Week of March 7

Hello Parents and Supporters of JoMaNa Students! 

We have been busy with both academics and other events.  Apologies to all of you who depend on our blog for information and class assignments.  We have some exciting things going on at Sherman Middle School!

NEWS:

• Fat Tuesday Fund-raising Dinner is March 8th!  We hope to see many of you there.  
• Congratulations to our team for being awarded the Nickelodeon Grant.  These students were creative and forthright and was a major part of the success.  Students wrote a poem, choreographed the presentation, and videotaped it.  As a result of their initiative, we were awarded $2500 from Nickelodeon!  Thank you to:  Tia, Cian, Chantelle, Alanna, Samantha, and Damon!

ACADEMICS:

• Math:  Filling and Wrapping book.  Math worksheet due tomorrow focuses on volume and surface area. 
• Language Arts: 1)  Final essay due today - this was an in-class assignment given last Thursday.  2) Vocabulary test on Friday, with definitions.  Spelling words are listed below. 3)  I Am From poem final turned in.
• Science: In-class
• Social Studies:  Africa!  1)  Map quiz on Friday:  guinea, Guinea Bissau, Cote d Ivore, Liberia  2)  In-class notetaking.  3)  Continual study of New Orleans .
• Reading:  1)  Book group books - reading and in-class assignments.  Work on finishing the book by Friday.  2)  Final assessment is a Character Analysis paper.  

Spelling week of March 7:

1. advice
2. advise
3. proceed
4. precede
5. affect
6. effect
7. continual
8. continuous
9. adapt
10. adopt
11. respectively
12. respectfully
13. formerly
14. formally
15. moral
16. morale
17. disinterested
18. uninterested
19. dissent
20. descent
21. preposition
22. proposition

Weekly Update January 31

NEWS:

On-going fundraising for our service learning project to New Orleans.

ACADEMICS:
1)  Math:  1st page of packet; ACE #6, 8 on page 33 (Friday).  Monday's homework (due Tue) is ACE #11, #15-20 on page 3.
2)  Social Studies:  Current events due Wednesday.
3)  Language Arts:  1) Vocabulary due Thursday.  2) Writing prompts due Monday (assigned last Thur). 
4)  Reading:  1)  On-going independent reading project - handout given last Thur.  Several book projects from which to choose.  Genre:  Biography.
5)  Science:  Element project. 

Weekly Update January 24

NEWS:

* We are still working on fundraising for our upcoming New Orleans trip.  The process of service learning is challenging, but we are all excited.  We're preparing for the New Orleans Service Learning Fundraising Dinner on March 8th.  Mark your calendar!

* Quarter grades have been posted.

* Special conferences for students to discuss academic and behavior performance on February 4th.  Your student may or may not have one scheduled - a note will be sent home by Thursday, January 26th if your student needs a special conference. 

ACADEMICS:

Math:  1)  Worksheet given on Tuesday.  On back of that worksheet, do ACE #1,2, on page 32

Language Arts:  1)  Advertising project that illustrates Food Labels due Tuesday, 1/25.  Many that have been submitted look great!  2)  Reflection Essay on Second Quarter assigned in class.  Final is due Thursday.  3)  Vocabulary due Friday.

Science:  1)  Lab book due Monday.  2) Element project will be discussed and assigned this week. 

Social Studies:  1)  Current events due Wednesday.  2)  In-class group project creating a "Movie of Your Life".  3)  Continuing work on New Orleans, Hurricane Katrina, and Service-learning. 

Reading:  1)  Biography books will be distributed this week.  2)  Genre book project due February 25. 

Week of January 10

NEWS:  Congratulations to Vaughn Crosby who won our class spelling bee and will represent our team at the Sherman spelling bee on January 19th!  Edwin Barrera is the alternate.  Joshua Roder was 3rd place - you are all great spellers!

Candy money must come in as soon as possible. 

Fundraising dinner Fat Tuesday will be March 8th. 

Math:  1)  Continue to work on the packet.  2)  Accentuate the Negative quiz is Wed 1/18

Social Studies:  1)  Current events due Wednesday  2)  New Orleans Essay on "Hurricane Season" due 1/20th. 

Science:  1)  Continue working in class on Chemical Interactions.  We've had labs regularly and students need to stay current in lab books. 

Reading:  1)  Last day to turn in Reading projects for 2nd quarter due Monday 1/10.  2)  New genre - Biography - introduced today.  Students will be choosing new books for book project.  Book project requirements will be given out on Friday, 1/14.

Language Arts:  1) Continuing our study on Food, and where food comes from.  Students took notes and listened to a podcast about the documentary Food, Inc.  Students also took notes about techniques for Persuasive writing.  2)  Vocabulary due on Friday. 

Weekly Update January 3, 2011

HAPPY 2011!

News:  We are continuing our fundraising efforts for our service learning project to New Orleans.  Students need to turn in their candy money now.  Stay tuned for news about our Fat Tuesday fundraising dinner.  Save this date:  February 22nd!

Academics:

Math:  1)  ACE #1-4 page 55  2)  Unit test on Wednesday.  3) Review on Tuesday 4)  New book on Thursday:  Accentuate the Negative

Science:  1)  Starting Chemical Interactions unit.  New resource and lab books given out today.

Reading:  1)  We finished Seedfolks, and in the interim before getting the next all-class read, we are listening to Storycorps and This I Believe podcasts that relate to Hurricane Katrina, Haiti, and other related issues.  2)  Independent reading project for the non-fiction genre due on Friday, January 7th.  No late projects will be accepted.  Next reading genre:  Biography

Writing:  1)  Finishing up writing assessment for 2nd quarter.  2)  Continuing our study of the documentary Food, Inc.  Students watched parts of the film today - focused on Nutrition labels and how policy has an effect on our food choices.  Assigned 1/2 page response to the quote:  "You can vote to change the system. Three times a day."  (what does it mean?  Based on the evidence and opinions you heard in the film, what can you do (or not do) to change the system?) 

Social Studies:  1)  Current events due Thursday.  2)  Chapter 4 in textbook pages 82-88.  Do all of section review.  3)  Map quiz on Friday. 

Week of December 13

NEWS:
Winter break starts after school December 17th.  Have a wonderful winter break and holiday!
2nd quarter ends January 21st. 

ACADEMICS:
Math:  Investigation 4 this week.  Will finish up Comparing and Scaling this week.

Language Arts:  1)  Vocabulary due Friday.  2)  Continuing Food, Inc study.  Will be focusing on persuasive writing and debating after winter break. 

Reading:  1)  Seedfolks final test given this week.  We will start a new book in January.  2)  Reading project on non-fiction genre due January 7th. 

Science:  All in class.  Take notes and working in lab books. 

Social Studies:  Haiti timeline and/or other choice project due Dec. 17th. 

Updated Homework December 10

Academics:

Language Arts:  Continuing Food, Inc study and discussion.  Focus is on persuasive writing.

Reading:  Finished Seedfolks and Readers Theater.  Seedfolks Test on Monday - will be short answer/essay, multiple choice, and essay.  Will be open notebook and open book. 

Math:  Will be starting Investigation 4 next week, finishing up Comparing and Scaling book next week. 

Science:  Finishing Earth History and will be starting Chemical Interactions after winter break.