April 26

Students have been given class time to research information for birthday cards. Students should have already shown their parents the research worksheet and should have gotten parent's signature. Students have been encouraged to ask parents, grandparents, or aunties and uncles for suggestions for the lip sinc portion of the project. If they choose to do the performance as a group, they should practice at home. Unfortunately, we can not practice at school because of behavior issues.
All information for the card is due on May 5th. Students should bring $.50 if they wish to have the card printed on card stock paper. Student may, of course, hand write and decorate the cards. The cards can also be done on home computer. In fact, several students have already turned in their cards. It will be due May 7. The lip sinc portion of the project will begin on the same day.

April 19-23

Students should have learned to spell the words in Unit 7 last week and should know the definitions for each when taking the test on Friday. Students should be able to write a sentence showing that they know the meaning of the words. The sentences are due on Thursday. We will go over these in class before taking the test.

Periods 1, 3, 6, and 7
1. brilliant-brightest
2. conference-meeting
3. destination-place of arrival
4. discourage-downhearted
5. indebted-owing to
6. jointly-together
7. lack-absence
8. opinion-judgement
9. plunge-fall
10. possess-to have or to own
11. prefer-to choose
12. segment-part
13. suspect-adj. ,n. - person of interest v. -guess
14. transform-change
15. urgent-serious or immediate

Period 8

1. badger-pester; hassle
2. benevolent-compassionate; generous
3. elapse-pass
4. fitful-stopping and starting intermittently
5. genre-category or type
6. haven-place of safety or shelter
7. immaterial-unimportant or of little or no importance
8. innate-instinctive or inborn
9. kindle-ignite (as to kindle a fire) or stimulate or provoke (as to arouse strong feelings)
10. listless-lethargic or tired without cause
11. octogenarian-someone between eighty and eighty-nine years old
12. permeate-to penetrate through
13. republic-a government in which citizens elect officials to represent them
14. meager-scanty or inadequate: lacking abundance
15. tether-n. a rope or chain used to restrain v. to use a rope or chain to restrain

Students have been given the worksheets for their research paper. The information should be filled in by May 5th. We will be going to the library to make our "birthday cards" on May 7th.
Students may make their cards on computer on their own on homes or by hand on or before that date.

I will begin seeing lip sinc acts the next week. Please ask your child to see the information sheet given out in class.

April 5-9

I have read The Children's Story by James Clavell to the students. As a class we have discovered the meaning of the following words.
1. pledge-promise, swear, or vow
2. allegiance-loyalty
3. republic- democratic government
4. indivisible-inseparable or united
5. liberty-freedom
6. justice-fairness
The students should rewrite The Pledge using the synonyms discussed in class. Students should use the nouns instead of the pronouns "it" and "all." I have given students computer paper on which to rewrite The Promise and then decorate it using colored pencils or the assignment can be done on the computer.

April 1-2

The student has been assigned a take home Daily Oral Language test. From his notebook, he should copy and correct the following sentences: Week 13 numbers 4 and 7, Week 14 numbers 2 and 6, and Week 15 numbers 3 and 8. Each sentence should be corrected and errors along with the grammar rule numbers should be listed under the sentence. There will also be a fill in the blank test for Grammar Rules 1-15.

March 8-12

Students have been asked to decide if they will be writing in manuscrpt or in cursive on the SAT. Write the alphabet at least once in the style you choose before showing it to your mom or dad. Then write the alphabet both upper and lower case letters.
Students should then write the following sentences. 1. My legal name is ______. 2. I am _____ years old. 3. My complete address is _________. 4. I have ____ siblings whose names are ____, ___ ....
We are reviewing for the nine week test which will be on Thursday, March 11. Study guides were given out on Monday. Have a great Spring Break!

March 1--5

Students will be writing a poem about friendship. The poem should be a minimum of 8 lines. It can be written as a rhyming poem or as free verse. At least five character words such as kind, inspiring, honest, trustworthy, reliable, loyal, supportive, caring, generous, forgiving, dependable, or others that the student feels that are important in his choice of a friend must be used. Do not use vague words such as nice, sweet, good,etc.
The poem will be graded on the following 5 criteria which will count 20 points each.
1. The title which should be short but descriptive. It should not be Friend or Friendship.
2. The poem should be a minimum of 8 lines or 2 stanzas.
3. The poem should be typed or handwritten in blue or black ink on white copy paper or card stock. No loose leaf or notebook paper will be accepted.
4. The poem should be tastefully decorated and colorful.
5. If the poem is not on computer grade card stock, it should be mounted on construction paper.

