As we head toward Christmas Break, I'm initiating a behavior and homework incentive. Each grade level (7, 8, 9) is working toward a holiday activity and food day (the day before Christmas break). Blurt bean jars will be used for this incentive. Beans will be lost for excessive talking, off task behavior, failure to complete assignments, not putting chrome books away properly, etc. Grades that maintain an acceptable level of beans in their jar will earn an activity/food day. Grades that do not will continue to study and work on the day before break.
Want to look up information on local schools provided by the state? Check out Future Ready PA.
https://futurereadypa.org/#
Student safety is a priority at North Clarion. As a new security measure, classroom doors must be shut and locked at all times without the use of slip covers or magnets. This will cut down on response time in the event of a lock down.
As a result, students will no longer be allowed to leave the room to go to their lockers or the library during class and study hall time. Letting students in and out of the door is disruptive and affects the learning of others in the room. Limiting pass use will cut down on those distractions. Students should come to class prepared with all work and materials as they will not be allowed to leave the room for anything forgotten.
Restroom use during class time should be limited to emergencies only. Students may take the pass to the restroom if absolutely necessary, but as letting students in and out of the door is disruptive to everyone else, and as time spent in the hall and restroom is time students are not in the classroom learning, it cannot become a habit. Students who seem to be taking the pass to the restroom during class regularly will have their pass use restricted. Restroom needs should be taken care of during homeroom, between classes, and during lunch.
These limits on pass use during class time are meant to keep students safe and prevent distractions. Thank you for your understanding.
Parent/Teacher conferences will be held on November 5 in the evening and afternoon. I'll be happy to answer any questions you have there and show you around the room. In the meantime, though, here's what we're working on currently in our classes.
Grade 9 English: We're mid-way through our survival unit. Students have written instruction guides, which will be presented as demonstration speeches starting November 15. We're also reading fiction and nonfiction passage involving survival skills and will write straight news articles later in the unit.
Grade 8 Reading: We've finished our biography projects and are working on fiction skills. Currently, we're reading stories full of suspense, such as "The Tell-Tale Heart" and "The Monkey's Paw." There will be Study Island skills throughout the unit.
Grade 7 Reading: We're starting our theme unit today. We'll continue working on inference skills throughout the unit and will be using excerpts from Rick Riordan's The Lightning Thief for practice. Students need to keep up with their notes/materials.
Creative Writing and Young Adult Literature: We've shifted to writing prose. So far we've been gathering ideas, but soon we'll be working on individual short stories and a class play. The play is a collaborative effort between our class and the 3D art class, and I think it will be a great success! We'll also be reading a poem aloud at the Veteran's Day assembly on November 9.
Updates/Reminders:
Please make sure you are coming to class prepared. See the main page of the class site for a list of materials to bring with you daily.
Read your AR book regularly. If you only ever read it during silent reading and for bell assignments, you will not comprehend or recall information well. Do not wait until the last minute to take an AR test. I suggest testing before Thanksgiving break and then spending the rest of the quarter reading for pleasure or bonus.
Read a book at your reading level. If you read above your reading level, the book may be too challenging, and reading books below your level will not result in improvement of your reading skills. See me if you need to know your suggested range.
Looking for a great AR book? Check out the Goodreads list of the top YA books of the past decade:
https://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/1389?rto=x_gr_e_nl_ya&utm_medium=email&utm_source=ya_newsletter&utm_campaign=oct2018YA&utm_content=gcaYA&ref_=pe_2620350_364094300
Also, try the Harry Potter books in the library. It's the 20th anniversary of the series!
Also, check out this article about the impact of books on future learning: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/growing-surrounded-books-may-bolster-skills-later-life-180970523/
The 8th graders held a silent debate today about whether video games are good or bad. Both classes determined that, overall, video games have more benefits than conflicts.
Students found text evidence to prove these benefits of video games:
Problem solving and strategy skills
Math skills
Improvement in visualizing in 3D
Empathy development
Escapism
Creativity
Becoming cooperative and helpful
Finding friends with similar interests
Relaxation and anxiety relief
Career opportunities
However, some classmates did find text evidence of the draw back of video games:
Aggression (there are even correlations to school shootings)
Addiction
Lack of focus on more important things, like school work and family
So basically the 8th grade students have determined (with text evidence from teacher-provided, credible articles) that there are many benefits to playing video games as long as game time is limited and age appropriate games are selected.
