ELA 7-8 - Week of April 16-20

We are starting a new Poetry Unit as Term 3 begins to celebrate April's Poetry Month. Students will learn about many different types of poetry, gain clever tips to write their own, and compile their own poetry portfolio.

For more information and resources about slam poetry, one of the amazing types of poetry that we will be studying in ELA this term, check out this link

This week we are finishing up our exploration of the work of Shel Silverstein. Students will be handing in their completed Shel Silverstein packages on Monday, April 23.

Next week we will begin creating our own poetry notebooks with original work.

ELA 7-8 - Week of April 9-13

We are starting a new Poetry Unit as Term 3 begins to celebrate April's Poetry Month. Students will learn about many different types of poetry, gain clever tips to write their own, and compile their own poetry portfolio.

On Tuesday, April 10 we will be having a special event at Bayside to celebrate Poetry Month:

The All Star Tour! This year, Victorious Voices offers up to four All Star Slams over April 10th and 11th, aka. The All Star Tour. The Victorious Voices All Star Slam gives your students the score paddles, while Sabrina Benaim, Jillian Christmas, and Victoria Youth Poet Laureate, Agartu Ali put on a show that's certain to have even died-in-the-wall poetry haters muttering, "Well... that was pretty good!"

For more information and resources about slam poetry, one of the amazing types of poetry that we will be studying in ELA this term, check out this link

We will begin our poetry unit with exploring the work of Shel Silverstein for the next few weeks, and then creating our own poetry notebooks with original work.

ELA 7-8 - Weeks of March 6-March 23

The Day of the Apology Video - https://vimeo.com/43821625

Prime Minister Trudeau's Apology - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bELOxJiaZAs

Truth & Reconciliation Commission Final Report - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKKLgwlosaw

Students will be responding to the lessons & videos above by completing work in their "Secret Path" Student Workbook, including Lesson 4 Journal Entry. The completed Student Workbook will be due in the last ELA class before Spring Break.

ELA 7-8 - Week of February 26-March 2

This week we are continuing our unit on "The Secret Path" by Gord Downie & Jeff Lemire. This unit will give us an opportunity to work on our writing (creative, narrative, persuasive, informative, and descriptive) and will also encourage our thinking concepts and skills of inferring, questioning, and discussing a variety of topics related to identity, connectedness in Canada, and reconciliation.

We are also doing some reflection work around Pink Shirt Day and the presentation that we had on Monday morning by D.O. Gibson about Anti-Bullying, Literacy, Leadership, Self Esteem, and Making positive choices. Students will be either creating a short story based on the presentation and our discussions, or answering three discussion questions.

ELA 7-8 - Week of February 19-22

This week are continuing our unit on "The Secret Path" by Gord Downie & Jeff Lemire. This unit will give us an opportunity to work on our writing (creative, narrative, persuasive, informative, and descriptive) and will also encourage our thinking concepts and skills of inferring, questioning, and discussing a variety of topics related to identity, connectedness in Canada, and reconciliation.

Students are completing work in their Student Workbook in their duotang, and we are continuing our work on annotating texts to support our understanding of content. Journals 1-3 will be due Monday, February 26. Some questions that could be helpful in completing Journal #3:

• What meaning does the story have for you?
• What actions can we take as a community to address the impacts of residential schools?

Students should understand that this is a serious subject matter that affects the lives of many people, and that it could directly affect the lives of people in their classroom. Also, any student can be negatively affected by what they are exposed to in these lessons, ans many will be learning about them for the first time. Students may experience certain feelings during the lessons (fear, anger, sadness, depression, guilt, etc.) or they may bring up past trauma, and it is importat that they talk to their teacher, parent, or caregiver if they are having difficulty understanding or dealing with those feelings.

ELA 7-8 - Week of February 13-16

This week are continuing our unit on "The Secret Path" by Gord Downie & Jeff Lemire. This unit will give us an opportunity to work on our writing (creative, narrative, persuasive, informative, and descriptive) and will also encourage our thinking concepts and skills of inferring, questioning, and discussing a variety of topics related to identity, connectedness in Canada, and reconciliation.

