Mrs. Anderson's Blog

I usually get out a week’s plans at a time, so this is a strange week for me.  I’ll try to do better next week!

Wednesday: Reading-We continued building community while reading Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears .  While building community may not sound important, it is necessary!   More active learning can take place if the kids can communicate effectively and appropropriately with each other .  The reading strategies that will be learned this year incorporate active thinking and discussing.   

Thursday: Language- Personalizing the Writing notebook and learning how to find writing prompts from other sources than the teacher.

Friday: Reading- Using the book And Still the Turtle Watched students will practice procedure for a read-aloud.  They will hear and discuss a story using active listening.

Tuesday:  Writing

The kids will read their cartoon connections aloud.  They will also organize the 1″ binder for Comm. Arts by making dividers to separate Language from Reading and creating a section for graded work.  I ask students to keep graded papers until I give them progress reports.  Once the progress reports are handed out they should check each paper to verify that I have entered their grades correctly.

T-shirt money is due Sept. 1.

August Reading Log is due Sept. 2.

Book orders are due Sept. 11.  Parents can now order books on-line!  Your child received an information letter regarding the sign in and password.  I just gave the information to students who thought their parents would be interested in ordering on-line.  If your child didn’t get one for you and you would like that info, just let me know.

Reading:  This week we’ll start Making Meaning after doing one lesson on genre.

MONDAY: Genre pretest and genre Power Point presentation. 

After genre we’ll start Making Meaning with a Power Point  explaining what Making Meaning is and what the behavior expectaion is.  If time allows I’ll read the first book to the kids.

Sorry to not get the whole week typed up Sunday night.  I’ll get the rest of the week’s plans on the blog on Monday. My eyes started closing earlier Sunday night than I thought they would!

We will finish putting information about Book Talks and discussing in detail what is information is required.  The first Book Talk book needs to be chosen by Monday, September 28, 2009.  The books need to be chosen by then so that the students will have time to read their chosen books and prepare. 

I’m doing something new with Book Talks this year.  Students will have the opportunity to record their Book Talk and I will show the recording to the class and grade it then.  I’m sure that some students will jump at this chance.

August Reading Log is due September 2, 2009.  I will continue filling my own log out so the students can view what is expected of them.

Monday:  Reading-Students will finish putting information in the Communication Arts Notebook and completing a survey about themselves for me.

Tuesday: Language- Students will complete a writing survey for me.  Then they will identify a cartoon that represents their lives and write about it.

Wednesday:  Library

Students will take a reading survey.  I will begin conferencing with each student.

Thursday:  Lesson one for writing.  Students will begin to get comfortable with the structure that we will follow all year long.

Friday:  9 different genres will be reintroduced to the kids through a power point presentation.

Aug. 18-21

Welcome to the 2009-2010 School Year!!

I teach Communication Arts, which is grammar, writing, and reading. 

 I’ll teach reading Mon., Wed., and Fri. and grammar and writing on Tues. and Thursday.  This schedule is not set in stone; it’ll be flexible.

Each student needs a 3 ring binder for my class.  Your child will also need a Communication Arts notebook to be used for both grammar notes and reading notes.  This can by a spiral notebook, a composition notebook or a folder with paper.  A spiral notebook, comp book or folder with paper is also needed for a Reading Response Journal.

This first week of school will be setting up procedures and talking about expectations.  The only assignment my students need to be doing outside of school right now is reading and completing the information for the August Reading Log. 

I am filling out my August Reading Log each day so that the kids can see what theirs is supposed to look like.  150 minutes are required for August, and they can start filling in the days starting with Aug. 18.  I have given some information about how to notate different reading materials on the back of the log.  This list can’t cover all different types of material, so I have told the kids to ask about anything else that they may read. 

The one important aspect of the reading logs that I am stressing is that if the students have any questions they need to ask me before the day the reading log is due.  I will help them in any way needed before the day the reading log is due, but if they ask for help on the day the log is due I will not assist them. 

The reading logs will need to be signed by a parent or guardian.  This verifies that the parent or guardian knows that the minutes listed are acurate.

***REMINDERS***

**Book Talks will be Thursday and Friday, the 14th and 15th.

**May reading log is due Friday the 15th.

**Mark Twain or Truman book report is due Friday the 15th.

**Permission form for the pond is due Friday the 15th.

Monday, May 11: finish The Lightning Thief

Tuesday, May 12: Reading Progress Reports sent home

                          work on onomatopoeias

Wednesday, May 13:  transition day and Social Studies film

Thursday and Friday, May 14 and 15: Book Talks

Monday, May 18: onomatopoeia and put creative writing books together

Tuesday, May 19:  creative hillbilly language

Wednesday, May 20: field trip to the pond

Thursday, May 21: field trip to the Ralph Foster Museum at the College of the Ozarks

Friday, May 22: assembly, school dismisses at 12:30

May 6th we’ll be going to the High School to watch a drama performance.  Permission slips went home with the kids on Friday.

April Reading Logs are due Tuesday.

Book Talks start May 13th.

Mark Twain or Truman 2008-2009 nominated book has to be read and a book report filled out by May 15th.

