Second Quarter

Eighth Grade Literature:
Welcome to second quarter. This quarter is divided into two main sections that parents should be aware of. The first two weeks are dedicated to identifying mood and tone found in literary devices which evoke particular feelings in the reader. Because autumn is known for its scary stories, the 8th graders will read numerous “spooky” tales and identify the elements of mood and how they are created in the literature.
The second section is dedicated to reading the first novel of the year. We will be reading Harper Lee’s classic, To Kill a Mockingbird. I highly encourage parents / guardians to read along with their students. Not only is it a great piece of literature, but engaging in conversation about the text is very helpful for comprehension and understanding. Students will be asked to read a chapter each night and one over the weekend as well. Throughout the study of the novel, students will create various in-class projects and take comprehension quizzes each Friday. We will begin reading on November 1st.

Seventh Grade Writing:
Welcome to the second quarter. This quarter is divided into three primary sections. The first is a continuation of the study of narrative as we write “spooky” tales. Students will write their first 5-paragraph essay during the week of October 25th which is due Friday, October 29th. In November, the writing class switches gears to poetry. In class, the students will receive several forms of poetry to read and decipher. They will then write their own poems of each of the forms studied in class. Students will then create a Poetry Portfolio in which they compile their original poems and add art work to create a portfolio. This is due on Nov. 23rd. Finally, students will examine the novel read in their literature class and write about it with in-depth assignments. I will elaborate more as we get closer to the assignments. I encourage parents to read what their students have written, the work they produce is not simply for grades, but it also has a lot of expressive elements that I think parents may enjoy.

Best wishes on a new quarter. As always, please email me with any questions, comments, or concerns.