Activity on December 19th

On the Friday before winter break begins, the 6th grade team will be showing the 2007 Walt Disney movie, Bridge to Terabithia. Below you will find a brief overview of the movie and a link to the Disney website where information about the movie is provided.

Animation master Gabor Csupo directs his first live-action film in this adaptation of the novel The Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson, whose son David co-wrote the screenplay and serves as a producer. Jess (Josh Hutcherson) is misunderstood. Despite Jess' talents as an artist, the school bullies pick on him, his father (Robert Patrick) belittles his dreams, and his four sisters invade his space in the family's cramped house. Jess' bleak world changes when Leslie (Annasophia Robb) moves into the house next door. Bright, creative and outspoken, Leslie also finds herself an outsider in their school. Soon the two are thick as thieves, spending their after school hours exploring the woods beyond their backyards and on the others side of a creek, which Leslie deems the kingdom of Terabithia. Here, they create their own magical world, complete with a Dark Master and his minions, dragonfly soldiers, giant trolls and a tree house fortress. In Terabithia, the two friends let their imaginations run wild and control their destiny, far away from school bullies and the pressures of adolescence.

http://disney.go.com/disneyvideos/liveaction/bridgetoterabithia/

Persuasuve Letter

The 6th grade students received this prompt in Language Arts class today. "Have you ever asked your parents to buy you something, take you somewhere, or let you do something and their answer was, “NO!”? Well, here's your chance to make your case!"

The students will be writing a letter to their parents, grandparents, or guardian. Within this letter they must include the following components:

1. State your claim
2. Give three reasons
3. Support each reason twice
4. Use one strategy of persuasion (Example: ethos)
5. Use three transitions
6. Address 3 counter-arguments
7. Use language suitable for your audience

Poetry Unit

During the month of December, we will be focusing on reading and writing different styles of poetry. Everyday your child will be introduced to a different type of poem. We will review the rules and definition of each type together and practice writing them as a class. Independently, your child will write at least one poem for each type we study. Daily, your child will be asked to share his/her poems. Everyone is expected to share at least one poem. At the end of the unit, your child will type out each poem and construct a book of poetry.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Well, 1st trimester is over. The sixth graders did a wonderful job transition to Lakeview. This is a great group to work with and we are all having fun. At the start of 2nd trimester we will be beginning Poetry in Reading, Persuasive writing in LA, and finishing up decimals in Math.

Hope your Thanksgiving is filled with tasty foods, warm memories, and fun family times.

Medieval Times

In an effort to continue the unit on Middle Ages and the field trip to Medieval Times, the 6th grade Language Arts and Reading classes will be working on activities relative to the theme. During LA classes the students will be editing an introduction to Medieval Times. The students will focus on finding mistakes with verb usage, capitalization, and fragments. This will be a review of the first 3 units we have completed in LA. During Reading class, the students will write a extended reading response based on our trip to Medieval Times. Before the trip the classes will review the Knight's Code of Chivalry. After reviewing what the Knight's Code includes, the students will be asked to pay attention to knights that follow or do not follow the code. Thursday in class, the students will write a Reading Extended Response on, “Do you think the knights showed chivalry?”. On Friday we will edit and rate the responses to allow the students to fix or add anything to make each response the best it can be.

Accelerated Reader Tests

The sixth grade students were introduced to the accelerated reader program by Miss Hagensee. Students were asked to independently take a sample test on the novel Taking Sides that we read together. All sixth grade students did very well on the test. After passing at least one accelerated reader test, the students were asked choose any novel with an accelerated read test. After completing the book, each student will independently take the test on their novel. Once the test is completed, it will print. The student will turn the test into their teacher. The test is due on November 20th. We expect that each student should be at least half way through their book. It is encouraged that the students take the test as early as possible to ensure there is enough time to complete the test. We will accept the test before the due date.

