We have officially began end of the year state testing. Over the next couple of weeks our schedules will be a little mixed up due to ACT and SBAC testing occurring in the mornings. With that being said, please be sure that your kiddo gets plenty of sleep and a healthy breakfast each morning. They are welcome to bring snacks, mints, gum, and water to help keep them going strong.
Much time will be spent in the dungeon this month as we work on WW2 group projects. I am really excited to see what this group comes up with. They have some awesome ideas and game plans on building their 3D artifacts. I also want to take a second to thank everyone for finding, buying, and bringing in materials for this project. Oasis families ROCK!
We are continuing with our WW2 Reading Book Clubs this week. The kids have made some great connections to the material we have been learning in Projects. I love listening to them talk about their books using format matters and habits of discussion as well as having meaningful conversations.
In writing this week we will be practicing our sentence diagramming and grammar skills. There will be a little more review this week as we prepare for SBACs.
8th grade reading has been working hard on the memoir, Night. During the next couple of chapters, author Elie Wiesel, uses language related to death, darkness, night, and decay to convey the horrors around him. The class will find and discuss examples of this recurring language the images this language evokes.
Monday, April 24, 2017
Tuesday, April 18, 2017
Tuesday, April 18
Projects= We have been furiously working through the Holocaust, and this week will touch on important leaders and battles of WWII. So many of the topics we have studied have been intense and wearisome, but this class is relentless. They know how important it is to learn and understand our history. I am so impressed with how mature my kids have been with our discussions and class meetings. This week they were finally able to meet with their groups and will continue to do so for the next couple of weeks as they begin working on their projects. Thank you in advance for helping supply the materials to make their museum artifacts great!
7th Reading= The kids will continue working in their WWII book clubs this week. They have had some wonderful group discussions and responses. I love how well they work together and seem to be enjoying their novels.
8th Reading= 8th grade has started Elie Wiesel’s memoir, Night. We will read the first chapters this week to learn the story of Wiesel's experience and survival of a Nazi concentration camp. The class has really been working hard on their format matter and habits of discussion.
Writing= This week we are honing in on our grammar skills and practicing responding to a couple prompts, being sure to use text based evidence and answering to the question completely. Next week we will begin testing. Please be sure to check out the email that was sent out to review testing dates for each grade level.
7th Reading= The kids will continue working in their WWII book clubs this week. They have had some wonderful group discussions and responses. I love how well they work together and seem to be enjoying their novels.
8th Reading= 8th grade has started Elie Wiesel’s memoir, Night. We will read the first chapters this week to learn the story of Wiesel's experience and survival of a Nazi concentration camp. The class has really been working hard on their format matter and habits of discussion.
Writing= This week we are honing in on our grammar skills and practicing responding to a couple prompts, being sure to use text based evidence and answering to the question completely. Next week we will begin testing. Please be sure to check out the email that was sent out to review testing dates for each grade level.
Tuesday, April 4, 2017
Tuesday, April 4th
I would first like to thank all of our families that came to parent conferences last week. The kids are super proud of themselves for all of their hard work and we appreciate you taking so much interest in what they have learned and are working on. I would also like to send a shout out to the kiddos that have been inducted into our National Juniors Honor Society. The induction ceremony is tonight, Tuesday, April 4th @ 7:00 at the Convention Center. I an looking forward to seeing our members representing Oasis NJHS tonight!
On Monday in Projects we had a presenter, Mr. Slonaker, share his knowledge and experiences traveling around Europe studying events and locations dealing with WWII. We will also explore the life and background of Adolf Hitler this week.
We are choosing books this week for our book clubs. The class will read summaries and reviews on The Promise, We Fought Back, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, The Boy Who Dared, and Number the Stars to help them choose their top three books. Once we have the groups sorted out, the kids will work on Tuesday and Thursdays on their club activities.
In writing we are using two articles, “The President Has Been Killed” & “The Night Before the Invasion” to analyze how they address similar themes. Then we will compare the approaches the authors take.
8th Grade Reading has been full of studying, arranging and formulating discussion points in preparation for our To Kill a Mockingbird Paideia Seminar. I have been conferencing with students over the last couple of days and they have their discussion points ready to go. On Wednesday and Thursday the kids will finally get to their chance to share their skills. I am looking forward to the discussions this group will have!
On Monday in Projects we had a presenter, Mr. Slonaker, share his knowledge and experiences traveling around Europe studying events and locations dealing with WWII. We will also explore the life and background of Adolf Hitler this week.
We are choosing books this week for our book clubs. The class will read summaries and reviews on The Promise, We Fought Back, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, The Boy Who Dared, and Number the Stars to help them choose their top three books. Once we have the groups sorted out, the kids will work on Tuesday and Thursdays on their club activities.
