April 2016
Spanish News by Miss Brittany Harold
Miss Harold’s Spanish classes have been very busy for the past few months. In Spanish I the students just did presentations all about themselves and incorporated things they have been working on during the year such as likes and dislikes, goals, characteristics, their family members, physical descriptions and much much more.
Spanish II finished up environment projects just before Earth Day and they made posters and pamphlets in Spanish discussing such topics as water contamination, endangered species, natural disasters, and recycling. They are currently working on learning the past tense and have been telling some very interesting stories from the point of view of the past!
Last month, the Spanish III class worked on book projects that incorporated the future tense of verbs and direct and indirect object pronouns. They read the book “If you give a Moose a Muffin” in Spanish and then created their own versions of them. They then took these books to Mrs. Hamilton’s second grade classroom and read them aloud to her students in both English and Spanish. They recently have been working on telephone conversations and how to text, make calls, answer calls, and leave messages.
In the Spanish IV class we have been working on difficult concepts like the subjunctive and the students have been exploring songs and readings, writing wanted ads, and making recommendations for others based on their needs. We are hoping to squeeze in a short play in Spanish before the seniors leave for their senior trip.
We are all also looking forward to discussing the history of Cinco de Mayo this week and the traditions that are based around it. We will compare the celebration in the United States and in Mexico and I think many of them will be surprised by the story of Cinco de Mayo and what it really is. We are looking forward to this month of classes!
November 2015
English Department by Mrs. Marcia Wheeler
The English 12 classes at NPHS are working on revising the final copies of their résumés and cover letters. They are also reading independent novels based on their individual reading levels.
The English Composition I class (UPB’s College in High School class) is studying “competition” through reading and discussing many assigned text articles, which will culminate in a writing assignment.
The Literature and Interpretation class (UPB’s College in High School class) has been reading various college level articles and discussing elements of metaphors and how we use them for understanding. They are now preparing to write a paper discussing the use of metaphor in a few assigned articles.
The second rotation of Speech is just beginning, and students are participating in pronunciation, enunciation, and charades exercises. They are getting ready for their first speeches—“Life in a Bag.”
Languages Department
Submitted by Mrs. Wolfinger (06/02/2015)
Junior American Literature
Junior American literature classes completed the year with the critical reading of a “modern” era novel. One class read Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, while the other completed the reading of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Both novels lend themselves to themes that are still very relevant today, such as civil rights and the rights and responsibilities of persons with mental disabilities, so as you can imagine we had some very meaningful class discussions! Throughout this year, the junior honors American literature class continued to enjoy and engage in forum discussions during Friday seminars. Each junior in this class, along with a partner, leads two seminars during the school year. During the seminar, the leaders present background information on the topic, pose three “burning” questions for discussion, and then mediate a circle discussion. Whether the topic is gun control, school uniforms, or the challenges which technology poses to the interpretation of the Constitution, these seminars are never dull!
College Composition 101
This class was the largest group ever, which is a testament to the focused efforts of Northern Potter and the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. Over the course of the year, students were exposed to a wide variety of academic writing genres – most of which they likely will be tasked with by a college professor in their future. In addition, writing skills (grammar, mechanics, usage) were honed and students learned to properly use both MLA and APA research formats.
Creative Writing
It is always such a pleasure to teach this elective, as we essentially become a community of writers for 40 minutes of our day. Students’ culminating projects were a portfolio of their best work, along with a personal reflection about why they had chosen each piece, and what they felt was the best quality of the piece. These portfolios are awesome not only in their final writing content, but also in the depth of student reflection evident in each one.
English 8
English 8 students completed a rigorous year of composition study and writing. John Collins’ writing program was used as a basis to instruct students in multiple genres of writing (expository, argumentative and narrative) as well as to help them to hone the grammar, usage, and mechanics (GUMs) within their writing.
May 2015
Languages Department
Submitted by Mrs. Wheeler (05/04/2015)
The end of the 2014-2015 school year is approaching quickly, and many interesting things are taking place in 123 as students are working toward completing final assignments and projects.
The dual enrollment literature and interpretation class is reviewing for the final exam. They have studied a myriad of college level literature pieces: poems, short stories, essays, and work by Shakespeare. They have worked diligently to improve their writing skills and completed seven college level papers.
The Honors English 12 class has recently finished Dracula. They are beginning Shakespearean plays (comedies & tragedies) for presentations that will count towards their final exam. The general English 12 classes are working toward their individual reading goals and preparing speeches as part of their final exam. The entire senior class has created resumes and moved on to writing cover letters last week.
The fourth rotation of Nonfiction 10 is continuing to follow the six flag raisers up Mount Suribachi in Flags of Our Fathers (unabridged).
The English 9 classes have been researching Greek and Roman gods/goddesses. The students are in the process of writing their MLA style research papers, complete with parenthetical citations, works cited pages, and title pages.
Literature 8 students have finished The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and are now venturing back to the 1700s with Jim Hawkins and Treasure Island. They will begin work on a Time Capsule Group Project this week; the capsule will be opened at the end of their senior year in 2019.
i-Period students are happy to have their PSSA testing completed, and they are continuing to work on reading and writing skills.
April 2015
Languages Department
Submitted by Mrs. Walck (03/31/2015)
Speech 10: The students in Speech 10 (third rotation) just finished their demonstration and persuasive speeches. The students covered a variety of topics, such as archery basics, cookie dough, Sweet 16 bracketology, and conspiracy theories. The students even invited Mrs. Acker’s class over for some authentic audience participation.
iPeriod: Mrs. Walck’s language arts iPeriod has been studying figurative language, the basics of breaking apart a text, referencing the text when answering questions about it, and higher level thinking skills. Blake Jeffers and Levi Kio had a great time trying to figure out how to untangle themselves without cutting a string. Although they required a little assistance, they were the fastest pair.
English 10: Romance is alive and well in the 10th grade. The English 10 students have begun to study Shakespeare’s iconic play, Romeo and Juliet. The students each have a part, take turns acting the scenes out, and even use foam swords. It’s fun to see them relating to such a classic text.
Nonfiction 8: Mrs. Walck’s 7th period has been studying various nonfiction texts and current events. It’s interesting to notice the way in which these 8th graders view their world. They have such empathy for people struggling in the world around them. Mrs. Walck predicts there will be many future volunteers coming from this group.
Language Arts 8: These 8th graders have been examining what life would have been like for teenagers during WWII. They completed a web quest to find background information about politics, the major forces, and events leading up to the war. Then, they used that information to write a research paper about life as teenagers. Finally, they are reading the play, The Diary of Anne Frank. It is refreshing to see some of the more reserved students taking on larger roles. During this unit, some of the shyer students are really standing out!
March 2015
Languages Department
Submitted by Mrs. Pomeroy (03/01/2015)
English 7 students have recently studied prepositions and prepositional phrases. Usually, English 7 students complete a project in which they construct a town and use Matchbox cars to navigate through the town. Students would then write a narrative using prepositional phrases to explain where the cars are traveling. This year, we “teched-up” the project with the help of Mr. Bryant by having students construct virtual worlds in Land of the Turtles, which is a Minecraft Edu Mod. Students have constructed worlds for their turtles and are writing diaries of their turtles’ adventures within the worlds using prepositional phrases. Throughout this experience, students have learned many skills in addition to the prepositional phrase practice, including basic beginners programming, narrative style writing, and point-of-view. It has been an engaging project for the students, and their learning is evident in their work. Students are so excited with the project that they are volunteering to brainstorm ways to “tech-up” future lessons!
In Language Arts 7, students are currently reading Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. They have compared elements of nonfiction to those of realistic fiction. Within the context of the novel, students have learned some historical background including Jim Crow Laws and sharecropping. Students are continuing to learn about characterization, conflict, and theme. They are also being introduced to similes, metaphors, and symbolism. In addition, we are preparing the students to take the ELA PSSA next month by practicing key terms and test-taking strategies.
Like the 7th graders, Mrs. Pomeroy and Mrs. Bailey’s Language Arts 8 students are preparing for the upcoming ELA PSSA. They are also learning about elements of drama. Currently, we are reading the play, Diary of Anne Frank. Students have proved to be knowledgeable about WWII and have created a list of questions they have about the Holocaust. Their interest in these topics has helped to engage students in the play reading and in learning the elements of drama.
Digital Citizenship students have learned about online safety and cyberbullying. They have read and watched cases of cyberbullying and online predators. Through watching and reading, they have come to realize the importance of not sharing personal information online. They have also learned that cyberbulling can have lasting adverse effects on victims, even if the cyberbullying was unintentional.
Media Communications students have been actively working on the yearbook. They have successfully completed work for three of their five deadlines. We are currently on track for the National Yearbook of Excellence Program, and hope to be awarded the title again this year. In addition, students are working on planning and organizing the program for the Senior Parent Appreciation Banquet, which will be held on March 26th.
In Mrs. Pomeroy and Mrs. Wheeler’s I-Period, 7th & 8th grade students have been learning test-taking strategies and are practicing with reading passages. They have also practiced PSSA vocabulary by playing engaging games such as Press Your Luck, a SMART Board version of a classic television game show.
February 2015
Languages Department
Submitted by Ms. Harold (02/06/2015)
Saludos from the Spanish department! We have been very busy this month and have had a lot of neat things going on in our classes. In Spanish I, students have been learning about foods. They each researched a Hispanic country and designed a menu based on typical foods that would be eaten there. We then did some role playing, and they practiced giving and taking orders in a restaurant using their menus they created.
In Spanish II, we have been working with houses and describing them, and students were able to design and describe their own personal dream house. The Spanish III class has started working on giving and expressing their opinions. We are starting to look into some controversial topics where they can practice stating and then defending their opinions. In the Spanish IV class, we just finished reading a version of the classic story Don Quixote de la Mancha. It’s been a great month and we are looking forward to exploring and learning more in the upcoming weeks.
