December 14, 2010

8B ELA - Corrected the One Survivor Remembers worksheet.  Started a new lesson on "To the Little Polish Boy Standing With His Arms Up" by Petr Fischl.  We viewed the photo, read the poem and worked with our groups to discuss the poet's technique.  HOMEWORK:  SPELLING UNIT 12 ASSIGNED YESTERDAY.
8M ELA - Corrected the One Survivor Remembers worksheet.  HOMEWORK:  SPELLING UNIT 12 ASSIGNED YESTERDAY.
8SS - Working on projects.  HOMEWORK:  PROJECT PRESENTATIONS DUE THURSDAY.
7SS - Determined whether countries are considered more or less developed by using the textbook and atlas.  NO HOMEWORK.

Friday, December 3rd, 2010

8SS - Classes are working on their projects. 
8M ELA - Did our Spelling Test Unit 10.  Worked on "The Power of Light" questions.  HOMEWORK:  THE POWER OF LIGHT Q. 1 - 6.
8B ELA - Did our Spelling Test Unit 10.  Corrected "The Power of Light"  questions.  Reviewed the work of others.  NO HOMEWORK.
7SS - Discussed Push and Pull Factors.

Wednesday, December 1st, 2010

8SS and ELA - Students worked in their Egyptian person SS groups today.  HOMEWORK - BRING ANY NECESSARY MATERIALS TO CLASS ON THURSDAY.  COMPLETE ANY WORK DISCUSSED WITHIN THE GROUPS.

**Report cards went home today with Parent-Teacher Conference forms.  Schedules for conferences are created on a first come-first serve basis. 

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

8MSS - Briefly reviewed the information for Ahmose, Hatshepsut, and Tuthmosis III.  NO HOMEWORK.
8BSS - Discussed the qualities of a great leader.  NO HOMEWORK.
8ELA - Read "When I Was a Little Girl" by Joy Kogawa.  Summarized what we learned regarding Japanese-Canadians during WWII.  Introduced to Holocaust Vocabulary.  HOMEWORK:  TEN HOLOCAUST VOCABULARY WORDS AND DEFINITIONS.  8B:  MUST ALSO READ "NOTES ON THE SECOND WORLD WAR..." AND HIGHLIGHT.
7SS - Worked on Vegetation Chart.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

8MSS - Discussed the characteristics of a good leader.  Reviewed the PBS website on Egyptian pharaohs.  HOMEWORK:  LEARNING ABOUT THE PHARAOHS (AHMOSE, HATSHEPSUT, TUTHOMOSIS II ONLY)  Use the same website as last class:  www.pbs.org/empires/egypt/index.html
8ELA - KWL on Japanese-Canadians and read "Enemies" by Shiyuza Takashima.  HOMEWORK:  SPELLING UNIT 9 DUE TOMORROW.

Thursday, November 18th, 2010

8SS - Corrected our online activity on Egyptian Society.  NO HOMEWORK.
8ELA - Finished preparing our discussion viewpoints on the short story Lather and Nothing Else.  Had a quasi-debate.  HOMEWORK:  PINK QUESTION - WHAT SHOULD THE BARBER DO?/OR THE ALTERNATIVES.  SPELLING TEST ON MONDAY.
7SS - Finished work on Climate.  NO HOMEWORK.  GET TEST SIGNED.

Remember - No school tomorrow.  Sleep in then have fun by cleaning your room for your mom.

Tuesday, November 16th, 2010

8SS - Lesson on Egyptian Society; discussed the idea of a class system.  Reviewed the necessary website:  www.pbs.org/empires/egypt/index.html.  HOMEWORK:  HANDOUT - EGYPTIAN SOCIETY CHART WITH QUESTIONS.
8B - ELA - Read the story Ambush.  HOMEWORK:  AMBUSH Q. 1-7., SPELLING UNIT 8.
8M - ELA - Corrected Ambush story.  HOMEWORK:  SPELLING UNIT 8.
7CSS - Discussed Climate and reviewed a Climate Map and Climographs.  HOMEWORK:  GET MAPPING TEST SIGNED.
7GSS - Discussed Climate and reviewed a Climate Map and Climographs.

**Notes to Parents**

*Grade 8 SS students will need to access the above website to complete their homework.  They do not need a printer.
 *No school on Friday.

Monday, November 15th, 2010

8M - ELA - Had a quick Library visit followed by a reading class.  Collected Reading Notebooks and SS Do-Overs.  Unit 8 Spelling Precheck and Page 32, q.1-5.  Corrected The Sniper.  Read Ambush.  HOMEWORK:  SPELLING UNIT 8 AND AMBUSH QUESTIONS 1-7.
8B - ELA - Collected Reading Notebooks and SS Do-Overs.  Unit 8 Spelling Precheck and
Page 32, q.1-5.HOMEWORK:  SPELLING UNIT 8.

**A short survey was sent home today asking questions about your family's technology.  Please have it returned by Thursday.  Remember that there is no school on Friday.

