Happy Easter...
What a great and busy spring it has been in and around Room 8! First and foremost, our 8th graders confirmed their relationship with God and the church on April 13. Archbishop Allen Vigneron and Father Bob McCabe presided over the Confermation ceremony.
Our St. Pius baseball and softball teams are populated with many of our 8th grade students. Go Pirates!
Our first middle school field trip of the season took place on April 7, at Zap Zone in Taylor. Our class had a great time playing Laser Tag, Balladium, Slime Bucket, Jump Zone, and Mini-Golf. I highly recommend the pizza if you ever get back to the Taylor Zap Zone.
Grandparents' Day took place on March 10. We played "Grandparent/Grandchild Jeopardy" in Room 8. Categories included pop culture questions from the 1960s, 1970s, 2000s, along with a "Cars" category. The goal was to have something for everyone. When the dust settled, Lauren Mann and her grandfather put up quite an impressive performance. He could even spot a Ford Pinto!!
March was reading month. We created posters commemorating some of the books we have read this school year: Romeo and Juliet and To Kill a Mockingbird. We also created a poster to keep track of the amount of minutes each day students spend reading. We teamed with Mrs. Wiggins' class and read with our first grade "buddies."
Because of all the hard work our 8th grade class has done in and around St. Pius this year, the Detroit Tigers have graciously given our class tickets to the Detroit Tigers game on Thursday, April 28. We will have parents drive our students to and from the game. We will be participating in the Tigers' Career Day activities before the game, so we will be leaving school at 9:30am (after Mass) and returning at the conclution of the game (we will probably leave Comerica Park around 4pm). Let Mr. Baker know if you are able to drive. Thanks!
Be on the lookout for more information on May Crowning (the Morning of Tuesday, May 10), Torch and Ribbon Ceremony (Thursday, May 19, after Mass--about 9:15am), 8th Grade Graduation (Tuesday May 24, at 7pm), 8th Grade Dinner Dance (Friday, May 27).
On to the Academics...
8th Grade Vocabulary: We are currently studying Unit 11. Words include: appease, belated, calamitous, cite, conventional, decoy, delve, ensue, gallantry, impart, judicious, mediate, milieu, outlandish, overbearing, pert, quirk, regale, shiftless and taint.
8th Grade Math: Mr. Baker's algebra class is currently studying Polynomials after completing quite a successful unit on systems of equations, where our test scores were the best we have had all school year. Great job, kids!
8th Grade English: We are finishing up a unit on public speaking. This week, students will be giving speeches on topics ranging from this school year to NBA All-Stars. We have watched public speaking videos, learned the ways to successfully execute a speech (remember content and delivery!) and done hours of research on our topics. We are all looking forward to the finished products.
8th Grade Literature: We are finishing up our mystery unit. We read and watched Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famed "Speckled Band" story. We have also read at least 8-10 short mysteries, and studied the various elements of making a great mystery that will pull the reader in and keep them turning the pages.
7th Grade Math: We are finishing up a unit on proportions. A highlight of the unit was our trip out to the playground. We paired up, measured ourselves, measured our shadows, and measured a shadow of a tall object. We then took that information and found the height of that object.
7th Grade English: We just finished a unit on verbals, such as gerunds, infinitives, and participles. These are words that look like verbs but actually act as nouns, adverbs, and adjectives. For example, "Running makes me feel great." 'Running' is a gerund. "To know me is to love me." In this sentence, "To know" and "to love" are both infinitives. Infinitives can be spotted because they are verbs with "to" in front of them. Participles are phrases usually blocked in with commas, and modify a word around it. For example: "The dog, praised by its master, was happy. With 'praised by its master' being a participle.
7th Grade Literature: We FINALLY finished The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. After 42 chapters and almost 400 pages, the students did a great job on the test. Many students really enjoyed Huck, Tom, Jim, the Duke and the King's adventures down the Mississippi.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
March 10, 2011
We have had quite a month since our last blog here in Room 8 at St. Pius School.
Our 8th graders collected more box tops in the month of February than any class has in the entire school for the entire year. 1,536 strong! Way to go!
Both our boys and girls varsity basketball teams placed second out of eight teams as they hosted the annual St. Pius basketball tournament. Nice work, teams!
