Here are the instructions for accessing the online Literature textbook. Remember, tonight's homework is to read "Letter from New Orleans: Leaving Desire" on pages 405-412, then to answer all the questions on pp. 413-414. (Write the questions, and answer in complete sentences!)
DuvalMcDLitSTUDENTreg
Monday, November 30, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Parent Portal, Spelling Bees, & Thanksgiving!
Parents,
I hope you were able to come to JLCP's High School Information Night to get info about some of our local high schools. But if you missed it, you also missed out on the first opportunity to utilize a great new tool for keeping up with your student's progress. The OnCourse Parent Portal is now up and running, and UserIDs and Passwords are available at the school. The Parent Portal allows you to log in at home and actually see your child's grades in all their classes. This can help you stay in the loop about which assignments are being turned in (and which ones are not) as well as how your student is performing in class. If you don't have your UserID and Password already, you must come to the school with a picture ID to receive it. Please do remember, however, that it can take a week or so for grades to be fully updated. I know that I'm behind myself right now, but I'm hoping to have everything input before Thanksgiving!
In other classroom news, the classroom spelling bees are underway. I hope to have all the top spellers competing in the 8th grade run-off on Monday. The top 5 spellers from that group will go on to compete in the schoolwide spelling bee in January.
We have finished our unit on mood, plot, and conflict, and we are working on polishing our writing skills using SEEPS (Statement, Example, Elaboration, Personal Tidbit, Sensory Details).
Next week (Monday & Tuesday) will be Amnesty Days. On Amnesty Days, I show students exactly what work they are missing in my class and give them the opportunity to make those assignments up. MANY students have low averages right now because they are simply failing to turn in their work. I am hoping these Amnesty Days will help those students catch up. For the students who have turned in everything, there will be time for reading, board games, and maybe even a few extra credit opportunities.
After all that, I think we'll all be ready for Thanksgiving! I hope everyone enjoys their 5-day weekend! After today's writing workshop (in which we used sensory details to describe Thanksgiving food), I can already taste the creamy, buttery goodness of my Aunt Donna's mashed potatoes and the moist, juicy slices of turkey covered in giblet gravy. Yum!
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
Remember to check the Homework Calendar, and don't forget to post those Weekly Summaries on ClassChatter Live!
Miss McCoy
I hope you were able to come to JLCP's High School Information Night to get info about some of our local high schools. But if you missed it, you also missed out on the first opportunity to utilize a great new tool for keeping up with your student's progress. The OnCourse Parent Portal is now up and running, and UserIDs and Passwords are available at the school. The Parent Portal allows you to log in at home and actually see your child's grades in all their classes. This can help you stay in the loop about which assignments are being turned in (and which ones are not) as well as how your student is performing in class. If you don't have your UserID and Password already, you must come to the school with a picture ID to receive it. Please do remember, however, that it can take a week or so for grades to be fully updated. I know that I'm behind myself right now, but I'm hoping to have everything input before Thanksgiving!
In other classroom news, the classroom spelling bees are underway. I hope to have all the top spellers competing in the 8th grade run-off on Monday. The top 5 spellers from that group will go on to compete in the schoolwide spelling bee in January.
We have finished our unit on mood, plot, and conflict, and we are working on polishing our writing skills using SEEPS (Statement, Example, Elaboration, Personal Tidbit, Sensory Details).
Next week (Monday & Tuesday) will be Amnesty Days. On Amnesty Days, I show students exactly what work they are missing in my class and give them the opportunity to make those assignments up. MANY students have low averages right now because they are simply failing to turn in their work. I am hoping these Amnesty Days will help those students catch up. For the students who have turned in everything, there will be time for reading, board games, and maybe even a few extra credit opportunities.
After all that, I think we'll all be ready for Thanksgiving! I hope everyone enjoys their 5-day weekend! After today's writing workshop (in which we used sensory details to describe Thanksgiving food), I can already taste the creamy, buttery goodness of my Aunt Donna's mashed potatoes and the moist, juicy slices of turkey covered in giblet gravy. Yum!
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
Remember to check the Homework Calendar, and don't forget to post those Weekly Summaries on ClassChatter Live!
Miss McCoy
Monday, November 9, 2009
Important Announcements & Dates
Just a few announcements:
- I can finally be contacted through DCPS email. My address is: mccoyj@duvalschools.org (see contact info at right).
- NO SCHOOL Wednesday- Happy Veterans' Day!
