development and reading for enjoyment, I also found time to spend with my family. You probably saw me with my family biking and walking around town. We even made it to North Shore, Lake Tahoe for a few days where we biked even more and went rafting down the Truckee river (I highly recommended this for a family trip). Needless to say, all these activities have kept us busy and the summer has flown by.
As I begin this new year I am excited about the possibilities that lie ahead. I am particularly excited about returning to a core where I can incorporate the Social Studies curriculum with Language Arts. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me (my preferred mode of contact) or contact me at school via voice mail. In addition, I encourage you to sign up for my blogsite through a news aggregator service (see my parent resources page) in order to stay abreast of news in the classroom. I try to post at least once a month. You can also subscribe to my wikispace pages for each of my courses in order to stay current with content covered in class and homework. In closing, I would like to say thank you for your support and I look forward to a productive and enriching school year.
From Monday, April 28th through Wednesday, May 14th STAR testing will take place for students. This year, we have arranged for a block-testing schedule where each class will be 1 ½ hours in length. Students will alternate classes depending on the day. For instance, on Monday, April 28th, students will attend first, third and fifth periods with access and lunch in between. On the following day, Tuesday, students will attend second, fourth, and sixth period classes.
While we spend the next two and a half weeks testing we ask that you help out your students in the following ways. First of all, please make sure they have a good night’s rest. Most teachers are cognizant of the fact that students are consumed by testing and will cut down on homework expectations for these two weeks. I only ask that students continue reading for 30 minutes each night. In addition to plenty of rest, a good breakfast provides good fuel for the brain and will help sustain them throughout the morning of testing. Lastly, please make sure that your student is at school on time. Tardies can be especially disruptive during this time of high stakes testing. Thank you for your support.
The days are passing quickly now. There are only about thirty-four days left of the semester and only thirty days until the Accelerated Reader points are due. Encourage your student to read more as this will count as extra credit. You could even read a book together, as a family. I just listened to a story on CD from the library titled 47, by Walter Mosley. It was part historical fiction and part science fiction. The story was about a fourteen year old boy who was the slave of a brutal master. He meets another boy, Tall John, whom he believes is a slave. Through their brief friendship, he learns to believe in himself and how to be free. I highly recommend it.
In closing, I would like to say I have been sharing books that I have purchased and read with the students. They have been quickly grabbing them up. If you have purchased novels for your students and they are finished reading them, we would love to have them share and contribute those books to the class library. Students are much more likely to pick up a book if it has been recommended by someone else. I have posted in the class the Best Books for Young Adults 2008 list from the American Library Association. I hope to get through the list myself but have only just begun. If your student needs to be inspired by a good book, check out that list. Another good website, which Ms. Collins just reminded us about today is Teen Reads. This is a website where teens give the book reviews. You may even want to have your student frequent that website over the summer. It never hurts to plan ahead for next year!
Best regards.
As the month of March draws near, we have begun to anticipate the testing that will confront students in the coming months. The first California standardized test, which all seventh graders will be required to take, is the STAR writing standards test. In order to prepare the students, all seventh grade classes have been analyzing or are in the process of analyzing and practicing the different genres that students could possibly be confronted with on Tuesday, March 4th. The different genres are Persuasive, Summary, Response to Literature, and Narrative. In the process of preparing, we have been trying to help the students focus on the importance of organizing their writing and the key parts of each genre. While the students have many good ideas and much to say, if they do not have the organization or the elements which comprise each genre, their writing will not matter. Key terms we have been reviewing include thesis and topic sentences, introductions, blues/hook, projected plans, reasons and examples to support your topic, rebuttals, conclusions, varied sentences and more. We will continue to reinforce the terms already learned in the different genres and throughout the remainder of the year. In preparation for the test on Tuesday, we ask that you have all seventh graders to school on time, with a good night of rest and a healthy breakfast.
On another note, students are gearing up to memorize a two-minute speech to present to their classmates. The speeches were chosen from a variety of topics: book excerpts, persuasive speeches, short story, monologues, etc. (Students were also informed of links on my resources page to book experts) They are required to memorize their speech with, at most, an index card to serve as a prompt. If you are interested in coming in to observe your child present, please feel free to email me and I will do my best to accommodate the schedule for you. Those students who do an outstanding job may be asked to participate in the SJMS speech contest on March 18th and possibly move on to the San Domenico Speech contest later next month.
In addition to further test preparation practice, students will begin reading a short novel, The Pearl by John Steinbeck. In this unit of study we will be analyzing the many themes (good vs. evil, the poor oppressed by the rich, things aren’t always what they seem, etc.) and exploring the symbolism, while enjoying the rich language and descriptive characters.