Starting September 10, Junior High students will receive strikes in my class if they come unprepared, are off task/distracting, are disrespectful, etc. I will record these in my attendance book. Not only will participation points continue to be deducted, but after 5 strikes, a student will receive lunch detention. Additional strikes after that may result in parent calls, after school detention, or other disciplinary action. This is to help students develop responsibility and good learning habits. It also helps remind them that their actions affect the learning environment of the full class.
I'll be promoting independent reading all year. Yes, accelerated reader is part of that, but please don't get into the habit of reading something short and easy just to get the points and be done with it. That's an assignment. What I want you to take away from my class is reading as a life style.
There are many reasons I promote a love of reading in my classes. Some of them are included in the info graphic link below.
https://ebookfriendly.com/reading-makes-us-better-infographic/
Parents, you can help! Below are a couple links to help parents promote literacy and a love of reading with their children. A couple ideas are really aimed at parents of younger children, but there are several excellent ideas here for parents of students of all ages.
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/9-ways-to-get-teens-reading
https://improvingliteracy.org/family
http://www.newsforparents.org/expert_promote_reading_at_home.html
http://www.newsforparents.org/expert_promote_reading_at_home.html
Need help picking a book? On Mrs. Barron's webpage, click the Power Library icon, then go to Books and Authors. It will give you suggestions based on favorite genres and authors.
Goodreads.com could help you pick a book. Here is their most recent set of YA recommendations: https://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/1368-the-ultimate-fall-reading-list-for-ya-book-fans?rto=x_gr_e_nl_ya&utm_medium=email&utm_source=ya_newsletter&utm_campaign=sep2018YA&utm_content=YAfall&ref_=pe_2620350_351004120
Welcome back to school! For some of you, we'll be continuing to learn and create together. For others, this will be your first year at North Clarion Junior/Senior High School and while I'm sure that can be a bit daunting at first, it's also really exciting.
The class syllabi can be accessed on the class website's main page; they will provide you with a basic overview of class expectations for the year. Below are the units/activities students can expect as they start the 2018-2019 school year.
All: We'll spend a couple days easing our way back into the school year and focusing on the year's goals and expectations.
Grade 7: We'll start with basic fiction skills, note taking strategies, and the sign post reading strategy. There will also be prefixes, which we'll continue building on throughout the year. A list can be found in the assignments section of this site.
Grade 8: We'll focus on personal excellence, using both fiction and nonfiction passages. We'll also start working on root words, which we'll continue building on throughout the year. A list can be found in the assignments section of this site. You will of course also have to take your summer reading AR test.
Grade 9: Mrs. Clarke George and I are both teaching this grade level, but while we'll be focusing on the same skills and concepts throughout the year we'll be doing so with our own assignments and lessons. Please do not assume that what your peers are doing in one class is what you will be doing in the other. We'll start out the year focusing on Personal Identity and American Identity. We'll also be working on personal narrative and speaking skills. Assignments will be posted for this soon. You do NOT have a cumulative prefix or root requirement this year. You'll also need to take your summer reading AR test.
Creative Writing and Young Adult Literature: We'll be reading and analyzing both poetry and prose this semester, but we'll start primarily writing poetry. Hopefully the weather will cooperate so we can go outside to gather ideas a couple times. We'll also read, discuss, and complete activities based on some excellent books. I've read quite a few already and have to say this is a pretty awesome list!
Debate: This class will not start until spring. It is research intensive, but please don't let that deter you. We'll have some lively discussions and fascinating debates throughout the second semester, and we'll work on our persuasion, writing, and speaking skills while we're at it. When we're done you should be prepared to think critically and participate confidently in thought-provoking, logic-based debates.
Please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions. My email is kpost@nccsd.org. I can also be reached at the school phone number (744-8544) or just by stopping by during school hours. I plan to generally be at the school from about 7:15-3:30 or later, but please try to let me know ahead of time if stopping in before/after school so I can plan my day accordingly. My planning period and homeroom are really the easiest times for students to stop by and see me with questions.
As always, our most important classroom rule is to be respectful of others (fellow students, teachers, etc.) What you say and do in class has an impact on everyone around you. Make that impact a positive one.
I'm looking forward to working with you all! See you soon!
The year is wrapping up! It's hard to believe we're almost done already!
In the last few days of this school year, the 9th graders are finishing their Mass Media unit and competing in the Language Olympics (Spanish, French, and English classes are involved). The 8th graders are wrapping up their Holocaust unit, then watching The Giver and comparing the book to the movie. Students took home permission forms for this a month ago. Finally, the 7th graders are watching Tuck Everlasting and comparing it to the book, then writing advice for next year's 7th graders.
Have a wonderful summer. Don't forget to do your summer reading and check out the programs at the local libraries. I'll see you next year!
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