Dear Seventh Grade Parents and Students,

THANK YOU to all the parents who attended our virtual Classroom Orientation last Thursday.   If you were unable to attend, please make to read the overview of my classes, which I sent home to you via your child.

This past week, my Seventh Graders continued to read Beowulf  by Robert Nye, which they are enjoying.  They also finished Lesson 1 in Wordly Wise, so they know my expectations regarding their weekly homework and the importance of neat work.  In addition to this, they took copious notes.  I am very happy to report that my Seventh Graders scored high on their first spelling and vocabulary test, on Thursday.  I am so proud of them!  Great job, Seventh Graders!  They also viewed the first installment of Inkheart by Cornelia Funke, which they love.

Next week, my Seventh Graders will continue to read Beowulf, as he faces the monster, She.  On Monday, I will read aloud examples of myths and legends, in preparation for their first writing assignment.  In addition to this, my students will commence their Poetry Unit with Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem, “The Lady of Shalott.”  They will also review the M.L.A. editing style.  They will also work in their paragraph editing workbooks.  The school laptops are up and running, so they will start in-class writing on them.  On Friday, they will watch the second installment of Inkheart.

The first writing assignment “Write a Myth or a Legend” is due Thursday, October 1.  I will distribute the guidelines for it on Tuesday, September 22.

My Seventh Graders have finished reading Chapter 1 of their history book, so they will have a History Test on Thursday, October 1.  This week, they will review for the test and commence reading Chapter 2 of the history book.

The following is the homework for this coming week:

• Spelling/vocabulary test of Lesson 2 in Wordly Wise on Thursday.

• Complete all the exercises of Lesson 2 of Wordly Wise, for Thursday.

• Study for your History Test, On Thursday, October 1.

• The assignment “Write a Myth or Legend” is due on Thursday, October 1.

“A little knowledge that acts is worth infinitely more than much knowledge that is idle.” ~ Khalil Gibran

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and have a GRAND week ahead!

Sincerely,

Miss Susan 🙂

Dear Eighth Grade Parents and Students,

We are off to a great start!  I am happy to report that my Eighth Graders completed a great first week of school.  I know that they will be wonderful role-models for their peers, as well as great examples of excellence.  They appear to be happy to have reached this milestone in their education.  I trust that they will remain enthusiastic and focused on their academics as they prepare for high school.

This past week, my Eighth Graders commenced reading Animal Farm by George Orwell.  It is an allegory about the Russian Revolution, and the dictatorship and cruelty of Josef Stalin.  They also started Lesson 1 of Wordly Wise.  I always complete the first lesson in class with my students, in order to clarify my expectations for their future homework in this workbook.  In addition to this, for Literature on DVD, they viewed Episode I of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. They will use this viewing to practice writing summaries, which is required for high school.

My Eighth Graders also commenced reading Chapter 1 of their history book, The American Journey.  They also watched a documentary about The Age of Exploration.

This coming week, my Eighth Graders will continue to read and analyze Animal Farm, finish Lesson 1 in Wordly Wise. In addition to this, they will view Episode II of Pride and Prejudice.  We will concentrate on writing summaries for the next six weeks, as my students will watch and summarize six episodes of Pride and Prejudice. They will begin their study of Literary Terms, and commence work in their grammar workbooks.

In History Class, my Eighth Graders will finish reading Chapter 1 of their history book, and take notes in preparation for their first History Test.

Reminder:

Classroom Orientation will take place on Thursday, September 17, more details about that later this week.

The following is the homework for this coming week:

• Study for the spelling/vocabulary test of Lesson 1 in Wordly Wise, on Friday, September 18.
• Summary of Pride and Prejudice (Episode I) is due on Friday.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to come and talk to me, either before or after school.  If this does not suit your schedule, you can send an email to me at:

susan.mcguirk@ecdschools.org

I am excited to be working with your children, and I look forward to a happy and productive year with them.

Education is the movement from darkness to light. ~ Allan Bloom

Enjoy your weekend and have a GRAND week ahead.

