Category: 8th Grade

Hi 8th graders,

You’re halfway through the week – hooray!

You have two items for your Literature To Do list today:

• Sarah Kay & Phil Kaye “An Origin Story” (10 minutes)
• Daily Reading (20 – 35 minutes)

Here we go!

1. Sarah Kay & Phil Kaye “An Origin Story” (10 minutes)
   • Watch the video Sarah Kay & Phil Kaye “An Origin Story”
   • Pay attention to the tone shifts in the poem – when does the poem change in emotion? How do you know?
   •  Write down your responses to these questions. You will take a more in depth look at these shifts next week.
2. Daily Reading (20 – 35 minutes)
   • Read for 15 – 30 minutes
   • Complete your online reading log entry
   • Make sure you pay special attention to your evidence column – contact me if you have questions or need help.

Have a great day! Contact me with any questions or concerns – or if you found a poem you’d like to share.

Hello 8th graders,

I hope your weekend was wonderful and your Monday magical! It’s been interesting to read your personal definitions of poetry and examples of poetic devices. I look forward to hearing your thoughts about the sample poems I will be sharing soon.

For today, you have three items of your Literature To Do list:

• Daily Reading (20 -35 minutes)
• TEDTalk video and responses (20 – 25 minutes)
• List of 10 things you know to be true (10 minutes or less)

Let’s dive right in!

1. Daily Reading (20 -35 minutes)
   • Read for 15 to 30 minutes, depending on your weekly reading plan for this week
   • Demonstrate thought and effort when filling out your online reading log
   • Contact me if you have questions or need some help!
2. TEDTalk video and responses (20 – 25 minutes)
   • Watch the TEDTalk “Sara Kay: If I should have a daughter…”
   • In your notebook or in a Word document, respond to the four questions and prompts below:
     1. What is special about spoken word poetry? How is it different from other forms of poetry?
     2. In your own words, what were the three steps of Sarah Kay’s spoken word poetry journey?
     3. According to Sarah Kay, where do great stories start? What does that mean to you?
     4. List three benefits of spoken word poetry.
   • Submit your responses on the Teams assignment worth 4 points (Notes from “Sarah Kay: If I should have a daughter…”)
3. List of 10 things you know to be true (10 minutes or less)
   • After watching the video above, make your own list of ten things you know to be true
   • The assignment is posted on Teams with directions and an example list created by me
   • The things you list should be the first ten things that are true for you that pop into your head
   • Contact me with any questions.

And that’s everything for today. Have a terrific Tuesday and contact me with any questions!

Hello 8th graders,

Welcome to Week 8! It’s been interesting to read your personal definitions of poetry and examples of poetic devices. I look forward to hearing your thoughts about the sample poems I will be sharing soon.

For today, you have three items of your Literature To Do list:

• Daily Reading (20 -35 minutes)
• TEDTalk video and responses (20 – 25 minutes)
• List of 10 things you know to be true (10 minutes or less)

Let’s dive right in!

1. Daily Reading (20 -35 minutes)
   • Read for 15 to 30 minutes, depending on your weekly reading plan for this week
   • Demonstrate thought and effort when filling out your online reading log
   • Contact me if you have questions or need some help!
2. TEDTalk video and responses (20 – 25 minutes)
   • Watch the TEDTalk “Sara Kay: If I should have a daughter…”
   • In your notebook or in a Word document, respond to the four questions and prompts below:
     1. What is special about spoken word poetry? How is it different from other forms of poetry?
     2. In your own words, what were the three steps of Sarah Kay’s spoken word poetry journey?
     3. According to Sarah Kay, where do great stories start? What does that mean to you?
     4. List three benefits of spoken word poetry.
   • Submit your responses on the Teams assignment worth 4 points (Notes from “Sarah Kay: If I should have a daughter…”)
3. List of 10 things you know to be true (10 minutes or less)
   • After watching the video above, make your own list of ten things you know to be true
   • The assignment is posted on Teams with directions and an example list created by me
   • The things you list should be the first ten things that are true for you that pop into your head
   • Contact me with any questions.

And that’s everything for today. Have a magical Monday and contact me with any questions!

Good morning 7th and 8th graders,

It’s Friday of Spirit Week – Virtual Field Day! Click the link for more information and have some fun!

7th graders – there will be a materials pick up (your new novel and sunglasses making supplies) on Tuesday, May 12th, 2020, from 1-2pm (1-1:30pm for Rzegocki HR and 1:30 – 2pm for Tice HR). I will email with directions and details soon!