Wednesday, November 10th, 2010

8ELA - Students copied questions 1 - 7 for the short story The Sniper.  We had work time in class.  HOMEWORK:  THE SNIPER Q.1-7.
8SS - Handed back and reviewed Early Peoples Project.  Handed back Gift of the Nile Pink Questions.  HOMEWORK:  PINK QUESTION DO-OVERS.
7SS - 7G - Corrected Climate definitions.
7SS - 7C - Missed class due to Remembrance Ceremony.

**No school tomorrow.  Take the time to enjoy our outdoors and time with family and friends; remember those who gave their lives so that you could have the lifestyle that you do.
**No school Friday.  Teachers will be at professional development meetings.

Monday, November 8, 2010

8BSS - Finished reading about Egyptian religion.  Students copied questions from the board.  HOMEWORK- EGYPTIAN RELIGION Q. 1 - 7 DUE TOMORROW.

8MSS - Read The Eye of Horus.  HOMEWORK - FINISH READING THE EYE OF HORUS, HILIGHT, AND UPDATE WHO'S WHO.

8ELA - Started a new unit on War and Conflict.  Students made posters focussing on War or Peace and shared them with the class.  Collected Reading Notebooks.  No Spelling this week due to the 3 day week.  NO HOMEWORK.

7SS - Wrote the Mapping Test.  NO HOMEWORK.

Friday, November 5th, 2010

8B-SS - Corrected the British Museum Challenge.  Started reading The Eye of Horus.  HOMEWORK:  FINISH READING HORUS HANDOUT, HIGHLIGHT, AND ADD TO WHO'S WHO LIST.

8ELA - Nature Unit Writing Packages were collected today.  Students presented their favourite poem and shared their packages with classmates. 

7SS - Corrected Geography Terms Questions and orally quizzed with map questions.  HOMEWORK:  MAP TEST ON MONDAY, NOVEMBER 8.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

8ELA - WRITING PACKAGES DUE TOMORROW.  BE READY FOR YOUR SHORT PRESENTATION.

Wedsnesday, November 3, 2010

8SS- Reviewed answers to Technology questions. Created definitions in class. Homework: Two examples of TECHNOLOGY and an EXPLANATION of WHY THEY ARE TECHNOLOGY.

8 ELA- Worked on Writing Packages. Reading Notebooks and Unit 7 Spelling Tests were returned. HOMEWORK: ONLY 2 DAYS LEFT TO COMPLETE WRITNG PACKAGES.

7SS- Collected World Maps. HOMEWORK: GEOGRAPHY TERMS. TEST: MONDAY, NOVEMBER 8.  

Monday, November 1st, 2010

8ELA - Did the Unit 7 Spelling Test.  Students scoring 20/20 for this block of spelling tests will be exempt from the review unit and test and get to participate in a Coffee Break Party.  I also collected the Reading Notebooks.  Students continued working on the Nature Unit Writing Package which is due November 5th.  HOMEWORK:  WRITING PACKAGE

Students participated in a House Assembly for the month of November and we will focus on the virtue of Peacefulness.  We also went to mass this morning to celebrate All Saints Day.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

8ELA - Students began working on the Nature Unit Writing Package.  This large project has the student reading an article or story, reading poetry, writing poetry, presenting to the class and compiling all the work into a covered booklet.  DUE NOVEMBER 5TH.

8SS - Worked on the interactive whiteboard today with the British Museum website.  Our focus was Egyptian geography and resources.  HOMEWORK:  BRITISH MUSEUM CHALLENGE (AN ONLINE ACTIVITY) DUE TOMORROW.  Address:  http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/
7SS - Corrected the Europe and Africa maps.  HOMEWORK:  ASIA AND AUSTRALIA MAPS DUE TOMORROW.

We will be doing more online activities, some of which will be assigned for homework.  There will also be times when homework will be emailed in rather than printed.  Please make sure that students have access to the internet and a working printer on a regular basis.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

8M-ELA - Reading Class was followed by a short book talk.  We then moved to correcting Spelling Unit 7.
8B-ELA - Corrected Spelling Unit 7.

This afternoon, both grade 8 classes saw the play Jake's Gift; this was about a veteran Canadian soldier returning to Juno Beach and his contact with a young French girl who tends the graves of the Canadian soldiers.  HOMEWORK:  PLAY REFLECTION due tomorrow.

Please remember your Kraft Dinner donation for the House Cup Challenge!

Thursday, October 21, 2010

8SS - Reviewed the Sort and Predict.  Read p. 70 and 71 from the text and began the Who's Who page.  NO HOMEWORK.
8ELA - Spelling Review Units 1 - 5 Test.  Reviewed the instructions for the environmental poem and spent time reviewing relevant books and starting SQ3R/idea webs.  NO HOMEWORK.
7SS - Learned and made notes on Basic Geography Vocabulary (peninsula, strait, isthmus, mountain). Applied knowledge to world wall map.  HOMEWORK:  NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICA MAPS DUE MONDAY.

