WEEK 4 AGENDA

Announcements:

*MAP Testing begins this week. 8th Graders will be taking the reading test in history class, the math test in math class, and the language usage test in English class. Testing will take place 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 7th periods on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.

*Student grades can be checked online using Power School. Each student needs an id and password (from the Student Center) for this purpose.

*Emergency forms need to be turned into the office, whether there are information changes or not.

*Each day, 8th Graders have a 30-minute enrichment period after lunch. The focus for enrichment is reading. Students are reading The Legend of Colton H. Bryant by Alexandra Fuller during 1st quarter.

*Students are expected to stay up to date with their Writer's Notebook Entries. All entry prompts can be found on the top left of this blog page under "Writer's Notebook Entries." When a set of entries are due, students will receive one week's notice in order to make sure all entries are revised and completed before the due date.

*Students are required to read two books per quarter outside of school, and post comments for SSR credit on Ms. Swiggum's library blog at http://www.kswiggum.edublogs.org/ (hyperlink on left of page).

AGENDA September 21-26:

This week, students will begin reading a series of fictional narratives, most of which they will select from a menu of choices. The first selection will be read as a class -- "What's the Worst that Can Happen?" by Bruce Coville. Students are also studying narrative structure, literary terminology, and thesis statements this week. We will be reviewing active verbs and figurative language as well.

WEEKLY HOMEWORK: Due Friday

1) Grammar Worksheet

2) Put 2-3 artifacts of your own, with explanations/captions in your WNB

MONDAY:

1) Blog Agenda and weekly homework

2) Ms. Swiggum's library blog -- post two comments per quarter

3) Language Arts binder organization

*Bell Work
*Assignments
*Grammar
*Writing
*Graded Work
*Vocabulary

3) What is a narrative?

4) WNB 'Catch up time'

TUESDAY:

MAP TESTING - LANGUAGE USAGE

WEDNESDAY:

1) www.freerice.com - 10 minutes of English Grammar

2) Literary Terms handout

3) Begin "What's the Worst that Can Happen?" and label figurative language

THURSDAY:

1) Brain Pop! Action Verbs video review and quiz (action verbs, direct objects, indirect objects)

2) Finish "What's the Worst that Can Happen?" and label figurative language.

FRIDAY:

*Weekly Homework due!!!*

1) Review and grade grammar homework

2) Mini-lesson and workshop: thesis statements

HOME BASE:

*Emergency Forms due this week

*One fact on oil drilling due on Monday

*SSR on Tuesday and Thursday

WEEK 3 AGENDA

SEPTEMBER 15-19

Announcements:

*Back to School Night Tuesday, September 16 from 6:30-8:15. All students and parents are encouraged to attend!

*Signed quarterly recognition forms need to be turned in this week.

*MAP Testing begins September 22.

*Student grades can be checked online using PowerSchool. Each student needs an id and password (from the Student Center) for this purpose.

*Each day, 8th Graders have a 30-minute enrichment period after lunch. Mondays are dedicated to student advisory and home base activities. Fridays are dedicated to SSR. (This week, SSR will be held on Thursday). The focus for enrichment is reading. The first novel that students will read is The Legend of Colton H. Bryant by Alexandra Fuller.

*Students are expected to stay up to date with their Writer's Notebook Entries. All entry prompts can be found on the top left of this blog page under "Writer's Notebook Entries." When a set of entries are due, students will receive one week's notice in order to make sure all entries are revised and completed before the due date.

THIS WEEK'S AGENDA:

This week students are completing the drafting and revising process on their name jerseys. Completed jerseys are due at the beginning of class on Friday. Finished name jerseys will be presented and displayed, showcasing both student artwork and writing.

Students are also studying active verbs, and working to incorporate them into their writing. We are using clickers and interactive writing in the classroom this week to practice skills and assess comprehension.

Next week, we will move into reading a selection of fictional narratives, and learning the rules of MLA formatting, which will help 8th Graders begin their first big research project of the year in their history classes.

WEEKLY HOMEWORK:

For Friday:

1. Color code your summer experience paragraph. We will do this together in class on Monday.

red:topic sentence (1)

blue:concluding sentence (1)

green: concrete details (2)

yellow: commentary (4)

2. Revise paragraph to include any of these that are missing.

3. Locate passive voice in your writing. Revise for active verbs.

4. Spell-check, proofread, and re-type your piece. Attach your final draft to your rough draft and turn in.

MONDAY:

1) Blog Agenda for the week/explanation of weekly homework

2) Review Lit. Response Rubric for final grading of paragraph

3) Mini-Lesson: Color coding paragraphs -- Interactive writing sample

4) Drafting of name jersey essay/design jersey

TUESDAY:

1) Mini-lesson: Active Verbs review with clickers

2) Drafting of name jersey essay/design jersey

WEDNESDAY:

1) WNB #3: "I lost..."