Sincerely,

Miss Susan

Dear Seventh Grade Parents and Students,

I am happy to report that my Seventh Graders have settled back nicely into Middle School.  I am very pleased with them!  A warm welcome to Cole.  I look forward to a happy and productive school year.

This week was short, due to starting on Tuesday.  On Wednesday, my Seventh Graders commenced their reading of Beowulf by Robert Nye (a narration of the oldest epic poem translated into the English language).  It is a story that involves a great hero, Beowulf, brave and strong, who fights three monsters.  My Seventh Graders also started Lesson 1 in Wordly Wise.  I always complete the first lesson in class with my students, in order to clarify my expectations for their future homework in this weekly workbook.  In addition to this, they had their first introduction to Hamlet by William Shakespeare.

This coming week, my Seventh Graders will continue to read Beowulf, finish Lesson 1 in Wordly Wise, and commence work in their grammar workbooks.  I will read aloud examples of myths and legends to them, in preparation for their first creative writing assignment, Write a Myth or Legend, which will be due on Thursday, September 24.  If time permits, they will return to their study of Literary Terms, and review the Six Traits of Writing.

The following is the homework for this coming week:

• Study for the spelling/vocabulary test of Lesson 1 in Wordly Wise, on Thursday, September 17.

Reminders:

• The Classroom Orientation will take place on Thursday, September 17, more details later this week.

• If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to come and share them with me after school.  If this does not suit your schedule, you can send an email to me at:

susan.mcguirk@ecdschools.org

Books are the bees which carry the quickening pollen from one to another mind. ~ James Russell Lowell (American poet and editor)

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and have a GRAND week ahead.

Sincerely,

Miss Susan 🙂

Dear Eighth Grade Parents and Students,

Last week, my Eighth Graders and I changed our start time from 8:45 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. (as per our usual school day starting time, before COVID 19), in order to have extra time for reading. I am so proud of my Eighth Graders for their cooperation and attention during this somewhat stressful time of being confined to their homes. 🙂

Last week in literature, my Eighth Graders continued reading Lord of the Flies by William Golding.  They reviewed the definition of “Pathos” in literature and art, and how to apply it to their reading of Night, and discussed how it differed from “Tragedy,” as in Hamlet by William Shakespeare. They reviewed Symbolism in Night by Elie Wiesel.  They studied the last page of their Literary Terms packet.  They finished their Career Projects. They worked on their grammar and punctuation workbooks.

This week in literature, my Eighth Graders will continue to read Lord of the Flies by William Golding.  They will finish their study of Night by Elie Wiesel.  They will review “Logos” and “Ethos” in literature and art.  In addition to this, they will commence writing Informative Speeches.  In addition to this, they will work on their grammar and punctuation workbooks.

Last week in history, my Eighth Graders finished reading Chapter 6: Section 3 – Daily Life in America. They finished writing their history notes for Chapter 6.  They also finished writing The Constitution, in their own words.  In addition to this, they started an interactive online project about Slavery in the United States.  They commenced reading Chapter 7 of the history book, which focuses on Foreign Affairs in the New Republic.

This week in history, my Eighth Graders will continue reading Chapter 7 of their history books.  They will watch a YOU TUBE documentary about American history.  They will review for their History Test of Chapter 6, which will be given on Wednesday, April 1.

Reminder: Spring Break commences on April 6 through April 12.  Online classes resume on Monday, April 13, at 8:30 a.m.

The homework for this week is as follows:

• Study for the History Test on Wednesday, April 1.
• Study for the spelling/vocabulary test of Lesson 19 in Wordly Wise, on Friday.
• Complete all the exercises in Lesson 19 of Wordly Wise for Friday.

Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere. ~ Proverb

Enjoy your weekend and have a grand week ahead.

Fondly,

Miss Susan 🙂

Dear Eighth Grade Parents and Students,

THANK YOU to all my Eighth Graders for showing up to your English and History classes online, from Wednesday through Friday.  Well done!  I am proud of you! 🙂 The daily routine of English and History classes will continue online, until we can return to school, i.e. 8:45a.m. to 10:15a.m.

