Grade 7 Language Arts

Welcome back!!!

This blog will be one of the ways we can communicate this school year.  Your main point of classroom communication will be Google Classroom.  If you have not done so already, please join our class:

Google Classroom
Period 1:  m2rjbij
Period 5 :   jcovr6

Today you will be using this blog and an Emaze Presentation to learn about our class while I take some time to get to know you.

Once you get into Google Classroom, open up the Emaze.

Then, open up the Google form called Grade 7 Language Arts Orientation.

Answer the questions in the form using this blog and the Emaze.  You may work as a team with the people in your group. Choose one person from the group as the name on the form, or create a team name.

These are the supplies you will need:

1 Three Subject Notebook

• Grammar
• Reading strategies
• Greek and Latin Roots

2 Two-pocket Folders

• Writing
• Reading Circles

1 Composition Notebooks

• Writer's Notebook

Two pencils sharpened before entering class or a pen.

Classwork and Homework Format

• All typed work must be done in Garamond, 12 point font and double spaced.
• All work for this class must have your name, date, subject, and class period as a heading in order to receive full credit.  One point will be subtracted for each missing element.

 Heading Sample:

Sara Superstudent September 5, 2015

Grade 7 Language Arts Period 1-2

Electronic Resources

All work must be stored in a folder created in Google Drive named Language Arts Grade (with grade level).

Students will maintain a Kid Blog Account.

Students are encouraged to use Remind.com-a one-way text messaging system

Students are encouraged to check the Class DoJo

Students are expected to remember all password and log-in information.

Chromebooks

Must be charged for class

Must only be used for Language Arts Activities only
Must only be handled by the owner
Any Chromebook misbehavior will earn a lunch detention

I am looking forward to working with you this year! All ask is that you do your best, and know that you can and should expect me to do the same.

Sincerely,
Mrs. Griffiths

Grade 8 Honors Language Arts

Welcome back!!!

This blog will be one of the ways we can communicate this school year.  Your main point of classroom communication will be Google Classroom.  If you have not done so already, please join our class:

Google Classroom
 5atz6x2

Today you will be using this blog and an Emaze Presentation to learn about our class while I take some time to get to know you.

Once you get into Google Classroom, open up the Emaze.

Then, open up the Google Form called Grade 8 Language Arts Orientation.

This orientation will inform you of my expectations.

Answer the questions in the form using this blog and the Emaze.  You may work as a team with the people in your group. Choose one person from the group as the name on the form, or create a team name.

These are the supplies you will need for this class:

1 Three Subject Notebook

• Grammar
• Reading Strategies
• Greek and Latin Roots

2 Two-pocket Folders

• Writing
• Reading Circles

1 Composition Notebooks

• Writer's Notebook

Two pencils sharpened before entering class or a pen.

Have all supplies by Monday.

Classwork and Homework Format

• All typed work must be done in Garamond, 12 point font and double spaced.
• All turned work for this class must have your name, date, subject, and class period as a heading in order to receive full credit.  One point will be subtracted for each missing element.

 Heading Sample:

Sara Superstudent September 5, 2016

Grade 8H Language Arts Period 1-2

Electronic Resources

All work must be stored in a folder created in Google Drive named Language Arts Grade (with grade level).

Students will maintain a Kid Blog or a Blogger Account

Students are encouraged to use Remind.com-a one-way text messaging system

Students are encouraged to check the Class DoJo

Students are expected to remember all password and log-in information.

Chromebooks

Must be charged for class.

Must only be used for Language Arts Activities only.

Independent Work

If you ever find yourself in a position where you are ahead of the class, there are three things you can always work on.

• Independent Reading
• Independent Writing
• No Red Ink Grammar Practice.

No Red Ink

Sign in with Google

 No Red Ink

Use Class Code ckwcw78h

I am looking forward to a fantastic year with you!

Let the the Groove Get In

I am a musician sycophant.  Not in a crazed stalker way, but in a venerable, need to be near it kind of way.  Guy with a guitar shows up to a party, I'm in, giving requests to help the singing begin.  I took clarinet lessons when I was in the 4th grade, but my heart was not in it.  I wanted to play the drums, but, in 1980, girls didn't play drums.  So I compromised for the flute, however, the school did not have enough of those to lend, so I was a clarinetist by default.  "Gene Kelly played the clarinet, " my mom encouraged, carefully recounting that directorial scene of genius from Xanadu.  My fandom for Gene got me through 3 years of playing, but by sixth grade, I was done. Keeping up with lessons and buying reeds seemed a bit too much for my mom and me.  When I first heard this story on NPR, my veneration boarded on jealousy.  I was always a strong reader-imagine how amazing I would be if I played an instrument?  Once I got a hold of my sixth grade self, I thought about my students.  Middle school is that testing ground for habits that will either be fostered or abandoned for the rest of our academic years.  I don't think we needed more evidence to support keeping the arts in school, but this is worth passing along to our music teachers.
From Mozart To Mr. Rogers: Literacy, Music And The Brain

The Monkey Mind

I am horrible at titles.  To create a title for this blog, I actually followed a tried and true method one of my colleagues uses with her students to create titles for stories using a mind map.  I began with a center circle called "question." After a series of circles I got to a phrase used by a Sea Isle City beach yoga instructor.  She would say to us, in her soothing yoga voice, that somehow did not need to be raised over the waves breaking the shore, "Quiet your monkey minds."  It was a great analogy for me because there is surely a monkey jumping around in my brain  making a mess of my thoughts, jumping from one tree branch of an idea to another, without every pausing to stop and admire the view.  The monkey mind should not be silenced but it does need to lean how to be still long enough to pick a few apples. Writing this blog is my way of pausing on those tree branches to reflect on what I see, and how I can use the view to direct my teaching and learning.  Welcome to my tree.