HOMEWORK | Division 3

HOMEWORK—January 19, 2026

The Black Cauldron: readers, please make sure you have done your prep for tomorrow and that you have your script with you.

Science: 30 minutes tonight on your research. Please keep the criteria at the front of your mind as you are taking notes.

If I were to ask you what the feedback was that you received on your brain research, would you be able to tell me?

Forms: skating forms are now overdue.

HOMEWORK—January 15, 2026

Math: if you did not do this last night, tonight, in your comp book, compare the following values and plot them on a number line, keeping in mind the strategies we have explored in class, and remembering to show your work:

1.25, 1.4, and the fractions five-fourths and seven-fifths

Art: your first Todd Parr art piece is due tomorrow. Remember to use the steps listed in the pink outline to help you construct your work.

Forms: skating forms are due tomorrow.

Hip Hop: let your family know that you need to wear the following:

Grade 7s: grade 7 hoodie and grey or light-colored pants.

Grade 6s: black (or dark) top; light-colored pants.

Note: tonight, you will line up like in the daytime outside our usual entry door, which will open at 5:15.

Please remind your family that they need to pick you up at 6:15.

Remind yourself that the expectation is calm, self-regulated activities in the classroom while we wait for our performance time.

HOMEWORK—January 14, 2026

The Black Cauldron: readers, we will continue with chapter 3 tomorrow.

Math: tonight, in your comp book, compare the following values and plot them on a number line, keeping in mind the strategies we have explored in class, and remembering to show your work:

1.25, 1.4, and the fractions five-fourths and seven-fifths (this app won’t let me enter in fractions in fraction-form!)

Art: your first Todd Parr art piece is due Friday. If you have been avoiding this work, what does that mean you need to do tonight? Remember to use the steps listed in the pink outline to help you construct your work.

Forms: skating forms are due Friday.

Hip Hop: let your family know that you need to wear the following:

Grade 7s: grade 7 hoodie and grey or light-colored pants.

Grade 6s: black (or dark) top; light-colored pants.

Note: tomorrow night, you will line up like in the daytime outside our usual entry door, which will open at 5:15.

HOMEWORK—January 13, 2026

Science: 30 minutes research tonight.

Things to consider:

Where are you going to track your sources—will you have a special page in your comp book, or will you create a Word document?
Review the criteria for notetaking in the green project outline. And then ask yourself, what feedback did I receive on notetaking in Term One, and how am I using that feedback to help me take a step forward?
Focus on completing the first two pages of the Definitions document; after you have completed that, begin your research.

Forms: skating forms are due Friday.

Hip Hop: let your family know that you need to wear the following:

Grade 7s: grade 7 hoodie and grey or light-colored pants.

Grade 6s: black (or dark) top; light-colored pants.

YPC: we have our second YPC tomorrow, with an early lunch. Remember: if you are usually on hot lunch, you’ll need to bring a lunch from home tomorrow; you will receive your hot lunch at the end of the day (second lunch!).

HOMEWORK—January 12, 2026

The Black Cauldron: please make sure you do your prep tonight and that you have your script with you tomorrow.

Science: 30 minutes research tonight.

Things to consider:

Where are you going to track your sources—will you have a special page in your comp book, or will you create a Word document?
Review the criteria for notetaking in the green project outline. And then ask yourself, what feedback did I receive on notetaking in Term One, and how am I using that feedback to help me take a step forward?
Focus on completing the first two pages of the Definitions document; after you have completed that, begin your research.

Forms: skating forms are due next Friday.

Hip Hop: let your family know that you need to wear the following:

Grade 7s: grade 7 hoodie and grey or light-colored pants.

Grade 6s: black (or dark) top; light-colored pants.

HOMEWORK—January 8, 2026

Choose Your Own Adventure: 30 minutes on one of the following this weekend:

Science: where are you going to track your sources—will you have a special page in your comp book, or will you create a Word document?

Review the criteria for notetaking in the green project outline. And then ask yourself, what feedback did I receive on notetaking in Term One, and how am I using that feedback to help me take a step forward?

Focus on completing the first two pages of the Definitions document; after you have completed that, begin your research.

Art: use the rubric and the pink outline (especially the Tips section) to help you focus your work on your Todd Parr art.

Forms: skating forms are due next Friday.

Hip Hop: let your family know that you need to wear the following:

Grade 7s: grade 7 hoodie and grey or light-colored pants.

Grade 6s: black (or dark) top; light-colored pants.

HOMEWORK—January 8, 2026

The Black Cauldron: readers, please make sure you do your prep tonight and that you have your scripts with you tomorrow.

Science: reread the green project outline and come in with any (non-presentation-related) questions you have tomorrow.

If you did not complete the first two pages of the Definition of Terms document in class today, please continue with that tonight. Remember: on the second page, you are only entering the terms (words or concepts) but not the definitions (you will need to research those definitions).

Forms: please make sure you give your family the skating form tonight.

HOMEWORK—January 7, 2026

Art: please make sure you have your Todd Parr art materials with you tomorrow (cardstock, drafts, rubric, pink outline/criteria).

Science: spend about 10 minutes tonight continuing to brainstorm possible questions for your Science research.

Recall that we are aiming to create a question that is open-ended (doesn’t have just one answer) and is specific.

Then, look through your possible questions and see if you can narrow your options down to two or three possibilities, again asking yourself, “Is this a closed or an open-ended question?”

PHE: spend about 20 minutes tonight…enjoying the snow! (More if you are so inclined.)

HOMEWORK—January 6, 2026

Science: recall, you need to choose a scientific topic that you are interested in exploring this term—we will then work together to create a question that will drive your research.

You will need to have that choice made by tomorrow.

Advice: choose something that you are genuinely interested in, as you will be spending a lot of time with this topic.

Choose your own adventure: spend 20 minutes on one of the following tonight:

ADST: continue brainstorming/sketching in your comp book your ideas about what our mural of The Book of Three might look like. We will be using the large bulletin board outside the classroom.

Art: use the criteria and the rubric to guide your work on your Todd Parr art.

Forms: please check in with your family to see if you have returned the following items:

Signed report card envelope
Family feedback on your Term One reflection

These are due tomorrow.

D&D Club: if you are interested in being a Dungeon Master (DM) in class in Term Three, are you also interested in being a part of a Dungeons and Dragons Club this term? We would meet one afternoon, after school, from 3:00-5:00. The group would work together to choose one of the following days to meet each week: Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday.

Note: being a DM means taking on extra responsibility in Term Three.

Please bring the survey form in tomorrow.

HOMEWORK—January 5, 2026

Science: recall, you need to choose a scientific topic that you are interested in exploring this term—we will then work together to create a question that will drive your research.

You will need to have that choice made by Wednesday.

Advice: choose something that you are genuinely interested in, as you will be spending a lot of time with this topic.

ADST: tonight, spend about 15-20 minutes brainstorming in your comp book your ideas about what our mural of The Book of Three might look like. We will be using the large bulletin board outside the classroom.

Forms: please check in with your family to see if you have returned the following items:

Signed report card envelope
Family feedback on your Term One reflection

Note: being a DM means taking on extra responsibility in Term Three.

HOMEWORK—December 18, 2025

Reflections: please remind your family that their reflection homework is due tomorrow.

Tomorrow is Pancake Breakfast and PJ Day. Our pancake time is 10:45 (so make sure you have your 1^st breakfast at home that morning before coming to school). Remember to bring your fork, knife, and a napkin. You might want to bring those in a ziplock bag so that you can bring them home again without making your backpack dirty.

Science: something to consider for after the break, what is a scientific topic that you would be interested in exploring?

HOMEWORK—December 17, 2025

Tomorrow is Device Day—you may bring a device, if you wish, but know that you do so at your own risk (if it would make you cry if it got damaged, maybe don’t bring it). Please recall, too, that I will not be able to connect you to the internet.

You may also bring snacks, if you like, but those snacks will be shared with the class (and we won’t be able to heat anything up).

Friday is Pancake Breakfast and PJ Day. Our pancake time is 10:45 (so make sure you have your 1^st breakfast at home that morning before coming to school). Remember to bring your fork, knife, and a napkin. You might want to bring those in a ziplock bag so that you can bring them home again without making your backpack dirty.

HOMEWORK—December 16, 2025

Math: how confident are you feeling about adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing, and converting fractions? Do you need to do a little practice?

Reflection: remind your family that their reflection homework is due Friday.

Science: do you still have any of the following to complete?

Lap book
Self-assessment on the rubric
Reflection

Socials: if you kept your Cabinet Meeting notes because you wanted to increase their thoroughness and specificity, please complete that process tonight and bring the paper in with you tomorrow.

Note: Thursday will be device day. You may also bring in snacks to share on that day, too, but we won’t be able to heat any food up.

HOMEWORK—December 15, 2025

Reflection: don’t forget to give the reflection materials to your family tonight.

Science: if you did not hand in your lapbook today, guess what you’re doing tonight? (Don’t forget to self-assess on the rubric.)

If you did not complete the science reflection today, please do so tonight.

And then, what are the last two items on the checklist?

Socials: we will have our Cabinet Meetings tomorrow, so please make sure you have your completed meeting prep notes with you.

Note: Thursday will be device day. You may also bring in snacks to share on that day, too, but we won’t be able to heat any food up.

HOMEWORK—December 12, 2025

We have two things that are due Monday:

Socratic Circle: we will hold our third Circle on Monday—remember: thorough prep helps increase confidence, which leads to more active participation, which helps create a more rich and fun discussion.

If you lost it or were away, the prep instructions are here: Book of Three prep for third Socratic Circle

Science: using your drafts, the rubric, and the checklist to shape your approach. Focus on clarity of communication.

Don’t forget to take your Final Artistic Moment with each interactive, and then with the lapbook as a whole, making any little tweaks you think help increase the clarity of communication of the ideas you are sharing with us.

Remember that you also need to self-assess your work on the rubric—you will hand that in with your lapbook.

Try not to rush these final steps, but instead slow down and do them with care and purpose. You’ve been working really hard on this project for over two months—stick the landing!

HOMEWORK—December 11, 2025

Choose your own adventure—30 minutes on one of the following tonight:

Science: using your drafts, the rubric, and the checklist to shape your approach. Focus on clarity of communication. Due on Monday, including your self-assessment on the rubric.

Art: finalizing your draft for your 1st Todd Parr art piece.

Check your draft against the criteria (the pink sheet)
Color testing
Check: are my speaking and thinking bubbles empowering? Do they send a positive message?
Practice anything that feels tricky

HOMEWORK—December 10, 2025

Art/ADST: if we were to great a mural of The Book of Three on the bulletin board outside our classroom, what do you think it should look like? What would be on it? How would it be arranged?

Choose your own adventure—30 minutes on one of the following tonight:

Science: using your drafts, the rubric, and the checklist to shape your approach. Focus on clarity of communication. Due on Monday, including your self-assessment on the rubric.

Art: finalizing your draft for your 1st Todd Parr art piece.

Check your draft against the criteria (the pink sheet)
Color testing
Check: are my speaking and thinking bubbles empowering? Do they send a positive message?
Practice anything that feels tricky

HOMEWORK—December 9, 2025

The Book of Three: readers, please make sure you have done your prep and you have your scripts with you for tomorrow.

All: I would love to be able to read the earth-shattering conclusion of the book tomorrow, so please (I’m not too proud to beg) do your best to be on time tomorrow morning, so that we can make the use of the full morning.

Choose your own adventure—30 minutes on one of the following tonight:

Science: using your drafts, the rubric, and the checklist to shape your approach. Focus on clarity of communication. Due in one week.

Art: finalizing your draft for your 1^st Todd Parr art piece.

Check your draft against the criteria (the pink sheet)
Color testing
Check: are my speaking and thinking bubbles empowering? Do they send a positive message?
Practice anything that feels tricky

HOMEWORK—December 8, 2025

The Book of Three: readers, please make sure you have done your prep and you have your scripts with you for tomorrow.

Choose your own adventure—30 minutes on one of the following tonight:

Science: using your drafts, the rubric, and the checklist to shape your approach. Focus on clarity of communication. Due in one week.

Art: working toward finalizing your draft for your 1^st Todd Parr art piece.

Check your draft against the criteria (the pink sheet)
Color testing
Practice anything that feels tricky

HOMEWORK—December 5, 2025

Science: if the project is due on December 12 (one week from Monday), how much time do you need to put in this weekend, to avoid rushing and staying up until 1:00 a.m. on December 11?

For everyone, please put in at least 30 minutes this weekend; but if you’ve been avoiding the work these last few weeks, you may need to put in more.

Use the checklist, rubric, and your drafts to help you shape your work.

Read the section of the rubric that applies to the part you are work on before you start working, and then read it again when you think you are done, and then compare it to your work. Do you need to make any adjustments in order to reach the level of assessment you are hoping for?

HOMEWORK—December 3, 2025

French: please consider practicing your greetings, asking someone how they are feeling and saying how you’re feeling; and asking someone’s name, saying your name, and saying the names of people of different genders.

Science: please make sure you have all of your drafts with you for your lapbook this week.

Reflection: final copies of your reflections are due tomorrow. Remember what we looked at today:

Did you miss any of the required aspects? (Remember when we pointed? Did you make any notes to yourself?)
Looking at each verb (action words) and asking, “Is this the right word for the image or feeling I am trying to create?”
Asking, is there anywhere where a adverb can help describe how a verb was performed? (walking slowly, or grabbing greedily…)
Looking at each noun (person, place, or thing) and asking, “Would adding an adjective to describe this noun help create a clear image?”

If you have a printer, please print out your final copy of your reflection tonight and bring it with you to school tomorrow. If you do not have a printer at home, please share your document with me tonight on the One Drive. PLEASE DO NOT FORGET.

NOTE: If you have not yet made your payment for High School Musical, or if you have not yet brought in your permission form, that must happen tomorrow or you will not be able to attend.

HOMEWORK—December 1, 2025

Attendance: please work with your family to be at school on time—our pattern of lateness is getting worse: for the last several days half of our class has been either late or absent. Lateness impacts our class’s ability to get things done, and it impacts you because you are missing out on learning opportunities and starting the day from a place of rushing rather than a place of relaxed focus.

French: please consider practicing asking someone how they are feeling and saying how you’re feeling; and asking someone’s name, saying your name, and saying the names of people of different genders.

Science: please make sure you have all of your drafts with you for your lapbook next week.

Choose Your Own Adventure—spend 30 minutes on one of the following tonight:

Reflection: final copies of your reflections are due Thursday. We will spend the next two days editing our writing.

Science: use the checklist and the rubric to help you shape your work—or, is there a little more research you need to do to fill in a hole in your knowledge of an aspect of what your brain part does and how it does it? Lapbooks are due December 15.

HOMEWORK—November 28, 2025

Science: please make sure you have all of your drafts with you for your lapbook next week.

Reflection: if you did not complete the process of applying the feedback you received today, please complete that this weekend.

Science: please spend 20 minutes on your lapbook this weekend, using the checklist and the rubric to help you shape your work. What is one small thing you could complete—or, is there a little more research you need to do to fill in a hole in your knowledge of an aspect of what your brain part does and how it does it?

HOMEWORK—November 27, 2025

French: oral assessment of letters and numbers will continue tomorrow.

Science: please make sure you have all of your drafts with you for your lapbook.

Reflection: if you have a printer at home, please print out a copy of your reflection and bring it in with you tomorrow. DO NOT FORGET. Plz.

If you don’t have a printer, please make sure you share your document to me on the One Drive tonight.

Science: if you have completed your reflection draft, please spend 30 minutes on your lapbook tonight, using the checklist and the rubric to help you shape your work.

HOMEWORK—November 26, 2025

French: oral assessment of letters and numbers will continue tomorrow.

Science: please make sure you have all of your drafts with you for your lapbook.

Choose Your Own Adventure: tonight, spend 30 minutes on one of the following:

Science: Remember to reread the section of the rubric that relates to the piece you are working on before you begin—this will help you be successful.

Use your drafts.

Focus on clearly communicating your ideas, whether writing or drawing.

Reflection: use the blue assignment outline, especially pages 3-4, as your guide for how to shape this work. Remember that you have your white graphic organizer and the Daily Diary story your wrote to help you with this work.

What’s it like to write as if you were telling someone a story, with you as the main character?

A full draft of your reflection is due first thing Friday morning.

HOMEWORK—November 24, 2025

French: oral assessment of letters and numbers will happen this week—you will be asked to speak letters and numbers out loud. Remember that there is the text-to-speech app, linked on the French page of the blog, to aid you in your practice.

Art: we are aiming to have a clear idea about our “It’s okay to…” statements finalized tomorrow.

