WEEK 23 AGENDA: FEBRUARY 16-20

Announcements & Events:

*Students' mixed media portraits from the Belief Project are hanging in JHMS Commons! Come and have a look! It is very impressive work!

*February 18th: Midterm grades. Book Post #1 for 3rd Quarter due today!!!

*The alternative fuel vehicle "Baby" and the award winning environmental movie "Oil and Water" will be here Friday (2/20) 2nd period for a presentation. This may run a little into 3rd period depending on the Q&A session.

*Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences coming up on March 4th and 5th!

*NO SCHOOL March 6!!!

*JHMS will be offering a parent night on "Social Networking" - things like Facebook, cyberbullying, educational collaborating, etc. March 10th at 6:30.

Weekly Homework:

1) WNB #12: Rewrite the ending to Ray Bradbury's "There Will Come Soft Rains." Pick up where the fire starts in the house. Aim for 2-6 paragraphs.

2) Any leftover Belief Essays due by the end of the week.

AGENDA: This week, students will be studying short story structure, reading two fictional selections, and studying Literary Terminology. The selections are: Ray Bradbury's "There Will Come Soft Rains," and Ron Koertge's "Angel and Aly," from James Howe's 13. On Friday, students will share work from the Belief Project, which is now complete.

MONDAY: NO SCHOOL -- PRESIDENT'S DAY

TUESDAY:
1) Short Story Structure
2) Literary Terminology
3) Read Ray Bradbury's "There Will Come Soft Rains,"and complete response activity with a partner.

WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY:
1) Read Ron Koertge's "Angel and Aly," from James Howe's 13.
2) Discuss the author's characterization of Angel, and her dual personality. How is she different when she speaks through Aly the puppet? How does the author accomplish this in his writing?

FRIDAY:
1) WNB #12 DUE: Rewritten Bradbury Ending
2) Belief Project Sharing and Celebration!!! Students should bring food or drink to share and a piece of their work to share. This could be their Belief Poem, their Portrait Collage, or their Belief Essay.

WEEK 22 AGENDA: FEB. 9-13

Image Source: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl

Announcements and Events:
*Students' mixed media portraits from the Belief Project are hanging in JHMS Commons! Come and have a look! It is very impressive work!

*Spelling Bee coming up on February 11th. This will be a late arrival day.

*8th Grade Student Poetry Reading at Jackson Hole Coffee Roaster's on Wednesday, Feb. 11, from 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. All 8th Grade students are invited to attend and read their work. Enrichment credit for attendance and participation!!!

*Holocaust exhibit at Center for the Arts coming up on Feb. 12.

*Black History presentation coming up on Feb, 13.

*President's Day on February 16th: NO SCHOOL.

*February 18th: Midterm grades. Book Post #1 for 3rd Quarter due today!!!

*JHMS will be offering a parent night on "Social Networking" - things like Facebook, cyberbullying, educational collaborating, etc. March 10th at 6:30.

*Our Belief Project ends this week, and will culminate with student sharing session next week!

MONDAY:
Jackson Hole High School Counselors will be here today to speak to classes.

TUESDAY:
Work on Belief Essays: 1-1 Conferencing, Revising

WEDNESDAY: LATE ARRIVAL DAY! Students report at 9:35. Classes begin at 9:40. Abbreviated periods.
Work on Belief Essays: 1-1 Conferencing, Revising
Spelling Bee starts at 1:30

THURSDAY: FIELD TRIP TO CENTER FOR THE ARTS! Students need to bring a lunch! 8th Grade leaves at 10:55 and returns at 2:25. We will view the film Paper Clips, and talk with the film maker.
3rd Hour: Holocaust Film Clips and class discussion on social change

FRIDAY: BELIEF ESSAY DUE!!!
Today we will complete the belief essay.

Requirements for final product:

• 2-4 pages
• Typed
• Double Spaced
• 1st Person Point of View
• Honest
• Realistic dialogue
• Clear progression -- beginning, middle, end
• Shows how belief changed 'you'
• Revised for sentence fluency, ideas and conventions
• Titled

WEEK 21 AGENDA: FEBRURARY 2-6

Image Source: www.gothtronic.com/?page=23&reviews=101

Announcements and Events:

*Spelling Bee coming up on February 11th. This will be a late arrival day.

*8th Grade Student Poetry Reading at Jackson Hole Coffee Roaster's on Wednesday, Feb. 11, from 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.

*Holocaust exhibit at Center for the Arts coming up on Feb. 12.

*Black History presentation coming up on Feb, 13.

*President's Day on February 16th: No school.

*February 18th: Midterm grades.

Weekly Homework: 1 page Essay start due Wednesday.

Write the first page (or more) of your belief essay by Wednesday. Remember to tell the stories that built your belief. Be honest and descriptive. Use a first person point of view and include at least one line of real dialogue. This must be TYPED AND DOUBLE-SPACED.

MONDAY:

• Begin filtering material and brainstorming expository essay with Kati
• HW: 1 Page start due Wednesday

TUESDAY:

• Finalize portrait assembly with Molly
• Hang collages in commons

WEDNESDAY:

• *1 page start due*
• Type Essays

THURSDAY:
In class writing conferences

FRIDAY:
In class writing conferences

*Final Essay due Feb. 13!!!*

WEEK 20 AGENDA: JANUARY 26-30

Image Source: http://www.nps.gov/wica/naturescience/images/Annual-Sunflower.jpg

Announcements:

*Happy 3rd Quarter!!!

*NAEP Testing for 8th Grade Students Tuesday, January 27, during 3rd and 4th periods. Make sure to bring an SSR book for when you finish.

*Spelling Bee coming up on February 11th. Practice round in Home Base classes this week.

