Category: 8th Grade

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 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 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 8th graders,

Welcome to Wacky Wednesday – the day where you let your flair flag fly high! Hats! Glasses! Hair! Accessories! Method of walking! Even your lunch can be wacky! 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 wacky and remember to reach out with questions or concerns!

Good morning 8th graders,

I hope you enjoyed your weekend and are ready for Spirit Week 2: The Spiriting Continues! Today is Feed Your Spirit Food Drive Tuesday, so check out the school website for more details. Remember to share your spirit (and pictures) with Mrs. Skokan!

Okay, now for your Literature work – you have two tasks to complete today:

• What Teachers Make – Text vs. Performance Assignment (20 minutes)
• Daily reading (20 – 35 minutes)

And away we go!

1. What Teachers Make – Text vs. Performance Assignment (20 minutes)
   • Go to the assignment on Teams
   • Read the text of “What Teachers Make” by Taylor Mali
   • Listen to Taylor Mali’s performance of the same poem
   • Answer the questions in the assignment
   • Submit your responses on Teams by the end of the day today
2. Daily reading (20 – 35 minutes)
   • Read for 15 to 30 minutes
   • Complete your entry in your reading log and put extra thought and effort into the Evidence column
   • Contact me with any questions

Have a great day and remember to reach out if you need help. I look forward to seeing your spiritedness (if that’s a word) online!

Good morning 8th graders,

I hope you enjoyed your weekend and are ready for Spirit Week 2: The Spiriting Continues! Today is Monday Mask-a-thon, so check out the school website for more details. Remember to share your spirit (and pictures) with Mrs. Skokan!

Okay, now for your Literature work – you have two tasks to complete today:

• What Teachers Make – Text vs. Performance Assignment (20 minutes)
• Daily reading (20 – 35 minutes)

And away we go!

1. What Teachers Make – Text vs. Performance Assignment (20 minutes)
   • Go to the assignment on Teams
   • Read the text of “What Teachers Make” by Taylor Mali
   • Listen to Taylor Mali’s performance of the same poem
   • Answer the questions in the assignment
   • Submit your responses on Teams by the end of the day today (the posted due date is for the Mansfield homeroom).
2. Daily reading (20 – 35 minutes)
   • Read for 15 to 30 minutes
   • Complete your entry in your reading log and put extra thought and effort into the Evidence column
   • Contact me with any questions

Have a great day and remember to reach out if you need help. I look forward to seeing your spiritedness (if that’s a word) online!

Hi 8th graders,

You made it to the end of the week…

Today is your catch-up day, so there are no new assignments. If you have questions about something you’re working on, or if you have anything you’d like to share, please reach out and say “Hi!”…or “HELP!” Either one will work😁.

Otherwise have a frabjous Friday and a wizard weekend!