Personal Narrative Due Dates/Schedule

Our current big project is the Personal Narrative.  In order to help students, I have created the following schedule for them to stay on track.  Please encourage your student to follow this schedule so they can finish by December 12th.  Note that Book Reports are due December 5th & the STAR Reading Test is December 7th.  Thanks!

Personal Narrative Due Dates

Because of our school schedule (short days, assemblies & breaks), you may need to do some of your Personal Narrative work at home.  Here is a list of due dates for your Narrative work.  If you miss a day, you need to catch up as quickly as possible.  You will be able to complete your narrative if you follow the schedule as outlined.  I’m available every day before and after school if you need help or just need a place to work.

Thursday, November 29^th:  Finish up the 5 Paragraphs (brown sheet), Pre-Writing Web (gold sheet) and 1^st Draft: Graphic Organizer (white sheet).

Friday, November 30^th:  ALL OF THE ABOVE ITEMS MUST BE COMPLETE AND PASSED OFF TO MRS. ROBINS.  If you are not finished, you will be able to finish during Homework Hall.

Monday, December 3^rd:  Short Day…we will calendar and work on your 2^nd Draft.  Finish your 2^nd Draft at home tonight if you are not finished.

Tuesday, December 4^th:  Peer Editing Day  You must have your 2^ND DRAFT complete so it can be edited.  Remember, it will be handwritten and must be at least 5 paragraphs long. 

Wednesday, December 5^th: BOOK REPORTS DUE  You will work on revising your 2^nd Draft (creating a 3^rd Draft) for the first half of class today.

Thursday, December 6^th:  You will work on revising your 2^nd Draft creating a 3^RD DRAFT by the end of class today.

Friday, December 7^th:  STAR READING TEST

Monday, December 10^th: Final Peer Edit.  You must come to school with your 3^rd Draft.

Tuesday, December 11^th:  Narrative Work Day in class-you will revise your 3^rd Draft, creating your beautiful final copy.  You may type the final copy at home or hand-write it during class.

Wednesday, December 12^th: PERSONAL NARRATIVE DUE.   Remember, all your paragraphs and drafts AND your final copy will be stapled together in the order listed on the yellow Personal Narrative Checklist.

Keep on schedule and you won’t have a problem finishing on time.  You are going to do great!

Week 16 Schedule and Update

Welcome back everyone!  I hope your Thanksgiving Break was fun and you enjoyed time with family and friends.  I'm excited to see everyone Monday and begin school again in full swing.  Last week was all about reading short story personal narratives and forming text-to-self connections to relate the stories to our own lives.  Students completed 5 paragraphs as a brainstorming activity to prepare for their own personal narrative.  This week,we will dive into the pre-writing process and finish a first draft that will be on a graphic organizer.  I am so very excited for the students to begin writing about an event in their lives!

All work will be done in class, however, if a student misses a day, they will need to talk to me before or after school and make up the work as soon as possible.

Also, December 5th is the due date for the next book report.  Students can choose any book report type they have NOT done yet and read any genre of book which is 150 pages or more.  Please encourage your student to prepare and be done ahead of time.  I'll be rewarding Early Bird students with Robins Rewards for our monthly drawing.

Keep checking PowerSchool so you know what your student's grades are.  I am available for meetings/calls before or after school or via email anytime. I appreciate your continued support and look forward to a fantastic week!

Week 16: November 26th-30th

Monday, Nov. 26 *Calendar for week/reading check for Wk. 15 *”Little Drummer Boy” (2,3) *Pre-Writing Web

Tuesday, Nov. 27  *Simile Mini-Lesson *Overview of Organization *Finish Pre-Writing Web *Begin 1st Draft

Wednesday, Nov. 28 *Scope Magazine: Editing Activity *Library Day AM/PM Reading Club

Thursday, Nov. 29 *Metaphor Mini-Lesson *Overview of Voice *Work on 1st Draft

Friday, Nov. 30 * Random-Student-of-the-Week *Utah-in-the-News *1st Draft DUE *Gecko Time

Utah In The News for NOVEMBER 30TH

Utah-in-the-News will not be until November 30th but I'm giving everyone a heads-up so they will have a little extra time.

I've been frustrated by seeing at least one (if not more) student unprepared for this assignment so I have made the following changes.  Here is what I have let students know:

If you are absent on Friday, I will need an email or note from a parent excusing you.  I'll then allow you to present on the next Monday.