Grandparents Day here at St. Pius was a hit for all who attended. The eighth grade put on "Goldielocks on Trial," a performance based on "Goldielocks and the Three Bears." After just a day of rehearsal, they did a great job and had the audience in stitches.
Onto academics...
Eighth Grade Vocabulary: We are currently reviewing Units 7-9. Beginning the week of March 14, Unit 10 will be covered. Unit 10's words are: accord, barter, curt, devise, dexterous, engross, entail, ferret, habituate, impending, personable, rue, scoff, transition, trepidation, upbraid, veritable, vex, vitality, and whimsical.
Eighth Grade Math: My math class is in the middle of Ch. 6: Stystems of Linear Equations and Inequalities. This basically means finding the solution to two equations, or finding out where those two lines would cross on a grid.
Eighth Grade Language Arts: We just finished writing a Compare/Contrast essay where students had to take two items (Coke and Pepsi, spring and fall, etc) and give similarities and differences of those items. We just began working on verbals, which are words that are formed from a verb and acts as a noun, adjective, or adverb. Examples are gerunds (Writing a book is hard work.) and infinitives (The fair is a place I would like to visit).
Eighth Grade Literature: Red Badge of Courage is our final novel of the year. It is about a young soldier caught in the middle of the Civil War and his attempts at coming to terms with his emotions of battle, fatigue, and comraderie.
Seventh Grade Math: We just began studying ratios, proportions and similar figures. An example is if a basketball player made 5 baskets in 10 attempts, he makes one out of two shots, or 1/2, or 5:10.
Seventh Grade Language Arts: We just finished writing a paper where we replicate our favorite author's style. To practice, we formed groups, wrote stories in the form of authors we have alreay read (Mark Twain, SE Hinton, etc.) and performed those stories as a skit. Next we will be studying pronouns.
Seventh Grade Literature: We are nearing the end of Mark Twain's legendary, "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." This will also be our third and final novel of the year. Our others were "Our Town," by Thornton Wilder and "The Outsiders," by SE Hinton.
Our 8th graders collected more box tops in the month of February than any class has in the entire school for the entire year. 1,536 strong! Way to go!
Both our boys and girls varsity basketball teams placed second out of eight teams as they hosted the annual St. Pius basketball tournament. Nice work, teams!
Grandparents Day here at St. Pius was a hit for all who attended. The eighth grade put on "Goldielocks on Trial," a performance based on "Goldielocks and the Three Bears." After just a day of rehearsal, they did a great job and had the audience in stitches.
Onto academics...
Eighth Grade Vocabulary: We are currently reviewing Units 7-9. Beginning the week of March 14, Unit 10 will be covered. Unit 10's words are: accord, barter, curt, devise, dexterous, engross, entail, ferret, habituate, impending, personable, rue, scoff, transition, trepidation, upbraid, veritable, vex, vitality, and whimsical.
Eighth Grade Math: My math class is in the middle of Ch. 6: Stystems of Linear Equations and Inequalities. This basically means finding the solution to two equations, or finding out where those two lines would cross on a grid.
Eighth Grade Language Arts: We just finished writing a Compare/Contrast essay where students had to take two items (Coke and Pepsi, spring and fall, etc) and give similarities and differences of those items. We just began working on verbals, which are words that are formed from a verb and acts as a noun, adjective, or adverb. Examples are gerunds (Writing a book is hard work.) and infinitives (The fair is a place I would like to visit).
Eighth Grade Literature: Red Badge of Courage is our final novel of the year. It is about a young soldier caught in the middle of the Civil War and his attempts at coming to terms with his emotions of battle, fatigue, and comraderie.
Seventh Grade Math: We just began studying ratios, proportions and similar figures. An example is if a basketball player made 5 baskets in 10 attempts, he makes one out of two shots, or 1/2, or 5:10.
Seventh Grade Language Arts: We just finished writing a paper where we replicate our favorite author's style. To practice, we formed groups, wrote stories in the form of authors we have alreay read (Mark Twain, SE Hinton, etc.) and performed those stories as a skit. Next we will be studying pronouns.
