Greetings folks,

I want to tell everyone how I appreciate all you do for our classroom community. We had a wonderful and as-authentic Medieval Feast-as we could have!!! All of your support in providing creative foods, beverages, and costumes made our culmination to our Medieval studies a blast. Thank you for your generosity!

Greetings Folks,

 LATE START WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17. Schools begins at 10:15.

Katie, our school counselor, will be chatting with, and giving 2014 forecasting papers to, 6th and 7th graders on April 17. Forms, with a parent signature, are due back April 23. Please be aware that students who do not return their forms or turn them in on time will more than likely not be given priority for electives. Your prompt return of this form is greatly appreciated.

RUN FOR THE ARTS pledge money is due April 22. The 7th period class that raises the most money will win the class party.


HOMEWORK & ASSIGNMENT INFORMATION
READING:  This week will be our last week of reading “Crispin Cross of Lead.”  Students are working on study questions that will be due typed next Tuesday, 4/23.

WRITING:  We will be working on our Medieval Character Journals. Students need to type or use black ink to in rewriting their entries.  Final Journals are due Tuesday, 4/23. Please see criteria for final drafts.  We will have a work period daily to complete- I encourage students to bring  metallic gel pens, fine tip black sharpies, scrap booking papers, graphics and borders and any other supplies needed.

SOCIAL STUDIES:

*The Demise of Feudalism

* Illuminated Letters for Journal Covers

HOMEWORK:

• WWW FINAL EXAM LISTS 1-10  MONDAY, 4/22
• MEDIEVAL CHARACTER JOURNAL DUE  TUESDAY, 4/23
• NOVEL STUDY QUESTIONS FOR CRISPIN CROSS OF LEAD DUE TUES. 4/23
• FINAL FOR MIDDLE AGES, FRIDAY 4/26 STUDY GUIDES AND ALL NOTES WILL BE DUE ON 4/26.  6TH  AND 7TH GRADERS WILL BE ABLE TO USE ALL NOTES. 8TH GRADERS WILL NOT HAVE ACCESS TO NOTES DURING THE EXAM.

Much Thanks,
Ann Fournier


Hi Folks,

This week marks the end of 3rd Quarter!  All late work needs to be turned in no later than Monday, 4/8.  I recommend checking all your child’s grades on Edbox so there are not any surprises come report cards.



RUN FOR THE ARTS pledge money is due April 22.

NO SCHOOL FRIDAY, APRIL 12. Teachers will be completing their grades and planning for next quarter.

HOMEWORK & ASSIGNMENT INFORMATION

READING

• Students should be reading Crispin Cross of Lead .

WRITING AND VOCABULARY

• This week we will be busy completing our rough draft of our Story Line Medieval Character Journal.  TYPED FINAL DRAFTS in Manuscript Form (refer to criteria) due Friday, 19th.
• FRIDAY we will have a Medieval Feast- more information will come home next week!
• NO VOCABULARY THIS WEEK
• WWW group list 10 in composition book due 4/22 FINAL EXAM on chapters 1-10.  Students scoring below 80% on the final will no longer qualify for further WWW and will return to the general vocabulary program.  You may want to look at the past three test scores in WWW to see  if your child  indicates a trend towards no longer meeting the expectations of this program.

SOCIAL STUDIES

• HOMEWORK READING PACKET with comprehension questions goes home Monday due Thursday.
• The Black Death,  - FINISH UP THIS WEEK
• We begin the Crusades
• Next Weeks unit is The decline of feudalism

Many Thanks,
Ann Fournier

Greetings all,

I hope everyone has had a relaxing and invigorating Spring Break.  The weather today is absolutely gorgeous and truly smells and feels like Spring. 

DON'T FORGET TO GET THOSE RUN FOR THE ARTS PLEDGES filled out. There is a competition between 7th period classes. The winning class will win a party. PLEDGE FORMS ARE DUE APRIL 4. The run is scheduled for April 5 (weather permitting).

 
Curriculum

READING

We are continuing to read Crispin Cross of Lead and will be working on completing Journal questions around themes, plot, characterization, and literary elements.

VOCABULARY

Vocab. goes home Mon. due Friday test Friday

www is due Monday, test Monday 4/1

 

WRITING

Students are drafting Medieval Journal entries 4 and 5 incorporating facts surrounding life in our Village.

SOCIAL STUDIES

• Students will be studying and researching aspects of Medieval Life to develop mini dramas in small groups (presentations are Friday).
  