January 2015
The junior American Literature students have been busy this year not only studying the foundations of American writing, but also tying themes from the past to their lives and their world. We kicked off the year by addressing the controversial topic of stereotyping – more specifically – stereotyping of generations. After watching the video “The Lost Generation” (http://youtu.be/42E2fAWM6rA), students wrote essays stating their position on whether or not it is fair that their generation has been labeled as “lazy and entitled.” They were some of the most well-written essays I have gotten, and some of what they had to say might surprise you!
Most recently, they visited the works of our Founding Fathers, studying documents, such as the Declaration of Independence, the early persuasive writing of Thomas Paine, and the words of the great orator, Patrick Henry. More compelling, though, has been the real world connections the students have been able to make to themes such as freedom, justice, and determination, which are as important today as they were 200+ years ago. So, in addition to the foundational works, students have read, viewed, and discussed modern pieces such as "Advice, Like Youth, Probably Wasted on the Young," by Mary Schmich of the Chicago Tribune (http://my.chicagotribune.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-46894045/), Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream,” (http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm), and Sarah Key’s TED Talk "If I Have a Daughter" (http://www.ted.com/talks/sarah_kay_if_i_should_have_a_daughter#t-560594). As we head toward the end of the first semester, the juniors continue their quest to make connections between literature and life as they read Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom and Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.
In addition, the junior honors American Literature class continues to enjoy and engage in interclass debates about current topics during their Friday Seminar. Each junior in this class, along with a partner, leads two seminars during the school year. During the seminar, the leaders present background information on the topic, pose three “burning” questions for discussion, and then mediate a circle discussion. Whether the topic is gun control, school uniforms, or the challenges which technology poses to the interpretation of the Constitution, these seminars are never dull!
December 2014
As the holidays approach, we have been working diligently in room 123 to complete units of study before the Christmas break.
The English 12 classes have recently finished the Shakespearian tragedy of Macbeth, which tied nicely to our visit to the Renaissance Faire in October. Students are viewing a video version and will write compare/contrast essays in the near future. They are moving on to a Yuletide tale with the knights of the round table in “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight;” the tale is filled with magic and chivalry. In addition, the Honors English 12 class will finish reading Frankenstein this week, and they will continue to explore King Arthur’s Camelot with The Once and Future King.
The College in the High School: Introduction to Literature and Interpretation class has been exploring poetry by various authors. They have written Shakespearean and Petrarchian sonnets and shared them in class. The students will soon begin work on their second essay: A Response to Poetry.
The Nonfiction 10 Rotation class is experiencing WWII through The Flags of Our Fathers. The class has vicariously scaled Mt. Suribachi and planted the flag. Discussions have centered around the differences in Japanese and American cultures at that time and the author’s reasons for writing the novel.
The English 9 students have been studying fiction (short stories) and nonfiction (narrative essays); they will soon write their own narrative essays. They have recently finished Poe’s “The Cask of Amantillado.” Students are reading novels independently, as well, based on their reading levels.
The Literature 8 class has finished reading An Incident at Hawk’s Hill. The book is about a young boy who lives with a badger for a short time and is based on real events. Students are beginning to read A Christmas Carol and should finish prior to Christmas break. Students also have been reading novels independently based on their abilities.
7th & 8th grade ELA iPeriod students, which I share with Mrs. Pomeroy, have been working in Study Island (on tablet devices) and reading novels independently (based on their reading levels). These students are gearing up to take part in Student Council’s Door Decorating Contest—“Christmas Around the World;” students will create a door based on “Frohe Weinachten” (German: Happy/Merry Christmas).
Students are reading daily in most classes. It helps them get settled at the beginning of class with time to focus on reading. Many students are surprised at how many books they have already completed.
November 2014
English 10: “What would you leave behind?” is one of the themes for the video project Mrs. Walck’s classes are working on. The tenth graders have finished reading the short story, “Contents of a Dead Man’s Pockets,” and have formed groups to script their own versions; however, instead of leaving a paper behind, the main characters are leaving behind an electronic device. It is up to the students to explain why the device and its contents are so important.
To begin, the students had to complete a script which utilized the words flimsy, convoluted, and imperceptibly. Next, they had to create and illustrate a storyboard that showed internal conflict, external conflict, details as to how the device dropped out of the window, and danger in the imagery. After the script and storyboard were teacher-approved, the students created props, designed costumes, and filmed their creations. Mr. Bryant assisted the students with splicing the videos, adding sound, and utilizing the green screen. Overall, this project was a huge success!
Mrs. Walck’s View on the 10th Grade Field Trip to the Pennsylvania College of Technology: As an English teacher, I don’t often have the opportunity to see my hands-on students thriving in their prime learning culture, which is why I love chaperoning the trip to Penn-Tech. While there, I am awarded the opportunity of seeing students, especially those who prefer life outside of a traditional classroom, try new activities and look into possible careers. For instance, I was able to witness my students laying a building foundation, checking the pulses of a simulation mannequin, and working on automobiles. I thoroughly loved seeing their eyes light up as they tried new things and challenged themselves and each other. As always, it was a great reminder that our students learn in multiple modalities. I am so thankful I was able to attend.
Nonfiction 8: Mrs. Walck’s Nonfiction 8 students are asking themselves, “Who done it?” for their latest unit. Together, the students read a skit based on “The Red-Headed League” in order to learn about making inferences. Then, Mrs. Acker’s Biology 10 students taught the eighth graders about fingerprinting and crime scene analysis. Finally, the students are reading the short story, “The Adventures of the Speckled Band,” where they will continue making inferences and citing evidence to prove the case. We’ll see if it’s all “Elementary, Dear Watson!”
SEE PICTURES OF THESE EVENTS IN THE PHOTO GALLERY!
October 2014
In English 7, students have reviewed nouns and pronouns and are beginning a study of verbs. In addition, they have written friendly letters and business letters. The business letters were mailed out to companies, and students are starting to receive responses. In the picture to the left, Savannah Herring displays products she received as gifts of appreciation in response to her letter. Students in English 7 are also working on improving vocabulary skills and their ability to respond to open-ended questions.
Language arts students are reviewing PSSA reading vocabulary and are applying those terms within the context of short stories that we are reading. Specifically, we are working through elements of fiction and nonfiction such as point-of-view, author’s purpose, plot, theme, and conflict. Language Arts 7 students will soon begin reading Where the Red Fern Grows. Language Arts 8 students are going to explore more nonfiction materials that will give exposure to cross-curricular concepts.
The first rotation of digital citizenship is coming to a close. Students in this course have learned about protecting themselves from becoming victims of online predators, identity thieves, and impersonators. We have also spent a great deal of time learning and discussing cyber bullying and how to become an upstander rather than a bystander.
Media communications students have adopted a theme for this year’s yearbook. They have planned the pages and are actively working on this year’s product. We have submitted our customized cover that the students designed with the help of Mr. Tim Walck’s PhotoShop skills. This was the first step on the road to receiving the National Yearbook Award of Excellence, which we are actively working towards.
On October 8, 2014, we hosted students from neighboring schools for a yearbook training session with Mr. Scott Geesey. We also ordered yearbooks on this day. If anyone is interested in purchasing a yearbook, please let Mrs. Pomeroy know. Mr. Geesey is using our school in a pilot program that will attempt to put a yearbook in the hands of every student in grades seven through twelve. Details of this program will be available soon.
Las clases de Espanol
We are very excited to be getting our Spanish classes going this year! As a first year teacher, I am looking forward to all that we will be learning in the next few weeks.
This is our first year offering Spanish to students in 7th grade, and so far it has been a huge hit! The students are really enjoying getting to learn another language and about other cultures. We have focused on the basic greetings and introductions and will continue expanding our vocabulary as we learn how to hold basic conversations with Hispanic people. Within the next few weeks students will be exploring different hobbies, describing people and objects, telling time, and engaging in many more fun activities.
The upper level Spanish courses have recently been learning about health issues and the differences between health care in the United States and in Latin American countries. We have also started exploring different verb tenses and will continue to work on this in the following weeks. Students will be learning how to talk about things that happened in the past and will begin writing their own stories as well as learn how to talk about the future and their hopes and dreams.
We have some awesome projects coming up that I’m sure you won’t want to miss! So ask your students what they are learning in las clases de espanol!
May 2014
Mrs. Bailey's Reading 7 and 8 classes have been reading Where the Red Fern Grows. The students learned about life in the Ozark Mountains and how a young boy formed a strong bond with his hunting dogs. Both classes have completed multiple rounds of Vocab.com. Several students have been rewarded with prizes for their completion of Vocab.com rounds. They have completed two rounds of Classroom Diagnostic Tools (CDT) tests and have shown some good progress for the year. For the 4th marking period, the student are reading historical fiction stories about the Battle of Gettysburg and the Bombing of Pearl Harbor.
Mrs. Wheeler’s seniors are looking forward to the end of the year. The Honors English 12 class is reading Dracula and writing argumentative essays. The general English 12 class has finished studying some excerpts from The Canterbury Tales, and they are writing business letters of complaint. The literature and interpretation class has been studying the short story genre with a myriad of titles and authors, most recently Poe’s “The Spectacles”. The Literature 7 class is exploring Holocaust literature with The Devil’s Arithmetic and finishing their first fourth-quarter, independent novels. The Literature 8 class is reading The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and also finishing their first fourth-quarter, independent novels. The fourth rotation of Nonfiction 10 is studying WWII in the Central Pacific with Flags of Our Fathers, the unabridged edition. The iPeriod junior/senior remediation class has been studying excerpts of written work and learning to select the best answers and how to more effectively write to the prompts. All in all, this has been an exceptionally busy year in room 123.
Mrs. Walck’s English 10 classes have just finished Romeo and Juliet. The students even had a chance to plan the wedding that should have been. While the students are reading independent novels of their choosing, we are going to begin studying various nonfiction texts. In addition, we will be soon be taking the third round of CDT exams. The Nonfiction 8 students have just begun reading The Blind Side and are learning speaking skills while discussing and debating current events every Friday. Speech 10, in conjunction with Mr. Bryant’s Critical Thinking Skills class, is working on our film festival entries. The iPeriod group has been reviewing the key literary elements and devices. In addition, we are focusing on vocabulary and text interpretation.
