Wednesday, March 25th, 2020 – 7th grade work

Good morning 7th graders,

What day is it today?

(echoing across the city, over 50 voices shout in reply, “ROOTS DAY!”)

Indeed, it is Roots Day! That means you have four items for your Literature / ELA To Do List:

      • Book Talk date preference (1 minute or less)
      • Pes / Pedis Quiz and new root notes (20 – 35 minutes)
      • Daily Reading (30 – 35 minutes)
      • Daily Journal (10 – 15 minutes)

Important note:

No Tangerine reading and discussion questions today (unless it brings you joy to do so / catch up). I am creating a new reading schedule based on your responses on Teams and will release it to you tomorrow.

Here we go!

  1. Book Talk date preference (1 minute or less)
    • I want to give you some flexibility in your schedule (and give you more work time if you need it).
    • Please answer the question I posted on Teams about your presentation date. You have three options:
        1. move it one day early
        2. keep it the same
        3. push it to the following Monday
    • All options are equal in my eyes (you will not get extra credit for going early, nor will you be penalized for going later). I want you to pick the option that works best for you.
    • If you are struggling to finish up your Book Talk, with everything else you have to manage, contact me directly and we can talk about adjusting your schedule.
  2. Pes / Pedis Quiz and new root notes (20 – 35 minutes: 5 – 15 minutes for quiz and 15 – 20 minutes for the fiery, new root)
    • Complete your Pes / Pedis quiz on Teams – contact me directly if you can’t access it!
    • I am recording the new presentation right after this and will post it in Teams and put a link here.
      • If you join in to watch/participate, please:
        • turn off your camera
        • mute your microphone
        • use the chat feature to ask me questions about the presentation (including possible Ruler of Research questions!)
        • and remember that you are being recorded
    • You can also review the toasty, new Powerpoint here.
    • Contact me with any questions!
  3. Daily Reading (30 – 35 minutes)
    • Continue to follow the directions (read for 30 minutes and complete your reading log)
    • A note about completing your daily reading before bed:
      • Go for it! It’s a great way to calm your mind and relax.
      • Please fill out your Reading Log first thing in the morning, instead of at night. Looking at screens before bed messes with your sleep – and that’s not good for anyone.
      • For those of you reading on screens (phones, tablets, etc.), I recommend switching to a paper book or reading sometime other than right before bed.
  4. Daily Journal (10 – 15 minutes)
    • Prompt: It’s hard to be separated from everybody. What do you miss about in person, face-to-face interactions? How are you staying in contact with the people you care about? What do you like about this form of contact? How else can you reach out during this time to let people know you care, and, in return, know that you are cared for?

That’s everything for today! Have a great day and remember to wear a raincoat during your daily walk (she wrote, desperately hoping the children were going on socially distanced walks – 6 feet, people! – and looking at the world around them)!

Tuesday, March 24th, 2020 – 8th grade work

Greetings and salutations 8th graders (and parents / guardians / online learners looking for content),

Today is a great day for learning!…I mean, every day is a great day for learning, but today feels particularly auspicious.

You have two items for your Literature To-Do List and they should look pretty familiar:

      • Reading Log (35 minutes)
      • Monologue memorization (10 – 15 minutes)

Here we go!

  1. Reading Log (35 minutes – 30 minutes reading, 5 minutes reflecting)
    • Read for 30 minutes and use the reflecting time to complete your reading log.
    • Note: Remember to change the type of evidence you use every day.
      • You can reuse the type of evidence every few days, but not the same one day after day after day after day.
      • I love books, but looking at a picture of the page you’re reading is not nearly as interesting as reading your thoughts about the book in a summary, prediction, illustration, character sketch, etc.
      • If you want to take a picture every few days, go for it! You could include a pet, a sibling, a dramatic expression, an interesting locale. You’re creative individuals, I look forward to seeing what you come up with.
    • Whatever you choose, have fun with it!
  2. Monologue Memorization (10 – 15 minutes)
    • Keep working on memorizing the separate sections of your monologue.
    • Find a quiet space (if this is possible) and pick up where you left off yesterday – if you finished working on section 1, move on to section 2, and so on.
    • There are many different memorization methods, so please let me know if you need some extra help.