Seventh Grade Literature: We are nearing the end of Mark Twain's legendary, "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." This will also be our third and final novel of the year. Our others were "Our Town," by Thornton Wilder and "The Outsiders," by SE Hinton.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
February 3, 2011
Happy snow day! Once again, lots going on in Room 8 over the past month. Let's get right into it...
8th Grade Vocabulary: We are studying Unit 8 out of 15 units, so It's looking like we are right on schedule. Every unit, the students get into groups at random and create a story from the unit words and then perform it in front of the class. It's been amazing to see the positive progression of these performances. There are recurring characters, recurring themes, and exciting action. This week's words are: abut, attire, avail, crony, cryptic, divergent, enmity, fervent, gaunt, infiltrate, nullify, perceptible, plummet, proclaim, proxy, rankle, scavenger, stint, stoical, and unflagging.
8th Grade Algebra: My math class is currently studying inequalities, and ways to solve them. For example 8a + 5 < 21. We just completed the mid-chapter quiz, so the test for Chapter 5 will be either the end of next week or the beginning of the following week.
8th Grade Literature: After finishing the book, "To Kill a Mockingbird," we are currently watching the critically acclaimed film, starring Gregory Peck and Robert Duvall. "Mockingbird" was written in 1960 by Harper Lee, winning her the Pulizer Prize for Literature in 1961. A 1991 survey by the Book of the Month Club and the Library of Congress Center for the Book found that To Kill a Mockingbird was rated behind only the Bible in books that are "most often cited as making a difference". The test on the book will take place the middle of next week. Remember, AR is due Feb. 4!
8th Grade Language Arts: We have begun writing persuasive essays. So far, we have studied their design, importance, and used peer influence to help students improve their own stances on topics of their choosing.
7th Grade Math: We are currently studying Multi-step Equations and Inequalities. The first lesson of the chapter dealt with areas and perimeters of two-dimensional objects and how, many times, it takes two steps to solve equations when working with these measurements.
7th Grade Literature: We have begun reading Mark Twain's classic "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." This is probably the most famous of any American Book ever written. It is also very long, so students should expect a bit of reading for homework over the next month. It has been said it is one of the most influential books in American history, so I believe it is important to expose students to a book that has influenced many of the contemporary books they are reading. AR is due Friday, Feb 4!
7th Grade Language Arts: We are in the throws of creating compare/contrast essays. For example, one might compare softball and baseball to help them decide which to play in the spring. We have studied how to design these essays, good topics for them, and how to express themselves using unity, coherence, and sensory details.
Go Pirates!!
8th Grade Vocabulary: We are studying Unit 8 out of 15 units, so It's looking like we are right on schedule. Every unit, the students get into groups at random and create a story from the unit words and then perform it in front of the class. It's been amazing to see the positive progression of these performances. There are recurring characters, recurring themes, and exciting action. This week's words are: abut, attire, avail, crony, cryptic, divergent, enmity, fervent, gaunt, infiltrate, nullify, perceptible, plummet, proclaim, proxy, rankle, scavenger, stint, stoical, and unflagging.
8th Grade Algebra: My math class is currently studying inequalities, and ways to solve them. For example 8a + 5 < 21. We just completed the mid-chapter quiz, so the test for Chapter 5 will be either the end of next week or the beginning of the following week.
8th Grade Literature: After finishing the book, "To Kill a Mockingbird," we are currently watching the critically acclaimed film, starring Gregory Peck and Robert Duvall. "Mockingbird" was written in 1960 by Harper Lee, winning her the Pulizer Prize for Literature in 1961. A 1991 survey by the Book of the Month Club and the Library of Congress Center for the Book found that To Kill a Mockingbird was rated behind only the Bible in books that are "most often cited as making a difference". The test on the book will take place the middle of next week. Remember, AR is due Feb. 4!
8th Grade Language Arts: We have begun writing persuasive essays. So far, we have studied their design, importance, and used peer influence to help students improve their own stances on topics of their choosing.
7th Grade Math: We are currently studying Multi-step Equations and Inequalities. The first lesson of the chapter dealt with areas and perimeters of two-dimensional objects and how, many times, it takes two steps to solve equations when working with these measurements.