In writing we are using two articles, “The President Has Been Killed” & “The Night Before the Invasion” to analyze how they address similar themes. Then we will compare the approaches the authors take.
8th Grade Reading has been full of studying, arranging and formulating discussion points in preparation for our To Kill a Mockingbird Paideia Seminar. I have been conferencing with students over the last couple of days and they have their discussion points ready to go. On Wednesday and Thursday the kids will finally get to their chance to share their skills. I am looking forward to the discussions this group will have!
Tuesday, March 28, 2017
Tuesday, March 28
Welcome to the 4th Quarter! I hope that everyone had an awesome Spring Break, and from the stories I have heard from your kiddos, it sounds like most of you did!
Just a quick reminder, we have Student-Led Parent Conferences this Friday. Please see the email I sent on the 16th for more details and if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask.
In projects this quarter we are moving on in our Social Studies curriculum to World War II. This week we will focus on recapping the Treaty of Versailles and the end of WWI, then we will move into more causes that led the world into our second huge war.
In reading this week we will continue mastering root words, touch base on current events with Flocabulary, and work on some figurative language. The class is getting better and better at identifying these types of literary devices.
Writing this week has been so fun! The kids are practicing their evaluation skills by reading and writing their own reviews on books and films that they have recent experience with. They will also practice identifying propaganda techniques used in print ads.
Our 8th grade reading class finished up To Kill a Mockingbird just before we left for Spring Break. Yesterday we viewed the film and for the next week or so the kids will spend each reading block studying, arranging and formulating discussion points in preparation for our Paideia Seminar.
Tuesday, March 7, 2017
Tuesday, March 7th
Hello March!
We sure are busy as we finish up this third quarter. The class has so many huge projects that they have been giving their all. I am extremely proud of each and every one of them.
In projects we are finishing up our Great Depression websites this week. The last day to work on them will be the 14th, then on the 15th & 16th each student will have an opportunity to share their site to the class. Their pages sure are coming around, each kiddo has been working diligently on a collection of pages for their website that includes the causes of the Great Depression, daily life, the Dust Bowl, the role of government, as well as art and culture. I have been lucky enough to be keeping tabs on the sites along the way, but I am really looking forward for the kids to publish and share their hard work.
Reading has been full of studying, arranging and formulating discussion points in preparation for out Outsiders Paideia Seminar. I have been conferencing with students over the last handful of days and they have their topics of giving advice, theme, teen problems, and movie vs. novel down solid. On Wednesday and Thursday the kids will finally get to their chance to share their skills. I am looking forward to the discussions this group will have on one of our favorite books of the year!
This week in writing we are powering through another state task. This time around it is an argumentative essay. The class will work together in groups on a collaborative essay this week, then an unassisted one next week using the skills we have practiced. A couple key ideas that we are honing in on with argumentative writing include making a claim, sticking to it, and supporting it with reasons and evidence. Another skill that they are asked to include in 7th grade is adding a counterclaim. So far they are rocking the assignment.
8th grade reading has just about finished the novel To Kill a Mockingbird. The class is getting better and better with having class discussions using habits of discussion. I am always impressed with the ideas and conversations they have about the topics of the book.
We sure are busy as we finish up this third quarter. The class has so many huge projects that they have been giving their all. I am extremely proud of each and every one of them.
In projects we are finishing up our Great Depression websites this week. The last day to work on them will be the 14th, then on the 15th & 16th each student will have an opportunity to share their site to the class. Their pages sure are coming around, each kiddo has been working diligently on a collection of pages for their website that includes the causes of the Great Depression, daily life, the Dust Bowl, the role of government, as well as art and culture. I have been lucky enough to be keeping tabs on the sites along the way, but I am really looking forward for the kids to publish and share their hard work.
Reading has been full of studying, arranging and formulating discussion points in preparation for out Outsiders Paideia Seminar. I have been conferencing with students over the last handful of days and they have their topics of giving advice, theme, teen problems, and movie vs. novel down solid. On Wednesday and Thursday the kids will finally get to their chance to share their skills. I am looking forward to the discussions this group will have on one of our favorite books of the year!
This week in writing we are powering through another state task. This time around it is an argumentative essay. The class will work together in groups on a collaborative essay this week, then an unassisted one next week using the skills we have practiced. A couple key ideas that we are honing in on with argumentative writing include making a claim, sticking to it, and supporting it with reasons and evidence. Another skill that they are asked to include in 7th grade is adding a counterclaim. So far they are rocking the assignment.
8th grade reading has just about finished the novel To Kill a Mockingbird. The class is getting better and better with having class discussions using habits of discussion. I am always impressed with the ideas and conversations they have about the topics of the book.
Tuesday, February 21, 2017
Tuesday, February 21
Hello and welcome back. I hope that you had a fabulous four day weekend.
We jumped right back into business today and have a packed week ahead of us.