*Holocaust exhibit coming up on Feb. 13.

NO HOMEWORK THIS WEEK!!! READ ON YOUR OWN!!!

MONDAY
Belief Game
Written Belief Reflections

TUESDAY
NAEP TESTING for 3rd and 4th
*Bring an SSR book!!!*

Catch up day for 5th and 7th

Things to catch up on:
1) Final Belief Poem (2 printed copies)
2) Quarterly Recognition Letter (typed and double spaced)
3) Color Palette with Molly
4) Podcasting in Media Center
5) Finish up Kati's writing prompts

Other options:
6) SSR
7) www.freerice.com -- vocabulary or grammar
8) Practice for the spelling bee with a partner

WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY
Assembling and gluing portraits with Molly

FRIDAY
Writing prompts with Kati

WEEK 19 AGENDA: JANUARY 19-23

Image Source: http://images.google.com/images?oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&q=image+of+color+palette&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&resnum=1&ct=title

Important Announcements:

*2nd Quarter ends January 23rd. All missing work due Wednesday, Jan. 21.

*Book Posts due January 20th.

*Spelling Bee coming up on February 11th. Practice round in Home Base classes next week.

Agenda: This week continues our Belief Project with pARTners. Students are working with their Memento Boxes and drafts of Belief Poems to begin assembling their multi-media portraits. They will also be learning to podcast their poetry online. We are focusing on meaningful form in poetry, including thoughtful line breaks, careful imagery, and sensory details.

Weekly Homework:
By Friday, students need to submit a letter that reflects over their performance in Language Arts over 2nd Quarter. This letter should be addressed to me, as their teacher, and be signed by each student. Length should be approximately three-quarters to a page long. Ideas to touch on are: what goals have students have met, major improvements, best pieces of work, areas of struggle, books that influenced them this quarter, how they are growing as they near the second half of 8th grade, changes they see that they have made or need to make, reflections on overall performance in terms of class participation, and on academic work. ALL LETTERS MUST BE TYPED, DOUBLE-SPACED, SPELL-CHECKED, AND SUBMITTED ON OR BEFORE FRIDAY. HAve fun with this!

MONDAY:
Color Pallette with Molly

TUESDAY:
*Book Post #2 due
Poetry -- revising, cutting and rearranging lines with Kati
*Print and submit a copy of your poem by the end of class.*

WEDNESDAY:
*All missing work due for credit today.*
Podcasting tutorial and demos with Ms. Riley
Begin collecting images in podcasting folders

THURSDAY:
Poetry -- finalizing, thoughtful line breaks, sensory details, decisions on form
*Print and submit a final copy of your poem by the end of class -- 2 copies.*

FRIDAY:End of 2nd Quarter
*2nd Quarter Reflections due!!!* TYPED AND DOUBLE-SPACED!!!
Finalize poems and submit two copies!!!
Quarterly Recognition
Belief Game with Kati and Mrs. Hoelscher's classes coming on Monday

WEEK 18 AGENDA: JANUARY 12-16

Important Announcements:

*8th Graders will be MAP testing on Monday, January 12.

*2nd Quarter ends January 23rd.

*Book Posts due January 20th.

*Spelling Bee coming up on February 11th. Practice round in Home Base classes on January 23rd.

Agenda:
The Belief Project continues this week; students will be working with form and imagery in poetry, and mixing words and media on their digital portraits. Students should have their Memento Boxes prepared and ready for use this week.

Second quarter is coming to a close, and ends next week -- January 23rd. This date is Quarterly Recognition and practice for the upcoming Spelling Bee on February 11, as well. Second book posts are due on January 20th on the Library Blog!!!

WEEKLY HOMEWORK:
1) Belief Poem due Friday
2) Second Book Post on Library Blog due Tuesday, January 20

MONDAY:
MAP Testing
Comma Review

TUESDAY:
Working with form and imagery -- Belief Poems

WEDNESDAY:
Read "The Landlady" using Think-Aloud Strategy and study Literature Terminology
Purpose for reading: Notice when reader detects details and signs of foreshadowing.
Preview vocabulary: congenial, conjured,
compelling, compulsion, inclined, hearth,
tantalizing, emanate, trifle

THURSDAY:
Working with form and imagery -- Belief Poems

FRIDAY:
Belief Poem due
Adhering "Words of Essence" in poetry to portraits

WEEK 17 AGENDA: JANUARY 5-9

Image Source: http://www.edu-partners.org/index.cfm?id=home

This week begins our pARTners project, which will span seven weeks. Students will explore their personal histories and belief systems, and respond to various writing and art prompts in the process. Major outcomes include a belief poem, an expository essay, and a multi-media digital portrait. We are very excited to work with the pARTners organization on this creative and fun project!

WEEKLY HOMEWORK:
Please bring the following items with you for our pARTner's Belief Project:

* A favorite magazine or two that can be cut up

* A shoe box full of artifacts that represent who you are

* Artifacts might include: letters, ribbons, pictures, poems, receipts, old ski passes or any small item that reveals something about you!

These mementos will be used throughout the project for brainstorming, sharing, writing prompts, and artwork. The project will involve an artist in residence, a writer in residence, and all 8th Grade Core English classes. It will span approximately from January 5th-February 20th, and will culminate in public display and student readings.

MONDAY:
Belief Project Introduction
Contribute magazines

TUESDAY:
Picture search in magazines and writing prompt

WEDNESDAY:
Portraits with Molly
Sample "This I Believe" Essays

THURSDAY:
*ALL LEFTOVER LITERATURE CIRCLE WORK DUE.*
Writing prompts on personal beliefs and experiences

FRIDAY:
Exploration of belief poem forms