That’s everything for today. As always, contact me with questions (or if you have a really good cookie recipe)!

Tuesday, March 24th, 2020 – 7th grade work

Hello and welcome 7th graders (and parents / guardians / online learners looking for content),

Today is another great learning day! They’re all great days for learning, but sometimes we need a little reminder.

Today you have four to five items for Literature / ELA To Do List:

      • Tangerine reading and discussion questions and feedback (17 -25 minutes)
      • Daily Journal  (12 – 20 minutes)
      • Daily Reading (35 minutes)
      • Study for the pedis quiz tomorrow (3 – 5 minutes)

Let’s get started!

  1. Tangerine reading and discussion questions and feedback (17 -25 minutes, 15 – 20 minutes for your reading and 2-5 minutes to fill out the survey on Teams)
    • Go on Teams and complete the “Tangerine Reading and Discussion Question Feedback” survey.
    • Be honest! If you are behind, tell me. If you are ahead, tell me. If you are stressed, overwhelmed, needing help with organization, or anything else – tell me!
    • Once you have done the survey, read from Tangerine for 10 to 15 minutes then work on discussion questions for 5 – 10 minutes.
    • Contact me with any questions!
  2. Daily Journal (12 – 20 minutes, 10 – 15 for today’s entry and 2 – 5 for submitting your favorite from last week on Teams)
    • On Teams, complete the “Favorite Journal Entry of Week 1” assignment (4 points)
      • Choose your favorite journal entry from last week (March 16th – 22nd) and explain why you chose it.
      • Your explanation doesn’t need to be long, just in complete sentences (think the size of a sticky note).
      • Upload the journal entry and your explanation on the assignment and remember to submit your work!
    • Once you have finished that, work on today’s prompt.
      • Prompt: Remember the plant from last week? Go visit it and describe the differences you see. They might be massive changes or near-microscopic shifts – whatever they are, make sure to record them. You could also draw a picture and label it with the things you notice on and around the plant.
  3. Reading Log (35 minutes – 30 minutes reading, 5 minutes reflecting)
    • Read for 30 minutes and use the reflecting time to complete your reading log.
    • Note: Remember to change the type of evidence you use every day.
      • You can reuse the type of evidence every few days, but not the same one day after day after day after day.
      • I love books, but looking at a picture of the page you’re reading is not nearly as interesting as reading your thoughts about the book in a summary, prediction, illustration, character sketch, etc.
      • If you want to take a picture every few days, go for it! You could include a pet, a sibling, a dramatic expression, an interesting locale. You’re creative individuals, I look forward to seeing what you come up with.
    • Whatever you choose, have fun with it!
  4. Study for your Pedis quiz (3-5 minutes)
    • Make it short and, if at all possible, make it fun! Use snacks, physical activity, games, or whatever works for you.
    • The quiz will be on Teams tomorrow – please let me know if you’re having trouble accessing the app!

That’s all for now. Please make sure to check in with any questions, concerns or delicious baking recipes that you may have!

Monday, March 23rd, 2020 – 8th grade work

Good morning 8th graders,

Welcome to Week Two! If you haven’t already seen it in your inboxes, check out this Special Report from ENN…

I think the kindness quote at the end is particularly appropriate for right now, so much so that I want to include it in this post:

        • “Some days, doing ‘the best we can’ may still fall short of what we would like to be able to do, but life isn’t perfect on any front – and doing what we can with what we have is the most we should expect of ourselves or anyone else.”
            • Mr. Fred Rogers

This is not an easy situation for anyone (you, siblings, parents, guardians, teachers…everyone), but the work that you are doing – looking for schoolwork on different platforms, organizing your schedule, following your schedule, attempting to complete your work, helping siblings and friends with questions, figuring out where to turn in your work and then remembering to do it, being patient with yourself and those around you, offering words of support, helping out around the house, distracting yourself and your siblings so your parents can work, practicing mindfulness and calming techniques, and so much more – all of those efforts help. The little things that you do make a difference. Thank you for “doing what [you] can with what [you] have”!

