In The Know

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.

As the semester is coming to an end the seventh grade students are busy finishing up their short stories. We have spent the past several weeks working on strategies to enhance their writing. The students have looked at what makes good fiction, problems in fiction (conflict), created a main character through a questionnaire, conversed about what to consider when creating a character and how to develop a character. In addition, we spent some time perusing student written short stories while looking at story structure.

The students have been in the lab for two weeks typing their stories. Some of the mini-lessons we have covered in the lab have included “really bad words” to stay away from while writing/editing, how to use a Thesaurus to replace dull verbs, writing so a reader can “see it, hear it, feel it,” and how to slow down important parts in the story by creating a “movie” in your mind’s eye. It is exciting to see even the students who struggle inspired to put words on paper. I eagerly anticipate hearing their stories next week. My goal is to have every student read their stories aloud to their classmates the week of December 10th through the 14th. If you are available and would like to come in and listen to your student’s story, please send me an email letting me know when you are available and would like to come.

In addition to writing, we continue with our Friday Reader’s Workshop. Students were recently given a log to keep track of their reading time and pages covered (they are supposed to be reading 30 minutes every night). Students are able to choose their own novels to read and write to me, or another student, about what they are reading. I enjoy being able to write to each student. Please, feel free to ask your student to write to you in their Reader’s Journal about what they are reading. You might enjoy writing back with questions you have regarding what they have written and insights they have as a reader.

I have recently incorporated a new assessment program called Accelerated Reader. This program has just become available to the district this current year. I am the first to pilot this program at SJMS and have been learning about it in order to help other teachers transition more easily. You might be familiar with the program, as many of the elementary schools have been using it for several years. It allows students to take a reading test in order to find out what reading level they are at. In addition, it allows them to do their independent reading and then take comprehension tests. Teachers are then able to cross-reference their independent reading with their actual reading level in order to help students become more successful readers and to analyze student growth. The students earn points for each test they take and successfully pass. The points are based upon numerous factors: book level, pages, time spent reading. The goal for this quarter was set at 20 points. There are a few students who have reached and surpassed this goal but there are several others who have not. Please, encourage your students to read every night. Help them with their goal; encourage them and read to them or alongside of them. If they have reached their goal, encourage and persuade them to read at a higher level and/or a different genre.

I would like to suggest reading to your students and taking them to the public library to select books to read over the winter break. Please see my Accelerated Reader links page to search for AR books by book level and then you can search the Marin County Library database for books on my resources page. Also, with a library card you can place a hold on a book or, if you cannot find the book at the Novato library, you can request the book from another and they will send you a notice when it arrives. After students have finished a novel they can take a test on Accelerated Reader from home by accessing the link on my class page. This will help give them a head start on quarter points for the new semester.

Technology students have been busy collecting data and expressing it in different ways through spreadsheets, graphs, and databases. They have recently finished merging a mad libs story with a parts of speech database to create crazy, unique stories. It was a fun way for students to practice and review grammar! Next week they will be learning how to create greeting cards in Microsoft Word. Again, I would like to encourage fostering typing practice over the break. This is a skill that will help them greatly in the coming years. There are free sites for practicing on even though they are limited. If you would like suggestions on typing programs, please feel free to contact me for advice.

Lastly, I would like to wish all of you a peaceful and joyous holiday season. Your children are a gift and I enjoy each and everyone.

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.

It is hard to believe six weeks have passed since the start of term. It has been fun getting to know all of the students. They are all special and have something unique to add to the class. I am learning just as much from them as, I hope, they are learning from me. I look forward to learning more about them through their personal memoirs.

The seventh grade students have had several mini-lessons based on writing memoirs. Last week, I shared some of my own personal memoirs and we looked at what made them effective or ineffective. The students were very responsive to the writing and they had much to say about what made a memoir effective. Next week we will have mini-lessons on “The Rule of SO WHAT?” and “Thoughts and Feelings.” Please ask your student what the rule means and what thoughts and feelings they have added into their memoir. Some students may find that their first draft of writing may have no meaning and they will need to abandon it and find a more meaningful event to write about. This is where they might need to return to their brainstorming on “Questions for Memoirists.”

When the seventh grade is not writing, we are reading short stories from our Readers or student chosen novels for Reader’s Workshop. Some stories we have read include Seventh Grade, by Gary Soto, and “Thank You, M’am,” by Langston Hughes. Again, please ask your student to share their Reader’s Journal with you. Encourage them to write you a letter about what they are reading and then write back to them. It is fun to hear what they have to say. Who knows, they might get you interested in reading some great fiction!

The technology students have been finishing up their first project on the computers in the mini-lab. They have been hard at work on creating posters with their images on it. It is fun to see what the students put on their posters to tell others what they want to be when they ‘grow-up.’ Some of the students are very creative! Next week they will begin a favorite project of mine, creating Kindness Cards. Everyone knows we can all use a little more kindness in our world! I collect a sample from each student in order to display on a bulletin board on the campus. Please, ask your student to share one thing they have learned about creating a Word document that they haven’t learned before. You might be surprised with their answer!

