Sunday, December 18, 2016

Week 20: 'Twas the days before Christmas Break...

Yes, Christmas break is upon us. We will have school Monday and Tuesday then resume on January 5th. My thanks again for all the well-wishes and understanding about my medical issue. I really appreciate your thoughtfulness and support. Additionally, my thanks for the thoughtful Christmas cards and gifts, they are greatly appreciated.
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Monday, December 19th will be our test on Wednesday Wars! Test you say? Yes, but it's not bad. Students will go to Google Classroom where I will give them a letter of the alphabet. They'll have the class period to write an explanatory (ACES) paragraph to explain how their letter relates back to the novel. They will include a picture too from Google Images. I will be there to assist them and I have an example for them to look at. This will be a great way for me to assess their understanding of writing explanatory paragraph. In January, we will be fleshing these into full essays, so it's critical that students understand what to do.

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Tuesday, December 20th is my gift to students: the annual Robins Coco Party! Students have volunteered to bring supplies and I'll use my coco-motion machines to crank out coco and holiday cheer. We'll be watching a Christmas movie that the students vote on. I feel like I really push students hard to excel and cover curriculum, having a fun day like this is a reward that is fun for all of us!

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As we move into the break, please encourage your student to READ! Book #5 will be due when we get back. Many students have slipped behind and it's so important they read. I'll be issuing a Christmas Reading Challenge for those students who go above and beyond, but the expectation is the same as usual: home reading at least 30 mins. a day, 5 days a week.

I love this group of students so much. They are bright, fun and eager to learn. It's a privilege being their teacher and I'm excited to see them grow throughout the rest of the year. As always, keep in touch with me with any questions or concerns about your students. Wishing you and your family a wonderful holiday season: enjoy the long break!

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Sunday, December 11, 2016

Week #19: Wednesday Wars Continues!

I'm excited to get back to the classroom (please check your email for what I sent out about my health). Thank you for the outpouring of well-wishes and support; it means so very much to me.

Mr. Morgan has agreed to split days with me until I feel I can return to full days again. He is an excellent substitute and a personal friend and I know the students will be in good hands with him.
We'll continue on with the very enjoyable "Wednesday Wars" with the goal of finishing this week so that next Monday we'll have a final assessment then a holiday coco party!

Please email me with any questions on grading or anything about your student. Thank you!

Week #19
Monday, December 12th-Friday, December 16th

Monday, December 12th
Free Reading
"Wednesday Wars" 1st-4th periods
6th period: Constructed Response #3

Tuesday, December 13th
Free Reading
"Wednesday Wars" novel study/discussion
6th period Honors: Newspaper Day
(Read March Chapter today)

Wednesday, December 14th
"Wednesday Wars" novel study/discussion
Honors: March Chapter Quiz

Thursday, December 15th
"Wednesday Wars" novel study/discussion

Friday, December 16th
"Wednesday Wars" novel study/discussion

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We require 30 minutes of home reading--do the math--pretty awesome!

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Sunday, December 4, 2016

Week #18: "Wednesday Wars" Continues!

Hello everyone! Last week was a lot of fun as we played vocab. games and dove into "Wednesday Wars". Fun to see students make connections and practice close-reading through Non Fiction Notice and Note strategies. We learned about watching for "Quoted Words" in informational texts through an article on Mohammad Ali and the Vietnam War. It's really cool to be able to link history to our class novel and analyze. I was pretty impressed by their questions and insight. I so enjoy teaching these remarkable students.

Here is the schedule for next week. As always, please email me at rachel.robins@washk12.org with any questions. Have a fantastic week!

Week 18
Monday, December 5- Friday, December 9

Monday, December 5th
Short PLC Day (school dismissed at 11:45am)
"Wednesday Wars" novel study
Book #3 DUE 
*Honors, check your emails. There is a survey to select a new newspaper team. I need your responses tomorrow and I'll email you the new groups.

