Week 8

Hello Everyone!

I hope that you are satisfied with your grade that will appear on your Official Progress Report that will go home next Wednesday, February 29th--they've been sent off to the printer.

This week we will be in a variety of locations, please check the calendar to the right for our location for your class (it's different, different days). 

More examples of how to format and what your paper should look like have been updated on the Resource page.

Our activities for the week will include:

• discussing and choosing your presentation medias (because it's multimedia)
• signing up for your presentation day (Monday 3/5-Friday 3/9, as needed per class)
• an extra credit in-class writing project (it's for charity, so it would be nice if everyone participated)
• working on producing your presentations--due to limited lab time, some presentations may need to be completed at home
• practicing for your presentations, what you're actually going to say, making sure you are inside the time limit
• normal daily and weekly work

Remember, your final deadlines for your Published Final Draft and Final Revised Work Cited are this Friday, March 2nd.  If you're on the step you're suppose to be on, you shouldn't have any homework.  If you're not, you have a lot of homework.

This week's secret word is "cephalopod."  Write it on a scrap of paper and give it to me, with your name on it, and you'll get a ticket.  If you add on the scrap of paper at least two members of the subclasses of cephalopods (their common animal names), you'll get an extra ticket.

Conference Update

Hello All,

Today, while checking vocabulary, I conferenced with each student to check on their progress on their research papers.  By now, according to their deadline checklist, they should already have their drafts done and be working on revisions.  Many students were well on their way to working on this goal.  Some students will have a lot of now-homework over the weekend.

First Official Progress Report

Hello all,

The first official progress report of the semester will go home on Wednesday, February 29th.

As of today, all grades that will impact the official progress report grade have been created in Pinnacle.  If a grade is blank, it is because it hasn't been graded yet (a couple of the assignments aren't due until tomorrow).  Any work turned in on time will be reflected on the progress report.  Any work turned in after the due date will not necessarily reflect on the progress report.

Remember, the last day for late work due before February 28th is due on February 28th.  No exceptions.

Week 7

Hello Everyone!

It was fabulous to meet so many of you at this week's Open House.  As always, if you need anything, feel free to email me at kimberly (dot) bundschu (at) cobbk12 (dot) org or leave me a message at seven seven oh, six oh nine, five four eight one. 

During this long weekend, please remember your deadlines:

1.  You should have at least steps 1-8 done before you return to school on Tuesday, especially:

• Your Works Cited page should already be on turnitin.com
• You should already have all of your notes.
• You should have your intro paragraph done and ready to check.
• You should have at least one body paragraph done done and ready to check.

 2.  Your final paper is due on Friday 3/2. 

3.  We will begin our presentations the very next week, so your presentation needs to be done by Monday, 3/5.

On Thursday, I held mini-conferences with all students.  Most students are well on their way towards completing their papers on time, however, some students will definetly need to work hard in the next couple of weeks.  If you need extra help, I'm available before or after school upon request, and of course, you can sign up for Learning Links.

All late work for the first 6 weeks of the class will be accepted until February 28th with the standard minus one letter grade per day penalty.  Any work with a due date before February 28th will be accepted for credit until February 28th.  Any work due before February 28th and turned in after February 28th will not be accepted.  No exceptions, no extensions.

The secret word for the week is platypus.  If you give me a small note with your name and the secret word on Tuesday or Wednesday (DON'T TELL ANYONE!) I'll give you a ticket.  This is to let me know that you're keeping up with the blog.

Week 6

Hello All!

Open House is this Thursday.  An extra credit opportunity exists for those who attend.  6-8.

This week students should be finishing their notes and putting together their first draft.  Student drafts need to be finished by next Tuesday.

As always, please check the calendar for our meet location.

This week students are continuing to work on and complete their Giant Research Projects.  Final drafts of their Works Cited were due on Wednesday.  Final drafts of their papers are due on 3/2.

Have a wonderful week and an excellent 3 day holiday!

Unofficial Progress Report #2 and Final Deadlines for Make up work

Hello parents and guardians,

Today I sent home everybody's current unofficial progress report for our class.  Again, I'd like these signed and returned on the next school day.  Between now and the end of the 1st 6 weeks, the only grades that will go into the computer will be daily work (activators, reading reflections, and daily grammar practice), vocabulary work and quizzes, and the final draft of the Works Cited Page.  The Giant Research Paper and Presentation Project which students are currently working hard on will be due on after Official Progress Reports go home on February 29th.

All late work for the first 6 weeks of the class will be accepted until February 28th with the standard minus one letter grade per day penalty.  Any work with a due date before February 28th will be accepted for credit until February 28th.  Any work due before February 28th and turned in after February 28th will not be accepted.  No exceptions, no extensions.

Meet in Media Center--Day 23

Your activator is still the same as the past 2 days.  Write Activator 23 with your updated progress.

Today is our last day in the Media Center for research.  By the end of the day you need to make sure you have access to your digital sources (we'll be in the classroom on Monday and you won't have access to them unless you print them (careful of the page numbers) here or at home, or bring in a computer with them saved on it), and your print sources are on the cart. 

About 30 minutes into class, Ms. Bryan will be going over how to make sure your Works Cited page is in proper MLA format.  By this time, you definitely need the citation information for all of your sources (was due on Wednesday) and it should be typed so that we can work on the formats.  Then you'll have the last 30 minutes to finish up any corrections and get your Works Cited draft signed off.

If you finish your Works Cited draft and get it signed off in the first 30 minutes, make sure you talk to me about how to do step 4.