The poem will be due on Thursday, March 4th.
Please remember that all 10 points are due on Wednesday, March 3rd.

February 8-12

Students should be able to use each word given in last week's Spelling/Vocabulary list in a sentence and spell each correctly. The test will be given on Tuesday when we return to school from President's Day.

February 1-5

All students remember the deadline for the first 5 AR points is this Friday. All 10 AR points are due in the computer by March 3.
Students will learn to spell the words by Thursday, February 4, and should know the definitions well enough to use each in a sentence by Thursday, February 11.

Spelling /Vocabulary
Periods 1, 3, 6, and 7 Wordskills
1. assume- v., supposed
2. dense- adj., thick
3. dependent- adj., n.,relied on
4. dispose- v., get rid of
5. extinguish- v., put out
6. factor- n., ingredient
7. judgement- n., sense
8. majority- n., a large number ( 51% or more)
9. neglect-v., n., failed, not properly taken care of
10. restore- v., repair
11. slogan- n., saying
12. surplus-adj., n., leftover
13. thorough-adj., complete
14. utter- v., adj., speak
15. various- adj., several

Period 8 PreAP Power Plus

1. adjacent- adj., lying near; adjoining
2. candor- n., sincerity; honesty
3. compassion- n., awareness; sympathy for the suffering of another
4. democratic- adj., of; or for the people
5. disperse- v., to scatter; to distribute
6. doleful- adj., causing grief; sad
7. duress- n., a threat of harm forcing someone to act against his or her will; pressure
8. irk- v., to annoy; to irritate
9. ratify- v., to approve formally; to sanction
10. sobriety- n., a seriousness in manner; a state of abstinence from drugs or alcohol
11. stagnate- v., to become inactive; or motionless
12. subordinate- adj., of lower importance or rank; subject to the control of another
13. talon- n., a claw of a bird of prey; or similar animal
14. taut- adj., pulled, drawn; or stretched tight
15. wallow- v., to roll about in something unclean

January 25-29

Students will have a Spelling/Vocabulay test on the words that were posted last week on Friday.
Students are also suppose to get their progress reports on that day.

January 19-22

All students will be turning in their I Learned My Lesson stories by Friday. Most students have already typed their stories into the AlphaSmart and many have already run these off on the classroom printer. Remember to read at least 10 pages from the AR book each day including weekends. February 5th is the deadline for the first 5 points and all 10 points should be in the computer by March 3rd. Please don't forget to show parents your skills agenda.
Students will be expected to be able to spell the words in the following list by Friday, Jan. 22 and know the definitions well enough to use each in a sentence by Thursday, Jan. 28.
Periods 1, 3, 6, 7 Spelling and Vocabulary Unit 5 Wordskills
1. assure-v. convince
2. benefit-n., v. help
3. claim-v., n. collect
4. condition-n., v. situation
5. contribution-n. addition to
6. effort-n. work
7. express-v., adj., adv., n. communicate
8. immediate-adj. an instant
9. increase-n. expand
10.issue-n., v. question
11.oppose-v. go against
12.participate-v. take part in
13.prompt-v. quick
14.result-n., v. an outcome
15.society-n. community

Period 8 PreAP Spelling and Vocabulary Unit 5 Power Plus
1. bizarre-adj. unusual; weird
2. bungle-v. botch
3. deduce-v. determine; understand
4. dynamic-adj. 1. energetic; intense; forceful 2. continuously active or changing
5. irrelevant-adj. inapplicable; immaterial
6. loiter-v. dawdle; amble
7. obstinate-adj. headstrong
8. scrutinize-v. to examine a great deal
9. stunt-v. to limit or hinder growth n. an unusual or dangerous feat
10.superficial-adj. 1. on or near the surface 2. concerned with the obvious only; shallow 3. insignificant; trivial 11.ultimate-adj. 1. last in a series; conclusive; final 2. highest; extreme
12.vapid-adj. bland; dull
13.viable-adj. feasible; possible
14.wan-adj. unnaturally pale, as from an illness or distress
15.wane-v. to decrease gradually

Week of January 5-8

Wasn't this the best Christmas holiday ever!! Welcome back to school!

Tonight complete your 1 1/2 to 2 page story of a lesson that you have learned. We will begin typing these into th Alpha-Smart tomorrow Remember the fewer mistakes that you make on the first draft means that you will have fewer mistakes to correct on the final copy.