Classwork/Homework

Please attend M/W/F morning resource if you need writing assistance or if you have incomplete work to finish.

We have been very busy the couple of weeks with OAKS and CBM testing. Students are fishing some old and new writing assignments, as well as preparing for special year-end events. The Ellis Island Simulation will take place Thursday, May 30th during periods 1-3. Eighth graders will attend school through Thursday, June 6 and the morning of Friday, June 7 for promotion ceremony rehearsal. The promotion ceremony will take place Friday, June 7 at 6:30pm. Students need to pick up their limited tickets in advance from Mrs. Green, our school secretary, in the office.

Reading/Writing 

Students were to have read, studied and taken notes on Soldier's Heart by Wednesday, on which day the unit culminates with an in-class essay assignment. They are also working on The New Colossus and their year-end posters.

Major writing assignments that students worked on this year, and from which students will select their best pieces to include on their year-end posters, are:
Cultural Book Project
Thanksgiving Guest
"The Outsiders" Essay
Personal Narrative
Book Review Book Jacket
Time Travel Story
Bio-Poem
American Dream
"Soldier's Heart" Essay

Classwork/Homework

Please attend M/W/F morning resource if you need writing assistance or if you have incomplete work to finish.

Friday, May 3rd will be an EARLY RELEASE DAY (12:15pm) in order for teachers to work on progress report.

Reading/Writing 

Students have been given some time in class to read their choice books for the current project. The majority of the reading is to be done at home and completed by April 26th. The book review book jacket due date has been extended to May 3rd.

Students received a green "Book Jacket and Review" project sheet and a pink "How to Write a Book Review" sheet. We have explicitly discussed the directions from these in class, including detailed examples.

Students have each begun to research an historical event about which they'll write a "Time Travel" story and creatively change the course of history. This paper is due May 7th. The requirements for this are:

 - length must be at least three strong paragraphs

- 12 or 14 pt font (Helvetica, Times or Comic Sans), double-spaced, left justified

- use literary devices and smiley face tricks; demonstrate the 6+1 traits of good writing (ideas and content, conventions, organization, voice, sentence fluency, word choice)

Students continue to learn comprehension strategies particularly the utilization of margin notes (predict, visualize, connect, question clarify, evaluate). They also continue to study and review grammar.

"Power Lines" Home Team Program
(more information on previous posts) 
Additional dates - April 29, May 2, 7, 9 
This program will be conducted Monday and Thursday this week in 8th grade LA classes. This week's project involves a research project.

Classwork/Homework

Please attend M/W/F morning resource if you need writing assistance or if you have incomplete work to finish.

Reading/Writing 

Students have been given some time in class to read their choice books for the current project. The majority of the reading is to be done at home and completed by April 26th. The book review book jacket due May 2nd

Students received a green "Book Jacket and Review" project sheet and a pink "How to Write a Book Review" sheet. We have explicitly discussed the directions from these in class, including detailed examples.

Students continue to study and review grammar.

"Power Lines" Home Team Program
(more information on previous post)
Monday and Wednesday this week in 8th grade LA classes

Sheldon Forecasting
Tuesday, 2nd period, Monroe Library
8th graders pre-register for freshman year

8th Grade Class Photo
Tuesday at 1:30pm

8th Grade Info Night at Sheldon
Wednesday, 7pm, Sheldon High School

Academic Recognition Breakfast
Friday, 7:45am, Monroe Cafeteria

Classwork/Homework

Please attend M/W/F morning resource if you need writing assistance or if you have incomplete work to finish.

Reading/Writing 

Students have been given some time in class to read their choice books for the book review book jacket due May 2nd. However, the majority of the reading is to be done at home and completed by April 26th.

Students received a green "Book Jacket and Review" project sheet and a pink "How to Write a Book Review" sheet. We have explicitly discussed the directions from these in class, including detailed examples.

Students continue to study and review grammar, including sentence diagramming. This week they are particularly working on adverbs.

"Power Lines" Home Team Program
(From the information sheet provided to parents)

Eighth grade students are participating in this program which is part of Project Northland, a nationally recognized program that has proven effective in delaying alcohol use and reducing alcohol-related problems among young people. The program, comprised of eight different days throughout April and May, teaches eighth graders to:
- examine community influences on underage alcohol use
- understand their own influence within the community
- value the personal power they have to stay alcohol free

The program includes a variety of classroom activities that capture students' interests, as well as materials that will be sent home with students. Some materials are just for you, with tips for handling challenges that are typically experienced during the teen years. Other materials are games designed to help you interact with your teen and discuss important topics together. Please ask your child to share "Power Lines Home Team" materials with you, beginning the week of April 15th.