Have a great long weekend.  Next week's House Challenge:  Kraft Dinner.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

8SS - Reviewed homework from last class about important places in early civilizations.  Worked on a Sort and Predict:  Stone Age and Bronze Age.  NO HOMEWORK.
8B - ELA - Corrected spelling review unit.  Goup poetry activity.  HOMEWORK:  IDENTIFY 3 HUMAN MADE ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS, EXPLAIN EACH, AND COME TO CLASS WITH SOME RESEARCH ON YOUR TOPIC.  SPELLING TEST TOMORROW FOR THOSE NOT EXEMPT.
8M - ELA - Corrected spelling review unit.   SPELLING TEST TOMORROW FOR THOSE NOT EXEMPT.
7SS - Collected signed tests.  Worked on creating a mental map then checked our work.  NO HOMEWORK.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

8SS-Geography lesson on early civilizations.  HOMEWORK TODAY DUE TOMORROW:  IMPORTANT PLACES WORKSHEET.
8M-ELA-Reading class.  Group work on nature poems.  HOMEWORK TODAY DUE TOMORROW:  RESEARCH 3 ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS AND PRINT OUT INFORMATION ON ONE SPECIFIC PROBLEM.  SPELLING REVIEW UNIT DUE TOMORROW.
8B-ELA-Corrected "Operation Survival".

Please bring in your canned fruit/vegetables for our House Cup Challenge.

Monday, October 18, 2010

8SS - Tests from Friday were returned today.  PARENTS MUST SIGN THE TEST AND STUDENTS MUST RETURN THEM TOMORROW.  No homework assigned.
8ELA - Unit 5 Spelling Tests from Friday were returned today.  Pink questions from Friday were returned today.  Spelling Review Unit was assigned today and will be corrected on Wednesday.  Congratulations to those students who scored 20/20 on the first five units; they are exempt from this week's spelling work and test!
7SS - Tests from Friday were returned today.  PARENTS MUST SIGN THE TEST AND STUDENTS MUST RETURN THEM TOMORROW.  We started our geography unit with a quick map quiz, checking to see what we already know.  No homework assigned.

Parents and Families - A letter was sent home today with grade 8 students regarding SS/ELA class routines.  Please review this information.  Pink questions scoring 2.5/5 or less and re-do questions are always due the next day.

Please remember to bring in your canned fruit or vegetables for our House Challenge (go get it right now and put it in your backpack!). 

Friday, October 15, 2010

8SS - TESTS.  No homework assigned.
8ELA - 8M - Did Unit 5 Spelling Test and corrected "Operation Survival" story.  No homework assigned.  READING NOTEBOOKS DUE MONDAY.
8B - Library. Did Unit 5 Spelling Test. Work class for Operation Survival Q 1-6 and assigned as HOMEWORK.  READING NOTEBOOKS DUE MONDAY.
7SS - TESTS.  No homework assigned.

Thanks to all who brought in canned meat for the week's house challenge.  Next week's donation item is canned fruit and vegetables.  Please find an item to bring in ...especially if you're in St. Francis House.  Have a nice weekend, go outside, and enjoy the sunshine and beautiful fall colours!

Thursday, October 14, 2010

8SS - No work assigned today.  TEST TOMORROW - EARLY PEOPLE
8ELA - "Operation Survival" Q 1-6 due tomorrow.  SPELLING TEST TOMORROW UNIT 5.  8B does not have "Operation Survival" for homework today, 8M only.
7SS - In class studying and making index cards.  TEST TOMORROW - THE GLOBE

Please remember to bring in your tin of canned meat (tuna, salmon, ham, chicken, etc.) for the house challenge.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

8SS - Corrected Early Towns (Q 1- 4) and collected Pink Question (Would you rather be a farmer or a hunter/gatherer?).  TEST:  FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15 (EARLY PEOPLE)
8ELA - 8B - Collected poems, handed back marked Pink Questions (Grandpa's Death), reviewed common errors and exemplary work, correcting spelling unit 5 tomorrow.  RE-WRITES DUE TOMORROW.
8ELA - 8M - Assigned mood/creature poem (due tomorrow), handed back marked Pink Questions (Grandpa's Death), reviewed common errors and exemplary work, correcting spelling unit 5 tomorrow.  RE-WRITES DUE TOMORROW.
7SS - Reviewed concepts relating to map projections, studies unit one ideas and practiced latitude and longitude.  TEST:  FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15 (THE GLOBE)

Please remember to bring in canned meat for our house challenge.  Go St. Francis House!

September 29, 2010

Grade 8 SS - Today we made notes about the Stone Ages by using an Information Frame.  No Homework.
Grade 8 ELA - 8M continued prewriting for a Creature Poem then progressed to creating a 2 stanza traditional poem on a creature of their choice.  Poems must contain verbs and adjectives and other vocabulary which gives the reader a feeling for the animal.  Rough draft was assigned for homework.  8C worked on spelling and reading.  Spelling unite 3 assigned for homework.
Grade 7 SS - Both classes continued their work on Latitude and Longitude.  Both classes had a homework assignment called European Cities.