Language Arts NewsLetter 
Week of October 3rd 
 
 
 
 
 
 
New summarization resources for your use: 

Check out the ELA Portal for a couple of new, fun resources to help you review summarization with your students. They can be found on the 
Resources page. Click here for easy access — you will be glad you did! 


Cycle 1C - Week 3 Focus: 

Mini-assessments will be on Canvas and ready for you starting Wednesday. 

6th-grade focus standards:

6.RL.2.2 / 6.RN.2.2
6.RL.4.2, 6.W.3.1, 6.RN.4.1

The Big Ideas: 
  • Summary
  • Compare and contrast
  • Argument in reading and writing
7th-grade focus standards:

7.RL.2.2 /7.RN.2.2
7.W.6.1e

The Big Ideas:
  • Summary
  • Compound/Complex Sentence
8th-grade focus standards:

8.RL.2.2 /8.RN.2.2
8.RN.2.3

The Big Ideas:
  • Summarization
    Text Connections
 
Even if you fall on your face, you're still moving forward. — Victor Kiam


Reminders:

  1. Staff meeting is Monday.
  2. Our department meeting is Tuesday

Fire up for fall break! 

Don’t forget to check the Instructional Calendar for information on standards, “I can statements", and resources. It's just one click away.

Click here to be on your merry way to our ELA Portal! 
 
 
"Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success." — Henry Ford
 

6th Grade: 

  • Reading Eggspress training

  • Bubble Students' Data 

  •  "Diving Deep into the Data and Coming Up with a Few Pearls" data analyis 

7th/8th Grades: 

Everything you wanted to know about ReadWorks, but were afraid to ask! Please bring your Chromebooks or laptops.
 
 
 
 
 
 

  • Don’t forget to check out the "Bubble Students" spreadsheet Denise shared with us. It’s a great resource to guide you in grouping students and lesson planning. Just click here to see it. 
  • Cycle 1C Mini-assessments will be on Canvas and ready for you by Wednesday morning. 
  • ISTEP is still embargoed. 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

       Getting the Caps Lock key back
 
 

Google put the Search button in place of the Caps Lockkey. Some people like that change but others may need the Caps Lock key.

This is easy to fix in the keyboard settings in Chrome. It gives you the option to change what happens when you hit the Search, Ctrl, and Alt keys.

Since the Search key is where the Caps Lock is normally located, it makes sense to change that one to Caps Lock.

You can change these keys any time you like so feel free to try something new.
 
 Caps Lock Key fans rejoice!
 
 

 
 
Effective discipline is about positive reinforcement
 
Positive reinforcement comes in many ways: smiling, sharing a high five, or giving effective praise. In the classroom, positive reinforcement is targeted, specific, and encouraging. It avoids comparisons and competition. It compares a student's progress with his or her past performance rather than with other students.

Another important point to keep in mind is to try to avoid using blanket phrases like “good job." Be specific about the good behavior or action observed. One of the most effective techniques is to catch a student doing the right thing or in an "act of kindness," and then provide positive reinforcement immediately. 
(From Stephanie Byrne-Biancardi’s 
series of articles on being positive)
 
 
 
 
Click here to visit the Language Arts Portal