1. Most academics are beginning to wind down throughout this week and next.  Calendars of assignments that we sent out earlier have needed to be adjusted, so just look to the homework pages in 7th to check for what’s due. 
2. We’ll encourage the kids to bring home extra things from lockers over the next couple of weeks to that we’re not bombarded with trash and so they don’t get overloaded with giant bags the last week.
3. Remember to look for any text books and library books around your house and have your child return them.  Some of you were issues an “at-home” copy of certain books.  It’s time to return them.
4. Encourage your children to re-use school supplies that still work next year.  It’ll save you money and help reduce waste.
5. Send in $5 for the end of the year party as directed in an earlier email from our parent helpers.
6. Dance at ASB this Friday.  WOW!  Do not be surprised is you have a daughter that tries to push the envelope on dress code.  They tried game-playing with us today about how short the shorts could be and if they could wear lulu-l(?) pants.  If we don’t allow it in school, it’s not coming in the dance.  Moreover, they’ll spend the dance sitting on the curb.  No was said to those who thought they could TRY wearing short-shorts and then change if we said no.  YES was said when they asked if they could show us at school an intended outfit.  Good Grief!  Marilu even had a parent argue the fine-print (or lack thereof) regarding points on the permission slip today.  Just say NO folks.  Help us out and encourage some modesty, at least at this age.  Thank you!!!
7. Please send in the GREEN permission slips now for the independent trips on the 14th.  We need to begin our jobs of ensuring chaperones/drivers are cleared, and making necessary copies of everything.  You have been wonderfully supportive about this process and experience!

Hello 7^th-grade parents!

Here is who has sandwiches this Friday.

• Meat for 50 sandwiches: Oliver, Emily
• Cheese for 50 sandwiches: Emma M., Bret
• Bread (200 slices): Andrew
• 100 ziplocs and 2 lg. jars of squeezable mustard: Olivia M
• Fruit/snack: Jack P.
• Parent Driver: ?We know someone signed up, but somehow don’t have this written down. Please let us know if you are the wonderful person who will be dropping off the sandwiches this week! 
  • -  Pick up sandwiches after 8:15 and deliver to Francis House between 9:00 & 10:00

 Oklahoma!

We hope everyone gets a chance to see Oklahoma this weekend! Thank you to everyone for their hard work to make this such a wonderful production!

MSP Testing:

Students seemed to do well on the first test of the MSP today. Here are the sates for the other tests again:

Reading, Tuesday 5/12

writing, Friday, 5/21

Math, Wed., 5/26

 If a student is absent for testing, we will have a make-up day for them to take the test(s) they missed. Please try to avoid any unnecessary absences as it requires quite a bit of effort to not only find a quiet place for the make-up tests, but to also find teachers who can supervise the students during that time. Thank you!

 Upcoming Dates:

5/28: Noon dismissal

5/31: Memorial Day- no school

6/9: 10:00 a.m. Graduation Breakfast. Students that are helping/serving at the breakfast do not come to school until they are done serving. All other students come to school for the full day.

6/16: Field Day- 7th graders lead this activity for the rest of the school.

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May 6, 2010:

Hello 7^th Grade Parents-

 It seems like there are more and more details to sort through each day. Hopefully this e-mail will help you keep up with what is going on and coming up over the next few weeks.  Please contact us if you have other questions or we missed something important!

 LA/SS:

 We have been having a lot of fun exploring the features and organization of a newspaper and newspaper features. Students will be assigned to a group tomorrow and they will be working over the next couple of weeks to create a newspaper about Washington State. They will be working in both social studies and language arts on this project. The homework portion will be completing research and working on their individual articles.

Literature:

 Your child will be bringing home their latest practice test for preparation for the MSP. Many students are doing great at generalizing and understanding what they are reading, but still get hung up when asked for specific details, facts, or examples from what they read. Each student should be able to tell you what skills they are practicing. Take a look at the chart in the back of the practice test- each outcome is listed with the corresponding questions and their scores. If you could take a closer look at the areas they struggled with and have a conversation about how you would tackle that type of question, it would be a huge benefit! We also looked at examples of how the state has scored these types of questions. We will take another practice test so students can see their progress over time. I just wish we got the MSP scores back more quickly so they could see those as well. In the past, those scores have come home in the fall.

 We have finished reading Crispin, Cross of Lead.  Students are writing higher-level questions for review and we will review vocabulary and literary elements during the next few classes. The final test will include key vocabulary (they will have a list) and higher-level questions (infer, summarize, generalize, compare/contrast, etc.) Because of the musical and the MSP, the final test is on the calendar for June 19^th.  Our final novel will be one of my all-time favorites, The Outsiders. Students do need to bring a free-reading book with them over the next couple of weeks.

 MSP/(formerly WASL) Schedule: The testing window for the MSP begins next week. If all students can start their day with a healthy breakfast and keep hydrated, it will help them be as ready as they can be for the assessment. Students will have less homework the night before the tests, if any. Here is the testing schedule for the 7^th graders. Testing will take place in the mornings and it is not a timed test.

Writing Test, Day 1: Wed., May 12.  (Students should have a dictionaries and thesaurus with them.)

• Reading: Tuesday, May 18^th.
• Writing, Day 2: Friday, May 21^st
• Math: Wed., May 26^th

Please help make sure that your child has plenty of sharpened pencils (5-6), their dictionary, thesaurus, ruler, protractor, calculator, etc. organized by Monday. We will check these off on Monday and help students keep them organized and together throughout the testing.