7th Grade Literature: We have begun reading Mark Twain's classic "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." This is probably the most famous of any American Book ever written. It is also very long, so students should expect a bit of reading for homework over the next month. It has been said it is one of the most influential books in American history, so I believe it is important to expose students to a book that has influenced many of the contemporary books they are reading. AR is due Friday, Feb 4!
7th Grade Language Arts: We are in the throws of creating compare/contrast essays. For example, one might compare softball and baseball to help them decide which to play in the spring. We have studied how to design these essays, good topics for them, and how to express themselves using unity, coherence, and sensory details.
Go Pirates!!
Sunday, January 2, 2011
January 2, 2011
It's a new year and an exciting time for all of us in Room 8. We are hopefully refreshed and ready to take on the 2011 portion of the school year.
Looking back, our entire school got rave reviews for its performance in the annual St. Pius Christmas concert on the evening of December 9. While reading student journals over the past few weeks, it is obvious that the students themselves are very proud and fulfilled by the success of the concert. The reception the students received along with the many comments I heard after the concert really showed that all the hard work by our students paid off. Mrs. Seward did a fantastic job of directing the concert and bringing in some very talented music minds to help make the night a success. All the hard work paid off, kids!
Another great event that was held by the eighth graders was the poinsettia sale that took place the weekend of December 10. Thanks so much for all those who contributed their time, money and efforts to help our students raise money for our class trip. While our destination is still being ironed out, it is narrowed down :) And now our options are somewhat less limited because of the funds created from this sale.
One more fundraiser that will help us is the bottle/can drive to raise money for our 8th grade dance. Mrs. Cortese has spearheaded this with what looks like great results. Thanks for all those who helped and contributed!
One more initiative that has yielded positive results is our creation of an 8th grade scrapbook. Thank you to Mrs. Russell who has done a wonderful job of coodinating the scrapbooking efforts. I have to admit I stuck a peek at some of the pictures and can't wait to see the finished product. Keep your eyes peeled for emails regarding this and our fund raising efforts. We won't be shy about sending them!
Mid-term exams will take place the week of January 10. Study guides from my classes were emailed before Christmas. Each student will also receive copies this upcoming week in class.
The second card marking ends January 14. Check Gradelink to make sure your child is up to date on his/her work. They will be receiving a list of missed work on January 6. More of an emphasis has been placed on each student to comeplete work on time and more of an emphasis will be placed on this as we move along.
Looking back, our entire school got rave reviews for its performance in the annual St. Pius Christmas concert on the evening of December 9. While reading student journals over the past few weeks, it is obvious that the students themselves are very proud and fulfilled by the success of the concert. The reception the students received along with the many comments I heard after the concert really showed that all the hard work by our students paid off. Mrs. Seward did a fantastic job of directing the concert and bringing in some very talented music minds to help make the night a success. All the hard work paid off, kids!
Another great event that was held by the eighth graders was the poinsettia sale that took place the weekend of December 10. Thanks so much for all those who contributed their time, money and efforts to help our students raise money for our class trip. While our destination is still being ironed out, it is narrowed down :) And now our options are somewhat less limited because of the funds created from this sale.
One more fundraiser that will help us is the bottle/can drive to raise money for our 8th grade dance. Mrs. Cortese has spearheaded this with what looks like great results. Thanks for all those who helped and contributed!
One more initiative that has yielded positive results is our creation of an 8th grade scrapbook. Thank you to Mrs. Russell who has done a wonderful job of coodinating the scrapbooking efforts. I have to admit I stuck a peek at some of the pictures and can't wait to see the finished product. Keep your eyes peeled for emails regarding this and our fund raising efforts. We won't be shy about sending them!
Mid-term exams will take place the week of January 10. Study guides from my classes were emailed before Christmas. Each student will also receive copies this upcoming week in class.
The second card marking ends January 14. Check Gradelink to make sure your child is up to date on his/her work. They will be receiving a list of missed work on January 6. More of an emphasis has been placed on each student to comeplete work on time and more of an emphasis will be placed on this as we move along.
Monday, November 29, 2010
November 29, 2010
Thanks for reading our Room 8 Blog! A lot has happened since our past blog.
Tyler Blaszczak won the annual St. Pius Turkey Trot 2K run on November 19.