Reflection: spend 30 minutes on this tonight, using the blue outline and the white graphic organizer to help shape your approach.

Remember what we are learning about structure:

Clearly announce the idea.
Provide the reader with the context they need in order to understand your example.
Share an example, in detail—like a moment-to-moment short story, with you as the main character.
Explain the relevance—why does the learning matter? How can it help you in the future?

Recall what we looked at today to access your Word document: go to the UHE website, click on “District Links” and then “Microsoft 365,” sign in to your account, and then search for your Reflection document.

If you are unable to find it online, continue with your draft in your comp book, and then you can type the work into your document at school.

HOMEWORK—November 20, 2025

Tonight: Choose your own adventure—spend 30 minutes on one of the following:

Reflection: use the blue outline and the white graphic organizer to help shape your approach.

Remember what we are learning about structure:

Clearly announce the idea.
Provide the reader with the context they need in order to understand your example.
Share an example, in detail—like a moment-to-moment short story, with you as the main character.
Explain the relevance—why does the learning matter? How can it help you in the future?

Science: if you have completed your graphic organizer, focus here, using the Making checklist and your drafts and notes to help shape your approach.

Tip: focus on clarity of communication—whether you are writing or drawing or making a web or adding a design detail, keep your audience in mind and consider what you can do to clearly communicate the ideas you are sharing.

Tomorrow:

I have to put in a full day at school, so I think it’s only fair that you do a little work, too. Spend 45-60 minutes, divided between your reflection and Science.

You can do that all on Friday, or spread it out over two days—up to you!

Science: please have all of your materials—including your notes—with you every day, moving forward

The Book of Three: readers, please do your prep for Tuesday. If you have lost the prep sheet, it is linked on that LA page of the blog.

HOMEWORK—November 19, 2025

French: assessment of letters and numbers could strike at any moment! Peut-être demain!

Tonight: 30 minutes on one of the following:

Reflection: use the blue outline and the white graphic organizer to help shape your approach.

Remember what we are learning about structure:

Clearly announce the idea.
Provide the reader with the context they need in order to understand your example.
Share an example, in detail—like a moment-to-moment short story, with you as the main character.
Explain the relevance—why does the learning matter? How can it help you in the future?

Science: if you have completed your graphic organizer, focus here, using the Making checklist and your drafts and notes to help shape your approach.

Science: please have all of your materials—including your notes—with you every day, moving forward.

Note: no school (for you…) on Friday—but I have to be here for a full day, so be prepared to put in a little more homework time that usual.

HOMEWORK—November 18, 2025

French: assessment of letters and numbers could strike at any moment!

Tonight: 30 minutes on one of the following:

Reflection: if you did not complete the Reflection graphic organizer, please make that your homework tonight. Try to be as specific as possible with the details. Remember: you have lots of information in your comp book that might help you come up with these details.

Science: if you have completed your graphic organizer, focus here, using the Making checklist and your drafts and notes to help shape your approach.

Science: please have all of your materials—including your notes—with you every day, moving forward.

HOMEWORK—November 17, 2025

The Book of Three: readers, please make sure you have done your prep and that you have your scripts with you tomorrow.

French: assessment of letters and numbers will happen at some point this week.

Garden: we will be outside in the garden with Pablo tomorrow afternoon, so please check the weather when you are getting dressed for school in the morning.

Tonight: 30 minutes on one of the following:

Reflection: if you did not complete the brainstorming webs for your areas of Growth and being Stuck, please make that your homework tonight. Aim to be specific with the details that you write down. Remember: you have lots of information in your comp book that might help you come up with these details.

Science: if you have completed your webs, focus here, using the Making checklist and your drafts and notes to help shape your approach.

Science: please have all of your materials—including your notes—with you every day, moving forward.

HOMEWORK—November 14, 2025

Science: We are aiming to have the Design checklist completed by Monday. That means you need to have created drafts for each aspect of the project, you need to know which interactives you’re using and how you’re using them, and you need to know how the interactives will be arranged within the lapbook.

Take a look at the checklist and be honest with yourself: how much time does that mean you need to put in over the weekend? For some of you, this will be a short amount of time; for others, you have a busy weekend ahead of you!

Use your checklist, the rubric, and the outline to help shape your approach.

Whichever aspect (written description, comic, etc.) you are working on, reread that part of the rubric before you spend time with your drafting.

Science: please have all of your notes with you every day, moving forward. If they are in an online or e-document, please print them out, or email them to me if you don’t have a printer.

French: assessment of letters and numbers will happen at some point next week.

HOMEWORK—November 13, 2025

Art: go to toddparr.com and find your way to “The Fun Page!” (on the homepage, choose “Fun” and then “The Fun Page!”).

Choose one of the images there and copy it (notice: not trace it; copy it) into your comp book. If you click on the images, they will get big.

After you do your copy, and after looking at the images on The Fun Page!, what thoughts can you add to what we have explored already about criteria for drawing in Todd Parr-style? Add those thoughts to your comp book.

Science: We are aiming to have the Design checklist completed by Monday. Take a look at the checklist and be honest with yourself: how much time does that mean you need to put in over tonight? (Hint: at least 30 minutes; perhaps more if you have been neglecting this work.)

Use your checklist, the rubric, and the outline to help shape your approach.

Whichever aspect (written description, comic, etc.) you are working on, reread that part of the rubric before you spend time with your drafting.

Science: please have all of your notes with you every day, moving forward. If they are in an online or e-document, please print them out, or email them to me if you don’t have a printer.

HOMEWORK—November 12, 2025

The Book of Three: readers, please make sure you have done your prep and that you have your scripts with you tomorrow.

Art: continue to brainstorm ideas in your comp book about what message you’d like to explore in your Todd Parr art. Allow yourself to write down even your “maybe” ideas—this can help lead to “yes!” ideas.

“It’s okay to__________________” what?

There are two ways to think about this:

What are things about yourself that you’d like to tell yourself are okay? Think about what we learned about vulnerability from Brené Brown.
What are things you think other kids might like to see represented in a positive light, to help release them from shame or embarrassment?

Science: We are aiming to have the Design checklist completed by the end of the week. Take a look at the checklist and be honest with yourself: how much time does that mean you need to put in over tonight? (Hint: at least 30 minutes; perhaps more if you have been neglecting this work.)

Use your checklist, the rubric, and the outline to help shape your approach.

Whichever aspect (written description, comic, etc.) you are working on, reread that part of the rubric before you spend time with your drafting.

Science: please have all of your notes with you every day, moving forward. If they are in an online or e-document, please print them out, or email them to me if you don’t have a printer.

HOMEWORK—November 10, 2025

Art: in your comp book brainstorm ideas about what message you’d like to explore in your Todd Parr art. Allow yourself to write down even your “maybe” ideas—this can help lead to “yes!” ideas.

“It’s okay to__________________” what?

There are two ways to think about this:

What are things about yourself that you’d like to tell yourself are okay? Think about what we learned about vulnerability from Brené Brown.
What are things you think other kids might like to see represented in a positive light, to help release them from shame or embarrassment?

Use your checklist, the rubric, and the outline to help shape your approach.

Whichever aspect (written description, comic, etc.) you are working on, reread that part of the rubric before you spend time with your drafting.

Science: please have all of your notes with you every day, moving forward. If they are in an online or e-document, please print them out, or email them to me if you don’t have a printer.

HOMEWORK—November 7, 2025

Socratic Circle: we will hold out next Circle on Monday, so please make sure you have completed your prep in a thorough manner. Remember: solid prep = confidence = increased participation.

If you lost it or were absent today, the instructions for the prep are here: Book of Three prep for second Socratic Circle

Science: Please spent about 30 minutes this weekend on the Design stage of the project, using your checklist, the rubric, and the outline to help shape your approach.

Whichever aspect (written description, comic, etc.) you are working on, reread that part of the rubric before you spend time with your drafting.

Remember: it is really important to put in a little time with this big project every day in order to finish the work in a non-rushed and confident way.

Science: please have all of your notes with you on Monday and every day, moving forward. If they are in an online or e-document, please print them out, or email them to me if you don’t have a printer.

HOMEWORK—November 6, 2025

Brené Brown: on a page in your comp book—or on the inside cover (front or back)—write the words I am enough in big letters. You can add color or decoration if you wish

Science: Please spent 20 minutes tonight on the Design stage of the project, using your checklist, the rubric, and the outline to help shape your approach.

Recall that you aside from the cover, you have 6 content areas–written description of function, diagram, comic, web, memory aid, and connections to other brain parts–and each needs to be in its own interactive.

Drafts are done in your comp book.

Remember: you might find that you need to go back and do quick research to fill in any gaps in your knowledge in order to complete your drafts. And remember: use your own words—that will make the writing engaging.

Science: if your notes are in an online or e-document, please print them out tonight and have them with you tomorrow and every day, moving forward.

HOMEWORK—November 3, 2025

Science: what did you see in the examples today that caught your interest?

Please spent 30 minutes tonight on the Design stage of the project, using your checklist, the rubric, and the outline to help shape your approach.

A big part of this stage is making drafts of each aspect in your comp book.

The Book of Three: readers, please make sure you have done your prep and that you have your script with you tomorrow.

HOMEWORK—October 30, 2025

Science: please spend about 30 minutes tonight on Phase 2.

Use the checklist—do those things in order
Use the rubric—use the descriptors in the rubric to help you shape your approach
What did you learn from the design process of your nameplate that can be applied here?

Seen and Heard: Tonight, add one thing to each column of your Unexpected Things Seen and Heard chart:

one thing that you Sawthat is unusual or interesting—like we did in class, try to be specific with the language you use to record the idea.
one thing unexpected that you Heard someone say—put it in quotes, “Like this”.

Science: conferences will continue tomorrow. Please make sure you have all your notes with you every day.

Halloween: please remember what we discuss regarding costumes, candy, and devices.

HOMEWORK—October 29, 2025

The Book of Three: readers, please make sure you do your prep tonight and bring your script in with you tomorrow.

Science: please spend about 20 minutes tonight doing some combination of the following:

Reread the “Design” checklist and the project outline
Reread the rubric
Explore the interactive templates linked on the class blog, on the Science page

French: 5 minutes, practicing saying the alphabet and numbers (to at least 40) out loud. If you are aiming for Extending territory, in addition to aiming for precise pronunciation, you might also be memorizing the spelling of the numbers.

Seen and Heard: Tonight, add one thing to each column of your Unexpected Things Seen and Heard chart:

one thing that you Saw that is unusual or interesting—like we did in class, try to be specific with the language you use to record the idea.
one thing unexpected that you Heard someone say—put it in quotes, “Like this”.

Science: conferences will continue tomorrow. Please make sure you have all your notes with you every day.

HOMEWORK—October 28, 2025

Seen and Heard: Tonight, add one thing to each column of your Unexpected Things Seen and Heard chart:

one thing that you Saw that is unusual or interesting—like we did in class, try to be specific with the language you use to record the idea.
one thing unexpected that you Heard someone say—put it in quotes, “Like this”.

Science: conferences will continue tomorrow. Please make sure you have all your notes with you every day.

Are you aware of the criteria for note-taking? Do your notes reflect this?
Does it look like you’ve been engaging in research for three weeks?
Have you taken steps to help yourself fully understand the content of what you explored?
Have you taken what we explored about neurons and thought about how that relates to how your brain part does what it does?

HOMEWORK—October 27, 2025

The Book of Three: readers, please make sure you have done your prep this evening, and make sure you have your script with you tomorrow.

Science: conferences start tomorrow. Please make sure you have all of your notes with you every day, as we move forward.

Tonight, spend about 20-30 minutes either:

continuing to work through the Phase 1 checklist
making adjustments to your notes to bring you closer to meeting the criteria
rereading your notes, so that the ideas are fresh in your mind
continuing to explore the idea of how neurons help your brain part do the things that it does

HOMEWORK—October 23, 2025

NOTE: No school (for students) tomorrow. But—it is highly recommended that you spend about 45-60 minutes on your Science research, in preparation for our conferences, which will begin next week. You can do all of that time on Friday, or split it up over the three days of the long weekend. Future You will be very grateful to Present You for putting in this time.

Remember to use your checklist, and keep in mind the criteria for notetaking (listed in the checklist and the outline).

Keep in mind what you saw modelled in the library on Monday: take notes actually requires a lot of thinking, and often reading or viewing a source one time before beginning notes—focusing on creating your sub-topics—and then a second time to sort the details into the correct sub-topic is the way to go.

Math: how comfortable are you feeling with multiplication and division with decimal numbers? Do you need to practice a little?

Seen and Heard: Tonight, add one thing to each column of your Unexpected Things Seen and Heard chart:

one thing that you Saw that is unusual or interesting—here, try to be specific and detailed as you describe what you saw.
one thing unexpected that you Heard someone say—put it in quotes, “Like this”.

HOMEWORK—October 21, 2025

Math: how comfortable are you feeling with multiplication and division with decimal numbers? Do you need to practice a little?

Science: spend about 20 minutes, using your checklist, exploring sources and practicing following the criteria for notetaking (listed in the checklist and the outline).

Seen and Heard: Tonight, add one thing to each column of your Unexpected Things Seen and Heard chart:

one thing that you Saw that is unusual or interesting—like we did in class, try to be specific with the language you use to record the idea.
one thing unexpected that you Heard someone say—put it in quotes, “Like this”.

Note: no school on Friday, but be prepared to put aside some time on that day for Science research, in prep for conferences the following week.

HOMEWORK—October 20, 2025

The Book of Three: readers, please make sure you have done your prep, and please make sure you have your script with you tomorrow.

Science: spend about 20 minutes, using your checklist, exploring sources and practicing following the criteria for notetaking:

System of organization
Your own words
The fewest number of words to capture in the information (think: can a picture/image help?)
Making sure you understand what you are recording and doing further, targeted research if you don’t (what does this word or concept mean?)
Tracking your sources

Seen and Heard: Tonight, add one thing to each column of your Unexpected Things Seen and Heard chart:

one thing that you Saw that is unusual or interesting—like we did in class, try to be specific with the language you use to record the idea.
one thing unexpected that you Heard someone say—put it in quotes, “Like this”.

Note: no school on Friday, but be prepared to put aside some time on that day for Science research, in prep for conferences the following week.

HOMEWORK—October 17, 2025

Reading: complete your preparation for our first Socratic Circle about chapters 1-8 of The Book of Three. Use the purple outline to guide your work: Book of Three prep for first Socratic Circle

Challenge yourself to be specific and detailed in your responses. Make sure you bring your comp book with your notes with you on Monday.

Science: where are you at with your Science research? Would it be a good idea to put in a little bit of time on that this weekend?

HOMEWORK—October 16, 2025

Socials: consider your job within your Civ V group (Leader, Minister of Defense, Minister of Science, Minister of Culture).

Tonight, spend about 20 minutes exploring what kinds of buildings, technologies, and resources help develop your area of responsibility (military, technology, happiness/culture; or, if you are the Leader, all three areas).

You can use the Civ V Manual or other online resources (Google, etc.). Record your findings in your comp book.

Seen and Heard: Tonight, add one thing to each column of your Unexpected Things Seen and Heard chart:

one thing that you Saw that is unusual or interesting—like we did in class, try to be specific with the language you use to record the idea.
one thing unexpected that you Heard someone say—put it in quotes, “Like this”.

Remember, please, that these need to be appropriate for school.

HOMEWORK—October 15, 2025

Science: spend about 20 minutes (or more if you’re into it!), using your checklist, exploring sources and practicing following the criteria for note-taking:

System of organization
Your own words
The fewest number of words to capture in the information (think: can a picture/image help?)
Making sure you understand what you are recording and doing further, targeted research if you don’t (what does this word or concept mean?)
Tracking your sources

Seen and Heard: Tonight, add one thing to each column of your Unexpected Things Seen and Heard chart:

one thing that you Saw that is unusual or interesting—like we did in class, try to be specific with the language you use to record the idea.
one thing unexpected that you Heard someone say—put it in quotes, “Like this”.

Remember, please, that these need to be appropriate for school.

HOMEWORK—October 10, 2025

Socials: go to the Socials page on the class blog and continue to explore the Civilizations that are available to you (starting on page 173), so that you have a Top Five list for Tuesday.

Science: optional: this weekend, spend about 20 minutes, using your checklist, exploring sources and practicing following the criteria for note-taking:

System of organization
You own words
The fewest number of words to capture in the information (think: can a picture/image help?)
Making sure you understand what you are recording and doing further, targeted research if you don’t (what does this word or concept mean?)
Tracking your source

Seen and Heard: Tonight, add one thing to each column of your Unexpected Things Seen and Heard chart:

one thing that you Sawthat is unusual or interesting—like we did in class, try to be specific with the language you use to record the idea.
one thing unexpected that you Heard someone say—put it in quotes, “Like this”.