Decimals

The 6th graders are begining the Decimal unit is Math class. Last week we worked on the concept of decimal and place value. The student wrote decimals out in standard form and in works. This week we are returning to the textbook where we will cover, decimal place value, measuring metic lengths, comparing and ordering decimals, rounding decimals, estimating sums and differences using decimals, and finally adding and subtracting using decimals. This will be a short and quick chapter.

If you child is having difficultly with any assignment, encourage him/her to use their notetaking guide, examples from the book, or the tools on line. http://www.classzone.com/ has many resources for your child to help where he/she is having difficulty. Oue textbook code is 2432737-180.

Verbs!

The 6th graders started Verbs this week in Language Arts. We will be working on this unit throughout the month of November. We will be cutting the chapter in half only taking 2 smaller quizzes instead of one huge huge test. The first section will be on:
1. action verbs-jump, think, run, and love
2. helping and main verbs- was thinking, will be jumping, have loved, or have been running
3. being and linking verbs- students find the being verb and the predicate noun or adjective that is linked to the subject.
4. simple verb tense- students form the past, present, and future tense. (jumped, jump/jumps, will jump)
The quiz for the first section will by on Wednesday, 11/5.

Character Counts Club Field Trips

The Character Counts Club is planning two field trips for the month of November. We will be traveling to the two schools to promote positive relationships in hopes to diminish bullying.

At Elizabeth Ide we will be facilitating a circle activity. The Club members will start by passing a ball around the circle and asking students to tell their name and one interesting fact about themselves. Next, the students will pass the ball to anyone saying the name of the person they are passing the ball to. Later the students will list different characteristics and anyone who has them will go into the inner circle. The game will reset as each characteristic is announced. Everyone will be in the inner circle a few times. Some discussion questions will follow each activity.

At Prairieview the Club will be starting with the 5th grade class and teaching them about three different types of Bullying: verbal, social, and intimidation. After a quick presentation, the Club members will split each class into six small groups. Each group will be given a scenario to act out in front of the class. After each scene is acted out, the Club members will ask the class as a whole what type of Bullying was shown.

Washington, DC

Last weekend I had the privilege to chaperon the 8th grade Washington, D.C. Trip. It was my 3rd year attending the trip and this might have been the best one yet. The students were wonderful and I had a very fun time. The kids had the opportunity to see almost all the memorials, a comedy show, Mount Vernon, Arlington National Cemetery, and a ghost tour of Alexandria. My favorite part was seeing the the FDR memorial and watching our students participate in the wreath ceremony and the tomb of the unknown soldier. I look forward to going again next year and hopefully with your child in two years.

Nouns!

The sixth graders will be starting the English Unit about Nouns. Since this is a small unit and the students have been studying Nouns for many years, the unit will end quickly. We will be studying recognizing nouns, common and proper nouns, singular and plural nouns, possessive nouns, and plural and possessive nouns. We will continue to practice writing skills by concentrating on using appositives in sentences.

On Wednesday of this week the students were given the opportunity to "test out" of the unit. Every sixth grader was given a pretest of the material taught in the Nouns Unit. If the student received a 90% or higher on the pretest, he/she would "test out" and therefore be excused from the lessons and homework of the unit. Any student that "tested out" would participate in a alternative project using the lessons from the unit. The alternative project is always creative and allows the student some freedom in the finished product.

Comprehension Suggestions

As an attempt to promote continued growth in 6th grade reading and writing scores, we are encouraging complete, thought out answers to all comprehension questions. When your child comes home with any type of comprehension question from a chapter, there are a few things we are looking for:

• Students are encouraged to restate the question in their answer.
• All answers should be in complete sentences using evidence (facts or examples) from the text.
• We would like the students to explain and extend their answer. (Or, we like to say: PROVE IT!)
  

With these tools in place, we predict overall reading comprehension and writing across the curriculum will improve. We are hoping that the students will apply these skills with their writing in Science, Social Studies, and even Math.

Math Test Friday!