The St. Pius Girls Basketball Team placed 2nd place at the St. Stan's basketball tournament the weekend of November 20.
The St. Pius Boys Basketball team has a couple games under its belt. Still searching for that first elusive win, the Pirates take on Wyandotte Catholic this Saturday, December 4. Be the ball!
Our cheerleaders placed fourth in the Fall CYO Cheer Competition at St. Lawrence in Utica.
Our 7th and 8th graders will be front and center during the St. Pius Christmas Concert, to be held on Thursday, December 9. They have all been working very hard on their singing and performing duties as the show date nears.
The 8th grade class hosted the school's Thanksgiving Mass on Monday, November 22.
The seventh graders are currently handling prayer duties during morning announcements, while the 8th graders admirably handled those duties last week.
We will also be hosting a pointsettia sale the weekend of December 11 in the Social Hall after each mass. Proceeds will go to fund this year's 8th grade class trip.
Congratulations and Go Pirates!
In terms of academics...
8th Grade Vocabulary: We are currently studying Unit 6. Words in Unit 6 include: abashed, aloof, anguish, articulate, bask, defect, finesse, flaunt, forthright, genial, instill, ostracize, premonition, pseudonym, rehabilitate, repercussion, resolute, retentive, and scapegoat. Please try and "drop" these words to your 8th grader (in the appropriate manner, of course) so they become more comfortable with them. For online games and quizzes on these and all our words, please visit www.vocabtest.com . We are "Level C." The test will take place on Wednesday, December 8.
8th Grade Math: My math class is currently studying linear functions. For example, is 3x+4y=10 a linear equation? (YES) The test will take place on Wednesday, December 8.
8th Grade Literature: We are in the midst of unraveling the mysteries and tragedies of Romeo and Juliet. Summaries of each act are given to students each day we read to help improve their understanding of the text. The test on Romeo and Juliet will be on Friday, December 3.
8th Grade Language Arts: The class just turned in simulated memoirs of historical figures. This means a diary of a famous historical person. They were able to choose (with my approval) an historical figure and then create four to five memoir entries that person would have written at an important time in their lives. For example, Benjamin Franklin penning a diary during the time of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. What would he have written in his diary on July 3, 1776?
7th Grade Math: We are currently studying Operations with Rational Numbers. For example, what is the decimal equivalent of 2/9? How do you multiply fractions? How do you divide fractions? The test is set for Tuesday, December 7.
7th Grade Literature: We are currently reading S.E. Hinton's "The Outsiders." The Chicago Tribune raves that it is, "Taut with tension, filled with drama." It is a story of rival social groups in an urban area in the 1960s.
7th Grade Language Arts: Getting down to basics, the seventh graders are studying various parts of a sentence: Subject, predicate, linking verbs, etc. After starting out the school year writing stories and looking at the big picture of writing, we then broke down paragraphs and their elements. Now we focus on the sentence adn the various aspects of it.
Tyler Blaszczak won the annual St. Pius Turkey Trot 2K run on November 19.
The St. Pius Girls Basketball Team placed 2nd place at the St. Stan's basketball tournament the weekend of November 20.
The St. Pius Boys Basketball team has a couple games under its belt. Still searching for that first elusive win, the Pirates take on Wyandotte Catholic this Saturday, December 4. Be the ball!
Our cheerleaders placed fourth in the Fall CYO Cheer Competition at St. Lawrence in Utica.
Our 7th and 8th graders will be front and center during the St. Pius Christmas Concert, to be held on Thursday, December 9. They have all been working very hard on their singing and performing duties as the show date nears.
The 8th grade class hosted the school's Thanksgiving Mass on Monday, November 22.
The seventh graders are currently handling prayer duties during morning announcements, while the 8th graders admirably handled those duties last week.
We will also be hosting a pointsettia sale the weekend of December 11 in the Social Hall after each mass. Proceeds will go to fund this year's 8th grade class trip.
Congratulations and Go Pirates!
In terms of academics...
8th Grade Vocabulary: We are currently studying Unit 6. Words in Unit 6 include: abashed, aloof, anguish, articulate, bask, defect, finesse, flaunt, forthright, genial, instill, ostracize, premonition, pseudonym, rehabilitate, repercussion, resolute, retentive, and scapegoat. Please try and "drop" these words to your 8th grader (in the appropriate manner, of course) so they become more comfortable with them. For online games and quizzes on these and all our words, please visit www.vocabtest.com . We are "Level C." The test will take place on Wednesday, December 8.