Okay, after that message, now it’s on to today’s work. You have two items for your Literature To Do List:

      • Daily Reading (35 minutes)
      • Monologue preparation (10 – 15 minutes)

Here we go!

  1. Daily reading (35 minutes – 30 for reading and 5 for evidence)
    • Read for 30 minutes, fill out your reading log, and let me know if you need help finding a new book!
  2. Monologue preparation (10 – 15 minutes)
    • 🌟Important note🌟: I am moving the due date for the monologue performance and write-up. Here are the new dates:
        • Optional rough draft for write-up: Thursday, April 2nd, 2020
          • If you want to exchange with a classmate and receive feedback, please have your short write-up complete by this day. This is entirely optional – you do not have to exchange your rough draft.
        • Final write-up due and performances begin: Monday, April 6th, 2020
          • This is the day you submit your:
            • Final write-up
            • Annotated monologue
            • Completed “Questions to guide your monologue”
          • There will be an assignment posting on Teams where you can submit these three items at that time.
    • To help create the performance schedule, I need you to go on the 8th Grade ELA/LIT Team and complete the assignment I have posted.
    • This week, you can work on memorizing your monologue.
      • Break your monologue up into separate emotional beats.
      • Rewrite the separate sections of your monologue on individual index cards (or whatever you have). This will help you remember the tone and body shifts that happen with the different emotional beats.
      • If your monologue is already rewritten, find a quiet space (as best you can), and start practicing!
        • Start by reading your notecards aloud, remembering to use the tone and pacing you worked out in your annotations.
        • As you work, if you want to change something in your performance (tone, body, pacing, etc.), go for it! This is your interpretation and performance.
        • After you have read a section through, repeat it. When you are finished with that, do it again…and again and again and again. Memorizing your monologue requires repetition.

That’s everything for today. Let me know if you have questions!

Monday, March 23rd, 2020 – 7th grade work

Good morning 7th graders,

Welcome to Week Two! If you haven’t already seen it in your inboxes, check out this Special Report from ENN…

I think the kindness quote at the end is particularly appropriate for right now, so much so that I want to include it in this post:

        • “Some days, doing ‘the best we can’ may still fall short of what we would like to be able to do, but life isn’t perfect on any front – and doing what we can with what we have is the most we should expect of ourselves or anyone else.”
            • Mr. Fred Rogers

This is not an easy situation for anyone (you, siblings, parents, guardians, teachers…everyone), but the work that you are doing – looking for schoolwork on different platforms, organizing your schedule, following your schedule, attempting to complete your work, helping siblings and friends with questions, figuring out where to turn in your work and then remembering to do it, being patient with yourself and those around you, offering words of support, helping out around the house, distracting yourself and your siblings so your parents can work, practicing mindfulness and calming techniques, and so much more – all of those efforts help. The little things that you do make a difference. Thank you for “doing what [you] can with what [you] have”!

Okay, after that message, now it’s on to today’s work. You have four items for your ELA/Literature To Do List:

      • Daily Reading (35 minutes)
      • Daily Journal (10 – 15 minutes)
      • Tangerine reading and discussion questions (15 – 20 minutes)
      • Study for your roots quiz on Wednesday (3 – 5 minutes)

Here we go!

  1. Daily Reading (35 minutes – 30 for reading and 5 for reflecting)
    • Read for 30 minutes, complete the reading log for today, and let me know if you need help finding a new reading book.
  2. Daily Journal (10 – 15 minutes)
    • Prompt: Write down the first three words that come to mind after you read this question – how are you feeling right now? Once you write down the words, think about where each feeling originates and why you might be feeling it. When did the feeling start? This morning? Last week? When your younger sibling gave you a hug/took the last of your favorite cereal? Be as specific as you can when trying to pinpoint the beginning of the emotion.
    • Tomorrow – there will be an assignment on Teams for you to share your favorite journal entry from last week. Take some time to pick your favorite today!
  3. Tangerine reading and discussion questions (15 – 20 minutes)
    • Continue to follow the reading schedule on your bookmarks.
    • I am thinking about adjusting our reading schedule (giving more time) and I want your feedback.
      • Today, please think about the reading and discussion question schedule – Is it enough? Too much? Too little? Too slow? Too fast? Just right?
      • Tomorrow, I will post an assignment on Teams where you can share your reading experience.
  4. Practice for your Pedis quiz on Wednesday (3 – 5 minutes)
    • Practice with a (socially distanced) classmate/friend/tutor or by yourself.
    • Let me know if you need study suggestions.

