SPELLING BEE November 29th

RIVER OAKS MIDDLE SCHOOL OCTOBER 2018

ELA NEWSLETTER Keeping you informed with our English Language Arts classrooms!

River Oaks Middle School (ROMS) believes it is important to improve literacy in our school because it is the basis and provides the foundation for all learning. It contributes to college and career readiness and improves social well-being. If our comprehensive reading plan is successfully implemented, we will see High Progress Literacy. Classrooms in which students are actively engaged in authentic reading, writing and research experiences throughout the school day. As a result, optimal student achievement will be attained.

-ROMS Literacy CommitteePrincipal Matthews, Mr. Hanks, Ms. Palazzolo

6TH GRADE FOCUSFOR QUARTER 2

Dealing with Disasters: The Banana Tree" Reading:"Decisions That Matter"

Decisions...Lesson 1: "It Worked for Me" Writing Unit : Informational/Explanatory

Grammar Unit : Phrases, Clauses, Commas, Oh My! Week

Dealing with Disasters "A Night to ..." Decisions...Lesson 2: "The First Day of School"

Decisions...Lesson 3: "The Road Not Taken" Decisions...Lesson 4: "Paul Revere's Ride"

Novel Unit: Freak the Mighty (Diversity) Decisions...Lesson 5: "On Doomed Flight…"

-GATE-

Writing Process and Write Traits Reading: Literature

Reading Unit: "Monsters Are Due on Maple Street" Grammar: Sentence Variety/Advanced Punctuation

Writing Unit: Argumentative

DAY OF THE DEAD LITERACY NIGHTOctober 30th

EVENTS

SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR

December 10-14th

LITERACY VISION & CULTURE

7TH GRADE FOCUSFOR QUARTER 2

8TH GRADE FOCUSFOR QUARTER 2

November is: National Novel Writing Month

National Young Readers Week (Nov. 5-9)   Nov. 1 Dia de los muertos

Nov. 10 Sesame Street premiered on PBS in 1969 Nov. 11 Veteran's Day Nov. 13th World Kindness Day Nov. 19th Lincoln's Gettysburg Address

Novel Unit: The Outsiders Writing Unit:  Informative/Explanatory

Grammar Unit: Sentence Types Writing Unit: Argumentative

 Reading Unit: Collection 2 - Perception & Reality

-GATE- Reading/Writing Unit - Poe: Tales of Horror

Writing Unit:  Informative/Explanatory Writing

Reading/Writing Unit: Elements of Surprise Grammar Unit: Verbals, & Verb Mood

Reading/Writing Unit: A Christmas Carol

Workshop 5F: Wired for Trouble Workshop 5F: Preview

Workshop 5F: Build Background Workshop 5F: Vocabulary Workshop 5F: Reading 1 Workshop 5F: Reading 2 Workshop 5F: Reading 3

Workshop 5F: Reading Checkpoint Workshop 5F: Vocabulary / Word

Study Workshop 5F: Writing & Conventions

-Advanced/GATE- Grammar: Active and Passive Voice  Reading Unit: Thrill of Horror/DBQ

Short Story Unit Grammar: Comma, Ellipses,

Dashes,Verbals

The Best Books for Middle School According to Mr. Hanks’ Students

RIVER OAKS MIDDLE SCHOOL 2018

6 WAYS TO IMPROVE STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC WRITING SKILL Writing is a complex skill which most students actually need in order to successfully go through college. Because everything is based on writing during academic years, a student who possesses good writing skill will automatically do better at everything. Exams, essays, assignments, and so on. 1. Encourage Good Writing and Penalize Poor Writing

2. Work On Your Student’s Mindset 3. A Lot of Practice Equals Better Performance

4. Provide Instructions Throughout the Writing Process 5. Provide Helpful Feedback

6. Have Your Students Read a Lot Writing isn’t rocket science. It’s a basic skill that can be practiced over and over again. With your help, your students can become better and better as the time passes. As mentioned earlier, you play a huge role in their education and in their skills development process.

WANT TO VOLUNTEER? Interested in helping the ROMS Literacy Comittee?We are looking for parents, guardians, and community members to help us make decisions, run events, and

provide input!Inquire to: Mr. Matthews, Ms. Palazzolo, or Mr. Hanks

All of the words from the 2018-2019 School Spelling Bee Study List can be found in the Great Words, Great Works books, allowing our students to get to know these words in the context of great stories!

The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill Restart by Gordon Korman

The Player King by Avi Flying the Dragon by Natalie Dias Lorenzi

The Red Bandanna (Young Readers Adaptation) by Tom Rinaldi

The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken My Brigadista Year by Katherine Paterson

Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson Hour of the Bees by Lindsay Eager

Lincoln's Spymaster: Allan Pinkerton, America's First Private Eye by Samantha Seiple

Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates by Mary Mapes Dodge

The Glass Town Game by Catherynne M. Valente Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Cloud and Wallfish by Anne Nesbet Sabotage: The Mission to Destroy Hitler's Atomic

Bomb by Neal Bascomb A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie All American Boys by Brendan Kiely and Jason Reynolds Backlash by Sarah Darer Littman Booked by Kwame Alexander Big Nate series by Lincoln Peirce Canterwood Crest series by Jessica Burkhart Stolen Children by Peg Kehret