Students are completing work in their Student Workbook in their duotang, and we are learning this week and next week about annotating texts to support our understanding of content.

Students should understand that this is a serious subject matter that affects the lives of many people, and that it could directly affect the lives of people in their classroom. Also, any student can be negatively affected by what they are exposed to in these lessons, ans many will be learning about them for the first time. Students may experience certain feelings during the lessons (fear, anger, sadness, depression, guilt, etc.) or they may bring up past trauma, and it is importat that they talk to their teacher, parent, or caregiver if they are having difficulty understanding or dealing with those feelings.

ELA 7-8 - Week of February 5-9

This week are continuing our unit on "The Secret Path" by Gord Downie & Jeff Lemire. This unit will give us an opportunity to work on our writing (creative, narrative, persuasive, informative, and descriptive) and will also encourage our thinking concepts and skills of inferring, questioning, and discussing a variety of topics related to identity, connectedness in Canada, and reconciliation.

Students are completing work in their Student Workbook in their duotang, and we are learning this week and next week about annotating texts to support our understanding of content.

Students should understand that this is a serious subject matter that affects the lives of many people, and that it could directly affect the lives of people in their classroom. Also, any student can be negatively affected by what they are exposed to in these lessons, ans many will be learning about them for the first time. Students may experience certain feelings during the lessons (fear, anger, sadness, depression, guilt, etc.) or they may bring up past trauma, and it is importat that they talk to their teacher, parent, or caregiver if they are having difficulty understanding or dealing with those feelings.

Students should have finished the assigned work in their "Secret Path" Student Workbook including Journal 1 & 2 by the following date: Friday, February 9

ELA 7-8 - Week of January 29-February 2

This week are continuing our unit on "The Secret Path" by Gord Downie & Jeff Lemire. This unit will give us an opportunity to work on our writing (creative, narrative, persuasive, informative, and descriptive) and will also encourage our thinking concepts and skills of inferring, questioning, and discussing a variety of topics related to identity, connectedness in Canada, and reconciliation.

Students are completing work in their Student Workbook in their duotang, and we are learning this week and next week about annotating texts to support our understanding of content.

Students should understand that this is a serious subject matter that affects the lives of many people, and that it could directly affect the lives of people in their classroom. Also, any student can be negatively affected by what they are exposed to in these lessons, ans many will be learning about them for the first time. Students may experience certain feelings during the lessons (fear, anger, sadness, depression, guilt, etc.) or they may bring up past trauma, and it is importat that they talk to their teacher, parent, or caregiver if they are having difficulty understanding or dealing with those feelings.

This week we will also be seeing the film adaptation of The Breadwinner at Star Cinema in Sidney.

ELA 7-8 - Week of January 15-19

This week we will begin our new unit on the book, movie, and music album, The Secret Path by Gord Downie & Jeff Lemire. This unit will give us an opportunity to work on our writing (creative, narrative, persuasive, informative, and descriptive) and will also encourage our thinking concepts and skills of inferring, questioning, and discussing a variety of topics related to identity, connectedness in Canada, and reconciliation.

Students should understand that this is a serious subject matter that affects the lives of many people, and that it could directly affect the lives of people in their classroom. Also, any student can be negatively affected by what they are exposed to in these lessons, and many will be learning about them for the first time. Students may experience certain feelings during the lessons (fear, anger, sadness, depression, guilt, etc.) or they may bring up past trauma, and it is importat that they talk to their teacher, parent, or caregiver if they are having difficulty understanding or dealing with those feelings.

We will begin this unit by participating in the Blanket Exercise lead by Mrs. MacDonald & Ms. Supernault this week. For more information on this activity, I would encourage you to explore this website.

January 9th, 2018

Happy New Year to everyone! I do hope that you were able to enjoy some cherished moments with family and friends.