Research has shown that children who know their parents disapprove of underage drinking are less likely to start drinking at an early age. This is important. Waiting until the legal drinking age helps most teens avoid a lot of trouble.

The seriousness of underage alcohol issues highlights the importance of prevention - and of communicating to our children about alcohol and the risks that come with its use. After all, alcohol-related car crashes are the number one cause of death for young people age fifteen to twenty-four.

It is not always easy for parents and children to discuss alcohol issues together. The games and tips provided in the "Power Lines Home Team" Program are designed to make communication about this topic more comfortable. If, for any reason, you cannot participate, please have another trusted adult play these games with your child. 

This curriculum is part of a three year alcohol abuse prevention project funded through a federal grant awarded to the district. The grant requires data collection through survey information to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. Your student will be participating in a confidential pre/post survey about his/her attitudes about alcohol abuse prevention.

Classwork/Homework

Please attend M/W/F morning resource if you need writing assistance or if you have incomplete work to finish.

NO SCHOOL Fri Apr 12

Reading/Writing 

Students spent the week taking the OAKS (Oregon Assessment of Knowledge and Skills) reading test. Students who did not obtain a "meets" score will take it again in May. 

Students were also assigned to continue reading their personal choice novels for the next book assignment, a book review book jacket due May 5th.

Classwork/Homework

Please attend M/W/F morning resource if you need writing assistance or if you have incomplete work to finish.

NO SCHOOL Mon Apr 1 and Fri Apr 12

 

Reading/Writing 

The class is finishing "The Outsiders" movie in class early this week. Students will be doing a practice OAKS (Oregon Assessment of Knowledge and Skills) test and selecting personal choice novels for the next book assignment, a book review book jacket. Eighth grade OAKS reading testing will take place next week. Please be sure your student has ample sleep and nourishment before arriving to school. They can bring a snack and water bottle to have during testing.

 

Grammar 

Students continue to study parts of speech (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs). They will work on adverbs this week. They are also working on using strong sentences, powerful paragraphs and excellent essays.

Classwork/Homework

Please attend M/W/F morning resource if you need writing assistance or if you have incomplete work to finish.

Monday March 11th - beginning of 3rd trimester

Reading/Writing 

Students have been working on Personal Narratives as a writing assessment. They are to be at least three paragraphs long, approximately one and one-half pages or longer. They are still being accepted ,but were due last week.

Time writing fluency assessments were done in class today. They are used to show how many words students are capable of writing in a ten minutes, versus the same length assessment  used in the fall.

"The Outsiders" - Approximately one chapter per day will be assigned for student to read independently. The movie will be shown the last two days before Spring Break.
Schedule:

Ch 1 due 3/5

Ch 2 due 3/6

Ch 3 due 3/7

Ch 4, 5, 6 due 3/11

Ch 7 due 3/12

 

Grammar 

Students continue to study parts of speech (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs). They will work on adverbs this week. They are also working on using strong sentences, powerful paragraphs and excellent essays.

Classwork/Homework

Please attend M/W/F morning resource if you need writing assistance or if you have incomplete work to finish.

NO SCHOOL FRIDAY, MARCH 8th
END OF 2nd TRIMESTER GRADING DAY 

Reading/Writing 

Students have been working on Personal Narratives as a writing assessment. They are to be at least three paragraphs long, approximately one and one-half pages or longer. The due date is March 4th.

"Read Like a Writer" flap book projects, character paragraphs and theme paragraphs are now overdue.

"The Outsiders" - Approximately one chapter per day will be assigned for student to read independently. The movie will be shown the last two days before Spring Break.
Chapter One - Due March 5th
Quiz - March 5th

Grammar 

Students continue to study parts of speech (nouns, verbs, adjectives). They will work on adverbs this week. They are also working on using strong sentences, powerful paragraphs and excellent essays.

Classwork/Homework

Please attend M/W/F morning resource if you need writing assistance or if you have incomplete work to finish.

This week MPAC groups met on Tuesday, and on Friday we had a special schedule the first half of the day with presentations by international students from UO, representing over 15 countries.

Reading/Writing 

We have been working on Personal Narratives as a writing assessment. They are to be at least three paragraphs long, approximately one and one-half pages or longer. THE DUE DATE IS MON., MAR. 4.

"Read Like a Writer" flap book projects, character paragraphs and theme paragraphs are now overdue.

Grammar 

We continue to study parts of speech (nouns, verbs, adjectives), along with sentence diagramming. We are also working on using strong sentences, powerful paragraphs and excellent essays.

Classwork/Homework

Please attend M/W/F morning resource if you need writing assistance or if you have incomplete work to finish.