Remember, please, that these need to be appropriate for school.

Grade 7s: don’t forget that your hoodie order forms are due Tuesday and the online payment needs to be done before then.

Forms: don’t forget to give the photo order form to your family.

HOMEWORK—October 9, 2025

Science: tonight, spend about 20 minutes, using your checklist, exploring sources and practicing following the criteria for note-taking:

System of organization
You own words
The fewest number of words to capture in the information (think: can a picture/image help?)
Making sure you understand what you are recording and doing further, targeted research if you don’t (what does this word or concept mean?)
Tracking your source

Seen and Heard: Tonight, add one thing to each column of your Unexpected Things Seen and Heard chart:

one thing that you Sawthat is unusual or interesting—like we did in class, try to be specific with the language you use to record the idea.
one thing unexpected that you Heard someone say—put it in quotes, “Like this”.

Remember, please, that these need to be appropriate for school.

Socials (on-going): continue your exploration of how the game Civilization V works, in prep for game play!

HOMEWORK—October 8, 2025

The Book of Three: reader, don’t forget to do your prep for tomorrow.

Science: tonight, carefully reread the project outline and come in tomorrow with any questions you’d like answered to help clarify your understanding of what the expectations are for the assignment.

Seen and Heard: Tonight, add one thing to each column of your Unexpected Things Seen and Heard chart:

one thing that you Saw that is unusual or interesting—like we did in class, try to be specific with the language you use to record the idea.
one thing unexpected that you Heard someone say—put it in quotes, “Like this”.

Remember, please, that these need to be appropriate for school.

Socials (on-going): continue your exploration of how the game Civilization V works, in prep for game play!

HOMEWORK—October 6, 2025

The Book of Three: reader, don’t forget to do your prep for tomorrow.

Science: take the notes we took from the Brain video today and turn them into a web:

Big Idea:

In the center, in a container
Big

Sub-topics:

Joined to the Big Idea, in a different type of container
Medium

Details:

Clustered around the sub-topic they relate to
Small

Seen and Heard: Tonight, add one thing to each column of your Unexpected Things Seen and Heard chart:

one thing that you Saw that is unusual or interesting—like we did in class, try to be specific with the language you use to record the idea.
one thing unexpected that you Heard someone say—put it in quotes, “Like this”.

Remember, please, that these need to be appropriate for school.

HOMEWORK—October 3, 2025

The Book of Three: reader, don’t forget to do your prep for Tuesday.

Seen and Heard: Tonight, add one thing to each column of your Unexpected Things Seen and Heard chart:

one thing that you Saw that is unusual or interesting—like we did in class, try to be specific with the language you use to record the idea.
one thing unexpected that you Heard someone say—put it in quotes, “Like this”.

Remember, please, that these need to be appropriate for school.

Science: for our upcoming research/design project, would you like to work on your own, with a partner of your choice, or with a randomly assigned partner? Please make your decision about that for Monday.

Name Plate: this is now very overdue. What’s your plan to complete it?

Socials—On-going: what is the video game Civilization V? How do you play it? Begin exploring online resources (websites, Youtube videos, etc.) in preparation for our launching of this unit in the near future! You don’t need to know everything about the game; but you will need to have a good general sense of how the game works.

Gr 7s: if you and your family are choosing not to write the FSA, you’ll need to return the exemption letter on Monday.

HOMEWORK—October 2, 2025

Math: do you need to practice any of the skills we have been working on for the past two weeks in preparation for assessment?

The Book of Three: readers, don’t forget to do your prep tonight.

Seen and Heard: Tonight, add one thing to each column of your Unexpected Things Seen and Heard chart:

one thing that you Saw that is unusual or interesting—like we did in class, try to be specific with the language you use to record the idea.
one thing unexpected that you Heard someone say—put it in quotes, “Like this”.

Remember, please, that these need to be appropriate for school.

Name Plates: these are now overdue.

Do you have the materials you need with you?
Do you have the pink criteria sheet?
Don’t forget to take your Final Artist Moment!

Forms: do you have any late forms that are listed on the Reminder Board? How are you going to remember to bring them in?

Gr 7s: if you and your family are choosing not to write the FSA, you’ll need to return the exemption letter tomorrow.

HOMEWORK—October 1, 2025

Math: do you need to practice any of the skills we have been working on for the past two weeks in preparation for assessment?

Seen and Heard: Tonight, add one thing to each column of your Unexpected Things Seen and Heard chart:

one thing that you Saw that is unusual or interesting—like we did in class, try to be specific with the language you use to record the idea.
one thing unexpected that you Heard someone say—put it in quotes, “Like this”.

Remember, please, that these need to be appropriate for school.

Name Plates: these are now overdue.

Do you have the materials you need with you?
Do you have the pink criteria sheet?
Don’t forget to take your Final Artist Moment!

Forms: do you have any late forms that are listed on the Reminder Board? How are you going to remember to bring them in?

HOMEWORK—September 29, 2025

Math: practice in your comp book: how do you describe these numbers in words and in expanded form?

0.012
32.0076
Challenge: 0.010203

Bring this work in with you on Wednesday.

Seen and Heard: Tonight, add one thing to each column of your Unexpected Things Seen and Heard chart:

one thing that you Saw that is unusual or interesting—like we did in class, try to be specific with the language you use to record the idea.
one thing unexpected that you Heard someone say—put it in quotes, “Like this”.

Remember, please, that these need to be appropriate for school.

Name Plates: these are now overdue.

Do you have the materials you need with you?
Do you have the pink criteria sheet?
Don’t forget to take your Final Artist Moment!

Forms: do you have any late forms that are listed on the Reminder Board? How are you going to remember to bring them in?

Note: No school tomorrow.

HOMEWORK—September 25, 2025

Remember, please, what we talked about this week about homework: it is really important to get that habit in place now, so that you have systems that work for you as we did into our academics.

Seen and Heard: Tonight, add one thing to each column of your Unexpected Things Seen and Heard chart:

one thing that you Saw that is unusual or interesting—like we did in class, try to be specific with the language you use to record the idea.
one thing unexpected that you Heard someone say—put it in quotes, “Like this”.

Remember, please, that these need to be appropriate for school.

Name Plates: due Monday when you walk in.

Have you completed your draft?
Do you have the materials you need with you?
Do you have the pink criteria sheet?
Don’t forget to take your Final Artist Moment!

Mindset: Who is Gabrielle Hamilton? Do some research and record your findings in your comp book. This is for Monday.

Socials: what is the video game Civilization V? How do you play it? Begin exploring online resources (websites, Youtube videos, etc.) in preparation for our launching of this unit in the near future! You don’t need to know everything about the game; but you will need to have a good general sense of how the game works.

Forms: do you have any late forms that are listed on the Reminder Board? How are you going to remember to bring them in?

Note: No school (for students) tomorrow, and no school (for anyone) this coming Tuesday.

HOMEWORK—September 24, 2025

Seen and Heard: Tonight, add one thing to each column of your Unexpected Things Seen and Heard chart:

one thing that you Saw that is unusual or interesting—like we did in class, try to be specific with the language you use to record the idea.
one thing unexpected that you Heard someone say—put it in quotes, “Like this”.

Remember, please, that these need to be appropriate for school.

Name Plates: due Monday when you walk in.

Have you completed your draft?
Do you have the materials you need with you?
Do you have the pink criteria sheet?
Don’t forget to take your Final Artist Moment!

Mindset: Who is Gabrielle Hamilton? Do some research and record your findings in your comp book. This is for Monday.

Forms: do you have any late forms that are listed on the Reminder Board? How are you going to remember to bring them in?

HOMEWORK—September 22, 2025

Remember, please, what we talked about today about homework: it is really important to get that habit in place now, so that you have systems that work for you as we did into our academics.

With that in mind, if you did not do the Socials homework below over the weekend, you have extra work to do tonight (you need to do that homework and the other homework listed below).

Seen and Heard: Tonight, add one thing to each column of your Unexpected Things Seen and Heard chart:

one thing that you Saw that is unusual or interesting—like we did in class, try to be specific with the language you use to record the idea.
one thing unexpected that you Heard someone say—put it in quotes, “Like this”.

Remember, please, that these need to be appropriate for school.

Name Plates: due Thursday. Have you completed your draft? If no, work on that tonight.

Socials: spend about 20-30 minutes this weekend doing some quick research into one of two areas:

The country of Wales—this could look like exploring its geography (where it is, what landforms are most prominent) or its history.

Celtic mythology (the Welsh people are part of the ancient Celtic peoples who now live in Wales, Scotland, and Ireland)

Record your findings in your comp book. Come in with some interesting facts to share.

Silent Reading: starting this week, we will be having Silent Reading blocks about three afternoons a week. If you have a book at home that you’d like to explore, bring that in.

Forms: please remind your family to return the YPC form and the Student Verification forms.

HOMEWORK – September 18, 2025

Continue to think: what can you do to help our class manage transitions more effectively?

Comp Book Covers: due tomorrow when you come in. Are you aware of the criteria? Do you have the materials you need in your bag?

Seen and Heard: Tonight, add one thing to each column of your Unexpected Things Seen and Heard chart:

one thing that you Saw that is unusual or interesting—like we did in class, try to be specific with the language you use to record the idea.
one thing unexpected that you Heard someone say—put it in quotes, “Like this”.

Remember, please, that these need to be appropriate for school.

Class Agreement: a few days ago, you were asked to brainstorm ideas about what kinds of “rules” might help our class be more productive and help our room feel like a fun, safe, inclusive place to be.

Tonight, spend about 10-15 minutes adding “maybe” ideas to that brainstorming list.

HOMEWORK—June 20, 2025

Career: use the assignment outline and your T-chart notes to guide your approach, focus on the meaning the learning has for your life? Focus on clarity of communication and relevance. Hard due date: Monday morning.

Books: any books from our class library must be back on Monday. Don’t make the Boss of the Bookshelves come looking for you…

HOMEWORK—June 17, 2025

Career: use the assignment outline and your T-chart notes to guide your approach, focus on the meaning the learning has for your life? Request by date: tomorrow. Hard due date: Monday morning.

Sports Day: earn points for your house team by wearing GREEN tomorrow!

Grade 7s: what are two of your favorite memories of your time at Cap Hill? Start to think about that, please. I’ll ask you to write those down and hand them in to me or email me tomorrow, along with your Also Known as Names–they will be read out loud as you cross the stage at the leaving ceremony.

Also: please remember to talk to your family to see if they are taking you away after the Leaving Ceremony next Tuesday, or if you will be staying here with us.

Plants: if you are desirous of a hot, crunchy plant, please talk to your family to make sure they are open to the idea. Priority goes to those who worked with those plants in their experiments.

HOMEWORK—June 16, 2025

Career: use the assignment outline and your T-chart notes to guide your approach, focus on the meaning the learning has for your life? Due Wednesday.

Sports Day: earn points for your house team by wearing YELLOW tomorrow!

Grade 7s: what are two of your favorite memories of your time at Cap Hill? Start to think about that, please. I’ll ask you to write those down and hand them in to me on Wednesday, along with your Also Known as Names–they will be read out loud as you cross the stage at the leaving ceremony.

Also: please remember to talk to your family to see if they are taking you away after the Leaving Ceremony next Tuesday, or if you will be staying here with us.

HOMEWORK—June 10, 2025

Career: use the assignment outline to guide your approach, focus on the meaning the learning has for your life. Due next Wednesday.

The Amber Spyglass: readers, please do your prep for Monday.

Campers: remember, you need to be at school at 7:45 sharp tomorrow morning.

Non-Campers: recall that there is an expectation of being welcoming, helpful, and kind to any and all guests we have in our room this week. Please enter the classroom with that intention clearly set inside your heart and mind.

HOMEWORK—June 9, 2025

Socials/Reading: please make sure you have your notes from the John O’Donohue interview with your tomorrow.

French: proofread your text, using our online tools to check your sentence construction, and then use Oddcast text-to-speech to help you practice your pronunciation.

Recall that we are aiming to speak in full sentences, all the way through to each period.

And remember: practice = confidence. We will share our skits on tomorrow.

Career: use the assignment outline to guide your approach, focus on the meaning the learning has for your life. Due next Wednesday.

The Amber Spyglass: readers, please do your prep tonight. We will read tomorrow.

Campers: please let your family know that you need to be at school at 7:45 sharp Wednesday morning.

HOMEWORK—June 5, 2025

Note: no school (for students) tomorrow, but I have to be here all day, so…

Socials/Reading: please follow the instructions on the blue handout you received today. This needs to be complete for Monday.

French: proofread your text, using our online tools to check your sentence construction, and then use Oddcast text-to-speech to help you practice your pronunciation. We will share our skits on Tuesday.

Career: carefully read/reread the outline and then follow the steps, using your T-chart notes.

Tapestry Interview with John O’Donohue

Purpose:

There are several reasons why we are listening to this podcast. During our class discussion, we will talk about the following:

What role does religion play within society? Why has every civilization since the dawn of human existence had a religious or spiritual aspect at its core? What human needs are being met?Remember here that we have a responsibility to be respectful of other people’s beliefs or non-beliefs when we discuss religion.
How do John O’Donohue’s ideas relate to our work in mindset?
How do his ideas relate to our exploration of His Dark Materials?
What ideas do you particularly connect to?
What about John O’Donohue’s speaking style can we use in our approach to public speaking?
Why do you think this was the single most requested episode in Tapestry’s 25-year history?
What questions do you have?

Have your ideas about these things ready to share with the class! Bring your maybe ideas and your “this may be stupid but…” ideas. All ideas are welcome!

Steps:

Google “tapestry john o’donohue”, then click on what should be the first hit: “Our Most Requested Interview: John O’Donohue.”
Remove any distractions. Get your headphones (if using). Sharpen your pencil. Prepare a clear workspace. Find a two-page spread in your comp book.
Look for the play button on the page – click it.
As you listen, record your ideas. Think sketchnoting, but also allow yourself to just draw or write in response to the words and ideas. Record any quotes that are meaningful to you (this may require rewinding the audio a little bit). Use the pause and go back 15 seconds buttons to help you with this.
If you don’t make it through the entire episode in one sitting, make a note in your comp book of the time in the audio when you stopped so that you can come back to it again (the episode is about 50 minutes, so you may want to break it into two or three sittings, depending on your attention span).

HOMEWORK—June 4, 2025

Socials: if you have not yet handed in your final project, that needs to be a strong priority in your life right now.

When you think you are done, go through each page and make sure you have:

Rechecked the criteria for each aspect
Proofread all written work (you might consider asking someone to put their eyes on it, too)
Taken your Final Artist Moment for each page of final copy work
Taken your Final Artist Moment for the book as a whole

French: working to finalize the script for your short skit. Please keep the criteria firmly in mind, particularly the fact that you need to primarily be using the vocab we have learned this year. We are aiming to have texts finalized by the end of tomorrow, so that you can practice over the weekend.

D&D: players, please make sure you have your character sheets with you tomorrow.

DMs: please be in touch with your partner—and reread the rooms and monsters/NPCs your party is likely to encounter; and make sure you have your materials with you tomorrow.

All: any and all D&D-related books need to be here tomorrow.

Note: no school (for students) on Friday, but I have to be here all day, so…

HOMEWORK—June 3, 2025

Socials: if you handed your Socials project in today, please do something nice for yourself tonight. Actual homework. (Within limits.)

If you were unable to meet the deadline today, you know what you need to be doing this evening.

When you think you are done, go through each page and make sure you have:

Rechecked the criteria for each aspect
Proofread all written work (you might consider asking someone to put their eyes on it, too)
Taken your Final Artist Moment for each page of final copy work
Taken your Final Artist Moment for the book as a whole

French: tomorrow morning, I will ask you if you’d like to prepare and perform your skit solo; with a partner or group of your choice; or with a randomly assigned partner.

HOMEWORK—June 2, 2025

Socials: due at the end of the day tomorrow (or by recess, if you are visiting North tomorrow).

When you think you are done, go through each page and make sure you have:

Rechecked the criteria for each aspect
Proofread all written work (you might consider asking someone to put their eyes on it, too)
Taken your Final Artist Moment for each page of final copy work
Taken your Final Artist Moment for the book as a whole

French: reviewing new (family; articles of speech) and old vocabulary (out loud!). Assessment could strike at any moment! Please begin considering what sentences you could build with our known vocabulary.

