Month: April 2020

Hi 8th graders,

Welcome to Holy Week  – the most sacred time in the liturgical calendar! And, it’s you’re just one week away from Spring break! This week you will have many opportunities to reflect, contribute, and grow.

You have two items for your Literature To Do list and one, highly encouraged, item for possible extra credit/make-up work on your Being a Good Person list:

• • • • Religion Reflection / Daily Reading (20 – 35 minutes)
      • Monologue Preparation/practice (10 – 15 minutes)
      • Encouraging Message Poster for first responders (optional / highly encouraged / can be used for past reading log credit)

Let’s get started!

1. Religion Reflection / Daily Reading (20 – 35 minutes)
   • We are using reading time this week to more deeply engage with Holy Week, specifically through the reflections Mrs. Mansfield is posting.
   • To complete this assignment:
     • Thoughtfully complete the reflections Mrs. Mansfield has posted each day.
     • When you are done, copy and paste your response (the one you submit to Mrs. Mansfield) into the “Evidence” column of your reading log
       • You are NOT writing two different reflections – just ONE thoughtful, complete reflection shared with two teachers.
     • Because you do not need to complete personal reading this week, all other columns (“Title (Author)”, “Time read”, and “Pages read”) will be blank.
     • Again, the time you would normally spend reading and reflecting will be used for religion reflections this week.
     • Contact me with questions!
2. Monologue Preparation/practice (10 – 15 minutes)
   • Keep practicing your monologue
   • Record yourself and pay particular attention to your tone and gestures – do they seem natural or forced? Do they make sense with what you are saying?
3. Encouraging Message Poster for first responders (optional / highly encouraged / can be used for past reading log credit)
   • Hopefully, you have seen the posts from Mr. Tice and Mrs. Mansfield about this, but, if not, here is a (near verbatim) recap:
     • • Doctors, nurses, and support staff in hospitals all over the US, including here in Washington, are working very hard to save people’s lives.
       • These people are heroes, but they’re also people.
       • They are very stressed, they are afraid for themselves and their loved ones, and sometimes they are discouraged.
       • We’re asking you to make posters of support for these very brave people working on the front lines of the pandemic.
       • Posters will be collected by Ms. O’Leary at the flagpole on Wednesday, 4/8, between 12:30 – 1pm
       • If you can laminate the posters at home – great! If not, we can laminate them at school.
       • If you can’t make it at the scheduled time, contact us.
   • This assignment is NOT required – it is purely by choice. If you choose to do this, please be thoughtful and put your best effort into supporting the people who are saving lives.
   • EXTRA CREDIT NOTE:
     • Thoughtful, heartfelt posters can be used to earn credit for the first two weeks of reading logs.
     • Every thoughtfully completed, heartfelt poster (you notice I keep using those words), will count as one day in the reading log.
     • 5 fabulous posters = 5 days worth of entries in the reading log OR (for all you fans of algebra out there) X fabulous posters = X days worth of entries in the reading log
     • Insert a picture of your poster in the evidence column of your reading log on one of the empty days from the first two weeks (March 16th – 20th and 23rd – 27th).
     • Contact me with questions! Or if you need construction paper!

 

Good morning 7th graders,

Welcome to Holy Week!

You have two items for your Literature / ELA To Do list and one, highly encouraged, optional item for your Being a Good Person list:

• • • • Religion Reflection / Daily Reading / Daily Journal (20 – 35 minutes)
      • Study for 🌊 Hydros💧(3 – 5 minutes)
      • Encouraging Message Poster for first responders (optional / highly encouraged / can be used for past reading log credit)

Let’s get started!

1. Religion Reflection / Daily Reading / Daily Journal (20 – 35 minutes)
   • First, upload your favorite journal entry from last week on the Teams assignment
   • Second, we are using reading/journal time this week to more deeply engage with Holy Week, specifically through the reflections Mrs. Mansfield is posting.
   • To complete this assignment:
     • Thoughtfully complete the reflections Mrs. Mansfield has posted each day.
     • When you are done, copy and paste your response (the one you submit to Mrs. Mansfield) into the “Evidence” column of your reading log
       • You are NOT writing two different reflections – just ONE thoughtful, complete reflection shared with two teachers.
     • Because you do not need to complete personal reading this week, all other columns (“Title (Author)”, “Time read”, and “Pages read”) will be blank.
     • Again, the time you would normally spend reading and reflecting will be used for religion reflections this week.
     • Contact me with questions!
2. Study for 🌊 Hydros💧(3 – 5 minutes)
   • Use whatever study strategy works for you!
   • Contact me with questions.
3. Encouraging Message Poster for first responders (optional / highly encouraged / can be used for past reading log credit)
   • Hopefully, you have seen the posts from Mr. Tice and Mrs. Mansfield about this, but, if not, here is a (near verbatim) recap:
     • • Doctors, nurses, and support staff in hospitals all over the US, including here in Washington, are working very hard to save people’s lives.
       • These people are heroes, but they’re also people.
       • They are very stressed, they are afraid for themselves and their loved ones, and sometimes they are discouraged.
       • We’re asking you to make posters of support for these very brave people working on the front lines of the pandemic.
       • Posters will be collected by Ms. O’Leary at the flagpole on Wednesday, 4/8, between 12:30 – 1pm
       • If you can laminate the posters at home – great! If not, we can laminate them at school.
       • If you can’t make it at the scheduled time, contact us.
   • This assignment is NOT required – it is purely by choice. If you choose to do this, please be thoughtful and put your best effort into supporting the people who are saving lives.
   • EXTRA CREDIT NOTE:
     • Thoughtful, heartfelt posters can be used to earn credit for the first two weeks of reading logs.
     • Every thoughtfully completed, heartfelt poster (you notice I keep using those words), will count as one day in the reading log.
     • 5 fabulous posters = 5 days worth of entries in the reading log OR (for all you fans of algebra out there) X fabulous posters = X days worth of entries in the reading log
     • Insert a picture of your poster in the evidence column of your reading log on one of the empty days from the first two weeks (March 16th – 20th and 23rd – 27th).
     • Contact me with questions! Or if you need construction paper!

