Poetry project questions

Hello folks,
Sorry to interrupt your holiday with a message from school, but I received a request for a reminder of which self-composed poems should be included in the poetry anthology, and before I could respond, the teacher's email system was shut down for the holidays.

The poems that students need to include in the anthology are:
1. You can't write a poem about..
2. Symbol poem (including a list of your abstract noun, and your brainstormed words associated with the noun and symbol)
3. Where I'm From
4. Mood poem (I'm sorry poem)
5. 3 found poems by established poets, with a personal response paragraph for each (any additional poems you want to include are welcome, but you don't need to write paragraphs for those extra ones)
6. Title page, table of contents, introduction and bibliography (not poems, but I thought it couldn't hurt to put in another reminder :))

On the last day of school, I returned all of the poems that had previously been handed in to me, so everyone should have all their work at home, ready to bind however they like. I just want to reiterate how impressed I've been with this project. You worked hard in class for the weeks leading up to the holidays, and I hope you don't have too much left to do, so you can relax and enjoy your time off.

Take good care!
A la prochaine..
Mme O

FYI - I worked late on the Friday after you left, and finished marking all 82 science stories that were handed in, so if you remind me, you'll all get them back on the first day back at school. There are 3 people who still hadn't sent in their stories before the email system went down, and currently have a 0 for the project.. please remedy that!! Merci!

Almost there

Great work with your science stories, everyone! I'm really pleased with how you got back on track and worked well on these projects during class time for the last week. There are still a few people who have not turned in their stories - please get them in tomorrow first thing, if at all possible. Just like you, I'd rather not have any homework for over the holidays!!

Speaking of this, it looks like just about everyone is close to finishing their poetry projects, and I want to say how very proud I am of you in this regard. I have already gotten in several completed projects, and from what I hear, the only students who have anything big left to complete are those who have chosen to leave it for over the holidays. You've been doing such an amazing job of getting feedback and refining your work, and it's been a wonderful experience for me. Several of you have expressed that it is your favourite/hardest project ever, which is also pretty neat feedback! (Hardest because it makes you think and reflect, not because it's too tricky to complete!) Keep up the excellent work, and when we get back from holidays, we'll be sure to have a time to show off what you've accomplished.

On a completely different note, I just received this slightly embarrassing and cheesy promo video from my choir conductor, so I thought I would share it with you. If you love Dylan Thomas' story A Child's Christmas in Wales, this may be a fun concert for you to attend. Regardless, enjoy a 1 minute break from the day! :)



Mme O

Reminder to students

Les élèves,
As we approach the winter holidays, I want to remind you that it is extremely important to stay on task during class. Today was particularly challenging; perhaps half the kids in each science class got only as far as writing a title for their story in the entire 45 minute science block, despite repeated reminders, and separating groups.

If you do not use class time wisely, you will have far more homework than necessary, and you will need to complete the work without the support and feedback of your teachers; we will not add extra classes for you to complete your work if this is the case. However, if you work hard in the time we give you, and we can see that you still need extra time, we will be much more willing to change due dates to accomodate this.

Keep in mind that we give you class time so that we can be there to help you with your work. I am not the only teacher who has noticed that you as a group have become more chatty, and less productive during class time, so it is up to each individual to decide to change this.

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit." Aristotle

Upcoming due dates for my classes:
Science story on the digestive system: due Monday December 13th
English Poetry Project: due Tuesday January 4th

Mme O

English and science update, with a little reminder for good measure

Hello everyone,
I want to bring your attention to a new tab I have added to the blog, outlining the poetry project the students are currently working on in English class.

We've been writing poetry for a few weeks now, and I am blown away by the calibre of writing, and the sophistication of higher order thinking demonstrated in the poems that have been turned in. The students are all at different stages of the project, but for those who have moved on to looking for gems of poetry by published poets, I have included a list of suggested poets, as well as links to examples of how to write the introduction and personal response paragraphs on the poetry anthology tab. The project will be due after the winter break (Jan 4), but there is plenty of time to finish before school's out, so you aren't left with homework over the holidays!

In Science, we'll be having an open book quiz on the cardiovascular and respiratory systems next week, as well as the crossword quiz on the 11 body systems that I told you about ages ago, but then forgot about! All the information you need for the crossword quiz is on page 56-57 of your text book!

Now for one last reminder:
Yearbooks are still on sale, and the last day to buy them at the earlybird price is next Tuesday. Here is a link to the order form, just in case you need it . ;)
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mwZTblcUMdoMgZAbG70WoadJQLlVAsB4UY9s7TvP42Q/edit?hl=en&authkey=CO_Uqf4J

Have a lovely weekend,
Mme O

Events around town, and an update

Hi folks,
I received an email from the teachers' Social Justice committee, telling me about a couple of neat events going on today, and I thought I'd pass them along. Sorry for the late notice! I only received the email this morning.