Grade 7s: if you are planning on visiting North tomorrow, please make sure you have your t-shirt with you (if you were given one) and that you have reread the blue form to make sure you understand what is happening and what is expected of you.

HOMEWORK—May 30, 2025

On-Going—there’s no more room for avoidance:
you are strongly encouraged to put time and relaxed focus into this work this weekend:

Socials: due in 4 days—it’s time to make the last big push, so that you can finish in a relaxed manner, with pride. The finishing touches count, so make sure you’re leaving time for those details.

Use your notes, the project outline, and the Lynda Barry examples on the blog as your guides. Remember your goal: to celebrate the person and bring them to life in 360° through your work.

And Don’t Forget:

French: reviewing new (family; articles of speech) and old vocabulary (out loud!). Assessment could strike at any moment! You might start to consider what sentences you can build with our known vocabulary.

Forms: PNE forms and payments are now overdue.

Grade 7s Going to North: if you have not yet turned in your Viking for a Day permission form, it must be in on Monday.

HOMEWORK—May 29, 2025

On-Going—you are strongly encouraged to put
time and relaxed focus into this work tonight:

Socials: due in 5 days—it’s very important that you put in work on this tonight, so that you can finish in a relaxed manner, with pride. The finishing touches matter, so make sure you’re leaving time for those details.

Use your notes, the project outline, and the Lynda Barry examples on the blog as your guides. Remember your goal: to celebrate the person and bring them to life in 360° through your work.

And Don’t Forget:

The Amber Spyglass: readers, please make sure you do your prep tonight!

Art: Minis due tomorrow morning. Recall the criteria: an attempt at precision; a focus on detail; a purposeful use of color; stays in the stand without glue or tape; 8 cm as the height of an average human.

Dungeons and Dragons: please make sure you have completed the leveling up process, that you understand your new features, abilities and spells, and that you have your character sheet with you.

DM: please review the rooms, monsters, and NPCs that your party is likely to encounter.

Forms: PNE forms and payments are due tomorrow.

Grade 7s: if you are attending the Viking for a Day event next week, please make sure your blue form is in tomorrow.

HOMEWORK—May 28, 2025

On-Going—you are strongly encouraged to put
time and relaxed focus into this work tonight:

Socials: due in 6 days—it’s very important that you put in work on this tonight, so that you can finish in a relaxed manner, with pride.

Use your notes, the project outline, and the Lynda Barry examples on the blog as your guides. Remember Lynda Barry’s incredible advice: no detail is too small.

If you have been avoiding the work, admit that and forgive yourself, and then arrange to put in extra time every night for the next week.

And Don’t Forget:

Art: Minis due Friday morning. Recall the criteria: an attempt at precision; a focus on detail; a purposeful use of color; stays in the stand without glue or tape; 8 cm as the height of an average human.

Dungeons and Dragons: leveling up! Remember to leave hit points for Friday. And remember that an e-copy of the Players Handbook is linked on the LA page of the blog.

French: reviewing new (family; articles of speech) and old vocabulary (out loud!). Assessment could strike at any moment!

Forms: PNE forms are due Friday.

HOMEWORK—May 27, 2025

On-Going—you are strongly encouraged to put
time and relaxed focus into this work tonight:

Socials: due in one week—it’s very important that you put in work on this tonight, so that you can finish in a relaxed manner, with pride.

Use your notes, the project outline, and the Lynda Barry examples on the blog as your guides. Remember Lynda Barry’s incredible advice: no detail is too small.

If you have been avoiding the work, admit that and forgive yourself, and then arrange to put in extra time every night for the next week.

And Don’t Forget:

Reading: look back over the reading responses you have created this term—which two do you think are the best reflection of your learning and thinking? Criteria: using direct evidence from the text; and offering clear, detailed explanations of how the text helps prove your point of view.

Identify these pages with sticky notes that say “Read Me!” or “Lookie Here!” or some variation thereof.

Dungeons and Dragons: leveling up! Remember to leave hit points for Friday. And remember that an e-copy of the Players Handbook is linked on the LA page of the blog.

French: reviewing new (family; articles of speech) and old vocabulary (out loud!). Assessment could strike at any moment!

Forms: PNE forms are due Friday.

HOMEWORK—May 26, 2025

On-Going—you are strongly encouraged to put
time and relaxed focus into this work tonight:

Socials: due a week from tomorrow—it’s very important that you put in work on this tonight, so that you can finish in a relaxed manner, with pride.

Use your notes, the project outline, and the Lynda Barry examples on the blog as your guides. Remember Lynda Barry’s incredible advice: no detail is too small.

If you are panicking about the approaching due date, help yourself by letting your family know that you need time and space to get this work done, and ask them to gently remind you if they notice you have drifted.

And Don’t Forget:

Dungeons and Dragons: leveling up! Remember to leave hit points for Friday. And remember that an e-copy of the Players Handbook is linked on the LA page of the blog.

Math: review the ways of describing and categorizing triangles.

French: reviewing new (family; articles of speech) and old vocabulary (out loud!). Assessment could strike at any moment!

HOMEWORK—May 23, 2025

On-Going—you are strongly encouraged to put
time and relaxed focus into this work this weekend:

Socials: one and a half weeks left—it’s very important that you put in work on this weekend, so that you can finish in a relaxed manner, with pride.

Use your notes, the project outline, and the Lynda Barry examples on the blog as your guides. Remember Lynda Barry’s incredible advice: no detail is too small.

And Don’t Forget:

Dungeons and Dragons: leveling up! Remember to leave hit points for Friday. And remember that an e-copy of the Players Handbook is linked on the LA page of the blog.

Math: review the ways of describing and categorizing triangles.

French: reviewing new (family; articles of speech) and old vocabulary (out loud!). Assessment could strike at any moment!

HOMEWORK—May 22, 2025

On-Going—you are strongly encouraged to put
time and relaxed focus into this work tonight:

Socials: less than two weeks left—it’s very important that you put in work on this tonight, so that you can finish in a relaxed manner, with pride. Remember: the goal is for the person you have been exploring to be proud of your work and the way you have shared their life journey.

Use your notes, the project outline, and the Lynda Barry examples on the blog as your guides. Remember Lynda Barry’s incredible advice: no detail is too small.

Be real with yourself: at the pace you have been working at, will you finish in two weeks? If that makes you nervous, you might consider putting in more than 45 minutes.

Art: finishing the sketches out your mini, front and back, focusing on the details of appearance, clothing, and items.

And Don’t Forget:

Dungeons and Dragons: please make sure you have your character sheet with you tomorrow and that you have reviewed how your abilities, features, and spells work.

DMs: please review where you are in the adventure and reread the rooms and encounters (including monsters and NPCs) that your party is likely to experience.

The Amber Spyglass: readers, please make sure you do your prep for tomorrow.

Math: review the ways of describing and categorizing triangles.

French: reviewing new (family; articles of speech) and old vocabulary (out loud!).

HOMEWORK—May 21, 2025

On-Going—you are strongly encouraged to put
time and relaxed focus into this work tonight:

Socials: two weeks left—it’s very important that you put in work on this tonight, so that you can finish in a relaxed manner, with pride. Remember: the goal is for the person you have been exploring to be proud of your work and the way you have shared their life journey.

Use your notes, the project outline, and the Lynda Barry examples on the blog as your guides. Remember Lynda Barry’s incredible advice: no detail is too small.

Be real with yourself: at the pace you have been working at, will you finish in two weeks? If that makes you nervous, you might consider putting in more than 45 minutes.

Art: continuing sketching out your mini, front and back, focusing on the details of appearance, clothing, and items.

And Don’t Forget:

The Amber Spyglass: readers, please make sure you do your prep for Friday.

Math: review the ways of describing and categorizing triangles.

French: reviewing new (family; articles of speech) and old vocabulary (out loud!).

HOMEWORK—May 20, 2025

On-Going—you are strongly encouraged to put
time and relaxed focus into this work tonight:

Socials: two weeks left—if you have been avoiding this work, it’s very important that you acknowledge this and accept that the choices Past You made mean that Present You is going to have to put in more than the usual 45 minutes a day to get the work done. Remember: the goal is for the person you have been exploring to be proud of your work and the way you have shared their life journey.

Use your notes, the project outline, and the Lynda Barry examples on the blog as your guides. Remember Lynda Barry’s incredible advice: no detail is too small.

Art: continuing sketching out your mini, front and back, focusing on the details of appearance, clothing, and items.

And Don’t Forget:

The Amber Spyglass: readers, please make sure you do your prep for tomorrow.

Math: review the ways of describing and categorizing triangles.

French: reviewing new (family; articles of speech) and old vocabulary (out loud!).

HOMEWORK—May 16, 2025

On-Going—you are strongly encouraged to put time and relaxed focus
into this work over the long weekend:

Socials: Just over two weeks left—if you have been avoiding this work, it’s very important that you acknowledge this and accept that the choices Past You made mean that Present You is going to have to put in more than the usual 45 minutes a day to get the work done. Remember: the goal is for the person you have been exploring to be proud of your work and the way you have shared their life journey.

Use your notes, the project outline, and the Lynda Barry examples on the blog as your guides. Remember Lynda Barry’s incredible advice: no detail is too small.

Language Arts: applying the feedback you received, and then embracing the editing process. Recall that editing is not just proofreading: it is clarifying images; you are shaping and refining your vision—what’s the right word? Is this transition smooth? Am I staying in one tense? Have I formatted my dialogue properly? Is it clear who is the subject of each paragraph? Due Tuesday.

And Don’t Forget:

The Amber Spyglass: readers, please make sure you do your prep for Tuesday.

Math: review the ways of describing and categorizing triangles.

French: reviewing new (family; articles of speech) and old vocabulary (out loud!).

Note: no school (for anyone!) on Monday—it is Victoria Day.

HOMEWORK—May 15, 2025

On-Going: forty-five focused minutes tonight
(perhaps more if you have been avoiding these tasks):

Socials: Less than three weeks left—if you have been avoiding this work, it’s very important that you acknowledge this and accept that the choices Past You made mean that Present You is going to have to put in more than the usual 45 minutes a day to get the work done. Remember: the goal is for the person you have been exploring to be proud of your work and the way you have shared their life journey.

Use your notes, the project outline, and the Lynda Barry examples on the blog as your guides. Remember Lynda Barry’s incredible advice: no detail is too small.

And Don’t Forget:

Spirit Day: you can earn points for your House Team by dressing like a rainbow tomorrow.

French: reviewing new (family; articles of speech) and old vocabulary (out loud!).

D&D: please make sure you have your character sheet with you tomorrow.

DMs: be in contact with your partner tonight and review areas your party is most likely to explore and the stats of the characters/monsters they might encounter.

Note: no school (for anyone!) on Monday—it is Victoria Day.

HOMEWORK—May 14, 2025

On-Going: forty-five focused minutes tonight
(perhaps more if you have been avoiding these tasks):

Use your notes, the project outline, and the Lynda Barry examples on the blog as your guides. Remember Lynda Barry’s incredible advice: no detail is too small.

Language Arts: complete the “Required Aspect” check that we started today, and then apply the feedback you received. Recall that editing is not just proofreading: it is clarifying images; you are shaping and refining your vision.

And Don’t Forget:

French: practicing avoir and être (what did you learn from yesterday’s practice round?), and reviewing new (family; articles of speech) and old vocabulary (out loud!).

Grade 7s: do your parents know they need to submit a baby photo of you to the address on your yearbook form by Thursday; and remember your yellow yearbook form is due Thursday, too.

Career: please have both Survivor graphic organizers with you tomorrow.

HOMEWORK—May 13, 2025

On-Going: forty-five focused minutes tonight
(perhaps more if you have been avoiding these tasks):

Socials: Less than one month left—if you have been avoiding this work, it’s very important that you acknowledge this and accept that the choices Past You made mean that Present You is going to have to put in more than the usual 45 minutes a day to get the work done. Remember: the goal is for the person you have been exploring to be proud of your work and the way you have shared their life journey.

Use your notes, the project outline, and the Lynda Barry examples on the blog as your guides. Remember Lynda Barry’s incredible advice: no detail is too small.

Career: For those of you who are opting to have a third try at justifying your pick, that work is due by the end of tomorrow—help yourself by actively applying the feedback you received on your second attempt, and by actively using the notes in your graphic organizers. Everyone else, you will submit the name of your pick tomorrow.

And Don’t Forget:

The Amber Spyglass: readers, please do your prep tonight.

French: practicing avoir and être (what did you learn from yesterday’s practice round?), and reviewing new (family; articles of speech) and old vocabulary (out loud!).

Grade 7s: do your parents know they need to submit a baby photo of you to the address on your yearbook form by Thursday; and remember your yellow yearbook form is due Thursday, too.

HOMEWORK—May 12, 2025

On-Going: forty-five focused minutes tonight
(perhaps more if you have been avoiding these tasks):

Use your notes, the project outline, and the Lynda Barry examples on the blog as your guides. Remember Lynda Barry’s incredible advice: no detail is too small.

Language Arts: please print out the rough draft of your backstory and bring it in with you tomorrow.

Career: For those of you who are opting to have a third try at justifying your pick, that work will be due by the end of Wednesday—help yourself by actively applying the feedback you received on your second attempt, and by actively using the notes in your graphic organizers. Everyone else, you will submit the name of your pick on Wednesday.

And Don’t Forget:

French: practicing avoir and être (what did you learn from yesterday’s practice round?), and reviewing new (family; articles of speech) and old vocabulary (out loud!).

Grade 7s: do your parents know they need to submit a baby photo of you to the address on your yearbook form by next Thursday; and remember your yellow yearbook form is due Thursday, too.

Grade 7s: those of you who are planning to attend Burnaby North and are interested in the Honors Math course–please be aware that assessment for the course happens at North tomorrow, from 3:30 – 4:30 (unless you already went to the April 30 assessment session). You’ll need to bring a pencil, and you’ll meet in the Blue Pod on the 3rd floor.

Spirit Day: you can win points for your House Team on Friday by dressing like a rainbow!

HOMEWORK—May 9, 2025

On-Going: forty-five focused minutes this weekend
(perhaps more if you have been avoiding these tasks):

Socials: About one month left. Use your notes, the project outline, and the Lynda Barry examples on the blog as your guides. Remember Lynda Barry’s incredible advice: no detail is too small.

Language Arts: continuing to draft your backstory, based off of your brainstorming notes and your character sheet, considering what you have observed and learned from Philip Pullman, in terms of capturing the readers imagining and creating vivid images from words and punctuation. Full rough draft due Monday.

And Don’t Forget:

French: practicing avoir and être (what did you learn from yesterday’s practice round?), and reviewing new (family; articles of speech) and old vocabulary (out loud!).

Forms: grade 7 camp forms and Ultimate Frisbee payments at due Monday; Grade 7s—make sure you let your parents know they need to submit a baby photo of you to the address on your yearbook form by next Thursday; and remember your yellow yearbook form is due Thursday, too.

Band: don’t forget you have your Festival performance on Monday.

Grade 7s: those of you who are planning to attend Burnaby North and are interested in the Honors Math course–please be aware that assessment for the course happens at North on Tuesday, May 13, from 3:30 – 4:30 (unless you already went to the April 30 assessment session). You’ll need to bring a pencil, and you’ll meet in the Blue Pod on the 3rd floor.

HOMEWORK—May 8, 2025

Dungeons and Dragons: players, please make sure you have your character sheet with you tomorrow.

DMs: please make sure you have connected with your partner and you are prepared for tomorrow’s session (e.g. rereading rooms the adventurers are likely to encounter, reviewing monster stats, etc.).

Career: make a sociogram of the remaining contestants on Survivor, noting alliances, targets, and advantages.

For those of you who are opting to have a third try at justifying your pick, that work will be due by the end of next Wednesday—help yourself by actively applying the feedback you received on your second attempt.

On-Going: forty-five focused minutes on one of the below tonight
(maybe the one you’ve been avoiding?):

Socials: About one month left. Use your notes, the project outline, and the Lynda Barry examples on the blog as your guides. Remember Lynda Barry’s incredible advice: no detail is too small.

Language Arts: continuing to draft your backstory, based off of your brainstorming notes and your character sheet, considering what you learned from reading the samples and what you have observed and learned from Philip Pullman. Full rough draft due Monday.

How are you achieving a sense of flow from sentence to sentence and paragraph to paragraph? How are you hooking the reader in and keeping them engaged? How are you creating vivid images?

And Don’t Forget:

French: practicing avoir and être (what did you learn from yesterday’s practice round?), and reviewing new (family; articles of speech) and old vocabulary (out loud!).

Forms: grade 7 camp forms and Ultimate Frisbee payments; Grade 7s—make sure you let your parents know they need to submit a baby photo of you to the address on your yearbook form by next Thursday.

