Almost done.....

Hello,
This week are are in the second to last chapter of our book. All the pieces are beginning to come together in the crazy and mysterious ways of Jekyll and Hyde. How will this end???????
This week's assignments:
-Review (Monday)
-Group Discussion Questions (Wednesday_
-Written Response and Chapter 9 Study Guide (Thursday)
   Response question: Why does Jekyll decide to reveail his transformation to Lanyon?
   Use B.A. format - 1 paragraph
-Greek Roots Quiz (Friday)

After these messages....

Welcome back after a lovely Thankgiving break. I hope you all found it restful and filling.
Last week we read chapter 6 together as a class and students began working on their study guides.
This week students are working on the following assignments:
*Read- Chapter 7 Incident at the Window, Chapter 8 The Last Night (DUE THURSDAY)
*Greek roots (DUE FRIDAY)
*Study Guide Chapters 1-6 (DUE FRIDAY)

The Problem with Hyde

Hyde has committed his first major crime and it seems he is on the run. Utterson sees a big change in Jekyll but WHY?? This week's assignments are as follows:
-Read Chapter 5
-Response to Reading: Dr. Jekyll is a changed man in this chapter since the last time Utterson has seen him. What accounts for this change? What lesson has Jekyll learned?
-Greek Roots quiz is on Friday

Jekyll and Hyde

We are in the midst of our first novella, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and things are getting AWFULLY weird. As we move forward, students hare expected to complete the following assignments this week:
-Response to reading questions. Full page by Friday. "What two pieces of information does Utterson learn when reading Jekyll's will?  What do you predict Utterson will do to help his friend who he suspects is in trouble?   Justify your answer with evidence from the book.
 -Complete Chapter 3 by Friday.
- Come prepared with your discussion questions on Wednesday
-Greek roots quiz will be on Friday, per usual

In the swing of things.....

Hello, All.

We are officially a month into school and halfway until Parent/Teacher Conferences. Here's where we are now and some important information:

LEADERSHIP- We have just had our first vocabulary test on our unit terms. We are now discussing various topics such as school safety, protocols, and the history of school violence. We are using the events of April 20, 1999 at Columbine as a point of reference. Students will also be using this knowledge to help in our middle school assembly entitled 'Rachel's Challenge' to promote peace and compassion. If you or your student should have any question or concerns please contact myself or Ms. Cloe Bernstein, the school psychologist.
The students are all doing a wonderful job perfecting their leadership skills.

LANGUAGE ARTS- We have wrapped reading three short stories and the students learned how to create a plot map and incorporate the five elements when discussing them. As we move into week 4 of Greek roots, students will be quizzed tomorrow on Bi/Bio and Ops/Opti/Opto. 
We will soon be beginning our semester novels in each class which will be very exciting. We will continue to expand our vocabulary, learn proper reading responses, and incorporate some creative and reflective pieces as well. So much fun!

*IMPORTANT* If your student is earning below a C-I will be sending home an email or message Friday so we can support your child and get them on track.
**MAP testing will be held this Thursday, Friday and next Monday for all 7th grade L.A. students.

Welcome back, BECS families!
I hope you all had A wonderfully enjoyable summer filled with both excitement and relaxation.
We are back in the swing of things here at school and we are all ready for a fabulous year.
Here's the breakdown of happenings this week:

8th grade Leadership
In this class we are examining the role  of bullies in our communities and how to prevent the effects of negative behavior. In addition, students will learn how to better exhibit compassion as well as how building the esteem of others can boost their own,

7th grade Language Arts
After a quick training session in new policies, grading, and ZAP, we hit the ground running with our short stories unit. Students are simultaneously becoming rock stars as we practice our 5 Elements of Short Story Rap. Feel free to practice at home. Here is the link:
http://flocabulary.com/fivethings/

Life Doesn't Frighten Me

                                                      by Maya Angelou

Shadows on the wall                                                               Life doesn’t frighten me at all.

Noises down the hall                                                              

Life doesn't frighten me at all                                                  Tough guys fight

                                                                                                All alone at night       

Bad dogs barking loud                                                           Life doesn’t frighten me at all.

Big ghosts in a cloud

Life doesn't frighten me at all                                                  Panthers in the park

                                                                                                Strangers in the dark

Mean old Mother Goose                                                         No, they don’t frighten me at all.