Projects- Our websites are coming along. I am so pleased with the skills these kiddos are picking up. They are so good about asking each other for assistance in adding new pages, pictures, menus, and buttons. This week we will continue plugging in facts about the dust bowl and begin researching FDR and The New Deal.
7th Reading- We completed The Outsiders today! I can’t decide whether to be excited or saddened at this statement. This class has had some amazing conversations about the characters and issues from the book. Tomorrow we will view the movie to compare and contrast the film to the novel. Then, starting Thursday we will begin to prepare for the class paideia seminar.
8th Reading- This week we will continue reading To Kill a Mockingbird. The class has been working hard to learn about the characters and make predictions about Boo Radley and Tom Robinson.
7th Writing - Today we completed our group informative newspaper article about the Greinheim Heist. This class is full of such talented writers. Tomorrow and Thursday the class will work individually using informative/explanatory techniques to practice writing (unassisted) to a prompt provided by the Nevada Department of Education.
We jumped right back into business today and have a packed week ahead of us.
Projects- Our websites are coming along. I am so pleased with the skills these kiddos are picking up. They are so good about asking each other for assistance in adding new pages, pictures, menus, and buttons. This week we will continue plugging in facts about the dust bowl and begin researching FDR and The New Deal.
7th Reading- We completed The Outsiders today! I can’t decide whether to be excited or saddened at this statement. This class has had some amazing conversations about the characters and issues from the book. Tomorrow we will view the movie to compare and contrast the film to the novel. Then, starting Thursday we will begin to prepare for the class paideia seminar.
8th Reading- This week we will continue reading To Kill a Mockingbird. The class has been working hard to learn about the characters and make predictions about Boo Radley and Tom Robinson.
7th Writing - Today we completed our group informative newspaper article about the Greinheim Heist. This class is full of such talented writers. Tomorrow and Thursday the class will work individually using informative/explanatory techniques to practice writing (unassisted) to a prompt provided by the Nevada Department of Education.
Tuesday, February 14, 2017
Tuesday, February 14th
Good morning and Happy Valentine's Day!
The kids know that if they want to bring in something small to exchange today, that would be great (not mandatory). We have music this afternoon, so our time to “party” is limited.
Projects- Monday the class worked in a banker/investor partnership to complete a stock exchange simulation from 1929. Even knowing the future (Black Tuesday Market Crash) we had a hard time knowing which stocks to purchase and when to sell. We will continue to touch on the stock market crashing and the roll president Herbert Hoover had during the Great Depression. The student’s websites are coming along nicely, I am always so impressed with the fearless creation they have.
Reading- We studied Flocabulary’s Week in Rap and will work on a couple more chapters of The Outsiders this week. We are getting into some heavy topics that they group is handling very well with excellent conversations. I am so proud of these kiddos.
Writing- This week we will be working as a group on a new writing assignment that includes taking two testimonies from security guards and creating and informational newspaper article. They have to be sure to include details from both security guards’ accounts, without taking a position as to which account is true.
8th Reading- We are continuing with To Kill a Mockingbird this week. As we get further along with the novel, the class is beginning to see deeper into the characters and realize that their first impressions may not have been as accurate as they expected. I am loving the discussions this group has had as they delve through the story, they are not afraid to speak up or share their thoughts, even if they go against the grain.
The kids know that if they want to bring in something small to exchange today, that would be great (not mandatory). We have music this afternoon, so our time to “party” is limited.
Projects- Monday the class worked in a banker/investor partnership to complete a stock exchange simulation from 1929. Even knowing the future (Black Tuesday Market Crash) we had a hard time knowing which stocks to purchase and when to sell. We will continue to touch on the stock market crashing and the roll president Herbert Hoover had during the Great Depression. The student’s websites are coming along nicely, I am always so impressed with the fearless creation they have.
Reading- We studied Flocabulary’s Week in Rap and will work on a couple more chapters of The Outsiders this week. We are getting into some heavy topics that they group is handling very well with excellent conversations. I am so proud of these kiddos.
Writing- This week we will be working as a group on a new writing assignment that includes taking two testimonies from security guards and creating and informational newspaper article. They have to be sure to include details from both security guards’ accounts, without taking a position as to which account is true.
8th Reading- We are continuing with To Kill a Mockingbird this week. As we get further along with the novel, the class is beginning to see deeper into the characters and realize that their first impressions may not have been as accurate as they expected. I am loving the discussions this group has had as they delve through the story, they are not afraid to speak up or share their thoughts, even if they go against the grain.
Monday, February 6, 2017
Monday, February 6th
Happy February!
~Good luck to our Middle School Volleyball teams and Archery Shooters during their games/tournaments this week!~
Announcements:
Candygrams- Student Council is selling Candy Grams this year for Valentine's Day. They are 75 cents each or $10 for an entire class. They must be ordered and paid for by Monday, Feb. 13th. Orders can be placed during lunch times and will be delivered on Feb. 14th.
