A must read for all my students.

Some great links from Prufrock Press!

Thank you, parents, for the opportunity to learn with your children and for your continuous support.  Students, thank you for always encouraging me to understand how you best learn and for your infectious enthusiasm for our class.  I hope you have gained confidence in your abilities in the reading/writing/listening/speaking dimensions of language arts and purpose in the process of discovering who you are as a human being.  It has been an incredible journey!  I will miss you all!

Genesis: Students finished their writing workshop portfolios this week.  Their work on this project was tremendous, and students frequently expressed their observations of how exactly they have grown as writers, which was meaningful to see.  We mapped out this 6th grade year and interpreted these key narrative events in drama groups.  We began reading a play, The House of Dies Drear, adapted from the novel by Virginia Hamilton.

Legacy: This week was filled with end-of-year activities.  We held our final “Rekkas Class” on Tuesday, where students wrote a letter to their future selves (to be mailed by me in four years).

Explorers: This week was filled with end-of-year activities.  We held our final “Rekkas Class” on Tuesday, where students wrote a letter to their future selves (to be mailed by me in four years) and visually mapped out this year of 8th grade.

The registration deadline for Center for Talent Development’s terrific Summer Conference for gifted students and their families is fast approaching. Held at Northwestern University’s Evanston campus on Saturday, June 27 from 1 to 5:15 p.m., “Opportunities for the Future” is designed to provide gifted students and their families with a better understanding of giftedness and the variety of options available to students in their education and future careers.

If you’ve already signed up for the conference, please pass along this e-mail to someone you think would be interested. If you haven’t yet signed up, please read through the electronic copy of the brochure by going to the Outreach & Resources portion of the CTD web site —  http://www.ctd.northwestern.edu/outreach/ — and signing up for the classes that most pique the interest of you and your family.

If you have any questions, please e-mail me at jodyrosenbaum<AT>northwestern<DOT>edu or call me directly at 847-467-0615.

We look forward to see you next month at Opportunities for the Future.

Thank you.

Jody Rosenbaum
Event Coordinator

Genesis: Reading continued in workshop format.  Students completed their science fiction literature circle discussions this week.  They also gained experience with a reader-response critical approach to literature through the “letter-essay” (the reading workshop literature by Nancie Atwell).  Students developed and turned in letter-essay body paragraphs that explored personal understanding of a text.

Legacy: Students watched and responded to The Day the Earth Stood Still, and also reviewed class graduation speeches.  Next week we will have our special goodbye G/E class.

Explorers: Students worked with the House Theater to develop dramatizations of their science fiction plot concepts.  Next week we will have our special goodbye G/E class.

Genesis: Reading Block 2: Paragraphs and sentence openers due Monday 6/1 at latest.  Reading Block 3: None.  (Writing: Final portfolios due Monday 6/1!)

Legacy: Any straggling reading logs are due by Tuesday 6/2.

Explorers: None.

Genesis: Your final literature circle discussion/role sheet packet is due tomorrow 5/29!

Legacy: Turn in your log of independent reading books for Trimester 3 by the end of the week.

Explorers: None.

Genesis: Block 2 Reading: Literature Circle #2 Meeting/Role Sheet due Wednesday 5/27!  Last meeting/role sheet on Friday!

Legacy: Turn in independent reading log by the end of the week.

Explorers: None.

Genesis X Block: Students worked on filming/storyboarding clips for iMovie editing.

Genesis: After book chats, students chose their science fiction literature circle books and began reading them during workshop.  We held our first literature circle meeting.  We focused on four-line grammar analysis skills, and students practiced identifying nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and prepositions in sentences.  Students continued developing their choice writing portfolios in writing workshop.

Legacy: Students developed and completed their final Fahrenheit 451 assessment.  This “learning agenda” helped students reflect on the nature of dystopia in the novel while practicing text analysis skills.  All students created incredible extensions to the book!

Explorers: Students worked on their science fiction story development using plot line elements.  They pitched their work to their fellow classmates for next week’s House Theatre work.

Genesis: Literature Circle Discussion #2 on Wednesday 5/27!

Legacy: Turn in Trimester 3 reading logs by 5/29.

Explorers: None.