HOMEWORK—May 7, 2025

Class Photos: class photo, club photos, and whole-school photos will be taken tomorrow.

Career: please make sure that you have your new Survivor graphic organizer with you tomorrow and that your old one is safe in your accordion folder.

On-Going: forty-five focused minutes on one of the below tonight
(maybe the one you’ve been avoiding?):

Socials: About one month left. Use your notes, the project outline, and the Lynda Barry examples on the blog as your guides. Remember Lynda Barry’s incredible advice: no detail is too small.

How are you achieving a sense of flow from sentence to sentence and paragraph to paragraph? How are you hooking the reader in and keeping them engaged? How are you creating vivid images?

And Don’t Forget:

French: practicing avoir and être (what did you learn from the practice round today?), and reviewing new (family; articles of speech) and old vocabulary (out loud!).

Forms: grade 7 camp forms and Ultimate Frisbee payments.

Playland: please check in with your family tonight to see if you are free and interested in going to Playland on June 19.

HOMEWORK—May 6, 2025

On-Going: what did you not do in work block today?
Forty-five focused minutes on that tonight:

Socials: About one month left. Use your notes, the project outline, and the Lynda Barry examples on the blog as your guides. Consider the examples we explored today.

And Don’t Forget:

French: practicing avoir and être and reviewing new (family; articles of speech) and old vocabulary (out loud!).

Forms: grade 7 camp forms, band festival forms, and Ultimate Frisbee payments.

Note: Class photos on Thursday.

HOMEWORK—May 5, 2025

On-Going: what did you not do in work block today?
Forty-five focused minutes on that tonight:

Socials: About one month left. Use your notes, the project outline, and the Lynda Barry examples on the blog as your guides. Consider the examples we explored today.

And Don’t Forget:

French: practicing avoir and être and reviewing new (family; articles of speech) and old vocabulary (out loud!).

Forms: grade 7 camp forms, band festival forms, and Ultimate Frisbee payments.

HOMEWORK—May 2, 2025

We’re in the final stretch with our work now; it’s really important to keep those plates spinning, so that you can end the year with a sense of pride and accomplishment.

On-Going: Spend about 45 minutes on one or a combination of the following:

Socials: Just over a month left. Use your notes, the project outline, and the Lynda Barry examples on the blog as your guides.

Recall that when drafting, keeping your pencil in motion can help release you from The Two Questions.

When creating good copies of work, focus on clarity of communication and meaningful detail.

Language Arts: drafting your backstory, based off of your brainstorming notes and your character sheet, considering what you learned from reading the samples and what you have observed and learned from Philip Pullman.

French: practicing avoir and être and reviewing new (family; articles of speech) and old vocabulary (out loud!).

HOMEWORK—May 1, 2025

Out of solidarity with our friends who are taking a big risk tonight with the school musical, there is not official homework tonight aside from the below.

BUT – if you have been neglecting your Socials project or your French practice, it is highly recommended that you use tonight to try to get back on track.

The Amber Spyglass: readers, please do your prep for Friday.

D&D: players, please make sure you have your character sheets with you tomorrow and that you have completed the level-up process.

DMs: please be in touch with your partner tonight to ensure you are ready to continue the adventure tomorrow.

HOMEWORK—April 30, 2025

The Amber Spyglass: readers, please do your prep for Friday.

Career: please make sure you have your Survivor graphic organizer with you tomorrow.

On-Going: Spend about 45 minutes on one or a combination of the following:

Language Arts: taking an inspiration die from the backstory(s) you read yesterday, and starting to draft your own narrative, based off of your brainstorming notes and your character sheet.

French: practicing avoir and être and reviewing new (family; articles of speech) and old vocabulary (out loud!).

Socials: Use your notes, the project outline, and the Lynda Barry examples on the blog as your guides.

Recall that when drafting, keeping your pencil in motion can help release you from The Two Questions.

When creating good copies of work, focus on clarity of communication and meaningful detail.

Dungeons and Dragons: complete the process of leveling up your character to Level 2 for Friday.

Remember: we will do hit points together in class Friday.

DMs: in dialogue with your partner, make sure you are ready to continue to the adventure on Friday.

HOMEWORK—April 29, 2025

The Amber Spyglass: readers, please do your prep for tomorrow.

On-Going: Spend about 45 minutes on one or a combination of the following:

Language Arts: consider the D&D backstory(s) you read today—what did you take away from it/them, in terms of possibilities for structure and seamlessly incorporating the required aspects?

French: practicing avoir and être and reviewing new (family) and old vocabulary (out loud!).

Socials: Use your notes, the project outline, and the Lynda Barry examples on the blog as your guides.

Recall that when drafting, keeping your pencil in motion can help release you from The Two Questions.

When creating good copies of work, focus on clarity of communication and meaningful detail.

Body Science: continue reading and reviewing the booklet. Quiz tomorrow!

Dungeons and Dragons: complete the process of leveling up your character to Level 2 for Friday.

Remember: we will do hit points together in class next Friday.

DMs: in dialogue with your partner, make sure you are ready to continue to the adventure on Friday.

HOMEWORK—April 25, 2025

Tonight: read the Character Backstory outline, and then 30 focused minutes on your Socials project, using the blue outline, the examples on the blog, and your research notes to shape your approach.

Monday

Monday is a Pro-D day, so no school for students, but lots of school for Professor, so in the name of fairness…

Language Arts: reread the project outline for your D&D backstory, and in your comp book begin a brainstorming web, generating ideas about the each of the required aspects. Spend about 30 minutes on this, trying not to censor any ideas.

We will look at examples of backstories next week.

French: spend about 15-20 minutes practicing avoir and être and reviewing new (family) and old vocabulary (out loud!).

Socials: this extra at-home day is a great opportunity to really dig into this work—the recommendation here is to spend about 60 minutes focused on this work. You might begin by rereading your research notes (this may give you new, interesting ideas). Use your notes, the project outline, and the Lynda Barry examples on the blog as your guides. (If your notes are in digital form, you might consider printing out a copy to work from.)

Remember Lynda Barry: “no detail is too small.” Remember Wu Mei: by focusing on the small details, we learn about the whole.

Recall that when drafting, keeping your pencil in motion can help release you from The Two Questions.

When creating good copies of work, focus on clarity of communication and meaningful detail.

Body Science: continue reading and reviewing the booklet. Quiz on Wednesday!

Dungeons and Dragons: begin the process of leveling up your character to Level 2! Start by rereading the character class section of the Players Handbook (linked on the LA page of the blog), to see what new abilities you gain. Enter these into your character sheet. Spellcasters: look through the spell section of the Handbook, considering what new spells you might choose.

Remember: we will do hit points together in class next Friday.

The Amber Spyglass: readers, please do your prep for Tuesday.

HOMEWORK—April 24, 2025

Dungeons and Dragons: players—please make sure you have your character sheet with you tomorrow. Do you need to review how any of your spells and/or special features work?

DMs: please be in touch with your partner tonight so that you are fully prepared to continue the adventure tomorrow. What do you need to reread? What materials do you need to prep?

On-Going
Suggestion: 45 focused minutes on one or divided between
some of the following:

Reading: Will vs. Mrs. Coulter—using specific evidence (i.e. quotes, with page numbers) to support your ideas. Due tomorrow. Remember, you are not required to list every single idea you can think of; but you are encouraged to support your ideas with specific quotes from the books and clearly communicate your thinking.

Socials: use your notes, the project outline, and the Lynda Barry examples on the blog as your guides. (If your notes are in digital form, you might consider printing out a copy to work from.)

Remember Lynda Barry: “no detail is too small.” Remember Wu Mei: by focusing on the small details, we learn about the whole.

Recall that when drafting, keeping your pencil in motion can help release you from The Two Questions.

Body Science: continue reading the booklet. Quiz in less than one week!

French: practicing avoir and être; reviewing new (family) and old vocabulary.

The Amber Spyglass: readers, please do your prep for tomorrow.

HOMEWORK—April 23, 2025

Career: please make sure you have your Survivor graphic organizer with you tomorrow.

On-Going
Suggestion: 45 focused minutes on one or divided between some
of the following:

Reading: Will vs. Mrs. Coulter—using specific evidence (i.e. quotes, with page numbers) to support your ideas. Due Friday.

Socials: use your notes, the project outline, and the Lynda Barry examples on the blog as your guides. (If your notes are in digital form, you might consider printing out a copy to work from.)

Remember Lynda Barry: “no detail is too small.” Remember Wu Mei: by focusing on the small details, we learn about the whole.

Recall that when drafting, keeping your pencil in motion can help release you from The Two Questions.

Body Science: continue reading the booklet. Quiz in less than one week!

French: practicing avoir and être; reviewing new (family) and old vocabulary.

The Amber Spyglass: readers, please do your prep for Friday.

HOMEWORK—April 22, 2025

Socials: spend about 30 focused minutes here tonight, using your notes, the project outline, and the Lynda Barry examples on the blog as your guides.

Remember Lynda Barry: “no detail is too small.” Remember Wu Mei: by focusing on the small details, we learn about the whole.

Body Science: continue reading the booklet. Quiz in one week!

French: practicing avoir and être; reviewing new (family) and old vocabulary.

The Amber Spyglass: readers, please do your prep tonight.

HOMEWORK—April 17, 2025

Because Friday and Monday are statutory holidays rather than Pro-D days, there is no expectation of extra work.

But…

If I were a student with a big Socials/LA/Art/ADST/Career project on my plate and less than two months to complete it, I might decide to put in a good chunk of time on one of the next four days (or I might space that time out over a couple of days, if I knew myself well enough to know I work better in short, concentrated bursts than in long, extended periods of focus…); and I might make goal journal-like entries for myself, to help focus my efforts.

And if I were someone who was aspiring to excellence, I might make sure I have my project outline out and reread the section I was working on before I re-engage with my planning; and I might be actively looking at the Lynda Barry examples on the blog; and I might be googling things like “creative timelines” or “Emily Dickenson poems” or “William Blake poems” or “Joni Mitchell lyrics”…

And if I were really looking after my academic needs, I might put aside a little bit of time to study my Body Science booklet and practice my French.

But that’s just me…

(PS: for those who are interested, the party leaders in the upcoming Canadian election will be debating at 4:00 p.m. today.)

HOMEWORK—April 16, 2025

Socials: spend about 30 focused minutes here tonight, using your notes, the project outline, and the Lynda Barry examples on the blog as your guides.

Remember Lynda Barry: “no detail is too small.” How do you bring this person to life—vividly—in your work?

What might you apply to your draft of your timeline from our exploration of the Pullman chronology?

Body Science: continue reading the booklet. Quiz in less than two weeks!

French: five minutes, three times a week.

The Amber Spyglass: readers, please do your prep tonight in order to read with confidence, purpose, and a point of view.

HOMEWORK—April 15, 2025

Reading/Socials: read through the timeline/chronology Philip Pullman created about his own life. Make notes on the pages about the following:

What do you notice about how he structured the timeline?
What entries give you interesting ideas about how/why he wrote certain parts of His Dark Materials?
What don’t you understand but find yourself curious about?

Socials: spend about 20 focused minutes here tonight, using your notes, the project outline, and the Lynda Barry examples on the blog as your guides.

Remember Lynda Barry: “no detail is too small.”

Body Science: continuing reading the booklet. Quiz in less than two weeks!

HOMEWORK—April 14, 2025

Socials: spend about 30 focused minutes here tonight, continuing to brainstorm ideas about how you might approach each aspect of the work, using your notes and the Lynda Barry examples on the blog as your guides.

Remember Lynda Barry: “no detail is too small.”

Dungeons and Dragons: players, please make sure you have your character sheets with you tomorrow.

Are you clear about the following:

how your spells or features work?
how your alignment works?
your motivation as an adventurer?
your most prized possession? What is the story behind it—how did you get it? What exactly does it look like? Why is it so special to you?

DM’s: please connect with your partner tonight to ensure you are ready to continue the adventure tomorrow. Please make sure you bring all of your materials with you in the morning.

All: all D&D-related books must come in with you tomorrow.

Body Science: begin to read the booklet. Quiz in two weeks!

HOMEWORK—April 11, 2025

Socials: spend about 45 focused minutes here this weekend, continuing to brainstorm ideas about how you might approach each aspect of the work, using your notes and the Lynda Barry examples on the blog as your guides. It’s very important that you keep this work active so that you do not fall behind.

Recall what we are doing here: celebrating the person you have spent all this time getting to know, and trying to bring them to life in your work, as a complex, fully rounded human being.

Dungeons and Dragons: players, now that you’ve had your first session, what do you need to find out:

about how your spells or features work?
about how your alignment works?
about your motivation as an adventurer?

And also consider this question:

what is your most prized possession? What is the story behind it—how did you get it? What exactly does it look like? Why is it so special to you?

DM’s: please work together to ensure you are ready to continue the adventure on Tuesday.

Student-Leds: if you have not yet returned your parents’ feedback form, please do so for Monday, and please make sure all Monster Art, collages, and lapbooks are kept safe and come back to school on Monday, too.

Badminton: if you are interested in joining the club on Monday, you must bring in your permission form—no form = no play.

HOMEWORK—April 10, 2025

Dungeons and Dragons: please make sure that you have your character sheet with you tomorrow, plus any and all D&D-related books that you have signed out or of your own purchase.

Players: is your character sheet complete? Do you have a basic understanding of how your spells, features, and abilities work? If not, do a little research/reading/viewing tonight.

And then consider these two questions:

Why has your character become an adventurer? What are they seeking/hoping to gain?
Why is your lowest ability score as low as it is?

DM’s: please make sure you have your materials with you and that you and your partner have a clear idea of what tomorrow will look like (who’s doing what?).

Student-Leds: if you are doing your conference at home, don’t forget to use your green sheet to your adbvantage, and don’t forget to give your family the feedback sheet. They can write in whatever language is most comfortable for them, so long as you can understand it.

Please make sure all Monster Art, collages, and lapbooks are kept safe and come back to school tomorrow.

HOMEWORK—April 9, 2025

On-Going:

Socials: spend at least 30 minutes here tonight, continuing to brainstorm ideas about how you might approach each aspect of the work, using your notes and the Lynda Barry examples on the blog as your guides.

Recall what we are doing here: celebrating the person you have spent all this time getting to know, and trying to bring them to life in your work, as a complex, fully rounded human being.

Career: please make sure you have your Survivor graphic organizer with you tomorrow.

If you have not yet turned in your 2^nd pick justification, that is late and due tomorrow (unless you and I have already talked about this).

Dungeons and Dragons: complete your character sheet and come in tomorrow with questions about things you don’t yet understand.

And then continue the process of becoming an expert about your character’s class, race, traits, and features. Consider exploring the “Handbooker Helper” playlist on Youtube and/or reading/rereading the appropriate sections in the Players Handbook (linked on the LA page of the blog).

Also, begin to allow your imagination to become engaged here—how did you become proficient in the things you are proficient in? Why have you become an adventurer?

HOMEWORK—April 8, 2025

Science: please consider this tonight:

Forest in a Jar group—if you have not already done so, will you be collecting plant materials from the wild (your garden, a park, etc.) or will you be purchasing plant materials? If the latter, please discuss with your family.

Ant Farm group—you’ll need to research how to safely collect and store ants.

Carnivorous Carnival group—how will you collect and store food for your plants?

Acid Rain group—how will you collect rainwater?

Worm World group—how will you collect and store your worms and plant material for them to eat?

All groups: if you have not already come up with your hypothesis, allow that to percolate in your mind for tomorrow.

On-Going:

Socials: spend at least 20 minutes here tonight, continuing to brainstorm ideas about how you might approach each aspect of the work, using your notes and the Lynda Barry examples on the blog as your guides.

Career: the justification of your second pick to win this season of Survivor is due by the end of tomorrow. Keep the criteria very firmly in your mind. How are you applying the feedback you received?

Dungeons and Dragons: beginning the process of becoming an expert about your character’s class, race, traits, and features. Consider exploring the “Handbooker Helper” playlist on Youtube and/or reading/rereading the appropriate sections in the Players Handbook (linked on the LA page of the blog).

Also, begin to allow your imagination to become engaged here—how did you become proficient in the things you are proficient in? Why have you become an adventurer?

HOMEWORK—April 7, 2025

Science: please consider this tonight:

Forest in a Jar group—please collect enough small stones to make a layer in the base of your mason jar (14 cm diameter), and wash the stones. Also, will you be collecting plant materials from the wild (your garden, a park, etc.) or will you be purchasing plant materials? If the latter, please discuss with your family.

Ant Farm group—you’ll need to research how to safely collect and store ants.