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April 14, 2010

First of all, here is a reminder for sandwiches this week

• Meat for 50 sandwiches: Biondi, Loy
• Cheese for 50 sandwiches: Halpin, Gavin
• Bread (200 slices): Zacco
• 100 ziplocs and 2 lg. jars of squeezable mustard: Saltvig
• Fruit/snack: Genster
• Parent Driver: Crowley -  Pick up sandwiches after 8:15 and deliver to Francis House between 9:00 & 10:00

 Hello 7B Parents-

Having the sunshine today has given me a burst of energy, which is always nice the first week back after a break. It seems like the students are struggling a bit getting back into the routine of school and I am seeing many tired kids. For some it might mean that they are having a difficult time getting to bed early. For quite a few of them, this is transferring to their attitude towards their class work.  The quote above the board in our classroom reads, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, you are right.” (Henry Ford) Listening to students chatting in between classes and before school I have heard many comments that reflect a lackadaisical attitude (the book is boring, why do we have to do this, etc.). During technology today students will be taking a survey (anonymously) so we can have some objective information to talk about. After looking at their responses, we will talk as a class and do some goal setting. From my perspective, there is a bad case of spring fever going around.  By no means is this true for all of the students, but enough that I felt it was important to keep you in the loop so you can talk with them about how they are feeling about school and their work at this time. I will share with you the results of the survey and our discussion later this week.

Students will be getting their projects back for the last book we read, “The Forty-third War” tomorrow. I am asking that they get the packets signed so you can see the overall quality of their work. Students’ goal for the book was to read for understanding and respond to what they read. Many students did very well and I could easily see that they reflected about the story and made a personal connection to what they were reading. Other students completed the work very hastily and their work did not reflect careful thought or work.  They were not scored on their artistic ability for the illustrations for each chapter, but they were expected to complete them neatly. For those who struggled with this project (or just didn’t put forth their best effort), we have plenty of more work coming up in literature so they will have a chance to raise their grade. Midterm is next Friday, so they won’t have a chance to make much of a difference by then. I am asking that you also sign the printout that I am giving them with their projects, showing their current grade in literature. 

In language arts I have been impressed at how well most students are at organizing their ideas and being able to start a well-thought out draft fairly quickly. When we take the Measurement of Student Progress (MSP- formally known as the WASL) in May, students will be given writing prompts and will work through the writing process and have a complete five-paragraph essay within a couple of hours. They are still a bit skeptical that this is possible, but they will do well. Some essays I have told them not to get any outside help, while others I ask them to have someone else read them. This is to help me see where they are independently and so we can identify what goals they should focus on next. Ask your child what aspect(s) of their writing they are working on now- they should be able to tell you! 

For SS we are finishing up the chapter about medieval times and will soon be moving on to Washington State History.  The middle school SS team got together a few of weeks ago and redesigned the program to better meet the curriculum standards of the State, as well as to have a more cohesive program in our school.  Therefore, after this year, Washington State history will be taught in 4th & 7th.  To make things match up, we are taking some of the program from 8th grade and finishing our year with it.  Mrs. Prewitt is VERY excited to develop the curriculum and spent a good deal of time over break researching and reading, as well as taking a class at the Museum in Tacoma.  Once the plan is finalized, she will have more details to share with you.

I enjoy teaching this class, but have been reminded this week about the challenges of adolescence. Some students who started out strong may be struggling now, some have continued to be consistent and are doing well, and then there are others may have been struggling earlier, but are now doing quite well. Nothing is ever the same teaching middle school and it is one of the things I both love and hate about working with this age group. Reminding myself that this is an age where they try to become more independent, yet still need guidance, discipline, and lots of praise helps me keep my focus on the positive. When talking with the class, I emphasized that they are becoming more independent and they need to decide that they can do well, that they want to do well, and most of all, be willing to do it. 

Thank you for your support in checking in with your son and daughter to see how they are feeling and how things are going for them personally and share with them any strategies or habits that help you reach your goals!

March 22, 2010

Hello 7B Parents-

It is good to be healthy again, and I am looking forward to a full week with the class this week. We have been working hard and are pushing students to put forth their best effort these next two weeks so they can fully appreciate the break during Easter vacation. If your child seems to be overwhelmed, please let me know so we can look at their assignments, along with how well they are using their time at school. I only get a small picture or their day, so input is appreciated!

Literature: Students have been setting their own reading goals over the past couple of weeks to reach their goal of finishing The Forty-Third War and the assignments for the novel. We will spend more time in discussion about the book on Thursday, with a reflection-type test on Friday. This is a test that you can’t really study for. You need to have read and understood the book, and be able to support your responses to questions about the story with supporting details. Some students have done very well managing their time (I recommended that they spend 30 minutes a night reading, or working on the assignments).  Because of our schedule this week, it turns out I will not see the students for literature until Thursday. Everything is due tomorrow. Those that have everything complete, and turned it in to me tomorrow, will get an extra 5% for having everything done on time. Since we do not meet until Thursday, I have moved the due date until then. We have heard that some students are more stressed than others, so this should give a little more work time for those that need it.  Our next novel will be Crispin, and takes place during the Middle Ages. We will also practice our non-fiction reading skills and review techniques for reading poetry.

 Language Arts: We continue working on our essay skills. Students chose a problem this morning for their next persuasive essay. They are allowed to type this essay, but need to print out their rough draft for editing and revising.

