Week 24: We will RISE to the occasion...

A test called RISE is our new end-of-level testing system...goodbye SAGE. We are going to play around with the test and get used to it by doing some benchmarks so when we take the actual test in April (reading only), it won't be anything scary, but rather a chance to shine. This will help me gauge progress and know exactly what to cover before April.

We will also be starting one of my favorite units: Superhero Argumentative Unit! This is where students hone their argumentative writing skills within the context of making an argument for their favorite superhero. Attendance is critical this time of year, and most of what we do in class is highly instructional and interactive. Make-up work will be difficult and they will not be able to practice the concepts with me in class as they would normally do. Students know where make-up work is located.

I'm so excited to have so many students begin to qualify for the iRead Club by completing their full bingo card. Shirts are being printed and we'll have candy bars soon too. Keep up the great reading kids! Thanks again for the support. Please email with me any questions. Thanks:)

Week 24 Schedule

January 28th-February 1st

Monday, January 28th
RISE Benchmarks

Tuesday, January 29th
RISE Benchmarks

Wednesday, January 30th
RISE Benchmarks

Thursday, January 31st
Library Day!
Free Reading

Friday, February 1st
Argumentative Analysis Pretest
Free Reading
Monthly Drawing!

Code word for a Robins's Reward: I like to argue! (You know you do, now you get to write it out!)

Having fun with sentences as we wrapped up the grammar unit. Students showed me they knew their sentences pretty well, and if you look close, you'll get a laugh!

Colton, upon receiving his shipment of Rick Riordan titles from his contest win, was nothing but smiles! He also built muscle as he chose to haul them around all day:) Way to go Colton!

Big congrats to Alayna and Marz...the newest members of the iRead Club! Woot!!!

Week 23: A Grammar Goodbye

Well, it's not like we'll never speak of grammar again--just the unit will wrap for now as we continue to revisit these key parts of writing. I departed from my original plan and decided instead of worksheets, we'd do A LOT of tactile, hands-on activities. It was fun and I could see students learn and start to put together the pieces! I love what I do and the opportunity I have to work with such great kids.

I am offering a few extra credit opportunities. I've told them all to students and everything is in my room.

Please let me know if you have questions on grading...and, above all, KEEP READING!!!

Week 23

January 21-January 25

Monday, January 21st

No School

Martin Luther King/Human Rights Day

Tuesday, January 22nd

Comma Escape Room
Build-A-Sentence Strips

Free Reading

Wednesday, January 23rd

Free Reading
Kahoot Review

Thursday, January 24th

Grammar Test: Sentences and Commas

Free Reading

Friday, January 25th

Grammar Fun Activity

Missing Work or Free Reading
Honors: Newspaper Day

Book #4 (for 2nd trimester) DUE

Flipgrid Reading Response #2 DUE 

BIG congrats to Colton S. on his award winning story in Scholastic's and Rick Riodrian's contest inviting students to write a fictional story imagining that one of their parents were a god. Colton was one of 13 finalists out of 5,000 entries!!! He's won a Rick Riodrian book set. Way to go Colton!! So dang proud of my writers when they are recognized on a national level: WOW!!!!!!!!

Week 22: Grammar Fun Continued!

This was such a fun week. I tried to make instruction on parts of speech more meaningful by writing on the desks (I took the best pictures and somehow they erased...grrr) and finding nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs and prepositions in context of an interesting article on volcanoes. This next week will be highly interactive. If students feel they need more practice, simply googling what we do in class will lead to lots of good resources and practice worksheets. I do have a worksheet packet I can send with them for additional practice as well.

Keep on reading! We are having the iRead shirts printed right now and are excited to welcome in students who achieved so much:)

Many thanks for the ongoing support. Please let me know if you have any questions!

Week 22: January 14-18

Monday, January 14th

Quiz-Quiz Trade

Simple Sentences

Comma Review

*Honors: Newspaper Day

Tuesday, January 15th

Grammar Bellwork #3

Coordinating Conjunctions

Compound Sentences 

Wednesday, January 16th

Library

Free Reading!