Dance: There will be a middle school dance this week. Mrs. O'Flaherty sent an email last week with all the details you should need. Please remember, students (and their guest) must bring a signed permission slip to the dance.
National Honor Society- Mrs. Mackedon sent an email today regarding National Honor Society. It is time to apply! Check out the attachment to her email, applications are due by March 2nd. If you have any questions, please let me know!
Projects: We finished strong last week with the Roaring 20s and are now researching the underlying issues and conditions that led America into the Great Depression. Each kiddo will be creating their own website that will give an overview of the topics we study for this unit. The class is enthusiastic to be learning this new skill in technology.
7th Reading: Today we watched and read about current events in Flocabualry’s week in rap. The class has been working really hard on their habits of discussion skills and have had excellent conversations about their thoughts on the events taking place around our country and world. We will also be reading a couple more chapters out of The Outsiders. I love the sincere cheers they call out when I tell the class that we are working on the novel each day.
Writing: This week we are moving from the team writing task to an individual one. Tomorrow they will get a writing prompt along with passages that they will have to use to write their own narrative.
8th Reading: The 8th grade team is still working through To Kill A Mockingbird. This class has had wonderful discussions about the characters and their actions in the story so far. They have also been doing very well on the chapter quizzes and comprehension checks that we have been working on.
~Good luck to our Middle School Volleyball teams and Archery Shooters during their games/tournaments this week!~
Announcements:
Candygrams- Student Council is selling Candy Grams this year for Valentine's Day. They are 75 cents each or $10 for an entire class. They must be ordered and paid for by Monday, Feb. 13th. Orders can be placed during lunch times and will be delivered on Feb. 14th.
Dance: There will be a middle school dance this week. Mrs. O'Flaherty sent an email last week with all the details you should need. Please remember, students (and their guest) must bring a signed permission slip to the dance.
National Honor Society- Mrs. Mackedon sent an email today regarding National Honor Society. It is time to apply! Check out the attachment to her email, applications are due by March 2nd. If you have any questions, please let me know!
Projects: We finished strong last week with the Roaring 20s and are now researching the underlying issues and conditions that led America into the Great Depression. Each kiddo will be creating their own website that will give an overview of the topics we study for this unit. The class is enthusiastic to be learning this new skill in technology.
7th Reading: Today we watched and read about current events in Flocabualry’s week in rap. The class has been working really hard on their habits of discussion skills and have had excellent conversations about their thoughts on the events taking place around our country and world. We will also be reading a couple more chapters out of The Outsiders. I love the sincere cheers they call out when I tell the class that we are working on the novel each day.
Writing: This week we are moving from the team writing task to an individual one. Tomorrow they will get a writing prompt along with passages that they will have to use to write their own narrative.
8th Reading: The 8th grade team is still working through To Kill A Mockingbird. This class has had wonderful discussions about the characters and their actions in the story so far. They have also been doing very well on the chapter quizzes and comprehension checks that we have been working on.
Tuesday, January 31, 2017
Tuesday, January 31
Social Studies- Tomorrow, Wednesday, the kids will be completing their vocabulary and Roaring 20’s test. I am quite confident that they will do very well. These guys have really taken pride in their knowledge of this topic. They will also be printing their 1920s magazine this week which are looking great. I can’t wait to see the final product!
Reading- We are getting deeper into The Outsiders and the kids sure are digging it. The conversations we have had while reading over the last couple of weeks have been amazing. I am looking forward to their reactions to the next couple of shocking chapters! We will also annotate Robert Frost’s poem “Nothing Gold Can Stay” which was actually a poem Ponyboy recites in The Outsiders.
8th Reading- This week the class watched and read a Flocabulary Week in Rap and continues to make way through two more chapters of To Kill A Mockingbird. I absolutely love the class discussions this group has. They are taking an in depth look into the setting and characters of this novel and have done an excellent job analyzing the book.
Writing- This week we are working together on a writing prompt similar to one that the kids will get during their state testing. We are specifically looking into narrative techniques and how to use given passages to improve our own writing. Today the prompt was about a diamond robbery, and boy did these kids have some great discussions about the how and why. It sounded like we were in our very own courtroom.
Reading- We are getting deeper into The Outsiders and the kids sure are digging it. The conversations we have had while reading over the last couple of weeks have been amazing. I am looking forward to their reactions to the next couple of shocking chapters! We will also annotate Robert Frost’s poem “Nothing Gold Can Stay” which was actually a poem Ponyboy recites in The Outsiders.
8th Reading- This week the class watched and read a Flocabulary Week in Rap and continues to make way through two more chapters of To Kill A Mockingbird. I absolutely love the class discussions this group has. They are taking an in depth look into the setting and characters of this novel and have done an excellent job analyzing the book.