Tuesday, December 6th
Free Reading
Vocab Partner-Share
"Wednesday Wars" novel study

Wednesday, December 7th
Library Day
Meet upstairs, bring a reading book & pencil

Thursday, December 8th
Free Reading
Vocab Partner-Share
"Wednesday Wars" novel study
Honors: Newspaper Day 

Friday, December 9th
Finish Vocab Sheets
Constructed Response: Google Classroom
Free Reading 








Thursday, November 24, 2016

Week #17: Welcome December

Hope everyone enjoyed a fantastic Thanksgiving break! It's nice to have a few days off and enjoy family and friends. I have the opportunity to attend the National Council of Teachers of English Conference last week in Atlanta. I have returned with a lot of excitement and fantastic ideas to become a better teacher and create a dynamic and meaningful education experience for my students! Watch for some cool things to happen in class:)

Remember to keep reading, I was thrilled to see such growth in reading benchmarks. The only way to improve reading, is doing more reading! Students have done a remarkable job. I've made each student a certificate showing their 1st and 2nd trimester reading scores. They will bring these home and talk more about it to you. Remember that each student is expected to read at least 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week.

I'm happy to meet with you about your student or offer additional support during FLEX, before or after school. Please contact me at rachel.robins@washk12.org or 435-652-4742 (after school hours). Have a great week!

Week 17
November 28-December 2, 2016

Monday, November 28th
Genre-of-the-Week: Historical Fiction
Reading Rewards 
Free Reading
Wednesday Wars

Tuesday, November 29th
Free Reading
Notice & Note: Quoted Words
Paired Text/Practice 

Wednesday, November 30th
Free Reading 
Wednesday Wars
Honors: Newspaper Day (finish December paper)

Thursday, December 1st 
Free Reading
Wednesday Wars

Friday, December 2nd
Free Reading
Wednesday Wars
Constructed Response: Writing Based on Object 

Interesting information about the power of reading and how it helps children:)

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Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Week #16: Thanksgiving Week

It's that time of year to give thanks, and I find myself very thankful for these remarkable students. I know a lot of them have some big challenges, but they try so hard and always do their best. I am so grateful for a job that allows me to really make an impact and have fun with these bright teens. I appreciate the support from so many parents too.

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This will be a short week, packed with fun things. Just a reminder than when we get back, 2 iRead books are due. If you are behind, we'll be looking at lunch reading to provide you with more time to finish your books. Hopefully, students are getting in their 30 mins. a day, at least 5 days a week.

Enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends. Please let me know if you have any questions about your student (rachel.robins@washk12.org). Thank you!

Monday, November 21st
Free Reading
Wednesday Wars: Chapter-In-A-Day!
Reading Benchmark Awards
Turkey Reading Challenge

Tuesday, November 22nd
Geck-A-Thon Viewing 
Finish Team Flags
Free Reading/Pass off Books
No library this week, you will be able to check out or renew books

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School will resume on Monday, November 28th...see you then!


Practicing Shakespeare Insults on each other as part of studying Wednesday Wars



Enjoying Wednesday Wars: so fun to read this book with students!



Thursday, November 10, 2016

Week #15: Wednesday Wars Novel Study

I'm excited as we have dove into one of my all-time favorite novels: Wednesday Wars. We will be practicing writing explanatory paragraphs and working with paired informational text as we learn how to close read non-fiction. Plus, there is a lot of just fun stuff to add into the novel. It will be a great experience. Yes, this book does count as an iRead book.

Speaking of reading, please make sure your student is reading at least 30 mins., 5 days a week. Repeated reading practice will help students be successful and grow their skills. Here are the 2nd Trimester Due Dates: CLICK HERE. As always, I'm your partner in your child's education. Please email me at rachel.robins@washk12.org with any questions. Have a fantastic week!

