Hey Students!

I hope you enjoyed some SSR time during our snow day this week! Good news! I just heard about an opportunity for you to receive free ebooks (electronic books) on your tablet or phone (normal data charges apply)! This is through a program called First Book Marketplace. Look for a notice soon with a password for you to download up to 10 free ebooks. After 56 days, if you haven’t finished reading any of the titles, you may renew them electronically. Of course, paper print books are still my personal favorite, and cold winter days and nights are perfect for curling up with a good book, so you can always borrow one from our classroom library! Read at least 30 minutes per day/night – just for fun!

Upcoming:

Tuesday – SAT Practice – Reading Quiz 1

Hey Students!

You had a fantastic start of a new semester! Everyone starts with an A, so all you have to do is KEEP it! 🙂 Remember to complete all bell work, class work, and homework. Review the class work each night and study for your tests. This semester we are reviewing good writing skills by using the 6+1 Traits Rubrics. You will hone your skills as we look at the Claim Statement and supportive evidence from the text. If you think writing is difficult, don’t worry! You can do it! Just remember: Writing is simply THINKING ON PAPER!

*Keep reading each night for a minimum of 30 minutes. Choose something interesting to YOU! 🙂

Hey Students,

You’re in the home stretch! You’ve worked hard all semester, and now you’re ready to show how much you’ve progressed in your English skills! I’m so proud of you all for the efforts you’ve made! Now it’s off to Mainstream! Here are a few reminders before you go:

1. Turn in both of your books. If you lost or damaged a book, you will be charged for it and must pay before transcripts will be released.
2. Leave your Learning Plans in the classroom; I will hand them over to your new English teacher for 2nd semester. If you don’t receive them by the 2nd week of February, come and see me.

Now here are a few tips for final exams to help you perform at your best:

• Bring a #2 pencil and eraser.
• Continue working on your study guide for the final exam.
• Take short breaks when you feel you’re losing focus.
• Get to sleep at an early hour.
• Eat healthy meals, especially breakfast.
• Drink water.

EXAM SCHEDULE:

• WED.,  1/27 – 1ST AND 2ND HOUR EXAMS
• THUR., 1/28 – 3RD AND 4TH HOUR EXAMS
• FRI., 1/29 – 5TH AND 6TH HOUR EXAMS
• DISMISSAL ON THESE 3 DAYS IS AT 10:30 (NO LUNCH)

Welcome Back, Students! I hope you had a relaxing break! We have just 3 short weeks and then final exams. These next few weeks are crucial for your learning success. Please make wise choices to help yourself succeed, such as getting a good night’s sleep, eating a healthy breakfast, and planning to create a study time and place each day. Attendance is also important! If you are not in class, you are not learning the skills needed to prepare you for the next level. Let’s make 2016 a fantastic year of accomplishment!

Hey Students!

I’m really proud of how much progress you have made this semester! You’ve worked hard and are ready for the break, BUT don’t relax just yet! We have just a few weeks until the end of the semester and final exams. Stay focused on your studies and keep up the routines that have brought you success thus far:  reviewing your notes and textbooks, reading, completing homework, and focusing in class and asking questions. The period from this week through the few weeks after break is a critical time to keep or bring up your GPA and to develop important language skills, so stay focused on your studies, work hard and finish strong!

Hey Students!

We learned so much from your Elizabethan presentations! Nice job! Now we will use that background knowledge to build on a few more lessons before we begin reading Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet. Specifically, you will have a chance to make some personal connections, as well as examine Shakespeare’s craft in writing this tragedy. We will have fun speaking the English of Shakespeare’s day.

We are also continuing to prepare for the very important tests some of you will take in just a few months (others next year):  the SAT and the WIDA. You may even earn scholarship money for college, so do your best to prepare NOW for success!

*QUIZ ON SHAKESPEARE/ROMEO & JULIET BASICS – FRIDAY

Presentations are underway, and I am very impressed with your projects! You are teaching me and engaging the class with your Power Point presentations, art work, and interesting selection of material. Many of you are asking essential questions at the end of the presentations! I am sure that you are building important background knowledge to help you in our Romeo and Juliet unit, which will begin immediately after the Thanksgiving break.

Until then, continue to rehearse your presentations, think of questions you’d like to have answered, and give thoughtful feedback on your peer evaluations, which are DUE FRIDAY. I’m proud of you!

“This above all: to thine own self be true.” – (from Hamlet, Act I, Scene III)

Library Research – ON MONDAY, WE WILL MEET IN THE LIBRARY. This will be the last chance to use class time for the research. We will continue working on projects in the CLASSROOM ON TUESDAY-FRIDAY. Please be sure you have your ID.

Also on MONDAY, your WORKS CITED PAGE IS DUE. Follow the MLA format in the examples we worked on in class last Friday.

PROJECTS AND PRESENTATIONS ARE DUE STARTING FRIDAY, 11/13. Follow the RUBRIC to ensure success on this SUMMATIVE assignment!

Khan Academy – Everyone will sign up for my class this week. Start practicing on the reading and writing tests, and watch some videos! You will receive extra credit for each badge you earn in English-related skills!

My Learning Plan – This week, we will continue using our portfolios, but we will give them a new name:  My Learning Plan. We will look back at the English learning goals you set in September to see how you are doing and what may need to be re-adjusted. We will also make a plan on HOW you can reach your goals!

Hey Students,

Remember how you set goals for yourself to improve your English skills at the beginning of the year? Well, now you’ve received your first report card. How did you do? Are you reaching your goals? If so, what are some other goals you’d like to attain? If not, what changes should you make to reach your goals?

Next week, we will look at your goals again for this next card marking period. You will have time in class to select a new goal or keep working on the same one if you need to, and you will also be asked to reflect (think about) that goal and how you will reach it. I will be having mini-conferences with you to ask you about your goals.

Check out the link below for some ideas and examples on setting goals.

https://rliberni.wordpress.com/2011/03/09/setting-smart-goals-for-your-english-language-learning/

It was wonderful to meet your parents at conferences this week. The parent-teacher-student relationship is crucial for your success!

Today – “Pink Out!” Wear pink to support Breast Cancer Awareness, and come out to the football game wearing pink as we support our team!

Tomorrow night – set your clocks back one hour before going to bed. I recommend you still try to go to sleep earlier, as you may feel tired on Monday morning from the time change.

Great effort on your Four-Square essay exam! Next, we’ll begin our English Renaissance Research Project.

The Week Ahead:

Monday – Do NOT go to the library; meet in the classroom.

Tuesday – No school for students (PD for teachers)

Wednesday – Meet in the library

Thursday – Meet in the library

Friday – Do NOT go to the library; meet in the classroom.