Panther Press
What's New in Ms. Marshall's Class
The Global Read Aloud
Please read this parent letter regarding this amazing opportunity. In this letter you will find more details about what we will be reading and learning about for the month of October.
Book Talks
Starting in October, I will be making short videos of students talking about the book that they read for homework this quarter. I will then create QR codes to go inside of the classroom copies of the books (if I have a copy of their book in class). With these QR codes students can scan, watch the book talk video done by a classmate, and then decide if they want to read the book. I am hoping that my old iPhone will work as a book scanner. I may have to modify this plan if it doesn't, but the videos will still be available in some form or another. See the Emoji Book talk guide (pictured below) for tips on a great book talk. Students are expected to be reading a book of their choosing in addition to our classwork in English class.
Costumes, props, puppets, hats, glasses, backgrounds, etc. that would enhance the book talk are always welcomed but not required.
#GratiTUESDAY
Each day of the week, in our advisory class, we focus on a different aspect of mindfulness. On Tuesday's it's gratitude. On this particular Tuesday students shared something that they were grateful for. We watched a short video, which I included below and then discussed the importance of sharing our gratitude with others. So many students listed family members as something that they were grateful for, I hope it carried over to your family and that your child shared why they were grateful for you in a similar fashion as what we saw in the video.
Street Compliments | SoulPancake Street Team
Books!
Nothing seems to get kids more excited about reading than the addition of new books to our classroom library. I order books from scholastic once a month and am collecting book orders this Friday, September 30th, for our October package. Please send in your book orders by Friday to get a book for your child.
Family Fun
This week we watched the presidential debate for homework. I mean my kids had homework, and we had to watch for their homework. I saw an idea for playing a game of bingo while watching a debate and I thought we could do this too. What would have most likely been an event in which my teenage daughters were looking at their cell phones, or not paying attention even when they were watching, had them hanging on every word and shushing anyone who talked. The activity that i saw was this. We modified the activity and made our own cards on paper, using the word bank from the document in the activity link. You can make up your own words too. I thought I would share it with you because we had a lot of fun, and I was really pleased with how closely my kids were following along. No one got a "Bingo!", so we are all looking forward to round two for the next debate on October 9th. Go to The Open Debate Coalition to vote on questions that the candidates may answer and see what questions have the most votes right now.
Presidential Debates
Preparing Our Bingo Cards
No Winners This TIme
Be More Awesome
I wrote a blog post about a class activity that we did this month: Mindfulness and Attendance Awareness Month: Are You Present It is about an awesome day that we had, and although I generally write my blog for an audience of teachers, I thought you might enjoy reading about a day in our class too.
October Writing Contests
If your child has an interest in art, writing or graphic novels, there are several contests that they could enter this month. The contests are through Scholastic and I'd be happy to mail in any entries that I receive. Send me a note, or have your child ask me for contest rules and I will give it to them.
Important Dates
- Monday, October 17-21: CMS Book Fair
- Tuesday, October 25th: Mix it up at lunch day A school event in which students are encouraged to move out of their comfort zones and get to know other students that they may not talk to because they are part of a different social group.
- Friday, October 28th: The end of the first quarter 12:45 dismissal
- Monday, October 31st: Non-student Day (Teacher Training District Wide)
- Tuesday, November 2nd: Students begin second quarter electives and will have new 5th period classes.
Ms. Marshall
Lead learner in room 9.
Email: hmarshall@jsusd.k12.ca.us
Website: www.middleschoolmind.com
Phone: 5107871081
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/msmarshallcms/
For updates on what we are up to between newsletters. I plan to send out the next newsletter in early November. Did you miss a newsletter? I post them all on the Parent Page of our class website.