Week #15
November 14-18

Monday, November 14th
Reading Benchmark
Free Reading
Wednesday Wars
Book #1 DUE

Tuesday, November 15th
Free Reading
Wednesday Wars
Continue to fill out Character Chart

Wednesday, November 16th
Free Reading
Wednesday Wars
Continue to fill out Character Chart

Thursday, November 17th
Free Reading
Nonfiction Notice and Note (Numbers and Stats)
Wednesday Wars

Friday, November 18th
Writing Benchmark
Free Reading


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Cool article on the benefits of reading, for adults and students alike!

Shots from 11-11 Veteran's Day!







Friday, November 4, 2016

Week 14: Welcome 2nd Trimester!

First trimester is over!  I think students learned some valuable lessons about how to succeed in class and I am expecting great things next trimester. Just a reminder that attendance is crucial, the days of worksheets are over and when a student misses a day, they miss instruction and activities that make it difficult to duplicate. I know illnesses, etc. happen, but please encourage your student to be on time and attend class as much as possible.

We are beginning a new unit with a class novel, Wednesday Wars, which is a delightful book about the middle-school experience set in the 1960's. I think the students will really enjoy this one. It will count as an iRead book. Within the novel, we will be learning and practicing explanatory and argumentative paragraphs. I'm excited to see students grow as writers and enjoy the many fun experiences embedded in this novel.

Thank you for the ongoing support! I love this group of students and enjoy each day with them. Please contact me at rachel.robins@washk12.org or call after school hours at 435-652-4742. Enjoy your weekend!


Week #14
November 7th-November 11th

Monday, November 7th
Gecko Day! CFA #2 ACES Paragraph
Reteach, Enrichment, Reading Room

Tuesday, November 1st
New Seating (1st Tri Table Winners Announced)
Free Reading
Wednesday Wars Introduction
(our next class novel)
QR Code Web Quest

Wednesday, November 2nd
Library Day!

Thursday, November 3rd
Free Reading
Wednesday Wars
Honors: Newspaper Day

Friday, November 4th
Free Reading 
Constructed Response: ACES Paragraph
Wednesday Wars
Book #1 DUE


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Friday, October 28, 2016

Week 13: Halloween and ACES and End-of-Trimester: Oh My!

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Another fantastic week in Language Arts! How I love watching these students grow, learn and develop. I appreciate those students who have been working so very hard to get all caught-up in preparation for the end-of-the trimester. I am proud of the students who are experiencing joy because it's finally clicking! I've seen a lot of "A-Ha" moments this week and it's pretty great. This year has just been really enjoyable, so thanks to all of you students and parents.

Quick note on Halloween: Yes, dress-up if you'd like to! We are asking that costumes are school-appropriate (nothing that violates dress code, is violent/gruesome, no excessive make-up, no masks, and NO eye-altering costume contacts). It's a fun day for everyone & I love celebrating in my classroom, LA style:) 

The end of the trimester is upon us. Please see the schedule and deadlines below. In preparation for essays, we will be learning ACES paragraphs that will eventually morph into the anchoring body paragraphs of essays. There are tricks to writing well and I'm excited to simplify the process for students and give them lifelong skills.

Thanks for a great first trimester, let's finish strong and work hard! Please contact me at rachel.robins@washk12.org with any questions. 


Week #13
October 31-November 4

Monday, October 31st
Halloween!
Spooky Writing & The Raven (pop-culture version, original text)
Honors: October Writing Contest and Blog DUE

Tuesday, November 1st
Free Reading
Introduction of ACES Paragraphs:
Notes, Modeling, Sort

Wednesday, November 2nd
Last Day to Hand In Late Work
Book #10 DUE
Free Reading
Lesson/Practice on Citation with Scope Magazine

Thursday, November 3rd
Free Reading
Partner-up ACES Paragraph

Friday, November 4th
Trimester Ends!
Honors: Books 11 & 12 DUE
CFA #2: ACES Paragraphs



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Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Links for October 26, 2016







  • Today the focus is to catch-up on missing work, it's my gift to you:) You may also read, do book tracking or study for the test.
  • If you are missing work, you need to make a packet of missing work and bring it to me.


