Hello 6th graders!

I'm back, and it feels so good! I learned so much at the high ability conference in Indy, but I am so happy to be back in my classroom! It was wonderful to see all of you again as we head into the last part of this week before break. School started out with some excitement today due to the power loss, and we enjoyed reading under the one light in our room! :)

Today was spent reviewing the novel and related materials. We tried the "talking points" format where students springboard off of each other's responses and move on when responses have been exhausted. I know you are at different points in your novels, and it's ok. 

Some of you have asked to redo your recent theme essay to raise your grade. This task was a summative assessment. The goal was to see what you knew and were able to apply in class on those particular days.  You were able to use all your resources to write your essay including mentor texts. There was an outline on the board showing what you needed to include in your paper and there were many posters listing specific strategies all around the room. Since this was a summative assessment, the assignment will not be extended. I also need to take this opportunity to reaffirm that there is no extra credit offered in language arts. The goal of our class is for you to learn the standards which are being presented and practiced daily in class. Please put the thought of "grades" aside and focus on how far you have progressed as writers!

Did you know you can find the lexile of any book online? Just google the title of the book and add the word "lexile" after the title. Remember, lexile is just a small snapshot of the text; you can read a book that may have an average lexile and be difficult in plot. It is just a tool to use when choosing a book. You cannot go wrong with the "classics" if you are looking for a gentle challenge and a way to increase your SRI score.

H/W: Keep reading! It is the best gift you can give yourself!