8th Grade Math: My math class is currently studying linear functions. For example, is 3x+4y=10 a linear equation? (YES) The test will take place on Wednesday, December 8.
8th Grade Literature: We are in the midst of unraveling the mysteries and tragedies of Romeo and Juliet. Summaries of each act are given to students each day we read to help improve their understanding of the text. The test on Romeo and Juliet will be on Friday, December 3.
8th Grade Language Arts: The class just turned in simulated memoirs of historical figures. This means a diary of a famous historical person. They were able to choose (with my approval) an historical figure and then create four to five memoir entries that person would have written at an important time in their lives. For example, Benjamin Franklin penning a diary during the time of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. What would he have written in his diary on July 3, 1776?
7th Grade Math: We are currently studying Operations with Rational Numbers. For example, what is the decimal equivalent of 2/9? How do you multiply fractions? How do you divide fractions? The test is set for Tuesday, December 7.
7th Grade Literature: We are currently reading S.E. Hinton's "The Outsiders." The Chicago Tribune raves that it is, "Taut with tension, filled with drama." It is a story of rival social groups in an urban area in the 1960s.
7th Grade Language Arts: Getting down to basics, the seventh graders are studying various parts of a sentence: Subject, predicate, linking verbs, etc. After starting out the school year writing stories and looking at the big picture of writing, we then broke down paragraphs and their elements. Now we focus on the sentence adn the various aspects of it.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
November 7
Here is the latest information from Room 8:
Subject Rundown
8th Grade Vocabulary
Unit 5 test on Wednesday, November 10. Please visit the words at http://www.vocabtest.com/vocabulary_word_test.php?grade=8&unit=5
8th Grade Literature
We will be visiting the computer lab on Monday and Tuesday of this week to give students a chance to publish their historical fiction papers. The guidelines for the assignments are as follows:
• Compare and contrast events and characters within an historical fiction book with the actual events of the time in which it took place
• Summarize the historical fiction book you read, describing its rising and falling actions, style, and the conflict within the story (explain opposing forces).
• Summarize the ACTUAL time and setting that your story took place. If your story took place around the Gettysburg during the Civil War, you would describe the battle, how many people lost their lives, a few main generals in the battle, etc.
• Turn it in by Thursday, November 11
• Complete it in more than 450 words
8th Grade Language Arts
We just began a unit on creating a simulated memoir of an historical figure. For example, what would Benjamin Franklin have written in his diary just before bed on July 3, 1776? We have read other memoir entries and have created our own simulated memoirs. We will continue to study simulated memoirs and the unit will conclude with a paper the students will write recreating an historical figure's "memoir."
8th Grade Algebra
Chapter Test over Linear Equations on Wednesday, November 10. Then we are off to studying Linear Functions!
7th Grade Literature
We just finished a unit on antagonists, protagonists, and conflict. Our quiz on this unit was on Friday, November 5.
We are now reading Thornton Wilder's award-winning play, "Our Town."
7th Grade Language Arts
We are in the middle of creating our own persuasive essays. The students have gone to the computer lab multiple times for research and publishing of their papers.
7th Grade Pre-Algebra
Chapter test on Tuesday, November 9 over Operations with Integers! Then it's off to the wacky world of Rational Numbers :)
Other Important News
8th Graders will be visiting the book fair in the library on Monday at 12:45 pm.
8th Graders were given Catholic School Open House and High School Placement test information on Thursday, November 4. Please let us know if you have any questions. Much more information will be forthcoming.
Practices for winter sports are well underway. Go Pirates Basketball and Cheerleading!!
Congratulations to Student Council Officers President Natalie Loewengruber, Vice President Griffin Burton, and 8th Grade Representative Hannah Cortese. May you guide us on the path to success and God's will.
Big Congratulations to Julia Eory, who won first prize in the class costume contest. She was a piece of candy! Ask her what kind.
Parent-Teacher conferences will take place between 1:30 and 8:30pm on Wednesday and Thursday, November 10 and 11. Hope to see you all there! Registrations is underway just outside the office.
