Week 24: Let the SAGE begin...and may the odds be ever in our favor!

We will be taking the SAGE Writing test this week. Frankly, and weirdly, I'm excited. The students have worked SO hard to perfect their writing and I'm so proud of them. We've been drilling the foldables in class (to help students organize) and writing essays, constantly revising and perfecting. Students have all been shown their scores from last year and they have set a personal goal for their SAGE Writing and Reading tests. We've talked about the differences in writing for a computer vs. a human. We've learned how to relax and discussed the tools about how the test will work. I don't think students could come into this test any more prepared and I'm pretty jazzed to see how they have grown as writers since last year.

Please, please encourage your student to keep drilling the foldables until they are well-memorized and can be made in a few minutes. See the blog post:  SAGE HELPS for all the information about the test and foldables.

Just a reminder, I'll send in Book Orders this week. If you are interested, you can order online or bring in check/cash. It's a great month to get good books at a cheap price from Scholastic.

Looking ahead...the week after testing is the last week in the trimester. Monday will be our After-Testing-Waffle-Party (something I do every year that is really fun), then we'll do our Book Finale. Some students are lacking a bit in academic or effort grades. Both grades are important as they figure into a student's total GPA. Here is the extra credit I am offering:

For Extra Academic Credit: Do a 3rd Utah Expedition Question or redo any previous assignment of the trimester.

For Extra Effort Credit: Enter a Writing Contest (forms and magazines are in my room).

All work must be finished by Wednesday, February 11th so I have time to score work and submit final grades.

Thanks again for all the support and encouragement. Encourage your student to eat well, sleep well and walk into the test with a big smile, because I'm confident they are going to perform very well on this test!

No Nation-in-the-News this week

Schedule
February 2-February 6: SAGE Testing (Woot!) in B-Lab

Week 23: January 26-30

 It's been another week that's left me smiling. Students have been writing better than I've seen all year and I'm confident that they will be well-prepared  for SAGE.  The higher amount of focused, on-demand writing is to build stamina so students can write the required amount (1 explanatory essay, 1 argumentative essay) in the allotted time. I'm amazed at how far some students have come in their writing. Their excellent attitudes and persistence has been amazing to watch and I'm proud of them!

I know end-of-level testing can be scary, so I am really focusing on de-mystifying and fully preparing students for the test, which will be February 2nd-6th. I am asking that, if at all possible, students be in attendance each day so they won't miss valuable instruction and practice time. Attendance at school is really crucial right now. There is also a link on the blog SAGE HELPS with all the information that I'll be having students memorize to help students in the SAGE test.

Again, FLEX reading interventions will be on hold until after our writing test. I am pulling as many students as I can each day during FLEX to help with their writing. Please email or call me at 435-652-4742. Thanks again for all the support--teaching these students is a pleasure.

Nation-in-the-News

to present Friday, January 23rd

2nd period: Audrey Godfrey, Shayli Habibian, Sadie Gubler

3rd period:  Destiny Low, Haley Poulsen, Leif Peterson

4th:  *Erik Parrish, *Cazia Hanks, Ellie Sandstrom, Ty Stratton, Diego Quiroz

5th:  Tony Taimi, Carmen Norton, Abby Pemberton

6th:  *Sam Zohner, *Angie Stucki, *Treson Swingler,  Arelli Hernandez, Bre Hernando, James Holt

Monday, January 26th

SAGE Explanatory Rubric/Essay Sort
PLC Short Day: School out at 11:45am

Tuesday, January 27th

Meet in B-Lab: Explanatory Essay on Utah Compose

Wednesday, January 28th

Meet in Library-Library Day
Finish Explanatory Essay: Due Today

Thursday, January 29th

Drill Foldables
Test Prep

Friday, January 30th

Nation-in-News
Drill Foldables
Test Prep
Book Orders Due Today

Book #9 Due 

Utah Compose Argument Essay Instructions

Because quite a few students are missing class for the Fine Arts tour, here is the information to complete the Argumentative Essay ("Should Schools Sell Junk Food to Students?") as found on Utah Compose. Regardless if students missed class or not, this must be completed by Friday, January 23rd. Please email me with any questions.

1. Make the Argumentative Foldables (1 to organize text and 1 to organize the essay). You can find these here on the blog: SAGE Foldables

2. Now, go to Utah Compose
Your User Name is your 000 Student ID and your password is your lunch number.

3. Select 7th grade Language Arts, the go to the "Practice" Tab

4. Select the prompt: "Should Students Sell Junk Food to Students"

5. Read the attached articles and use evidence on Foldable #1.

6. Next, plan your essay on Foldable #2

7. Now click "Begin Writing" on Utah Compose and follow directions below:

Helps for Revision in Utah Compose

1. After you submit it, you will get a score with words and phrases highlighted. Click on each word or phrase and fix it.
2. Then remember the 3 MOST IMPORTANT things to do on computer-based writing revisions:
1. Have a variety of sentences (simple, compound and complex)
2. Change-up your vocabulary words 
3. Elaborate: explain things more.

