Welcome to the 2008-2009 school year! I am looking forward to a productive year filled with great memories for all of us!
Please look for the Olympian Team letter that will be
coming home with your child today. Please review it with your child and sign the acknowledgment and return it by Friday. It includes all of the rules, procedures and suggested supplies for each class. In addition it would be greatly appreciated if you can send any of the following items to the Reading Room #236 as we go through them quickly: tissues, hand sanitizer, copy paper, or dry erase markers.
Each student needs to have a novel with them for SURF reading every day. Please check that your child has it in the backpack.
During the first week of school in this class we will be learning the classroom rules and procedures and setting our goals for seventh grade. Students will be responsible for completing Reading Logs each week. Students should be reading a novel of their choice each night for at least 15-30 minutes. Each week a total of at least 60 pages should be read. The following information is required in the reading log:
Title of Book, Author, Pages read, Summary(at least five complete sentences),7 vocabulary words including their definitions. If your child knows all of the vocabulary words in the book then seven new words can be found in the dictionary. A parent signature is required.
This homework information should also be in your child's agenda. Each class was told to copy the information into their agenda for future reference.
The school web site is a great place to review all of the school rules, procedures and dress codes.
This website is a great way of communication and a great way to stay informed of what your child is doing in class. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.
Please be advised that all of these plans are tentative and are subject to change at any given time.
I am looking forward to meeting you at Open House!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Mary Horan, M.S.
Seventh Grade Reading Teacher
Week of August 25, 2008
We are off to a great start! Thank you for reviewing the rules at home and sending in supplies. I appreciate your support!
We are working on an in class project designing an “All About Me’ bookmark. The students have a check sheet and will present their bookmarks to the class. This provides an opportunity for the students to get to know each other while reading and following directions. We have started our Word Of The Day (WODT), journals and critical thinking activities.
Please remind your students to bring their novel to class on Tuesday August 27, 2008 for SURF Reading! Please send in supplies if you haven't done so.
Open House is Thursday September 4, 2008 6-8 PM. I hope to see you there!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Horan, M.S.
Seventh Grade Reading Teacher
Olympian Team
Week of September 2, 2008
This week in class we will have a quiz on Thursday on the Classroom Rules and Procedures and the Schoolwide Rules. Everyone should be studying these for homework on Tuesday and Wednesday night. Each day the students begin with a Journal entry, a word of the day and a thinking activity. These activities will be checked and graded on a regular basis and they will be a part of quizzes. Please send in supplies if you have not done so, and help your child to be prepared by reminding him/her to bring a novel to school everyday. This is necessary for SURF on Wednesday and on any given day during Reading Class. We will finish our bookmark activity this week. They will be presented in class next week.
Open House is this Thursday September 4, 2008 6-8 PM. I hope to see you there!
Sincerely,
Mary Horan, M.S.
Seventh Grade Reading Teacher
Olympian Team
Mary.Horan@browardschools.com
Room 236 ext. 3055
Week of September 8,2008
Thank you to all of the parents who attended Open House. If you were unable to attend I hope that you will stay updated by visiting this website.
The words of the day for this week are as follows:
tacky,proposal,ratify,veto, and override.
Please remind your child that a pop quiz on the words of the day may be given at any time. These should be read and reviewed each day as the new one is added.
Students will complete a daily Think lab activity.
There will be a quiz tomorrow on Word Wisdom Unit 1 Part 1. This was announced in class on Friday.
Tomorrow the students will be visiting the Media Center for an orientation.
Word Wisdom Unit 1 Part 2 Latin and Greek Roots will be covered this week.
Bookmarks will be presented in class this week.
Reading Logs are due for the first time this Friday. All students must read a minimum of 60 pages from a novel, complete a one paragraph summary of the reading and identify seven new words in the reading along with their meaning. A parent's signature is required for an A.
Sincerely,
Mary Horan, M.S.
Seventh Grade Reading Teacher
Olympian Team
Mary.Horan@browardschools.com
Room 236 ext. 3055
Week of September 15,2008
The words of the day for the week are as follows: repeal,fiscal, debt,creditor and bankrupt.
Please remind your child that a pop quiz on the words of the day may be given at any time. These should be read and reviewed each day as the new one is added.
Students will complete a daily Think lab activity.
Instructional Focus: Vocabulary Cluster I Test.
There will be a quiz on Thursday on Word Wisdom Unit 1 Part 2. This was announced in class on Monday.
Reading Logs are due on Friday.
Student in first and second period classes will go to the Reading Lab to begin working on Teen Biz. These classes will go to the Lab to work on Teen Biz every Tuesday. Second period students will begin working in Read XL this week.
Students in periods 1, 4, 5, and 6 will be completing pre-reading activities related to the novel 'Tears of a Tiger' by Sharon Draper which we will begin reading in class next week. Parents please note that this novel deals with sensitive, mature issues(e.g. death, suicide). It is recommended by our reading department to be read in seventh grade. You may want to read it, and discuss it with your child at home.
