The Edublogs server was down during and after school today.  I apologize for the delay in weekly notes updates.

Genesis: I worked with G/E students in the general classroom to assist with their interviewing, brainstorming, prewriting, organizing, and revising of their biographies, and provided support for students’ drafting and word processing of biopoems. 

Legacy: Students completed station work that helped them investigate the world classic as genre study.  They brainstormed the reasons why they might abandon challenging independent world classic reading, and expressed them through their “graffiti walls” that our class “tagged” during our gallery walk with extended response and dialogue.  Students learned how to “problem-solve” their reading challenges through generating fix-it strategies for understanding tough text.  I conducted reading conferences with all students about their world classic novels, with this week’s focus to help students identify where they possessed gaps in critical background knowledge that was needed to make meaning of their book.  Students also learned new strategies for paraphrasing and strategic notetaking (which involves synthesis of both reader response and analysis of author’s purpose).  They also applied metacognitive strategies to facilitate comprehension of texts that begged the question, “Why do we read the classics?”–this activity included close reading of aphorisms by Italian writer Italo Calvino.  Students learned how to approach the reader response blog assignment that is weekly homework for our reading class, and set goals for this trimester’s word stem and SAT vocabulary study.

Explorers: The Explorers continued their lessons with Mrs. Franks and Ms. Iannotti (please see Field Notes for additional information).  I received preassessments and interest/learning inventories from G/E students that I use to individualize instruction for our upcoming novel study with the Legacy Team (mid-September).

The Edublogs server was down during and after school today. I apologize for the delay in assignment updates.

Legacy Reading Blocks 3 and 4: UPDATED!!!  ***Check your email for information about this modified assignment.  Its deadline is postponed from Friday 9/5. In order to help you manage your deadlines for other Legacy Team homework due next week, your reader response blog on your world classic is due FRIDAY 9/5. Use the handouts from class as a guide for completion. You must turn in your blog as a Microsoft Word document through email to krekkas@glenview34.org or save it to the Legacy Shared directory–no exceptions!

Remember to continue your DAILY reading assignment of 30 minutes independent reading of your choice book!

Legacy Reading Blocks 3 and 4: Read 30 minutes of your world classic independent reading book.  Your response blog assignment will be due Tuesday, September 2–more information on this during your last lesson of the week.

Legacy Reading Blocks 3 and 4:  Please complete the rereading and notetaking (Things of Interest to Me–left-hand side/Things I Think are Important–right-hand side) of ”Literature: Why Read the Classics?” from today’s class; read any independent reading book for 30 minutes

Explorers Reading Blocks 3 and 4: Please complete inventories/preassessments and turn them into Ms. Rekkas no later than Wednesday, August 27.

Genesis: I assisted the Genesis Team during their team activities and rotations this week.  I will be co-planning our upcoming 6th grade realistic fiction novel study with the gifted/enrichment teacher serving Discovery, Ms. Rudnicke.  I am looking forward to introducing myself to students and working with them in their reading/writing classrooms next week! 

Legacy: Students worked on interest and learning inventories to help individualize our future classroom activities this year.  They completed preassessments for background knowledge on our novel unit–we will be teaming with Explorers to read our world classic novel selection.  Students in Block 3 and Block 4 Reading are currently pulled out of the general classroom.

Explorers: Students on the Explorer Team will work with and get to know their new classroom reading teacher, Ms. Iannotti, until we combine with the Legacy Team for our world classic novel study.

Legacy Block 3 and Block 4 Reading: Spend 30 minutes each day reading your world classic independent reading book, and bring the book with you on Monday.  We will discuss your experiences with tough text as part of our lesson on Monday.  Review vocabulary stems/cells from our last year to ensure you know them for activities next week!

Legacy Block 3 Reading: Bring your notecards from Word within the Word with you to class tomorrow.

Legacy Block 4 Reading: Bring your notecards from Word Cell with you to class tomorrow.

Don’t forget that we are meeting directly in room 215 during your block. 

Students and parents,

I hope you will join me in welcoming Ms. Julie Rudnicke to Springman!  She will be serving Discovery, Summit, and Olympians as their gifted/enrichment teacher.  You can reach Ms. Rudnicke at jrudnicke@glenview34.org and (847) 657-2215, and find both Ms. Rudnicke and myself teaching in room 215.