Month: May 2020

Good morning 7th and 8th graders,

It’s Friday, and you know what that means (I’m so excited to say this) – Mandatory Dance Day!

…just kidding😁.

It’s actually Catch-Up Day! There are no new assignments and you are encouraged to work on, and hopefully, finish up anything still on your To Do list.

8th graders

All missing and incomplete Literature work must be submitted to me by 11:59pm today, 5/29. I encourage you to not wait until the last possible second! Reach out if you have questions.

7th graders

I am not posting questions for Chapter 9 of The Outsiders. Instead, focus on completing missing work, particularly your reading logs and journals. I will be spending a large portion of the weekend going through and posting grades.

Reach out if you have questions or need help!

Good morning 7th graders,

Happy Thursday! It was wonderful to see so many of you at sunglasses drop off yesterday. ❗️SINCERITY WARNING (embrace the cringe)❗️ I know the sun was out, but I honestly felt like I got more warmth and light just from seeing all of you, and the magnificent creativity and care you put into your work. I love working with all of you, and I’m so glad we have one more year together.

Okay, let’s get down to business – you have three items for you Literature / LA To Do List today:

• Daily Journal (5 – 15 minutes)
• Daily Reading (20 – 35 minutes)
• Read chapter 9 of The Outsiders (30 – 40 minutes)

And away we go!

1. Daily Journal (5 – 15 minutes)
   • Write on your own prompt or use the one below
   • Prompt: Yesterday, I asked you to think about your goals and define as many details as possible. Today, I want you to use those details and begin to create a realistic action plan to achieve your goals. How will you overcome the obstacles that stand in your way? What steps do you need to take to achieve your main goal? It’s okay if you don’t have all the answers, we’re here to help with that. What is important, if you truly want to achieve your goal, is thinking through the steps it takes to get there.
2. Daily Reading (20 – 35 minutes)
   • You can read for the usual 15 – 30 minutes and then complete your reading log entry OR…
   • You could send me an email telling me what character you would be and why, if you could live in a book for a day.
3. Read chapter 9 of The Outsiders (30 – 40 minutes)
   • Chapter 9 is due tomorrow – watch out for the rumble!

Reach out if you have questions, concerns, or need help – you’re not alone! And, no matter what, take some time to enjoy the weather and the people around you. Have a great day!

P.S. Good luck getting the song I posted out of your head!

Good morning 8th graders,

I’m so excited to see you in class today!

You have two items for you Literature To Do List today:

• Online class (20 – 40 minutes)
• Completing “Online Class” assignment (10 – 15 minutes)

Let’s dive in!

1. Online class (20 – 40 minutes)
   • Class starts at 9:00am on Zoom – the link, meeting ID and password are posted on our 8th Grade Literature team. 
   • Come ready to discuss poetry!
   • Attendance is worth 5 points
2. Completing “Online Class” assignment (10 – 15 minutes)
   • Review the assignment on Teams
   • Share your favorite line of poetry (from any poem you have ever read or seen performed) and explain why it sticks with you.

Contact me with questions, otherwise, I’ll see you in class!

Good morning 8th graders,

I’m so excited to see you in class today!

You have two items for you Literature To Do List today:

• Online class (20 – 40 minutes)
• Completing “Online Class” assignment (10 – 15 minutes)

Let’s dive in!

1. Online class (20 – 40 minutes)
   • Class starts at 11:15am and I will be checking attendance
   • Come ready to discuss poetry!
   • Attendance is worth 5 points
2. Completing “Online Class” assignment (10 – 15 minutes)
   • Review the assignment on Teams
   • Share your favorite line of poetry (from any poem you have ever read or seen performed) and explain why it sticks with you.

Contact me with questions, otherwise, I’ll see you in class!

Good morning 7th graders,

🌟😎REMINDER😎🌟

Sunglasses drop off today at the flagpole from 1-2pm. Please follow emailed instructions and bring Unbound money if you can. I can’t wait to see you and the personalized glasses you have created!

Okay, now for the nitty gritty of the day – you have four items for your Literature / LA /being a 7th grader To Do List:

• Chapter 8 Questions for The Outsiders (9 minutes)
• Daily Journal (5 – 15 minutes)
• Daily Reading (20 -35 minutes)
• Drop off fabulous sunglasses

Let’s do this!

