Memoir Projects and Textbooks are due

This coming week on May 26, the final Memoir Project is due after students have worked on this project for two months. There is a specific format to follow, and the entire document must be PROOFREAD thoroughly. My intention is for your student to make something marvelous that will be kept by your family for years and years to come. A copy of the directions and requirements are on my blog under "handouts".

Students know that they are required to bring a flash drive to class each day AND to copy pieces from the flash drive to a permanent computer. Unfortunately, in the past some students have lost everything at the last minute when they damaged or lost their flashdrives. They should have EVERYTHING with them in class, in case there is an error found that there is still time to fix. Please discuss the project with your student. He/she should be very proud of what has been accomplished. This project may be turned in early - I recommend every student to turn it in early, just in case.

Textbooks are due by next Friday - May 27. If a textbook is not returned, a replacement cost of $84.97 is due to the main office. Please remind your student to turn in the textbook AND any class novels ASAP.

Finally, students have received permission slips to attend the field trip to Funway on June 1. It is important that your student continues to complete assignments and behave appropriately.

Thanks for your support all year. Please continue to check the online Gradebook for missing/late activities.

Progress Reports and Electives

Students are completing elements for the Memoir Project, and they have additional class time today to type their pieces. They are expected to have a flash drive in class EVERY day for this project. Information about this project is available on my blog under "handouts".

Next week is the MAP testing for Math and Reading on Monday and Tuesday during Language Arts. Please remind your student to get plenty of sleep and eat a good breakfast.

Today I am passing out progress reports for Language Arts, primarily so students can notice if they have not turned something in. Please sign and return it to me. If there are any alterations, I correct them online.

Please also check online to see that your student is arriving to all classes on time, as tardiness is disruptive to the learning environment for everyone.

Today in advisory students received information about signing up for electives online through PowerSchool. Please encourage your student to sign up ASAP.

Thanks for your continued support.

District 97's Ethnic Festival essay contest winners

Congratulations to the following winners of the District 97's Ethnic Festival essay and poetry contest. These students are invited to attend the opening ceremonies of the Ethnic Festival next Saturday, May 7th at 11:00 AM in the Julian auditorium. At that time they will be called to the stage to be recognized and to receive a certificate. According to Ms. Lynn Allen, "They show a lot of insight about bullying and their perceptions of our schools' climate."


Brooks Middle School - 7th grade winners

1st Place - (3 way tie)
Elise S., Sophia P. and Sophia C.

2nd Place -
Helen B.

3rd Place (3 way tie) -
Judd B., Olivia V., and Griffin K.

Thank you to everyone for your participation.

A copy of the Reflection on The Wiz activity is under handouts to the right.

Week of April 25

This week in Language Arts students have the opportunity to revise, edit and type pieces for the final Memoir Project. (Specific directions for the project are listed under "handouts" to the right of this blog.) Netbook computers will only be available this week in the class room, and flashdrives are required each day in class. Students need to finish the project on their own time using computers at home, the local libraries, or at school during lunch or before school.

Please double check that your student has turned in all class novels. Many students think they have turned them in, however they may not have turned in the copy that they were assigned. Students may replace the missing novel with a new one or pay for the loss. This money will go to the library to replace the novels.

On Thursday afternoon, our team will attend a performance of The Wiz.

Next week students will take the final MAP tests in reading and math for this year.

Overdue Language Arts Novels

Please return the following book(s) to Ms. Pearson ASAP, if you have not already. If you cannot find your book, you may provide a NEW copy OR pay for it. Thanks for helping support our literacy mandate by returning your novels. Textbooks will need to be returned in the middle of May.

___ Monster ($9)
___ The Looking Glass War ($9)
___ The Beekeeper’s Apprentice ($14)
___ Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment ($8)
___ Freak the Mighty ($6)
___ The Order of Odd Fish ($8)

Thanks.

LA this week AND District 97 Writing Celebration Results

This week in Language Arts we are continuing to work on short poems, writing personal memoirs (over the long weekend), and reviewing basic literary terms, grammar and reading skills.

