May 2017 ELA MS/HS Newsletter
MCESC
Ready for Summer!
It’s hard to believe we have reached the end of the school year; time seems to just keep flying. We hope you found our newsletter to be worthwhile this year. Please complete our May Poll as we are seeking your feedback for suggestions or recommendations to our newsletter for 2017-18.
Scholastic Reading Club is partnering with James Patterson to giveaway books to support classroom libraries. To enter, you just need to explain what you would do with the extra support for your students. It’s 50 words or less! No stress!
We are hoping to see many of you at our “ELA- Shift in Standards” professional learning session. This will take place on August 9th at our office 7320 N. Palmyra Road Canfield. You can register for this event here.
Kindly,
Kristin, K.fox@mahoningesc.org, @kristinfox28
Lisa, L.iberis@mahoningesc.org, @libe0618
Julianne, j.ware@mahoningesc.org
Angeline, a.theis@mahoningesc.org, @amtheis2
Congratulations to our monthly book winners!
This Is Not the End by Chandler Baker- Vanessa Tortora
We Are Okay by Nina LaCour- Nicole Mathias
The Friendship Experiment by Erin Teagan-Haley Shaffer
Bookshelf Share
In our April Poll, we asked you to share the books that you couldn’t keep on your shelves this year. Below is a list of some excellent selections that were shared with us.
Sunrise Over Fallujah by Walter Dean Myers Miss Peregrine Trilogy by Ransom Riggs The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens My Friend Dahmer by Derf Beckderf I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexi, and Weird Ohio! The Crossover by Kwame Alexander The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon Orbiting Jupiter by Gary Schmidt The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven I Will Save You by by Matt de la Peña Towers Falling by Jewell Parker Rhodes Pax by Sara Pennypacker and Jon Klassen Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt I Will Always Write Back by Martin Ganda and Caitlin Alifirenka Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon All the Bring Places by Jennifer Niven Belly Up series by Stuart Gibbs This is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijkamp Denton Little's Death Date by Lance Rubin The Honest Truth by Dan Geimeinhart Kindness for Weakness by Shawn Goodman The Playbook by Kwame Alexander Female of Species by Mindy McGinnis The Hate you Give by Angie Thomas
Reading and Writing Workshop - Focus for Learning
What is Reading and Writing Workshop?
https://www.cli.org/resource/reading-writing-workshop/
The workshop model is an incredibly efficient method of teaching reading and writing. Within the workshop structure, teachers are able to address both the whole group’s needs as well as differentiating for the needs of small groups and individuals. By utilizing this instructional practice, educators are essentially getting the most “bang for their buck!” When successfully implemented, the workshop model allows teachers to not only meet standards but also provide students the time and support they need to grow into fluent readers and writers. Workshop is:
A component of a balanced literacy block
Standards based
Driven by student assessment
Differentiated instruction (by level, interest, groupings)
During a workshop lesson teachers can:
model reading and writing in front of students
Have students spend time engaged in independent reading and writing
have students share writing by helping you/classmates compose, revise or edit a piece of writing
Have student share in the reading by utilizing partner reading strategies
confer with students, guiding their reading and writing and teaching them skills and strategies
The workshop structure is made up of the mini-lesson, work time and share time.
The Mini-Lesson is where the teacher teaches the students a skill or strategy through demonstration and direct instruction
Work Time is when the students are reading and writing and directly applying the lesson they just learned. This is also when teachers conduct small groups and individual conferences with students.
Share Time is when students have the opportunity to share with the rest of the class how they used the skill or strategy just learned or reinforced in the mini-lesson.
Supplemental Materials
Reading and Writing Workshop in Action
ELA Standards Update
Improved English Language Arts Homepage
The Ohio Department of Education recently launched the a new ELA homepage. This landing page includes information supporting: Ohio’s Learning Standards, ELA Model Curriculum, assessments and various other helpful resources. Click the link to see the new look of the English language arts webpages.
ODE is encouraging you to take a few minutes to share your thoughts here about the website through a short survey. It will remain open through April 5.
Book Reviews
Memoirs of A Sidekick by David Skuy
Why can't Bendale change? Seventh-grader Boris Snodbuckle asks his best friend and loyal sidekick, Adrian. We have one more year here. I don't wanna waste it --- life's too short. We have to do something. Leave it to Boris to figure out a way to make life better for the kids at Bendale Public School. He's going to run for president of the student council. As president, he'll be able to fix everything! There's only one problem. His opponent is the most popular boy in school. And hardly anyone really knows Boris. Can he find a way to use his talent for launching wild schemes to garner the votes he needs? Or will it just end up, as usual, getting him suspended from school?
As Adrian, the book's narrator, says, Don't give up, believe in yourself, be brave and sometimes --- sometimes --- good things happen. Readers will be rooting for the irrepressible Boris Snodbuckle to win it all in this middle-grade novel by bestselling, award-winning author David Skuy.
Offbeat, funny and clever, Boris is ever optimistic that things will work out and takes his many failures in stride. This heartwarming story has wide appeal for its engrossing and drama-filled plot as well as for the many relatable themes, from bullying to social groups and popularity to friendship. Maybe most important of all is the way Boris, clearly, a social underdog, becomes the school's unlikely hero simply by being himself. This book also provides terrific lessons on citizenship and leadership.(www.goodreads.com)
Memoirs of A Sidekick by David Skuy would be best enjoyed by students in grades 6-8.