Okay, that’s everything today. Contact me with questions or if you need some construction paper!

 

Good morning 8th graders,

Today is…

So, wherever you’re feeling behind – reading, writing, singing, social studying, science-ing, math-ing, resting, relaxing, reflecting, speaking, sighing, thanking, drawing, crafting, practicing (anything) – today is your day to get back on track.

Have a great day and let me know if you have any questions!

Good morning 7th graders,

Today is…

So, wherever you’re feeling behind – reading, writing, singing, social studying, science-ing, math-ing, resting, relaxing, reflecting, speaking, sighing, thanking, drawing, crafting, practicing – today is your day to get back on track.

Your optional writing prompt is about music – what song best expresses how you are feeling at this exact moment? Why? (You can use the song title or the actual song to answer this question)

Optional weekend prompt: Continue the gratitude challenge from last weekend (write down five different things each day for which you are grateful – with out without reasons why). Find new things for which to be grateful, big or small, and see if you can share that gratitude with anyone else.

⚠️ Having trouble with Teams?⚠️

• • • I’ve noticed some of you are emailing me your journal entries or Part 1 questions instead of submitting them on the Teams assignment page.
    • Are you having trouble with the application, or technology in general? Let me know and I’ll be happy to help 😎.

Have a great day and let me know if you have any questions!

Good morning 7th graders (and parents / guardians),

Parents, please stick around for a moment, and 7th graders – please skip to the “Daily Directions“.

🌟SPECIAL PARENT ANNOUNCEMENT🌟

WARNING: Gratitude and exclamations marks ahead

If I, or your child, haven’t said it enough recently, THANK YOU!

• • • Thank you for all that you normally do, and are doing during this time, to help your children learn and grow – it’s not easy, and from what I can see, you are reaching superhero status for Parenting/Teaching/Keeping Everyone Sane. Your capes will be arriving soon.
    • Thank you for choosing to share your students with us at St. John School – while I miss seeing them in person, I am grateful to still be able to work them during this time.
    • Thank you for continuing to support what we do in the classroom – every day this community reminds me of why choosing to work at St. John is one of the best decisions I have ever made!

Now, for a bit of business. If you haven’t heard, the St. John Auction is nearly here – hooray! And, this year, more than any other, there are exciting opportunities to win fabulous prizes!

Starting today and running until April 9th, there are special daily instructions which, if you follow them, give you the chance to win the daily prize. What are these fabulous prizes? You’ll have to enter and win to find out!

To enter today’s daily drawing – please register on Bidding For Good by the end of the day.

Thank you again for all that you do. We know that this is a challenging time for everyone, so, please, give only what you can. No matter what you give – time, treasure, or talent – we are grateful for your support.

🌟END OF SPECIAL PARENT ANNOUNCEMENT🌟

Daily Directions

Alright, today you have four items for your Literature / ELA To Do list:

• • • • Turn in Part 1 Tangerine discussion questions (2 – 5 minutes)
      • Daily Reading (20 – 35 minutes)
      • Daily Journal (5 – 15 minutes)
      • Study for 💧Hydros💧 quiz (3 – 5 minutes)

Let’s get started!

1. Turn in Part 1 Tangerine discussion questions (2 – 5 minutes)
   • First, make sure your sentences are complete and you have text evidence to support all of your responses.
   • Second, go on Teams and submit your work.
     • If you are taking pictures of your journal, for every response, make sure your entire response is visible AND legible. If I can’t see it, it can’t earn points!
2. Daily Reading (20 – 35 minutes)
   • Read for 15 – 30 minutes
   • Reflect on your reading by completing today’s entry in your Reading Log.
   • Contact me with questions (or book recommendations!)
3. Daily Journal (5 – 15 minutes)
   • Prompt: A friend from college once suggested that the title of my (unwritten) biography should be Whiskers on Kittens: The Gwynedd Rzegocki Story, because, like Maria from The Sound of Music, I looked for the positive whenever I messed up (which was often😳). What would be the title of your biography / autobiography? Why?
4. Study for 💧Hydros💧 quiz (3 – 5 minutes)
   • Take a little bit of time today to review your notes from yesterday.
   • I am hoping to post more information about the subroot for hydroelectric (electron: amber) later today.
   • Let me know if you have any questions!