Lions on the loose

They don't frighten me at all                                                    That new classroom where

                                                                                                Boys all pull my hair

Dragons breathing flame                                                        (Kissy little girls

On my counterpane                                                                 With their hair all in curls)

That doesn't frighten me at all.                                                            They don’t frighten me at all.

I go boo                                                                                  Don’t show me frogs and snakes

Make them shoo                                                                      And listen for my screams,

I make fun                                                                                If I’m afraid at all

Way they run                                                                           It’s only in my dreams.

I won't cry

So they fly                                                                               I’ve got magic a charm

I just smile                                                                               That I keep up my sleeve

They go wild                                                                            I can walk the ocean floor

                                                                                   

And never have to breathe.

Life doesn’t frighten me at all

Not at all

Not at all.

Life doesn’t frighten me at all.

Poetry in Motion

Hi All,
We are rolling through our last and final unit, Poetry! The students concluded our Anne Frank work on such a strong and impressive note. I was floored by all their insightful journal entries. BRAVO to them!
We have spent the last couple weeks exploring the variations of poems. So far we have covered concrete, limericks, and haikus. (I think the concretes were their favorites :)) Students have been barreling through the syllabus and soaking up knowledge like the little sponges that they are so we have already included some additional poetry exercises.
Our goal is to wrap up all our poems and present our final projects in a poetry party on May 10th. The party will consist of snacks, beverages, intellectually stimulating conversations, as well as poetry shares. Stay tuned......

Anne Frank Final Week

Happy TCAPing, everyone. It's almost over and so is our unit on Anne Frank. In the last week of our reading we are shooting for the following goals:

Inquiry Question: Miep said, "I am not a hero. There is nothing special about me. I have never wanted special attention. I was only willing to do whats was asked of me and what seemed necessary at the time." What is your definition of a hero/heroine? Was Miep a hero? Explain.

Wednesday Work: Define BYSTANDER, SCAPEGOAT, STEREOTYPE, ANTI-SEMITISM, RESCUER, COLLABORATOR, GESTAPO and be prepared to write about them on the final.

Friday Goal: p. 268

Anne Frank Week 8

"Only a TWO day weekend???" I heard a lot of that this Monday. I think we have all become a little too accustomed to our now 'regular' long weekends. Fret not, my friends, we have one coming right up! That being said; we are combining last week and this week's readings for our quiz. What should you have by Friday, you ask?

Friday Goal: page 177, Thursday, March 16th

Inquiry Question: Anne said of her rescuers, "...it is amazing how much noble, unselfish work these people are doing, risking their own lives to help and save others." Write about a time you were courageous or helped another person in need.

Wednesday Paragraph: After learning about the role of the rescuers during the Holocaust, how do you suggest people stop being 'bystanders' and start becoming part of the change?

Anne Frank Week 7

What a fabulous long weekend that was!!! Here's what we have going on this week:

Inquiry Questions: Anne said, "I still believe, despite of everything, that people really are good at heart." Do you believe people are good at heart? Are they evil? A mixture? State your opinion and use examples from your life, news, and history.

Friday goal: p. 160, February 27th

Wednesday Paragraph: If you were a hidden child, how do you think you would react if you were reunited with your biological parents after the war?

Anne Frank Week 6

BECS students and families,

Inquiry Question: Anne Frank said, "...the mean Anne comes to the outside and the good Anne stays on the inside..."
Write a journal entry where you describe the you that is on the outside, the one people see. Then describe the you on the inside, that most people don't ever see.

Wednesday Paragraph: Anne often feels like she doesn't belong in her family. How do you fit into your family? How do you think your family view you?

Friday Goal: p. 143 Monday, January 24th

Weekly Quote: “Tolerance implies no lack of commitment to one's own beliefs. Rather it condemns the oppression or persecution of others.” ~JFK

Reminders:
**Students should return a signed permission slip to watch the Anne Frank movie in class this week. *** Also, we are hosting parent conferences this week and we urge everyone to attend. Please note that Tuesday evening is reserved for middle school students with the last name A-L from 5-9pm. Wednesday will host students with last names M-Z during the same time slot.