2) Focused revision of jersey essay draft

THURSDAY:

1) Mini-lesson: Focused review of active verbs with clickers

2) Finalize jersey design

3) Copy final drafts onto jerseys

FRIDAY:

WEEKLY HOMEWORK DUE at the beginning of class!!!

1) WNB #4: Draw a tree, and on each leaf and/or each branch, write a word or phrase that reflects your personality.

2) Jersey presentations.

WEEK 2 Agenda

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

1) Leftover/Incomplete Student and Parent Inventories, and signed Classroom Policies need to be turned in this week.

2) 8th Grade field trip to Colter Bay Indian Museum in Grand Teton National Park, this Friday, September 12. Students need to bring warm clothes, comfortable shoes, and a sack lunch. Buses leave at 9:00 a.m. and return at 2:00 p.m.

3) Back to School Night Tuesday, September 16 at 6:30.

4) Please utilize this classroom blog to stay updated on agendas, homework, projects, announcements, and field trips.

5) Student grades can be checked online using PowerSchool. Each student needs an id and password (from the Student Center) for this purpose.

6) Each day, 8th Graders have a 30-minute enrichment period after lunch. Mondays are dedicated to student advisory and home base activities. Fridays are dedicated to SSR. (This week, SSR will be held on Thursday). The focus for enrichment is reading. The first novel that students will read is The Legend of Colton H. Bryant by Alexandra Fuller.

AGENDA:

This week, we are beginning Unit 1: "Telling My Story." Students will begin by researching the origins of their given names and surnames. Expect your child to interview you on this topic. Students are expected to collect 3-5 facts about the origins and significance of their names. In class, we will read an excerpt from Sandra Cisneros' House on Mango Street. Then students will draft a 3-paragraph essay about their names, and revise it for a "name jersey," which will be decorated with pictures and graphics that reflect students' unique identities. These jerseys will be displayed and presented to the class.

As the unit continues, students will be choosing several short narratives to read from a group of selections that represent this theme. During this reading, students will be learning to identify new literary terminology. Afterward, they will be selecting one of two novels to read, analyze, and discuss: A Step from Heaven, by An Na, or Forgotten Fire, by Adam Bagdasarian. The unit will culminate with a digital narrative in the end of first quarter!

Weekly Homework:
Students will be assigned a weekly homework task each Monday, and it will be due on Friday. This week, it is due on Thursday since we have a field trip on Friday.

HW: Write and revise a complete paragraph about your most enjoyable experience this summer. Remember to use a topic sentence, a concluding sentence, concrete details, and commentary. Do your best to incorporate active verbs!!! This must be: TYPED, SPELL-CHECKED, and PROOFREAD. (DUE ON THURSDAY AT THE BEGINNING OF CLASS!!!)

MONDAY:

*Turn in leftover forms. Return incomplete forms.

1) Weekly Overview

2) Blog Hunt Results and other tips for navigating our blog.

3) Review Jane Shaffer terminology.

4) House on Mango Street excerpt

TUESDAY:

1) Research names online: www.babynames.com

2) Name jersey assignment details

3) WNB #2: Pre-writing and drafting for name jersey

WEDNESDAY:

1) Active Verbs mini-lesson and practice game

2) Design and color name jerseys

3) Continue drafting

THURSDAY:
*Weekly Homework due!
*All leftover and incomplete forms due!

Finish drafting and write final draft of name jersey

FRIDAY:

FIELD TRIP TO COLTER BAY INDIAN MUSEUM!!! 9-2

*Remember your warm clothes, comfortable shoes, and sack lunch.

Welcome 8th Grade Students and Parents!

Welcome 8th Grade Students and Parents!!!

I am very happy to be a part of this wonderful community, and I am really looking forward to getting to know all of you this year. I love living in Jackson Hole and the Tetons, and I am excited for another great school year!!!

This is my second year at JHMS. I moved to Jackson in 2007 from Boulder, CO., where I did my Master’s Degree in Secondary English Education at The University of Colorado. My Bachelor’s Degree is in English and Psychology from The University of Iowa. I have been teaching since 2000, and I have worked at the pre-school, middle school, high school, and university levels in Colorado, Wyoming, and abroad at an American School in La Paz, Bolivia.


I am bilingual (English/Spanish), and have spent several years living in South America – Venezuela and Bolivia. I have traveled and lived extensively around the world including Central and South America, the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, West Africa, and Australia. My passions include: snowboarding, hiking, running, dancing, yoga, drumming, reading and writing, and traveling.


This blog will be a space for parents to stay connected to what we are doing in class, reading, writing, and homework schedules, as well as literature circle activities and ongoing projects.

You are all welcome to email me with any questions, etc. at any time. You can contact me at: jflammang@teton1.wy.k12.us. You can also reach me at 307-733-4234 ext. 3102.

Please utilize the classroom blog to stay updated on assignments, homework, projects, and deadlines: http://language-link.blogspot.com/
Looking forward to a great school year!!!