  

HOMEWORK

·       Journal 3 due Mon. 4/1, Journal 4 due Wed. 4/3, Journal 5 due Friday 4/5

·       Mini Drama presentations are due Friday

·       www due 4/1, test 4/1

·       Vocabulary due Friday test Fridat

Best Wishes,

Ann Fournier


MARCH 17, 2013

Greetings all,

This is our big week before Spring Break!!!! We have our Literary Tea Party for the novel Crispin on Monday, AM Core has a field trip Thursday, and our Talent Show is Friday.  Not to mention our LATE START WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20 –

 

OUR CLASS.LITERARY TEA PARTY IS MONDAY.  BRING A BOX OF COOKIES OR JUICE BOXES TO HELP US BEGIN THE NOVEL CRISPIN CROSS OF LEAD BY AVI.
 
Have a terrific spring break everyone!

HOMEWORK & ASSIGNMENT INFORMATION

VOCABULARY

• www test Monday, 3/18
• wordly wise due Friday, test Friday

SOCIAL STUDIES

• We are learning about knighthood, nobles, a serfs life and manor life.  Students are working daily to integrate social studies topics and facts into their character story line journals.

WRITING

WE WILL BE COMPLETING A JOURNAL ENTRY A DAY.  PLEASE LOOK FOR YOUR CHILDS MEDIEVAL JOURNALS (THEY GO HOME ON MONDAY).  REQUIREMENTS AND CRITERIA WILL BE COVERED DURING CLASSTIME.

READING

WE ARE BEGINNING CRISPIN CROSS OF LEAD BY AVI ON MONDAY.  I RECOMMEND YOUR KIDDO GETTING THEIR OWN PERSONAL COPY IF THEY MAY NEED EXTRA SUPPORT AND TIME TO COMPLETE COMPREHENSION ASSIGNMENTS.

• 
  HOMEWORK
• BRING A BOX OF COOKIES OR JUICE BOXES FOR MONDAY’S LITERARY TEA PARTY.
• VOCAB. DUE FRIDAY TEST FRIDAY
• MEDIEVAL JOURNAL ROUGH DRAFT ENTRY ONE DUE MONDAY(ENTRIES 2-4 DUE FRIDAY).
• THURSDAY AM CORE HAS THEIR FIELD TRIP.   I WILL SEND AN EMAIL REMINDER OF TIMES AND LUNCH INFO MONDAY.
  
  

ASHLAND TRIP INFORMATION

• PERMISSION PAPERS ARE DUE ON OR BEFORE MARCH 18.
• Final payment for the trip is also due on or before March 18.
• There is a MANDATORY evening meeting for the trip on March 18 from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
• PLEASE PLAN ON ATTENDING THIS MEETING. IT IS EXCEEDINGLY DIFFICULT TO CHASE DOWN STUDENTS WHO DO NOT ATTEND.
• This weekend is a good time to chat with your Ashland Tripper about what they'll be wearing to the plays. MS. WASSON IS  a stickler for "dressing" for the shows. We will be discussing appropriate attire at the meeting on Monday.

BEST,

ANN FOURNIER

Greetings all,

This week we are taking our OAKS Reading test. Testing will be daily and do become part of your child’s academic history.  Please see that your child gets to bed reasonably, eats healthy (not skipping breakfast and lunch) and is present this week.

PM Core FIELDTRIP to the Art Museum this Wed., 3/13 from 10 am until 1:00 pm. Chaperones you may show up at 9:45 in room 304.  Give yourself time to check in with the office prior to coming up to the classroom.  We will have an early lunch before going to the museum.  Remember to pack a lunch from home or bring $ to eat at Pioneer Place.


HOMEWORK & ASSIGNMENT INFORMATION

READING

• We are finished with our One Minute Book Talks.  This week there is no reading homework due to OAKS Reading Tests.  Please make sure your kiddo gets plenty of zzzz’s and eats a healthy breakfast and lunch!

Our next novel is Crispin Cross of Lead by Avi.  If your child needs extra time to complete our daily readings during in class reading period pick up a copy.  The Multnomah County Library, Powell’s, Children’s Place Bookstore and Barnes and Noble- all are great resources.



VOCABULARY

No Vocabulary this week due to testing!  WWW is postponed to next Monday, 3/18.


SOCIAL STUDIES
MIDDLE AGES
HOMEWORK

• Social Studies reading packet, "The Role of the Church in Medieval Europe" due Wednesday. Students need to read it inorder to prepare for this week's Reading Notes.