 Social Studies: The current assignment has been extended until Wed.  The groups that were not able to present their projects last week, will be presenting tomorrow.

Class pictures are Wednesday- students need to be in nice uniform for this.

 Science Fair this week! Don’t forget that N. Deanery Science Fair is on March 25^th.  Please review the information that was sent home last week, in your Wednesday envelope, about the science fair agenda.  If you received a copy in your envelope, then your child is participating in the big event. If you have any questions, please contact Ryan Connell. Thank you!

Sandwiches this week:

• Meat for 50 sandwiches:  Bloedel, Crowley
• Cheese for 50 sandwiches: Wass, Suver
• Bread (200 slices):  Anderson
• 100 ziplocs and 2 lg. jars of squeezable mustard: Juel
• Fruit/snack: Gehrigh
• Parent Driver:  - McCarthy Pick up sandwiches after 8:15 and deliver to Francis House between 9:00 & 10:00

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Greetings Parents!           Happy Catholic Schools’ Week!  Feb. 1, 2010

I keep thinking that each week is going to be more of a “normal” week, but I don’t think that ever happens! We have the science fair this week, and an assembly for Catholic Schools Week on Thursday, so we are rearranging our schedules a bit so we have more than one day to have social studies and literature with the students.

***Please remember that students need to be in “dress uniform” for Thursday and are not allowed to wear free dress that day. Thank you!*** 

This week in SS we are going to be able to do some enrichment activities with building floating gardens as the Aztecs did.  Because of the conflicts this week, I am not sure when the building will happen. Students will also make causeways and aquaducts come to life.  There will be a quiz coming up soon of Ch. 3, section 1.

In Literature, they turned in their camel ads on Friday and will continue to work through the chapters in Shabanu.  Through the story, we are able to being the culture and regions alive.  

English brings us to one of our final punctuation marks this week, the quotation mark. It’s always a challenge to get the commas and periods in the right places when using them.  For practice, students will be writing short stories.  We’ll have a quiz just over quotation usage, combined with correct comma/period placement on Friday.  Monday-Tuesday we’ll be reviewing all of the punctuation marks, then Wed. the 10th will be the final exam putting it all together. 

Have a great week!  

Trissa Hodapp 

Sandwiches this week are as follows: 

• Driver:  Prewitt  (Jeri Su going to film the people we serve and show the kids to make it more real for them.)   ***If there’s a parent with time and a willingness to do this, I’d be happy to send you, instead.) 
• Meat for 50:  Gehrig, Tedrow
• Cheese for 50: Biondi, Schober
• 200 slices of bread:  Loveland
• ***Please note, if you are able to bring in and extra 100 slices, we are going to have extra meat and cheese this week. (300 total)
• 100 ziplocks (I have extra for the other 50 sandwiches), and 2 LARGE bottles of squeeze mustard.: Scherger
• Assorted fruit:  Sanes

And finally, a note from Kathi Hand… 

Reach for the Stars! – scrip @ ASB

 Thanks for your ongoing support of scrip at ASB!  You’re encouraged this month to convert to a monthly standing order for your basic scrip needs, if you don’t already have one.  We are having a school-wide contest to increase support of this important fund-raiser. Students in the classroom with the most standing orders at the end of February will receive free dress coupons.  Visit:  http://www.asbschool.org and click on “scrip” to find the form.   

Standing orders help us anticipate demand so that we have the cards you need. They also help us anticipate our earnings for the year. You can help us reach for the stars and meet our goal for ASB!  Thanks again for your support of ASB!   

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Hello 7B Parents!

It’s been a busy couple of weeks! All classes are in full-swing and overall, students are doing well keep everything in order. There are more long-term assignments going on right now, and more frequent quizzes and tests. If you can take some time to touch base with your child to see how he/she is doing, now would be a perfect time! We have talked about strategies for reviewing vocabulary and taking notes. Since you know your child so much better than I do, hopefully you can help them pinpoint strategies that would be most helpful for them.

Last Friday was the midterm- watch for progress reports coming home this Friday! If you have questions about the progress reports, talk to your child first. If they are not able to answer the question, encourage them to come and talk to their teacher first. I am more than happy to answer your questions, but we are also encouraging students to become more comfortable approaching teachers when they have questions. This is a skill that will benefit them in many ways in the future.

Spirit week is in full-swing! Students came in great sport outfits today and enjoyed our surprise spirit assembly with Jake Locker. Jake talked about goal setting, teamwork, and leadership. After that, he answered questions from the students. One of my favorite questions from a younger-grade student was, “Do you really like football?” Jake did a great job connecting his success with working hard, being modest, and leading by what you do; not what you say. 

Sandwiches this week: please meet in Mrs. Prewitt’s room at 7:30!

 Meat: Kessie, EllieK   Cheese: Maddie K., Sabina Z.           Bread: Holly B.  Mustard/ziplocs: Brian P.   Snack/fruit: Lauren K.

Parent Driver: Suver.  Please pick up the sandwiches from Mrs. Prewitt’s room anytime after 8:15 and deliver to Francis House between 9:00 and 10:00.

 The rest of the week:

Wednesday:

•  Comfy Day.  Wear clothes that you are most comfortable in! Students are allowed to wear pajamas if they like, but they need to be appropriate for school and wear undergarments as well!  

Thursday:

• Mythical/Character day.
• 1^st Day of the bake sale for Haiti relief!