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April News
Mrs. Pomeroy’s Classes
Mrs. Pomeroy’s English 7 students recently learned about prepositions. They created a landscape with
characters who would reside in their landscape. Once they created their project, they wrote narratives using prepositional phrases. They moved items on their projects to act out their narratives and identified prepositions and prepositional phrases as they did so.
English 8 students have worked with Mrs. Woolgar and Mrs. Pomeroy to write effective sentences. They have learned how to correct sentence errors, such as run-ons, comma splices, fragments, and misplaced modifiers.
In language arts classes, students have been preparing to excel on the PSSA tests. We have reviewed important strategies to be successful. In addition, Language Arts 7 students recently finished reading The Outsiders. Language Arts 8 students learned about the Holocaust and about drama through reading the play version of The Diary of Anne
Frank.
Mrs. Pomeroy’s iPeriod students have also worked with PSSA test-taking strategies. We have applied strategies to reading passages to understand how to approach this portion of the PSSA testing. In addition, we have reviewed terms in the reading glossary that will likely appear on the PSSA. Mrs. Pomeroy’s media communication students are pleased to announce that this year’s Northern Lights yearbook is finalized and is out for printing. During the end of March and the beginning of April, students were focusing on the preparation of the SeniorParent’s Appreciation Banquet, which was held on April 3.
Mrs. Walck’s Classes
Mrs. Walck's English 10 is reading Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. The students are having fun enacting the scenes, comparing the text to the modern movie, and creating their own versions of the plot. In Nonfiction 8, we are
finishing the unit on Michael Lewis' The Blind Side. Soon, we will be refining our research and citation skills by looking into the biographies of famous people. We will then take the information we have learned and apply it in a presentation format using Prezi and Thinglink. This marking period's Speech10 rotation is working on their persuasive speeches. They are creating inventions and matching packaging. Then, the students will market and pitch the products to the class. Mrs. Walck's iPeriod group is working on each student's individualized areas of need. For example,
some students are working on supporting arguments with cited evidence, while others are working on recognizing literary elements and devices.
March News
Spanish News
In the Spanish classes this month the students studied the language of love, or the vocabulary associated with Valentine’s Day! In addition to creating Valentine’s Day cards in Spanish to share with classmates, the students learned about the tradition of the Quinceañera. The Quniceañera is a celebration similar to our sweet 16 birthday parties. The Quinceañera is a 15th birthday party for Hispanic girls to mark their transition from child to young adulthood. We watched a documentary following Ana María and her family through their preparations and participation in this touching event.
Also, we started using Duolingo, a free online language program that allows students to strengthen their Spanish abilities according to their own individual skills. The students took a placement test and then were allowed to skip over what they already knew and concentrate on what they really need.
Introducing the iPeriod Culinary Arts Students . . .
The iPeriod group of enrichment students voted to adopt the theme “Quest for Excellence.” Separately, two of the subgroups decided they wanted to study the culinary arts. These two groups joined and have developed an ambitious plan to study the culinary tastes and traditions of 8 countries. This month we are starting with Canada, and the two featured dishes will be prepared by Hannah Howe, Lindi Baker, Rebecca Baker, Katlyn Bennett, Amanda Gibble, and Corrie Mace. Other iPeriod culinary arts students include Sid Goldsborough, Sarah Morgan, Joy Olney, Emma Ford, Nicole Graham, and Ellie Sprow.
Coming soon is Mardi Gras, which will take place on March 4th this year. In addition to being introduced to the culinary delights of “Fat Tuesday,” our students will be working with our cooperating teacher, Lauren Marston, a French teacher located in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
French, iPeriod, and Mardi Gras?
In collaboration with Lauren Marston, the French teacher from the Arkansas School of Mathematics, Science, and the Arts, the French students will be celebrating Mardi Gras, which takes place on Tuesday, March 4. Ms. Marston has graciously agreed to include the iPeriod students in her lesson. We have shared our ideas regarding the iPeriod, and she has developed a lesson surrounding culinary traditions of Mardi Gras. The French and iPeriod students will be having class in Mrs. Ace’s room along with her class. The students will be making “Easy Mardi Gras King Cake.”
Upcoming in March, the iPeriod students will be taking a field trip to the Golden Age Cheese Shop in Woodhull, New York and will be making cheese!
Mrs. Wolfinger’s Classes
Mrs. Wolfinger's English 9 classes have just finished viewing and discussing "Paper Clips," an award-winning documentary about how one school in Tennessee created a lasting memorial to the Holocaust. (For more information, see: http://oneclipatatime.org/paper-clips-project/). The students are now beginning the second half of the unit where they will research Holocaust-related topics.
The second semester elective Creative Writing is underway! Students recently completed imagistic color poetry, as well as "shaped" poetry. Look for these creative original pieces to be on display in the senior hall display case of the high school very soon!
Mrs. Wheeler’s Classes
Mrs. Wheeler’s English classes have just wrapped up the second round of CDT testing.
The senior English classes are reading Orwell’s Animal Farm, an allegorical novel about the Russian Revolution, which ties into their history class for this nine-weeks. Some are also reading independent novels for class.
Literature 7 students are exploring the Alaskan tundra, through reading Julie of the Wolves. Literature 8 students are traveling up the Lonely Mountain with Bilbo Baggins and the dwarves in The Hobbit. Both groups are reading independent novels as well.
Nonfiction 10, the third rotation for this year, is exploring WWII, and they have just taken Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima in James Bradley’s Flags of Our Fathers (unabridged).
The UPB CHS seniors have been studying short stories and short story elements.
Mrs. Walck’s Classes
In the spirit of romance and Valentine's Day, English 10 has begun reading Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. The sophomores have been having fun analyzing the characters, dissecting the sonnets, embellishing the script, and acting out various scenes. The debates about love at first sight, puppy love, and the role of fate have shown critical thinking skills, and top it all off, have been very entertaining!
The third rotation of Nonfiction 8 students has proven to be particularly interested in current events. Due on Fridays, their current event articles and discussions have broached topics from natural disasters to the Olympics. This group of students is particularly lively when deliberating their chosen topics. Doing so has made the class exceptionally enjoyable!
This marking period's rotation of Speech 10 is researching for informational speeches. These students have picked unique topics, such as the history of Batman, the Chernobyl incident, and scoliosis. The students are finishing up research, will soon incorporate that research into an outline format, utilize that format for their note cards, and then present their speeches to the class. In addition to gaining and practicing speaking skills, the students will be incorporating visual aids into their speeches and giving feedback to their peers. Self-reflections are the final part of their informational speeches, and it is always interesting to see the metacognition displayed by our sophomores.
February News
Mrs. Pomeroy
Students in Mrs. Pomeroy's English and Language Arts classes have all completed midterms this month. Now, they are learning new material and are preparing for PSSA testing. In addition, all of Mrs. Pomeroy’s 7th and 8th grade students will be participating in the second round of Classroom Diagnostic (CDT) testing within the next two weeks.
Mrs. Pomeroy and Mrs. Bailey’s English 7 students are finishing a unit on adjectives and are moving on to learning about adverbs. In addition, they continue to learn new vocabulary and rely on prefixes, suffixes, and context clues to help with unfamiliar words. Students utilize vocabulary.com to help with this vocabulary acquisition.
Mrs. Pomeroy and Mrs. Woolgar’s English 8 students are learning all about clauses and ensuring that all sentences consist of an independent clause in order to avoid sentence fragments. In the next two months, English 8 students will experience a heavier emphasis on writing skills in preparation for their upcoming PSSA test.
In Language Arts, 7th and 8th grade students are completing independent book projects. Each student has selected an autobiography or biography to read and will complete a project about a person of interest. In addition, students are working in class on reading and writing various nonfiction pieces.
Mrs. Walck
In English 10, we are focusing on learning new vocabulary and taking the second round of CDTs. In addition, we are studying the intertextuality between Guy De Maupassant's short story, "The Necklace," and the Grimms' version of "Cinderella." The reaction to the irony at the end of "The Necklace" has been priceless!
In Mrs. Walck's English 11, the students are also taking the second round of the CDTs. In addition, we have just finished a nonfiction unit based on Jim Sheeler's Pulitzer-Prize winning editorial, "Final Salute." This narrative focuses on the job of a Marine Death Notification Officer, and the care with which he relays the tragic news to the families. We will soon be moving into American classics such as Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter and Arthur Miller's The Crucible.
The second rotation of Nonfiction 8 just completed their biography projects and presentations. The students worked diligently to research a famous person, complete a project based on him or her, and then present the project to the class. The students were able to create their presentations in a variety of mediums. Some students chose traditional PowerPoints while others preferred to use thinglink.com. Overall, the students did a fantastic job!
Mrs. Wolfinger
English 8 Language Arts students continue to study grammar and the mechanics of many types of writing including narrative, persuasive, and expository. They recently completed the writing portion of their midterm exams and many of the students produced awesome essays!
English 9 students are immersed in nonfiction reading, ranging from current event articles in Upfront magazine (published by the New York Times in conjunction with Scholastic) to Martin Luther King, Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream" speech.
Honors American Literature students have just completed the novel Fahrenheit 451. Their concluding project involved comparing and contrasting Ray Bradbury's futuristic dystopian world with situations and technology use present in today's world. From this analysis, they identified the implications of technology in the future.
College Composition 101 students have also wrapped up a critical analysis study of technology. During the unit, each of the students researched the evolution of a specific technology (paper, iPods, cell phones, etc.) and produced an informational poster. These can be seen on display in the senior hall showcase, downstairs art showcase, and in the library of the high school.
Mrs. Wheeler
Mrs. Wheeler’s classes are working on a myriad of reading selections.
