FEBRUARY NEWSLETTER

6TH, 7TH, 8TH GRADE NEWS
WEEKLY REMINDER TEST
It is the end of the trimester on February 22nd. We will be having a Weekly Reminder Test on that day. This will cover all 24 Weekly Reminders thus far. Please talk to your child about these. Encourage him/her to make note cards, give him/her a pretend quiz, etc. to prepare for this cumulative exam.

GRAMMAR CRATES
Grammar Crate activities are due for all students on Thursday, February 14th. Please ask your child if he/she has completed them. They will then begin to work on Trimester 3's activities. These will be due on Friday, May 17, 2013. Your child completes these in class. I give them 10-15 minutes every Monday to work on them. They are also welcome to stay after school at study tables to work on them.

6TH GRADE LANGUAGE ARTS
GRAMMAR
*We just finished up on Chapter 19 covering subjects, predicates, direct objects, indirect objects, predicate nouns, and predicate adjectives. It was a rough chapter, and the students will continue to practice these concepts through diagramming.
*We are now moving on to Chapter 14 and Chapter 23 focusing on pronouns. There will be workbook pages, activities, quizzes, etc. to learn the material. These chapters will extend into the month of March.

WRITING
*We are just now beginning to work on our fairy tale books. Each student will be given a book to write their own fairy tale. Hopefully, this project will wrap up by the end of the month.
*We just completed a persuasive writing piece on Friday, February 8th proving that a topic was the best or worst.

DIAGRAMMING
*We will be learning how to diagram predicate nouns and predicate adjectives. This quest will be on Friday, March 8th.

7TH GRADE LANGUAGE ARTS
GRAMMAR
*We just completed the unit on capitalization. We took a test and created a Capitalization Town which you may have seen at the Open House.
*We will now be working on Chapter 24 focusing on making words agree in a sentence. This is a very practical chapter that will aid in improving your child's writing. We will work on this through the rest of this month and some of March. There will be workbook pages, activities, quizzes, etc. to help the students learn the concepts of this chapter.

WRITING
*We will be making mock book jackets. These will include a cover page, the book spine, and the back cover summary of their very own book. Hopefully, these will be complete by Friday, February 22nd.
*We will be writing a persuasive writing piece in class on Thursday, February 14th. This will focus on proving a topic of the student's choice to be the best or worst. They will be given the topics to choose from a couple of days in advance, in order for them to think about it before class on Thursday.

DIAGRAMMING
*We just took a diagramming quest on Friday, February 8th covering predicate nouns and adjectives. The next concept we will be learning is how to diagram direct and indirect objects. This quest will be on Friday, March 15th.

8TH GRADE
GRAMMAR
*We are finishing up the chapter on punctuation and will  have the test on Wednesday (2/13) or Thursday (2/14).
*We will then begin Chapter 20 learning about phrases and clauses. This is a very difficult chapter learning prepositions, participles, gerunds, and infinitives. It will take us through March. There will be many workbook pages, quizzes, etc. in order to help learn these terms.

WRITING
*We are beginning to work on a persuasive research essay. This will need to be a five paragraph essay with a thesis, MLA documentation, and at least 3 support paragraphs. We will be working on this in pieces over the course of February and March. Look for this to be due by the middle of March.
*We will also be doing an in class writing piece focusing on organization and voice. It will be a review of a movie: a scene, the setting, a character, the plot, or the point of view. 
DIAGRAMMING
*We will be learning how to diagram appositive phrases. This will take place on Friday, March 1st..

LITERATURE
*The students are still working on To Kill a Mockingbird. They are about half way through the novel and are working in depth on a critical analysis of it. Miss Brant is teaching this novel.
*I am working with the students on a poetry project. They will have to memorize a poem by the week of March 4th. They will also be writing an essay researching the author and analyzing the poem. These will be due the day they perform their poem in class some time beginning the week of March 4th. Only a few students will perform at a time, therefore, it will take three weeks of literature classes to complete this activity (literature only meets 3 days a week). Students also have the opportunity to earn 10 House or bonus points for performing their poem at the Drama Club's Barnes and Noble Day on Saturday, March 2nd. Encourage your child to take advantage of this.
*I will also continue to do ISTEP preparation activities each week with the class.

January Family Problem

JANUARY FAMILY PROBLEM

January 17th would have been Benjamin's Franklin's birthday. Take some time as a family to learn about Ben Franklin. Then, write a poem detailing some of the accomplishments of this great man. You can write a type of poem like a cinquain, an acrostic (phrases and not just one word for each letter) or a diamante. You can have a rhyme scheme or just write a free verse poem.. Whatever you decide, I look forward to reading them this month. Remember that if you add a picture, you will earn an additional bonus or house point, making this month's activity worth 5 points. Your family poem is due no later than Monday, February 4, 2013.

JANUARY NEWSLETTER

GRAMMAR CRATE
This is a reminder that all of the students are working on completing 5 activities in class before Friday, February 15, 2013. They have 12-15 minutes every Monday to work on these, but they are also welcome to stay after school at Study Tables to work on them as well.