Writing- This week we are working together on a writing prompt similar to one that the kids will get during their state testing. We are specifically looking into narrative techniques and how to use given passages to improve our own writing. Today the prompt was about a diamond robbery, and boy did these kids have some great discussions about the how and why. It sounded like we were in our very own courtroom.
Tuesday, January 24, 2017
Tuesday, January 24th
Congratulations to all of our 100% attendance, A & B honor roll students, along with our Bighorn and Most Improved recipients. I am so proud of each and every one you super stars.
Reminders-
We have our class auctions tomorrow (Wednesday the 25th). Just a heads up, if you have not brought something in to auction off, you will not be participating.
Report cards went home last week, please do not hesitate in contacting me if you any questions or concerns.
The Valentine Dance is coming soon, Friday, February 10th. Mrs. O'Flaherty will be emailing out information soon. Please be sure that your student and their guest has a new permission slip signed.
Social Studies- We are roaring through the “Roaring ‘20s!” This week we will be focusing on the KKK, Red Scare, and art and culture of the Harlem Renaissance. Thursday will be the last day to complete their magazine pages, then presenting and completing our vocabulary test and mini-unit assessment on Monday.
7th Grade Reading- This week we are moving through our Outsiders novel. The kids are loving the characters and story so far. I love hearing the connections and comments they have.
Writing- This week we will finish our My Favorite Mistake. The class has been working hard on this narrative, checking their writing techniques and working with peers to edit their work as they move into the final draft.
8th Grade Reading - We’ve continued to make our way through To Kill a Mockingbird. The class worked on annotating a selection from chapter two today. I was impressed with their thoughts, ideas, comments, and questions.
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Tuesday, January 17
Into the new semester we go! I have a couple class announcements for everyone:
*Report cards should be printed and sent out tomorrow (Wednesday). There was a little glitch that enabled middle school grades to be released. Sorry about that!
*We have Music for specials this quarter and Mrs. Barten has requested that each student brings in a small flashlight as a prop for one of the songs they will be working on. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy and should be able to be left as school.
*Auctions! The class agreed that we would do our class auctions next Wednesday, January 24th. If you could please remind your kiddo to bring something in by then, that would be great!
Projects- We are moving away from Science and will be working on Social Studies for the remainder of the year. The first topic we are covering is the roaring ‘20s. The kids have enjoyed learning about all the new innovations and ways of life during this time period. We broke into groups today and will begin working on their project which includes creating a magazine. Each group member will become an expert in his/her respective topics, then write an article covering what they learned.
7th Grade Reading- Finally, The Outsiders! I have been excited for this book ever since I decided to move up to seventh grade. I love when the 8th graders and freshmen come in and see that we are reading The Outsiders, and recall how much they loved it. This week we are mainly focusing on getting to know the characters, setting, and social aspects of the story. The class is working in partners to create posters, summarizing physical and personality traits of everyone from Sodapop to Two-Bit Matthews.
7th Grade Writing- We are continuing with narratives for our first paper of the second semester. The kids have really been honing in on their expressive and reflective skills. We began our Class Twitter page and this group came up with some really great six-word memoirs. They are hanging on our bulletin board along with their awesome “Day in the Life” narratives. Be sure to check them out as you come in. For the next week or so we will continue with “My Favorite Mistake” were they will use narrative techniques to write about a mistake they made in life and learned from.
8th Grade Reading- This week our 8th grade class is beginning Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. We plan to use narrative elements and background knowledge as we make our way through this classic coming-of-age story. There are some intense topics and conversations that have already made their way into our class discussions.
*Report cards should be printed and sent out tomorrow (Wednesday). There was a little glitch that enabled middle school grades to be released. Sorry about that!
*We have Music for specials this quarter and Mrs. Barten has requested that each student brings in a small flashlight as a prop for one of the songs they will be working on. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy and should be able to be left as school.
*Auctions! The class agreed that we would do our class auctions next Wednesday, January 24th. If you could please remind your kiddo to bring something in by then, that would be great!
Projects- We are moving away from Science and will be working on Social Studies for the remainder of the year. The first topic we are covering is the roaring ‘20s. The kids have enjoyed learning about all the new innovations and ways of life during this time period. We broke into groups today and will begin working on their project which includes creating a magazine. Each group member will become an expert in his/her respective topics, then write an article covering what they learned.
7th Grade Reading- Finally, The Outsiders! I have been excited for this book ever since I decided to move up to seventh grade. I love when the 8th graders and freshmen come in and see that we are reading The Outsiders, and recall how much they loved it. This week we are mainly focusing on getting to know the characters, setting, and social aspects of the story. The class is working in partners to create posters, summarizing physical and personality traits of everyone from Sodapop to Two-Bit Matthews.