Mrs. MacDonald has been working with the District on staffing changes due to unique remedy circumstances. In this process, Ms. Isbister will be taking over the instruction of our 7-8 ELA class January 2018 - June 2018. Students will be minimally impacted since Mrs. MacDonald and Ms. Isbister have been co-planning for ELA classes this school year. Mrs. MacDonald will be continue to be connected with students through upcoming activites/lessons.

Ms. Isbister will be sending an email out to parents to introduce herself and offer pertinent information as needed.

Please do not hesitate to contact Mrs. MacDonald or Ms. Isbister should you have any questions.

December 11th

We are winding down in the month of December with some festive activities!

*Wednesday December 13th, 5 pm - 6:30 pm. Students are selling their 'products' and I will be at the school early to set up the tables infront of the canteern area. Left over products will be sold at lunch the following two days.

*Monday December 18th, Students will be watching the "Flipped" film during blocks 2 and 3 in the library and are invited to wear their pj's and the teachers will provide popcorn!

*Friday December 22nd, is our final day before the Christmas break. Students will be participating in a Secret Santa, playing board games and making Christmas cards.

THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR PARENTAL SUPPORT THIS FALL AND I WISH YOU A HAPPY AND RESTFUL HOLIDAY SEASON FILLED WITH CHERISHED MOMENTS OF JOY!!

November 21st 2017

Product Project outline - scope and sequence

Three elements to be assessed:

1. the product project paper work - see link: Inquiry Project: Brainstorming and Marketing a new produc

2. a poster board advertising the sale/ marketing the product

3. - the product itself!

timeline

November 27th - December 11th - completing the product project paper work, the poster board advertising the sale/marketing, the selling of the product December 13th 5 - 6:30 before the Winter Band Concert AND selling anything left over during lunch on December 14 and 15!

November 17th

We have completed our Novel unit FLIPPED and have started our

next project today: Marketing a new product!

Students will be designing and marketing a product to sell December 13th 5:15 - 6:45 pm the evening of the Bayside Winter Band Concert. We will also be selling our products at lunch hour December 14th and 15th. Half of the net profit the students will keep and the other half of the net profit the students will donate to a charity for Christmas.

Students will be brainstorming their ideas today and over the weekend and will be formalizing their product on Monday November 20th. Students may work individually or with a partner.

November 3rd 2017

Homework due Monday November 6th

Double entry journals Chapter 11/12 and

Popcorn Poetry sheet.

November 6th

Homework due TUESDAY November 14th chapter 13/14 Double entry journal

FINAL Flip 'Elements of a Novel' due FRIDAY November 17th

October 27th 2017

Homework due Monday October 30th

Double Entry Journals for chapter 9 and 10 due BEGINNING OF CLASS

AND

Monday October 30th we will be in the home ec lab making halloween popcorn balls and popcorn poetry!!!

October 23rd 2017

Elements of a Novel - Guidelines

Elements of a Novel - Criteria

October 13th

Novel update and schedule for completion:

• Double Entry Journal (D.E.J.) chapter 5/6 due Thursday October 19th
• DEJ chapter 7/8 due Tuesday October 23rd
• DEJ chapter 9/10 due Monday October 30th
• DEJ chapter 11/12 Monday November 6th
• DEJ chapter 13/14 due Tuesday November 14th
• 'Elements of a Novel' booklet due Monday November 20th

October 6th

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! Enjoy the loooooong- weekend!

We did Pizza Poetry today and made our own Pizza! The acrostic poem is due Friday October 13th at the BEGINNING of class!

September 29th, 2017

Home work due for next Friday October 6th are Double Entry Journals for Chap 1/2 and Chap 3/4 plus both sides of the Graphic. See below for link to graphic.

Graphic for Bryce and Juli

September 25th 2017

Hello Parents!

We have started our novel "Flipped" with instruction on double entry journals. Their first assignment "All About Me' was assessed and returned. All assignments will be housed in the classroom portfolios ready for parent teacher interviews.

See the link below for the double entry journal format and criteria.

Double Entry Journal

Why I LOVE teaching at a MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL!!!

/Mrs. MacDonald