If you are unprepared on Friday, you will now do another Utah-in-the-News presentation the next Friday and automatically lose 10 points.  You will present 2 Utah-in-the-News presentations on the following Friday.  I will also email or call home so your parents/guardians are aware.

This is only a once-a-trimester assignment but it is worth 50 points, a big chunk of your grade and as many points as a book report.  Please be prepared.

1st: Tanaya Corbin, Nick Fajardo, Krystal Powell

2nd: *Zane Pendleton, *Vaughn Anderson, *Jalin Towler, McKenna Dawson, Zach Goodman, Shantel Sotomayar

3rd: *Lacey Reid, *Matt Kitchen, Emilee Campbell, JD Heaton, Kaylin Kahus

5th: *Brooks Sampson, Kaden Alldredge, Alliyah Tracey, Amber Jessop

6th: *Brooklyn Tuttle, Meadow Alldredge, Tristin Mower, Parker Webb

*unprepared

Week 15 Update & Schedule

Last week was a lot of fun as we began exploring our Personal Narrative Unit by reading short stories and writing paragraphs related to our own lives.  This will help the students create a bank of ideas so that by the last week in November (week 16), they can pinpoint what they will write about as they begin their own personal narrative.

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and we will only be in school for Monday and Tuesday this week. However, important instruction will still be happening and if your student misses a day, please make sure they meet with me before or after school to get their missed work.  Additionally, the Wednesday Reading Club will resume on Wednesday, November 28th.  Students who have been invited to the club can attend the 7:00am or 2:00pm sessions.

This week will be a continuation of the Personal Narrative unit by reading two more short stories and writing paragraphs.  I also have a fun Monday Write to help students practice using details and we will also continue "Smiley-Face Tricks: Girls" presentations.

Please note that students are only required to read 30 minutes a day on Monday and Tuesday because of the holiday break. If they read more (and I hope they will); they will receive Robins Rewards Tickets.  The next Utah-in-the-News presentations will be Friday, November 30th; look for the posted list at the end of this week.

As a reminder, the next Book Report is due on December 5th.  Students should choose and start reading their book this week at the latest.  The book can be any genre and must be more than 150 pages. Students MUST choose a different book report than what they did last time.  I have all forms in the classroom.  Please encourage your student to stay on top of deadlines.

Here is our schedule for this week:

Monday, November 19th:  Calendar/Reading Check for Week 14, Monday Write: Ode to Thanksgiving, Smiley-Face Presentations (3,5,6th periods only), Round-Robins or Thanksgiving Ode Shares (1,2 periods)

Tuesday, November 20th:  "The Little Drummer Boy" by Lyman Hafen & Paragraph #4 and "Charles" by Shirley Jackson & Paragraph #5.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I want you all to know how very grateful I am to be a teacher.  I LOVE what I do, I truly love the students I teach and I look forward to seeing them every single day and working hard to be the best teacher I can be for them.

Here's a little Thanksgiving humor for you as you enjoy this wonderful time of the year with your family and friends!

Week 14: The Personal Narrative Begins!

Whew!  I can't believe the first trimester is finished!  Most students did amazingly well and will be happy with the grade they have earned.  However, there are some who I know can do better.  The biggest problem overall is that students are forgetting to check with me or check in the missing work box to make up work they miss when they are out of school.   It will be very rare that students miss a day and don't have work to do to catch up.  Also, citizenship grades were down for students who are not filling out their reading minutes or bringing their planners to me. Please encourage your student to do so from now on.  The good news is that this Monday begins a new day, a fresh page, and I'm looking forward to a second trimester FULL of student success!

This week will begin our Personal Narrative Unit where students will work through the writing process and create a piece of writing about their personal life.  Personal Narratives are a blast to write and I am so excited to see what the students will create.  While learning how to write themselves, we will also be able to study some personal narratives from our Literature book and read a few stories from local author, Lyman Hafen's, book "In the Shade of the Cottonwoods".  

As you know, Utah is aligned with the Common Core Standards, these are the objectives we will specifically cover in this unit (listed below).  I really believe that the ability students will gain to reflect on their own lives and express themselves through writing will equip them with the skills for success in every area of their lives.  I'll be linking each assignment on PowerSchool to the Core Standard it fills.  I want students and parents/guardians to understand the purpose of each assignment.

• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.
• W.7.3a Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically.
• W.7.3b Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, and description, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.
•  W.7.3c Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence and signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another.
•  W.7.3d Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to capture the action and convey experiences and events.
• W.7.3e Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on the narrated experiences or events.

