January 2012

 

As we begin the second term with renewed enthusiasm and energy, students will be busy writing essays, vocabulary-building, and reading. We will be continuing to explore the Levels of Inquiry as we practice asking about and responding to text.

 

In addition to keeping track of your self-selected reading on the Annotated Logs, we will continue reading independently from our complementary unit novels. Our next class novel is Chains, by Laurie Halse Anderson, another historical novel, set in New York during the American Revolution, about a slave girl who questions the meaning of freedom.

 

We are also continuing the M.U.G.S. component as a part of our regular weekly habits;

M.U.G.S. stands for Mechanics, Usage, Grammar, and Spelling, and will also include the study of vocabulary and thinking through analogies.

 

I want to remind students to save all papers.  We will be reviewing and reflecting on our work at the end of the year.

 

Thank you for your continued support!

 

 

 

Some reminders:

• Use agendas/planners daily in order to organize and prioritize your work.
• Regularly check your teachers' web pages for assignments, due dates, and expectations, especially if you have been absent.
• Make the time to read for your own enjoyment as well as for assignments – record finished reading on your Annotated Log.
• Trust yourself as a learner!

 

Ms. Lazar :)