 Friday:

• Crazy day!
• Day two of bake sale.
• Students have asked if they can bring in breakfast items to eat during first period on the last Friday of the month. As long as it doesn’t interfere with class, I am fine with this. They may bring something for themselves, or to share with a couple of people.

Next Week: Catholic Schools Week!  Look for a large hand cut-out in this week’s envelope and directions for each family. These hands will be used during Catholic Schools Week to show the various ways that ASB has impacted our community.

Literature: Students had a test on ch. 6-10 today. We continue to review vocabulary together in a variety of ways, discuss the characters, plot, and cultural facts, and talk about the differences in the cultures. Resources related to the book are linked to the 7^th-grade resource page on the website. If you have not seen your child’s Ch. 1-5 test, please ask to see it- it supposed to be signed! On Friday, students will turn in camel advertisements that they have been working on in class.

 Language Arts: This week we are working on an essay about positive male role models for a contest sponsored by the Washington State PTA. Essays are due this Thursday. 

SS: Mrs. Prewitt sent home updates about social studies with last week’s newsletter.

That’s it for now! Have a great week-   Trissa

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Thursday, January 14, 2010 

We all seem to be back into the routine of school this week, and I hope that it has been a good week for everyone. Students seem to be a bit more mellow in the morning, so I think they are still adjusting. All of their classes are in full swing, and they are working hard.

 Thank you for remembering your traffic duty- this really helps the morning drop off go smoothly!

Sandwiches this week:

• Please meet in Mrs. Prewitt’s room at 7:30 with the items you are bringing!
• Meat for 50 sandwiches:  Pohlmann, Niehoff   
• Cheese for 50 sandwiches: Holt, Bollard
• Bread for 100 sandwiches: MacVicar
• Mustard and 100 ziploc bags: Roberts
• Fruit or snack (a bag of apples, box of satsumas, bananas, etc.): Gemza
• Parent Driver: Sannes       pick up sandwiches after 8:15 and deliver to Francis House between 9:00 & 10:00) 

Upcoming Dates/Reminders:

• No school on Monday- MLK Holiday.
• We have a liturgy this Friday at 2:15 in the gym, if you would like to join us!
• There is a dance this Friday at St. Mark’s.  Permission slips were in the Wed. envelope. 

Social Studies: An e-mail went home today from Jeri Su. Please let me know if you did not get it! 

Language Arts:

I have been impressed with the discussions that students are asking as we review commas. It really reinforces their critical thinking skills. There are some practice quizzes linked to the 7^th-grade resources on the website. We practice every morning and they took a quiz this morning. Ask them how they did! We will have a test on commas next Thursday!

Literature:

Students have been participating well and did a good job on their first two quizzes. One was on comprehension and the other was on vocabulary. Tomorrow we will review for the first test on Friday. It will be on ch. 1-5 and will include vocabulary, culture facts, camel facts, and what has happened in the story.

Have a great week!

Trissa Hodapp & Jeri-Su Prewitt

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Tuesday, January 05, 2010, 2009

Happy New Year!  

It was so nice to have the time off to spend the holidays with family and friends. We are back in the swing of things, even if getting back into the routine of getting up and to school on time is a bit of a shock! 

Thank you to everyone for the holiday wishes, delicious home-made goodies, and gifts. The group scrip was very generous, and very much appreciated. I combined it with other scrip I had saved and was able to get new dishes as most of mine had chipped. Thank you so much! 

I had a wonderful break, but am also glad to be back. Your children have wonderful energy and as a group, have a great sense of humor. 

Here are some reminders and information:

Sandwiches this Friday: please meet in Mrs. Prewitt’s room at 7:30 with the items you are bringing!

• Meat for 50 sandwiches:  Garcia, Bloedel         
• Cheese for 50 sandwiches: Saltvig, Brautigam
• Bread for 100 sandwiches: Tedrow
• Mustard and 100 ziploc bags: Dooley
• Fruit or snack (a bag of apples, box of satsumas, bananas, etc.): Crowley
• Parent Driver: Nordberg    pick up sandwiches after 8:15 and deliver to Francis House between 9:00 & 10:00)

Upcoming Dates/Reminders:

• There is a half-day next Monday for a faculty in-service meeting.
• Don’t forget your traffic duty this month! I am attaching the calendar again in case you need to double-check when you are assigned.
• CYO Volleyball: Here’s a message from Robin Hendricks: Registration forms for participation in CYO Volleyball for boys and girls in grades 5 through 8 are currently available on the ASB web-site.  www.asbschool.org  Go to the CYO link and choose the volleyball registration form to print (2 pages) and submit it, along with the $55.00 per player registration fee, to the ASB main office before the registration deadline of January 13, 2010.   If a registration form is received after this deadline, students will not be guaranteed placement on an ASB team.  Registration questions may be directed to Robin Hendricks at rhendricks@asbschool.org.  All other volleyball inquiries may be directed to Ceil Erickson, ASB Volleyball Coordinator, at ceilerickson@comcast.net.
• State Testing- we will continue to participate in the state testing for 7^th graders (formerly known as the WASL). The format will be similar to previous years, but will not have the extended response questions in math. Testing will be in May and we will send home more information.

 Social Studies:

In SS today we began a study of Africa.  We will use our text book and some supplemental information to discover both ancient civilizations and the various changes that have taken place in the countries.  Throughout the unit students will recall the skills they learned in geography, such as finding relative and absolute location, as well as a lot of map reading.  This is such a fun region to explore!