Carnivorous Carnival group—how will you collect and store food for your plants?

Acid Rain group—how will you collect rainwater?

Worm World group—how will you collect and store your worms and plant material for them to eat?

How Does Your Garden Grow group—what types of soil will you work with? How much vermiculite/worm castings/peat will you use?

On-Going:

Career: the justification of your second pick to win this season of Survivor is due by the end of this coming Wednesday. Keep the criteria very firmly in your mind. How are you applying the feedback you received?

Also, begin to allow your imagination to become engaged here—how did you become proficient in the things you are proficient in? Why have you become an adventurer?

Student-Led Conferences: check in with your family—will you be doing your conference (Thursday) at school or at home?

HOMEWORK—April 4, 2025

On-Going:

Socials: spend at least 30 minutes here this weekend, continuing to brainstorm ideas about how you might approach each aspect of the work, using your notes and the Lynda Barry examples on the blog as your guides.

Career: the justification of your second pick to win this season of Survivor is due by the end of this coming Wednesday. Keep the criteria very firmly in your mind.

Also, begin to allow your imagination to become engaged here—how did you become proficient in the things you are proficient in? Why have you become an adventurer?

Student-Led Conferences: check in with your family—will you be doing your conference (Thursday) at school or at home?

Supplies: if you are in need of a new comp book, a math set (compass and protractor), and/or a calculator, please talk to you family—you will need all of those things to be successful this term.

HOMEWORK—April 3, 2025

Socials: spend 30 minutes here tonight, brainstorming ideas about how you might approach one aspect of the work, using your notes and the Lynda Barry examples on the blog as your guides.

The Amber Spyglass: readers, please ensure you have done your prep for tomorrow.

Dungeons and Dragons: if you have a Players Handbook signed out, please make sure have it with you tomorrow.

HOMEWORK—April 2, 2025

Socials: reread the project outline you received today and begin to explore the sub-menu tabs coming off of the Socials tab on the class blog. Have your new comp book handy so that you can make note of any Maybe Ideas that come up. Also make note of any question you have, and bring those questions in with you tomorrow.

Career: please make sure you have your Survivor graphic organizer with you tomorrow.

The Amber Spyglass: readers, please ensure you have done your prep for Friday.

HOMEWORK—April 1, 2025

Career: go to https://ew.com/author/dalton-ross/ and choose one of the articles related to the last two episodes of Survivor—read/view the material and come in with some new info to share with the class. Spend about 15-20 minutes here.

Socials: begin to look for reference images related to your person and their life: portraits, family members, mentors, important places, important objects, etc. Bookmark and/or print these images for future use. Spend about 15 minutes here.

Forms: if you have not done so already, please return your signed report card envelop as soon as possible.

HOMEWORK—March 31, 2025

D&D: please complete the character class survey tonight and bring it back in with you tomorrow. Remember: what classes are capturing your imagination (vs. what classes is someone else telling you that you should play)? And also, remember to prepare your heart for not getting your first pick.

Socials: begin the process of rereading your research notes from last term. Look for Patterns and Important Details. Recall the three guiding questions we are working with (on the first page of the project outline)—what are your notes telling you about those questions? Where are the gaps in your research that you might need to fill in? Spend about 20 minutes on this tonight.

Forms: please return your signed report card envelop as soon as possible.

HOMEWORK—SPRING BREAK

Your only homework for the break is to watch episodes of Survivor and continue to get to know how Dungeons and Dragons works. I am sorry to burden you with these tasks.

The Career page of our class blog has the link for watching Survivor on the Global TV website.

Click on the “Episodes and Clips” tab and then scroll down to find the episode. Episodes air on Wednesday nights and are posted on the Global TV site on Thursday mornings. You will need to watch before the next Wednesday, as the episodes become locked after that.

Optional fun activity: see if you can guess which player says the episode title before you watch the episode! (The titles are always taken from player dialogue.)

Please make sure you are an active viewer, taking notes as you go. You will need these notes to use as evidence when you make your second pick—and your group is relying on you to bring in notes to help everyone find success.

After each episode, take a moment to add ideas about group dynamics and social politics—effective and less effective ways of interacting with others—to the T-chart you created in your comp book. This can be done with words, pictures, or words and pictures. Strive to use specific examples from the episode as you add to these lists; and take a moment to consider what these ways of being look like in your life.

Dungeons and Dragons: this is optional: if you like, spend some time over the break getting to know the mechanics of the game (how it works) on a deeper level. The Language Arts page on our class blog has some links that can help with this.

If your parents are okay with you viewing materials that contains coarse language, you might consider watching some episodes of Critical Role on Youtube or Twitch. There are several seasons. Episodes of Relics and Rarities, also on Youtube—they are less sweary (but it does still happen occasionally. Dimension 20—especially adventures DMed by Brennan Lee Mulligan—is also fun—but again, the language can sometimes be coarse. Please be honest with yourself about your family’s values, and if you are unsure, ask.

DMs: you will need to spend time over the break preparing with your partner.

Most of all, the other big piece of homework is to give yourself plenty of time to relax. Your bodies, brains, and hearts need this downtime. Please try your best not to fill the time with activities that require you to succeed/perform to expectations. We will be hitting the ground running after the Break, and you will need to be fully rested and recharged in order to get on that train in a focused, engaged, meaningful way.

You are also highly encouraged to do the following:

Read some good books (of your choosing)
Spend lots of time outside
Get together with peers for face-to-face interaction
Practice kindness with yourself
Take time to meditate (you know how to do this)
Be helpful to your family
Do something nice for the elders in your life
Contemplate the mysteries of the Universe
Resist the impulse to be provocative on Discord—those words live forever

Please do not isolate yourself; stay connected to each other and to the world. If you are aware of anyone in our class who has isolatory impulses, reach out to them and say hey.

~ Prof. G.B.

HOMEWORK—March 13, 2025

Dungeons and Dragons: are you clear about what you will share tomorrow? Are all of your ideas supported by detailed evidence?

Socials: how are you applying the feedback you received in your conference? Taking those steps now will help increase your odds of success after the break.

Tomorrow (Friday)

Be prepared to be an active member of the deep clean.
If you love it and would cry if it broke, don’t bring it.
No gore in games, plz.
If someone asks to join, what is the acceptable response?

HOMEWORK—March 12, 2025

On-Going:

Dungeons and Dragons: what alignment are you? What code shapes your decision-making? Spend about 10-15 minutes tonight writing or drawing about this in your comp book, referring to the alignment handouts and thinking about specific evidence from your life.

And: allow thoughts about the His Dark Materials character that you are creating a character sheet for shimmer in the background.

The Subtle Knife Illustrations:

actively using the assignment outline (pink) to shape your approach
using Philip Pullman’s descriptions to guide your hand
getting calm and friendly while drawing.

Due tomorrow.

Socials: how are you applying the feedback you received in your conference? Taking those steps now will help increase your odds of success after the break.

HOMEWORK—March 11, 2025

On-Going:

Dungeons and Dragons: reading Chapter 4 and the additional “Alignment” handout for tomorrow. You are also more than welcome to explore online resources.

The Subtle Knife Illustrations: actively using the assignment outline (pink) to guide your approach. Skimming TSK (and maybe skimming TGC) to recall details about the things in your image, as described by Philip Pullman. Getting calm and friendly while drawing.

Due Thursday.

Socials: how are you applying the feedback you received in your conference? Taking those steps now will help increase your odds of success after the break.

HOMEWORK—March 10, 2025

On-Going:

Dungeons and Dragons: reading Chapter Seven for tomorrow; making note of any questions you have. Reading Chapter 4 for Wednesday. You are also more than welcome to explore online resources.

The Subtle Knife Illustrations: rereading the chapter, looking for the image (or, if working in collage form, images) you will work with, and then making notes of the descriptions from the text about the people/creatures, objects, setting, and the light. This may mean you need to skim back over previous chapters and/or The Golden Compass.

Due Thursday.

Socials: how are you applying the feedback you received in your conference? Taking those steps now will help increase your odds of success after the break.

HOMEWORK—March 7, 2025

On-Going:

Dungeons and Dragons: reading Chapter Seven for Monday; making note of any questions you have.

Offerings for Lee Scoresby and Hester: Why are you leaving what you are leaving? Why would it be meaningful to Mr. Scoresby and/or Hester; or, what do you want to express to him, her, or them?

You will be assessed on:

Meaning/purpose—why does this offering have meaning to you? Why might it be meaningful to them? Can you relate this to evidence from the text?
Effort and care—through attention to meaningful detail

What will you say at the funeral? (That is where you will share the meaning/purpose behind your offering—if you are wanting to extend yourself, you might be very specific and use evidence from the text.)

Due Monday.

Due in one week (Thursday).

Socials: how are you applying the feedback you received in your conference? Taking those steps now will help increase your odds of success after the break.

French: on your Décrivant d’autres personnes, have you checked to see if all of your adjectives are in the proper form (masculine, feminine, or plural)? You might want to use the text-to-speech app (linked on the French page of the blog) to practice speaking your sentences out loud.

HOMEWORK—March 6, 2025

On-Going:

Dungeons and Dragons: reading Chapter One for tomorrow; making note of any questions you have.

Offerings for Lee Scoresby and Hester: Why are you leaving what you are leaving? Why would it be meaningful to Mr. Scoresby and/or Hester; or, what do you want to express to him, her, or them?

You will be assessed on:

Meaning/purpose—why does this offering have meaning to you? Why might it be meaningful to them? Can you relate this to evidence from the text?
Effort and care—through attention to meaningful detail

Due Monday.

Due in one week (Thursday).

Socials: where are you on the checklist? How are you applying the feedback you received on your Science notes?

You might want to review your notes and begin looking at patterns, asking yourself, why did this pattern begin?

You might also be considering how the D&C icons can help fuel further research.

Recall: our goal is to have a full 360° view and understanding of this person’s life.

Dig into the details. As Lynda Barry says, no detail is too small.

Conferences continue tomorrow.

HOMEWORK—March 5, 2025

On-Going:

Dungeons and Dragons: reading Chapter One for Friday; making note of any questions you have.

The Subtle Knife Collage: focus is on attention to meaningful detail and representing key images from the book in images and words.

Due tomorrow.

Offerings for Lee Scoresby and Hester: Why are you leaving what you are leaving? Why would it be meaningful to Mr. Scoresby and/or Hester; or, what do you want to express to him, her, or them? Feel free to read back through the texts to gain inspiration (but no reading ahead!)

It is recommended that you sketch out/draft your idea before beginning.

You will be assessed on:

Meaning/purpose—why does this offering have meaning to you? Why might it be meaningful to them? Can you relate this to evidence from the text?
Effort and care—through attention to meaningful detail

Due Monday.

Socials: If we have already met, how are you applying the feedback you received?

If we have not yet met, where are you on the checklist? How are you applying the feedback you received on your Science notes?

You might want to review your notes and begin looking at patterns, asking yourself, why did this pattern begin?

You might also be considering how the D&C icons can help fuel further research.

Recall: our goal is to have a full 360° view and understanding of this person’s life.

Dig into the details. As Lynda Barry says, no detail is too small.

Conferences continue tomorrow.

HOMEWORK—March 4, 2025

On-Going:

The Subtle Knife Collage: focus is on attention to meaningful detail and representing key images from the book in images and words.

Due Thursday.

It is recommended that you sketch out/draft your idea before beginning.

You will be assessed on:

Meaning/purpose—why does this offering have meaning to you? Why might it be meaningful to them? Can you relate this to evidence from the text?
Effort and care—through attention to meaningful detail

Due Monday.

Art: if your Monster Art is still due, relax…and get to it!

Socials: where are you on the checklist? How are you applying the feedback you received on your Science notes?

You might want to review your notes and begin looking at patterns, asking yourself, why did this pattern begin?

You might also be considering how the D&C icons can help fuel further research.

Recall: our goal is to have a full 360° view and understanding of this person’s life.

Dig into the details. As Lynda Barry says, no detail is too small.

Conferences continue tomorrow.

HOMEWORK—March 3, 2025

On-Going:

It is recommended that you sketch out/draft your idea before beginning.

You will be assessed on:

Meaning/purpose—why does this offering have meaning to you? Why might it be meaningful to them? Can you relate this to evidence from the text?
Effort and care

Due Monday.

Art: Remember to treat your cardstock with care, so that it doesn’t get torn, creased, or wrinkled.

Use your drafts and the instructions on the pink sheet to guide your work.

Approach this with a calm, friendly sense of focus.

Final copy—plus the self-assessed rubric and the short reflection sheet—due tomorrow.

Socials: where are you on the checklist? How are you applying the feedback you received on your Science notes?

You might want to review your notes and begin looking at patterns, asking yourself, why did this pattern begin?

You might also be considering how the D&C icons can help fuel further research.

Recall: our goal is to have a full 360° view and understanding of this person’s life.

Dig into the details. As Lynda Barry says, no detail is too small.

Conferences continue tomorrow.

HOMEWORK—February 27, 2025

Note: No school (for students) tomorrow, but you know the drill…

Plan to spend about two hours tomorrow on our on-going items (maybe more, if you are feeling behind?).

On-Going:

It is recommended that you sketch out/draft your idea before beginning.

You will be assessed on:

Meaning/purpose—why does this offering have meaning to you? Why might it be meaningful to them? Can you relate this to evidence from the text?
Effort and care

Art: Remember to treat your cardstock with care, so that it doesn’t get torn, creased, or wrinkled.

Use your drafts and the instructions on the pink sheet to guide your work.

Approach this with a calm, friendly sense of focus.

Final copy due Tuesday.

Socials: where are you on the checklist? How are you applying the feedback you received on your Science notes?

You might want to review your notes and begin looking at patterns, asking yourself, why did this pattern begin?

You might also be considering how the D&C icons can help fuel further research.

Recall: our goal is to have a full 360° view and understanding of this person’s life.

Dig into the details. As Lynda Barry says, no detail is too small.

Conferences begin (for reals) on Monday.

French: practicing être; and on your Décrivant d’autres personnes, have you checked to see if all of your adjectives are in the proper form (masculine, feminine, or plural)? You might want to use the text-to-speech app (linked on the French page of the blog) to practice speaking your sentences out loud.

HOMEWORK—February 25, 2025

Pink Shirt Day: Wear pink tomorrow to help stand up against homophobia and bullying.

On-Going:

Offerings for Lee Scoresby and Hester: What will you create? Why are you leaving what you are leaving? Why would it be meaningful to Mr. Scoresby and/or Hester; or, what do you want to express to him, her, or them? Feel free to read back through the texts to gain inspiration (but no reading ahead!)

It is recommended that you sketch out/draft your idea before beginning.

Art: Remember to treat your cardstock with care, so that it doesn’t get torn, creased, or wrinkled.

Use your drafts and the instructions on the pink sheet to guide your work.

Approach this with a calm, friendly sense of focus.

Final copy due Tuesday.

Career: Survivor pick and justification due tomorrow. Recall how this is being assessed.

Socials: where are you on the checklist? How are you applying the feedback you received on your Science notes?

Conferences begin Thursday.

HOMEWORK—February 24, 2025

Science: If you gave your presentation today, do something nice for yourself tonight.

Reading: what was the Alamo? Do some quick research tonight and bring in your findings to share tomorrow.

On-Going:

Art: Are there aspects of your drawing that would benefit from more practice, in order to build confidence?

Career: Survivor pick and justification due Wednesday. Recall how this is being assessed.

Socials: where are you on the checklist? How are you applying the feedback you received on your Science notes?

Conferences begin soon!

HOMEWORK—February 21, 2025

Science: If you gave your presentation today, do something nice for yourself tonight.

On-Going:

Science: Practice = Confidence = Success. What feedback did you receive on your Socials presentation last term? How are you applying that feedback? When you practice, recall the techniques we explored in Term One, including:

Exaggerating all of the consonants
Stressing the verbs
Stressing the final word in each sentence
Talking the script to a friend
Telling it like it’s the biggest, juiciest secret you’ve ever heard.

Are clear about the visuals you are using?

Presentations conclude on Monday.

Please have an up-to-date version of your script with you every day until you give your presentation.

Art: Monster Art text and drafts (including color testing) are due Monday.

Career: Survivor pick and justification due Wednesday. Recall how this is being assessed. What did you learn from the examples we looked at today?

Socials: where are you on the checklist? How are you applying the feedback you received on your Science notes?

Conferences begin next week.

HOMEWORK—February 20, 2025

Science: If you gave your presentation today, do something nice for yourself tonight.

On-Going:

Reflection: apply the feedback you received from your peer editor, applying feedback you received on your first reflection, and then begin your own editing process. This is where embracing the Pullman Challenge occurs.