All classes will be working on Word Wisdom activities.
Mary Horan, M.S.
Seventh Grade Reading Teacher
Olympian Team
Mary.Horan@browardschools.com
Room 236 ext. 3055
Week of September 22, 2008
Congratulations to all of the students who handed in their reading logs on Friday. Most of the students did an excellent job! Thank you to all of the parents who signed the logs and reviewed them with your children. I appreciate your support. If your child did not hand in homework please remind them that the Reading Log is due every Friday. More specific directions can be found above.
The words of the day for the week are as follows: principal,nutrient, protein,carbohydrate,and fiber.
Please remind your child that a pop quiz on the words of the day may be given at any time. These should be read and reviewed each day as the new one is added.
Instructional Focus: Drawing Conclusions
Students will complete a daily Think lab activity.
There will be a quiz on Thursday on Word Wisdom Unit 1 Part 3. This was announced in class on Monday.
Periods 1, 4, 5. and 6 will begin reading "Tears of a Tiger' by Sharon Draper
Reading Logs are due on Friday.
Mary Horan, M.S.
Seventh Grade Reading Teacher
Olympian Team
Mary.Horan@browardschools.com
Room 236 ext. 3055
Week of September 29, 2008
Instructional Focus--Summarizing
Words of the day--calcium,allusion, imagery, metaphor.
Word Wisdom Unit 1 Test--Monday,September 29, 2008. This was announced in class on Thursday.
All classes will take the Scholastic Reading Inventory this week to determine Lexile Levels.
No School Tuesday, September 30, 2008.
Reading Logs are due on Friday October 3, 2008.
First Quarter ends Friday, October 23, 2008.
Mrs. Horan
Week of October 6, 2008
Instructional Focus--Fact/Opinion
Words of the day--onomatopeia,hyperbole,bay,gulf.
Classwork--Word Wisdom Unit 2 Part 1 activities and quiz on Friday. This was announced in class on Monday.
Continue reading Tears of A Tiger. SURF Reading in class on Wednesday. Please make sure your child has a novel. No school on Thursday.
Reading Log due on Friday.
Mrs. Horan
Week of October 13,2008
Instructional Focus--Strong vs. weak arguments
Words of the day--channel, canal isthmus, exposition, motive.
Classwork--Word Wisdom Unit 2 Part 1 was postponed from last Friday until Monday October 13, 2008. SRI Testing for lexile levels will be completed. Word Wisdom Unit 2 Part 2 activities and quiz on Friday. Classes will continue reading listening and discussing 'Tears of a Tiger' in literature groups.
Reading Log Homework is due on Friday. Parents please remember to check your child's log. It should include the following: Title of the book, author, pages read, summary, seven new vocabulary words including definitions and a parent signature. If your child doesn't discover seven new vocabulary words in the novel then the dictionary can be used to find seven new words.
Week of October 20, 2008
Instructional Focus-Review, and enrichment, checking validity and accuracy of information across the text.
No new word of the day this week.
Some class time will be spent on catching up on incomplete assignments.
End of marking period film-The Paper Brigade-Theme: Responsibility, which is the Cougar Character of the month.
Word Wisdom Unit 2 Part 2 Quiz on Thursday.
Reading Logs are due on Thursday.
First quarter ends on Thursday, October 23, 2008.
Week of October 27, 2008
Welcome to the second quarter of the school year!
This week would be a good time to review study habits with your children. Please help them develop organizational skills,and independent work habits.
Please check your child's reading homework logs on Thursday nights and make sure that they bring it to school on Friday. You can review the specific information required in the log by looking at the beginning of the year information here in school notes.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Words of the day for this week are as follows: exposition, motive, protagonist, antagonist, flashback and foreshadowing. Check your child's planner. Students are told to copy the word of the day into the planner along with the definition. These should be reviewed nightly. A pop quiz may b given at any time on these words.
Tears of a Tiger-classes will continue reading and listening to this novel and completing cooperative class work activities and discussions. Ask your child to tell you about the book.
Word Wisdom Unit 2, Part 3-Study sheet should be in your child's bag on Monday, quiz will be on Thursday.
Please review the definitions with your child.
Thank you for your continued support.
Mrs. Horan
Week of November 3,2008
Instructional Focus-Compare and Contrast information in
literary text.
Words of the day-silhouette,souvenir,vague,grandeur.
Word Wisdom Unit 2 Review--Unit 2 Test on Friday, November 7, 2008.
Homework-Study for Word Wisdom Test on Friday, Reading Homework Journal is due on Friday, November 7, 2008.
Classes will continue reading,discussing and completing activities related to our novel, Tears of a Tiger.
Mrs. Horan
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