 Language Arts:

We are easing back into grammar with a review of punctuation. This begins with rules for the use of the period, then commas. We are also focusing writing strong paragraphs using all of the writing techniques we have focused on. Students will be creating summary paragraphs for the novel we started today, Shabanu. We will be writing our first paragraph together, and they will complete several throughout the book.

Literature:

Today we started the novel, Shabanu¸ which takes place in the desert between India and Pakistan. The story revolves around a girl in a nomadic, camel-herding family. It is a coming of age story and includes many opportunities for discussion about stereotypes, personality traits, and how we handle our own inner struggles. Handouts for the book and due dates will be linked to the 7^th grade website.

Have a great week!
Trissa Hodapp & Jeri-Su Prewitt

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Dec. 16, 2009:

Hello 7B Parents- 

I know many students were disappointed that we didn’t get snow, but I know many adults that are happy to be back to warmer temperatures! 

As I worked on report cards last week, it was great to see how much progress the students have made. 

The 7th grade is proud to be able to donate $505 to the fund for the officers’ families. We’ll do a special lunch in January since they didn’t get a chance to have the pizza. 

They have done a great job of staying focused this last week before vacation, and it’s a busy one! Students are working away in social studies and have a test on the first chapter on Friday. In language arts they are typing up their outlines and first full essay on one of the topics from their note-card essays we have been working on. This will be completed all at school so I have a strong understanding of where they are at without any additional help.

In literature we are reading essays and hopefully will get to one Christmas story as well. I’m enjoying the book projects they turned in last week & they will get those back later today, or at the latest tomorrow, if I don’t finish everything. 

Thank you to everyone who signed up to send in breakfast treats on Friday. Students will enjoy treats while completing their last tasks before vacation.

We have had lots of donations come in for the “Christmas Families”- thank you for your generosity! 

Parents of Girls- watch for an evite coming for a mother-daughter presentation in the afternoon on Jan. 11^th. That is a half-day. It sounds like a great workshop! 

Sandwiches this week: Meat for 50 sandwiches: Gavin , Mustard/Ziplocs: Olivia O. Please meet in our room at 7:30 Friday morning! 

I can’t believe that Christmas is right around the corner. It is so much fun to have two little ones at home during this time of year. I just haven’t figured out how to take the presents out of hiding and get them wrapped.  I guess that’s what Christmas Eve is for! 

I’m sure I have forgotten something, but that’s it for now! 

Have a wonderful Christmas and a relaxing vacation! 

Trissa

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Dec. 2, 2009

Good afternoon families!

  Well, the big day approaches…  AUCTION SATURDAY!!! 

 It is amazing to watch as so many of you help to transform our gym into an underwater adventure. It’s unbelievable the amount of time and energy that goes into making this important event happen.  The behind the scenes action is incredible.  Thank you-thank you- thank you for making it happen.  Can you imagine ASB without our drama program?  We never would have gotten laptops, netbooks, or even globes without this event.  So enjoy the drinks and spend as generously as you can.  Then have another drink and spend more.       

 If you haven’t yet taken a look at our class projects, they are spectacular! You can see the pictures online at http://asbschool.maestroweb.com/List.aspx?OrgID=826&ItemCategory=Class+Projects&Selection=5  

 We learned today that Papa John’s pizza is going to donate all proceeds next Tuesday and Wednesday to the families of the four fallen police officers.  I haven’t talked to the kids yet, but we thought it would be great to order pizza next Tuesday and have it for lunch.

 Mrs. Prewitt has everything organized and she went ahead and ordered enough cheese or pepperoni for both classes (7A & 7B), but if your child doesn’t eat pizza or you don’t want them to participate for any reason, it’s totally fine. 

If each child brings in $5, it’ll cover food, tax & tip with a little left over.  We’ll bring any remaining funds to the bank collecting for the families.  If you’d like to send in more than $5, we’ll make sure it is donated to the family fund through the bank, too.  Checks can be made out to ASB.

 In other news related to what the kids are learning…

 English:  We are at the initial stages of essay writing by utilizing note cards to physically manipulate words and ideas.  The students will be generating a series of these note card essays in class prior to selecting one to write more formally.  They are off to a good start in understanding the process.

 Literature:  The students will be reading a selection of essays so they have a more comprehensive view on what an essay entails.  In addition, they have been working on character analysis, dialogue, setting, plot, and theme.

 Social Studies:  The final exam is the Friday.  Any pre-planned absences should be prepared to take it on Thursday, after school.  I am attaching a copy of the study guide so that you may be of assistance.  Today they received a copy and were assigned a team as a study group.  They should arrive home tonight with 3/4 of the answers complete.  The rest are due tomorrow.  If they can’t find something in their notes, they may use a friend, another person, or the internet to help.  The 20 questions have multiple parts.  If they know the answers, there should be no reason they cannot earn an “A”.

 That’s it!  Enjoy some sun over the next few days.  

Trissa

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Congratulations to the cast and crew of Truffles!

7th Grade News- Monday, November 16, 2009

Sandwiches this Friday: please meet in Mrs. Prewitt’s room at 7:30 with the items you are bringing!