This week the 6th graders are finishing up our 1st chapter in the new Math textbook. The chapter has been filled with review lessons your child and hopefully seen before. Here are the lessons we covered:
1. A review of whole number operations-simple math computation
2. Estimation-students round numbers and complete the math problem
3. Powers and Exponents- students label the base, exponent, and power to find the value
4. Order of Operations- A favorite among 6th graders, they follow steps to solve expressions with multiple operations.
5. Variable and Expressions- a introduction to Algebra, students solve expressions and equations with variables
6. Equations and Mental Math- Students find the value of a variable within an equation
7. Problem Solving- Students use different steps and strategies to solve word problems

This book offers many reviews and tutorials. On pages 47-50, students can find sample problems with suggestions and hints to solve. You can also find extra problems in the back of the book or on-line using the instructions on the fist page of the book. The activation code for our textbook is 2432737-180

Character Counts Club

The main component of the Character Counts Club is our field trips to Prairie View and Elizabeth Ide. When the Club visits these schools, we enter the classroom or perform assemblies encouraging positive character traits. We will take these small field trips three times during the school year. Your son or daughter will miss part of the school day for the field trip and be responsible for the missed work.

Similar to last year, the Club will be volunteering with Market Day. On Market Day pick-up, 5-8 students from the club will be asked to help complete orders. Market Day pick-up is always on Saturdays from 11:30-1:30. Students will volunteer for the Saturdays as the dates come up.

New this year is some clean-up activities. Throughout the year the Club will be cleaning or brightening up different aspects of the schools. We would like to clean the buses using Windex and dusting with Pledge. We would also like to decorate the schools for the different seasons. More ideas will come as the year continues.

Personal Narratives

The 6th Grade Language Arts' classrooms are finishing up their revisions on our 1st composition of the year. Each student chose one problem or mistake they were able to overcome or learn about one of life's lessons. After completing their 1st draft, the students practiced peer editing each others papers and added adjectives to describe nouns. A second draft was written and students examined their own composition finding repeated, overused, or "ordinary" words, and made 5 synonym corrections. On Thursday and Friday, the entire 6th grade class will be typing their final draft of their Personal Narrative. Students were encouraged to get or bring a Flash Drive to transfer work from school to home. The final typed composition is due on Wednesday, September 17th.

RTI Reading Class

The goal of the RTI Reading Program is to teach the student the skills he/she needs in order to be successful in reading. I will be working closely with the 6th grade team and teaching the students reading comprehension strategies that hopefully the student will be able to apply in all of his/her classes. Because the main focus is reading comprehension, we will be working on the skills the student is learning in the double period of language arts and reading. For example, if the student is learning about summarizing in the double period, we would work on that skill even further to ensure that the student understands how and when to use it. I like to think of the class as filling the student’s “tool boxes,” or brains with useful tools and then working with them to realize at what occasion they use each specific tool.

The students will be formally assessed twice a month using a program called AIMS Web. This will give us a closer picture as to whether or not the student is making progress. I will also be assessing the students on a daily basis, whether it’s listening to their comments during a group discussion, working with them one on one to check for understanding, or having them read aloud to make sure they’re reading fluently. This close monitoring will help to determine the progress so that at the end of the first trimester, both the parents and I can sit down and discuss what may be working and what we need to change. Whatever the result, the main goal is obviously for the student to achieve success in reading, whether it’s reading for school or reading for pleasure.

NOTES: Students are expected to have a notebook exclusively for this reading class. Students will be allowed to keep the notebook in the classroom at all times.

STUDENT PREPARATION: Students are expected to arrive on time to class with the necessary supplies/materials for class. For this specific class, students must always have their assignment notebook and their language arts/reading supplies. Although we will be using a textbook in class, the books will remain in the classroom at all times.

If you have any questions or concerns about the RTI Reading Program, please do not hesitate to contact me at amesker@ccsd66.org or 630-783-5115

Resource at Lakeview

Welcome to Resource and Lakeview Jr. High. Hi, I am Mrs. Mesker. I have been teaching at Lakeview for 8 years and truly love the time I have had here. During this time, I have worked with 6th and 7th grade students teaching LA, Reading, Math, and Resource. Luckily, I have had the opportunity to lead the Character Counts Club, Leadership Teams, and the 6th Grade Homebase program. I am very excited to work with you and your child this year. The following is a brief overview of the Resource grading system, goals, and the purpose of this class. I look forward to meeting you at the parent curriculum night where I can answer any further questions and explain in more detail the curriculum and classroom expectations. Please sign this letter and add you email address for me to keep on file. Here’s to a wonderful year! Welcome to Lakeview!