The English 12 classes have been on a cruise “to the land of mist and snow” with Rime of the Ancient Mariner and are beginning their resumes with business writing guidance from Mr. Pierce. The Honors English 12 class is also continuing to sturdy the art of chivalry in The Once and Future King: The Ill Made Knight (book 3).
The Literature 7 students are also reading a book with a cold wintry setting, Alaska, with Julie of the Wolves. The Literature 8 class is on their way to the Lonely Mountain with The Hobbit.
The third rotation of Nonfiction 10 is working its way to Iwo Jima with Flags of Our Fathers.
The College in the High School class has just finished their first college midterm. They were surprised at the length of the test and how much they have learned since the beginning of the course. They are studying many poems and short articles, while discussing literary elements including types of rhymes, types of metaphors, etc.
January News
Mrs. Pomeroy’s students have focused on narrative and compare/contrast writing this month. In English 7, Mrs. Bailey and Mrs. Pomeroy’s students have been writing Christmas themed narratives. After revising their narratives to incorporate detail through adjective use, students turned their narratives into pop-up books. They will present their stories to their classmates before Christmas break.
In English 8, Mrs. Pomeroy and Mrs. Woolgar’s students have been working through a unit on sentence phrases and clauses. This unit has helped them to improve writing by ensuring that sentences are complete, detailed, and have variety in structure. They have written narratives about images in children’s books using various phrase types.
In Language Arts 7, students have finished reading The Christmas Carol and have learned elements of drama. They are now comparing the film version to the play, which will result in a compare/contrast essay.
Language Arts 8 students have recently read a Christmas-themed novel. Like the Language Arts 7 students, they will also produce a compare/contrast essay by comparing the novel to a film.
Mrs. Wheeler’s classes have been studying various seasonal works. Senior English 12 classes have just returned from a Yuletide visit to Camelot. The classes read an excerpt from Thomas Malory’s Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Students explored chivalry and knighthood through a Christmas time tale of gamesmanship and honesty.
The Literature 7 class enjoyed bringing Charles Dickens’s characters to life while reading a play version of A Christmas Carol, and the Literature 8 class read the actual novel.
December News
Mrs. Bailey:
We have finished reading several books since the beginning of the school year. The junior high students are working on shark research projects and making displays for the hallway. Colin Nelson has dominated in all the rounds of the Vocab.com competition. We are currently competing against Mrs. Pomeroy's classes.
Mrs. Wolfinger:
My 8th graders have done a lot of writing this year. Just recently, they used their writing skills to try their hand at journalism. Each of the students selected a photo and wrote a realistic news story to accompany it. Finally, students published a "newspaper" of their work, complete with pictures, captions, and stories!
All of the 9th grade English students have read the age-old classic To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. After completing the novel and final exam, students viewed the awarding winning film (1962) starring Gregory Peck. Students compared and contrasted the characters, plot, and settings in the book versus the film, and then produced an essay detailing their findings and explaining which they preferred and why.
The honors American literature students (juniors) are focused on revolutionary literature, and especially on noteworthy literature from great writers and speakers such as Patrick Henry, Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin. Soon, they will begin reading the novel Fahrenheit 451 (1953) by Ray Bradbury. Like popular novels of today such as The Hunger Games (Collins), Fahrenheit 451 ponders the implications of a society in which freedoms have been lost or restricted.
Mrs. Dunn:
This past month the Spanish classes learned about the Day of the Dead and made sugar skulls. Sugar skulls have a long and rich history dating back to the 17th century in Europe. In Mexico, sugar was abundant, but the molds used to create the elaborate decorations from Europe were not. The Catholic friars in the New World instructed the indigenous people how to use sugar to create these decorations but without the molds. In the beginning, real skulls were used to create the sugar skulls to adorn altars to celebrate the returning souls of the dead. Since then, other methods of molding skulls have been used.
Students in enrichment have been busy working on individual projects and preparing for December’s upcoming debate. Each student’s project is different, but the process is the same. Each student is working through a long term project by developing a step-by-step plan to bring his or her project to fruition. There is a strong emphasis on community service, but it is not a requirement. Two examples of student projects are as follows: (1) designing and building a zip line for the high school and (2) repairing the bathroom doors at the soccer field.
In addition, the enrichment students are preparing for the debate at Smethport. We have seven students going to debate the resolution: the benefits of domestic surveillance by the NSA outweigh the harms. To prepare for the debate students are choosing the pro or con side of the issue and doing research.
Mrs. Pomeroy:
Mrs. Pomeroy’s English 7 and 8 and Language Arts 7 and 8 students have recently completed their first round of CDT testing. The testing provided students and their teacher with insightful data that will be used to tailor instruction to meet the needs of students. English 7 students who wrote letters to companies in September are beginning to receive responses to their letters. Students chose to write letters to a variety of companies including Pepsi-Cola, Hershey, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and many others. Not all students have received responses, but those who haven’t are eagerly waiting. Those who have are surprised by the items they received in response to the compliments they have paid to the companies.
In addition, Mrs. Bailey and Mrs. Pomeroy’s English 7 students are beginning to explore adjectives. They will use the knowledge they gain to bring life to their writing. Mrs. Woolgar and Mrs. Pomeroy’s English 8 students are working through parts of a sentence. After many lessons and much practice, students seem to have a grasp on indirect and direct objects. Knowledge of the sentence parts will help to improve student writing. Students are beginning to write a Thanksgiving themed essay as well.
In Language Arts, students are wrapping up a novel study, Where the Red Fern Grows in LA 7, and The Witch of Blackbird Pond in LA 8. After the Thanksgiving holiday, Language Arts 7 students will begin a drama study in which we will read and play roles in A Christmas Carol. Language Arts 8 students will also begin a holiday reading and writing project.
Mrs. Walck:
All of Mrs. Walck’s English classes have been prepping for the Keystone Exams by taking the Classroom Diagnostic Tools tests put out by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. The data derived from the tests will be used as a benchmark to drive instruction that is catered to each student’s needs. So far, the students have been doing an excellent job, and many are surprising themselves with extremely high marks!
The Nonfiction 8 students are working as team to read Michael Lewis’ book, The Blind Side. While learning about literary devices and reading strategies related to nonfiction, the students are also learning about character and fortitude. They were also granted a guest appearance by sophomore Frank Gardner, who introduced the themes, positions, and key plays utilized in the text.
Informational speeches are what is happening in Speech 10. Each student is researching a topic of his or her choice using a variety of sources and preparing a short speech. The topics range from celebrities to local heroes and conspiracy theories. Mrs. Walck can’t wait to hear them!
October/November News
Mrs. Pomeroy’s Courses
Mrs. Pomeroy and Mrs. Bailey’s English students have been celebrating the Halloween season recently. In English 7, students have created tombstones to bury “dead words,” which are words that students use far too often in their writing. They have laid them to rest and have found alternatives to use in their places. These words are survived by their synonyms, which will now be used to enliven the seventh grade students’ writing. Tombstones are on display in Mrs. Pomeroy’s room.
English 8 students in Mrs. Pomeroy and Mrs. Woolgar’s class are using the alternative word choices presented by the English 7 students to enrich their writing as well. They are working on writing suspenseful and spooky narratives in honor of Halloween. English 8 students have also been working through the mystery of punctuation, focusing especially on comma rules and discovering when it is appropriate to use semicolons.
In language arts, seventh and eighth grade students are working on novel studies. Language Arts 8 students recently began a journey into historical fiction with The Witch of Blackbird Pond. Language Arts 7 students are reading the novel Where the Red Fern Grows in which students will discover the bond between humans and their animal companions, as well as realistic elements teenagers face growing up in a farming and hunting region not unlike our own. In these novel studies, students will learn across the curriculum by learning not only to use reading comprehension and writing skills, but will also experience lessons in geography, history, math, and life and social skills.
Mrs. Walck’s Courses
Mrs. Walck and Mrs. Bailey’s students have also explored topics to connect with the Halloween theme. Her English 11 students read “The Raven”. They followed their reading by writing their own poems. Mrs. Walck expressed that the poem submissions were fantastic!
English 10 students are reading “Masque of the Red Death” and will be writing research papers to connect with the story. This will be a cross-curricular project involving Mrs. Acker, Mrs. Bailey, Mrs. Woolgar, Mrs. Butler, and Mrs. Walck.
Mrs. Walck’s Nonfiction 8 students are writing their own persuasive essays. To do so, they are incorporating a variety of propaganda techniques.
Mrs. Bailey’s Courses
Mrs. Bailey's Reading 7 and 8 classes have been using the mimeo board, computers, tablets, netbooks, and registered devices to learn new vocabulary. These classes have been introduced to Vocab.com, a web site that is designed to help anyone learn new vocabulary and practice spelling. The students earn points and achievements as they progress through the program. Her classes have been competing against one another to earn the highest points for round one. This round took place from October 2 to October 18. The students work on it for a homework grade. Some students work on the program during study halls, at home, at the library, or in class if all other work is done. The first place winner was Colin Nelson with 313,150 points. The second place winner was Joseth Shafer with 279,500 points. The third place winner was Tiffany Whitesell with 67,750 points. These students obviously worked very hard outside of class to earn their points. Every student in Mrs. Bailey's classes participated in this homework assignment and earned homework points. They needed 15,000 points to fulfill the homework assignment, which went into eSchoolBooks as a 50 point homework grade. Soon, her classes will start competing with Mrs. Pomeroy's language arts classes.
Mrs. Wheeler’s Courses
Mrs. Wheeler’s classes have been working on a variety of fall projects:
Honors English 12 finished reading Frankenstein just in time for Halloween, and the general English 12 class is beginning Beowulf, a story with many soldiers, kings, and monsters.
Literature 7 and Literature 8 have written Thankful Poems, which will be on display in room 123 through Thanksgiving.
Literature 7 students will be reading The Outsiders next which explores societal groups and bullying to some degree, and Literature 8 will read Deathwatch, a tale of a hunting trip gone wrong and the moral decisions that follow.
All seventh and eighth grade students will attend a production of The Outsiders on November 14, at Cowanesque Valley High School.
