I am writing from inside my home and listening to the wind howl outside. (That is an example of personification) We have finished the first two six weeks of our school year. We will continue to annotate our novel, Where the Red Fern Grows, and I am adding more grammar next week in class. Be ready. Enjoy the bright blustery autumn day, dear ones.
Tag Archives: Clark Middle School
Class Notes – Veteran’s Day
Happy Veteran’s Day! If you or a loved one served or is currently serving in the armed forces, I thank you and appreciate my freedom. Thank you for defending our great nation against all enemies foreign and domestic. My father served in the US Navy on a submarine, the USS Halibut, so of course I’m proud of him. My grandfather and uncle served in the US Navy; my uncle and cousins served in the US Army, and my cousin and his wife serve in the US Air Force. Yep, I bleed red, white, and blue! God bless America!
On to the school work side —I am in the process of grading nonfiction book reports. So far, so good for my students. The second six weeks grading period ends on Friday, November 14. We will have a Daily Vocabulary test and Daily Oral Language test next week. Daily Vocabulary comes at the end of the six weeks, and the daily oral language (editing) comes every four weeks. Two worlds collide, no?
Please contribute plastic bags to our recycling effort at Clark Middle School. Our team has 444 so far. Keep bringing them in! I brought in thirty last week and sent in another thirty with my son to Smith Elementary. I will post the amount we raised for the Yoplait lids campaign soon.
On a philanthropic note, please consider donating money or a clothing gift for our adopted angel. Here is the information for you to have. Our deadline is November 19, 2008; we want to go shopping and buy her some special gifts or provide the gifts you choose.
Angel #843 Female 14 years old
Need: Coat, jacket w/hoodie, jeans, shirts
Wish: Pajamas, house socks, boots, slippers
Sizes:
Pants: 12 Regular
Shirt: 12 to 14
Coat: 14
Underwear: 12 girls
Shoes: 4
First Nine Weeks Ends
We have now completed the first nine weeks of the 2008-2009 school year. I’ve focused on nouns, pronouns, and verbs so far. Next, we focus on adjectives, adverbs, and prepositions. I like to use published text to show how grammar works in the real world. The kids seemed to enjoy reading something familiar and fun before I tore it apart into smaller chunks. Such is my life as an English teacher, and I love it. We have our novel test on Friday, October 24, so I hope my sweet ones have prepared themselves for success. We will have a vocabulary test in Pre-AP over our words from Fever 1793 on Friday, October 31. Next week, I am focusing on writing, writing, writing. I anticipate the creative process and sharing my passion for great words of art with the students. Don’t forget to have your novel, Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls in your hands and ready to go on Monday, November 3. Good night!
September’s Almost Gone
We are now in the sixth week of the school year, and it has flown by! Don’t forget about your Words of Wisdom journal project in conjunction with Fever 1793 that is due Wednesday, October 15. We will have our Daily Vocabulary test on Tuesday, October 7. I will give a review sheet in class on Friday, so be ready! I want you to study those words like mad over the weekend and help yourselves to be successful for the assessment. I enjoyed watching you work through the web quest in my Pre-AP class today, and my on-level class did a great job of maintaining focus during our work time on The Cay. Good work, ladies and gentlemen! Take care, and I’ll see you in our classroom tomorrow. Good night!
Progress Report Time
We are on our first round of progress reports and the grades will go out to parents via mail later in the week of September 15. Students will have about two weeks to bring up any grades that are below an acceptable level. In my Pre-AP course, students are expected to maintain an 80 average each six weeks. I will be sending contracts home on Monday or Tuesday as we begin reading Fever1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson on Monday during class. We have exciting events planned so stay tuned!
In my on-level class, we will get some great background information on our new novel The Cay by Theodore Taylor. In light of hurricane Ike bearing down and proceeding through south Texas, the novel seems pretty appropo.
Meet the Teacher Night
I look forward to meet the teacher night tomorrow evening. This opportunity provides us with time to put faces with our students and to let parents know about the HAC (Home Access Center), ACE program, tutorials, and retake policy on top of our curriculum. Parents will have the chance to follow their child’s schedule and relive middle school without having to take tests, do projects, and complete homework.
‘Twas the Day and Night Before School
I went to church this morning for my spiritual nourishment. Dr. Bailey preached a wonderful sermon today on Matthew 11:25-30. I did some laundry and got my coffee set up for the morning. I’m getting the finishing touches on a couple of things I want to have for my classroom decor and will now retire for the evening and a big bowl of popcorn. I look forward to working with my students tomorrow morning. Good night!
Cougar Camp 2008
I had fun meeting most of my new students at Cougar Camp 2008. The dress code talk went well, the NJHS students were helpful with the sixth graders, and the sixth grade teachers on both teams made the experience enjoyable for all. I’m doing inservices this week and will be ready to go on Monday morning for the first day of school. Yes, I have already picked out what I plan to wear. To God be the glory! SDG
Opening Post – August 7, 2008
Hi, my name is Mrs. Johnson and I teach sixth grade integrated language arts at Clark Middle School. I love what I do. I view teaching as a ministry and my students as quilt pieces in the fabric of my life. One of my favorite quotes that you will often hear me say hails from Lewis Carroll—”‘The time has come, the walrus said, ‘ to talk of many things, of shoes and ships and sealing wax, of cabbages and kings, of why the sea is boiling hot, and whether pigs have wings.'”
This is a new concept for me to blog, so I am on a huge learning curve as I navigate the tools and decide what’s supposed to be included and what’s not okay to include. I have now learned how to add music to my mp3 player. I currently have U2 and Kim Hill on the player. Check back to see what’s going on next!
Have you completed your summer reading of The Phantom Tollbooth if you are one of my sixth-grade Pre-AP students? If you are a former student, have you finished your summer reading assignment? Take care and God bless! Make it a great day, dear ones!