Anne Frank Week 5

Hello, BECS family.

I hope you all had a wonderful snow day! Here are the assignments for this week:

Friday Goal: p.131

Inquiry Questions: Who is the kindest person you know? Describe them. How kind are you? What can you do to be more kind?

Wednesday Paragraph:

Weekly Quote: "People will always follow a good example; be the one to set a good example, then it won't be long before the others follow. How lovely to think that no one need wait a moment, we can start now, start slowly changing the world! How lovely that everyone, great and small, can make their contribution toward introducing justice straightaway...And you can always, always give something, even if it is only kindness!

~Anne Frank, "Give," March 26, 1944

Anne Frank Week 4

Welcome,

This week we are exploring the quest for identity. As we read, Anne is transforming from a child to a young adult and confronting all the obstacles that come with it. My classes took a virtual tour through the annex which I encourage them to explore further at www.annefrank.org.
This week's assignments are as follows:

Inquiry Question: Anne and the others spend much of their days reading and studying. Describe how you would feel during these long says. What would you do? What would you think about?

Wednesday Paragraph: Anne Frank said, "Despite everything, I believe people really are good at heart." Write about a time when an unexpected person did something nice for you.

Friday Goal: p. 112 (Sunday, October 17th entry)

Our quote for the week is, “Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. You wait and watch and work: you don't give up.” - A.L.

Secret Annex

Today the 7th grade Honors class performed an experiment to see what it would be like to live like Anne Frank for one class period. After moving the desks and chairs to one side we sat with the lights off for 55 minutes. The students were briefed to behave just as they would in the annex. That meant avoiding the windows to the outside and the hall, and avoiding making ANY noise that could possibly be detected on the other side of the wall or beneath us. In our silent assignment we were only able to communicate by writing notes to each other. Just as Anne passed the time by reflecting in Kitty, our students documented their experiences in their journals. Two students collaborated on the following poem (photo attached):

Seems like all they had is over now.

She's forced to rest without a sound.

Death moves quickly now, dying fear in every sound.

Whisper with me a lullaby. All I hear is 'good-bye'.

Every water I drink, only of blood shed do I think. ~ Draven Newman and Ty Berlin

Anne Frank Week 3

Friday Goal: page 89

Inquiry Question: Although it's the first holiday celebrated in the annex all the members get gifts. Describe a gift you ever received that was precious to you. What was it? Describe the situation.

Wednesday Paragraph: Is Anne a coward? Have you ever felt afraid or like a coward? When was it? Describe the circumstance.

Objectives/Themes: 1) Family dynamics/relationships 2) The dangers of Hate

Students explored and reflected on this quote:
"Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away at its vital unity. Hate destroys a man's sense of values and his objectivity. It causes him to describe the beautiful as ugly and the ugly as beautiful, and to confuse the true with the false and the false with the true. ~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Anne Frank Week 2

This week's assignments are as follows:

Friday Goal: Page 63

Inquiry Questions: Put yourself in Anne's shoes. What would you miss most while in hiding? (1 page)

Wednesday Paragraph: Describe a stressful experience in your life. Describe in detail how you behaved and how those around you reacted.


Weekly Objectives/Themes: 1) Understanding universal adolescence 2) Virtue vs. Immorality

*The quiz on Friday will be on pages 32-63 as well as section 2 vocab.

Jump into January

Welcome back! I hope you all had a wonderful break. We have kicked off our second semester with the touching story of Anne Frank. After a brief overview of WWII and the Holocaust, students were anxious to get reading. Anne's story raises many questions and thoughts about life, family, politics and the quest for identity. For this reason, each student has received a journal of their own in which they will reflect on their reading, as well as themselves.
There will be a quiz Friday on all material leading up to page 32. The quiz will include short answer, book reference, high-level thinking, perspective, and vocabulary. We also have two journal entries due.
Mid-week paragraph entry: Anne immediately feels different feelings for the members on the annex. Explain a time when you had an immediate connection with someone or a time when the connection took awhile. How did you feel?
Inquiry question- 1 page: How are you like Anne?

Honors Wednesday journal entry : Study your 'Forget-Me-Not' card. Intuit feelings and experiences based on what you see in the picture.

We are off to a fabulous start and I look forward to all that is ahead! More to come.....