Spanish News by Miss Brittany Harold
Miss Harold’s Spanish classes have been very busy for the past few months. In Spanish I the students just did presentations all about themselves and incorporated things they have been working on during the year such as likes and dislikes, goals, characteristics, their family members, physical descriptions and much much more.
Spanish II finished up environment projects just before Earth Day and they made posters and pamphlets in Spanish discussing such topics as water contamination, endangered species, natural disasters, and recycling. They are currently working on learning the past tense and have been telling some very interesting stories from the point of view of the past!
Last month, the Spanish III class worked on book projects that incorporated the future tense of verbs and direct and indirect object pronouns. They read the book “If you give a Moose a Muffin” in Spanish and then created their own versions of them. They then took these books to Mrs. Hamilton’s second grade classroom and read them aloud to her students in both English and Spanish. They recently have been working on telephone conversations and how to text, make calls, answer calls, and leave messages.
In the Spanish IV class we have been working on difficult concepts like the subjunctive and the students have been exploring songs and readings, writing wanted ads, and making recommendations for others based on their needs. We are hoping to squeeze in a short play in Spanish before the seniors leave for their senior trip.
We are all also looking forward to discussing the history of Cinco de Mayo this week and the traditions that are based around it. We will compare the celebration in the United States and in Mexico and I think many of them will be surprised by the story of Cinco de Mayo and what it really is. We are looking forward to this month of classes!
November 2015
English Department by Mrs. Marcia Wheeler
The English 12 classes at NPHS are working on revising the final copies of their résumés and cover letters. They are also reading independent novels based on their individual reading levels.
The English Composition I class (UPB’s College in High School class) is studying “competition” through reading and discussing many assigned text articles, which will culminate in a writing assignment.
The Literature and Interpretation class (UPB’s College in High School class) has been reading various college level articles and discussing elements of metaphors and how we use them for understanding. They are now preparing to write a paper discussing the use of metaphor in a few assigned articles.
The second rotation of Speech is just beginning, and students are participating in pronunciation, enunciation, and charades exercises. They are getting ready for their first speeches—“Life in a Bag.”
Languages Department
Submitted by Mrs. Wolfinger (06/02/2015)
Junior American Literature
Junior American literature classes completed the year with the critical reading of a “modern” era novel. One class read Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, while the other completed the reading of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Both novels lend themselves to themes that are still very relevant today, such as civil rights and the rights and responsibilities of persons with mental disabilities, so as you can imagine we had some very meaningful class discussions! Throughout this year, the junior honors American literature class continued to enjoy and engage in forum discussions during Friday seminars. Each junior in this class, along with a partner, leads two seminars during the school year. During the seminar, the leaders present background information on the topic, pose three “burning” questions for discussion, and then mediate a circle discussion. Whether the topic is gun control, school uniforms, or the challenges which technology poses to the interpretation of the Constitution, these seminars are never dull!
College Composition 101
This class was the largest group ever, which is a testament to the focused efforts of Northern Potter and the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. Over the course of the year, students were exposed to a wide variety of academic writing genres – most of which they likely will be tasked with by a college professor in their future. In addition, writing skills (grammar, mechanics, usage) were honed and students learned to properly use both MLA and APA research formats.
Creative Writing
It is always such a pleasure to teach this elective, as we essentially become a community of writers for 40 minutes of our day. Students’ culminating projects were a portfolio of their best work, along with a personal reflection about why they had chosen each piece, and what they felt was the best quality of the piece. These portfolios are awesome not only in their final writing content, but also in the depth of student reflection evident in each one.
English 8
English 8 students completed a rigorous year of composition study and writing. John Collins’ writing program was used as a basis to instruct students in multiple genres of writing (expository, argumentative and narrative) as well as to help them to hone the grammar, usage, and mechanics (GUMs) within their writing.
May 2015
Languages Department
Submitted by Mrs. Wheeler (05/04/2015)
The end of the 2014-2015 school year is approaching quickly, and many interesting things are taking place in 123 as students are working toward completing final assignments and projects.
The dual enrollment literature and interpretation class is reviewing for the final exam. They have studied a myriad of college level literature pieces: poems, short stories, essays, and work by Shakespeare. They have worked diligently to improve their writing skills and completed seven college level papers.
The Honors English 12 class has recently finished Dracula. They are beginning Shakespearean plays (comedies & tragedies) for presentations that will count towards their final exam. The general English 12 classes are working toward their individual reading goals and preparing speeches as part of their final exam. The entire senior class has created resumes and moved on to writing cover letters last week.
The fourth rotation of Nonfiction 10 is continuing to follow the six flag raisers up Mount Suribachi in Flags of Our Fathers (unabridged).
The English 9 classes have been researching Greek and Roman gods/goddesses. The students are in the process of writing their MLA style research papers, complete with parenthetical citations, works cited pages, and title pages.
Literature 8 students have finished The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and are now venturing back to the 1700s with Jim Hawkins and Treasure Island. They will begin work on a Time Capsule Group Project this week; the capsule will be opened at the end of their senior year in 2019.
i-Period students are happy to have their PSSA testing completed, and they are continuing to work on reading and writing skills.
April 2015
Languages Department
Submitted by Mrs. Walck (03/31/2015)
Speech 10: The students in Speech 10 (third rotation) just finished their demonstration and persuasive speeches. The students covered a variety of topics, such as archery basics, cookie dough, Sweet 16 bracketology, and conspiracy theories. The students even invited Mrs. Acker’s class over for some authentic audience participation.
iPeriod: Mrs. Walck’s language arts iPeriod has been studying figurative language, the basics of breaking apart a text, referencing the text when answering questions about it, and higher level thinking skills. Blake Jeffers and Levi Kio had a great time trying to figure out how to untangle themselves without cutting a string. Although they required a little assistance, they were the fastest pair.
English 10: Romance is alive and well in the 10th grade. The English 10 students have begun to study Shakespeare’s iconic play, Romeo and Juliet. The students each have a part, take turns acting the scenes out, and even use foam swords. It’s fun to see them relating to such a classic text.
Nonfiction 8: Mrs. Walck’s 7th period has been studying various nonfiction texts and current events. It’s interesting to notice the way in which these 8th graders view their world. They have such empathy for people struggling in the world around them. Mrs. Walck predicts there will be many future volunteers coming from this group.
Language Arts 8: These 8th graders have been examining what life would have been like for teenagers during WWII. They completed a web quest to find background information about politics, the major forces, and events leading up to the war. Then, they used that information to write a research paper about life as teenagers. Finally, they are reading the play, The Diary of Anne Frank. It is refreshing to see some of the more reserved students taking on larger roles. During this unit, some of the shyer students are really standing out!
March 2015
Languages Department
Submitted by Mrs. Pomeroy (03/01/2015)
English 7 students have recently studied prepositions and prepositional phrases. Usually, English 7 students complete a project in which they construct a town and use Matchbox cars to navigate through the town. Students would then write a narrative using prepositional phrases to explain where the cars are traveling. This year, we “teched-up” the project with the help of Mr. Bryant by having students construct virtual worlds in Land of the Turtles, which is a Minecraft Edu Mod. Students have constructed worlds for their turtles and are writing diaries of their turtles’ adventures within the worlds using prepositional phrases. Throughout this experience, students have learned many skills in addition to the prepositional phrase practice, including basic beginners programming, narrative style writing, and point-of-view. It has been an engaging project for the students, and their learning is evident in their work. Students are so excited with the project that they are volunteering to brainstorm ways to “tech-up” future lessons!
In Language Arts 7, students are currently reading Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. They have compared elements of nonfiction to those of realistic fiction. Within the context of the novel, students have learned some historical background including Jim Crow Laws and sharecropping. Students are continuing to learn about characterization, conflict, and theme. They are also being introduced to similes, metaphors, and symbolism. In addition, we are preparing the students to take the ELA PSSA next month by practicing key terms and test-taking strategies.
Like the 7th graders, Mrs. Pomeroy and Mrs. Bailey’s Language Arts 8 students are preparing for the upcoming ELA PSSA. They are also learning about elements of drama. Currently, we are reading the play, Diary of Anne Frank. Students have proved to be knowledgeable about WWII and have created a list of questions they have about the Holocaust. Their interest in these topics has helped to engage students in the play reading and in learning the elements of drama.
Digital Citizenship students have learned about online safety and cyberbullying. They have read and watched cases of cyberbullying and online predators. Through watching and reading, they have come to realize the importance of not sharing personal information online. They have also learned that cyberbulling can have lasting adverse effects on victims, even if the cyberbullying was unintentional.
Media Communications students have been actively working on the yearbook. They have successfully completed work for three of their five deadlines. We are currently on track for the National Yearbook of Excellence Program, and hope to be awarded the title again this year. In addition, students are working on planning and organizing the program for the Senior Parent Appreciation Banquet, which will be held on March 26th.
In Mrs. Pomeroy and Mrs. Wheeler’s I-Period, 7th & 8th grade students have been learning test-taking strategies and are practicing with reading passages. They have also practiced PSSA vocabulary by playing engaging games such as Press Your Luck, a SMART Board version of a classic television game show.
February 2015
Languages Department
Submitted by Ms. Harold (02/06/2015)
Saludos from the Spanish department! We have been very busy this month and have had a lot of neat things going on in our classes. In Spanish I, students have been learning about foods. They each researched a Hispanic country and designed a menu based on typical foods that would be eaten there. We then did some role playing, and they practiced giving and taking orders in a restaurant using their menus they created.
In Spanish II, we have been working with houses and describing them, and students were able to design and describe their own personal dream house. The Spanish III class has started working on giving and expressing their opinions. We are starting to look into some controversial topics where they can practice stating and then defending their opinions. In the Spanish IV class, we just finished reading a version of the classic story Don Quixote de la Mancha. It’s been a great month and we are looking forward to exploring and learning more in the upcoming weeks.