Final copy due tomorrow.

Exaggerating all of the consonants
Stressing the verbs
Stressing the final word in each sentence
Talking the script to a friend
Telling it like it’s the biggest, juiciest secret you’ve ever heard.

Are clear about the visuals you are using?

Presentations continue tomorrow.

Please have an up-to-date version of your script with you every day until you give your presentation.

Art: Monster Art text due Monday (but I can look at it tomorrow if you’re ready, time depending).

Career: Survivor pick and justification due Wednesday. Recall how this is being assessed.

HOMEWORK—February 19, 2025

Science: What Next Step did you commit to for your group today?

On-Going:

Final copy due Friday.

Exaggerating all of the consonants
Stressing the verbs
Stressing the final word in each sentence
Talking the script to a friend
Telling it like it’s the biggest, juiciest secret you’ve ever heard.

Presentations begin tomorrow.

Please have an up-to-date version of your script with you every day until you give your presentation.

HOMEWORK—February 18, 2025

Science: What Next Step did you commit to for your group today?

On-Going:

Final copy due Friday.

Socials: recall: we’re moving beyond gathering simple facts now; we’re using our curiosity to drive us into a deep understanding of our person’s skills and experiences.

If you met with me to share your Science notes, how are applying that feedback to your Socials notes? Do you remember the feedback?? (If no, ask me.)

Conferences begin in less than one week.

Science: What feedback did you receive on your Socials presentation last term? How are you applying that feedback? When you practice, recall the techniques we explored in Term One, including:

Exaggerating all of the consonants
Stressing the verbs
Stressing the final word in each sentence
Talking the script to a friend
Telling it like it’s the biggest, juiciest secret you’ve ever heard.

Conferences continue tomorrow. Presentations begin on Thursday.

Please have an up-to-date version of your script with you every day until you give your presentation.

Art: Drafts, including color-testing, are due tomorrow.

Also: what are your ideas about your Monster’s weaknesses? What strategies work for you when you are encountering the Monster? What advice would you offer someone else who was facing the same Monster?

HOMEWORK—February 14, 2025

The Subtle Knife: readers, please make sure that you do your prep this weekend (see the handout—also linked on the LA page of the blog), and make sure you have your marked-up script with you on Tuesday.

NOTE: No School on Monday (Family Day). This might be a great weekend to put in time on our on-going items, so that you can meet the due dates with confidence and without stress.

On-Going:

Final copy due Friday.

Socials: recall: we’re moving beyond gathering simple facts now; we’re using our curiosity to drive us into a deep understanding of our person’s skills and experiences.

If you met with me to share your Science notes, how are applying that feedback to your Socials notes? Do you remember the feedback?? (If no, ask me.)

Conferences begin in less than two weeks.

Science: practicing speaking your text out loud—to get a sense of the timing, and to focus on clarity of communication. What feedback did you receive on your Socials presentation last term? How are you applying that feedback?

Conferences continue Tuesday. Presentations begin on Thursday.

Art: Title sheet due Tuesday. Drafts, including color-testing, are due Wednesday.

HOMEWORK—February 13, 2025

NOTE: Early dismissal tomorrow: 1:47 p.m. Please make sure your family is aware of this.

Spirit Day: dress fancy and earn a point for your House Team!

On-Going: spend about 30-45 focused minutes
on one (or divided between two) of these projects tonight:

Reflection: Full draft due tomorrow. Have you addressed all of the bullet points for each of the two questions?

If you have a printer at home, please print out a copy of your draft and bring it in with you tomorrow.

Socials: recall: we’re moving beyond gathering simple facts now; we’re using our curiosity to drive us into a deep understanding of our person’s skills and experiences.

If you met with me to share your Science notes, how are applying that feedback to your Socials notes? Do you remember the feedback?? (If no, ask me.)

Conferences begin in less than two weeks.

Conferences continue tomorrow.

Art: moving into drafting; exploring options.

Title sheet due Monday.

HOMEWORK—February 12, 2025

On-Going: spend about 30-45 focused minutes
on one (or divided between two) of these projects tonight:

Reflection: you are now your own Socials research topic—what stories can you tell you help future researchers understand what it is/was like to be you in Term Two?

Full draft due Friday.

Socials: recall: we’re moving beyond gathering simple facts now; we’re using our curiosity to drive us into a deep understanding of our person’s skills and experiences.

If you met with me to share your Science notes, how are applying that feedback to your Socials notes?

Conferences begin in less than two weeks.

Science: following through on the “next step” you shared after your group meeting. How can you clearly communicate these fascinating but complex ideas to your peers?

Conferences continue tomorrow.

Art: moving into drafting; exploring options.

Title sheet due Monday.

HOMEWORK—February 11, 2025

On-Going: spend about 30-45 focused minutes
on one (or divided between two) of these projects tonight:

Reflection: how are you embracing the story-telling aspect of this work? Have you reviewed the feedback you received on your first reflection? What steps are you taking to apply that feedback?

Full draft due Friday.

Socials: What important objects does/did your person interact with in their career or other parts of their life? What are the details of those objects? How do they work?

Conferences begin in less than two weeks.

Science: following through on the “next step” you shared after your group meeting.

Conferences continue tomorrow.

Art: practice drawing you, your monster, and the details of your setting—a lot.

And a Grade 6/7 Reminder: please make sure you are showering and changing clothes every day 🙂

HOMEWORK—February 10, 2025

The Subtle Knife: reader, please make sure that you do your prep this weekend (see the handout—also linked on the LA page of the blog), and make sure you have your marked-up script with you tomorrow.

On-Going: spend about 30-45 focused minutes
on one (or divided between two) of these projects tonight:

Reflection: how are you embracing the story-telling aspect of this work? Have you reviewed the feedback you received on your first reflection? What steps are you taking to apply that feedback?

Full draft due Friday.

Socials: What important objects does your person interact with every day? What are the details of those objects? How do they work?

Conferences begin in less than two weeks

Science: following through on the “next step” you shared after your group meeting.

Conferences continue tomorrow.

Art: practice drawing you, your monster, and the details of your setting—a lot.

HOMEWORK—February 7, 2025

On-Going:
spend about 45 focused minutes on one (or two) of these projects this weekend:

Reflection: completing your web with “Growth” and “Challenge” (or “Stuck”) sub-topics, and brainstorming examples you might use in each category. If you have completed the web, you can start your draft. Have you reviewed the feedback you received on your first reflection?

Full draft due Friday.

Socials: Your goal is to have a 360° understanding of your person, so that you can understand how and why they did the things they did. How does that idea inform your next steps for your research?

Are you aware of the requirements for the different types of sources? Have you been the public library for books and/or documentaries?

Conferences begin in two weeks

Science: following through on the “next step” you shared after your group meeting.

Conferences continue next week.

Art: practice drawing you, your monster, and the details of your setting—a lot.

Strong Suggestion: keep the above items in rotation.

HOMEWORK—February 6, 2025

The Subtle Knife: reader, please make sure that you do your prep tonight (see the handout—also linked on the LA page of the blog), and make sure you have your marked-up script with you on Tuesday.

On-Going: spend about 30-45 focused minutes on one of these projects tonight:

Reflection: completing your web with “Growth” and “Challenge” (or “Stuck”) sub-topics, and beginning to brainstorm examples you might use in each category. If you have completed the web, you can start your draft. Have you reviewed the feedback you received on your first reflection?

Are you aware of the requirements for the different types of sources? Have you been the public library for books and/or documentaries?

Science: following through on the “next step” you shared after your group meeting.

Art: practice drawing you, your monster, and the details of your setting—a lot.

HOMEWORK—February 5, 2025

There is no required homework tonight, aside from getting to bed at a reasonable hour so that you can arrive fully rested and ready to learn tomorrow morning.

Do remember these things, though:

French: your choices for the Décrivant d’autres personnes sheet (from last week) is due tomorrow.

Door Design: if you panel for the Door Design Challenge is not yet complete, that needs to be brought in when you return, if you were well enough to do the work at home.

The Subtle Knife: reader, please make sure that you’ve done your prep (see the handout—also linked on the LA page of the blog), and make sure you have your marked-up script with you tomorrow.

HOMEWORK—February 4, 2025

Whistlerers: Your family will have received an email yesterday outlining what will happen tomorrow. You need to be at Cap Hill at 5:40 a.m. Note: the school will be closed, so you will not be able to use the bathroom here.

Non-Whistlerers: school will begin at the regular time tomorrow.

***

On-Going: spend about 30-45 focused minutes on one (maybe the thing you didn’t do at all today in class?) of these assignments tonight:

Reflection: making a web with “Growth” and “Challenge” (or “Stuck”) sub-topics, and beginning to brainstorm examples you might use in each category.

Socials: Are you aware of the three Guiding Questions? How do they help you synthesize your learning? What do they tell you that you might need to do next, in terms of research?

Are you aware of the requirements for the different types of sources? Have you been the public library for books and/or documentaries?

Science: Phase 2 begins Wednesday—are you almost ready to start shaping a script to share your learning? Are you aware of how the content of your presentation will be assessed? What do you need to do, research-wise, in order to feel confident in your sharing?

Art: practice drawing you, your monster, and the details of your setting—a lot.

French: practicing the conjugation of être, and applying learning from today about matching adjectives to pronouns to the Décrivant d’autres personnes, which is due Thursday.

HOMEWORK—February 3, 2025

The Subtle Knife: readers, please make sure that you do your prep tonight (see the handout—also linked on the LA page of the blog), and make sure you have your marked-up script with you tomorrow.

Design Challenge: If your work is complete, then you’ll need to complete the last section of the handout. Recall, these “noticings” can be about the work and/or about your approach to the work, or any part of the bullet points on the first page of the assignment outline.

If your work isn’t complete, get on it!

On-Going: spend about 30-45 focused minutes on one (maybe the thing you didn’t do at all today in class?) of these assignments tonight:

Socials: Are you aware of the three Guiding Questions? How do they help you synthesize your learning? What do they tell you that you might need to do next, in terms of research?

Are you aware of the requirements for the different types of sources? Have you been the public library for books and/or documentaries?

Art: practice drawing you, your monster, and the details of your setting—a lot.

French: practicing the conjugation of être, and applying learning from today about matching adjectives to pronouns to the Décrivant d’autres personnes, which is due Thursday.

HOMEWORK—January 31, 2025

Design Challenge: for those who are not yet finished, that will be extra homework for the weekend—make sure you are following the criteria and tracking changes/adjustments in your iteration log.

If your work is complete, then you’ll need to complete the last section of the handout for Monday. Recall, these “noticings” can be about the work and/or about your approach to the work, or any part of the bullet points on the first page of the assignment outline.

***

On-Going: spend about 30-45 focused minutes on one (or divided between two) of these assignments this weekend:

Socials: Continue to look for those rich sources—autobiographies, biographies, interviews, documentaries—rather than doing quick Google searches.

Are you aware of the three Guiding Questions?

Art: if you have not already done so, finalize the process of considering what real-life struggle you will explore with this project and what monster is the best metaphor to represent the thing you find yourself struggling with. Do you have some good images to work with, for this monster?

For those whom I spoke with earlier this week: what lies underneath the action? What feelings lead to avoidance? What thoughts create those feelings? Might that be the monster?

Advice: practice drawing you and your monster interacting—as we did today—a lot.

French: practicing the conjugation of être, and applying learning from today about matching adjectives to pronouns to the Décrivant d’autres personnes, which is due Thursday.

HOMEWORK—January 30, 2025

For the Sickies at Home: if you are well enough, consider putting some time into your Socials and Science research (following the criteria); and/or practice drawing your monster; and/or practice French. And/or SLEEP!

Design Challenge: we only have the optional ½ hour tomorrow to complete this task. What does that mean you need to do tonight to meet the criteria and be proud of your work? Do you need to trim your Plan A to produce a doable Plan B?

How do you celebrate the person you are representing? How do you make them proud?

And don’t forget to be active with your iteration log (it forms part of your ADST assessment).

For those whom I spoke with earlier this week: what lies underneath the action? What feelings lead to avoidance? What thoughts create those feelings? Might that be the monster?

Advice: practice drawing you and your monster interacting—as we did today—a lot.

French: practicing the conjugation of être, and the new vocab explored this week. The Décrire les personnages de la chanson “Au bal masque” sheet is due tomorrow.

HOMEWORK—January 29, 2025

Design Challenge: we have ½ hour tomorrow, and an optional ½ on Friday to complete this task. What does that mean you need to do tonight to meet the criteria and be proud of your work? Do you need to trim your Plan A to produce a doable Plan B?

How do you celebrate the person you are representing? How do you make them proud?

And don’t forget to be active with your iteration log (it forms part of your ADST assessment).

Spirit Day: wear black and yellow tomorrow to win points for your team!

For those whom I spoke with today: what lies underneath the action? What feelings lead to avoidance? What thoughts create those feelings? Might that be the monster?

Advice: practice drawing you and your monster interacting—as we did today—a lot.

French: practicing the conjugation of être, and the new vocab shared today. The Décrire les personnages de la chanson “Au bal masque” sheet is due Friday.

HOMEWORK—January 28, 2025

In honor of the Lunar New Year, there is no official homework tonight. 谢谢您，善良仁慈的大脑教授……

But, if you are feeling behind with any of our project work and find yourself without obligations tonight, consider making a goal journal-like entry for yourself in your comp book and use the time to relieve some stress and get things done.

HOMEWORK—January 27, 2025

On-Going: spend about 45 focused minutes on one (or divided between two) of these assignments tonight:

Socials: Continue to look for those rich sources—autobiographies, biographies, interviews, documentaries—rather than doing quick Google searches.

If I asked you what the criteria for note-taking is, would you be able to answer?

Art: if you have not already done so, finalize the process of considering what real-life struggle you will explore with this project and what monster is the best metaphor to represent the thing you find yourself struggling with. Recall: you will need to explain—in detail—why this monster is the perfect choice to represent how the real-life struggle attacks you and/or makes you feel.

For those whom I spoke with today: what lies underneath the action? What feelings lead to avoidance? What thoughts create those feelings? Might that be the monster?

French: practicing the conjugation of être, and the new vocab shared today. The Décrire les personnages de la chanson “Au bal masque” sheet is due Friday.

HOMEWORK—January 24, 2025

Art: please complete the Monster Art survey form for Monday.

On-Going: spend about 45 focused minutes on one (or divided between two) of these assignments this weekend:

Science: have you googled your topic and TEDTalk?

Socials: Continue to look for those rich sources—autobiographies, biographies, interviews, documentaries—rather than doing quick Google searches.

If I asked you what the criteria for note-taking is, would you be able to answer?

Art: finalizing the process of considering what real-life struggle you will explore with this project and what monster is the best metaphor to represent the thing you find yourself struggling with. Recall: you will need to explain—in detail—why this monster is the perfect choice to represent how the real-life struggle attacks you and/or makes you feel.

French: practicing the conjugation of être, and review the vocab learned in Term One—consider 5-10 minutes, 2-3 times a week.

HOMEWORK—January 23, 2025

On-Going: spend about 30 focused minutes on one (or divided between two) of these tonight:

Science: recall how you are being assessed in terms of the content you are sharing with us—what does the project outline say? Ignore the idea of visuals for now, but do focus on the other two aspects as you continue your exploration.

Socials: Continue to look for those rich sources—autobiographies, biographies, interviews, documentaries—rather than doing quick Google searches.

If I asked you what the criteria for note-taking is, would you be able to answer?

Art: continuing the process of considering what real-life struggle you will explore with this project and what monster is the best metaphor to represent the thing you find yourself struggling with. Recall: you will need to explain—in detail—why this monster is the perfect choice to represent how the real-life struggle attacks you and/or makes you feel.

French: practicing the conjugation of être, and review the vocab learned in Term One—consider 5-10 minutes, 2-3 times a week.

HOMEWORK—January 22, 2025

Reading: Use the assignment outline to help shape your approach to analyzing the letters of John Parry. Spend 30 minutes here tonight. Aim to be detailed and specific. Due tomorrow.

On-Going: spend about 30 focused minutes on one (or divided between two) of these tonight:

Socials: Continue to look for those rich sources—autobiographies, biographies, interviews, documentaries—rather than doing quick Google searches.

If I asked you what the criteria for note-taking is, would you be able to answer?

Art: begin the process of considering what real-life struggle you will explore with this project and what monster is the best metaphor to represent the thing you find yourself struggling with.

French: practicing the conjugation of être, and review the vocab learned in Term One—consider 5-10 minutes, 2-3 times a week.