And that’s everything for today. Remember, do what you can with what you have, and let me know if you have questions!

Friday, March 20th, 2020 – 7th grade work

Hi 7th graders (and 7th grade parents/guardians/at home educators),

You did it! you made it to the end of the week! Day five of Distance Learning in the books! So many exclamation marks!

It was great to see a number of you on Teams yesterday. While the benefits are lifesaving and it’s incredibly important to stay socially distanced, it’s hard. Really hard. Really, really REALLY, REALLY hard. Seeing your faces, hearing your voices, and answering your questions made my day and renewed my motivation to stay distanced (the more we do it now, the sooner things we get back in the classroom, on the field, in the studio, in the movie theaters, at dances, and so much more!).

Thank you for being yourselves and reminding me of what’s important.

Today is a lighter day in Literature – you will have two to four things on your To Do List, depending on your work this week.

    1. Daily Reading Log (35 minutes required)
    2. Daily Journal Entry (5 – 15 minutes required)
    3. Tangerine reading and discussion questions (20-30 minutes optional)
    4. Book Talk / Teams check in (2-5 minutes)

Here we go!

  1. Daily reading log (35 minutes – 30 for reading, 5 for reflection)
    • I will check reading logs this weekend, so, if you haven’t sent me your online log, do so today.
    • Remember – once you share your log with me (and give me editing power), you do NOT resend your log ever again! You’re free! Use that extra time to relax, look out the window, take care of other work, make a flip book,  bake cookies, or, my personal favorite, have tiny (socially distanced) dance party.
    • Enjoy your books (and your sweet, sweet dance moves)!
  2. Daily Journal (5 -15 minutes)
    • Prompt: What is the first song on your socially distanced / quarantine / pandemic playlist? Why? Is it a song brings you down? Lifts you up? Helps you process? Gets you to dance it out?
    • Weekend prompt: Write the best joke you’ve heard all week OR draw a comic strip of something you enjoyed over the weekend OR write whatever you want!
  3. Tangerine reading and discussion questions (20-30 minutes)
    • Optional: If you need a break, take it! Contact me if you’re having trouble with the reading schedule.
    • If reading Tangerine brings you joy, go for it!
  4. Book Talk / Teams check-in (2-10 minutes, depending on what you did yesterday)
    • Everyone needs to:
    • If you did NOT check in with me on Teams yesterday, you need to:
      • Check in with me today sometime between 9:15 – 10:45am.
        • If you can’t be there at that time, send me an email and we’ll set something up.
      • We will check that audio and visual work on both sides, go over presentation expectations, and answer any questions you might have.

And that, most wonderful students and parent/guardian at-home-educators, is everything. As always, contact me with any questions and have a wonderful weekend!

Friday, March 20th, 2020 – 8th grade work

Hi 8th graders (and 8th grade parents/guardians/at home educators),

You did it! you made it to the end of the week! Day five of Distance Learning in the books! So many exclamation marks!

It was great to see a number of you on Teams yesterday. While the benefits are lifesaving and it’s incredibly important to stay socially distanced, it’s hard. Really hard. Really, really REALLY, REALLY hard. Seeing your faces, hearing your voices, and answering your questions made my day and renewed my motivation to stay distanced (the more we do it now, the sooner things we get back in the classroom, on the field, in the studio, in the movie theaters, at dances, and so much more!).

Thank you for being yourselves and reminding me of what’s important.

Today is a lighter day in Literature – you will have two to three things on your To Do List, depending on your work this week.

    1. Daily Reading log (35 minutes required)
    2. Movie Talk check-in (5-10 minutes required)
    3. Monologue preparation (15 minutes – optional)

Let’s get started!