January 2015
The junior American Literature students have been busy this year not only studying the foundations of American writing, but also tying themes from the past to their lives and their world. We kicked off the year by addressing the controversial topic of stereotyping – more specifically – stereotyping of generations. After watching the video “The Lost Generation” (http://youtu.be/42E2fAWM6rA), students wrote essays stating their position on whether or not it is fair that their generation has been labeled as “lazy and entitled.” They were some of the most well-written essays I have gotten, and some of what they had to say might surprise you!
Most recently, they visited the works of our Founding Fathers, studying documents, such as the Declaration of Independence, the early persuasive writing of Thomas Paine, and the words of the great orator, Patrick Henry. More compelling, though, has been the real world connections the students have been able to make to themes such as freedom, justice, and determination, which are as important today as they were 200+ years ago. So, in addition to the foundational works, students have read, viewed, and discussed modern pieces such as "Advice, Like Youth, Probably Wasted on the Young," by Mary Schmich of the Chicago Tribune (http://my.chicagotribune.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-46894045/), Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream,” (http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm), and Sarah Key’s TED Talk "If I Have a Daughter" (http://www.ted.com/talks/sarah_kay_if_i_should_have_a_daughter#t-560594). As we head toward the end of the first semester, the juniors continue their quest to make connections between literature and life as they read Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom and Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.
In addition, the junior honors American Literature class continues to enjoy and engage in interclass debates about current topics during their Friday Seminar. Each junior in this class, along with a partner, leads two seminars during the school year. During the seminar, the leaders present background information on the topic, pose three “burning” questions for discussion, and then mediate a circle discussion. Whether the topic is gun control, school uniforms, or the challenges which technology poses to the interpretation of the Constitution, these seminars are never dull!
December 2014
As the holidays approach, we have been working diligently in room 123 to complete units of study before the Christmas break.
The English 12 classes have recently finished the Shakespearian tragedy of Macbeth, which tied nicely to our visit to the Renaissance Faire in October. Students are viewing a video version and will write compare/contrast essays in the near future. They are moving on to a Yuletide tale with the knights of the round table in “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight;” the tale is filled with magic and chivalry. In addition, the Honors English 12 class will finish reading Frankenstein this week, and they will continue to explore King Arthur’s Camelot with The Once and Future King.
The College in the High School: Introduction to Literature and Interpretation class has been exploring poetry by various authors. They have written Shakespearean and Petrarchian sonnets and shared them in class. The students will soon begin work on their second essay: A Response to Poetry.
The Nonfiction 10 Rotation class is experiencing WWII through The Flags of Our Fathers. The class has vicariously scaled Mt. Suribachi and planted the flag. Discussions have centered around the differences in Japanese and American cultures at that time and the author’s reasons for writing the novel.
The English 9 students have been studying fiction (short stories) and nonfiction (narrative essays); they will soon write their own narrative essays. They have recently finished Poe’s “The Cask of Amantillado.” Students are reading novels independently, as well, based on their reading levels.
The Literature 8 class has finished reading An Incident at Hawk’s Hill. The book is about a young boy who lives with a badger for a short time and is based on real events. Students are beginning to read A Christmas Carol and should finish prior to Christmas break. Students also have been reading novels independently based on their abilities.
7th & 8th grade ELA iPeriod students, which I share with Mrs. Pomeroy, have been working in Study Island (on tablet devices) and reading novels independently (based on their reading levels). These students are gearing up to take part in Student Council’s Door Decorating Contest—“Christmas Around the World;” students will create a door based on “Frohe Weinachten” (German: Happy/Merry Christmas).
Students are reading daily in most classes. It helps them get settled at the beginning of class with time to focus on reading. Many students are surprised at how many books they have already completed.
November 2014
English 10: “What would you leave behind?” is one of the themes for the video project Mrs. Walck’s classes are working on. The tenth graders have finished reading the short story, “Contents of a Dead Man’s Pockets,” and have formed groups to script their own versions; however, instead of leaving a paper behind, the main characters are leaving behind an electronic device. It is up to the students to explain why the device and its contents are so important.
To begin, the students had to complete a script which utilized the words flimsy, convoluted, and imperceptibly. Next, they had to create and illustrate a storyboard that showed internal conflict, external conflict, details as to how the device dropped out of the window, and danger in the imagery. After the script and storyboard were teacher-approved, the students created props, designed costumes, and filmed their creations. Mr. Bryant assisted the students with splicing the videos, adding sound, and utilizing the green screen. Overall, this project was a huge success!
Mrs. Walck’s View on the 10th Grade Field Trip to the Pennsylvania College of Technology: As an English teacher, I don’t often have the opportunity to see my hands-on students thriving in their prime learning culture, which is why I love chaperoning the trip to Penn-Tech. While there, I am awarded the opportunity of seeing students, especially those who prefer life outside of a traditional classroom, try new activities and look into possible careers. For instance, I was able to witness my students laying a building foundation, checking the pulses of a simulation mannequin, and working on automobiles. I thoroughly loved seeing their eyes light up as they tried new things and challenged themselves and each other. As always, it was a great reminder that our students learn in multiple modalities. I am so thankful I was able to attend.
Nonfiction 8: Mrs. Walck’s Nonfiction 8 students are asking themselves, “Who done it?” for their latest unit. Together, the students read a skit based on “The Red-Headed League” in order to learn about making inferences. Then, Mrs. Acker’s Biology 10 students taught the eighth graders about fingerprinting and crime scene analysis. Finally, the students are reading the short story, “The Adventures of the Speckled Band,” where they will continue making inferences and citing evidence to prove the case. We’ll see if it’s all “Elementary, Dear Watson!”
SEE PICTURES OF THESE EVENTS IN THE PHOTO GALLERY!
October 2014
In English 7, students have reviewed nouns and pronouns and are beginning a study of verbs. In addition, they have written friendly letters and business letters. The business letters were mailed out to companies, and students are starting to receive responses. In the picture to the left, Savannah Herring displays products she received as gifts of appreciation in response to her letter. Students in English 7 are also working on improving vocabulary skills and their ability to respond to open-ended questions.
Language arts students are reviewing PSSA reading vocabulary and are applying those terms within the context of short stories that we are reading. Specifically, we are working through elements of fiction and nonfiction such as point-of-view, author’s purpose, plot, theme, and conflict. Language Arts 7 students will soon begin reading Where the Red Fern Grows. Language Arts 8 students are going to explore more nonfiction materials that will give exposure to cross-curricular concepts.
The first rotation of digital citizenship is coming to a close. Students in this course have learned about protecting themselves from becoming victims of online predators, identity thieves, and impersonators. We have also spent a great deal of time learning and discussing cyber bullying and how to become an upstander rather than a bystander.
Media communications students have adopted a theme for this year’s yearbook. They have planned the pages and are actively working on this year’s product. We have submitted our customized cover that the students designed with the help of Mr. Tim Walck’s PhotoShop skills. This was the first step on the road to receiving the National Yearbook Award of Excellence, which we are actively working towards.
On October 8, 2014, we hosted students from neighboring schools for a yearbook training session with Mr. Scott Geesey. We also ordered yearbooks on this day. If anyone is interested in purchasing a yearbook, please let Mrs. Pomeroy know. Mr. Geesey is using our school in a pilot program that will attempt to put a yearbook in the hands of every student in grades seven through twelve. Details of this program will be available soon.
Las clases de Espanol
We are very excited to be getting our Spanish classes going this year! As a first year teacher, I am looking forward to all that we will be learning in the next few weeks.
This is our first year offering Spanish to students in 7th grade, and so far it has been a huge hit! The students are really enjoying getting to learn another language and about other cultures. We have focused on the basic greetings and introductions and will continue expanding our vocabulary as we learn how to hold basic conversations with Hispanic people. Within the next few weeks students will be exploring different hobbies, describing people and objects, telling time, and engaging in many more fun activities.
The upper level Spanish courses have recently been learning about health issues and the differences between health care in the United States and in Latin American countries. We have also started exploring different verb tenses and will continue to work on this in the following weeks. Students will be learning how to talk about things that happened in the past and will begin writing their own stories as well as learn how to talk about the future and their hopes and dreams.
We have some awesome projects coming up that I’m sure you won’t want to miss! So ask your students what they are learning in las clases de espanol!
May 2014
Mrs. Bailey's Reading 7 and 8 classes have been reading Where the Red Fern Grows. The students learned about life in the Ozark Mountains and how a young boy formed a strong bond with his hunting dogs. Both classes have completed multiple rounds of Vocab.com. Several students have been rewarded with prizes for their completion of Vocab.com rounds. They have completed two rounds of Classroom Diagnostic Tools (CDT) tests and have shown some good progress for the year. For the 4th marking period, the student are reading historical fiction stories about the Battle of Gettysburg and the Bombing of Pearl Harbor.
Mrs. Wheeler’s seniors are looking forward to the end of the year. The Honors English 12 class is reading Dracula and writing argumentative essays. The general English 12 class has finished studying some excerpts from The Canterbury Tales, and they are writing business letters of complaint. The literature and interpretation class has been studying the short story genre with a myriad of titles and authors, most recently Poe’s “The Spectacles”. The Literature 7 class is exploring Holocaust literature with The Devil’s Arithmetic and finishing their first fourth-quarter, independent novels. The Literature 8 class is reading The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and also finishing their first fourth-quarter, independent novels. The fourth rotation of Nonfiction 10 is studying WWII in the Central Pacific with Flags of Our Fathers, the unabridged edition. The iPeriod junior/senior remediation class has been studying excerpts of written work and learning to select the best answers and how to more effectively write to the prompts. All in all, this has been an exceptionally busy year in room 123.
Mrs. Walck’s English 10 classes have just finished Romeo and Juliet. The students even had a chance to plan the wedding that should have been. While the students are reading independent novels of their choosing, we are going to begin studying various nonfiction texts. In addition, we will be soon be taking the third round of CDT exams. The Nonfiction 8 students have just begun reading The Blind Side and are learning speaking skills while discussing and debating current events every Friday. Speech 10, in conjunction with Mr. Bryant’s Critical Thinking Skills class, is working on our film festival entries. The iPeriod group has been reviewing the key literary elements and devices. In addition, we are focusing on vocabulary and text interpretation.