HANDWRITING CONTEST
The entire school, including the middle school, will take part in the Zaner-Bloser Handwriting Contest.  This will take place the first couple of weeks we are back from Christmas break. Good luck to all the students as they attempt to create a piece with the perfect cursive style.


6th GRADE
Grammar- CHAPTER 19-BASIC SENTENCE PARTS
-We are reviewing subjects and predicates.
-We are also learning predicate nouns and adjectives.
-We will be working with direct and indirect objects.
-There will be workbook pages, quizzes, quests, and a test at the end of the unit.
-We are aiming to finish this unit and have a test by Friday, January 18, 2013.
Grammar- CHAPTER 14- NOUNS AND PRONOUNS
-We will learn, in-depth, about various nouns and pronouns.
-We will also practice with noun and pronoun agreement.
-This unit will continue in the month of February.
-As usual, there will be workbook pages, quizzes, mini-projects, and a test over this unit.

Diagramming
-We will learn to diagram indirect objects. 
-We will practice and have a quest over this on Friday, February 1, 2013.

Writing
-We will also be writing a paragraph that focuses on organization, putting a topic of choice into a chronological paragraph. This will take place in class on Friday, January 11, 2013.
-We will also be doing a fairy tale unit. We will read various fairy tales, reflect on their differences and similarities, as well as, write our own fractured fairy tales. This unit will continue through the beginning of February.

7th GRADE
Grammar-CHAPTER 15 AND 22
-Even with all the practice and quizzes, the test proved to be unsuccessful. The students are able to make corrections and turn them in for half the original points by Friday, January 11, 2013.
Grammar-CHAPTER 27 CAPITALIZATION
-After an arduous unit, I thought a review unit might help build some much needed confidence and motivation.
-We will attempt to breeze through this unit with workbook pages, quizzes, and a test at the end of the unit. We hope to have a test on this unit the week of January 28th.

Diagramming
-We will be learning how to diagram interjections.
-The quest will be on Friday, January 11, 2013.

Writing
-We will be writing a paragraph that focuses on organization, putting a topic of choice into a chronological paragraph. This will take place in class on Friday, January 18, 2013.
-We will be studying various genres of literature. We will then be writing our own, original book summary for a mock book jacket. 
-We will hopefully have these ready for display the week of Catholic Schools Week.

8th GRADE
Grammar- CHAPTER 26 PUNCTUATION
-We are continuing to plod through Chapter 26 on punctuation.
-We will continue to do workbook pages, have quizzes, and then have the final unit test.
-Hopefully, this unit will be wrapped up the week of January 21, 2013.

Diagramming
-We will be diagramming direct and indirect objects.
-There will be a quest on Friday, January 25, 2013.

Writing
-We will be writing Recipe Poems for our lives. These should be displayed for Open House of Catholic Schools Week.
-We will be working on writing a persuasive research essay. We will be working using MLA format, therefore, it will be a project that extends into February.

8th LITERATURE
-Miss Brant will be working with the 8th grade this month covering the novel To Kill a Mockingbird. The book is quite lengthy. You should expect to see your son/daughter doing some at home reading.
-I will be doing a few ISTEP preparation activities as well. These will be completed in class.

DECEMBER FAMILY CHALLENGE

Did you know that Walt Disney's birthday is on Wednesday, December 5th. Although Walt Disney passed away many years ago, his legacy lives on in the parks, movies, and merchandise. Does your family have a favorite Disney memory? What is it? Did it happen on a vacation? Write a short story describing your Disney memory (good or bad) in order to earn up to 5 Bonus/House points. Include a picture and earn an extra point making this family problem worth a total of 6 points. This challenge is due no later than Monday, January 7, 2013.
My memory: When I was around six years old, my family took a trip to Disney World. Although my siblings had already visited Disney before, it was my first time. I was so excited to meet all the characters, most especially the princesses. We had already enjoyed some of the main attractions, such as "It's a Small World" and the "Dumbo Ride." My oldest brother Chris wanted to go on the "Teacups." As we approached the blue teacup, I was excited yet apprehensive. Chris can tend to be a bit wild, and I was afraid he might spin the cup too fast. Just as I expected, he did. Feeling way dizzy and disoriented, I begged him to stop, but he spun the wheel faster. Even though he was having a jolly time, I was beginning to feel nauseous to the point of vomiting; which I did. Needless to say, my brother learned a very valuable lesson about me when it comes to spinning rides.

DECEMBER NEWS

GRAMMAR CRATE
This is a reminder that all of the students are working on completing 5 activities in class before Friday, February 15, 2013. They have 12-15 minutes every Monday to work on these, but they are also welcome to stay after school at Study Tables to work on them as well.

6th GRADE
Grammar- CHAPTER 19-BASIC SENTENCE PARTS
-We are reviewing subjects and predicates.
-We are also learning predicate nouns and adjectives.
-We will be working with direct and indirect objects.
-There will be workbook pages, quizzes, quests, and a test at the end of the unit.
-We are aiming to finish this unit and have a test by Thursday, December 20th.

Diagramming
-We will learn how to diagram direct objects.
-This will take place the week of December 10th.
-The quest will be on Friday, December 14th.

