Language Arts Newsletter 
Week of January 16th 
 
 
 
 
 
 
New resource! 
Use these new RAP practice packets to prepare your students for the applied skills portion of the upcoming ISTEP tests.  
Click here.

Cycle 3A Instruction Week Two:

6th-grade focus standards:

6.W.1


6.W.6


The Big Ideas: 

* Writing about the reading (RAP)

* Teaching grammar and conventions 

  through students’ writing

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7th-grade focus standards:

7.W.5, 7.W.3.1


7.RN.3.3, 7.RN.4.1


The Big Ideas:

*Research

*Argument

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8th-grade focus standards:

8.W.5, 8.W.3.1


8.RN.3.3, 8.RN.4.1


The Big Ideas:

*Research

*Argument

*Author's Perspective 


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"You must expect great things of yourself before you can do them.”
  --Michael Jordan

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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 way to our ELA Portal!

 

“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.”    

  -- William Butler Yeats  


 
 
 
 
Always bring your A+ game! 
 

6th Grade: 

 

1. Standards for Success: information on finalizing last year's evaluations

 

7th/8th Grades: 


1. Getting to know the all-new Pivot! 


2. ISTEP / RAP resources


(All teachers meet in the data room this week during their scheduled PLCs.)

 
 
 
 
 
 

  • Cycle 3A mini-assessments are online and ready for review.  
  • NWEA Testing Dates:

    Week 1: Reading test- Thursday/Friday  

      Jan. 12 & 13*


    Week 2: Math test - Thursday/Friday

      Jan. 19 & 20*

    (off Monday for MLK and Wednesday is Early Release this week)


    Week 3: Language test -Tuesday/Wednesday  

    Jan. 24 & 25*


    Week 4: Make-ups Jan. 31-Feb. 3


    *Use the second day only if students need more time to complete the test.

    Use Chromebooks in your  classrooms for testing 

    If you prefer a lab, you will need to sign up for one here: HMS Lab Schedule

    Step by step instructions for NWEA testing can be found here: NWEA Teacher/Student Steps-Test Day (Thanks goes out to Ms. Harvey.)

 
 
 
 
 

INCREASE TEST SUCCESS WITH ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 

 
 
A lot of attention has been placed on preparing students for more complex reading passages that will appear on our ISTEP assessment; however, another major shift is in the academic vocabulary that is used in writing the test questions. Students can’t answer the question if they don’t understand the words in the question. Determine the vocabulary that your students lack and adjust your teacher-talk to include exposure and instruction with these terms.

Click here for a PDF document with an extensive list of academic vocabulary used on our ISTEP and NWEA assessments. The list is organized by verbs, nouns, and descriptors. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Click here to visit the Language Arts Portal