We are creating a "Names of the Dead" book outside the office for all who have lost loved ones. Please write their name in the book just outside the school office doors and we will all pray for them.
Subject Rundown
8th Grade Vocabulary
Unit 5 test on Wednesday, November 10. Please visit the words at http://www.vocabtest.com/vocabulary_word_test.php?grade=8&unit=5
8th Grade Literature
We will be visiting the computer lab on Monday and Tuesday of this week to give students a chance to publish their historical fiction papers. The guidelines for the assignments are as follows:
• Compare and contrast events and characters within an historical fiction book with the actual events of the time in which it took place
• Summarize the historical fiction book you read, describing its rising and falling actions, style, and the conflict within the story (explain opposing forces).
• Summarize the ACTUAL time and setting that your story took place. If your story took place around the Gettysburg during the Civil War, you would describe the battle, how many people lost their lives, a few main generals in the battle, etc.
• Turn it in by Thursday, November 11
• Complete it in more than 450 words
8th Grade Language Arts
We just began a unit on creating a simulated memoir of an historical figure. For example, what would Benjamin Franklin have written in his diary just before bed on July 3, 1776? We have read other memoir entries and have created our own simulated memoirs. We will continue to study simulated memoirs and the unit will conclude with a paper the students will write recreating an historical figure's "memoir."
8th Grade Algebra
Chapter Test over Linear Equations on Wednesday, November 10. Then we are off to studying Linear Functions!
7th Grade Literature
We just finished a unit on antagonists, protagonists, and conflict. Our quiz on this unit was on Friday, November 5.
We are now reading Thornton Wilder's award-winning play, "Our Town."
7th Grade Language Arts
We are in the middle of creating our own persuasive essays. The students have gone to the computer lab multiple times for research and publishing of their papers.
7th Grade Pre-Algebra
Chapter test on Tuesday, November 9 over Operations with Integers! Then it's off to the wacky world of Rational Numbers :)
Other Important News
8th Graders will be visiting the book fair in the library on Monday at 12:45 pm.
8th Graders were given Catholic School Open House and High School Placement test information on Thursday, November 4. Please let us know if you have any questions. Much more information will be forthcoming.
Practices for winter sports are well underway. Go Pirates Basketball and Cheerleading!!
Congratulations to Student Council Officers President Natalie Loewengruber, Vice President Griffin Burton, and 8th Grade Representative Hannah Cortese. May you guide us on the path to success and God's will.
Big Congratulations to Julia Eory, who won first prize in the class costume contest. She was a piece of candy! Ask her what kind.
Parent-Teacher conferences will take place between 1:30 and 8:30pm on Wednesday and Thursday, November 10 and 11. Hope to see you all there! Registrations is underway just outside the office.
We are creating a "Names of the Dead" book outside the office for all who have lost loved ones. Please write their name in the book just outside the school office doors and we will all pray for them.
Monday, November 1, 2010
October 26
8th Grade Vocabulary: We study 20 words per unit. We will complete our fourth unit on Wednesday, October 27, with a test. For each unit, the students make study materials (flash cards), play puzzles and games with the words and their definition, create a story filled with unit words and (sometimes) act out the story for the rest of the class. The words can be found in each student's vocabulary book or online at www.vocabtest.com. Click on "Level C" and you can "peruse" all units we will be and have been studying.
8th Grade Literature: We finished our unit on nonfiction, where we read pieces from Maya Angelou, Eudora Welty, and James Herriot, among others. We also studied the elements of nonfiction, such as genres within it (biography, autobiography, essay, etc). We are currently engaged in a research project where we take an historical fiction book and compare/contrast it to the time it takes place. We will be doing research to find out more on the time period of our historical fiction books, then read the books, and finally put together a paper comprised of what we learned. Each student also should have read and taken tests on three books by October 26 for our Accelerated Reader program.
8th Grade Language Arts: We finished a unit on creating better sentences (using revision, style, elaboration). We are currently creating autobiographical incidents. Each student will be writing a story about one time in their lives. They will explain why it is important to them, capture the reader's interest, detail what happened, describe their feelings, and have great punctuation.