Here is our schedule for this week; as always, please email or call me with any questions:

Monday, November 12th: Calendar, Planner/Reading Check, Clean out Folders, Introduce the Personal Narrative Unit and work on the Neighborhood Map

Tuesday, November 13th: Stories from Lyman Hafen's book, Pre-Writing Activity

Wednesday, November 14th: Read Gary Paulsen's "Girls", Library Day

Thursday, November 15th: Smiley Face Tricks Group Activity, Begin Draft

Friday, November 16th:  Utah-in-the-News, Random-Student-of-the-Week, GECKO TIME!! (students who are caught up receive an enriched activity, students who are behind in their work can catch up in Homework Hall and students who have not understood a concept receive remediation).

I spent the last couple days at the Utah Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development where I learned a great deal about increasing rigor, critical thinking skills and REAL life learning in the classroom. I feel totally motivated and inspired and I am excited to share what I have learned with my students.

I was also fortunate enough to receive the "Teacher of Tomorrow" award which Dixie State College nominated me for.  It was really humbling and motivating to receive an award for new teachers. I LOVE teaching at Lava Ridge Intermediate School with a fantastic administration, staff and faculty, and I really LOVE all of my 141 students and I will never keep working as hard as I can to help them learn and succeed.

Yep, Utah-in-the-News is BACK!

Yes, the rumors are true!  Utah-in-the-News is making it's return for the 2nd Trimester.  

Remember, students are able to do this activity once every trimester.  It allows them to do research on a news article, summarize what they read, find the Utah city on a map, and present to the class.  Yes, all these awesome skills in ONE simple assignment!  

Remind your student to find a UTAH story that happened in the last couple weeks, fill out the form, find the city on a map before class, summarize using their own words and staple a print-out of their article to the back of the paper.  If internet service is a problem at home, please talk to me before or after school and your student can use the school's computer lab.

I give them the form on Monday and they present the following Friday. Here are the lucky winners who will present this Friday, November 16th:

1st Period: Nate Reber, Mallory Richey, Jed Frei
2nd Period: Zane Pendleton, Vaughn Anderson, Jalin Towler
3rd Period: Sarah Adent, Lacey Reid, Matthew Kitchen
5th Period: Baylie Duston, Natalie Gunn, Brooks Sampson
6th Period: Tevon Tadd, Caleb Goesar, Brooklyn Tuttle

Week 13 Update and Schedule

Week 13 will be a fun one--full of learning about paragraphs in preparation for our Personal Narrative Unit.  There will be new seating charts Monday, I have created a different set-up to accommodate the new unit and I am looking forward to seeing how the students like it.

The end of the trimester is rapidly approaching!  There are still several students who are missing work.  I asked students to get all work in last Friday but I am willing to accept late work until Wednesday, November 7th if I have emailed you or if you make private arrangements with me. I would love to see all students succeed in my class.  I will be leaving town Wednesday after school and won't be back until the weekend so if work is turned in on Thursday or Friday, it will not be on this trimester's grades.

Just a note on grades, I am seeing quite a few "U" citizenship grades this trimester. The biggest reason is that some students are not filling out their planners and/or recording their reading.  This is essential to success in Language Arts and to receive a good citizenship grade.  Please make sure you are filling out your reading slips and having a parent sign each week.

We do have a couple of schedule changes to be aware of: first, AM/PM Reading Club will be held on TUESDAY and Library Day will be THURSDAY this week.  That means that if students need to renew books, we will do it on Wednesday.  Also, no Utah-in-the-News this week unless you are one of the students who were NOT prepared last Friday. You will present Monday if you would like points for the assignment.

I hope your students enjoy Language Arts, I know I do.  I look forward to every school day and I love teaching your children!  Have a fabulous week and please email or call me if you have any questions or concerns.

Week 13: November 5-November 9

Monday, Nov. 5th

*Calendar for week/reading check for Wk. 12

*Mini-Lesson: Testing

*Monthly Drawing/New Seating

*Monday Write: End of Trimester Review

Tuesday, Nov. 6th

*Coherence, Sequence, Conclusion

*Paragraph Learning Centers

READING CLUB TODAY AM/PM

Wednesday, Nov. 7th

*Paragraph Practice w/ Article

*Paragraph Post-Test

*RENEW LIBRARY BOOKS

Thursday, Nov. 8^th

*Scope Magazine: Cafeteria

LIBRARY DAY

Friday, Nov.9th

*Work Day

GECKO TIME!