Week 5 Update: September 8-11th

It's been another fabulous week in Language Arts! I am thoroughly enjoying these remarkable students who have such great attitudes and are just fun to teach; it's been a wonderful year so far.

Last week we focused on exploring different mediums to understand the plot chart story cycle, including watching Pixar shorts and using children's stories to nail the skill. We had our first common formative assessment (CFA) on our guaranteed and viable curriculum (GVC). The majority of the students did pass the test. Those who did not will be pulled into reteaching and have another opportunity to pass with additional support.

Our classes are now beginning our Narrative 101 Unit. Mondays will be a Writer's Workshop where students will work on an ongoing narrative piece. Tuesdays-Thursdays are all about studying our class novel along with mini-lessons on transitions, smiley-face tricks (excellent writing techniques), subject/predicate and conventions, context clues and close reading using the Note and Notice Method. Fridays will be read-alouds (to model and practice reading strategies) as well as synthesizing informational text from our Scope Magazine and other sources. I'm very excited about this type of holistic unit that will merge reading and writing together.

Speaking of reading, we will be studying the award-winning novel by Gary Schmidt: "Wednesday Wars". This is one of my favorite books as it is a compelling story of the lovable middle-schooler, Hollings Hoodhood, as he navigates school and life in the 1970's. Please click on the review below for more information about this fantastic novel.

Click Here "Wednesday Wars" Review

Just a reminder that students need to be reading at home at least 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. It's my job to expose them to all sorts of great books and reward them for reading. The iRead program should be a memorable journey as the students become lifelong readers! Thanks again for the outpouring of parental support. I am so grateful. Please email or call me at the school with any questions or concerns.

Week 5 Schedule

September 8th-11th

Monday, September 8th

Labor Day: No School

Tuesday, September 9th

Poetry & Historical Fiction Genre Notes
Narrative Writer's Workshop
Monthly Drawing

Wednesday, September 10th

Free Reading
Web Quest: Wednesday Wars Introduction
Honors: Newspaper Day

Thursday, September 11th

Mini Lesson: Smiley-Face Tricks
Wednesday Wars: Chapters 1, September

Friday, September 12th

Note & Notice: Contrasts & Contradictions
Wednesday Wars: Chapter 2, October
Free Reading