7th Grade Writing- We are continuing with narratives for our first paper of the second semester. The kids have really been honing in on their expressive and reflective skills. We began our Class Twitter page and this group came up with some really great six-word memoirs. They are hanging on our bulletin board along with their awesome “Day in the Life” narratives. Be sure to check them out as you come in. For the next week or so we will continue with “My Favorite Mistake” were they will use narrative techniques to write about a mistake they made in life and learned from.
8th Grade Reading- This week our 8th grade class is beginning Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. We plan to use narrative elements and background knowledge as we make our way through this classic coming-of-age story. There are some intense topics and conversations that have already made their way into our class discussions.
Monday, December 19, 2016
Monday, December 19th
Happy Monday, Families!
We’re nearly there, to the end of the semester and to a Happy New Year!
Don’t forget, we will be stuffing stockings and watching Elf on Thursday, along with educational reading and writing activities of course! Therefore, if your 7th grader would like to bring in a pillow or blanket to wrap up in during our movie and reading , that would be awesome. Also, if you choose to, please have your kiddo bring in something fun and inexpensive to share with their classmates. As a reminder, Oasis students are allowed to wear anything "HOLIDAY." Think ugly sweaters, Christmas shirts, red, green, gold, anything that makes you think HOLIDAY FUN! No pajamas and dress code shoes please.
If your student would like to bring in a treat on Thursday, we will also have time set aside to eat and celebrate. I have plates, cups, drinks, and chips, but I am open to anything else the kids feel like bringing in. Thank you in advance!
This week in projects, the class is working in partners to finish up their survival of the fittest comics. They have researched an animal of their choice and are creating a comic strip to show how its adaptations have suited it for survival.
During our reading block we are bringing The Great War/WW1 to a close with a pyramid project that depicts many of the components that we have studies over the last several weeks. Including propaganda, militarism, nationalism, or imperialism (definition and how it applied to one or more of the countries involved in WW1), a major alliance, and a major event. I am very proud of what the class has taken away from this time in our world’s history and I can’t wait to see their finished products.
We have many fun writing activities planned for this week that they class will be able to show off their narrative writing skills. This is a super creative class that thrives on each other’s writing and ideas. I’m excited to see what they come up with!
8th grade reading is working hard on finishing up their King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table novel. They are also completing a final project where they have selected one chapter from the book that they will use to create a 3D diorama that focuses on the theme, protagonists/antagonists, setting, and plot.
We’re nearly there, to the end of the semester and to a Happy New Year!
Don’t forget, we will be stuffing stockings and watching Elf on Thursday, along with educational reading and writing activities of course! Therefore, if your 7th grader would like to bring in a pillow or blanket to wrap up in during our movie and reading , that would be awesome. Also, if you choose to, please have your kiddo bring in something fun and inexpensive to share with their classmates. As a reminder, Oasis students are allowed to wear anything "HOLIDAY." Think ugly sweaters, Christmas shirts, red, green, gold, anything that makes you think HOLIDAY FUN! No pajamas and dress code shoes please.
If your student would like to bring in a treat on Thursday, we will also have time set aside to eat and celebrate. I have plates, cups, drinks, and chips, but I am open to anything else the kids feel like bringing in. Thank you in advance!
This week in projects, the class is working in partners to finish up their survival of the fittest comics. They have researched an animal of their choice and are creating a comic strip to show how its adaptations have suited it for survival.
During our reading block we are bringing The Great War/WW1 to a close with a pyramid project that depicts many of the components that we have studies over the last several weeks. Including propaganda, militarism, nationalism, or imperialism (definition and how it applied to one or more of the countries involved in WW1), a major alliance, and a major event. I am very proud of what the class has taken away from this time in our world’s history and I can’t wait to see their finished products.
We have many fun writing activities planned for this week that they class will be able to show off their narrative writing skills. This is a super creative class that thrives on each other’s writing and ideas. I’m excited to see what they come up with!
8th grade reading is working hard on finishing up their King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table novel. They are also completing a final project where they have selected one chapter from the book that they will use to create a 3D diorama that focuses on the theme, protagonists/antagonists, setting, and plot.
Tuesday, November 29, 2016
Monday, November 28
I hope that everyone is recovering from their Thanksgiving feasts and celebrations. It's wild to think that we are making our way into December this week!
During projects we have come to the end of our heredity and genetics studies with a focus on asexual reproduction and epigenetics. On Thursday we will take the final exam.
7th Grade Reading has been busy reading about the periods after the Civil War with the Gilded Age and Progressive Era. The class has had excellent discussions about the tycoons; Carnegie, Rockefeller, and Morgan, and how much control they had over the country. Making their fortunes on the backs of the working class.