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Thursday, October 20, 2016

Week #12: Sentences/Vocab Test and ACES Introduction

What a great week as students wrapped up Literature Circles by creating cool Notice and Note Maps and an ABC Plot Book. Watch for pictures! I'm so proud of their hard work and team effort. I love teaching these students!

Next week will start with a visit to the library on our short PLC day, followed by a test on sentences and vocabulary. Before students learn ACES paragraphs, which will lead to our next CFA, they need to master sentence types. We've had a lot of fun with these and I'm excited for a fun review before the test. ACES paragraphs coming up, which are the foundation of informational essay writing. I love teaching writing and I work hard to make it fun and easy-to-understand for students.

Our first Gold Gecko Day will be October 28th. This is an epic event where all students who have ALL of their work in and ALL passing grades (No NP's or U's) will spend the last hour of the day choosing a fun activity to do. Other students will be in classrooms doing their missing work to prep for the end of the trimester. Please encourage your student to get their work in on time--I'd love for all of them to enjoy this fun day!

I'm happy to touch-base or discuss anything with you concerning their grades and performance/behavior in the class. I'm your partner in their success! Please email me at rachel.robins@washk12.org/652-4742.


Week #12
October 24th-October 28th

Monday, October 24th
PLC Short Day (school dismissed at 11:45am)
Library Day

Tuesday, October 25th
Free Reading
Review for test (sentences & vocabulary)

Wednesday, October 26th
Sentences/Vocabulary Test
Free Reading
Catch-up on Missing Work
Deadline to quality for Gold Gecko Day 
(NO missing work, NO NP's, No U's)

Thursday, October 27th
Free Reading
Book #9 Due
ACES Introduction/Notes

Friday, October 28th
GECKO DAY!
Enrichment/Reteach or Homework Hall
GOLD GECKO DAY (after 6th period)
Book Order Due

10 Quotes for the Ultimate Book Lover:

Friday, October 14, 2016

Week 11: October 17th-October 21st

Fall Break is upon us, enjoy the time off to spend with your families and catch up on work, etc. It's been a fun week of Literature Circles, time in the library and all things sentences. I'm proud of how students are tackling information and doing their best to stay caught-up. Attendance in class is crucial at this point as we are learning new concepts and having discussions that can't really be replicated outside of the classroom.


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Please, please look at the highlighted deadlines--we have a lot coming up and I want students to have plenty of notice in advance to prepare. It will be a fun and engaging week of Literature Circle work, discussion and sentence practice. Students need to be prepared with having their Literature Circle book read each day.

I'm your partner in education. Please email me at rachel.robins@washk12.org or call 435-652-4742 after school hours. Many thanks! 

Week #11
October 17-October 21

Monday, October 17th
Free Reading/Quick Write
Honors: Newspaper Day
Update Friendship Unit Packet
Literature Circle Discussion & Activity
Book #8 Due 

Tuesday, October 18th
Free Reading/Quizlet
Sentence Practice
Literature Circle Discussion & Activity

Wednesday, October 19th
Free Reading/Quizlet
Sentence Practice
Literature Circle Discussion & Activity

Thursday, October 20th
Free Reading/Quizlet
Sentence Practice
Literature Circle Discussion & Activity

Friday, October 21st
Free Reading/Quick Write
Sentence Practice
Enter Literature Circle Book in Book Tracker
Literature Circle Discussion & Activity
DUE: Literature Circle Notice & Note Map, 
ABC Book & Quizlets


Interesting facts about reading:) Read over Fall Break, I'll be giving prizes on Monday!!
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Friday, October 7, 2016

Week 10: Fun Before Fall Break

I am honestly enjoying this group of students who are so hardworking, kind and thoughtful. What amazing kids! First of all, thank you for the support in our Chili's Fundraiser. We earned almost $300 for our iRead program, which is much appreciated. We still have a couple weeks to accept any personal or business donations: iRead Support Letter I'm excited to start designing the new shirts and seeing students achieve entrance into the iRead 40 Club. Many congrats to Nick Renstrom, who is the first 7th grader to make it into the iRead 4o Club! Way to go Nick!! I'll have his picture with our new shirts after they are ordered. 