We are finishing our story line Medieval characters, creating our village and castle mural and beginning our Storyline Character Journal Rough Draft.


ASHLAND TRIP INFORMATION
Students have been selected for this year's trip. If your child was selected, please note the following important next steps:

• STUDENTS MUST MAINTAIN A "B" AVERAGE THROUGH MARCH 20 IN ORDER TO ATTEND THIS TRIP. WE WILL BE MONITORING GRADES & EFFORT.
• PERMISSION PAPERS ARE DUE ON OR BEFORE MARCH 18.
• Final payment for the trip is also due on or before March 18.
• There is a MANDATORY evening meeting for the trip on March 18 from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

Warm Regards,

Ann Fournier

MARCH 1, 2013

Greetings Folks,



We are in need of more parent chaperones for our March field trip to the Art Museum.  Please let me know if you can attend or we may need to cancel.



It is hard to believe that this coming Tuesday denotes the halfway point in quarter three. We are at the midterm for third quarter.  You should be able to check-in on grades in EdBox Sunday evening to see what your child’s midterm grades will look like.




Students in the spring production of SPACE OUT have an all day pullout on Wednesday and will need to check in on work they've missed.  I recommend they check in with ALL their teachers prior to Wednesday. Space Out opens Friday, March 8.

 

 
HOMEWORK & ASSIGNMENT INFORMATION

Homework:

• One Minute Book Talks Mon.-Wed. see timeline and criteria
• Middle Ages Vocab. Due Friday/test Friday
• African Fables due typed Thursday
• Bring a container of juice boxes or a thing of cookies for Monday’s Medieval Literary Festival for the novel Crispin on 3/11!!! If you know your child may need extra time to read at home- I recommend you purchase or check this novel out of the library.  I only have a class set and they will not be able to leave the room.
  
  

READING

 

ONE MINUTE BOOK TALKS BEGIN MONDAY!!! REMEMBER PARENTS MAKE GREAT AUDIENCES!

• Students will be starting the novel Crispin Cross of Lead by Avi next Monday.  This novel is set in the Middle Ages and supports our StoryLine.  We will have a Literary Tea Party on Monday 3/11.  Students will become characters from the novel and introduce themselves to their classmates.  This pre-reading activity helps them begin to make predictions. We need donations of cookies and juice boxes.  I will have kiddos sign up next week.

VOCABULARY

• The next vocabulary list is due Friday, March 8.
• The next vocabulary test is on Friday, March 8.
• www group is due Mon. 2/11 test on 2/11

 

 

 

WRITING

African Fables are due typed Thursday! All drafting and peer editing will be done in class.


SOCIAL STUDIES
OUR FOCUS IS THE FEUDAL SYSTEM AND MANOR LIFE IN MEDIEVAL EUROPE.  OUR STORYLINE BEGINS THIS WEEK.


ASHLAND TRIP INFORMATION
Students have been selected for this year's trip. If your child was selected, please note the following important next steps:

• STUDENTS MUST MAINTAIN A "B" AVERAGE THROUGH MARCH 20 IN ORDER TO ATTEND THIS TRIP. WE WILL BE MONITORING GRADES & EFFORT.
• PERMISSION PAPERS ARE DUE ON OR BEFORE MARCH 18.
• Final payment for the trip is also due on or before March 18.
• There is a MANDATORY evening meeting for the trip on March 18 from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

Warm Regards,

Ann Fournier

25 FEBRUARY 2013

Greetings all,

 
da Vinci's Open House is on Tuesday, Feb. 26. I will be asking for student volunteers to answer questions hopeful students and families have about our school. Students who help will need to be at school from 5:00 to 6:30. I will have my daughter Kaitlin with me, who is currently a fifth grader hoping to come to da Vinci. I will have pizza for my student volunteers.

HOMEWORK & ASSIGNMENT INFORMATION

READING

• Students need to be reading 30 minutes daily. We have some new donations to our in class library that I strongly recommend.
• Literature Groups will meet Friday and present Book Project #2.  Our book will need to be finished for this meeting.  One Minute Book Talks are Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of next week.

VOCABULARY

• Wordly Wise Vocabulary goes home Monday and the test will be Friday.
• 8th graders in the Word Within a Word group composition books and test will be next Monday.

WRITING

• This week our focus is on writing African Fables.  Students will be reading, analyzing, and exploring this genre through in class readings.  Students will use the writing process to generate their own Fables explaining an attribute of an African animal of their choice.  On Monday and Tuesday we will create African Masks of our animal character.  Friday students will present their masks and Fables to the class for peer feedback.
  
