Yes, we are back and in full swing…

Today in class we finished taking notes on complex sentences.  Yesterday, we took notes on simple and compound sentences.  We will continue to review the kinds of sentences.

HOMEWORK:

1. Look at your expository essay using your revision checklist I gave you.  Make it better by using better word choice.  Use a thesaurus and dictionary.  Look at the organization of each paragraph.  Be sure you have a great topic sentences, 3-5 sentences to support the topic sentence and a concluding sentence that uses transition words to lead into next paragraph.

2.  Then look at each sentence separately.  Identify if it is a SS, CP, or CX sentence.  Then be sure you have used the comma correctly in the CP and CX sentences.  Be sure to make corrections your copy that is on your laptop so that you always have final draft ready to be printed off.

3. Study notes about SS, CP, CX sentences and be ready for a TEST next week….

4. Finish journal with at least 8 sentences about what it is you really want to try to change or work on for 2009.

5. SELL comedy night tickets!!  Contact Mary Dacey about what your auction item is and arrange to get it to her before Wed., 1/14.  We have not sold lots of tickets and this should be a BIG fund raiser for us!!!

6. Book orders are due Wed., 1/14 with a check made out to Scholastic books, NOT me or Lincoln Middle School.

Have a great evening… I am at school and it 5:55 p.m.  Let me know you read this and you will receive a surprise… do not tell your friend…let them discover it for themselves.

Mrs. Downs

Today, we watched a movie, “Eragon” in class.

HOMEWORK OVER VACATION:

1. SELL comedy night tickets

2. Contact Mary Dacey about what you are going to donate for the silent auction #773-0085

3. Have parents read your expository essays and use the organizational check list to put a checkmark besides the ones you did correct and zero besides the ones that you need to work on.  Then have the both of you sit and read over the essay and score yourself according to the Traits sheet.  Be ready Monday, 1/5, to  correct your  essay and pass in final copy during class.

4. You have reading log #12.  You only have to read 7 nights, anything beyond that is extra credit.  No skill this time.

5.  A reminder that Mrs. Scally is doing card making for the silent auction on 1/6.  So, prepare to stay and make beautiful cards…

HAVE A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS/HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Mrs. Downs

LA 2 & 3 had another opportunity to work on the editing and correcting draft 1 of the expository essay.  Some finished it-good job!!!

HOMEWORK:

1. Expository essay draft two typed out due Monday.  This draft will be edited by parents over the Holiday break.  Students will come back with draft 3 and will work on them Monday 1/5 in class.  The final draft will be due on Wed. 1/7.

2. Card making with Mrs. Scally on 1/6 to be sold at our silent auction on Jan. 16th at comedy night.

3. SELL comedy night tickets… use them as gift certificates during Christmas.  We need the money and names of people purchasing tickets.  The tickets will be held at the door to ensure that NO student will lose them.  If you need them for a present, let me know and I will be sure you get them.

4. Be thinking about what it is you want to contribute to the silent auction on Jan. 16th.  Please call Mary Dacey and let her know.  #773-0085.

5. Sock for the homeless… due Monday… we want to win the cake!!!!

Have a great weekend and earn money for NYC by shoveling and doing jobs….

Mrs. Downs

LA 3 Went over topic sentences and outline.

HOMEWORK:

1. Outlines due Tues. LA 1 & 2

2. Topic sentences due Tues. LA 3

3. Reading log #11 due Tues.

4. Bring in new socks

5. Sell comedy tickets

Have a great evening….

Mrs. Downs

Tuesday:We brainstormed on the new Smartboard about selecting your 2 animals to compare and contrast. You may choose any 2 animals you want (or insects). Remember to pick animals that have an equal amount of similarities and differences. Handed out new reading log #11.

Homework:Choose 2 animals, free write about your animals (you may write anything you want about them), and choose a stance. Stance options, choose one: They may seem similar but they are actually different, or they may seem different but they are actually similar.

Wednesday: We started to gather information about our animals by researching them on the animals.

Homework LA1 & LA2: Record your research on your “gathering grids” into three categories: physical characteristics, habitat, diet or behavior. Remember to cite your sources. Write down every site you get information from. LA3 is to start their gathering grids.

Thursday: LA 1 & LA2: We learned what a topic sentence is (the first sentence in each body paragraph), and what a focus statement is (the last sentence in the introduction paragraph). A focus statement is also the same as a thesis statement and your stance. LA3: We continued to work on our gathering grids.

Homework: LA1 & LA2: Topic sentences and focus (thesis/stance) statements. LA3: Gathering grids.

Bring Sock!!!!!

Hope to see you on Friday,

Ms. Casteel

HOMEWORK:

1. Sell tickets for the Comedy Night at the Gold Room on Jan. 16th.  Each ticket sold puts $7.50 into the student’s account.

2. Brainstorming is due tomorrow

Read tonight…. reading log #10 will come to you tomorrow.  So, you can read tonight and count it on for tomorrow’s reading log…

Have a great evening…
Mrs. Downs 

You passed in your children’s stories today- YIPPEEE

HOMEWORK:

1. Bring in food for the food drive

2. Book orders will be sent out this week

3. Read for 30 mins.  no reading log yet, I will pass it out later.

Have a great evening…

Mrs. Downs

HOMEWORK:

1. Children’s stories due Thurs. totally completed… so get to work every night on the book.  You should have the story, the author’s page, the dedication page and the title page all pasted in.  You should also have 1/2 your pictures drawn by Tues.  Then Wed. in class finish drawing and start coloring pictures.  Then lastly, do your cover for Thurs

2. Reading log #8 is due Wed.

3. Last day tomorrow for book orders…

Have a great evening,

Mrs. Downs

HOMEWORK:

1. Reading log #7 due Friday

2. Final draft of the story without page numbers printed off due Friday.  Monday for LA #1.  Be sure each page fits in the white book and does not hang over.  You may have to adjust the margins to make it fit.

3. Preposition posters due Friday. Your test will probably be Tues.  You will be able to use your poster for the test.

4. NYC first deposit of $100.00 is due Friday.  Be sure to bring in enrollment form, bottom piece and medical form.  Make checks payable to LMS.

5. Continue to collect bottles for Clynk… Turn them in and let’s see our account grow…

Have a great evening..

Mrs. Downs

HOMEWORK:

1.  Preposition poster due Wed. 11/5,   Test on prepositions Thurs. 11/6

2. Reading log #7 due Friday, 11/7

3. Final draft of children’s story minus page numbers due Friday 11/7.  Be sure to use size 16 or larger for text.  Also, be sure you use the correct margins to fit into your white book.  Test it by doing one page, print it out and put into white book to see if it will fit.  We will begin pasting story into book next week.

4. Final copy of children’s book Nov. 20, 2008.

5. Be sure to collect bottles for Clynk

6. First payment for NYC DUE 11/7, Friday.  $100.00….

Have a great evening…. I love meeting your families…

Mrs. Downs