St Aidan's United Church “Just Christmas” Fair Trade Fair
Date: Sunday, November 21, 2010 - 11:00 - 15:00
Address: 3703 St Aidan's St, Richmond at Cedar Hill X
This is a terrific Christmas fair with fair trade crafts from around the world.
---

RESULTS Canada Fundraiser
with guest speaker Katleen Félix
Sunday, November 21st , 1 ‐ 3 pm
Hotel Grand Pacific Ballroom
463 Belleville Street
Free admission
Results Canada is a national network of volunteers committed to creating the political will to end global poverty. Through education and advocacy, Results volunteers have made a difference in the lives of millions of people. Come out and be inspired by the hard work and dedication of the Victoria group, and hear from the director of Fonkoze, a microcredit organization in Haiti.
www.results-resultats.ca
---

Also, this is not a social justice event, but if you happen to be near the downtown public library around 4pm today, my choir will be doing a free 30 minute caroling concert in the outside atrium! :)

For classroom news, I was so happy to have met with 28 families last week during parent-teacher interviews! Thank you for taking the time to come and speak with me.

Currently in English, the kids are working on poems using symbols; however, they will also be coming to 2 parents/guardians/aunts/uncles/grandparents with surveys about your life when you were twelve. This is for an upcoming poem called "Where I'm from," and I thank you in advance for your help with this! It's a very neat experience for the kids to learn more about your childhood, and incorporate that into a current project.

In science, we'll be delving into the cardiovascular and respiratory systems this week.

Please note that curriculum completion forms were sent home last week, and need to be returned by Monday morning. Students who have returned their forms and are not required to stay for curriculum completion will be dismissed at 1:44 on Thursday afternoon. Friday is a professional day, so there is no school.

Thank you, and I hope you're enjoying your weekend,
Mme O

Félicitations!

Salut tout le monde!
I just received this fabulous video, which celebrates the accomplishments of two of our students in grade 8 French Immersion. With their parents' permission, I share it with you now. Congratulations, Puck and Reece!



On an academic note, I want to say how incredibly impressed I am with the quality of writing that's going on in English right now. We've just started poetry, and you are reminding me why I love teaching it! Really well done.

Science is also going well, with lots of peer teaching going on. Your posters are very comprehensive - if a little strange looking!!

Keep up the great work!

Parents, I hope to connect with many of you next week during Parent Teacher conferences.

Bon weekend!
Mme O

Winter grocery baskets and field trips

Chers parents,
Winter grocery baskets and presents for children in families experiencing financial hardship are being offered this year. If you or someone you know would benefit from this program, I have forms in my classroom that I can send to you, or you can pick one up from the office. Completed forms can be faxed to Santas Anonymous.

Please check out the updated calendar to see all of our upcoming field trips. We'll be sending home a permission form in the next couple of days outlining what we'll be doing, and asking for one parent volunteer per class to come and join us on each field trip. I hope you can join us! Please remember that no child will miss out due to financial hardship - please talk to Mr Burgers or Mr Ross if you are in need of assistance.

Merci, et bonne journée,
Mme O

Yearbook and curriculum completion day

Hello parents,
Today, yearbook order forms went home. I have uploaded the form to google docs, in case it doesn't make it home; however, the easiest way to buy a yearbook is online.

To find the paper form and pay by cheque/cash, go to the following link:
https://docs.google.com/document/edit?id=1mwZTblcUMdoMgZAbG70WoadJQLlVAsB4UY9s7TvP42Q&hl=en&authkey=CO_Uqf4J

To order and pay online, go to www.jostensyearbooks.com
Select ‘Buy Your Yearbook’ then enter the school name. Be careful to specify that it is Central Middle School in Victoria BC as there are many Central Middle Schools in North America! The site is very easy to navigate and secure. If you order online, extra personalisation options are open to you and you DON’T NEED to fill in a paper order form.

For curriculum completion day, I am still missing 9 CC forms in Div 15. These forms tell you whether or not your child is required to attend the curriculum completion afternoon on Friday Oct 29, and acknowledge that you have either given permission for your child to be dismissed at 1:44 on Friday, or would prefer for them to stay at school until 3pm, as usual. If I do not receive the forms by tomorrow, your child will be required to stay until 3pm. I will write individually to parents in Div 15 if their child has not returned their form, but is required to stay.

Thank you,
Mme O

Calendar

Hi folks,
Please note that I have redesigned the site slightly, as I figured out how to embed a google calendar onto the page, rather than just listing upcoming events. You can now find the calendar by clicking on the link just below my email address at the top of the page.

Homework/project/test dates will have a book icon beside them in the calendar, while other events will just be listed normally.