Jessica Flammang

CLASSROOM POLICIES
This form will be handed out on the first day and must be returned by Friday, September 5 with student and parent signatures.

1)Follow all JHMS policies, guidelines, and expectations.

2)Come to class on time and prepared each day with necessary materials including: texts, binder, notebook, journal, pen/pencil, JHMS agenda, and any other necessary materials for the current project or assignment.

3)When the bell rings, you are in your seat with your materials out and ready to go.

4)No food or soda. Water is allowed. Bottles must be recycled.

5)Clean up after yourself after each class session. Recycle all paper and bottles.

6)When you use classroom items, return them to where they are kept when you are finished.

7)Utilize the classroom blog regularly: http://language-link.blogspot.com.

8)Be responsible – come prepared and ready to stay. Leaving class requires a pass.

9)Be respectful – raise your hand, listen and respond thoughtfully to others and respect their opinions. Behave and speak respectfully toward all substitutes, classroom guests, staff, administrators, observers, and project facilitators. Have a good attitude!

10)Be safe – behave with others’ welfare in mind. Conduct yourself appropriately.

11)Produce your best work.

12) When you are absent, it is your responsibility to get and complete all missing work.

13)Attend homework help sessions if you are receiving a failing grade.

14)Inappropriate behavior and speech will not be tolerated.

15)Be an active member of the classroom community! Share, contribute, cooperate, and participate.


Student Signature:________________________________________ Date:__________


Parent/Guardian Signature:_________________________________ Date:__________

WEEK ONE AGENDA:

MONDAY - NO SCHOOL - LABOR DAY

TUESDAY:

1) Welcome to 8th Grade Language Arts! Room tour, evacuation procedures, classroom rules, materials needed

2) Media Center Visit for id's and passwords

WEDNESDAY:

1) CEF and materials reminder

2) WNB Rubrics model and overview

3) Bring 3 prompts for Writer's Notebooks for Friday

THURSDAY:

1) Personal Questions Powerpoint

2) Blog Tour and Scavenger Hunt

FRIDAY:

*Student and parent surveys due
*Classroom Policies due
*3 prompts due

1) More on WNBs -- Read "What is a Writer's NB, Anyway?"

2) WNB #1: "One thing I wish my parents/teachers knew about me..." and share

3) Blog Hunt results...

Writer's Notebooks

Writer's Notebooks

We will be keeping Writer's Notebooks in 8th Grade this year, which we will refer to as WNB's. These will be used for in-class writing, responses to literature, and vocabulary. Each student should buy a composition book for this purpose. Students are expected to have this notebook ready by the end of the first week, and bring it to class every day. Below you will find a description of WNB's. All students will receive a grading rubric for this ongoing project during the first week of class, and should paste it into their class binders for year-long reference.

These notebooks are intended to be a place for you to collect and draw inspiration from. They are highly personal, and each outcome will be different than the next. They will be used for pre-writing, in-class writing prompts, and vocabulary. Writer’s Notebooks will be collected regularly. Be creative and show who you are!!!!

SOME QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF BEFORE EACH GRADING PERIOD:
Is my notebook unique? Does it reflect my personality? Did I experiment with different writing styles and include a variety of artifacts? Do I have all the required entries? Are all my entries complete? Is my notebook presented clearly and creatively?

WNB's will be graded according to the following aspects, which are based on the Six Traits for writing. Student grading rubrics will break this down in detail.

* Ideas and Organization
* Effort and Presentation
* Style and Application
* Voice and Individuality

Grading:

A: All entries are present. Entries are complete, legible and thoughtful.

B: Most entries are present. Entries are complete, legible and thoughtful.

C: Several entries are missing or incomplete. Some entries are illegible or not well thought out.

D or below: Half or more entries are missing or incomplete.

1st Quarter WNB Prompts:

WNB #1: One thing I wish my parents/teachers knew or understood about me is...

WNB #2: Pre-writing/drafting for Name Jerseys.

WNB #3: I lost...

WNB #4: Draw a tree, and on each leaf and/or each branch, write a word or phrase that reflects your personality.

WNB #5:

WNB #6:

WNB #7:

WNB #8:

Parker's poems...

Magnetic Poetry:

Whisper Wing

We Exagerate
Create
Destroy
Butterfly
She Turns
Whispers
Summer Helps
Wing Whispers
She Whispers

Diamante:

Hate
Ugly, Faceless
Demeaning, Loathing, Despising
Violent, Dangerous, Clash, Lasting
Friendly, Adoring, Holding
Beautiful, Lively
Love

Max's Magnetic Poem

I Nibble on the chimichanga,
And taste the warm sauce,
the wild cream squeezes & wiggles as I inspect its delicious qualities,
melon pies lay with jelly,
delicious bananas glisten with taste off my tongue,
As I sit in the downtown diner...