Next week students will use the computer netbooks in class to revise and type pieces of their work for the Memoir Project. (Information about that project is under handouts to the right of this blog.)

PLEASE review the online grades with your student. The essay and class project should be graded shortly, however other activities have been entered.

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Congratulations to the following students!!! Each piece that earned an Award for Excellence will be published soon in District 97’s Writing Celebration Booklet for 2011.


Olivia V., Poetry – Award for Excellence

Emma S., Poetry, Award for Excellence

Brianna S., Poetry, Award for Excellence

Abraham S., Poetry, Award for Excellence

Rosie S., Prose, Award for Excellence

Hannah E., Prose, Award for Excellence

Jonah H., Prose, Award for Excellence

Charlotte J., Prose, Award for Excellence

Progress Reports sent home this week

I have entered all the scores for LA assignments from this week and during my absence. Please look over your student's progress with your child and sign the progress report before sending it back to me. You are also welcome to print it directly from Powerschool if it did not make it home to you.

Please remember that if there is a ___ (blank space), it means the activity was not graded or due yet. If there is a "0", I have not received it. Regarding the essays that were due on March 24: there was an issue with my substitute not keeping a copy for me to grade. If your student does NOT have a check in that box for "turned in", please have them print it again and give it to me tomorrow. My apologies for this confusion.....

Also, there continues to be an outbreak of tardiness on our team. Please check for tardies on the online gradebook, and please speak to your child about how tardiness disrupts everyone in the class. Students are also tardy if they don't have their materials for class and leave to get them.

Thanks, as always, for your support. Please don't hesitate to let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

This week

Welcome back from Spring Break.

Thank you for your thoughts while I was out of town. I will catch up on grading as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

This week students are exploring personal stories and reading short stories in the textbook.

Before Spring Break

In my absence, Ms. Newman is a wonderful substitute. Please address specific questions and concerns to Ms. King, our team leader (Jking@op97.org) and she may pass them on.

Please remember that the Diversity Persuasive essays are due this week - two copies, typed, 12 point font, 300 words maximum.

Students should continue to bring their textbook, choice novel and class novel EACH day, as well as a flashdrive and ALL parts of the essay.

Thanks for helping support your student during my absence.

End of Trimester 2

ISAT testing is Monday through Thursday this week, and Friday is the end of the trimester. Thank you for encouraging your student to eat a healthy breakfast and get plenty of rest. Students are prepared to do their best. They do need to bring a calculator, several sharpened pencils, and something to read every day.

This week we are finishing the independent reading novel Monster. All study guides and journals are due on Friday, and there will be a quiz that day. Students will be given review sheets on Tuesday.

Thursday afternoon is an all school PBIS celebration. Please ask your student for the blue permission slip to sign and return. It is available online on the team blog, or you may email Ms. King for a copy.

Progress reports were handed out last Friday. Students have had a chance to look for missing activities or check in with me. Please sign it and have your student return it to me. You may always check teachers' blogs and your student's grades online at your convenience.

Thanks for your continued support.

ISATS and end of the trimester

ISAT testing will begin next week. Thank you for encouraging your student to eat a healthy breakfast and get plenty of rest. We have been reviewing some strategies in class, and students are prepared to do their best.

Students need to bring their textbooks to class each day, in addition to their choice novel and the class novel Monster. Progress reports will be handed out this week to bring home to review. Please sign it and have your student return it to me the next day. You may always check teachers' blogs and your student's grade online at your convenience.

The end of the trimester is March 4. Hopefully that will also be the end of our snow....

Post THUNDERSNOW

Now that the THUNDERSNOW has subsided, and we are back to a typical week, teachers hope to re-schedule the portfolio conference with you. Thanks for adjusting to the weather situation, which was obviously an "experience" for all of us.

