8ELA-We had our Reading class today and visited the library.  I collected Journals then we did our Spelling #3 test.  I collected a homework sampling then we corrected "Survival Shelters".  To end the class, we read the non-fiction article "The Mighty Mekong" by Bruce McCulloch.  NO HOMEWORK.

8SS-In yesterday's class, we read about human development and societies during the paleolithic and mesolithic times.  We also watched a series of videos (available on Youtube) on the topic.  Today we worked on the related questions.  HOMEWORK:  PALEOLITHIC TIMES Q 1-6 DUE MONDAY.

7SS-We did our Latitude and Longitude quiz today.  NO HOMEWORK.

8ELA-We had our usual Reading period and followed this with correcting unit 3 of spelling.  I collected the mood poems we've been working on and shared a line or two with the class.  They were impressed with the anonymous work of their classmates!  We read another non-fiction article today:  "Survival Shelters" by R.D. Lawrence.  8B was able to start on the questions and both classes will be working on them in tomorrow's ELA class.  HOMEWORK:  JOURNALS DUE FRIDAY.  SPELLING TEST #3 DUE FRIDAY.

8ELA-We corrected our notes on Origin Stories and started learning more about the Paleolithic times.  NO HOMEWORK.

7SS-We corrected our latitude and longitude worksheet and had a very short practice quiz.  HOMEWORK:  LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE QUIZ FRIDAY.

8ELA-We had our Reading period and then shared our third draft of the mood poems.  After this, I collected a sampling of "Solo to the Pole" homework and then we corrected the questions together as a class.  HOMEWORK:  SPELLING UNIT 3 AND MOOD POEMS DUE TOMORROW.  SPELLING TEST AND READING JOURNALS DUE FRIDAY.

8SS-We had some work time for the Origin Stories questions.  HOMEWORK:  ORIGIN STORIES Q 1-6 DUE TOMORROW.

7SS-We practiced latitude and longitude.  HOMEWORK:  WEEKLY UPDATE DUE TOMORROW.

8ELA-We had our Reading period and this was followed by Spelling unit 3, in which we learned about spelling strategies for double consonant words.  We had work time for Spelling and the "Solo to the Pole" article we read last week.  HOMEWORK:  SPELLING UNIT 3 DUE WEDNESDAY, "SOLO TO THE POLE" QUESTIONS DUE TOMORROW, AND MOOD POEMS (THIRD DRAFT) DUE TOMORROW.

8SS-We corrected our Words worksheet (focussing on social studies vocabulary) and started learning about the earliest humans.  We also learned about the concept of "origin stories".  HOMEWORK:  ORIGIN STORIES Q 1-6 DUE TOMORROW.

7SS-We corrected a worksheet on latitude and longitude and I distributed the Weekly Update assignments.  NO HOMEWORK.

8ELA-We were very busy today!  We had our Reading Period and did our spelling tests.  I collected their Reading Journals and the senses/swift-slow poems.  I was away yesterday and left an article for students to read so today, I reviewed the questions with the 8M class and they had some work time.  HOMEWORK:  8M ONLY-MOOD POEMS DUE ON MONDAY.  8B ONLY-MOOD POEMS THIRD DRAFT DUE ON MONDAY. 

8SS-I reviewed the activity done yesterday when I was away, including the notes.  Then we discussed a new worksheet that helps us discover new words by focussing on the prefixes and suffixes.  The goal of the worksheet is to learn where so many of our social studies words come from.  HOMEWORK:  WORDS WORKSHEET DUE MONDAY.

7SS-We were finally able to do the Weekly Update and learned about a playground being built on Selkirk Avenue, the theft problem at the liquor stores, the large Terry Fox run last Sunday, and volunteering at the museum.  We study the news and discuss so we know what's happening locally, nationally, and internationally.  We then connect it to our learning in the classroom.  HOMEWORK:  FROM YESTERDAY:  LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE WORKSHEET.

***

We were outside today doing our Terry Fox Run/Walk.  

It raised money for cancer research and it was fun being outside. 

I'm sure everyone will be tired tonight!

8ELA-We continue working on poetry and our current focus is on creating mood.  We are putting in a real effort to find and use interesting words thus enlarging our personal vocabulary.  Our thesaurus is becoming a very useful tool!  We corrected spelling unit 2 and had reading period.  HOMEWORK:  SPELLING TEST ON FRIDAY.  READING JOURNAL DUE FRIDAY.  SENSE/SWIFT-SLOW POEM DUE FRIDAY.  THIRD DRAFT MOOD POEM DUE TOMORROW.

8SS-We've been learning about timelines and the idea of chronology.  We corrected the worksheet on this topic today (it was assigned yesterday).  HOMEWORK:  TIMELINE QUIZ FRIDAY.

7SS-Students missed class yesterday due to their retreat and they are not scheduled for SS on Day 5.  I will see them tomorrow.

***Contact change sheets were sent home.  Please review them, make any necessary changes, sign them and have your child return them to school before Friday.

**We are celebrated Terry Fox on Friday morning.  Students are invited to bring a loonie to be donated to the Terry Fox Foundation.  This dollar also gives them a colour day (no uniform).

