Tag Archives: Good words

Class Notes – February 1, 2013

PAP ILA Writing Assignment

Students were taken to the computer lab to write a compare/contrast essay about Stanley and Zero in connection with our novel Holes.  It is due on Monday, February 4, 2013, by 5:00 P.M.  I will go through and check/make commentary on the writing once it is graded.  We used GoogleDocs to submit our writing.  You can do the TweenTribune activity, too.  See below for details.

 

On-Level ILA Tween Tribune

Students who finished their questions for chapters 12-19 of The Cay after they finished their island travel guide brochures were given the opportunity to login to tweentribune.com and make comments on a couple of articles.  If they were not able to do that this weekend, here are the directions to get things set up.  Enjoy your reading time, and share some new, fun interesting information with your family this weekend!

Mrs. Johnson <><

TweenTribune

Last Friday Before School!

I spent the bulk of my time preparing my classroom for Monday, so I was pretty focused on that task.  Monday morning will find me ready to greet my new students as they begin the world of middle school.  Get ready for the ride, and be sure to get some sleep on Sunday night!  I’ll be out and about shopping this weekend taking advantage of some of the tax-free sales.  Take care, and God bless!

Mrs. Johnson

Thanksgiving next week

It is my sincerest hope and desire that all of my students and their families travel safely and enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday next week.  I look forward to time to recharge my batteries, relax with a good book or two, and celebrate the joy of family.  I am thankful for my students because they make me laugh, think, and stay young.  You are my dear ones, and I will miss you.  Be good!  Gig ’em, Aggies!

Mrs. J <><

It’s time to build sentences!

We began learning about sentence structure in class on Thursday.  Here are the highlights so that you can review your student.  A family that studies together learns together. 

  • A simple sentence has only one independent clause. 
  • A compound sentence has two or more independent clauses and is separated by a coordinating conjunction or a semicolon. 
  • A complex sentence has one independent clause and one or more dependent clauses. 
  • The seven coordinating conjunctions are and, or, nor, but, yet, for, and so.  We use the acronym FANBOYS to remember them.

I will post an online quiz in the coming days, so be watching for it!  Take care, and be good!

Love,

Mrs. J  <><

So, what’s next?

We will continue to work on types of sentences, honing our grammar skills, and I plan to celebrate Poetry Month with you in class.  Be ready to create some fabulous words of art in the near future.  Take care, dear ones, and enjoy a blessed Easter Sunday.

Mrs. J

Word of the Week/Persuasive Letter Project

I have started something new or revived something old depending on how you look at it.  I put out an SAT-worthy word on my bulletin board.  Students who use the word correctly in a sentence talking to me or in their writing are entered into a drawing at the end of the six weeks.  The current six weeks ends on February 26, and I have a great prize planned!  Last week’s word was pulchritude, a noun meaning physical beauty.  Encourage your student to try it out!

Example:  The young lady was a model of pulchritude.

We worked diligently in  class today on our rough drafts, and I told the students not to worry about getting them finished tonight since they have a social studies and math test on Thursday.  We will continue working in class on Thursday, and I foresee most finishing on Friday at the latest.  I will let you know how we progress.  On another note, I will remind them that a paragraph has five to seven sentences at a minimum, and the requirement for their essay is five paragraphs in length.  They can combine some of their reasons in one paragraph and make it longer if the language works that way for them.  I hope this helps ease any anxieties.  Take care, and God bless. 

Mrs. J

Happy Thanksgiving!

Picture of Sweet Potato Balls Recipe

This is a picture of the sweet potato balls I plan to make along with the rest of my Thanksgiving meal.  They are delicious, and I found the recipe on Food Network with Paula Deen.  All food aside, I pray you have a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with your family.

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing. Know that the Lord, He is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations. (Psalm 100: 1-5, NKJV) May you have a blessed Thanksgiving with your family and friends, dear ones.

Love,

Mrs. J