Writing- This week we started sentence diagramming. It was a bit of a struggle at first, but once the class saw these diagrams like a picture of a sentence and treated them more like puzzles, they actually started having fun with it. We have also been studying the eight parts of speech, which will be tested on Thursday. Narrative writing in the works as well. The topic is “A Day in the Life of _____”. So far their brainstorming ideas have been hilarious and I can't wait to see the stories they come up with.
Monday, November 7, 2016
Monday, November 7th
This week in projects we are continuing to make our way through the world of DNA, chromosomes, genes, and Punnett squares. The class has shown a ton of interest and curiosity about this subject. It is so neat to see those “aha” moments when they realize how and why we are they way we are.
In reading we worked on Flocabulary today, getting up to date with our current events and yes, counting down to election day. I was impressed with how correct our group was with their predictions on this week’s topics. We are also planning on finishing up our Two Miserable Presidents this week as we read the last chapter, “A Bloody Road to Richmond.” The class will receive a study guide for their final test so that they can study over the weekend if they choose.
We are honing in on our arguing skills this week. The class is working on including background knowledge, a claim, reasons, evidence, and a counterclaim to create a good argumentative essay. I am loving the research these kids are using to support their claims.
Monday, October 31, 2016
Monday, October 31
Happy Halloween!
I made it back to the states after a wild adventure with polar bears, and to no surprise my 7th graders were awesome while I was gone. Today was so fun telling the class about the arctic ecosystem and showing them my photos of the polar bears and other denizens of the north.
Just a quick reminder, there is no reading or math homework tonight. Enjoy the time out with your kiddos and be safe out there! I also wanted to thank everyone that supplied treats for both the middle school dance and our party this afternoon. You guys rock.
I’m happy to see that so many of you have already signed up for our parent/teacher conferences on Friday. If you haven’t had a chance to sign up, there are still quite a few open slots. Also, if you have any questions or need a different time/date, please do not hesitate to contact me.
This week….
We are starting a new project this week focusing on heredity. This week the class will be studying dominant and recessive genes as well as Mendel's theory of inheritance.
This week in reading we are continuing to move our way through the novel, Two Miserable Presidents and dive even deeper into a few of the 10,000 battles of the Civil War. I love how well the class has done with tracking the parallels between Jefferson Davis and Abraham Lincoln during this time of war.
During writing, the class is honing in on their argumentative writing skills. So if you find that you kiddos is backing up their arguments with reasons and evidence, give them a high-five for me!
8th grade reading is taking off on Middle Ages. We will be beginning our King Arthur novel soon. I am excited to see what the class already knows about this exciting time in history.
Tuesday, October 11, 2016
October 10th
Welcome to the last week of the quarter! I’ve got a couple announcements for you.
*Thank you so much to those of you that have already signed up to bring treats to our Middle School Halloween Dance. You guys are seriously such an awesome group of parents, I don’t know what we would do without you.
*We’ve got auctions on Wednesday. Please have your kiddo bring in something that they would like to make available to the class to bid on with their class cash/dojo points.
*It’s Fall Break next week! No school October 17-21
*Mrs. Byrd- In Canada the week after fall break photographing polar bears. We have Mrs. Swan as our amazing sub that I have no doubt will take excellent care of your kiddos while I am out.
*Middle School Dance - October 28th Oasis 6:00-10:00
Costumes $5 / No Costume $7
Costumes $5 / No Costume $7
Projects- We are continuing with our research of endangered species. The groups are really becoming experts on their animals and coming up with great plans on how to get them closer to getting off the endangered list. They will have the Monday we return from Fall break to practice and rehearse their presentations, then the real deal will be on Tuesday the 22nd.
7th Grade Reading- We are continuing with our Two Miserable Presidents novel, this week the focus has been on why both the Northern president Lincoln and the Southern president Davis were indeed so miserable.
7th Grade Writing- The class is finishing up their three causes of the Civil War cause and effect essays. At the end of the week we will research an animal and compare and contrast it to a family member, example: My Grandmother is a Sea Turtle.
8th Grade Reading- The 8th grade class is finishing up the quarter with reading and researching world religions, Students will work in teams to create presentations that identify and describe the five key world religions: Christianity, Hindu, Judaism, Islam and Buddhism.
Monday, October 3, 2016
Monday, October 3rd
Hello October! We have a busy week ahead of us as we make our way into the end of the first quarter.
Projects- We are moving deeper into ecosystems and researching endangered species as teams. Each group will work as research scientists to educate themselves about an endangered species and determine what has caused to be on the endangered species list. Next they will take what they have researched to develop a plan of recovery to present to “Congress.”
7th Grade Reading- This week the class will move further into our Two Miserable Presidents novel, focusing on a few of the key leaders for the Confederate and Union armies.