Thursday, January 17th

Grammar Bellwork #4

Subordinating Conjunctions

Complex Sentences

Friday, January 18th

Sentence/Comma ID Game

(around the school) 

Fun preview for next week...hopefully this will refresh your memory! If not, I got you! There are some simple tricks to learn sentences! Why do we learn? It makes your writing SO much better and leads to increased reading comprehension! 

Code Phrase: There are 3 types of sentences:)

Congratulations to Corielle M. and Joseph T.!!!. Corielle was an essay winner, hand-selected by the Scholastic Scope Magazine Editor for her outstanding writing! She received a new book and letter praising her writing. Joseph was one of the few students nationwide to make it past the first level of a Scholastic Math Story Problem Solving contest! He will now advance to Round 2 for a chance to win a $5,000 scholarship. Way to go guys!!

Mrs. Robins is excited to welcome Kurt, Braxton and Jonathan into the iRead Club! These awesome readers completed an entire bingo sheet and will receive a cool t-shirt, candy bar and a ticket into the fun party in May. Keep on reading 7th graders!

Week 21: Stop-It's Grammar Time!

STOP: it's grammar time (yes, parents will appreciate the humor here...just ask them.) Before we move on to more involved writing, we need to review some grammar and I promise to do it in a more fun, engaging way.

Keep up the good reading! I hope you're remembering to read at home. When you record books on your bingo card, they will now be labeled as 2.5. Labeling them correctly is the ticket to getting into the next reading celebration day.

Thanks for being such awesome kids with supportive parents--we're all in this education thing together and I appreciate your support! Have a wonderful week and please email me with any questions on assignments.

Week 21

January 7th-January 11th

Monday, January 7th
Free Reading
Nouns, Pronouns and Capitalization
Notes & Practice

Tuesday, January 8th 
Free Reading
Verbs, Adverbs, Adjectives
Notes & Practice

Wednesday, January 9th 
Free Reading
Conjunctions
Notes & Practice

Thursday, January 10th
Counseling Day
Go to class first and I'll walk you down

Friday, January 11th
Free Reading
Simple and Compound Sentences
Notes & Practice
Book #3 for 2nd Trimester is DUE
Reading Response #2 is DUE

CODE PHRASE: It's Grammar Time!

Week 20: Welcome 2019

Welcome back everyone!! I hope you had a fun, relaxing break and feel like you are ready to begin a new year with fresh eyes and enthusiasm:)

Thank you so much for the many Christmas gifts and cards. I was very touched by the thoughtfulness from so many of you. I am indeed very lucky to be a teacher at Lava Ridge with the best students and parents around. Thank you for your ongoing support and encouragement, it really means a lot!

Please check grades. If you have turned in late work (reading responses, flipgrids, etc.) you must email me to tell me you handed it in. I don't get updates when work is submitted on these platforms, so if you don't say anything, I have no idea you've handed it in. The amount of late work is getting really frustrating and overwhelming for me, so it's on you to let me know to check and grade your work.

Please keep reading!! Students are required to finish at least 6 books a trimester and around 12 a trimester to make it into the iRead Club. I want as many students as possible to push themselves and earn that t-shirt, candy bar and ticket into our big party. Reading is fun! Students should be reading 20-30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. Let me know if you need help finding a good book to read.

As this new year begins, my hopes are to increase writing and reading ability as well as instill in students good work ethics, such as: turning work in on time, being honest on the computer (no sneaking into games), be kind to classmates and always do their best. We're on the downward slope from 7th grade and will be getting reading for 8th grade: get ready for fun, engaging learning activities!

Week 20

January 3th & January 4th

Thursday, January 3rd

"Have it All" Poetry Analysis

Free Reading (pass off books)

Friday, January 4th

New Years Write 

Free Reading (pass off books)

Missing Work Reports

Code Phrase for a Robins Reward: This will be the best year ever!