Aside from your Field Day challenges, today should be used to catch up on anything that has slipped off your plate. If you’re struggling with an assignment or motivation, reach out and ask a teacher for help – it’s what we’re here for.

Have a great day and a wonderful weekend!

Hi Mansfieldians!

Welcome to Thursday of Spirit Week – Educator Appreciation Day! I have a special favor to ask, and since I’m one of your educators, you can consider it your way of showing appreciation.

Here is it – give some love to your first and original educators – your parents/guardians!

Some of you might be surprised to think of them this way, but it’s true. Your parents/guardians were there to help you from the very beginning and have served as the most constant supportive presence in your life. Your school teachers educate you for a year, sometimes two, but your parents/guardians are for life. They cheer you on when you’re on top, dust you off when you’re low, help you learn from mistakes, and, most importantly, love you, no matter what. That is some heavy duty work. Don’t get me wrong – it’s rewarding and I know your parents/guardians wouldn’t have it any other way. But, sometimes, it’s hard. Really hard. Seriously, absurdly, insanely hard. And, being middle schoolers, sometimes we forget to acknowledge all that they have done and continue to do to educate us about the world and ourselves.

So, today, on Educator Appreciation Day, do me a favor and celebrate your parents/guardians! Thank them for their support (emotional, financial, physical, academic, etc.). Make them a card or write them a poem. Do an interpretive dance or sing a song. You can help out around the house to make things easier for them, but make sure you actually say the words “thank” and “you” (preferably more than that – include specific details and some heartfelt emotions) at some point so they know you appreciate all of their hard work.

Okay, thank you for doing that. I really appreciate it!

Now, on to your work for today -you have four items for your Literature To Do list:

• Complete the 🥳Hooray for 8th graders🥳 form (5 – 15 minutes)
• Poetic Device Practice assignment (12 – 15 minutes)
• Daily Reading (20 – 35 minutes)
• Appreciate your first educators – your parents/guardians (all day!)

Let’s get started!

1. Complete the 🥳Hooray for 8th graders🥳 form (5 – 15 minutes)
   • The 6th and 7th graders want to celebrate you in style, but we need some help!
   • Please complete the form on Teams and let me know if you have questions
2. Poetic Device Practice assignment (12 – 15 minutes)
   • We will be writing our own poetry soon, so it’s helpful to review what we know about poetry.
   • You can find some helpful review videos online and I have included one here (Feel free to turn off the sound and stop them at any point)
   • Follow the directions and contact me with any questions!
3. Daily Reading (20 – 35 minutes)
   • Read for 15 – 30 minutes, whatever you have chosen, and practice a different analysis skill in your evidence column
   • Contact me with any questions or concerns!
4. Appreciate your first educators – your parents/guardians (all day!)
   • Formally acknowledge the work your parents have done and continue to do
   • Make a card, do a dance, sing a song, make a movie – do something where you clearly communicate the message “I appreciate all that you do! You do SO much for me and I want you to know that I see it and am forever grateful!”
   • If your heart overflows with appreciation – show some love for your other educators:
     • Friends
     • Pets
     • Coaches
     • Siblings
     • The tree outside that finally bloomed and taught you the value of patience
     • …but, seriously, make sure parents/guardians are first and the most heartfelt!

Have a great day!

Good morning 8th graders,

Welcome to Wednesday of Spirit Week – Get Out There and Bike Day! Grab your helmet and your wheels (or wheel, if you are partial to unicycles) and go for a spin.

Before or after your ride, whichever works best for you, you have three items for your Literature To Do list:

• Complete the 🥳Hooray for 8th graders🥳 form (5 – 15 minutes)
• Poetic Device Practice assignment (12 – 15 minutes)
• Daily Reading (20 – 35 minutes)

Let’s get started!

1. Complete the 🥳Hooray for 8th graders🥳 form (5 – 15 minutes)
   • The 6th and 7th graders want to celebrate you in style, but we need some help!
   • Please complete the form on Teams and let me know if you have questions
2. Poetic Device Practice assignment (12 – 15 minutes)
   • We will be writing our own poetry soon, so it’s helpful to review what we know about poetry.
   • You can find some helpful review videos online and I have included one here (Feel free to turn off the sound and stop them at any point)
   • Follow the directions and contact me with any questions!
3. Daily Reading (20 – 35 minutes)
   • Read for 15 – 30 minutes, whatever you have chosen, and practice a different analysis skill in your evidence cloumn
   • Contact me with any questions or concerns!

Have a great day!