- Make sure you are turning in all your in-class assignments, homework, and weekly summaries!
- Chapter Summaries are now due on SUNDAYS by midnight on ClassChatterLive. If you are having issues online, please write or type your summary and bring it to me Monday morning.
- Our In-Class Spelling Bee is coming up next week on Tuesday & Wednesday. "Bee" prepared! The top five spellers from the 8th grade will compete in the schoolwide spelling bee soon!
- Progress Monitoring Assessment #3 will be given next week on November 19 & 20.
- We will be utilizing a fantastic new tool to help us prepare for FCAT Writes! It is an online program called WriteScore, which allows the students to submit essays online for hand-scoring. The company then emails the teachers with detailed results. This resource will give students a realistic idea of their potential score on FCAT Writes. We will be writing and submitting our first expository essays to WriteScore next week on November 20 & 23 (changed due to shipping issue).
- Check the Homework Calendar to see what assignments are due as well as what we're doing in class!
Miss McCoy
Sunday, November 1, 2009
November is Here!
Hello, students and parents!
I hope you all had a safe and happy Halloween! I can't believe it's already November- it sure doesn't feel like it outside. (But it does feel nice!)
Well, I've been in the classroom with you guys for two weeks now. With Ms. Flynn's help, I've become oriented to the school, the 8th grade curriculum, and I've learned all of my students' names! We have hit the ground running!
The students were given the opportunity to interview me in class in an effort to not only allow them to get to know me better, but also to practice their questioning, listening, note-taking, summarizing, and writing skills. We have also taken the second Progress Monitoring Assessment, created PowerPoint/Keynote presentations on "Flowers for Algernon," responded to the second District Writing Prompt, and read a "killer" short story by Roald Dahl.
This week, we will be reading "Rules of the Game" by Amy Tan in our literature books (the text is available online at ClassZone). We will be discussing first and third person point of view as well as taking interactive notes throughout the story. In our Writer's Workshop, we will begin the process of revising, editing, and publishing our District Writing Prompt responses.
Just so you know, I will be continuing the usage of ClassChatterLive for students to post their weekly independent reading summaries, utilize the drop box, and respond to the occasional topic blog. I am understanding and flexible with students who do not have computers and/or Internet Access at home, but I do feel it is very important to get students accustomed to using technology regularly in their schoolwork. After all, Julia Landon is a "college preparatory" school, and colleges seem to be regularly using Blackboard and similar online assignment programs.
Parents, please encourage your child to read nightly! Students, remember to keep track of your independent reading in your reading logs!
I am preparing for us to have a challenging, fun, and successful year! I am very happy to be a part of such a great school! 8th grade rocks!
Miss McCoy
"By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail." -Benjamin Franklin
"Be prepared!" - The Boy Scouts of America
I hope you all had a safe and happy Halloween! I can't believe it's already November- it sure doesn't feel like it outside. (But it does feel nice!)
Well, I've been in the classroom with you guys for two weeks now. With Ms. Flynn's help, I've become oriented to the school, the 8th grade curriculum, and I've learned all of my students' names! We have hit the ground running!
The students were given the opportunity to interview me in class in an effort to not only allow them to get to know me better, but also to practice their questioning, listening, note-taking, summarizing, and writing skills. We have also taken the second Progress Monitoring Assessment, created PowerPoint/Keynote presentations on "Flowers for Algernon," responded to the second District Writing Prompt, and read a "killer" short story by Roald Dahl.
This week, we will be reading "Rules of the Game" by Amy Tan in our literature books (the text is available online at ClassZone). We will be discussing first and third person point of view as well as taking interactive notes throughout the story. In our Writer's Workshop, we will begin the process of revising, editing, and publishing our District Writing Prompt responses.
Just so you know, I will be continuing the usage of ClassChatterLive for students to post their weekly independent reading summaries, utilize the drop box, and respond to the occasional topic blog. I am understanding and flexible with students who do not have computers and/or Internet Access at home, but I do feel it is very important to get students accustomed to using technology regularly in their schoolwork. After all, Julia Landon is a "college preparatory" school, and colleges seem to be regularly using Blackboard and similar online assignment programs.
Parents, please encourage your child to read nightly! Students, remember to keep track of your independent reading in your reading logs!
I am preparing for us to have a challenging, fun, and successful year! I am very happy to be a part of such a great school! 8th grade rocks!
Miss McCoy
"By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail." -Benjamin Franklin
"Be prepared!" - The Boy Scouts of America
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