Week 22:January 19-23

I am so proud of my students! They have worked so hard this week as we wrote 2 explanatory essays and learned about ACES paragraphs (body paragraphs). Their dedication and good attitudes impressed me all week. I am profoundly grateful to teach this group of students.  Although writing more essays has been difficult, I'm thrilled that students are improving, getting better and better. Their writing ability as well as their ability to analyze and critically think is increasing in spades: WOW! I am confident that we will see scores improve from last year across the board. However, the thing that is most important is that students are pushing themselves and feeling success from their hard work. It's just been a great week all around!

I know end-of-level testing can be scary, so I am really focusing on de-mystifying and fully preparing students for the test, which will be February 2nd-6th. I am asking that, if at all possible, students be in attendance each day so they won't miss valuable instruction and practice time. Attendance at school is really crucial right now. There is also a link on the blog SAGE HELPS with all the information that I'll be having students memorize to help students in the SAGE test.

Again, FLEX reading interventions will be on hold until after our writing test. I am pulling as many students as I can each day during FLEX to help with their writing. Please email or call me at 435-652-4742. Thanks again for all the support, I enjoy every single day with your student!

Nation-in-the-News

to present Friday, January 23rd

2nd period: Gia Stinson, Alaina Smith, Katie Rubio

3rd period:  Melody Tomer, Kyla Thalmann, Kayden Stauffer

4th:  Matt McDonald, Olivia Quezada, Erik Parrish

5th: Mason Hansen, Liddia Jaques, April Jones

6th:  Sam Zohner, Angie Stucki, Treson Swingler, Dillion Gubler

Monday, January 19th

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Enjoy the break:)

Tuesday, January 13th

Introduce Argumentative Essay (on Utah Compose)
Organize Essay

Wednesday, January 14th

Work on Argumentative Essay

Thursday, January 15th

 Argumentative Essay Due
Submit & Revise if time

Friday, January 16th

Nation-in-News

Review SAGE exemplary essays
Test Prep

Book #8 Due 

A BIG congrats to three more students who have read 40 books and have joined the 40 Club with our iRead program! I am so very proud of all their hard work.

Carrson M.

Elizabeth V.

April J.

SAGE HELPS

Students are doing Whole Brain gestures to memorize the following to help them remember what to do on the SAGE Writing Test...if they PREP, they won't need to worry!

P = Unpack the PROMPT

R = READ the articles

E = Find the EVIDENCE

P = PLAN your essay

Week 21: January 12-16

It's been another great week in Language Arts. I have big news for everyone: our end-of-level SAGE Writing Test will be February 2nd-February 6th.  The reason testing is so early this year is because they still in the process of refining the test. Humans will score the writing (rather than a computer) and they want it done in enough time that when students take the SAGE reading portion in mid May, they can receive an entire, composite score. Please emphasize to your student (as I am here) that this test is a chance to showcase their skills--I don't want it to be a negative experience at all.

Because of our test dates, I am holding off on starting a class novel. Instead, we will be practicing essay organization (memorizing foldables to be used in the test) and practice writing essays. The only way to get better at writing essays, is writing essays! I am confident that students will be prepared for this test. I'm so proud at the effort they are putting forth in practicing. I am trying to give them enough time in class, but students may need to finish work at home. Because we are writing 1-2 essays each week, encourage them to not get behind.

Again, FLEX reading interventions will be on hold until after our writing test. I am pulling as many students as I can each day during FLEX to help with their writing. Please email or call me at 435-652-4742. Thanks again for all the support, I enjoy every single day with your student!

Nation-in-the-News

to present Friday, January 15th

2nd period: Lucy Deland, Rebekah Gentry, Kyler Gibb

3rd period: Stryder Hollingsworth, Jacque Loera, Marcus Jones

4th: Cazia Hanks, Jaydon Kenworthy, Rudy LeBaron

5th: Garret Graff, Emily Gunn, Harley Hall

6th: Ryder Dalton, Tanner Dennett, John Doty, Victor Gallegos

Monday, January 12th

Introduce ACES paragraphs (for explanatory essays)

Practice ACES paragraph

Introduce Explanatory Foldables

Hand out Explanatory Text Packet and Prompt

Tuesday, January 13th

Work on Explanatory Essay#1  (Save the Penguins)

Wednesday, January 14th

Library Day (meet in the library)

Free Reading

Finish Explanatory Essay #1: Due Today

Thursday, January 15th

Free Reading

Introduce Explanatory Essay #2 (Military Dogs or Refugees)

Begin Working on Essay

Friday, January 16th

Nation-in-News

Finish Explanatory Essay #2: Due Today

Free Reading after essay completion

Book #7 Due 

I am delighted to add Matt McDonald, Seth Millward, Kyla Thalmann and Maddy Stucki to the iRead 40 Club!! I am so very proud of their hard work and achievement in reading. Way to go!!!

Matt M.

Seth M.

Kyla T.

Maddy S.

SAGE Helps

This week we practiced organizational foldables to help us prepare for SAGE. These foldables will need to be memorized.
The following are the foldables for ARGUMENTATIVE Essay Writing:

This foldable is to organize the textual information.

The 2nd foldable is to organize the essay before typing.