• Meat for 50 sandwiches:  Danielson, Braugtigam     
• Cheese for 50 sandwiches:     Allen, Tiesi
• Bread for 100 sandwiches:     Bollard
• Mustard and 100 ziploc bags: Howard
• Fruit or snack (a bag of apples, box of satsumas, bananas, etc.): McCarthy
• Parent Driver: Green-  pick up sandwiches after 8:15 and deliver to Francis House between 9:00 & 10:00)

Upcoming Dates/Reminders:

•  Gift wrap will be delivered tomorrow!
• Because 7^th graders are participating in the Steps to Respect program this week during religion class, we will not be attending daily mass this Friday.
• Next Monday, 11/23 is grandparents’/grandfriends’ day.
• Wednesday, 11/25 is the last day of the trimester. Report cards will go home on Dec. 11^th.
• Please remember to have your son or daughter get a pre-planned absence form from us if they know in advance that the will be missing school. (Especially if they will be missing any time before or after Thanksgiving so we can make sure they have everything they need!)

Social Studies:

• Students are giving their presentations this week about regions of the world. They have chosen a variety of fun and entertaining formats to share what they learned!
• Next we will be focusing on movement and global interdependence. We looked into several different possibilities for field trips, but didn’t have much luck. The Port of Seattle did not have their reservation pages up yet, the steel mill can’t take minors on tours due to liability, and the Boeing plant in Everett costs $8/student and that seemed a bit steep. Students will be working on a project with another student (one from 7A and one from 7B) and we will have a friendly contest to see who can find the most items, or common components of items from a variety of countries. They will be limited to three items per country. They will have time to research during class, but are welcome to spend more time outside of class finding items.
• Next week we will be having a final test on all five themes of geography.
• After Thanksgiving break we will begin using the social studies textbook (Medieval Times to Today) and will start off with a look at the Byzantine and Muslim Empires. Our guiding questions will be: “How did physical geography affect the development of societies around the world?”, and “How did each society’s belief system affect its history?”

Language Arts:

• Students will be practice writing well developed and organized paragraphs. Along with this we will incorporate the parts of speech that we have reviewed this year. We will also introduce and practice organization of five-paragraph essays in the next couple of weeks.

Literature:

• We will be focusing on several WASL released items to identify strengths and areas for growth with the class as a whole, and individuals. Students will apply comprehension monitoring strategies (connecting and responding to text, and re-reading when necessary) and will then be setting new reading goals. They should all be bringing a free-reading book over the next couple of weeks.
• After Thanksgiving break, we will be reading Shabanu, Daughter of the Wind by Suzanne Staples. It is a wonderful coming of age story about a girl who grows up in the Pakistani desert. We will be listening to some of the chapters together as a class and students will be completing the rest of the reading on their own. In addition to general comprehension and elements of plot, students will be applying vocabulary strategies to understand new words. While looking at the elements of plot, students will practice their paragraph writing skills in summarizing several chapters of the book.
•  Next week is a short week, so there will not be a full newsletter. Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns!

Have a great week!Trissa Hodapp & Jeri-Su Prewitt

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Nov. 10th:

Hello 7B Parents-

Excitement is building for the fall production, It’s Time for Truffles! All of the actors have been working hard and we are all looking forward to an entertaining production. Hopefully everyone will get a chance to see the play this weekend.  Homework this week should be lighter to accommodate the long rehearsals in preparation for the play. 

I have really enjoyed our conferences. Students have done a great job at identifying their successes and setting plans for reaching their goals. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns in the future and we can meet again if needed. 

Here’s a few reminders for this week:

• No School tomorrow: Veteran’s Day
• Picture re-takes are tomorrow. The seventh graders will be having their re-take pictures taken at 8:55. Students need to bring back their picture packet, or have an order form if they missed the first picture day.
• Sandwiches this Friday: please meet in Mrs. Prewitt’s room at 7:30 with the items you are bringing!
  • Meat for 50 sandwiches: Danielson and Genster
  • Cheese for 50 sandwiches: Allen and Mullin
  • Bread for 100 sandwiches: Eckmann
  • Mustard and 100 ziploc bags: Pelly
  • Fruit or snack (a bag of apples, box of satsumas, bananas, etc.): Keaton
  • Parent Driver: Green  (pick up sandwiches after 8:15 and deliver to Francis House between 9:00 & 10:00)
• Social Studies Projects
  • Students have done a great job of using their class time to work on their group projects about regions of the world.  Because of interruptions this week, I am extending the project and students will present next Monday and Tuesday. This will allow for just a little more work time in their groups and time to practice and complete a self-evaluation of their project and one peer evaluation of another group’s project.
• Literature
  • We are reviewing literary elements and practice reading for different purposes. Over the next week, students will be reading a variety of short selections, identifying reading strategies, and answering a variety of types of questions. Using released items from previous WASL tests, students will read selections at the 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th grade level to help identify which specific skills each student can demonstrate multiple times, and which we need to practice more. Folders with these reading samples and their work will come home afterwards so you can see what they are working on and what goals they have set.
• Gift Wrap- Will be coming home next Tuesday!
• Math team- it was great to see people at the first math team. Just a reminder that it meets on Thursdays from 7:30-8:15.  Thank you to Adam Gavin for heading this up!

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Nov. 1st:

Hello 7B Parents-

It’s good to be back. Last week was a crazy week for my family. My husband ended up in the hospital with viral meningitis, but is back home and hopefully on the mend. My daughter, Bea, also had hand, foot, and mouth disease. She is now doing much better as well. I am thankful for such quality health care in Seattle and supportive colleagues that made it easy for me to be at the hospital while we were awaiting my husband’s diagnosis. I had wonderful feedback about the students from my sub on Friday and from everyone who helped cover my classes last Wednesday. Even though this week is conferences, it seems like a much calmer week!