  1. Daily reading log (35 minutes – 30 for reading, 5 for reflection)
    • I will check reading logs this weekend, so, if you haven’t sent me your online log, do so today.
    • Remember – once you share your log with me (and give me editing power), you do NOT resend your log ever again! You’re free! Use that extra time to relax, look out the window, take care of other work, make a flip book,  bake cookies, or, my personal favorite, have tiny (socially distanced) dance party.
    • Enjoy your books (and your sweet, sweet dance moves)!
  2. Movie Talk check-in (2-10 minutes, depending on what you did yesterday)
    • Everyone needs to:
    • If you did NOT check in with me on Teams yesterday, you need to:
      • Check in with me today sometime between 11:00am – 12:00pm.
        • If you can’t be there at that time, send me an email and we’ll set something up.
      • We will check that audio and visual work on both sides, go over presentation expectations, and answer any questions you might have.
  3. Monologue preparation (15 minutes)
    • Optional – If you are ahead on your monologue preparation, or you need a break from it, take the day off!
    • If working on your monologue brings you joy, go for it! Review the suggestions from earlier in the week or see if you can find a helpful resource/idea online. Let me know what you find!

And that, most wonderful students and parent/guardian at-home-educators, is everything. As always, contact me with any questions and have a wonderful weekend!

Thursday, March 19th, 2020 – 8th grade work

Good morning 8th graders,

On this 19th day in March, I wish you several things:

      • A knowledge-filled 4th day of Distance Learning – each day we learn new things, about our curriculum, technology, and ourselves!
      • A bountiful 1st Day of Spring in the Northern Hemisphere!
      • …and a happy Father’s Day in many countries, including, but not limited to Spain, Mozambique, Honduras, Italy, and Bolivia!

And now, a word about work time – the time in parentheses, after the bold titles, is how long I expect you to work on the activity. For example, if you saw something like this – Making a butter sculpture (2 hours) – you would know you needed to work on that (most unlikely, but still intriguing) project for about 2 hours that day. Just like in Math, it’s okay if you don’t finish; I just want you to put in solid work during that time!

Today you have three items for your Literature To Do List:

      1. Monologue preparation (15 minutes)
        • All of you are at different places in your monologue work, so I’m posting a few guidelines and ideas of what to do next:
          • First, finish up “Questions to guide your monologue” by Monday, March 23rd. You can refer to previous posts (March 17th and 18th) for suggested analysis exercises.
          • Second, based on your responses in the above worksheet and activities, begin to annotate your monologue with stage directions and tone. Make sure to identify any moments of tension or shifting emotion.
          • Third, begin to memorize your monologue. One way to do this is to break your monologue into different emotional beats, then rewrite those sections on individual notecards. See tip number two in this article for more information. You should begin memorizing no later than Monday, March 23rd.
      2. Reading log (35 minutes – 30 for reading and 5 for reflecting)
        • Please follow the instructions from previous posts
        • Contact me with any questions!
      3. Teams test for presentations (2 – 5 minutes)
        • I’m working on presentation plans, but I need to check if everyone can use the tools. So, we’re going to test out the meeting feature in Teams today! Thank you for your patience, persistence, and positivity. Hooray for learning opportunities!
        • Here’s what I would like you to do:
          • Sometime during your normal Literature class time (Thomas 11:05 – 11:55am and Mansfield 12:45 – 1:28pm) get on to your Teams app
          • Join the meeting that will be in progress.
          • Give some sort of greeting and identify yourself, we’ll check that audio and visual work, and then you’ll hop out of the meeting.
          • E-mail me with any feedback (issues with the technology (Teams app), hardware (computer, etc.), or anything else). This will help me iron out the details in the presentation plan and schedule.

That’s everything for today. As always, contact me with questions, and I look forward to seeing you soon!

 

Thursday, March 19th, 2020 – 7th grade work

Good morning 7th graders,

On this 19th day in March, I wish you several things:

      • A knowledge-filled 4th day of Distance Learning – each day we learn new things, about our curriculum, technology, and ourselves!
      • A bountiful 1st Day of Spring in the Northern Hemisphere!
      • …and a happy Father’s Day in many countries, including, but not limited to Spain, Mozambique, Honduras, Italy, and Bolivia!

