Happy Holidays

Enjoy your winter break and any celebrations you'll be having! Best wishes for the new year! Looking forward to seeing everyone in 2010!

Congratulations to the 2010 Varsity Cheerleaders!

The following girls have made the Lakeview Varsity Basketball Cheerleading Team! Congratulations! Thanks to all the girls that tried out; it was a difficult cut as scores were very close. Our first practice will be tomorrow, Wedsnesday, from 3-5.

Karolina A.
Deanna B.
Emily D.
Haley H.
Paige F.
Rebeca M.
Emily P.
Emily S.
Jessica S.
Meaghan S.

Impress Presentations

Students are taking the skills learned in computer class to apply them to their Ancient Greece Impress Presentations! Students have been working in class using a new supplemental book to highlight sections of the books through an Impress Presentation which will be shared with the class on Friday! It's been great to see their collaborative efforts and creativity! I'm excited to see the end products on Friday!

First Quiz of the New Trimester!

You've made it through your first trimester in junior high! It's been an exciting trimester, and I look forward to the new thrill and challenges 2nd trimester brings! The students have done a nice job transitioning from elementary school to the middle school model with things like organization and accountability. We will continue to work to make each student an independent and self-motivated learner.

Our first quiz of next trimester will be on Monday. Studente received their study guides yesterday and will be taking part in a review game today. We are currently using our History of Our World books which the students do not have a copy of at home. With this in mind, each quiz is tailored to the work we do in class (worksheets and notes). Students are aware that studying from the worksheets that we have completed over the last couple weeks are the tools they need to succeed, as well as the information they need to complete their study guide. With that said, if students would still like to reread the information, they are welcome to check out packets (which are copied pages straight from the book), they can get those from me! Have a great weekend!

Stand Up for Kids Collection

Make a Difference Club and Student Council are sponsoring a food and new clothing drive for Stand Up for Kids, an organization that supports homeless adolescents. Every day, 13 kids die living on the streets of America, and Stand Up for Kids works hard at decreasing this number by providing proper clothing and healthy food.

The collection will run from Nov. 16-24. We are collecting new hats, mittens, scarves, gloves, sweatshirts and sweaters for teens and pre-teens. We will also be collecting healthy, individual snacks that don't require cooking. There will be purple donation boxes in the school lobby. Thanks for your support!

Greek Myths!

The students have completed the first chapter in our Ancient Greece Unit! Before starting the next chapter, they have taken time to create their own myth! After analyzing the importance that epics and myths played during that time period, students have created their own god or goddess to explain a natural occurrence on Earth.
But wait; there's more! The students will be taking the myth they write in social studies and turning it into a movie using Movie Maker in computer class! Mrs. Foellmer and I are very excited to see the end products of both the written myths and movies! The rough drafts I've seen this far look great. Be sure to ask your son or daughter to see read their myth!

Unit 1 In-Class Group Project

We have completed Unit 1! In place of a test, the students are working on an in-class project. We began today, and the projects will be presented on Wednesday. The students chose 1 of 4 projects and will be working collaboratively with classmates. If time is used wisely, students will have more than enough time to complete the project within the 4 alloted class periods.

If your son or daughter misses 2 or more of these project days, an alternative project will be assigned. I look forward to seeing the finished products!

Midterms

We have successfully made it through the first half of first trimester! The students have done a good job adjusting to the junior high system and now know what to expect from teachers! Keep up the good work, students!

Current Events Assignment

Each student is responsible for sharing a current event with the class once a trimester. Students have already started sharing, and we've had some great discussions as a result! Students should be checking the assignment sheet they received when signing up for their day to present. The expectations are outlined very clearly. Below is a copy of what the students received for directions:

Current Events Assignment
It is your responsibility to bring a current events article and summary on your assigned day. The assignment will not be accepted without a copy of the article you summarized. This means you will receive a late grade because the assignment is not completely ready to go. Remember you can use EBSCO Host (access at home and school) to help you find articles. Your article must be at least 2 paragraphs long. If you are unsure whether it is a reliable source or not, ask me first. (Wikipedia is not a current events source!) The article has to be published within two weeks prior to your presentation.
Your assignment needs to be typed. (4 point penalty if not typed). You have up to 2 weeks to work on this assignment, which is plenty of time to get to a computer lab. Make a list of the 5 Ws (who, what, when where, & why). The list does not have to be complete sentences. Then, from that list, gather your information into a summary paragraph. Your 5-7 sentence paragraph needs to be in complete sentences using your own words. Your paragraph should include information for all 5 Ws. After you summarize the information, include at least one sentence stating what you think will happen next and why. You also must include at least one sentence telling how you feel about your story. What emotions does your story provoke? Please cite your sources; this should include the publication name and publication date. For example: Chicago Tribune, Sept. 1, 2009. You will share your summary with the class.
*Since I am allowing you to choose the best day for you to present your articles, I expect that they will be done ON TIME. Late grades will be given for work that is not ready on the day you signed up to go.*
Your Current Events grade will be as follows:
5 Ws list: 5 pts.
Summary (including 5 Ws): 10 pts.
What will happen next and why: 5 pts.
Your feelings/thoughts: 5 pts.
Cite your sources: 5 pts.
REMEMBER TO TYPE THE ASSIGNMENT
TOTAL: 30 points

Chapter 2 Quiz

Our 2nd Quiz will be this Friday. Students received a study guide in class today to be completed in preparation for the quiz. All students that thoroughly finish their study guide will take part in the review game tomorrow in class. Students that need to finish their study guides will go to the IMC to do so instead of playing the review game. Students should be looking back through the book, worksheets, and notes to help them find information for the study guide. If the study guide is done well and accurately, and then is used to study, students should do well on the quiz! Preparation is key!