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April News
Mrs. Pomeroy’s Classes
Mrs. Pomeroy’s English 7 students recently learned about prepositions. They created a landscape with
characters who would reside in their landscape. Once they created their project, they wrote narratives using prepositional phrases. They moved items on their projects to act out their narratives and identified prepositions and prepositional phrases as they did so.
English 8 students have worked with Mrs. Woolgar and Mrs. Pomeroy to write effective sentences. They have learned how to correct sentence errors, such as run-ons, comma splices, fragments, and misplaced modifiers.
In language arts classes, students have been preparing to excel on the PSSA tests. We have reviewed important strategies to be successful. In addition, Language Arts 7 students recently finished reading The Outsiders. Language Arts 8 students learned about the Holocaust and about drama through reading the play version of The Diary of Anne
Frank.
Mrs. Pomeroy’s iPeriod students have also worked with PSSA test-taking strategies. We have applied strategies to reading passages to understand how to approach this portion of the PSSA testing. In addition, we have reviewed terms in the reading glossary that will likely appear on the PSSA. Mrs. Pomeroy’s media communication students are pleased to announce that this year’s Northern Lights yearbook is finalized and is out for printing. During the end of March and the beginning of April, students were focusing on the preparation of the SeniorParent’s Appreciation Banquet, which was held on April 3.
Mrs. Walck’s Classes
Mrs. Walck's English 10 is reading Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. The students are having fun enacting the scenes, comparing the text to the modern movie, and creating their own versions of the plot. In Nonfiction 8, we are
finishing the unit on Michael Lewis' The Blind Side. Soon, we will be refining our research and citation skills by looking into the biographies of famous people. We will then take the information we have learned and apply it in a presentation format using Prezi and Thinglink. This marking period's Speech10 rotation is working on their persuasive speeches. They are creating inventions and matching packaging. Then, the students will market and pitch the products to the class. Mrs. Walck's iPeriod group is working on each student's individualized areas of need. For example,
some students are working on supporting arguments with cited evidence, while others are working on recognizing literary elements and devices.
March News
Spanish News
In the Spanish classes this month the students studied the language of love, or the vocabulary associated with Valentine’s Day! In addition to creating Valentine’s Day cards in Spanish to share with classmates, the students learned about the tradition of the Quinceañera. The Quniceañera is a celebration similar to our sweet 16 birthday parties. The Quinceañera is a 15th birthday party for Hispanic girls to mark their transition from child to young adulthood. We watched a documentary following Ana María and her family through their preparations and participation in this touching event.
Also, we started using Duolingo, a free online language program that allows students to strengthen their Spanish abilities according to their own individual skills. The students took a placement test and then were allowed to skip over what they already knew and concentrate on what they really need.
Introducing the iPeriod Culinary Arts Students . . .
The iPeriod group of enrichment students voted to adopt the theme “Quest for Excellence.” Separately, two of the subgroups decided they wanted to study the culinary arts. These two groups joined and have developed an ambitious plan to study the culinary tastes and traditions of 8 countries. This month we are starting with Canada, and the two featured dishes will be prepared by Hannah Howe, Lindi Baker, Rebecca Baker, Katlyn Bennett, Amanda Gibble, and Corrie Mace. Other iPeriod culinary arts students include Sid Goldsborough, Sarah Morgan, Joy Olney, Emma Ford, Nicole Graham, and Ellie Sprow.
Coming soon is Mardi Gras, which will take place on March 4th this year. In addition to being introduced to the culinary delights of “Fat Tuesday,” our students will be working with our cooperating teacher, Lauren Marston, a French teacher located in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
French, iPeriod, and Mardi Gras?
In collaboration with Lauren Marston, the French teacher from the Arkansas School of Mathematics, Science, and the Arts, the French students will be celebrating Mardi Gras, which takes place on Tuesday, March 4. Ms. Marston has graciously agreed to include the iPeriod students in her lesson. We have shared our ideas regarding the iPeriod, and she has developed a lesson surrounding culinary traditions of Mardi Gras. The French and iPeriod students will be having class in Mrs. Ace’s room along with her class. The students will be making “Easy Mardi Gras King Cake.”
Upcoming in March, the iPeriod students will be taking a field trip to the Golden Age Cheese Shop in Woodhull, New York and will be making cheese!
Mrs. Wolfinger’s Classes
Mrs. Wolfinger's English 9 classes have just finished viewing and discussing "Paper Clips," an award-winning documentary about how one school in Tennessee created a lasting memorial to the Holocaust. (For more information, see: http://oneclipatatime.org/paper-clips-project/). The students are now beginning the second half of the unit where they will research Holocaust-related topics.
The second semester elective Creative Writing is underway! Students recently completed imagistic color poetry, as well as "shaped" poetry. Look for these creative original pieces to be on display in the senior hall display case of the high school very soon!
Mrs. Wheeler’s Classes
Mrs. Wheeler’s English classes have just wrapped up the second round of CDT testing.
The senior English classes are reading Orwell’s Animal Farm, an allegorical novel about the Russian Revolution, which ties into their history class for this nine-weeks. Some are also reading independent novels for class.
Literature 7 students are exploring the Alaskan tundra, through reading Julie of the Wolves. Literature 8 students are traveling up the Lonely Mountain with Bilbo Baggins and the dwarves in The Hobbit. Both groups are reading independent novels as well.
Nonfiction 10, the third rotation for this year, is exploring WWII, and they have just taken Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima in James Bradley’s Flags of Our Fathers (unabridged).
The UPB CHS seniors have been studying short stories and short story elements.
Mrs. Walck’s Classes
In the spirit of romance and Valentine's Day, English 10 has begun reading Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. The sophomores have been having fun analyzing the characters, dissecting the sonnets, embellishing the script, and acting out various scenes. The debates about love at first sight, puppy love, and the role of fate have shown critical thinking skills, and top it all off, have been very entertaining!
The third rotation of Nonfiction 8 students has proven to be particularly interested in current events. Due on Fridays, their current event articles and discussions have broached topics from natural disasters to the Olympics. This group of students is particularly lively when deliberating their chosen topics. Doing so has made the class exceptionally enjoyable!
This marking period's rotation of Speech 10 is researching for informational speeches. These students have picked unique topics, such as the history of Batman, the Chernobyl incident, and scoliosis. The students are finishing up research, will soon incorporate that research into an outline format, utilize that format for their note cards, and then present their speeches to the class. In addition to gaining and practicing speaking skills, the students will be incorporating visual aids into their speeches and giving feedback to their peers. Self-reflections are the final part of their informational speeches, and it is always interesting to see the metacognition displayed by our sophomores.
February News
Mrs. Pomeroy
Students in Mrs. Pomeroy's English and Language Arts classes have all completed midterms this month. Now, they are learning new material and are preparing for PSSA testing. In addition, all of Mrs. Pomeroy’s 7th and 8th grade students will be participating in the second round of Classroom Diagnostic (CDT) testing within the next two weeks.
Mrs. Pomeroy and Mrs. Bailey’s English 7 students are finishing a unit on adjectives and are moving on to learning about adverbs. In addition, they continue to learn new vocabulary and rely on prefixes, suffixes, and context clues to help with unfamiliar words. Students utilize vocabulary.com to help with this vocabulary acquisition.
Mrs. Pomeroy and Mrs. Woolgar’s English 8 students are learning all about clauses and ensuring that all sentences consist of an independent clause in order to avoid sentence fragments. In the next two months, English 8 students will experience a heavier emphasis on writing skills in preparation for their upcoming PSSA test.
In Language Arts, 7th and 8th grade students are completing independent book projects. Each student has selected an autobiography or biography to read and will complete a project about a person of interest. In addition, students are working in class on reading and writing various nonfiction pieces.
Mrs. Walck
In English 10, we are focusing on learning new vocabulary and taking the second round of CDTs. In addition, we are studying the intertextuality between Guy De Maupassant's short story, "The Necklace," and the Grimms' version of "Cinderella." The reaction to the irony at the end of "The Necklace" has been priceless!
In Mrs. Walck's English 11, the students are also taking the second round of the CDTs. In addition, we have just finished a nonfiction unit based on Jim Sheeler's Pulitzer-Prize winning editorial, "Final Salute." This narrative focuses on the job of a Marine Death Notification Officer, and the care with which he relays the tragic news to the families. We will soon be moving into American classics such as Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter and Arthur Miller's The Crucible.
The second rotation of Nonfiction 8 just completed their biography projects and presentations. The students worked diligently to research a famous person, complete a project based on him or her, and then present the project to the class. The students were able to create their presentations in a variety of mediums. Some students chose traditional PowerPoints while others preferred to use thinglink.com. Overall, the students did a fantastic job!
Mrs. Wolfinger
English 8 Language Arts students continue to study grammar and the mechanics of many types of writing including narrative, persuasive, and expository. They recently completed the writing portion of their midterm exams and many of the students produced awesome essays!
English 9 students are immersed in nonfiction reading, ranging from current event articles in Upfront magazine (published by the New York Times in conjunction with Scholastic) to Martin Luther King, Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream" speech.
Honors American Literature students have just completed the novel Fahrenheit 451. Their concluding project involved comparing and contrasting Ray Bradbury's futuristic dystopian world with situations and technology use present in today's world. From this analysis, they identified the implications of technology in the future.
College Composition 101 students have also wrapped up a critical analysis study of technology. During the unit, each of the students researched the evolution of a specific technology (paper, iPods, cell phones, etc.) and produced an informational poster. These can be seen on display in the senior hall showcase, downstairs art showcase, and in the library of the high school.
Mrs. Wheeler
Mrs. Wheeler’s classes are working on a myriad of reading selections.
