It’s okay to breathe a sigh of relief, now that the K-PREP is behind us, but it’s NOT the time to stop. We’ve got this week and part of next week before summer break.

Early this week, we will read Mark Twain’s “Ghost Story” and watch a video made by students. Then, we will compare and contrast the two. Later this week, we will return to a little non-fiction and read a brief history of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Friday, we have reserved the computer lab to continue the theme of the week on-line.

Make sure to return your library books to the HCMS Library.

It’s here folks–K-PREP week. Here are a few tips:

1) Each day before school, eat a good nutritious breakfast. Fuel your mind. Refrain from a lot of sweets.

2) Think positive. Although you may have to read unfamiliar stories and articles, you have seen all of the concepts you will be tested on.

3) On the multiple choice questions, you can use the process of elimination to help narrow the choices. If you can eliminate two answers, you’ll have a 50/50 chance of getting it right.

4) On the open response/extended response and short answers, read the questions thoroughly and make sure you SUPPORT your answers with QUOTES and DETAILS from the reading. Answer the question COMPLETELY.

5)Pace yourself, but be mindful of the time limits on the test. Don’t leave answers blank, if you can help it. If you finish before the time limit–MAKE SURE TO GO BACK AND CHECK YOUR ANSWERS! If you have problems understanding a word or question, use CONTEXT CLUES to help you.

6) Make sure you fill in the bubbles neatly, to help make sure you aren’t mis-scored.

7) If your hand hurts from holding the pencil, ease up on your grip to help.

MONDAY: Reading/language arts
TUESDAY: Reading/language arts
WEDNESDAY: Math
THURSDAY: Math
FRIDAY: On-demand writing

I know you can do GREAT!

We’re almost there! The KPREP is NEXT week. We have a lot of reviewing to get done in the week leading up to the test. Monday, we’ll again review literary elements and drawing information out of a reading to answer questions. Tuesday, we’ll review summarizing and continue to items from Monday.

Wednesday is library day. Be sure to bring your books. Make sure to get your Reading Counts tests in!

Later in the week, we’ll work on finding support to answer O/R questions and review test taking strategies.

NEWBERY

Congratulations on winning the competition at the University of Kentucky. I know everyone had fun.

We’ll now focus on getting ready for the KPREP! Wednesday is library day.

Only two weeks until the KPREP. This week, we will continue to review learning targets, as we get ready for the KPREP. We will be looking at both fiction and nonfiction readings this week. On Monday, we will compare a non-fiction text to a short story on the same subject. Tuesday, we will have a mini lesson before going to the Scholastic Book Fair. Remember to bring money to buy some books! Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, we will continue to review concepts you might see on the KPREP. Friday, there will be a short vocabulary quiz.

NEWBERY

This is it. This week we go to the Newbery Panel Discussion at the University of Kentucky. Remember, you must have all of the books read by Tuesday. You must also have your permission slip in by Tuesday. You will be permitted to wear jeans on the field trip, but you must wear a uniform shirt. Monday and Tuesday, make sure to get all of your questions ready for the books. Tuesday, we will go to the book fair. We will also likely vote on the books on the library’s computers that day. Wednesday, we will have a class game to prepare for the UK field trip. Thursday is the field trip. Let’s beat the masters class on the Newbery book questions!

Please go to this link and vote for the book you felt should have won the Newbery. Only vote ONCE! http://bit.ly/HUwLn8

Welcome back from Spring Break. It’s time to get going. We have about three weeks until the KPREP, so we’ll be focusing on reviewing key aspects you can expect to see on the test.

We will be reviewing the elements of fiction, such as plot, setting, point of view, and conflict. We will continued to review aspects of the 3rd 9 weeks test.

We’ll move on to comparing and contrasting fiction and nonfiction.

Wednesday will be library and, you will have very few opportunities to finish your Reading Counts.

NEWBERY–this week is critical. You need to finish all the books by next Monday, in order to be able to go to the University of Kentucky Newbery Panel field trip. We have one more copy of Breaking Stalin’s Nose arriving Tuesday or Wednesday. If you have that book out, you’ll only be allowed to keep it ONE day. There will be information and permission slips to go home, later this week.

