Monday, April 12, 2010

Spring Break


Don't forget that this Friday is the last day of school before Spring Break. Students will return to school on Monday, April 26th. Enjoy a peaceful break!

Link to the Bronx Masquerade Blog

Ms. Constantine, our student teacher, created a blog for students to comment on the novel we are reading in class, Bronx Masquerade. Check it out!

http://hwsmithbronxmasquerade.blogspot.com

Students of the Week

Congratulations to those students who were named Student of the Week for April 5th to April 9th, 2010:
Period One - Aseel A.
Period Three - Hassan O.
Period Five - Safa A.
Period Six - Abdinoor M.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Earning a HW Pass

Want to earn a HW pass? In the comment section, give two strategies or tips students should follow in order to be successful on the ELA exam. Remember that your comments will not automatically post. Simply write them and submit them (with your name) and I will post them.

The NYS English Language Arts Exam

Eighth grade students will take the NYS ELA exam beginning Monday, April 26th. Unfortunately, this is the day students return from Spring Break. Students will continue practice for the ELA in class in the next few weeks, and will also be working on ELA practice during their Spring Break. If any student is having difficulty with the practice exam at home, he or she can contact Ms. Short through this blog or by email (kshort@scsd.us).

Final Installment of 25-Book Assignment

Students are required to read six books for the fourth marking period. All summaries are due by June 11th. Because so many students have not turned in their summaries by the deadline in the past, it is Ms. Short's suggestion that students turn them in as they read instead of waiting until the end of the marking period.

Bronx Masquerade


Students have begun reading a very innovative novel called Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes. The novel is in multi-genre format written in both poetry and prose. The novel surrounds the stories of several different students in an English class in the Bronx. Below are links to reviews about this work of fiction: