History Lesson

You might find it strange that I am offering a "history" lesson. Ms. Bloom or Mr. Rozzo are normally your history teachers, right? However, when it comes to local history I can't contain myself. I just have to share it with my students.

I came across a fantastic Facebook photo album recently. One of my high school friends who moved from Ashtabula more than 35 years ago actually shared it on his timeline. I rummaged through the photos for nearly an hour. Perhaps you will find it interesting as well.

Which photo is your favorite? Which one do you find most interesting? Did you learn something new about our area? Leave a comment below before August 31, 2016 and receive a no homework coupon for English.

Story with a Hole #1

Can you solve this Story with a Hole (by Nathan Levy)? To help you in your quest, just ask me "YES/NO" questions by posting them in the comment section below. I will respond ASAP. Check back often to see my answers and ask more questions until you can "fill the hole!"

Tara was seen taking almost $1000 worth of merchandise from the store without paying for it. The store's hidden camera produced clear evidence of what she had done. Tara was not arrested nor did she have to return what she had taken.

GOOD LUCK... Betcha I can stump you!

Grade Six Supplies for 2017-18 School Year

UPDATED: June 1, 2017

By the time school supply lists are issued in August, many great sales have passed you by! So that you can get a jump on those sales, here's the sixth grade supply list for the upcoming school year. Please note that these are supplies that are needed ALL YEAR; they are often depleted and/or lost during the year. If this occurs, the supply will NEED to be replenished. A good idea is to buy extra now while everything is on sale, keep a small stock pile at home, and your student will have replacements directly at hand.

These are supplies that students need to have ALL YEAR LONG. If a student loses, breaks, or runs out of a supply, he/she will need a replacement.

• Composition Notebooks (NOT spiral): one for Language Arts, one for Science... no page is to EVER BE TORN OUT of these
• One five subject spiral notebook for Spelling
• Loose leaf paper (not spiral)
• small binder to store paper
• Spiral notebooks for Social Studies and Math
• Pocket folder for homework and take home materials
• Pack of 3 x 5 white index cards
• Pack of small post-it notes
• Scotch tape
• Scissors
• Ruler
• Elmer's School Glue (brand matters) NOT glue sticks
• Blue or Black pens (several)
• Pencils (several)... I HIGHLY recommend Ticonderoga!
• pencil top erasers or hand held eraser
• Colored pencils
• Small pack of crayons
• Black fine Sharpie pen
• Black ultra fine Sharpie pen
• ONE highlighter
• Hand held pencil sharpener
• jump drive, thumb drive, memory stick (does not need to be large capacity, choose an inexpensive one)
• inexpensive headphones or ear buds
• Roll of colorful duct tape (used for STEM activities in Science)
• Roll of paper towels
• Box of tissues
• Container of Clorox wipes
• lock for locker
• SMALL box/bag in which to keep supplies...MUST fit INSIDE the locker

Supplies that are NOT needed and students often  beg parents to buy...

• Colored pens
• hole puncher
• stapler
• GIANT tool  box
• compass
• whiteout
• large set of Sharpies or markers
• Large binder
• fancy craft scissors
• decorative tape

Summer Reading gr. 6

One of the first units of study in sixth grade will be learning about the Newbery Award, an award given to outstanding American children’s literature. In fact, we’ve already begun delving into this wonderful award. To help prepare the students for their study and to help them maintain their reading skills, each student is asked to read at least TWO books from the Newbery Award and Honor list that can be found at this web address...

http://goo.gl/lyc12i

If you have a digital reader, such as a Kindle or a Nook, please install a free app called OverDrive if you have not yet done so. It can be downloaded from iTunes or GooglePlay and will permit you to check-out digital books from the local public library. You will need to have an active library card from one of the public libraries in the area in order to check out a book. There are even audio-digital books that can be borrowed.

It is a good idea to take BRIEF notes on each book read as an aid for remembering details such as characters, setting, main events, problem/solution, figurative language, etc. Whatever form these notes take is OK, just keep them BRIEF. You can use the notes for writing special book reports in August/September when the new school year begins.

If you have any questions regarding the summer reading assignment, I am most easily reached via email at teachersdesk@yahoo.com or by phone/text at 440-990-0158.

Feel free to ask questions here on this post as well. Just leave a comment below and I will respond as soon as possible.

Summer 2016 Reading List for SJS gr. 7/8

The 2017 Ashtabula County English Festival books have been selected and are ready to be read! St. John students who will be enrolled in grs. 7-8 for the 2015-17 school year, you are required to read TWO of the following titles over the summer prior to school starting in August 2016.

* The remainder of the books need to be read prior to the English Festival in mid-March.

Echo by Paula Munoz Ryan

Woof by Spencer Quinn

Bomb by Steve Sheinkin

Navigating Early by Clare Vanderpool

Legend by Marie Lu

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander

As you read your selected titles this summer, please take notes regarding important information: characters, setting, figurative language, theme, conflict. Note page numbers so that it is easy for you to relocate the text evidence once classes resume. If you are using a digital book, you can highlight portions of the text; however, you still might like to keep a hard copy of your notations and numerical locations.

Ashtabula County English Festival 2016 Internet Session: Book Trailers

On Friday, March 18, 2016, the Ashtabula County English Festival was held at Kent State Ashtabula Campus. Seventh and eighth graders from local schools participated in fun and engaging activities that celebrated a cadre of books they had elected to read throughout the school year:

Bulu: African Wonder Dog by Dick Houston
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
The Bar Code Tattoo by Suzanne Weyn
Hoot by Carl Hiaasen
Jump into the Sky by Shelley Pearsall
Counting by 7's by Holly Goldberg Sloan
Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis
Blink Once by Cylin Busby

During the English Festival students played games, wrote poetry and stories, discussed issues, and role-played situations related to these novels. One activity that some participated in required them to utilize technology to create a book trailer, similar to a Hollywood movie trailer, that would entice others to want to read their favorite book on the list. Using the website Slideful.com, here are the book trailers that the students created in just one 50 minute session.