1. Chapter 8 Questions for The Outsiders (9 minutes)
   • Complete the assignment “Chapter 8 Questions for The Outsiders” on Teams
     • Choose TWO of the six questions
     • Answer them thoughtfully using complete sentences and text evidence (quotes).
     • Include the original question in your response
   • Make sure to attach your work before hitting the submit button on Teams
   • Remember to hit the submit button!
   • Contact me if you have any questions!
2. Daily Journal (5 – 15 minutes)
   • Write on your own prompt or use the one below
   • Prompt: Last week I asked you about your goals for next year.  Knowing what you want is important, it gives you direction. Equally important is knowing when you have achieved your goal. Today I want you to flesh out your goal – what exactly do you want to do? How will you know when you are successful? What will it look/feel like? How long do you think it will take? What obstacles will you need to overcome? The more questions you answer with specific and realistic responses, the more likely you are to succeed!
3. Daily Reading (20 -35 minutes)
   • Read for 15 – 30 minutes*
   • Complete your journal entry with effort and thought
   • Have fun!
4. Drop off fabulous sunglasses
   • This one is pretty self explanatory
   • Review the directions I emailed to you and your parents
   • If your glasses don’t meet the standard, I will hand you fresh tagboard to start again (hopefully, no one will need this!)

I’m so excited to see all of you this afternoon! Have a great morning, ask questions if you need help, and I’ll see you later!

*If you send me an email with the title of the best thing you have ever read (book, poem, article, etc.), you can skip your reading assignment for today. Emails need to be received by me before 6pm today (because you should really, REALLY be done working well before that).

Good morning 7th graders,

I hope you enjoyed the long weekend! What did you do for Memorial Day?

You have four items for your Literature / LA To Do List today:

• Chapter 7 Questions for The Outsiders (12 minutes)
• Favorite Journal Entry of Week 9 (3 – 5 minutes)
• Daily Reading (20 -35 mintues)
• Prepare for sunglasses drop off tomorrow (however much time you need to finish the glasses off)

Let’s get started!

1. Chapter 7 Questions for The Outsiders (12 minutes)
   • Complete the assignment “Chapter 7 Questions for The Outsiders” on Teams
     • Choose THREE of the nine questions (this is one more question than yesterday, but five less than doing all of them – so, still a pretty good deal 😁)
     • Answer them thoughtfully using complete sentences and text evidence (quotes).
     • Include the original question in your response
   • Make sure to attach your work before hitting the submit button on Teams
   • Remember to hit the submit button!
   • Contact me if you have any questions!
   • GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENT: There are no questions for Chapter 6! I hope you enjoyed the mini vacation!
2. Favorite Journal Entry of Week 9 (3 – 5 minutes)
   • Choose your favorite entry from Week 9 (May 18th – 24th), explain why it’s your favorite, and share both items on Teams.
   • Make sure you take time to explain your choice.
   • If you need help submitting on Teams, please contact me before emailing your entry!
3. Daily Reading (20 -35 mintues)
   • Some of you got the day off of reading and recording last week because you read directions!
   • You are coming into the last few days of your reading log, so, take your time and make sure to pay special attention to your evidence column.
4. Prepare for sunglasses 😎drop off tomorrow, 5/27 (however much time you need to finish the glasses off)
   • You need to drop the sunglasses off at the flagpole outside of school, tomorrow between 1 and 2pm.
   • I will be outside to collect your amazing works (or to let you know if you need to add more, if you have not already checked in with me via email or Teams)
     • Remember, you are creating something that you would be excited to receive as an 8th grader
     • Whatever effort you put in now is the same amount of effort I will expect of the 7th grader creating your glasses next year – make it count!
   • I will send an email to you and your parents reminding you of pick-up/drop off protocol.
   • Let me know if you have questions!

Have a great day and reach out with any questions or concerns!

Good morning Mansfieldians,

I hope you enjoyed the long weekend and are ready for your last week of instruction at St. John School!

As of right now, PowerSchool and Teams are up to date. If you have any missing work you still want to submit, it needs to be turned in by Friday, May 29th, to count towards your grade.

You have two tasks for your Literature To Do List today:

• Catch up on any missing work (however much time you need)
• Set an alarm for online class for Thursday, May 28th, 2020 (1 – 2 minutes)

Let’s jump right in!

1. Catch up on any missing work (however much time you need)
   • Consider today an in-class work period to catch up on missing or incomplete work
   • Check PowerSchool and Teams, review any feedback or comments, contact me with any questions
2. Set an alarm for online class for Thursday, May 28th, 2020 (1 – 2 minutes)
   • We will have online class on Thursday, May 28th, starting at 9am.
   • I recommend you set your alarm for at least 15 minutes before (8:45am) so you have time to eat something and maybe splash some cold water on your face.
   • I’ll see you on Teams on Thursday!

Have a great day and contact me with any questions or if you need some help.

Good morning 7th and 8th graders,

Today is Joyful Friday of our spirit week! Share your spirit by participating in the Hope Grows Here project and “grow” your window garden or create chalk art on your sidewalk and leave messages of hope and joy. You can also attend Mass of the Ascension at 3pm, which will be live-stream on the Parish Facebook Page. 