Reading/Writing 
The "Read Like a Writer" project was due last week and is now considered overdue.

The assignment of identifying Literary Devices and/or Smiley Face Tricks within song lyrics (3) is due Fri., Feb. 22nd.

The current project is personal narratives

Grammar 
We continue to study parts of speech (nouns, verbs, adjectives), along with sentence diagramming. We are also working on using strong sentences, powerful paragraphs and excellent essays

There will be a quiz Fri., Feb. 22nd on verbs, subjects and adjectives.

Classwork/Homework

Please attend M/W/F morning resource if you need writing assistance or if you have incomplete work to finish.

Reading/Writing 
Students are reading a choice science-fiction, fantasy or mystery novel for their next book project: "Read Like a Writer." Each student should be finished reading her/his choice book by February 5th.

Due dates:
* "Read Like a Writer Book" Project - Tue Feb 12 
We are learning about "Literary Devices" and this week we are also discussing "Theme"

Grammar 
We are continuing with parts of speech (nouns, verbs, adjectives), and we continue exploring strong sentences, powerful paragraphs and excellent essays. We are also studying basic sentence diagramming.

Classwork/Homework

Please attend M/W/F morning resource if you need writing assistance or if you have incomplete work to finish.

REMINDER: Friday (2/8) the entire school is going on a morning field trip to the Hult Center to view a portion of "Swan Lake" performed by the Eugene Ballet Company. We have read some background information in class to prepare for this opportunity.

Reading/Writing

Students are reading a choice science-fiction, fantasy or mystery novel for their next book project: "Read Like a Writer." Each student should be finished reading her/his choice book by February 5th.

Due dates:
Parent signature - Jan. 16
1/3 book read - Jan. 22
Flap book notes (Lit Devices) - ongoing
2/3 book read - Jan. 29
Character sketch (in-class writing assessment) - Jan. 30
Basic sentence sheet - Jan. 23 (homework) 
Book reading completed - Feb. 5 
***"Read Like a Writer Book" Project - Feb 12*** 

Literary Devices
Students are learning about, and identifying, literary devices such as: alliteration, allusion, assonance, dialect, exaggeration, flashback, foreshadowing, hyperbole, imagery, irony (dramatic, situational, verbal), metaphor, mood, onomatopoeia, personification, rhyme, rhyme scheme, simile, and theme.

Students are also learning to identify "Smiley-Face Tricks" in their reading and utilize them in their writing. "Smiley-Face Tricks" include magic three, figurative language, specific details for effect, repetition for effect, expanded moment, humor, hyphenated modifier, full-circle ending

Grammar

We are continuing with parts of speech (nouns, verbs, adjectives), and we continue exploring strong sentences, powerful paragraphs and excellent essays. We are also studying basic sentence diagramming.

Classwork/Homework

Please attend M/W/F morning resource if you need writing assistance or if you have incomplete work to finish.

NO SCHOOL
Mon., Jan. 21st - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 
Fri., Jan. 25th - Progress Report/Grading Day 

Reading/Writing

Students are reading a choice science-fiction, fantasy or mystery novel for their next book project: "Read Like a Writer." Each student should be finished reading her/his choice book by February 5th.

Due dates:
Parent signature - Jan. 16
1/3 book read - Jan. 22
Flap book notes (Lit Devices) - ongoing
2/3 book read - Jan. 29
Basic sentence sheet - Jan. 23 (homework) 
Book reading completed - Feb. 5 

Literary Devices
We are learning about, and identifying, literary devices such as: alliteration, allusion, assonance, dialect, exaggeration, flashback, foreshadowing, hyperbole, imagery, irony (dramatic, situational, verbal), metaphor, mood, onomatopoeia, personification, rhyme, rhyme scheme, simile, and theme.

Grammar

We are continuing with parts of speech (nouns and verbs), and we continue exploring strong sentences, powerful paragraphs and excellent essays. We are also studying basic sentence diagramming. 

Please attend M/W/F morning resource if you need writing assistance or if you have incomplete work to finish.

Reading/Writing

We are continuing with parts of speech (nouns and verbs), and we continue exploring strong sentences, powerful paragraphs and excellent essays. Students are writing a powerful paragraph about their winter vacation, using the smiley-face trick of "full-circle ending," at lest one compound sentence, and six supporting sentences.

Students will soon be asked to select a science-fiction, fantasy or mystery novel for their next book project: "Read Like a Writer." Our school library has over 1,000 items in these genre.

Students who did not finish the Multicultural Book Project on time will not receive a grade for it but they must still finish the project. They have been assigned to work in Ms. Barnes' room each day during part of their lunch time until they finish the project. If they do not show up as assigned, they will be given additional lunch detention.