Happy Mother’s Day! My mom is incredibly hard-working and supportive, and I appreciate her so, so very much. Strength, beauty, kindness, and logic! Hope you all had a wonderful day celebrating the people who matter to you.
This week, sixth and seventh graders have been crafting conclusions that answer “so what?”, editing and re-reading their reports, brainstorming and practicing test taking, convincing their peers about what aspect of school is the best (the last day was a strong contender!), and providing feedback about our recently-finished novel units.
Eighth graders have been completely absorbed by the study of Shakespeare, spending their time getting very close and personal with the words of the Bard. If you would like to spend some time with the Bard in a different way, check out this interesting interactive game from Modern Library (I like “What’s in a name”): here.
Work reminder!
6&7th Grade:
- History Fair Report due on Monday May 12th— turn in a paper copy along with the self- check list (Self and peer Check Lists – report writing) in the clear folders near the whiteboard in the Humanities Room.
- History Fair Board due on Monday May 12th
- History Fair 3D project due on Thursday May 15th
- History Fair! is Thursday May 15th from 8:30 to 10:30! Parents are very welcome, and projects will be on display in the halls on a rotating basis starting the week after.
- TerraNova Testing will take place on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday May 12-14 from 10:50- 12:30.
Other important dates coming up:
- 8th Grade Play– May 14 & 15, Wednesday and Thursday
- 6 & 7th Grade Camping Trip– May 21-23, Wednesday- Friday
- 6 & 7th Grade Advisory Dolores Lunch Trip– Wednesday, May 14 (leaving at the beginning of lunch to eat lunch and do teambuilding in Dolores Park and coming back by 2:10, the end of the school day)
In the sixth and seventh grades, students have been drafting and refining their research reports. We’ve talked about structure and what questions each paragraph answers, especially about how to make an effective conclusion that answers “so what?” about the topic as a whole. We’ve also returned to the persuasive writing starters and completed essays about The Book Thief or The House on Mango Street.
The final copy of the 8th Grade research report, as well as the 3d/visual aspect and the board, are all due on Tuesday, April 29th. I looked over everyone’s rough drafts this week, so you should have corrections and improvements to make. Your parents, friends, and Synergy staff are all invited to the Project Presentation from 4:30 to 6:30– I’ve already learned a lot about such a wide variety of topics, from Led Zepplin to Al Capone, and I can’t wait to see the finished products and hear everyone’s articulate presentations!
This week, we spent a lot of time researching and writing! We are doing two things in the 6th and 7th grades right now: writing novel response essays about themes and researching for the history projects. I’m impressed by how students’ qu
In 8th grade, students have begun writing their report about their eighth grade project topic, and I am already learning a lot about a variety of things: from peanut butter to the Titanic! Mark your calendars for Tuesday, April 29th from 4:30 to 6:30 for their presentations: it should be an informative evening!
Phew! I’m ready for a week to look over your poems, quotes, maps, essays, memoirs, blogs, and also, honestly, catch up on my sleep! I hope you all get a chance to recharge and relax as well, and I look forward to hearing all your adventurous or lazy stories when we’re back.
Synergy Language Arts 