Writing
-We are working on putting together a class prayer book. Our goal date for the final prayer is Tuesday, December 11th.
-We will also be writing a paragraph that focuses on organization, putting a topic of choice into a chronological paragraph. This will take place in class on Thursday, December 20th.

7th GRADE
Grammar- CHAPTERS 15 and 22- USING VERBS
-We are working on a very challenging chapter about verbs.
-This chapter involves conjugating various verbs into multiple verb tenses.
-There will be workbook pages, a project, quizzes, quests, and a test.
-Please encourage your child to study for the test coming up at the beginning of the week of December 10th.

Diagramming
-We will be learning how to diagram interjections.
-The quest will be on Thursday, December 20th.

Writing
-We are working on writing a dialogue with an imaginary or famous person.
-We will practice proper format for writing dialogue.
-The dialogue will be due on Thursday, December 20th.
-It will need to be typed, double spaced, and with a proper heading.
-We just completed a paragraph focusing on word choice. The challenge was to use as many Purple Words (Warehouse Words) in a description of an everyday item.

8TH GRADE
Grammar- CHAPTER 20- PHRASES AND CLAUSES and CHAPTER 26- PUNCTUATION
-We have just finished Chapter 20 covering sentence types.
-We will be working on Chapter 26 reviewing and building on punctuation skills. Our focus will be on commas, semicolons, quotation marks, hyphens, and apostrophes.
-There will be workbook pages, a project, quizzes, a quest, and a test.
-We may not complete this unit before Christmas break.
Diagramming
-We are reviewing how to diagram prepositional phrases.
-This quest is scheduled for Friday, December 7th.

Writing/Speaking
-We just completed a technical document piece that we are giving speeches on this week (12/3-12/10)
-We will also be writing a paragraph that focuses on organization, putting a topic of choice into a chronological paragraph. This will take place on Friday, December 14th.

8TH GRADE LITERATURE
-We are working on completing a literature response to The Other Side of Life. These are due on Tuesday, December 4th.
-The students will then complete the final project over The Other Side of Life. They will work in groups to write and perform an added scene to the movie.These will be complete before Christmas break.
-The 8th grade will also be responsible for the Christmas Shadow Nativity this year. This will take place on Friday, December 21st. You can look for details in the Cougar Express.

OCTOBER FAMILY PROBLEM

NATIONAL DESSERT DAY

This activity is worth 4 House/bonus points.

October 14th is National Dessert Day. What is your family's favorite dessert? Describe the way this dessert looks, tastes, smells, and makes you feel. Your description should be at least 5 sentences and be so descriptive I can imagine the deliciousness you describe. You will earn an additional bonus/House point if you include a picture of the dessert. These are due no later than Friday, November 2nd.

OCTOBER NEWSLETTER

6TH, 7TH, AND 8TH GRADE= All students should be working on completing their 5 Grammar Crate activities which are due by the first week of November. These are done in class on Mondays. Unfortunately, they may not be completed at home.

6TH GRADE
GRAMMAR
-We will be finishing Chapter 20 on prepositions.
-We will be finding examples of prepositions in daily reading.
-We will complete several worksheets.
-We will have a test probably during the week of October 15th.
-We will then begin Chapter 19 covering basic sentence parts.
WRITING
-We will be finishing the Coat of Arms. This is a series of 6 short paragraphs and a collage detailing stories and goals for each student. These will be due the 19th.
-We will then be writing prayers in order to compose a class prayer book.
DIAGRAMMING
-We will learn to diagram prepositional phrases. This will be learned and tested during the week of October 22nd.

7TH GRADE
GRAMMAR
-We are finishing Chapter 16 covering adjectives and adverbs.
-There is a test on Tuesday, October 9th.
-We will then be working on verbs in Chapter 15 and 22.
WRITING
-We have completed our product advertisement. We will be presenting them in class as well. Presentations will be at the end of the week of October 8th as well as through the week of October 15th.
-We will then be writing a dialogue. Before writing dialogue, we will have to learn the proper format.
DIAGRAMMING
-We will learn how to diagram prepositional phrases, including compound phrases. This will be learned and tested during the week of October 29th.

8TH GRADE
GRAMMAR
-We are finishing up on Chapter 21. We have done much practice with run-ons, fragments, misplaced modifiers, and compound sentences. We will have a quest the week of October 8th.
-We will then be working on Chapter 20 covering clauses. There will be worksheets, small projects, and a quest.
WRITING
-We have completed our letter to our future selves. The students have also placed a copy in an envelope to be mailed to them four years from now.
-We have begun journalling on our next writing piece, a technical document. We should have these finished by the end of October. We will be presenting these in a speech as well.
DIAGRAMMING
-We will be diagramming compound subjects, verbs, and sentences. This will be learned and tested during the week of October 15th.

8TH GRADE LITERATURE
-We will be reading a script by Daryn Perry entitled The Other Side of Life. This is a fantastic piece about a teenager who is given a second chance at life. We will also be reading a portion of a fantasy novel by the same author.
-There will be quizzes, a test, and a couple of projects to go with this script.