   
  
  SOCIAL STUDIES
  .
• We will be wrapping up our Africa Unit this week.  Wednesday will be AC/DC Interactive Notebook check of Reading Notes 12-14.
• African Final will be on Friday.  6th and 7th graders will be able to access their Reading Notes.

• 
  Art Museum Feild TRIP INFORMATION goes home Tuesday and is due back on Friday.

In the spirit of da Vinci,
Ann Fournier


16 FEBRUARY 2013

Greetings all,

February is SO amazingly hectic!!! Our Literary Lovefest was filled with Literature Booklets, sharing of treats and eachother.  Thanks for all your donations!

• NO SCHOOL MONDAY - Presidents' Day
  * On Tuesday, I will be out of the building doing my civic responsibility of Jury Duty. 
  * LATE START WEDNESDAY
• Field Trip Notice for our upcoming Art Museum visit goes home on Thursday.

HOMEWORK & ASSIGNMENT INFORMATION

READING

• Students need to be reading 30 minutes daily. I've got a number of new novels in our classroom library I'm happy to recommend.
• Book groups will meet each Friday for the next two weeks. 
• This Friday students must be half way through their novel.  At Friday’s meeting they will complete their first novel project.  I sent the criteria home on Thursday describing book project options.

WRITING



WWW Test is Wednesday, 1/20.  Vocabulary will resume the week of 3/28.

This week our integrated social studies writing focus is drafting our informative “ Travel Guide for Surviving a Trans-Saharan Journey.”  Students are creating a 1300’s African Trader character that will record their expert advice on how to successfully cross the Sahara Desert.  Rough Drafts are due Wednesday, and  Final Drafts will be presented on Friday. 

SOCIAL STUDIES

This week students will focus on learning about the influences of Islam on West African culture today. In a Social Studies Skill Builder, they read about various Islamic influences, such as religious practices and education, and use their new knowledge to analyze photographs of West Africans and identify the Islamic influences they see.


MIDDLE AGES Storyline begins in March!!!!

HOMEWORK

• READ HALF WAY THROUGH YOUR NOVEL BY FRIDAY.
• FIRST NOVEL PROJECT DUE FRIDAY.
• ROUGH DRAFT OF TRAVEL GUIDE AND PARENT INITIALS DUE ON TIMELINE WEDNESDAY
• FINAL DRAFT OF TRAVEL GUIDE DUE FRIDAY
• ART MUSEUM FIELD TRIP PERMISSION SLIP GOES HOME THURSDAY DUE MONDAY

 

Core Auction Projects: 

We will be working with local artist and da Vinci parent Kimberly Vanko to create succulent art.  Students will be donating a succulent for either an indoor terrarium or an outdoor metal art sculpture. The am Core will create indoor art and the pm Core will focus on the outside piece.  This will influence the type of succulent your child brings in.  I will provide more information on due dates for the project as Kimberly presents it to me.


ASHLAND TRIP INFORMATION
Students have been selected for this year's trip. If your child was selected, please note the following important next steps:

• STUDENTS MUST MAINTAIN A "B" AVERAGE THROUGH MARCH 20 IN ORDER TO ATTEND THIS TRIP. WE WILL BE MONITORING GRADES & EFFORT.
• PERMISSION PAPERS ARE DUE ON OR BEFORE MARCH 18.
• Final payment for the trip is also due on or before March 18.
• There is a MANDATORY evening meeting for the trip on March 18 from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

Warm Regards,
Ann Fournier





Greetings all,

This week seemed to fly! Monday everyone brought in some amazing Edible Maps of Africa.  I will try later this week with the assistance of my student technicians to post photos on my website. Students were very busy with creating scripts and rounding up props and costumes for their Book Commercial Projects.  These will be performed or presented on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week.

HOMEWORK & ASSIGNMENT INFORMATION

READING

• Students need to be reading 30 minutes daily.
• We will be gearing up for another round of book groups very soon.
• This week students will have a nonfiction reading packet to complete as homework to support our Medieval Africa Unit. 
• All our in class readings will be on the trans-Saharan trade route.  This will be supporting our integrated “Create a Travel Guide on how to Cross the Sahara Desert.”