Conferences are a great time to get an idea of your child’s progress, goals, organization, and overall start to the year. If more time is needed after our conference, please let me know and we can continue our conversation. Please double-check your conference time below. If you have not yet scheduled a conference, please e-mail me and we can figure out a time that works. If there are conflicts with soccer practices or the playoff games, I am happy to re-schedule.

Homeroom News:

• The school’s new website is up and running. Hopefully all information you need to find is there. Please let me know if you have any questions. Our class newsletters will be updated on the site. I am putting up this section of the news, but not the conference schedule. Here’s the link to the main 7^th-grade page: http://www.asbschool09.org/Academics/Default.htm

I am attaching a letter from Lori Landes about the Second Step program we will be using this year. Some of the lessons will be completed during homeroom classes with Lori and myself. Other lessons will be done in religion or science class.

• Next week is play week. Teachers do their best to modify homework to accommodate the extra time that students are putting into the production. It looks to be a very entertaining play!

• Sandwiches this week: Please meet in Mrs. Prewitt’s room no later than 7:30!
  • Meat for 50 sandwiches: Garcia, Zacco
  • Cheese for 50 sandwiches (not individually wrapped): Anderson, Dooley
  • Bread for 200 sandwiches: Howard
  • 2 large squeezable jars of mustard and 100 sandwich Ziplocs: Tiesi
  • Fruit or snack: (bag of apples, satsumas, etc): vonHagel
  • Parent Driver: pick up sandwiches from Mrs. Prewitt’s classroom and deliver to Francis house between 9:00 & 10:00: Pecot
• Congratulations to the 7^th-grade girls who play in the soccer playoffs this Friday at 3:30 at Miller Playfield!
• Tomorrow they will be taking class pictures for the auction. Students need to be in nice uniform and cannot use free-dress coupons tomorrow.
• Wednesday-Friday: Noon dismissal for conferences.

Oct. 21st:

Hello 7B Parents-

Here’s a quick update:

• Progress reports go home this Friday. Please remember that this is a progress report, not final grades, and is to help all of us see patterns that demonstrate student’s strengths and areas for growth. Student led conferences begin next week and we will further discuss these areas.
  • Progress reports do not include the Bronze Bow test they took this week. I am happy to send out and update after that.
• Dance schedule- I forwarded an e-mail from Kathi Hand earlier today.
• Sandwiches this week: Please arrive by 7:30 and meet in Mrs. Prewitt’s room!
• Please double check the sandwich calendar. Many parents were confused and signed up to bring more than one item on the same day. Please find someone to switch with you for another week, or have your child find other students to come and help make sandwiches. We need all seven students here to assemble the sandwiches. Thank you!
  • Meat for 50 sandwiches: Loveland and MacVicar
  • Cheese for 50 sandwiches: Pritting and Belcher
  • Bread for 100 sandwiches: Laboda
  • Mustard and 100 ziploc bags: Anderson
  • Fruit or snack: Suver (a bag of apples, box of satsumas, bananas, etc.)
• Monday’s field trip to see the short stories
  • The venue had to be changed- The plays will now be performed at the Paramount Theater. We are sending home a new permission slip today and had students copy all the information from the permission slips that we have already received. If you still have the original permission slip, please recycle that one! The new permission slip is on bright paper and is coming home today.
  • Thank you to the drivers- we now have enough room. Here’s who’s driving for our homeroom. We will leave at 9:45. Crowley (6 seatbelts), Eckmann (5 seatbelts), Garcia (7 seatbelts), Mullin (6 seatbelts), Pecot (4 seatbelts) and Sannes (driving to)/MacVicar (picking up) (5 seatbelts).
  • Please have your child eat a bigger breakfast on Monday- we’ll be missing snack and it will be a late lunch. Thank you!
• Thank you to everyone who signed up for treats for our Halloween Party. We need any items here by 1:15 next Friday  Students can wear costumes to school that day. No masks, gore, violence, etc. Thank you!
• 7^th graders will be going to daily mass this Friday so they need to be in “dress uniform” on Friday and no free dress.

That’s it for now-

Thank you!

Trissa

Oct. 9th:

Hello 7^th grade parents!

I have a few quick reminders and updates:

• We start sandwich making next Friday.  If you have any gently used backpacks or small duffles, bags, etc., the people that Francis House serves are often in need of those type of bags. When they leave a shelter in the morning, they have to take all of their belongings with them.  If you have any bags that you would like to donate, please double-check that they are empty and clean. They prefer that bags don’t have names sewn or embossed on them.  Here is who will be making sandwiches next Friday and what they are bringing. Students need to be at school by 7:30 am and they report to Mrs. Prewitt’s room.

