All Information in now emailed to parents on a weekly basis.

We just weren't getting enough "traffic" on our blogs and we needed to reach the masses...
So, now important information will be sent home every week via emails.  We checked during Open House and with several messages (notes sent home) to make sure everyone is receiving emails.  If you see this message and realize you haven't received any messages from the 6th grade teachers, please let us know ASAP.

Thank You

Please make sure you are on our email list.

Many parents have told me they liked email better than blogs.  If you are reading this, please know I have not posted as often as I used to because I am sending emails.

IF YOU ARE NOT RECEIVING EMAILS...PLEASE LET ME KNOW IMMEDIATELY.

My email is gbrindle@neusecharterschool.org

Snow Day Update...

I don't post on here as much as I used to because I've found it is usually much easier for everyone if I just email.



All students have a Mood Poem due.  It was due today so that means I will collect them Monday.  I don't like having items due on Mondays but considering the circumstances...

It must be handwritten on plain white paper.  I supplied the white paper.  I will grade on punctuation and grammar, neatness, illustration included (in color) and format followed.

Write a MOOD poem

A. State a mood 

B. Write three things the mood is not (two stated briefly, one stated as a comparison). 

C.  Switch to a statement of what the mood is. 

D.  State three more descriptions of the mood.

Example

I’m happy 

Not spaced-out, silly-faced happy 

Not delirious with a fever happy 

Not happy like a man who has pleasantly lost his memory 

But just under the surface of my skin happy 

Glad that life is still mine despite problems 

Glad that I still appreciate a good sunset 

Glad that I am still in love.

ALSO- each student had an assignment of finding a poem for their recitation next week.  It was due Thursday but I extended that deadline (now Monday as well).  Each student should have a handout of the requirements and rubric.

Please check your child's 3 ring binder.  We started a Poetry section.  In that section they should have the following notes:

Tone- author’s attitude (positive or negative)

created by: setting and choice of vocabulary

Mood- what the reader feels- emotions

hyperbole-use of exaggeration to make a point

Imagery-the use of language to create visual pictures in head

personification-gives human qualities to an object or animal

prose- any written work that is not poetry

poetry-piece of writing that can express an idea or emotion-may rhyme or not

connotation-how a word makes you feel

denotation- dictionary definition

They should look over these.  They will have a vocabulary test on them soon.

Keep warm, be safe.  I hope to see all of you on Monday.

Update in Language Arts

I haven't been on here in awhile (been sending emails instead).

Sooooo......

Here's what's going on in Language Arts.

We are currently studying Folklore.

Students recently handed in original Tall Tales.  We will work on editing a few of those this week.  I will take the student names off of the paper and display it on the overhead.  Students will help me improve the work as well as point out the positive features.  Students often improve their own writing once they become a peer editor.

Please check with your student to make sure they are keeping up with their notes.  Today, we covered Fairy Tales.  Their notes should include the following:

Common Elements of Fairy Tales:

1.     Once upon a time
2.     a long, long time ago
3.     fantasy and make believe
4.     good and evil characters
5.     royalty
6.     magic/fantasy
7.     three is the magic number
8.     they all lived happily ever after
9.     a damsel in distress
10.   a problem that needs solved

We are going to do an activity on Tuesday that will show students a unique way of writing as we recount the events in a fairy tale.

Later on this week, students will receive a "passport".  They will need to find 6 stories from 6 different countries.  These stories can be any category of Folklore.

Next week, we will cover Legends and begin Myths.

PLEASE REMEMBER OUR ANGELS.  ALL PRESENTS MUST BE HERE BY DEC. 7TH TO ENSURE WE HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO WRAP THEM AND DISTRIBUTE THEM.

THANK YOU 

Are you rested and ready to go??

We have found it necessary to start from the beginning.  Students cannot remember complete and incomplete sentence structure or the parts of a sentence.  So, we are reviewing all of that this week.

Subjects & Predicates

We will continue our study of the short story.  Students will receive their vocabulary words on Monday.  Test will be Thursday.  
Please make sure your child is still reading.  I will continue to take Book Adventure Quizzes and Projects.  

What is RUNNERS??

We have added the following notes to our three-ring binders.

R     Read the Title

U     Underline (with pencil) as you skim and scan

N     Number your paragraphs

N     NOW- READ

E     Eliminate wrong answers

R     Re-read where necessary

S     Select the BEST answer

Students should use this method every time they read a passage for comprehension.

Vocabulary Test is Thursday on the following words.  (Students received words last week).

1. acute- adjective

sharp, keen

2. audacity- noun

bold, daring, arrogant

3. derision- noun

ridicule, mean laughter

4. foresight- noun

the power to see what will happen

5. mockery- noun

a person who receives derision

6. premises- noun

a house and its land

7. profound-adjective

having or showing great intelligence

8. raved- verb

to talk wildly

9. refrained- verb

kept from doing something

10. sagacity- noun

sound judgement- make smart decisions

11. stifled- verb

to stop

12. unperceived- verb- not seen or understood

13. vehemently-adverb-acting with great force

14. vex- verb to disturb or annoy

15. waned- verb to become less intense

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15TH IS THE LAST DAY TO SUBMIT PROJECTS/BOOK ADVENTURE QUIZZES.

PLEASE SEND MONEY IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THE BOOK FAIR.  

I AM TAKING THEM OVER EACH MORNING.

News for WEEK OF OCTOBER 5TH

Sorry I haven't updated my BLOG lately but I have been sending emails.  If you are reading this BLOG and not receiving emails, please let me know because we will need to add you to our list.


We just finished Freak the Mighty!! Students really seemed to like the book.  We started the Final Exam on Friday.  Students will be given time on Monday to finish.  After that, we will begin watching the movie.


The movie, The Mighty,  contains the same themes as the book: the importance of friendship and family, the difference between myth and reality, recognizing worth in all people, the importance of a positive self-concept, and  overcoming challenges and tragedies.  As a class we will be analyzing and comparing the movie to the novel.  We will be specifically looking at plot structure, character development, mood, tone and point of view.  We will be comparing the similarities and differences and the effectiveness or ineffectiveness in which the filmmakers have adapted the story.
I am including a link to Rodman Philbrick's website so you can get more information if desired.


http://www.rodmanphilbrick.com/mighty.html


If for any reason you do not want your child to view the movie--that is no problem. An alternate lesson will be given.  Students not watching the movie will be given an essay assignment on one of the themes of the movie--this way they will not lose any classroom participation points.


However, I have told students watching the movie (part Monday, part Tuesday) they may bring snacks and "snugglies".


In other news...I know you have not received any Take Home Folders recently.  We are trying something new in class called CANVAS.  The entire school is using this new program to do online lessons (modules) and tests.  I am not the quickest person when it comes to technology BUT I am trying.

ANYWAY,  we are taking "baby steps" right now.  We have taken one quiz online and it went ok.  We are working out the kinks.   I will keep you posted.