And now, a word about work time – the time in parentheses, after the bold titles, is how long I expect you to work on the activity. For example, if you saw something like this – Making a butter sculpture (2 hours) – you would know you needed to work on that (most unlikely, but still intriguing) project for about 2 hours that day. Just like in Math, it’s okay if you don’t finish; I just want you to put in solid work during that time!

Today you have four items for your Literature / ELA To Do List:

  1. Tangerine reading and discussion questions (20 – 30 minutes)
    • Please follow the instructions on your bookmarks and contact me with any questions.
    • If you have lost any of your items (bookmarks, questions, etc.), you can download new ones from this post on March 18th.
  2. Reading log (35 minutes – 30 for reading and 5 for reflecting)
    • Please follow the instructions from previous posts
    • Contact me with any questions!
  3. Daily journal entry (10 – 15 minutes)
    • You can always write for longer if the spirit moves you!
    • Prompt: If you can, take a short walk around your neighborhood and, when you get home, write about what you see. Maybe you noticed something particular about the people, the cars, the weather, the plants, the buildings, or different activities going on. Whatever you saw, write about.
  4. Teams test for presentations (2 – 5 minutes)
    • I’m working on presentation plans for book talks, but I need to check if everyone can use the tools. So, we’re going to test out the meeting feature in Teams today! Thank you for your patience, persistence, and positivity. Hooray for learning opportunities!
    • Here’s what I would like you to do:
      • Sometime during your normal morning or afternoon Literature/ELA class time (Rzegocki now-9:15am and 2:17 – 3:00pm / Tice 9:15 – 10:02am and 1:30 – 2:15pm) get on to your Teams app
      • Join the meeting that will be in progress.
      • Give some sort of greeting and identify yourself, we’ll check that audio and visual work, and then you’ll hop out of the meeting.
      • E-mail me with any feedback (issues with the technology (Teams app), hardware (computer, etc.), or anything else).
    • This will help me iron out the details in the presentation plan and schedule. Thank you for your efforts!

That’s everything for today. As always, contact me with questions, and I look forward to seeing you soon!

Wednesday, March 18th, 2020 – 8th grade work

Good morning 8th graders,

Happy 3rd day of Distance Learning (and National Flag Day of Aruba*)!

Today you have two items for your Literature To Do List:

        1. Daily reading
        2. Monologue preparation

Here we go!

  1. Daily reading log
    • If you have NOT sent me your reading log:
      • Follow the instructions on my teacher page (March 16th) to make your online reading log, fill in your work from the past two days, and share it with me (grzegocki@st-johnschool.org).
      • Complete your 30 minutes of reading today and fill out the 3/18 row
      • I will be checking logs shortly and entering the points on PowerSchool.
    • If you HAVE shared your reading log with me:
      • Complete your 30 minutes of reading today and fill out the  3/18 row
      • Use a new form of evidence today! For whatever evidence you choose, make sure to explain why it is important to the story / why you chose it.
      • Respond to my comments in your reading log (if there are any there).
      • You do NOT need to resend your log (unless you really, really want to, or if I send you a message)! You shared the log with me earlier, which means I can view it at anytime. This will save you precious time and me from an exploding inbox – a classic win-win situation!

2. Monologue preparation

    • Continue to work on your “Questions to guide your monologue”. Make sure to include your responses to the questions and situations I posted yesterday.
    • As you work today, think about the other person in the scene.
      • Many important moments in your monologue are built on the response of an imaginary character up there with you. The audience can’t see this character, but they are vital to your performance. It’s your job to make that invisible character real for us! You do this with your own acting – by pausing, listening, or reacting to what the invisible character said or did.
      • To help you prepare for this, think about the other person (or people) in your monologue and write a script and stage directions for the other person (people) in your monologue.
        • Think back to “Almost 16”, the monologue we practiced in class. We know the main character is speaking with a parent (Dad) who was supposed to be out at a gala, but ended up sick at home. What are the stage directions for Dad? Should he be resting on the couch? How does he react when his child walks past/sneaks by/directly asks for the keys?
      • Think through what the other character would realistically say and do during your monologue. This will help you identify important moments in pacing – places to pause, speed up, slow down. It will also help you create and portray a character with rich depth.

Have a great day and contact me with any questions!

*Both articles required additional verification, so I included another citation here. Let me know if you find any more!