• • Meat for 50 sandwiches (they like bologna, or any other lunch meat you would like to send in): Schober and MacVicar
  • Cheese for 50 sandwiches (please make sure it is sliced and not individually wrapped- it takes too long to unwrap them): Juel and Riordan
  • Bread (200 slices): Roberts
  • Mustard & Ziplocs: (2 lg. jars of squeezable mustard & 100 sandwich Ziplocs): Pritting
  • Fruit or snack (a bag of apples, bananas, or other snack. This is just to supplement the sandwiches or if they run out): Morris
  • Parent Driver: Mullin (You just need to pick up the sandwiches from Mrs. Prewitt’s room anytime after 8:20 and deliver them to Francis House between 9:30 and 10:00)

• Snack and lunch at school.  Students have a 15 minutes snack in the morning, and then eat lunch at 12:35. It is great if the students bring a healthy snack at break. Some do, but quite a few don’t eat and it’s a long time until lunch!
• Technology: The new netbooks have arrived and we will start using them soon. Students should make sure that they have their usb drives with them to help when they work on projects and school and home. There will be 30 netbooks for the 7^th grade to share and when we have technology class, each student will be using one of the netbooks. This is a huge improvement from the technology that had slowly become outdated and slow! Thank you for all you do to support the school that allows us to keep our technology updated!
• Thank you for your support with the gift wrap sale!  All envelopes needed to be in today, as it is a long weekend & the order needs to be submitted.
• Our next field trip is on Monday, Oct. 27^th to the Moore Theater. We will leave at 9:30 and return by 1:00. Thank you to Shannon Crowley for volunteering to drive. Please check your calendar and let me know if you can help out by driving. It is fine if you want to drop off and pick up.
• Grading has been taking me much longer than I thought. I have met with each student individually about the quality of their responses for extended answers and they are looking at the rest of those assignments before I grade them all. This way they are clear on my expectations and give me what they really want to be assessed on. My impression is that some students have been “completing” their work, but not always to the best of their ability. Instead of me marking them down on all the assignments, I am having them take on the responsibility for double checking and making sure it is their best work. Some students have been very consistent and they will have few changes to make to their work. I am now hoping to e-mail an update next week with current scores, etc.

Enjoy the long weekend!

Trissa

Monday, Oct. 5, 2009

Greetings!

Last week’s retreats for the boys and girls were a huge success.  Not only did the kids have a great time bonding with one another, but they learned more about themselves and how balance works in their life.  We talked about what things throw us out of balance and how we can help ourselves and others better get back into balance.  In addition, the students received many positive affirmations from peers, parents and others in various forms.  Each child went home with a bundle of letters, a handprint poster and dog tags to remind them that they are loved and valued for their positive traits.

This week is a short one since there is no school on Friday for a teacher in-service.  We are celebrating mass on Wednesday, and the students have individual pictures in the morning (8:45).  They are able to wear nice free dress for the photos. Next Monday is a half-day for a faculty in-service.

In block we are continuing to study various verb forms, working on PLACE brochures and finishing the Bronze Bow.  I am hoping to be completely caught up with grading by this Friday so students can see their current averages and know if they are missing any work. (It doesn’t help that I left my basket of “to grade” papers at school today. That’s okay- there is plenty of e-mails to catch up with tonight!

**We do have a field trip coming up later this month on Monday, Oct. 26^th. We will be seeing plays of the short stories that we will be reading over the next three weeks. In the past it has been a great production and the students love comparing the stories and characters they have in their mind with how the show is produced.  We will be leaving school at 9:30 and returning at 1:00.  Please take a look at your calendar and if you think you would be able to drive, or drop off and pick up, please let me know! We will send out permission slips next week.

**Don’t forget that the last tally day for gift wrap is this Wednesday! Maybe a last minute e-mail or phone call can help us meet our goal!  As of today, we were half-way to our goal. I know many of the 7^th graders were unable to turn in their envelopes last week because of retreat, so maybe we will be able to be the surprise winning class!***

Today was a gorgeous day for the golf tournament- I haven’t heard anything yet, but I am sure it was a great time!

Have a good week!

Trissa Hodapp

Wednesday, Sept. 16^th:

It is another short week & it’s hard to believe that it is almost over.
Just a few notes today:

*       No school Friday- teachers will be at an Archdiocese meeting.
*       Whirligigs need to go home by tomorrow afternoon so they are not
here over the long weekend. I have loved seeing all of them outside the
school- all students did a fabulous job and I hope you had a chance to see
all of them.
*       Retreat permission slips are in today’s Wednesday envelope. Please
return these as soon as possible. Financial assistance is available- please
contact Cecelia Davison.
*       I heard good feedback from the dance. I will be reminding students
that the same behavior expectations that we have at school are expected at
all extra-curricular school activities. Students told me that, “There were
some tears from other schools because they didn’t have to say yes if someone
asked them to dance!”
*       Students are doing well with learning the prepositions and parts of
speech. They completed a self reflection on what they know and what they
need to work on today. Tomorrow they will be showing how well they know the
“A-N” prepositions. The songs and movements seem to be helping a lot!
*       Curriculum Night is on Monday! We will have the sign up for
sandwiches out as well as other opportunities to help throughout the year.
We will e-mail all of the handouts to you. Please let us know if you would
like a printed copy.  It is also a great opportunity to get to meet the
various teachers that your child has this year.
*       Overall students have done well with their uniforms. The most common
“mistakes” are wearing a printed shirt under their uniform shirt, wearing
maroon instead of red, and forgetting to take off a different sweatshirt or
jacket.  Not bad so far!
*       Thank you to those who have had sick children for keeping them home.
We disinfect every day and are doing our best to wash our hands frequently.
It really does help to have students get healthy before they come back.
Teachers will work with students that have been absent to modify the work
that they need to do. Feel free to e-mail me, or any other teachers, with
questions about work after an absence!

Have a great three-day weekend!