Progress reports will be out towards the end of next week. Please feel free to call or email me if you have any questions.

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.

It is hard for me to believe there are only a few days left as I begin to write my last post of the year. It is amazing to think of how much time has passed since the beginning of the year and how much we have all grown. Although I have been teaching for ten years now, I feel I have learned so much more about myself as an educator within this past year. I enjoy being a part of this warm, vibrant community. Your children are a blessing and it has been a privilege working with each and every one.

As the summer months pass, I hope you will find the time to read along with your children. Don’t be afraid to share your thoughts and feelings about what you are reading. I remember the evenings when I was a child where we would all sit around the table and read. To this day, my favorite part of the day is reading to my children before bedtime.

Please know there are summer reading programs at the local library. Have your students read the Teen Blog and then post a book review. They can earn raffle tickets each time they post to be eligible for a weekly drawing or the grand prize drawing. In addition, I have recently heard about a summer movie program at the theater at Rowland where students can attend kid-friendly movies on Tuesday mornings at 9:30 am during the summer months for $1.00 or purchase a booklet of 10 tickets in advance for $5.00. Summertime is also a time for a plethora of festivals. Check out the Marin events calendar to find out what happens when in Marin.

I look forward to seeing your students in the fall when they return. In the meantime, I hope you have a safe, relaxing summer filled with enjoyment!

The students have finished their poetry unit and have recorded at least one poem for the podcast. They are arranged by class. Please ask your student to share which podcast his/her class was responsible for creating.

Needless to say, some students took the task more seriously than others. On the other hand, several students commented on how they found poetry was easy to write and how they felt they were able to express themselves through this form of writing. To listen to the podcasts please follow the link here.

We have begun a new unit which includes reading a novel and discussing it within student led literature circles. The students read a set amount of chapters and then complete worksheets where each student is responsible for a role: Discussion Director, Literary Luminary, Summarizer, Connector. By completing these sheets, the students are able to be prepared for the meetings and should all have something to offer during the group discussions. Please ask your student to share their experiences with these roles and the literature circle discussions.

Did you know the average American household has 2.53 people and an average of 2.73 televisions? The Center for Screen Time Awareness challenges people to “take control of technology and not let technology take control of them so they can live healthier lives.” Obesity is a growing problem in our nation. The California Obesity Prevention Initiative recommends that children age 2 and older spend only 2 hours max daily watching T.V. and strongly discourage television sets in children’s bedrooms. In addition to obesity issues, T.V. has been linked to several studies showing negative effects such as aggressive behavior, and limiting achivement and cognitive development.

In recognition of T.V. turn-off week, I have challenged the students to turn-off the television set in order to read a book and exercise. If the students are able to read at least 10 pages per day, write a reflection or summary each day, and have the log signed off by a parent/guardian; they can turn it in next Monday, April 30th, and be eligible for an ice cream sundae party. This party will take place at lunch on a Tuesday or Thursday after S.T.A.R. testing.

I challenge the parents/guardians to help support their student(s) during this week. Turn off the T.V. and go for a walk, play a game, cook dinner together, or just talk. I have shared with the students my own experiences with my family and how my children have decided to participate. It is hard giving up what is easy and convenient, but it is so rewarding when adults take some time to enjoy and play with their children. It makes for a happier home when they have had fun, quality time with their family. All of the children are so special, go and talk with them and enjoy the family time you have with these young adults!

Poetry is our current unit of study in the seventh grade. We have been reading a novel called “Love That Dog” by Sharon Creech. The novel is written in the style of a journal and the narrator is a boy named Jack. Jack writes about the poems he has been reading in class with his teacher and how he feels about them while creating his own poems.

After reading Jack’s responses and his poems, the students also read and write poems. Some of the poems we read in this unit of study are “The Red Wheelbarrow” by William Carlos Williams, “Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening” and “The Pasture” by Robert Frost, “The Tyger” by Robert Blake, “Street Music” by Arnold Adoff, and “Love That Boy” by Walter Dean Meyers.

Please ask your students about their favorite poems and what writing strategies they are using in their own poetry. Question them about their rhyming patterns, metaphors, similes, imagery, alliteration, and their use of personification and stanza. Feel free to offer suggestions on their choice of words and topics.

Stay tuned for the final project. It is my hope to be able to share some of the student’s work with you in the end using either a podcast or wikispace linked to this site.

We have been spending a great deal of time writing over these past weeks in the seventh grade. All of this hard work, from writing the persuasive essays to research papers, has paid off as the students are beginning to understand the elements that make a successful paper.

That being said, the students have been spending the week preparing for the 7th grade writing portion of the Standardized Testing and Reporting test (STAR test) by looking at some examples from different genres and writing a few essays. The official writing test will take place next Tuesday, March 6th, during an extended first period. Please make sure your student is well rested and on-time in order to provide them with the best conditions prior to this important test.

To learn more about what the STAR test is, please click here to link to the California Department of Education site.