Thanks, and have a great weekend!
Mme O

Writing, filming and book signing opportunities

Salut les élèves!
If you love creative writing, here's an opportunity for you: The organization "Our Hidden Heroes" is putting on a competition, and the winner receives an Acer laptop. The topic choices are:

*write a story of a Hidden Hero (positive role model) you know in your family, community or school, or
*write a story of a time you were a Hidden Hero yourself.

Maximum word count = 300 words. The winner will be chosen at random, but some of the best writing will also be posted to the website. Stories are due April 30, 2011 at noon, and have to be sent from my school email address to qualify. Please email your stories to me, if you want to participate in this competition. http://www.ourhiddenheroes.org/web_documents/project_rules_and_info_2010-2011.pdf

For the film makers at our school: you can participate in a national anti-racism video competition put on by the Canadian Government.

Create a video 45 to 60 seconds long about your thoughts on eliminating racism. You can work in a team of up to five people. Your video can feature as many people as you want — include your whole school or members of your community if they have something to say about stopping racism.
Ten videos will be chosen as winners and will be broadcast on national television, reaching millions of Canadians.

Videos (accompanied by one entry form signed by a parent for each team member) are due by Friday, December 31, 2010. http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/multiculturalism/march21/contest.asp

Finally, for fans of Kenneth Oppel: there will be a book signing at Munro's books this Saturday, October 16th, at 3pm. Oppel is the author of the Silverwing series, and the Airborn trilogy. He also has a new book coming out called Half Brother, and it's about a Victoria family that adopts a chimpanzee as part of an experiment.

Remember: you need to hand in your late assignments by Thursday!
A demain,
Mme O

Thoughts on a Thursday afternoon

Les élèves, you have been working hard this week! I'm impressed with the overall focus I've seen.

I've been working hard too - trying to keep up with all the marking that 86 students produce. I've come across some really great quality work, but also noticed there are some late assignments.

On Thursday next week, I'll be asking all students with missing assignments in science or English to stay in at lunch to catch up. That gives you a whole week, plus 2 flex blocks to finish up that work, before losing out on your free time. The list of missing assignments is sitting right beside the hand-in tower - it's the page you check off when you hand in your assignments.

If you know for sure you have a late assignment, don't stress yourself about it tonight - you have enough on your plate. Do check in with me tomorrow or Tuesday, though, to make sure you get back on track.

For now, enjoy this cute video by Will.i.am and Sesame Street, called "What I am."



A bientôt,
Mme O

Science quiz

Salut les élèves,
This is just a reminder about the science quiz on microscopes later this week -Thursday for Div 16, and Friday for Div 15 and 17. We'll keep studying the material in class tomorrow, but it would be helpful to read over your notes once or twice each evening on your own as well, so that you're really comfortable with the material. It only takes a few minutes each night, and really cuts down on the stress the evening before the quiz!

I've also heard mutterings about a sciences humaines project being due some time this week? I haven't had the chance to check in with M Barwin or Mme Brault's TOCs to confirm, but my class will have time during flex block tomorrow to work on the project, if they need to.

Please check to see the updated calendar on the right!
A bientôt,
Mme O

PAC AGM

Hello parents,
I hope to chat with many of you tonight at the meet the teachers night, and I thank everyone who has already contacted me with such lovely emails and messages. This school community has given me such a warm welcome!

I've just had an email asking me to remind parents about the PAC AGM, that will be held on Monday September 27th at 7pm in the Richmond Library, and that you are all welcome to attend.

A bientôt,
Mme O

End of the first week!

Wow - that went quickly! Thanks for a great first week at school, everyone. I'm really looking forward to teaching you all! Parents, please be on the lookout for an introductory letter at the beginning of next week.

Re: money and forms -
Thanks so much to everyone who has already brought in their money and (many) forms! I appreciate you getting them in so quickly. I also apologize for the confusion with how much money you needed to bring in for supplies this year - even the secretaries were saying different things! It's all sorted now, though: all that is required is $4 for your new agenda.

PARENTS PLEASE NOTE: I reimbursed all of the students in Div 15 who brought in $9, giving them back a $5 bill. For those kids who brought in cheques for $29, I have returned those cheques to them, and asked that they bring in just $4 next week. Thanks so much for your understanding!

Have a wonderful weekend, and we'll see you next week, when we get to start... curriculum! Exciting times :).
Mme O

Bienvenue!

Bonjour les élèves et les parents,
Welcome to our classroom blog! On our blog, I'll be posting information about projects, upcoming field trips, presenters, and any other exciting happenings for the grade 8 immersion students, in the classes that I teach.

Please note that I will not be using this blog as a daily homework board, though I will try to remind students about big projects/deadlines/unit tests, especially if we have a lot on the go. I'll try to update the blog once every week or so, and you can become a "membre" of the blog (to get email notification when I update it) by clicking on the link on the bottom left of the page.

Merci, et bonne journée!
Mme O