Fall Break is nearing, but we'll have important things going on next week. If you miss school, it's your responsibility to check the blog, ask a friend, and ask me about what you work. With very little exception, all work is located in the "Missed Work" crate in the back of my room. Students are also encouraged to request themselves for FLEX time for extra help from me. I'm happy to help, but I'd love to see students become more proactive. Friendly reminder that students should be reading at lest 30 mins. for a minimum of 5 days a week.

So, we've been doing Whole Brain Gestures while learning about Simple, Compound and Complex Sentences. Ask your student to demonstrate--it's fun and a great way to keep them all organized in their heads. I'm so pleased with the outstanding work and enthusiasm I've see this week: well done!

The first edition of the National Gecko Graphic has launched: October National Gecko Graphic Newspaper. Congrats to 6th period Honors for a job well done! Take a look at the color edition online, paper copies will be passed out next week:)

As always, I am your partner in education, let me know how I can assist: rachel.robins@washk12.org or 435-652-4742. Have a wonderful week!


Week #10
October 10th-October 12th 

Monday, October 10th
Free Reading/Quick Write
Honors: Theme
Complex Sentence Application: Scope Magazine

Tuesday, October 11th
Free Reading/Quick Write
Vocabulary: Conflict and Characterization
Literature Circles: Notice and Note Map and ABC Book

Wednesday, October 12th
Library Day
Library Lesson and Lots o' Reading!

Enjoy Fall Break from October 13th-October 16th. See you on Monday, October 17th!

Looking ahead: Book #8 DUE on October 17th

I thought this was great--just look at one the many ways reading is so very good for you!

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Friday, September 30, 2016

Week #9: Literature Circles Continue!

Another fantastic week in Language Arts! It was so nice to meet many of you during Parent-Teacher Conferences. I love teaching your children and I enjoyed discussing my goals for your student and addressing your questions and concerns. If you couldn't make it (I'm a busy mom too, totally understand) I am sending home a bookmark with all my contact information and a flyer on the Chili's Fundraiser Day.

Speaking of which...please visit Chili's on Wednesday, October 5th  anytime from 11am-11pm and buy food. They will donated a portion of sales to fund our iRead program--just show this flyer or say you are supporting Lava Ridge. I can't say enough about the power of this program to create a love of reading, which leads to students becoming lifelong readers. Being a good reader can make all the difference! It does take money to pay for incentives, prizes, t-shirts and our field trip, so this money would go a long way to help your child. Please join us if you are able. 

This week will be fun as we continue Literature Circles and work on some reading-specific mini lessons and activities.  I'm so pleased at how many kids are current on their reading and working so hard, thank you! As always, I'm happy to answer any questions or meet with you about your student. Keep in touch and have a fantastic weekend!

Week #9
October 3-October 7

Monday, October 3rd
Free Reading
Simple and Compound Sentence & Practice
FANBOY Conjunctions (Unit Guide)

Tuesday, October 4th
Free Reading/Quick Write
Literature Circle Discussion (find sentence types)
Write Sentences on Graffiti Wall
Vocabulary: Cliffhanger, Suspense, Foreshadowing
Launch of the School Newspaper

Wednesday, October 5th
Free Reading/Quick Write
Theme Lesson
Honors: Newspaper Day
Chili's Fundraiser

Thursday, October 6th
Free Reading/Quick Write
Mini-Lesson: Complex Sentences
Sentence Pratice
Work on N & N Map/ABC Booklets

Friday, October 7th
Free Reading/Quick Write
Scope Magazine: Sentence Identification
Book #7 Due


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Shots from the epic 80's Spirit Day!