This week in literature, my Eighth Graders will continue reading Lord of the Flies by William Golding.  They will finish analyzing Night by Elie Wiesel. They have finished their Career Project, but some students need to turn in their three interviews.  Their next writing assignment is, “Write a Speech,” for presentation.  In addition to this, they will return to their Literary Devices.  They will also work in their grammar and punctuation workbooks.  There will be no Wordly Wise homework this week, as my Eighth Graders have a lot on their plates regarding History writing assignments.

This week in history, my Eighth Graders will take notes for Chapter 6: Section 3.  They will complete an online history project about the Powers of the Government, and they will work on a new online project about Slavery in America. They will finish writing The Constitution, in their own words, as they are now past the due date.

The homework for this week is as follows:

• Turn in the three interviews for the Career Project, which are now due on Friday, March 27.
• Finish writing The Constitution, in your own words.
• Finish writing the essay about the Powers of Government.
• Complete the online project about Slavery in America during class.

It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.

~ Henry David Thoreau

Enjoy your weekend and have a grand week ahead.

Fondly,

Miss Susan 🙂

Dear Eighth Grade Parents and Students,

I will be available for my English and History classes online, through Google Meet, starting on Wednesday, March 18, at 8:45a.m.  I am asking my students to check in at 8:40a.m., so we can start on time. We will continue our classes as per our regular daily schedule. 🙂

This week in literature, my Eighth Graders will analyze Night by Elie Wiesel, now that we have finished reading it. Mid-week, they will start reading their next book, Lord of the Flies by William Golding.  They will work on their grammar and punctuation workbooks.  They will write the final paragraphs for their Career Projects.  In addition to this, they will return to the study of Literary Devices.  They will also write an heroic poem about either Odysseus, Penelope, or Telemachus, from The Odyssey. The next installment of Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, is on hold until we return to school.

This week in History, my Eighth Graders will finish writing The Constitution in their own words, some have already finished.  They will also finish reading Chapter 6 of the history book, which focuses on The Age of Jefferson: The Republicans Take Power, The Louisiana Purchase, and Daily Life in Early America.  Then, they will take notes and prepare for the next History Test.  They will watch assigned History documentaries on YOU TUBE.

Reminders:

• The Student Showcase has been postponed.
• The Polestar musical has been postponed until May.
• Parent/Teacher Conferences have been cancelled.
• Spirit Day is postponed.
• Standardized Testing is postponed until we return to school in April.

The homework for this week is as follows:

• Spelling/vocabulary test of Lesson 18, on Friday, March 20.
• Complete all the exercises in Lesson 18 of Wordly Wise.
• Continue with the three interviews for the Career Project, which are now due on Friday, March 20.
• Finish writing The Constitution, in your own words. You will also have class time for this project.

The child who makes use of all that he finds around him, shapes himself for the future. ~ Maria Montessori

Enjoy your weekend and have a grand week ahead.  Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!

Fondly,

Miss Susan 🙂

Dear Eighth Grade Parents and Students,

This coming week in English Language Arts, my Eighth Graders will finish reading Night by Elie Wiesel.  Then, they will analyze it and write about it.  They are almost  finished their study of The Odyssey.  They will write a narrative poem about one of the main characters in The Odyssey. They will finish the final part of their Career Projects.  They will work on their grammar and punctuation workbooks.  In addition to this, they will watch the next installment of Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, which they are enjoying.  There will be no Wordly Wise homework due this coming week, as my Eighth Graders will have a Literary Terms Test on Thursday, March 12.

This coming week in history, my Eighth Graders will continue viewing documentaries about Black History, in the United States.  They will continue reading Chapter 6 of the history book, which focuses on The Age of Jefferson.  They will finish writing The Constitution, in their own words.  I am happy to report that all my Eighth Graders scored high on the History Test of Chapter 5.  Well done, Eighth Graders! 🙂

The homework for this week is as follows:

• Rewrites of Careers 1, 2, and 3 are due on Wednesday, March 11.
• Study for the Literary Terms Test on Thursday, March 12.
• Three interviews for the Career Project are due Friday, March 13.

