The PSSA is almost here. From April 11-14, students will be testing in their homerooms during periods 2-4. We've been preparing all year and have spent the past couple weeks reviewing for the test.
Below are a few tips for students to work on at home:
- Study your notes--we've taken detailed notes every unit. Your old tests would be helpful as well.
- Study your review packet /files/user/31/file/PSSAReview%20(1).pdf
- Practice packets from PDE can be found online. These are former tests that have been released to the public. Correct answers are marked. Go through and practice with real PSSA questions/passages.
- Get plenty of sleep each night before the test.
- Eat a good breakfast each morning before the test.
- DO NOT drink lots of caffeine before the test.
- Wear layers on test days so you'll stay comfortable.
- Minimize stress the days of the test. Take a little time to study, then rest.
- Remember that you are a smart cookie.
Test Day:
- Take an AR book with you, as well as a good eraser and some tissues. Pencils, highlighters, and scrap paper will be provided.
- Remember these Smart Cookie Tips: /files/user/31/file/smart%20cookie%20pssa%20note.docx
- Eat mints to keep your brain sharp. Don't crunch them or rattle the wrappers!
- Do your very best but don't stress.
Good luck!
Spring has arrived and so has quarter 4! As the new quarter starts, so do new units and activities.
Grades 7 and 8 are reviewing for the PSSA.
Grade 9 will be starting novel units with small research projects.
Grade 11 will be working on nonfiction skills, with an emphasis in persuasion and some research.
I'm looking forward to working with students after the break. As always, if you have questions, feel free to email me at kpost@nccsd.org. Have a great spring break!
Blood Drive: Community Blood Bank
March 9
9-3
High School Gym
Email Kpost@nccsd.org to schedule an appointment
Walk-ins welcome between 9 and 2:30
Supplies local hospitals
February Update
Winter is drawing to a close and so is the first half of quarter 3. Here's a look at what the kids are up to:
All: All students should be reading AR and studying vocabulary often. AR is due at the end of the quarter (reports must be printed, signed by the supervising teacher, and turned in).
Grade 7: We're working on nonfiction skills right now, exploring sharks, the black death, and other interesting topics. Students are learning about author's purpose, main idea, key details, scope, text organization, etc. The 7th graders have been giving mini presentations about patterns of organization and are doing quite well.
Grade 8: We're just wrapping up our biography unit, for which students research and presented about interesting cultural and historical figures. Some even dressed up for the part! Now we'll continue to work on nonfiction skills.
Grade 9: We've been learning about media, focusing especially on newspaper articles and advertising techniques. Students will soon start their AR Advertising project (link under the Assignments tab). I'm looking forward to some very creative posters and book trailers!
Grade 11: We'll soon take a break from our exploration of Walt Whitman's writings to work on SAT prep skills. Then we'll start our Job Application unit, co-taught by Mrs. West. This should prepare students for life beyond high school. I think it will be a lot of fun, too.
In addition, I've recently started offering Wednesday Homework Help until 3:30. Students must have rides home by 3:30 to stay.
Some of our junior high students have put up bulletin boards, keeping our room fresh and bright and providing their peers with bonus opportunities.
Students are reminded to check the What You Missed board and folders when they miss school. They can also call in and have work sent home with a neighbor or sibling.
Have a great day and enjoy the rest of quarter 3! As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions/concerns at kpost@nccsd.org.
Do you need a little extra help with your assignments? Do you need to have a scheduled time and place to get a little studying and reading done? I'll stay until 3:30 on Wednesdays to help.
You'll need to get your own ride home at 3:30--not hanging around without supervision waiting for your ride!
You'll also need to come straight here after school with your materials for my class
If it's snowy/icy out, we'll cancel. Listen to announcements. If after school activities cancel, that includes this.
This is meant to be a focused time to work toward success in English and reading. Any students who are off task/distracting others or who simply do not use the time efficiently will not be permitted to attend any longer.
Email me at kpost@nccsd.org, call the school, or see me in person if Wednesdays from 2:50-3:30 don't work for you and you want to schedule a different time.
Students:
Want to be involved in updates here on the class website? Want to share your work/accomplishments/activities with others? Come see me about helping to type of classroom news announcements! You can earn a few bonus points and work on your writing skills. Plus it's a great way to share your learning experiences with others! So stop by my room to learn more about how you can be a student-contributor to the class website.
As quarter 2 draws to a close, let's take a look at what each grade is working on.
7th grade reading: We've recently wrapped up our mood unit and are currently looking at figurative language. Soon we'll do a PSSA practice response that pulls together everything we've covered so far this year regarding literature. We'll then move on to nonfiction. Prefixes will continue to be a weekly focus.
8th grade reading: We've just launched into nonfiction and will be looking at evaluating texts, finding main idea and author's purpose, analyzing persuasive techniques, etc. We'll be focusing on biographies soon and students will have a biography project. Roots will continue to be a weekly focus.
9th grade English: Right now we're focusing on both spelling and sentence structure. We'll soon start into our media unit. Vivid wording and the use of variety and thorough details in writing will continue to be a major focus.
11th grade English? We've been analyzing works of the Romantics. Tomorrow students will share their own Fireside poems, and we'll soon transition into the works of the Transcendentalists. Vocabulary continues to be a weekly focus.
All grades have Accelerated Reader due at the end of Quarter 2 and will also need to read AR for Quarter 3. Books should be at least 150 pages and a 3.5 level for all grades except 7th, which has a 100 page minimum.
On December 23 students are allowed to bring in snacks to share with the class as long as they have (as an entire class) behaved well, come prepared, and completed assignments. This is a class-wide incentive. We will still have class activities, but some will be festive and we will have some time for snacking.
Students may NOT bring any food that includes the following:
Nuts (all periods)
Cinnamon (period 1)
Gluten (period 6)
Students may lose this privilege if there are problems with coming prepared, completing assignments, and/or behaving.
From December 7-15 the National Honor Society will be collecting children's pajamas. For every pair of pajamas we collect, Scholastic will donate a book. All donations will be distributed to homeless shelters in America!
To make the drive even more fun, on December 11 students and staff can wear pajamas to school if donating a pair of PJs.
As a school, we'd like to donate at least 100 pairs of PJs to homeless kids in America. Help us by donating a pair!
Donations can be brought to Mrs. Post in room 9 or given to a National Honor Society member.
For more information: http://www.scholastic.com/pajamadrive/pdfs/PJ-Drive-2014-Parents-Letter_101414.pdf
On November 13, there will be scheduled meetings from 2-4 and an open invitation to come see me from 4-6:30. All parents/guardians are welcome.
If you would like to talk about your child's grade, please let me know ahead of time so I can have their grades up to date and printed for you. I cannot guarantee that I'll be able to go over grades, missing work, etc. at last minute meetings.
For any parents/guardians who stop in, I will have out copies of the syllabus that was sent home at the beginning of the year. I'll also have contact information cards and can show you around the room, go over the class website, show you the textbooks, and answer questions about upcoming class activities.
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