This week students are reviewing literature terminology, which includes an analysis of a 30 minute, situation comedy on television. Please help your student decide which program would be best. We also are continuing the novel Monster and reviewing reading strategies.

Forms for the Springfield 7th grade trip are due on Tuesday to the main office, along with payment. (You can print out information from the District website or stop in the office for a form.)

The trip is on Friday, March 25. Students will be on chaperoned buses that tour Springfield's famous sites. If students are not on the field trip, they are expected to attend school that day.

Please call the Brooks main office directly if you have questions about the field trip. Please contact your student's conferencing teacher about a makeup conference appointment.

Essay is due Wednesday

The Kindness and Justice Challenge essay is due Wednesday, with all drafts and outlines stapled to the back. Today in class students labeled their current drafts with the parts of an essay (attention getter, thesis, etc.) so that they could make sure they had everything. They also were directed to proofread their essays again using the Proofreading Reminders sheet.

The final draft is due during class. Students should have everything backed up on a flashdrive that they bring to class, just in case they need to make a last minute correction. The Media Center is open at 8 AM for students to use computers. Computers will not be available during class.

Wednesday we will be listening to a "book talk" in the Media Center. Students need to make sure they have their ID's and any overdue books to return.

This week

Writing Celebration entries are due to me in class on Thursday. Students need to attach the completed entry form (signed by you) to the typed copy of prose or poetry. I will pass it on to the judges after I receive Mr. Sindelar's signature.

Student-led Portfolio Conferences are approaching. Please make sure that you contact the conferencing teacher or your student's adviser if you have not already. If you have not received a form in the mail, please list 3-4 time slots that are good for you between 1 PM and 7 PM on Thursday, February 3, and pass that on to your student's adviser. Please remember that your student is leading the conference, and you need to arrive 15 minutes prior to the start of the conference appointment.

The "Kindness and Justice Challenge" rough drafts are due at the beginning of class on Thursday. The typed, final version will be due next Wednesday, with all outlines and drafts attached. Students are encouraged to type the rough draft, if at all possible. Encourage your student to share this activity with you and remind them to add specific details.

Last week students turned in a revised, creative story, which you will be able to view during conferences.

Thanks for continuing to check the teachers' blogs and gradebook to help your student stay up to date. Your support is really important to your student and to me.

Writing Celebration

The District 97 Writing Celebration is a great opportunity for your student to share his/her creative writing outside of class.

I emailed the permission form for the District 97 Writing Celebration, which is due to me by 1/20. Each student is encouraged to submit one piece or work, either prose or poetry, to this event. I will offer extra credit to students who participate.

The typed piece of writing (proofread thoroughly, please) must be submitted to me with the completed form (and parent/guardian signature) by 1/20. I will then ask Mr. Sindelar to sign it and pass it on to the celebration coordinator.

Thanks for encouraging your student to enter. This week students rewrote and typed a previous piece of writing, which may be the perfect piece.

MAP testing

The MAP testing went very well... Information will be available in the future about your student's scores.

Progress reports were handed out in LA today. Please review the report with your student before signing and returning it. Students are encouraged to turn in missing work and check the "no name" board. Most often an assignment was never turned in, but a student actually did complete a part of it.

This week students are revising and developing a piece of creative writing from the recent past. Next week students will work on a formal essay based on the principals of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Student Portfolio Conferences are the afternoon and evening of the first Thursday of February. Please plan on attending with your student. The sooner you turn in your requested times, the more likely you will get the appointment you prefer. A conference request form will be mailed home this week. If you have not received a form by then, please send a request to your student's adviser.

Happy New Year

This is a reminder that MAP testing will occur during Language Arts on Monday and Tuesday for all 7th grade Brooks students. Students should feel confident and ready. This is a middle of the year benchmark test to see growth so far.

Please remind your student to get a good night's sleep, eat a healthy breakfast, and bring a good book to read for when the testing is completed.

The science field trip is on Thursday, so please make sure that permission slips and $ are turned in to Mr. Reising before Wednesday.

Thanks for your continued support.