Reminders:

• There will be a Student Showcase on Friday, March 13.
• Spring Musical Afoot in the Forest, on March 19, 20, and 21.
• Parent/Teacher Conferences, on March 17 to March 20.
• Spirit Day on March 27.
• Iowa Testing will commence on March 30. 

Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.

~ Aristotle

Enjoy your weekend and have a grand week ahead.

Fondly,

Miss Susan 🙂

Dear Eighth Grade Parents and Students,

This coming week in English Language Arts, my Eighth Graders will continue to read Night by Elie Wiesel, which is heart wrenching.  They will finish their study of The Odyssey.  They will write a narrative poem about one of the main characters in The Odyssey. They will finish their fantasy college applications, for their Career Project.  They will work on their grammar and punctuation workbooks.  In addition to this, they will watch the next installment of Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, which they are enjoying. Fahrenheit 451 satisfies the Science Fiction element of our English course.

This coming week in history, my Eighth Graders will continue viewing documentaries about Black History, in the United States.  They will commence reading Chapter 6 of the history book, which focuses on The Age of Jefferson.  They will continue to write The Constitution, in their own words.

The homework for this week is as follows:

• Study for the spelling/vocabulary test of Lesson 17 in Wordly Wise.
• Complete all the exercises in Lesson 17 of Wordly Wise.
• Study for the HistoryTest on Friday, March 6.
• Three interviews for the Career Project are due Friday, March 13.

Reminders:

1. Spring Musical Afoot in the Forest, on March 19, 20, and 21.
2. Parent/Teacher Conferences on March 19 and March 20.
3. Spirit Day on March 27.
4. Iowa Testing will commence on March 30. 

The best preparation for good work tomorrow is to do good work today.

~ Elbert Hubbard

Enjoy your weekend and have a grand week ahead.

Fondly,

Miss Susan 🙂

Dear Sixth Grade Parents and Students,

This coming week in English Language Arts, my Sixth Graders will continue reading Tunes For Bears To Dance To by Robert Cormier, and they will examine how characterization impacts the story. They will continue to write up notes regarding the analysis of Greek Mythology. They will study Literary Terms in preparation for their next test.  They will continue to write their Stage Plays.  They will work on their grammar and punctuation workbooks.  In addition to this, they will commence watching Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. They will return to Wordly Wise homework.

The homework for this week is as follows:

• The rewrites of your poems and illustrations are now past due.  Please turn them in on Monday, February 24.
• Spelling/vocabulary test of Lesson 16 in Wordly Wise, on Wednesday.
• Complete all the exercises in Lesson 16 of Wordly Wise.
• Complete the CROSSWORD at the end of Lesson 16.
• Work on writing your Stage Play.

No one is useless, in this world, who lightens the burdens of another.

~ Mother Teresa

Enjoy your weekend and have a grand week ahead.

Fondly,

Miss Susan 🙂

Dear Eighth Grade Parents and Students,

I am happy to report that my Eighth Graders scored high on their Literary Terms Test last Thursday.  This coming week in English Language Arts, my Eighth Graders will continue to read Night by Elie Wiesel, we are half-way through the book.  They will finish their study of The Odyssey, regarding symbolism, characterization, and motifs.  They will write a narrative poem about one of the main characters in The Odyssey. They have now finished watching The Odyssey, on DVD. They will learn how to fill out a college application, for their Career Project, which is almost finished.

This coming week in history, my Eighth Graders will continue viewing documentaries about Black History, in the United States.  They will also continue to read Chapter 5 of the history book, which focuses on Federalism.  They will continue to write The Constitution, in their own words.

The homework for this week is as follows:

• Study for the spelling/vocabulary test of Lesson 16 in Wordly Wise.
• Complete all the exercises in Lesson 16 of Wordly Wise.
• Complete the CROSSWORD at the end of Lesson 16.
• Research and write up your Dream House for the Career Project, for Wednesday.
• Start your interviews for the Career Project.

No one is useless, in this world, who lightens the burdens of another. 

~ Mother Theresa

Enjoy your weekend and have a grand week ahead.

Fondly,

Miss Susan 🙂