You have no new assignments today, but I have two reminders:

1. Consider writing or recording a supportive message for Mr. Tice and emailing it to me.
   • Written messages will be put together in a big collage/card and recorded messages will be put together in a short video.
   • No message is too big or too small!
   • I have received three messages, so feel free to add yours.
   • Please contact me if you have any questions.
2. Monday, May 25th, is Memorial Day – there is no school. Enjoy your long weekend!

That’s all for today!

Good morning 8th graders,

Welcome to Thoughtful Thursday – a day to spread those random acts of kindness!

To kick it off, we have a video made by Lylah and Sophia, helping us understand the value of giving for Unbound. I know the care and kindness you are capable of on a regular day, so I can’t wait to see all of the thoughtful things you will do on this spirited Thursday! Have fun with it and remember to share your spirit with Mrs. Skokan.

For your Literature work, you are looking at a new poem today – “To This Day” by Shane Koyzcan.

WARNING: Be aware that this presentation does contain explicit language before the poem begins. In class, I would mute the screen and sound at that point, but that’s not possible right now. I tried to find a clean version of the TEDTalk, but it was not available. I apologize for the inconvenience and can offer two options for you:

1. Watch the video and mute the sound and screen with 7:08 minutes left (4:40 in)
   • It’s tricky, but you get the whole introduction which provides some background for the poem
2. Watch the last 7 minutes and 3 seconds of the video
   • Much easier option, but you miss some of the background for the poem. It’s not necessary, but it can make the poetry more compelling.

So, you have have two tasks for your Literature To Do List today:

• “To This Day” assignment on Teams (20 – 30 minutes)
• Daily reading (20 – 35 minutes)

Let’s go for it!

1. “To This Day” assignment on Teams (20 – 30 minutes)
   • Carefully review and follow the directions on the assignment
   • You will be watching a performance, reading a poem, and answering four questions
   • Contact me with questions!
2. Daily reading (20 – 35 minutes)
   • You have less than two weeks left of your reading log, so make it count!
   • Read for 15 to 30 minutes and then complete your reading log entry
   • As we discussed before, make sure you vary the type of evidence you use every day.

That’s all for today. Stay thoughtful and remember to reach out with questions or concerns!

Good morning 7th graders,

Welcome to Thoughtful Thursday – a day to spread those random acts of kindness! To kick it off, we have a video made by Lylah and Sophia, helping us understand the value of giving for Unbound. I know the care and kindness you are capable of on a regular day, so I can’t wait to see all of the thoughtful things you will do on this spirited Thursday!

In all seriousness, I didn’t know if I could be any more proud of you as a grade, but seeing the different elements of your service projects (food drive and Unbound) over the past weeks did it. Thank you for being yourselves and sharing your joy and love with the world! Also, thank you, parents and guardians, for raising such awesome human beings!

Okay, enough gushing (for now) – on to your work! You have four items for your Literature / LA To Do list:

• Chapter 5 questions for The Outsiders (12 minutes)
• Daily Reading (20 – 35 minutes)
• Daily Journal (5 – 15 minutes)
• Sunglasses Check-in (2 minutes)

Here we go!

1. Chapter 5 questions for The Outsiders (12 minutes)
   • Complete the assignment “Chapter 5 Questions for The Outsiders” on Teams
     • Choose THREE of the nine questions (this is one more question than yesterday, but six less than doing all of them – so, still a pretty good deal 😁)
     • Answer them thoughtfully using complete sentences and text evidence (quotes).
     • Include the original question in your response
   • Make sure to attach your work before hitting the submit button on Teams
   • Remember to hit the submit button!
   • Contact me if you have any questions!
2. Daily Reading (20 – 35 minutes)
   • Read for 10,000 hours and then stand on your head while composing a song about what you read
   • If you just read that, send me an email answering the questions below and you can earn your reading log entry for the day
     • How long should I read today? What should I do after I read?
3. Daily Journal (5 – 15 minutes)
   • Write on your own prompt or use the one below:
   • Prompt: As we begin to wrap up this school year, we naturally look forward to the next. What are some of your goals for your time in 8th grade? What do you hope to achieve (academically, mentally, emotionally, socially) by the time you leave St. John School?
4. Sunglasses Check-in (2 minutes)
   • For those of you who checked in yesterday – thank you! You have earned your point in PowerSchool.
   • For those of you who have not checked in – you can still earn your point today!
   • Your glasses need to be finished by next week
     • We will have a sunglasses drop off on Wednesday, May 27th, 2020

That’s all your work for today! Have fun and reach out if you need help.

As you know, Mr. Tice’s father passed away. Please keep Mr. Tice, his father, and his family in your prayers. If you would like to share an additional message of support, we have two options open right now:

• email me your message and I will print it out as part of a giant card/supportive collage
• record a short video of yourself and send it to me so we can create a short video to let Mr. Tice know we are thinking of him and his family

Let me know if you have any questions!