The goals are as follows:

There are two main goals in Resource. First, this class period provides us with the contact time necessary to monitor students for organization, homework completion, and understanding of material presented in academic classes. Assistance and additional instruction will be provided whenever necessary throughout the school year.

The second goal of the program is to work on skills of which a student may be weak or lacking. This is accomplished through skill work that focuses on greater reading comprehension, proofreading, word processing skills, math concepts, and test taking techniques. These skills are formally addressed each week.

Grading System:

STUDENTS DO RECEIVE A GRADE FOR RESOURCE! During each week a maximum of 30 points can be earned. It is up to your child to earn a good grade. I am confident he/she can! This is based upon the expectations mentioned below:

Missing assignments (5 points per week) – I receive grade reports from your teachers on Tuesday. If your child has all of the assignments in for the week he/she will receive 5 points. If your child is missing any assignments, one point will be deducted per core class for this grade.

Assignment notebook (5 points per week) - I will have random assignment notebook checks weekly. It is your child’s responsibility to have ALL of their assignments in their notebook. If your child has them all recorded he/she will receive 5 points for the week. If any assignment is not recorded, one point will be deducted per missing assignment. If there is an assignment for a class, it MUST be recorded. If the assignment is complete, cross it out. “NONE” is only acceptable if there is not an assignment for that day.

Weekly assignments (10 points per week) – There will be one assignment to be completed each week concentrating on reading comprehension, proofreading, word processing skills, math concepts, and test taking techniques. I follow the District grading scale and procedures.

Daily Work (2 pts/day = 10 pts/week) – The reason your child is in this class is to complete homework, get help when needed, and prepare for tests and quizzes. I hope your child takes advantage of the time this class offers. I am here to help! If your child uses the time wisely, he/she will receive 2 points for the day. If not, no points will be awarded.

If you have any questions regarding the Resource class or its policies, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Welcome Back!

I am so excited to be back at school. Although the summer was great, I am trilled to start the year. I am looking forward to getting to know all the new sixth graders and touching base with former students. So far all the students have been so happy and excited to be at Lakeview that the transition seems easier this year.

The Hobbit

During Reading class, the sixth graders are reading a play version of The Hobbit. Each day we choose students to play different roles from the play. So far, the students have truly loved this culminating activity of the Science Fiction Unit. I look forward to hearing their reactions to the end of the play and seeing their map of the journey.

Boat Trip!

As the year is ending, the 6th grade will be going on our final field trip. The sixth graders will be embarking on a narrated architectural and historical boat cruise in Chicago. The tour will allow the students to learn about 82 unique, famous, and historical buildings that are located in the city. Students will also get the opportunity to peek under some of the bridges of the Chicago River and feel the boat lift as it enters Lake Michigan from the Chicago River Lock.

Date: May 29, 2008

Time: We will leave school at 9 am and return before 8th period

What to Bring: Students will need to bring a jacket as it can be chilly on the water. Also, students will need a sack lunch. It is important that ALL materials be discarded after food consumption.

http://www.mercuryskylinecruiseline.com/

Character Counts Club's Last Field Trip!

Our last field trips were this week. We traveled to Ide and PV sharing two videos and a short skit. All concentrated on teaching coping skills while dealing with bullying. Here is one of the videos that was shown to during our trip.

New Unit in Math

Well, it's going to be the middle of May already! Math is really moving along. The sixth graders are ending the unit on solving equations and moving in to ratios, proportions, and percents. The past two units have been fun and the students seem to enjoy the new material.

I continue to look forward to the warmer weather and the new things to learn about.