8th Grade Math (my class): We just finished studying expressions, equations, and functions. Our current studies include understanding linear equations. Homework grading update: each student gets credit for each correct answer given on their homeork. If there are 25 problems and they respond correctly on 24, they receive a 96% (24 out of 25). Students must still show their work to receive full credit.
7th Grade Literature: We just finished our unit on nonfiction, where we read pieces from Russell Baker, Ernesto Galarza, a biography on Nolan Ryan, among other stories. We also studied the elements of nonfiction and the genres within it (biography, autobiography, essay, informational text, etc). We are currently studying the relationship between antagonists and protagonists. Each student also should have read and taken tests on three approved books by October 26 for our Accelerated Reader program.
7th Grade Language Arts: We just finished studying how to create better senteces (using elaboration, revision, and style). We are currently studying persuasive essays. Each student will create an essay attempting to persuade his/her audience in one direction or another. Students will focus on using facts to support their opinions.
7th Grade Math (my class): We just finished studying the tools of algebra (variables, properties, ordered pairs) and are currently learning about operations with integers. Homework grading update: each student gets credit for each correct answer given on their homeork. If there are 25 problems and they respond correctly on 24, they receive a 96% (24 out of 25). Students must still show their work to receive full credit.
Other activities:
We had a great time at the spelling bee at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Allen Park. We had 18 participants. Andre Cabalang and Elaine Spaminato took home brand-new dictionaries and earned the right to participate in regional competition because of their success at the bee. Congratulations to all!
The 8th Grade Halloween Party has been set for Friday, October 29. We will play board games, card games and hold a potluck brunch in class from 9:00am to 11:15 am. We will be visiting the library from 9:40-10:25.
Go Pirates!!
8th Grade Literature: We finished our unit on nonfiction, where we read pieces from Maya Angelou, Eudora Welty, and James Herriot, among others. We also studied the elements of nonfiction, such as genres within it (biography, autobiography, essay, etc). We are currently engaged in a research project where we take an historical fiction book and compare/contrast it to the time it takes place. We will be doing research to find out more on the time period of our historical fiction books, then read the books, and finally put together a paper comprised of what we learned. Each student also should have read and taken tests on three books by October 26 for our Accelerated Reader program.
8th Grade Language Arts: We finished a unit on creating better sentences (using revision, style, elaboration). We are currently creating autobiographical incidents. Each student will be writing a story about one time in their lives. They will explain why it is important to them, capture the reader's interest, detail what happened, describe their feelings, and have great punctuation.
8th Grade Math (my class): We just finished studying expressions, equations, and functions. Our current studies include understanding linear equations. Homework grading update: each student gets credit for each correct answer given on their homeork. If there are 25 problems and they respond correctly on 24, they receive a 96% (24 out of 25). Students must still show their work to receive full credit.
7th Grade Literature: We just finished our unit on nonfiction, where we read pieces from Russell Baker, Ernesto Galarza, a biography on Nolan Ryan, among other stories. We also studied the elements of nonfiction and the genres within it (biography, autobiography, essay, informational text, etc). We are currently studying the relationship between antagonists and protagonists. Each student also should have read and taken tests on three approved books by October 26 for our Accelerated Reader program.
7th Grade Language Arts: We just finished studying how to create better senteces (using elaboration, revision, and style). We are currently studying persuasive essays. Each student will create an essay attempting to persuade his/her audience in one direction or another. Students will focus on using facts to support their opinions.
7th Grade Math (my class): We just finished studying the tools of algebra (variables, properties, ordered pairs) and are currently learning about operations with integers. Homework grading update: each student gets credit for each correct answer given on their homeork. If there are 25 problems and they respond correctly on 24, they receive a 96% (24 out of 25). Students must still show their work to receive full credit.
Other activities:
We had a great time at the spelling bee at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Allen Park. We had 18 participants. Andre Cabalang and Elaine Spaminato took home brand-new dictionaries and earned the right to participate in regional competition because of their success at the bee. Congratulations to all!
The 8th Grade Halloween Party has been set for Friday, October 29. We will play board games, card games and hold a potluck brunch in class from 9:00am to 11:15 am. We will be visiting the library from 9:40-10:25.
Go Pirates!!
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