Due date for Letter to Mr. Stowell extended to Friday

There you go...just for you people who are still trying to join Edmodo...you have another day!

Who I Am

Today's vocab word was fiduciary.  We went over Edmodo once again for those who were unable to log in, filled out the "Who I Am" worksheet, and finally, head an example of a personal narrative from the life of Mr. Stowell.

Homework:
1)  If Edmodo didn't work last night, try it again tonight!
2)  Finish "Who I Am" worksheet.  Please be neat!
3)  Paragraph on "Letter to Mr. Stowell" by Edmodo.  Make sure you click "turn in" and not "reply."

I know you've checked the blog today if you can do this tomorrow

Re-watch this video on Youtube as many times as you can in order to do our team handshake tomorrow.

Something Interesting

Welcome to your first day of Tsunami English!

Hi Class,

Today we introduced you to the way we do vocabulary, Greek and Latin Roots.

The root for this week is "fid / fide / feder / feal" (this root has four variations) which means "trust" or "faith."  Every word that has this root, usually has something to do with trust and faith.  Every day this week, you will have a new word that uses this root.

Every week you will usually have two new roots, and every day a new word that uses that root.

The first day of every week you will have a short quiz on the roots and words from the previous week. There are three levels of each quiz, each with increasing expectations.

Standard Level: you have to match the words to the definitions.
College Prep: you have to match the words to the definitions AND correctly spell the words.
Honors: you have to match the words to the definitions AND correctly spell the words AND write a sentence for each word, using the word correctly, and showing the meaning of the word by the context of the sentence.

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Also today, I'll quickly intro the two main websites we use on a daily basis: this blog, and Edmodo (see previous post to join)

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Finally, this is a reminder that you had a summer reading assignment to do.  I checked your progress with that today.  For more details, see two prior posts.  We will have an assessment due in two weeks.

HOMEWORK:  

1) Check this blog...hooray...nice job!

2) Log into your Edmodo class.  You will need to remember your school gmail address.  I recommend using the same password for Edmodo that you use for your gmail.
3) Read for 30 minutes (either the summer reading book, or another novel that you enjoy)

Join your Edmodo class, please!

If you are in Mr. Stowell's Period 1 class, click here.

If you are in Mr. Stowell's Period 2 class, click here.

If you are in Mr. Stowell's Period 5 class, click here.

If you are in Mr. Stowell's Period 6 class, click here.

If you are in Mr. Stowell's Period 7 class, click here.

Summer Reading Reminder for New 8th-Graders!

Ah, I can see you know...chillin' in your hammock, enjoying those last few precious moments of summer, when a chilling thought creeps into your head...didn't my 7th-grade teachers give me a summer reading assignment??!!!   AHHHHHHH!!!!

In  case you forgot about it, here it is.  Please pass this information along.

Summer Reading for Incoming Eighth-Graders

Now that you are entering eighth grade, it is only natural that you will begin to think about the expectations of high school.  In fact, in eighth grade, we focus on preparing students for the rigorous demands of high school reading and writing. To be ready to “hit the ground running,” below is a list of summer reading books.  We would like you to choose at least one to read with the following essential questions in mind:

Be prepared to discuss how the main character develops over the course of the story. How does the main conflict shape the main character’s development?

Be prepared to support your answers with evidence from the story. It is helpful to flag pages with small post-its and/or highlight passages (if you have purchased your own book).

You will complete both a written response and a discussion within the first two weeks of school.

Novel Options:

The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins

Catching Fire, Suzanne Collins

Mockingjay, Suzanne Collins

Maze Runner, James Dashner

Scorch Trials, James Dashner

Death Cure, James Dashner

The Kill Order, James Dashner

Tuesdays With Morrie, Mitch Albom

Briar Rose, Jane Yolen

Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury

Anthem, Ayn Rand

Although we encourage and are enthusiastic about re-reading favorites, we encourage you to choose a book that is new to you in order to challenge yourself! Your language arts teacher can help steer you towards a good choice if you are unsure of what might be a good fit for you.

These novels are available for purchase at Barnes and Noble, Amazon.com, and Water Street Bookstore. We also have several copies available for you to borrow at CMS.

We look forward to eighth grade with you! Happy reading!

Mrs. Tobey -- Team Inferno (9) Mr. Stowell -- Team Tsunami (11)

Mrs. Prior -- Team Earthquake (10) Mr. Zakian -- Team Hurricane (12)