In conclusion, I would like to encourage you and your children to read together in the evenings. Students are required to read for thirty minutes every night. What a better way to end the night by reading as a family and then sharing what you have read. Share with your child the process – what you think about, what you predict will happen, questions you have about why the author chose to portray the character in a certain light or write in a certain way. The more you can model your reading process the more experience they will gain. Ask them the same questions about their reading. I read to my children every night. As we read together, I will stop and ask them questions about what they think might happen next. Too often, students think they have to answer a right or wrong question that they can’t appreciate anticipation and the joy that reading can bring. They are used to reading and answering questions from a textbook and are unsure or hesitant about thinking for themselves. It is amazing how much modeling can help free them up in order to show them they are capable of critical thinking. This will also help them in their Reader’s Journal responses. You could even have them write their journal response letter to you. Wouldn’t it be fun to write a letter back to them?
I understand how life can keep us busy, but there is no greater gift you can give your child than modeling for them how a reader reads, responds and interacts with text. It can be reading the newspaper, a poem, novel or other informational text. The objective is to show the importance of reading and how we make sense of it. You are your child’s first teacher. With your support, we can work together to guide your student towards becoming a life-long learner.
Technology/Exploratory students have finished creating their iMovies and have moved on to exploring the elements of photography. So far, students have looked at light and shadows, camera angle, frame and scale, composition and story sequence. We have several other projects we hope to complete before moving on to the next unit of study which will be art.
In the art unit of study, we will be looking at several artists from different eras and with different styles. This will include artists from the Renaissance, to Post-renaissance, Cubists, Surrealists, to more current artists and styles (pop art, comics, etc.). If you have any experience or expertise with a certain style or artist and would like to come talk to the students – or even present a lesson – let me know. We would love to learn from you.
I just finished reading “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” by J.K. Rowling to my daughter. I understand why the author is one that so many children and adults can enjoy. In the novel there are many exciting parts; but there are also situations that allow us to relate and connect with the characters. She also conveys some important messages like the one on the last few pages of the book which reads…
“There are all kinds of courage…It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.”
Challenge Day was an emotional roller coaster. So many walls came tumbling down to reveal what was inside of each child, each person. I was so proud of my “family.” What a fantastic group of children! They were able to look past the labels…you’re fat, skinny, ugly, pretty, black, white, slow, nerdy…to say “what does it matter?” We are all human and we are more alike than we are different. By putting a label on someone else it keeps us from knowing what each person has to offer as an individual. I hope these children will be able to stand up to their friends in the future when they see them place labels on others and judge people based on stereotypes.
When I share with people that I teach middle school they often look at me like I am crazy! I think a part of me was drawn to this age because it was such a difficult time in my own life. We all struggle at this age to fit in, be liked, loved and respected. We are in such a fragile state of being and feel like we are all awkward and alone. For some of us, not much changes throughout our lifetime.
I want to thank the P.T.A. for helping to bring Challenge Day to our school. This experience has taught me that it doesn’t matter what age we are. We are all human and, whether we come from the same background or not, the most fundamental need and desire is to feel loved and have our feelings validated and respected. There were so many sad children who had bottled up their feelings but were able to open up today. I wanted to scoop up each and every child there and tell them they are loved and how special they are. I wanted to tell them they are not alone and I know how they feel.
We all have the power to change a life and make someone feel better about themselves through love and kind words. I was reading some poems to my children this evening and I came across two by Emily Dickinson which made me reflect on the day.
A word is dead
When it is said,
Some say.
I say it just
Begins to live
That day.
In this short life
That only lasts an hour,
How much, how little,
Is within our power!
And, another…
If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.
I hope to validate the feelings of everyone in my life more than I have in the past. I hope to never tell my children, again, not to cry or don’t cry like a baby. I want them to acknowledge their feelings and understand why they feel the way they do. I want them to know it is alright to have them and to let them out once in awhile. I also hope that I can contribute to mending those broken hearts and lightening the burdens that plague those we are surrounded by.
We could all use a little more love, empathy and compassion in our lives. I appreciate the love I have been given and those lives who I have been blessed to cross paths with. I am surrounded by incredible students who have so much to offer this world. And, I realize how similar we are no matter what age or background. It is our feelings that unite us and make us able to relate to each other as humans. If we embrace and connect to those feelings, we will find the love and respect we all deserve.
As I sit down to write this post before the start of the new school year, even though I am embarking on my eleventh year of teaching, I still anticipate getting a case of the jitters on the first day. It is usually preceded by a few nightmares which hark back to my own middle school years…forgetting a large assignment or a big test until the last minute, getting locked out of the house in pajamas, etc. While it might be an uncertain time not knowing what might transpire from this year, it is also a time of great hope.
I have been working closely with fellow colleague Ms. Meyers throughout the summer in order to come up with a comprehensive and thoughtful curriculum for the seventh grade. We will continue to work together, whenever possible, throughout the year with the hope that we will provide the most engaging curriculum and best education possible for your students.
While seventh grade can be a difficult year socially, emotionally, and academically, I hope it holds for your student the beginning of a successful educational path. Our goal is not only to help them find their strengths in reading and writing but also to enjoy the learning process.
We had a fun afternoon of activities for team today! Every team had six different games to compete in. Here are some pictures from the Hoppity race.