Whew – that was a long one. Have a wonderful Thursday, go out for a walk in between rain/hail/wind bursts, and let me know if you have any questions!

Good morning 8th graders,

Thank you for your flexibility, positivity, and persistence!

Please review the monologue information closely as there is a change in the due date.

You have two items for your Literature To Do list:

• • • • Monologue performance practice / write-up (10 – 15 minutes)
      • Daily Reading (20 – 35 minutes)

Here we go!

1. Monologue performance practice / write-up (10 – 15 minutes)
   • In making the schedule, I realized half of you would go before Spring break and the other half would fall after Spring break. As a result:
     • • monologue performances start on Tuesday, April 21st (NOT April 6th)
       • write-ups are due on Tuesday, April 21st (NOT April 6th)
   • If you want to turn your write-up in early, I will have the assignment posted on Teams on Monday, April 6th. You can post it any time after that.
     • • NOTE: Only submit the assignment if you have all three pieces:
         • one to two paragraph write-up
         • your annotated monologue
         • completed “Questions to guide your monologue”
   • If you want to perform before Spring break, please send me an email and, depending on time available, we can make arrangements.
2. Daily Reading (20 – 35 minutes)
   • Read for 15 – 30 minutes
   • Reflect on your reading by completing today’s entry in your Reading Log.
   • Contact me with questions!

Okay, thank you again for your flexibility and please contact me with any questions!

Good morning 7th graders,

As much as I want to pull some fabulous pranks, I feel like we’re not really in the headspace for April Fool’s Day this year. Don’t worry – we can still have fun, and I will save the pranks until we’re ready to fully enjoy them (…mwahahaHA – ahem!…sorry, I don’t know what happened there).

Alright, for today, you have four to five items for your Literature / ELA To Do list and one item for general information:

• • • • 🔥Pyro / Ignis 🔥 quiz on Teams (3 – 5 minutes)
      • Notes on your new root  🌊 (10 – 20 minutes)
      • Daily Journal (5 – 10 minutes)
      • Daily Reading (20 – 35 minutes)
      • Tangerine reading and discussion questions (15 – 20 minutes)
      • Book Talk Updates (general information)

Aaaaand, we’re off!

1. 🔥Pyro / Ignis 🔥 quiz on Teams (3 – 5 minutes)
   • Go to 7th grade LIT/ELA and complete the quiz – good luck!
2. Notes on your new root  🌊 (10 – 20 minutes)
   • You can take notes directly from the PowerPoint here
   • I will make the presentation later this morning and you can watch the video here.
   • Remember to include parts of speech and have fun!
3. Daily Journal (5 – 10 minutes…a little bit longer if you watch the video😁)
   • Prompt: Lots of people are looking for good news right now – including this guy. If you were a correspondent on the Some Good News show, what would you report on? Why?
4. Daily Reading (20 – 35 minutes)
   • Read for 15 to 30 minutes
   • Reflect on your reading by filling out your entry in the reading log
   • Ask me questions if you have them!
5. Tangerine reading and discussion questions (15 – 20 minutes)
   • Your Part 1 questions are due tomorrow on Teams
   • Please contact me if you are struggling with any of this – or, if you have questions about the story!
6. Book Talk updates
   • Based on your responses to the Teams survey, here is your new presentation schedule. Let me know if you have questions!
   • Here is the most up-to-date sign-up list for books.

Alright, that’s everything for today! Hopefully, I’ll see you in the roots presentation later today (remember to mute your mic and turn your camera off until the end). And, I’ll have a special message for all of your parents and guardians tomorrow, so please let them know.

Have a great day and contact me (email or Teams…or send a raven) if you have any questions!

Good morning 8th graders,

As much as I want to pull some fabulous pranks, I feel like we’re not really in the headspace for April Fool’s Day this year. Don’t worry – we can still have fun, and I will save the pranks until we’re ready to fully enjoy them (…mwahahaHA – ahem!…sorry, I don’t know what happened there).

Okay, for today you have two items for your Literature To Do list:

• • • • Monologue performance practice (10 – 15 minutes)
      • Daily Reading (20 – 35 minutes)

Let’s get started!

1. Monologue performance practice (10 – 15 minutes, little longer if you’re working with a classmate)
   • Your monologue project is due on Monday, April 6th – write-up, annotations, completed worksheet, and your performance.
   • Performances will begin on Monday and I will post the performance schedule tomorrow, April 2nd.
   • Some of you are practicing your performance on Teams tomorrow – if you haven’t already, please let me know if you are interested!
   • 🌟Contact me today if you are feeling behind or unable to make the Monday, April 6th, deadline!🌟 I can adjust deadlines – I just need to know who needs help 😊.
2. Daily Reading (20 – 35 minutes)
   • Read for 15 to 30 minutes
   • Reflect on your reading by filling out your entry in the reading log
   • Ask me questions if you have them!

That’s everything for today!