7th Grade Writing- Students will use the book Two Miserable Presidents to cite evidence for writing about three causes of the Civil War. Through using their cause and effect reading and writing strategies, students will compile their informative essays.
8th Grade Reading- Our 8th graders continue to respond to critical thinking questions and class discussions about the Ancient Greek and Roman civilizations. At the end of the week, they will have a checkpoint to assess their knowledge of ancient civilizations and their societal, religious, political and technological influences on modern society.
Monday, September 19, 2016
Monday, September 19, 2016
**Mrs. Byrd’s Class Picture Day - Wednesday, September 21st @ noon**
Projects- All of that studying of the body systems paid off today, as the class completed their final assessment. The remainder of the week will be dedicated to learning about photosynthesis and how it
7th Grade Reading- This week we will continue to make our way through Two Miserable Presidents. The class has done an excellent job of discussing the reasons that set up the US for the civil war in the first place. I was also extremely proud of the class for using format matters while answering comprehension questions and summarizing the current events of our world today during Flocabulary. I hope that their dinner conversations at home are just as great as the ones that they have in our class discussions.
7th Grade Writing- We are finishing up our Electoral College essays this week. We also started quick writes with prompts. I sure have missed listening to the kids share their work. Today we heard from two students that wrote about role models and not surprisingly, they both wrote some really great pieces about their family members.
8th Grade Reading- Ancient Egypt will be our reading topic this week. The class will be making the connections as to how this ancient civilization helped with the foundation of today’s.
Tuesday, September 13, 2016
Wowzers, we are officially half way through the first quarter. Here's to another week full of learning and exploring.
Projects:
These guys are rocking the Body Systems project. Their posters are looking great! I’ve got a couple pictures of the kids working on them in our ClassDojo Story, be sure to check them out! We’ve got one more day to work on finishing up the organs, labels, functions, diseases and disorders. Thursday the groups will present their posters to the class, explaining the ins and outs of their assigned body system. Then Monday, we will have our final assessment.
Reading:
We are starting Two Miserable Presidents; The Amazing, Terrible, and Totally True Story of the Civil War by Steve Sheinkin this week and the class couldn’t be more excited. (Okay, I’m sure they could be, but I’ll take what I've got!) For the first chapter, we will be focusing more on the reasons the country was being torn apart and how it wasn’t only due to slavery. We will also continue our work on annotating poems, paying close attention to the mood and tone that is created.
Writing:
Has your kiddo come home with questions about the Electoral College? If not, ask them about it. We have been and will continue working on informational essays explaining the role and purpose of the Electoral College in a U.S presidential election. This has been a tough topic and really working through the entire writing process from reading information, making lists, informal outlines, and rough drafts has been essential.
8th Reading:
This week is all about ancient civilizations! We have been reading information texts about the Mayans, Aztecs, and Incas Empire. The class has been quite intrigued by their religious practices, cultures, and economy. Just as an FYI, during our read to self time, the students will need to have an actual book. Unfortunately, reading from their phones is no longer an option. Thanks for understanding.
Monday, September 5, 2016
Week Four
I hope that everyone is having an excellent end to a fun and extra long weekend! I am excited to get started on week four. I can’t believe we are nearly halfway through the first quarter already!
Class Dojo!
As many of you already know, we are using ClassDojo in our room this year to encourage important skills, like working hard and participating. I’m also working on using it to better communicate with you: we can instantly share messages, updates and photos from that happenings in our classroom. Most of our parents have already signed up to join. Thank you so much, you guys seriously rock! I just wanted to make sure you also knew that there is a free mobile app for iOS and Android that might make it even easier to use. :)
Tomorrow we will dive deeper into our Body Systems project. The class has been assigned their group members and body system. This week groups will be researching the organs, their functions, and disorders and diseases related to their body system. Eventually groups will be putting all of this information onto life sized posters that will be used to teach the rest of the class.
This week we are reading and annotating passages that give a snapshot of the life and economies of the north and south in the years leading up to the Civil War. One idea that we have really found interesting is how the Southern states had become increasingly more dependent on slave labor while the Northern states came to depend on a commercial economy. From the readings this week, the class should come to understand why more than half of Ireland’s population came to the US, the impacts that diseases like cholera, typhoid, and yellow fever had, and the rise of labor unions in the North.
During our writing block, we will continue to work on our informational essay to the prompt; What is the electoral college? Explain its role/purpose in a U.S. presidential election. We are focusing on writing strong thesis statements, that will set up the essay. We will also center our attention on setting up an organization chart that will help keep the facts the kids want to use in their essay straight.
Our 8th graders have made their way through history, reading about the lives of hunters and gatherers and how they developed into early farming societies. We’ve been focusing on pulling out just the main idea and important details while taking notes and annotations. This week we will continue practicing these skills as we read passages and complete notes on the Incas, Aztecs and Mayas.
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