Sports and Hobbies Speech

Research Unit
Sports and Hobbies
Over the next week and a half the sixth graders will be selecting and researching a sport or hobby that they are interested in or even want to learn more about! When research is complete each student will be creating an outline and a formal speech that they will present to their classmates!

Research Requirements
Library Days – Thursday May 1-9 (8 days total)

During this time each student is expected to stay on task, work quietly, and gather enough information about your sport/hobby.

When researching your child will need to fill out a “Bibliography Sheet” for each source he or she finds (ex. Book, magazine, Internet, CD-ROM).

Once your child completes his or her bibliography sheet they are ready to begin reading the sources and taking notes!

Book Report Project for 6th Grade

Mystery / Adventure
Book Project: Due 5/15
You have been reading your choice of a mystery or adventure story. While you are reading, complete the graphic organizer provided. This will help you create your book report project. It should be clear that you read the entire novel and understood it through the application of this project. This could be completed on a large poster, or as a mobile project.
For this project, the minimum requirements are:

It should contain your name, title of the novel, author, genre, and number of pages
It should contain at least 5 of these literary elements:
THEME..................................the lesson or insight about human nature from the author
SETTING...............................identifying the time and place of the story
CHARACTERIZATION......identifying how characters changed throughout the novel
PLOT......................................explaining the beginning, middle, end of the story
STYLE...................................critiquing the author's words and writing style
POINT OF VIEW..................the perspective from which the story is told.
CONFLICT...........................identifying and exploring the clash of opposing forces in
the story (man v. man, man v. nature, man v self)

Spelling, grammar, and punctuation are correct

Creative and neat effort is apparent.

Stop Bullying in Our Hallways!

The sixth grade students of Lakeview Junior High worked together to come up with ways to stop bullying in our school. Each Homebase created different tools to inform children, teachers, and parents about bullies, victims, and bystanders. We hope as a class, the products we created help students empower themselves and develop the leaders we know they can be.

Click on this link to see what we have completed so far:

http://mesker.pbwiki.com/FrontPage

Field Trip Wednesday!

Just a reminder 6th graders, we have our field trip this Wednesday, 4/9. We will be watching some plays on the short stories we studied in LA and Reading class. Please remember to bring money for lunch. I am really looking forward to this new trip.

Chamber Theater Production, April 9, 2008
Time: We will leave school at 9 am and return before 8th periodWhat to
Bring: Students will need about $5 for lunch. We will be going to various fast food restaurants after the show.

Intergers!

In math class, the sixth graders started learning about Integers. So far we have discussed the differences between positive and negative numbers, compared and ordered the integers, and added two integers. The students have really enjoyed the new material and we are having fun in Math!

Spring Break is Here!

Hope everyone has a wonderful Spring Break! Remember to PLAY OUTSIDE!

New Field Trips!

We are excited to announce a new field trip experience for the 2008 school year. This year we will be reading several classic short stories. After reading and analyzing the stories, we will be going to the Rialto Theater to watch them come alive! The dramatization is put on by Chamber Theater Productions Inc.

Additionally, the sixth graders will be embarking on a narrated architectural and historical boat cruise in Chicago. The tour will allow the students to learn about 82 unique, famous, and historical buildings that are located in the city. Students will also get the opportunity to peek under some of the bridges of the Chicago River and feel the boat lift as it enters Lake Michigan from the Chicago River Lock.

The combined cost of both field trips is $25. This does not include the cost of lunch! The following chart explains the “specifics” for each field trip:

Chamber Theater Production
Date: April 9, 2008
Time: We will leave school at 9 am and return before 8th period
What to Bring: Students will need about $5 for lunch. We will be going to various fast food restaurants after the show.

Chicago Boat Tour
Date: May 29, 2008
Time: We will leave school at 9 am and return before 8th period
What to Bring: Students will need to bring a jacket as it can be chilly on the water. Also, students will need a sack lunch. It is important that ALL materials be discarded after food consumption.

ISAT Week!