8ELA-I returned Reading Journals and reviewed problem areas so that they can be corrected in this week's entry.  We had our Reading period then did spelling pre-check #2.  The rest of the time was used for writing and reading.  HOMEWORK:  SPELLING DUE WEDNESDAY, SENSES/SWIFT-SLOW POEM FINAL COPY DUE FRIDAY, MOOD POEM FIRST DRAFT DUE TOMORROW.

8SS-This was used as a writing period for ELA.

7SS-We reviewed the basics of latitude and longitude with notes and group activity.  With partners, they started a worksheet.  HOMEWORK:  LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE WORKSHEET.

8ELA-I collected the summer memory paragraphs which represent the students' best writing at this point in time.  We then read "The Tom-Cat" which is a poem focussing on mood.  We also spent some time today reviewing our first drafts from poems we started yesterday.  HOMEWORK:  READING JOURNALS DUE TOMORROW, SPELLING TEST TOMORROW, SECOND DRAFT SENSES/SWIFT-SLOW POEMS DUE TOMORROW.

8SS-I collected homework today on primary and secondary sources and we corrected the worksheet together as a class.  We then started a discussion on world view by viewing interesting drawings and asking ourselves:  what do I see?  NO HOMEWORK.

7SS-We started learning about latitude and longitude and will continue this tomorrow.  NO HOMEWORK.

8ELA-We had our Reading time then corrected unit 1 work from Monday.  We continued our lesson from yesterday which focussed on senses and swift and slow things we enjoy.  HOMEWORK:  READING JOURNAL DUE FRIDAY, SPELLING TEST FRIDAY, SUMMER MEMORY PARAGRAPH DUE TOMORROW AND SENSES/SWIFT-SLOW SLOPPY COPY DUE TOMORROW.

8SS-We continued learning about primary and secondary sources of historical information.  HOMEWORK:  COMPARE AND CONTRAST WORKSHEET.

7SS-We had presentations today from the students who had been assigned Weekly Update; we learned about the news regarding hurricanes, cochlear implants, raw sewage in the Red River, and the meth crisis in Winnipeg and other cities in the prairies.  We started learning about latitude and longitude.  NO HOMEWORK.

8ELA-We started our class with our daily 20 minutes of reading.  Then we shared our second draft of a favourite summer memory.  After this, we started talking about how our senses are affected in fall; we talked about the things we smell, taste, hear, see, and feel in September and October.  This discussion turned into a brainstorming chart.  We also started the poem "Senses". HOMEWORK:  SPELLING DUE TOMORROW, READING JOURNAL FRIDAY, SUMMER MEMORY PARAGRAPH DUE THURSDAY.

8SS-We corrected and discussed the homework from last night (Talking about History).  We started reading about primary and secondary sources.  NO HOMEWORK.

**I'm still waiting on some supplies to come in; I'm looking for Kleenex and copy paper.  There are still a few immunization forms due.  Please submit all outstanding material.

8ELA-We started our spelling today with a pre-check and a lesson on words with the short vowel sound.  We went to the library and chose our first books of the year then worked on our Reading Journal.  We set our first terms reading goals and how many pages we should be reading a week.  HOMEWORK:  SPELLING UNIT 1 DUE WEDNESDAY, READING JOURNALS DUE FRIDAY, SUMMER MEMORY SECOND DRAFT DUE TOMORROW.

8SS-We worked on the meaning of "history"--we spent time thinking about how we learn about it and why.  HOMEWORK:  TALKING ABOUT HISTORY.

7SS-We talked about the shape of the earth and direction versus location (N, S, E, W).  HOMEWORK:  WEEKLY UPDATE FOR THOSE WE WERE ASSIGNED AN ARTICLE TODAY.

8ELA-Today we started writing!  Our focus was on stage one of the writing process...pre-writing.  WE thought about all the things we did this summer, narrowed our focus, then thought about how our senses were affected.  We also spent some time with the thesaurus and finding interesting words for our assignment.  HOMEWORK:  STAGE TWO OF THE WRITING PROCESS:  FIRST DRAFT (SLOPPY COPY) DUE TOMORROW...BE PREPARED TO SHARE!

8SS-We learned how to "read" a textbook and spent some time using the glossary and index of our text.  NO HOMEWORK.

7SS-We spent time learning how to read a news report and extract information from it and use it in another form.  NO HOMEWORK.

8M received their immunization forms and a code of conduct package. 

These forms must be signed and returned tomorrow.

First Day of School Fun
Everyone had a busy day today!  Students met with homeroom teachers and got their lockers organized.  While we moved to classes for the afternoon, it was really a day of setting up binders, reviewing expectations, and reading course outlines.  Grade 8 ELA got a survey to complete--it helps me know students better and I can plan appropriately.  It's due tomorrow.  Grade 7SS got their year plan and we started to review the Weekly Update assignment and we'll continue that activity tomorrow.

Please get all copy paper and tissue boxes in sooner than later.

See you tomorrow!

Welcome Back to School!
I hope you had a great summer filled with fun and friends.  We'll be learning lots this year since it's my job to get you ready for high school.  On this site, I'll briefly mention what we did in class and note any upcoming deadlines (assignments/tests/forms).  I hope you're ready---we've got lots to do!