On the field trip, you may wear jeans, but you will need to wear a school uniform shirt.

On Monday, we will begin by discussion “Romeo and Juliet at the Mall” ( the story we read on Friday), before starting a new short story. This week we’ll be investigating deeper level questions about short fiction. We will read a couple of different short stories and a non-fiction eyewitness account of the subject and setting of one of our stories. We will then answer questions that require thought, as we get ready for the KPREP test. Put on your thinking caps (I’m kidding. Caps aren’t allowed in school). Friday, there will be a short vocabulary quiz.

Reminder–final book reports are due 27 April 2012.

Newbery–It’s crunch time. Make sure you are keeping up on the Newbery books. Many of the Cincinnati Library books need to be returned soon, so we’ll have fewer copies of Dead End in Norvelt, Inside Out and Back Again, and Okay for Now. Bring your Newbery books to class each day, and we will try to have silent reading for the last 10-15 minutes of class.

Monday, be prepared to discuss your web research from Friday.

This week we will continue to review summary and begin working again with literary elements. We will work on key ideas and inferences to begin the week. We will review setting, point of view, character traits, and theme later in the week.

There will be a brief vocabulary quiz on Friday.

Reminder: This Wednesday is library day. Try to get your Reading Counts tests in before May. You need two for the fourth 9 weeks. Your final 6th grade book report is due 27 April.

Newbery: Please make sure you are coming up with questions to ask the masters degree students as you read your five novels. I have one more copy of Dead End in Norvelt ready to pick up at the library. Since Breaking Stalin’s Nose is such a short book, and since we have only a couple of copies, when you get a copy–read it in one or two days.

Due to our Friday off last week, we’ll have a very short (10 question) vocabulary quiz on Monday. Afterward, we’ll have class discussions on the research we did in the lab on Thursday.

This week, we’ll continue working on summaries, central idea, and supporting details. We will also begin reviewing some of the elements of fiction, by reading another play.

This Friday will be a short quiz on the new vocabulary words.

Reminder: Bells 1, 2, 3, and 7–Book reports for the final nine weeks are due 27 April 2012.

NEWBERY–Continue reading our Newbery and Newbery Honor books. We have only one copy of Breaking Stalin’s Nose, but the library expects another soon. This is the one Newbery Honor book we are reading, which can be finished in a few hours. You can only keep this book two or three days after you get it, so that others may have the opportunity to read it. Make sure you are writing down questions for the game.

BRING your Newbery novels to class each day. We will try to devote some time to silent reading each day.

As we head into the final quarter of the school year, we’ll be reviewing a few concepts that students struggled with on the Discovery Education Assessment. We’ll focus on summarization skills, point of view, and supporting details from texts. We will also add a vocabulary activity this week (to help better prepare us for the K-Prep). There will be a brief vocabulary quiz on Friday.

Wednesday is library day.

REMEMBER: The book report for the fourth quarter is due 27 April 2012. Read your novel and get this one in early.

Newbery–Most students have read two to four of the five Newbery books. We should be getting more copies of Breaking Stalin’s Nose and Dead End in Norvelt this week. Remember to bring your Newbery book each day to class, and we’ll try to devote a little time toward the end to silent reading. Also remember to come up with the questions about the books for the game. WRITE THEM DOWN.

Newbery students should plan to PASS a reading counts test for our Newbery books. If you can’t, you should reread that book. It is very important that you know these five books well.

On Monday, we have the computer lab for students to punch in the answers to the Discovery Test. All of the reading classes, aside from 2nd bell, have the lab on Tuesday for on-line research. We’ll continue “The Challenge” story we began before the 3rd quarter test on Wednesday.

Reminder: This is the last week of the 3rd quarter. If you have missing work, it needs to be in by Wednesday. There are still a few students who have not turned in the 13 February book report.

Newbery: Make sure you bring your Newbery books to class. Most days we’ll devote a portion of class to silent reading. As you read the Newbery’s, please remember to jot down questions about the novels. We’ll play a game in preparation for the UK trip.