The English 12 classes have been on a cruise “to the land of mist and snow” with Rime of the Ancient Mariner and are beginning their resumes with business writing guidance from Mr. Pierce. The Honors English 12 class is also continuing to sturdy the art of chivalry in The Once and Future King: The Ill Made Knight (book 3).
The Literature 7 students are also reading a book with a cold wintry setting, Alaska, with Julie of the Wolves. The Literature 8 class is on their way to the Lonely Mountain with The Hobbit.
The third rotation of Nonfiction 10 is working its way to Iwo Jima with Flags of Our Fathers.
The College in the High School class has just finished their first college midterm. They were surprised at the length of the test and how much they have learned since the beginning of the course. They are studying many poems and short articles, while discussing literary elements including types of rhymes, types of metaphors, etc.
January News
Mrs. Pomeroy’s students have focused on narrative and compare/contrast writing this month. In English 7, Mrs. Bailey and Mrs. Pomeroy’s students have been writing Christmas themed narratives. After revising their narratives to incorporate detail through adjective use, students turned their narratives into pop-up books. They will present their stories to their classmates before Christmas break.
In English 8, Mrs. Pomeroy and Mrs. Woolgar’s students have been working through a unit on sentence phrases and clauses. This unit has helped them to improve writing by ensuring that sentences are complete, detailed, and have variety in structure. They have written narratives about images in children’s books using various phrase types.
In Language Arts 7, students have finished reading The Christmas Carol and have learned elements of drama. They are now comparing the film version to the play, which will result in a compare/contrast essay.
Language Arts 8 students have recently read a Christmas-themed novel. Like the Language Arts 7 students, they will also produce a compare/contrast essay by comparing the novel to a film.
Mrs. Wheeler’s classes have been studying various seasonal works. Senior English 12 classes have just returned from a Yuletide visit to Camelot. The classes read an excerpt from Thomas Malory’s Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Students explored chivalry and knighthood through a Christmas time tale of gamesmanship and honesty.
The Literature 7 class enjoyed bringing Charles Dickens’s characters to life while reading a play version of A Christmas Carol, and the Literature 8 class read the actual novel.
December News
Mrs. Bailey:
We have finished reading several books since the beginning of the school year. The junior high students are working on shark research projects and making displays for the hallway. Colin Nelson has dominated in all the rounds of the Vocab.com competition. We are currently competing against Mrs. Pomeroy's classes.
Mrs. Wolfinger:
My 8th graders have done a lot of writing this year. Just recently, they used their writing skills to try their hand at journalism. Each of the students selected a photo and wrote a realistic news story to accompany it. Finally, students published a "newspaper" of their work, complete with pictures, captions, and stories!
All of the 9th grade English students have read the age-old classic To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. After completing the novel and final exam, students viewed the awarding winning film (1962) starring Gregory Peck. Students compared and contrasted the characters, plot, and settings in the book versus the film, and then produced an essay detailing their findings and explaining which they preferred and why.
The honors American literature students (juniors) are focused on revolutionary literature, and especially on noteworthy literature from great writers and speakers such as Patrick Henry, Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin. Soon, they will begin reading the novel Fahrenheit 451 (1953) by Ray Bradbury. Like popular novels of today such as The Hunger Games (Collins), Fahrenheit 451 ponders the implications of a society in which freedoms have been lost or restricted.
Mrs. Dunn:
This past month the Spanish classes learned about the Day of the Dead and made sugar skulls. Sugar skulls have a long and rich history dating back to the 17th century in Europe. In Mexico, sugar was abundant, but the molds used to create the elaborate decorations from Europe were not. The Catholic friars in the New World instructed the indigenous people how to use sugar to create these decorations but without the molds. In the beginning, real skulls were used to create the sugar skulls to adorn altars to celebrate the returning souls of the dead. Since then, other methods of molding skulls have been used.
Students in enrichment have been busy working on individual projects and preparing for December’s upcoming debate. Each student’s project is different, but the process is the same. Each student is working through a long term project by developing a step-by-step plan to bring his or her project to fruition. There is a strong emphasis on community service, but it is not a requirement. Two examples of student projects are as follows: (1) designing and building a zip line for the high school and (2) repairing the bathroom doors at the soccer field.
In addition, the enrichment students are preparing for the debate at Smethport. We have seven students going to debate the resolution: the benefits of domestic surveillance by the NSA outweigh the harms. To prepare for the debate students are choosing the pro or con side of the issue and doing research.
Mrs. Pomeroy:
Mrs. Pomeroy’s English 7 and 8 and Language Arts 7 and 8 students have recently completed their first round of CDT testing. The testing provided students and their teacher with insightful data that will be used to tailor instruction to meet the needs of students. English 7 students who wrote letters to companies in September are beginning to receive responses to their letters. Students chose to write letters to a variety of companies including Pepsi-Cola, Hershey, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and many others. Not all students have received responses, but those who haven’t are eagerly waiting. Those who have are surprised by the items they received in response to the compliments they have paid to the companies.
In addition, Mrs. Bailey and Mrs. Pomeroy’s English 7 students are beginning to explore adjectives. They will use the knowledge they gain to bring life to their writing. Mrs. Woolgar and Mrs. Pomeroy’s English 8 students are working through parts of a sentence. After many lessons and much practice, students seem to have a grasp on indirect and direct objects. Knowledge of the sentence parts will help to improve student writing. Students are beginning to write a Thanksgiving themed essay as well.
In Language Arts, students are wrapping up a novel study, Where the Red Fern Grows in LA 7, and The Witch of Blackbird Pond in LA 8. After the Thanksgiving holiday, Language Arts 7 students will begin a drama study in which we will read and play roles in A Christmas Carol. Language Arts 8 students will also begin a holiday reading and writing project.
Mrs. Walck:
All of Mrs. Walck’s English classes have been prepping for the Keystone Exams by taking the Classroom Diagnostic Tools tests put out by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. The data derived from the tests will be used as a benchmark to drive instruction that is catered to each student’s needs. So far, the students have been doing an excellent job, and many are surprising themselves with extremely high marks!
The Nonfiction 8 students are working as team to read Michael Lewis’ book, The Blind Side. While learning about literary devices and reading strategies related to nonfiction, the students are also learning about character and fortitude. They were also granted a guest appearance by sophomore Frank Gardner, who introduced the themes, positions, and key plays utilized in the text.
Informational speeches are what is happening in Speech 10. Each student is researching a topic of his or her choice using a variety of sources and preparing a short speech. The topics range from celebrities to local heroes and conspiracy theories. Mrs. Walck can’t wait to hear them!
October/November News
Mrs. Pomeroy’s Courses
Mrs. Pomeroy and Mrs. Bailey’s English students have been celebrating the Halloween season recently. In English 7, students have created tombstones to bury “dead words,” which are words that students use far too often in their writing. They have laid them to rest and have found alternatives to use in their places. These words are survived by their synonyms, which will now be used to enliven the seventh grade students’ writing. Tombstones are on display in Mrs. Pomeroy’s room.
English 8 students in Mrs. Pomeroy and Mrs. Woolgar’s class are using the alternative word choices presented by the English 7 students to enrich their writing as well. They are working on writing suspenseful and spooky narratives in honor of Halloween. English 8 students have also been working through the mystery of punctuation, focusing especially on comma rules and discovering when it is appropriate to use semicolons.
In language arts, seventh and eighth grade students are working on novel studies. Language Arts 8 students recently began a journey into historical fiction with The Witch of Blackbird Pond. Language Arts 7 students are reading the novel Where the Red Fern Grows in which students will discover the bond between humans and their animal companions, as well as realistic elements teenagers face growing up in a farming and hunting region not unlike our own. In these novel studies, students will learn across the curriculum by learning not only to use reading comprehension and writing skills, but will also experience lessons in geography, history, math, and life and social skills.
Mrs. Walck’s Courses
Mrs. Walck and Mrs. Bailey’s students have also explored topics to connect with the Halloween theme. Her English 11 students read “The Raven”. They followed their reading by writing their own poems. Mrs. Walck expressed that the poem submissions were fantastic!
English 10 students are reading “Masque of the Red Death” and will be writing research papers to connect with the story. This will be a cross-curricular project involving Mrs. Acker, Mrs. Bailey, Mrs. Woolgar, Mrs. Butler, and Mrs. Walck.
Mrs. Walck’s Nonfiction 8 students are writing their own persuasive essays. To do so, they are incorporating a variety of propaganda techniques.
Mrs. Bailey’s Courses
Mrs. Bailey's Reading 7 and 8 classes have been using the mimeo board, computers, tablets, netbooks, and registered devices to learn new vocabulary. These classes have been introduced to Vocab.com, a web site that is designed to help anyone learn new vocabulary and practice spelling. The students earn points and achievements as they progress through the program. Her classes have been competing against one another to earn the highest points for round one. This round took place from October 2 to October 18. The students work on it for a homework grade. Some students work on the program during study halls, at home, at the library, or in class if all other work is done. The first place winner was Colin Nelson with 313,150 points. The second place winner was Joseth Shafer with 279,500 points. The third place winner was Tiffany Whitesell with 67,750 points. These students obviously worked very hard outside of class to earn their points. Every student in Mrs. Bailey's classes participated in this homework assignment and earned homework points. They needed 15,000 points to fulfill the homework assignment, which went into eSchoolBooks as a 50 point homework grade. Soon, her classes will start competing with Mrs. Pomeroy's language arts classes.
Mrs. Wheeler’s Courses
Mrs. Wheeler’s classes have been working on a variety of fall projects:
Honors English 12 finished reading Frankenstein just in time for Halloween, and the general English 12 class is beginning Beowulf, a story with many soldiers, kings, and monsters.
Literature 7 and Literature 8 have written Thankful Poems, which will be on display in room 123 through Thanksgiving.
Literature 7 students will be reading The Outsiders next which explores societal groups and bullying to some degree, and Literature 8 will read Deathwatch, a tale of a hunting trip gone wrong and the moral decisions that follow.
All seventh and eighth grade students will attend a production of The Outsiders on November 14, at Cowanesque Valley High School.