Monday: About 20 minutes will be spent to make sure students understand the questions and follow up activity that are due Tuesday for The Lightning Thief chapters 16-18.  

All writing fair entries will be returned and creative writing book covers will be started.

Tuesday:  Finish cover for creative writing books; finish 26 onomatopoeia words and begin sentences.

The Lightning Thief   questions and follow-up activity for Chapters 16-18 due.  Chapters 19-22 need to be read by Friday.  The books will be handed in at that time.

Wednesday:  Field trip to the High School for drama program.

Write sentences for onomatopoeia words;  students will begin creating their books as soon as the sentences are approved.

Thursday:  Continue on Wednesday’s assignment.

Friday:  Discuss The Lightning Thief chapters 16-18 and 19-22.

Hopefully you received your child’s midterm grades that went home Friday.  Several students have library fines that need to be paid and books that need to be returned before they receive their midterms.

Monday: Introducing and students begin to write their Odd Alphabet of Onomatopoeia.    This is a creative assignment that uses onomatopoeia words, words that imitate or sound out a sound.

Tuesday: Go over the journal response for chapters 10-15 of The Lightning Thief.  Then we’ll go over vocab for chapters 16-18.  All the assignments need to be completed for chapters 16-18:  response journal, vocabulary, questions, and follow-up activity.  The vocab and response journal are due Friday, May 1st.   The questions and follow-up are due May 5th.

Wednesday:  We’ll go to the Book Fair and Mrs. Skaggs will be in the classroom.  Any time that is left will be used to work on the Odd Alphabet of Onomatopoeia or The Lightning Thief.

Thursday and Friday: Work time for The Lightning Thief.  Vocabulary and Reading Response Journal are due Friday.

*reminders*

April Reading Log is due May 5th.

4th quarter Book Talks start May 13th.

Mark Twain or Truman is due May 15th.

Monday: I hope to be in the computer lab so the kids can proof and correct their persuasive paragraphs.  I typed them all this weekend so the kids would have time to put them in the magazines that Ms. Harron is doing with them in the computer lab.

Chapters 10-12 need to be read by Wednesday.

Tuesday:  This is a mostly reading week.  We’ll just read The Lightning Thief  chapters 10-12 like we did 7-9.  I’ll meet with each group as soon the reading is finished to go over some things, then they may begin Chapters 13-15.

Wednesday: The Lightning Thief: discussion questions for chapters 10-12, go over questions for chapters 10-12,

Thursday:  The Lightning Thief: finish questions chapters 10-12, vocabulary for chapters 13-15 and assign questions.

Friday: The Lightning Thief:  work time for chapters 13-15.  Journal and vocabulary due Tuesday, April 28.    Questions and Follow up due Wednesday, April 29.

April Reading Log is due May 5th. 

Book Talks start May 13th.

Mark Twain or Truman nominated book book report due May 15.

Benefit Dinner and Raffle for Stephen Wingfield:     There will be a benefit spaghetti dinner and raffle for 6th grader Stephen Wingfield, who has been diagnosed with lymphoma, on Saturday May 2nd, 4-7 pm at the Willard North cafeteria. 

Blue team is putting together a basket with a movie theme.  The kids and I talked about donating 50 cents, if they’d want to, and purchase some movie gift certificates.  Anything that you would like to contribute to the basket will be appreciated! 

MAP test week is here!  Please help your child get plenty of sleep Monday and Tuesday nights and a good breakfast Tuesday and Wednesday mornings.  I will have some breakfast bars and juice on test days.  Just in case.  We will also have snacks for the kids both days.

The Communication Arts test will be administered Tuesday.  Sessions 1 and 2 will be taken in the morning and session 3 in the afternoon. 

The Math test will be administered Wednesday.  Sessions 1 and 2 will be taken in the morning and session 3 in the afternoon. 

Monday:  Those who have their persuasive paragraphs written will have the opportunity to read them to the class.  Those who have any questions regarding their paragraphs will have time to get those questions answered.  All paragraphs are due Tuesday for Herron’s homeroom.  The paragraphs will be due Wednesday for Hampton’s homeroom and my homeroom.

Tuesday: Herron’s class- We’ll finish reading persuasive paragraphs.  After that we’ll discuss chapters 7-9 of The Lightning Thief.

 If time remains we’ll go over the vocab for The Lightning Thief  chapters 10-12.

Wednesday: Hampton’s and my class- We’ll finish reading persuasive paragraphs.  After that we’ll discuss chapters 7-9 of The Lightning Thief.

 If time remains we’ll go over the vocab for The Lightning Thief  chapters 10-12.

Thursday:  all classes- We’ll finish going over the vocab for The Lightning Thief  chapters 10-12.  The rest of the class time will be used for reading.

Those who finish will have the opportunity to read through 7 different plays based on stories from Greek mythology.

Friday: discuss chapters 10-12 of The Lightning Thief.  Go over vocabulary for chapters 14-16.

Reminders: 

A book needs to be chosen for 4th quarter Book Talk by April 17th. 

A Mark Twain or Truman book needs to be read by May 15th.