Good morning Mansfield Homeroom,

I hope you had a productive and fun Monday! Almost all of you have performed your monologues and I am working through your written analysis, which can only mean one thing (to me😁) – it’s time for our Power Through Poetry unit!

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

• Daily reading (20 – 35 minutes, depending on how many days you are reading this week)
• Personal definition of poetry (2 – 3 minutes)
• Notes on “What makes a poem…a poem?” video (7 – 10 minutes)

And so we begin…

1. Daily reading (20 – 35 minutes, depending on how many days you are reading this week)
   • Remember, you are reading 75 – 90 minutes a week, but you choose how to spread that out
     • Monday, Wednesday, Friday ➡️ 30 minutes each day = 90 minutes a week
     • Monday – Friday ➡️ 15 minutes each day = 75 minutes a week
   • No matter what you choose, any day you read, you must fill out your reading log, paying special attention to the Evidence column
   • Contact me with questions, concerns, reading suggestions, or if you’re looking for a new book!
2. Personal definition of poetry (2 – 3 minutes)
   • Complete the “Personal Definition of Poetry Assignment” on Teams
     • Before watching the video, write your definition of poetry in one to two sentences.
     • What make poetry different from other forms of writing and expression?
     • Avoid using forms of the poetry (poetic, poet, poem, etc.) in your definition. Imagine you are defining the word for someone who has no clue what it means – like if I were defining the word “sclarftoobentork” for you.
3. Notes on “What makes a poem…a poem?” video (10 – 15 minutes)
   • In your Literature notebook, write down today’s date (May 4th) and the title of this video
     • The title “What makes a poem…a poem?” is the question you are trying to answer in your notes
   • As you watch the video, make a bullet point list of the qualities of a poem
   • After you have finished the video and your notes, revisit your personal definition of poetry and answer the following questions in your notebook
     • Would you change anything in your definition? If so, what would you add or take away?
       • Why would you change your definition in that way?
       • Why keep your definition the same?
   • 🌟BONUS CHALLENGE🌟: List all of the poetic devices you can remember without looking at your notes. Try to give examples of each device.

That’s all for today. As always, contact me if you have any questions or concerns and have a great day!

Good morning Thomas Homeroom,

I hope you had a great weekend! Almost all of you have performed your monologues and I am working through your written analysis, which can only mean one thing (to me😁) – it’s time for our Power Through Poetry unit!

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

• Daily reading (20 – 35 minutes, depending on how many days you are reading this week)
• Personal definition of poetry (2 – 3 minutes)
• Notes on “What makes a poem…a poem?” video (7 – 10 minutes)

And so we begin…

1. Daily reading (20 – 35 minutes, depending on how many days you are reading this week)
   • Remember, you are reading 75 – 90 minutes a week, but you choose how to spread that out
     • Monday, Wednesday, Friday ➡️ 30 minutes each day = 90 minutes a week
     • Monday – Friday ➡️ 15 minutes each day = 75 minutes a week
   • No matter what you choose, any day you read, you must fill out your reading log, paying special attention to the Evidence column
   • Contact me with questions, concerns, reading suggestions, or if you’re looking for a new book!
2. Personal definition of poetry (2 – 3 minutes)
   • Complete the “Personal Definition of Poetry Assignment” on Teams
     • Before watching the video, write your definition of poetry in one to two sentences.
     • What make poetry different from other forms of writing and expression?
     • Avoid using forms of the poetry (poetic, poet, poem, etc.) in your definition. Imagine you are defining the word for someone who has no clue what it means – like if I were defining the word “sclarftoobentork” for you.
3. Notes on “What makes a poem…a poem?” video (10 – 15 minutes)
   • In your Literature notebook, write down today’s date (May 4th) and the title of this video
     • The title “What makes a poem…a poem?” is the question you are trying to answer in your notes
   • As you watch the video, make a bullet point list of the qualities of a poem
   • After you have finished the video and your notes, revisit your personal definition of poetry and answer the following questions in your notebook
     • Would you change anything in your definition? If so, what would you add or take away?
       • Why would you change your definition in that way?
       • Why keep your definition the same?
   • 🌟BONUS CHALLENGE🌟: List all of the poetic devices you can remember without looking at your notes. Try to give examples of each device.

That’s everything for today, except to say…

💐Happy May Day, 7th and 8th graders!💐

It’s Book/Movie Talk presentations day for some of you, and Catch-up day for all of you – hooray!

We also have an all school mass at 3pm – you can join in on the parish Facebook page.

Whatever you catch up on today – homework, friendships, baking, dancing, robot building, balloon art – have fun and reach out if you have questions!