SHOJ - English Language Arts

The 8th graders used the "Fresh Prince" opening credits as inspiration for their own raps about the setting of To Kill a Mockingbird. We've been talking about the historical context of the novel and the setting, as well as some introductory character details. I've done this activity several years, and these were the best I've heard! Presenting for the class One of the great poems Working hard on our brainstorms

The 7th graders did a great job today presenting their scenes from SCOPE Magazine's dramas. They were fun to watch -- full of great costumes and emotion! 

Today we had fun playing Salt and Pepper. Siena does a great job of working together! 

Dear Middle School parents,  If you know of anyone who would like to attend our open house or kindergarten information night, please share the information below:  Please join us for the Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic School Open House on Sunday, January 31, 2016 from 12:00-2:00pm .  Registering for this event will help customize your tour.  Please click this link to do so: http://shojopenhouse.eventbrite.com .  (Registration is not required.)  We look forward to meeting you and showing you what Sacred Heart School has to offer for your children!

Parents, Heads up that 8th grade students are bringing $7 by Friday to get their copy of  To Kill a Mockingbird . We're all using the same version, but if you have a copy of the book your child needs at home and you're OK with them writing in it, that's OK too! Please talk to me if money is an issue.  Students will be allowed to write in their books and keep them after we finish the unit, which will take us into March. Seventh graders will be bringing money for their novel,  The Outsiders,  in a couple weeks, once we finish SCOPE. We're excited to get started with both novels. We will be doing some pre-reading activities and looking at the different time periods that the books are set in. 7th graders will be looking at the 1960s, and 8th graders will be looking at the 1930s. Both are wonderful books. In years past, students have really enjoyed both novels. The Outsiders  brings up good discussion, but does include some gang and teenage violence.  To Kill a Mock

Congrats to all our readers in December/January! We had students read over 200 pages in a night or a weekend. That is really impressive. Keep up the good reading!  The students below read 50 pages overnight!  These students read 100 pages overnight!

8th graders are working on editing a short excerpt of the novels they wrote last quarter. They've been so creative thus far, and I look forward to reading the finished products! After we finish our peer and self-editing, we will begin reading To Kill a Mockingbird, which is one of my favorites . It's exciting to watch the book "click" as we progress through it each year!  7th graders are working on SCOPE magazine right now. They reflected on their MAPS data, and as a grade, we want to work on informational text, which is perfect for SCOPE! After we finish SCOPE, we will start The Outsiders , which the students really enjoy.  I have the novels for the students, so they do not need to go and find one.  Looking forward to a great quarter!  Outsiders dress-up day

Siena House did an awesome job today researching St. Catherine of Siena. Interesting facts they learned: - Her body is incorruptible, and you can still see her head in Siena, Italy. - While alive, she levitated during prayer. - She was one of 25 children. - She is the patron saint of nurses and the sick because she was often sick. "The soul is in God and God in the soul, just as the fish is in the sea and the sea in the fish." St. Catherine, pray for us!

 I will be placing an order for Scholastic next Thursday, Jan. 14. To start off the new semester, I encouraged the kids to find books that interested them.  Please check out the catalog or the reading brochures your students brought home to find books that interest them! Thanks for your generosity in the past. We received lots of new books for our classroom library.  To Shop Online: scholastic.com/readingclub One-Time Class Activation Code: L7ZJ6 Due by 1/14 *You can also click on the button below to take you to our class.    With Scholastic Reading Club: - Every book you buy earns FREE Books for our classroom library - You can choose from handpicked, grade- and reading-level-specific books for your child - You'll find the best values on a variety of formats, including eBooks Each month, your child will bring home Reading Club flyers. Together you can choose from books hand-selected by teachers and experts, and then order online or by returning your o