This week we have been getting prepared for ISATs in all subjects. The students are really working hard and doing a nice job learning how to improve their overall scores. Next week, we will be taking ISATs every morning. Please come to school well-rested, with full bellies, and ready to give your all! Thanks!

Fractions are done!

This week the 6th grade students completed our unit on fractions. Although they will never leave our lives, we are going to take a break. Can I get a YEAH GEOMETRY? Today the students will be working on creating geometry vocab flash cards. We will be practicing the terms and will move on to angles and shapes. It will be quite refreshing.

LAST REBECCA CAUDILL BOOK!

The last accelerated reader test for the last Rebecca Caudill book is due on Wednesday, February 27th. Any make-up, re-take, of late tests will also be due that day. Please do not wait until the last day to take the tests. Accelerated reader tests can be taken at any Lakeview computer.

Voting for the best books will be next week.

Poetry Book!

This week the entire 6th grade will be working on typing out their poems. We will be in the IMC getting them prepared to produce a polished product. Some typing will need to be completed at home.

The poetry book requires a title page, table of contents, and at least one poem from each style practiced. Each style of poem needs to be on it's own page. Every poem should have a title. Correct punctuation, spelling, and style should be used. The students were given examples in class and those appear in their green packets. Please encourage your son or daugther to work on these poems daily. Ask them to share some of their work and proofread them together.

The complete poetry book is due Monday, February 25th.

Pack the Place
PRE-GAME SHOW
The Leadership Team is hosting a PRE-GAME show for the girls' and boys' basketball games. Students attending the PRE-GAME show will be entered into a raffle to participate in the PRE-GAME contests. Fun will be had by all!
Example Contests:
Shoot – Off
Paper Airplane Race
Passing Relay Race
Leap-Frog
Dance – Off
Students must be present to participate in the Pre-Game contests.

Poetry Unit

Poetry Unit
February 4th-February 24th
During the month of February, we will be focusing on reading and writing different styles of poetry. Everyday you will be introduced to a different type of poem. We will review the rules and definition of each type together and practice writing them as a class. Independently, you will write at least one poem for each type we study. Daily, students will be asked to share their poems. Every student is expected to share at least one poem. At the end of the unit, you will type out each poem and construct a book of poetry. The guidelines are as follows.

Just a reminder
Remember to proofread you work. Use a parent, sibling, or peer to help make your poems the best that they can be. Make sure your work is your own. Practice reading your poem aloud. Does it make sense? Can you add any adjectives or adverbs to make you poem even better! Take the time to really make the most out of the Poetry Unit!

Fractions, Fractions, Fractions!

Well, we are moving to multiplying and dividing fractions for the next few weeks. The rules change but the overall concepts are the same. We will start with estimating mixed numbers and fractions. We will move to multiplying fractions and then mixed numbers. Remember to look for cross simplifying to make the problem easier. Don't forget to turn the mixed numbers into improper fractions before multiplying. Division is as easy as 1,2,3! Find the reciprocal of the second fraction and follow the rules for multiplication. Don't forget to turn all mixed numbers into improper fractions first. Think you have it all? If not, come and see Mrs. Snodgrass or me in the mornings. I am also available during study hall. Good Luck!

PACK THE PLACE!

Everyone is getting ready for the big games with Spartan Spirit! PACK THE PLACE is a Lakeview spirit event where we are encouraging all students to come to one Girls and one Boys Basketball game. The 7th and 8th grade Leadership Teams will be conducting a Pre-Game show for both games. At the show, students will participate in games and cheers to boost the Spartan Spirit. All are welcome to come and enjoy the games. Wear Gold and Green! Go Spartans!

Rebecca Caudill Project

The 6th Grade Reading students are working on a Rebecca Caudill project where each student will read at lease three books nominated for the award. After reading each book, the students will take an Accelerated Reader test. The grade earned will be entered into the overall Reading grade. After all 3 books are read, the students will choose their favorite. The results will be calculated and turned in to the committee.

The due dates are as follows:
1st AR test due: 1/15
2nd AR test due: 2/6
3rd AR test due: 2/27