WRITING

• NO NEW VOCABULARY WORDS THIS WEEK DUE TO our Africa Travel Guides, Literary Love Fest of our Lit. Group Books , and Book Commercials.
•  STUDENTS WILL BE PRESENTING COMMERCIALS WHICH USE PERSUASIVE TECHNIQUES TO ADVERTISE their  LIT. GROUP NOVELS THEY JUST COMPLETED. PRESENTATIONS FOR BOOK TITLES A-M ARE TUES. AND N-Z ARE WEDNESDAY.
• STUDENTS WILL ALSO HAVE A LITERARY LOVE FEST ON THURSDAY, 2/14 TO CELEBRATE THE COMPLETION OF THEIR NOVELS, COMMERCIALS AND LIT. GROUP BOOKLETS (ALSO DUE 2/14).  STUDENTS MAY BRING SOMETHING TO SHARE- I WILL HAVE STUDENTS SIGN UP ON MONDAY AND BRING HOME A CLASS LIST AND NOTE EXPLAINING THE EVENT. Students are welcome to bring cards of appreciation to ALL their classmates for their efforts to promote reading in our classroom.
  
  
•  

SOCIAL STUDIES

• On Monday we will begin to learn about the Trans-Saharan trade routes, African kingdoms of Mali and Songhai,  and the ways in which trade developed in this region.
• Students will be working on creating their Trans-Saharan Travel Guides- these will go home Tuesday and require your initials.

NEXT UP FOR SOCIAL STUDIES European geography and Middle Ages in Europe Storyline


ASHLAND TRIP INFORMATION
Students have been selected for this year's trip. If your child was selected, please note the following important next steps:

• STUDENTS MUST MAINTAIN A "B" AVERAGE THROUGH MARCH 20 IN ORDER TO ATTEND THIS TRIP. WE WILL BE MONITORING GRADES & EFFORT.
• PERMISSION PAPERS ARE DUE ON OR BEFORE MARCH 18.
• Final payment for the trip is also due on or before March 18.
• There is a MANDATORY evening meeting for the trip on March 18.

Warm Regards,
Ann Fournier

HOMEWORK NEWSLETTER


FEBRUARY 3,  2013

Greetings all,

Last week was filled with the anticipation of Thursday evenings Dance Concert.  Thanks to all those that volunteered and supported the dancers in this beautiful exhibition of talent.

We are now beginning our 3rd quarter!!!

HOMEWORK & ASSIGNMENT INFORMATION

READING

This is our final week of Literature Groups.  Students will work on Week 4 jobs (last meeting will be Friday, 2/8) and completing their Lit. Group Booklets with a cover, and book review.  Booklets will be due on Monday, 2/11.  Students are working with their group to present Television Commercials advertising their novel.  Commercials air on Tuesday, 2/12 and Wednesday, 2/13.  The criteria will go home Tuesday, 2/5.

Students need to be reading 30 minutes daily.

VOCABULARY

Vocab. is due Friday, Feb. 8. Test on Friday.

 

WRITING

Students have been using the writing process to develop “narrative vignettes” giving the reader a picture of themselves in the future. The point is to present us with a slice-of-life (no more than a day) of the person that they project themselves to become at any age that they choose.  We began drafting last week and will begin our Final Copies tomorrow.  The class will have a community sharing on Wednesday.

SOCIAL STUDIES

Edible maps of Africa are due Monday during our snack time.  We will have a museum tour and give feedback on our class mates projects.  Our final geography test will be Tuesday.  Students will learn this week why trade moving through Ghana and Mali resulted in the growth of these kingdoms.  They will be able to identify the trans-Saharan caravan routes through the kingdom of Ghana.  They will describe how trade in gold and salt led to the growth of Ghana and Mali. 

 

NEXT UP FOR SOCIAL STUDIES

European geography and Middle Ages STORYLINE

ASHLAND TRIP INFORMATION

Students have been selected for this year's trip. If your child was selected, please note the following important next steps:

STUDENTS MUST MAINTAIN A "B" AVERAGE THROUGH MARCH 20 IN ORDER TO ATTEND THIS TRIP. WE WILL BE MONITORING GRADES & EFFORT.

Your next payment of $90 is due February 8.

PERMISSION PAPERS ARE DUE ON OR BEFORE MARCH 18.

Final payment for the trip is also due on or before March 18.

There is a MANDATORY evening meeting for the trip on March 18.

IF FOR ANY REASON YOU ARE UNABLE TO ATTEND OR DECIDE AGAINST GOING, YOU MUST LET Ms. Wasson KNOW IMMEDIATELY. We have students on the waiting list.

NO REFUNDS WILL BE GIVEN AFTER FEBRUARY 1

PEACE,

Ann Fournier