This Song will Save Your Life by Leila Sales
Elise Dembowski is one of a kind. Her favorite accessory is her unicorn boots. However, the summer before her sophomore year Elise is determined to study everything “cool” and make herself more popular. Unfortunately but fortunately her plan fails miserably. One night, after leaving the house without permission, Elise stumbles upon an underground club called Start. Two girls, Vicky and Pippa, take Elise underwing.
Elise begins to visit Start on a regular basis. The music and dabbling in DJing, brings Elise to discover her passions. At about the same time, a mysterious blog surfaces. The author pretends to write from Elise’s point of view explaining how she wants to commit suicide. Although she struggles to get through the school day, her nights at Start give her purpose and hope.
Sales does an amazing job creating Elise’s voice as narrator. If students enjoyed reading All the Bright Places, they should enjoy this novel as well.
School Library Journal recommends this book for students in grades 7 and up.
Factory Girl by Josanne LaValley
Injustice happens in many forms, as Roshen, a young Uyghurian in northern China learns. At sixteen, Roshen is aspiring to be a teacher and is at the top of her class. She is well-liked, has a solid family, and a strong courtship in process. On the last day of school Roshen’s world is turned upside down when she learns that she has been selected by the Chinese government to travel miles away from her family to work in a factory. The government gives her and her family little choice in the matter and soon Roshen finds herself on a train to a faraway place.
Roshen dreads this experience as many girls do not return or return stained, according to traditional Uyghurian beliefs. Roshen finds factory life to be much worse than she even anticipated. Can she find muster the strength to survive and return to her family?
Josanne LaValley paints a picture of Roshen’s life and culture in this captivating novel. LaValley travelled the steps that her character takes in an effort to be the voice of many Uyghurian girls who’s voices have been squelched by the Chinese government. Her efforts ensure that her story is vivid and accurate.
School Library Journal recommends grade 8 and up.
*Please note this is an advance, uncorrected proof.
The Best Kind of Magic by Crystal Cestari
Amber Sand is not like the other members of her family tree. She is a matchmaker, unlike the witches she is surrounded by daily. Amber is struggling to fit in at her school, which is dominated by the Siren and head cheerleader, Ivy Chamberlain. Ivy sets her claim on Charlie Blitzman, the gorgeous boy in school who seems to only have eyes for Amber. Amber’s only sense of relief is when she is with her best friend, Amani, a precog who sees the future. Amber feels like her future with Charlie is uncertain and not worth the risk to take a jump, as she realizes she is not Charlie's match. In the middle of this high school drama, Mr. Blitzman’s fiance is stolen by goblins and Amber tries to prove she is more than just a matchmaker.
“...But the truth is, monsters roam among us. To not write about them would be lie.
He’s giving me a pitying look an adult would give a hyper-imaginative child.
“Fine! If you don’t believe me, I’ll just have to show you!”
“Here in the car?” he asks.
“No, nothing about me would prove the existence of mythical creatures. Being a matchmaker is like being magical adjacent: close to the cool stuff, yet completely removed.”
I was pleasantly surprised by my interest in this book. I read this book very quickly, as I found myself really connecting with Amber. There were many plotlines in the novel that helped keep the pacing moving quickly. My favorite plotline was between Amber and Charlie, and I liked how the author kept the reader guessing even after the novel ends. This would be a great mentor text for to have students analyze allusions, foreshadowing, multiple plot lines that intersect, and ambiguous endings. I also see many writing opportunities that could take place with the plotlines and characters inside of this story. Overall, I felt the story was an interesting concept that I would like to see further explored. I would love to have a spin-off from Ivy’s perspective or a guidebook of the different types of “monsters” roaming around us. It gives me hope as Amazon explains this is book one and a second book will be coming soon. No precog is needed to show that in my future I will be checking out book two in the series.
The Uncorrected Advance Proof shows the book is aimed at grades 7-12.
Upcoming Professional Development
Summer Professional Development Workshops at MCESC
Some sessions that may be of interest for ELA teachers include:
Shift in ELA Standards
Dates: August 9 -Grades 6-12 and August 10 -Grades K-5
Start Time: 8:30 a.m. End Time: 3:00 p.m
Contact Hours: 6
Ohio’s Revised Standards for English Language Arts mainly contain clarifications which will guide teachers in modifying, not replacing their existing local curriculum, instructional plans, and materials. Participants will learn more about the clarifications, new resources from the ODE, and best practices to support learning in their classrooms.
INFOhio: Resources for the Road to Readiness
Date: Monday August 14, 2017
Grades K-5 will meet 8-11AM
Grades 6-12 will meet 12-3PM
Contact Hours: 3
Think you know INFOhio? Think again! Join us as we explore this fantastic free collection of online resources for Ohio students, teachers, and parents. In this workshop we will discover INFOhio's newest resources such as BookFLIX, and revisit some old favorites, and uncover powerful tools and resources for reading, research, online testing skills, professional development, and more!
Discussing Controversial Issues in the Middle and High School Classroom
All Teachers of Grades 5-12
Date: Monday, August 14, 2017
Start Time: 9:00 a.m. Registration begins at 8:30 AM End Time: 12:00 p.m.
Contact Hours: 3
Discussing controversial issues is one of the Six Proven Practices for Civic Learning.
But, the thought of controversy in the classroom often strikes fear in teachers’ hearts!
This session will teach a systematic approach to introducing and managing controversial issues in the 5-12 classroom, including overviews of popular discussion formats and research on best practices.
Archived Newsletters
Professional Organizations
Local
MCVIRA
Local chapter of IRA
Contact: Angela Yohman: ayohman@austintownschools.org
State
National
Journalism Education Association