HOMEWORK—January 21, 2025

Reading: Use the assignment outline to help shape your approach to analyzing the letters of John Parry. Spend 30 minutes here tonight. Aim to be detailed and specific. Due Thursday.

Optional: if you are feeling behind—or just really motivated—with your Socials and/or Science research and you have free time this evening, consider spending a little time here tonight, being mindful of the criteria for note-taking.

HOMEWORK—January 20, 2025

On-Going:

Tonight, spend 30-45 focused minutes on either Socials or Science (or on both!), being mindful of the note-taking criteria. Consider setting a goal journal-like goal for yourself, to help focus your efforts.

Did you look up you two topics on the public library website? Do you have a plan with your family to order and pick up these resources?

Optional: you might consider checking out the NewsHour tonight to see how the inauguration went today in the U.S.

HOMEWORK—January 17, 2025

On-Going:

This weekend, spend 45 focused minutes on either Socials or Science (or on both!), being mindful of the note-taking criteria. Consider setting a goal journal-like goal for yourself, to help focus your efforts.

Socials: go to the Burnaby Public Library website and enter in the name of your research figure. Are there any books or film available? If no, try the Vancouver Public Library. If your family is not able to pick up books from the VPL but there is something you are interested in, let me know and I might be able to order it for you.

Science: recall learning from Term One: a great use of AI is to copy complicated texts about complicated topics, paste it into AI, and ask AI to rewrite at a grade 7 reading level.

Does your group have a way of contacting each other and sharing info?

HOMEWORK—January 16, 2025

Socials: we will play charades with the Black History vocab terms tomorrow, so you might want to review the list before then, if you want to win!

On-Going:

Tonight, spend 30-45 focused minutes on either Socials or Science, being mindful of the note-taking criteria. Consider setting a goal journal-like goal for yourself, to help focus your efforts.

Socials: recall: instead of doing quick, targeted research (i.e. googling “Shirley Jones family”) choose larger, more comprehensive sources and use those sources to gather the information on the checklist (today, we looked at using the NewsHour, Guardian, and NPR search windows to look for articles and interviews). This will naturally lead you to a deeper understanding of the person whom you are exploring.

Note: if you find articles on nytimes.com that look interesting and you don’t have an account, send the url(s) to me in an email and I can print them out for you.

Science: recall learning from Term One: a great use of AI is to copy complicated texts about complicated topics, paste it into AI, and ask AI to rewrite at a grade 7 reading level.

Forms: is your report card envelope in? Grade 7s, have you returned the high school survey?

HOMEWORK—January 15, 2025

Socials: we will play charades with the Black History vocab terms on Friday, so you might want to review the list before then, if you want to win!

Socials: recall what was discussed today in class: instead of doing quick, targeted research (i.e. googling “Shirley Jones family”) choose larger, more comprehensive sources and use those sources to gather the information on the checklist (today, we looked at using the NewsHour, Guardian, and NPR search windows to look for articles and interviews). This will naturally lead you to a deeper understanding of the person whom you are exploring.

Note: if in your searches you find articles on nytimes.com that look interesting and you don’t have an account, send the url(s) to me in an email (following proper email etiquette, natch) and I can print them out for you.

On-Going:

Tonight, spend 30 focused minutes on either Socials or Science, being mindful of the note-taking criteria. Consider setting a goal journal-like goal for yourself, to help focus your efforts.

Grade 7s: please consult with your family and complete the high school options survey, and return your sheet to me tomorrow.

HOMEWORK—January 14, 2025

Socials: if you have not yet finished your Black History vocab sheet—aiming for specificity—please do that tonight and bring the sheet in with you tomorrow.

Sketchnoting: go back to the Verbal to Visual Youtube page and watch and sketchnote from another tutorial video of your choice. Make sure you have all of your sketchnote work with you tomorrow.

HOMEWORK—January 13, 2025

Socials: 30 focused minutes here tonight, using your checklist and the project outline to guide your approach. Spending meaningful time with this project each day will decrease future stress and increase future success and happiness.

Are you clear about the criteria for note-taking?

Science: bring your handout with your Top Three choices identified in with you tomorrow.

HOMEWORK—January 10, 2025

Socials: 30 focused minutes here this this weekend, using your checklist and the project outline to guide your approach. Remember learning from the Brain Project: it’s the early steps with big projects that really count—getting into the habit of spending time with the work each day helps save you time and stress further down the road.

Recall: you have until Monday to change your mind about your research subject; if you change your mind, it needs to be a person from the list who has not already been chosen.

Science: spend some time with the topics handout, working to identify your Top Three choices.

The Subtle Knife: readers, please make sure that you do your prep tonight (see the handout—also linked on the LA page of the blog), and make sure you have your marked-up script with you on Tuesday.

Forms: if you have not yet brought back the first page of the (blue) Whistler form, it is now late and must be in on Monday. Please keep the second page for your reference.

D&D Club hopefuls: please have your survey form back on Monday, too.

YPC: we have our second YPC on Monday afternoon.

HOMEWORK—January 9, 2025

Socials: 30 focused minutes here tonight, starting at the beginning of the checklist.

Recall: you have until Monday to change your mind about your research subject; if you change your mind, it needs to be a person from the list who has not already been chosen.

Forms: if you have not yet returned your (signed) report card envelope, please do so ASAP.

The first page of the (blue) Whistler form is due tomorrow. Please keep the second page for your reference.

Grade 7s: check with your family: they will (hopefully) have received emails about the open houses at Alpha (January 30, 5:30 – 7:00) and Burnaby North (January 22, 7:00 – 8:15).

Skating: dress for ice skating (it can get cold on the rink, so you might want a scarf and some gloves. If you are bringing your own skates, don’t forget to pack them!

HOMEWORK—January 8, 2025

Sketchnoting: go to the Verbal to Visual Youtube page and choose another video to explore (or search online for other sketchnoting [or visual note-taking] resources). Watch the video and sketchnote the information in your comp book. Bring this in to share with others tomorrow.

Forms: if you have not yet returned your (signed) report card envelope, please do so ASAP.

The first page of the (blue) Whistler form is due Friday. Please keep the second page for your reference.

Grade 7s: check with your family: they will (hopefully) have received emails about the open houses at Alpha (January 30, 5:30 – 7:00) and Burnaby North (January 22, 7:00 – 8:15).

HOMEWORK—January 7, 2025

Ways of Being: look through the list or web you made last night (if you were an obedient child). Which ideas truly represent something that you really struggle with every time you come up against it; something that, in real life, often prevents you from success or from being the person whom you want to be? Identify those ideas; or, add to your list or web.

Sketchnoting: go to the Verbal to Visual Youtube page and choose a video to explore (or search online for other sketchnoting [or visual note-taking] resources). What the video and sketchnote the information in your comp book. Bring this in to share with others tomorrow.

Socials: you need to have narrowed down your interests to a Top Five or Top Seven list for tomorrow.

Field Trips: if you are planning on joining us for skating on Friday, you must return your signed permission form tomorrow.

Whistler: the first page of the form is due Friday.

HOMEWORK—January 6, 2025

Ways of Being: what are particular thoughts or actions that you find yourself slipping into regularly that do not end up leading to happiness or success? What are ways of being that you find yourself coming up against and struggling with often?

Make a list or a web in your comp book.

Socials: as outlined in the Winter Break homework, continue the process of exploring the (Non-Exhaustive) List of Influential Figures from Black History, narrowing down your interests to a Top Five or Top Seven list.

Skating: if you have not yet handed in your permission form and are planning on coming with us on Friday, you’ll need to do that ASAP.

Läxa – December 19, 2024

Career: If you have not yet completed the eight questions in the graphic organizer, using your web and the self-assessments as resources do so tonight. Aim to be honest and specific.

Spirit Days: remember, you can win points for your House by wearing your PJs on Friday. Recall, too, that tomorrow you will need to bring a plate, cup, and utensils in a bag for the Pancake Breakfast.

Secret Santa: if you are participating, don’t forget your gift!

Electronics: if you would be upset if it got broken, don’t bring it in.

Library: any items borrowed from the class library will need to be returned tomorrow.

गृहकार्य – December 18, 2024

Career: complete the eight questions in the graphic organizer, using your web and the self-assessments as resources. Aim to be honest and specific.

Spirit Days: remember, you can win points for your House by wearing an ugly sweater tomorrow and your PJs on Friday. Recall, too, that Friday you will need to bring a plate, cup, and utensils in a bag for the Pancake Breakfast.

Secret Santa: if you are participating and you haven’t found your gift yet, make sure you talk to your family! (And remember the spending limit.)

Library: any items borrowed from the class library will need to be returned by Friday.

homeWORK – December 17, 2024

Joni Mitchell: if you wanted more time to complete “River” drawing, take that time tonight.

Career: as discussed in class, begin the process of generating ideas about the eight questions in the graphic organizer, using your web and the self-assessments as resources. Aim to be honest and specific.

hOmEwOrK – December 16, 2024

Joni Mitchell: if you haven’t completed your analysis of the lyrics of “River,” please make sure you do that tonight (instructions below – Dec. 13). Make sure you have your notes with you tomorrow.

Career: In your comp book, make a web:

Big Idea – Work Habits

Sub-topics – Small Group Discussions and Work Blocks

Sub-sub-topics (branching off of each Sub-topic) – Helps and Hinderances.

Think back over your experiences working with your discussion groups and during work blocks since September. Add details to each sub-sub-topic. Try to do it for-reals.

HoMeWoRk – December 13, 2024

Joni Mitchell: Read the lyrics to Joni Mitchell’s song “River” and make notes (write or draw, or write and draw) on the page about the following:

What do you think this song is about?
How does it relate to your life and experiences?
What images are particularly vivid for you?
If you consider these lyrics a poem, what do you notice about structure and the development of images and themes?

Also: go here and scroll down the page and notice how many people have covered this song—why do you think that is so?

Optional: read one of the articles linked in the “Related Articles” section. How does this change the way you think about the song?

HOMEWORK – December 12, 2024

D&C: Look back through the three The Mind of a Chef graphic organizers. Choose one idea that you’d be interested in exploring the why and/or how of. Spend about 20-30 minutes exploring possible answers through online investigation. Record your findings in your comp book and bring those ideas in to share tomorrow.

HOMEWORK – December 11, 2024

Choose your own adventure:

Path One: watch an election-related NewsHour segment of your choice from any episode from the past two weeks. Come in with news to share with us.

Path Two: read a book of your choice for at least twenty minutes. Come in with something you liked about the writing to share with us.

HOMEWORK – December 10, 2024

Food Bank: consider those who are less fortunate than yourself: what canned or dried item might you bring in to share with families that are going through hard times? Tomorrow is your last opportunity to do this at school.

The Golden Compass: readers, please make sure you do your prep tonight and bring your marked-up script in with you tomorrow (instructions are on the LA page, if you’ve lost your copy).

Creative Mindset: chose an object from home, find a timer, put yourself in a quiet space, remove distractions (human and non-human), and complete the below exercise.

HOMEWORK – December 9, 2024

D&C: Who is Gabrielle Hamilton?

HOMEWORK – December 6, 2024

Food Bank: consider those who are less fortunate than yourself: what canned or dried item might you bring in to share with families that are going through hard times?

The Golden Compass: readers, please make sure you do your prep tonight and bring your marked-up script in with you on Monday (instructions are on the LA page, if you’ve lost your copy).

Language Arts: please watch the two videos below. As you watch, consider them through the lens of Depth and Complexity – you might want to bring out the handout with the D&C icons and explanations and take a quick reread to refresh your memory before you view the videos. Come in with three ideas to share about how the content of the videos relates to one or more of the icons.

HOMEWORK – December 5, 2024

Food Bank: consider those who are less fortunate than yourself: what canned or dried item might you bring in to share with families that are going through hard times?

Depth and Complexity: please read the handout to refresh your memory of the general idea behind each icon. Come in with questions tomorrow.

Socials: Compare your work against the criteria. Have you forgotten anything important? How are you clearly sharing your ideas? What specific details are you using? Have you clearly identified where you have shifted from sharing facts to sharing opinions? Are your opinions supported by facts? Due tomorrow.

What does it mean to take pride in your work?

French: if you had your conference today, congratulate yourself for being brave

HOMEWORK – December 4, 2024

Food Bank: consider those who are less fortunate than yourself: what canned or dried item might you bring in to share with families that are going through hard times?

The Golden Compass: readers, please make sure you do your prep tonight and bring your marked-up script in with you tomorrow (instructions are on the LA page of the class blog, if you’ve lost them).

On-going Items:

Socials: Use the green outline as a checklist.

Remember to keep the criteria at the front of your mind. Due Friday.

What does it mean to take pride in your work?

French: if you had your conference today, congratulate yourself for being brave; if you didn’t, continue actively practicing the vocab we have learned so far; using the text-to-speech app on the blog to help us with our pronunciation.

HOMEWORK – December 3, 2024

Food Bank: consider those who are less fortunate than yourself: what canned or dried item might you bring in to share with families that are going through hard times?

On-going Items:

Socials: Use the green outline as a checklist.

Remember to keep the criteria at the front of your mind. Due Friday.

HOMEWORK – December 2, 2024

Joni Mitchell: if you wanted more time to complete your “The Circle Game” response, do that tonight.

Food Bank: consider those who are less fortunate than yourself: what canned or dried item might you bring in to share with families that are going through hard times?

On-going Items:

Socials: Use the green outline as a checklist. Take your time with each step. Remember that you have a lot of the thinking already done—all of the note-taking you have done in a variety of formats—what we’re doing here is bringing it together, noticing Patterns and Trends, and then applying critical thinking skills to share ideas about why.

Remember to keep the criteria at the front of your mind. Due Friday.

French: actively practicing the vocab we have learned so far; using the text-to-speech app on the blog to help us with our pronunciation.

HOMEWORK – November 29, 2024

Joni Mitchell: Read the lyrics to Joni Mitchell’s song “The Circle Game” and make notes (write or draw, or write and draw) on the page about the following:

What do you think this song is about?
How does it relate to your life and experiences?
What images are particularly vivid for you? What makes them vivid?
If you consider these lyrics a poem, what do you notice about structure and the development of images and themes?

Due Monday.

Optional: go here and scroll down to read the “Footnotes to The Circle Game” and add ideas to your notes.

Food Bank: consider those who are less fortunate than yourself: what canned or dried item might you bring in to share with families that are going through hard times?

The Golden Compass: readers, please make sure you do your prep tonight and bring your marked-up script in with you Monday (instructions are on the LA page of the class blog, if you’ve lost them).

On-going Items:

Remember to keep the criteria at the front of your mind. Due Friday.

French: actively practicing the vocab we have learned so far; using the text-to-speech app on the blog to help us with our pronunciation.

HOMEWORK – November 28, 2024

YPC: remember that the bus leaves at 9:05, so do your best to be on time so that you don’t get left behind. Please remember the expectations that we discussed today.

Food Bank: consider those who are less fortunate than yourself: what canned or dried item might you bring in to share with families that are going through hard times?

Socials: Use the green outline as a checklist. Take your time with each step. Remember that you have a lot of the thinking already done—all of the note-taking you have done in a variety of formats—what were doing here is bringing it together, noticing Patterns and Trends, and then applying critical thinking skills to share ideas about why.

Remember to keep the criteria at the front of your mind. Due next Friday.

French: actively practicing the vocab we have learned so far; using the text-to-speech app on the blog to help us with our pronunciation.

Reflections: remind your family that their homework is due tomorrow.

HOMEWORK – November 27, 2024

Food Bank: consider those who are less fortunate than yourself: what canned or dried item might you bring in to share with families that are going through hard times?

The Golden Compass: readers, please make sure you do your prep tonight and bring your marked-up script in with you tomorrow (instructions are on the LA page of the class blog, if you’ve lost them).

Socials: Use the green outline as a checklist. Take your time with each step. Remember that you have a lot of the thinking already done—all of the note-taking you have done in a variety of formats—what were doing here is bringing it together, noticing Patterns and Trends, and then applying critical thinking skills to share ideas about why.

Remember to keep the criteria at the front of your mind. Due next Friday.

French: actively practicing the vocab we have learned so far; using the text-to-speech app on the blog to help us with our pronunciation.

Reflection: if you have not yet completed your reflection, what is your plan for tonight?

Science: If you have not yet completed your lapbook, what is your plan for tonight? Remember that you also need to complete the reflection page and your self-assessment on the rubric.

HOMEWORK – November 26, 2024

Food Bank: consider those who are less fortunate than yourself: what canned or dried item might you bring in to share with families that are going through hard times?

Socials: Use the green outline as a checklist. Take your time with each step. Remember that you have a lot of the thinking already done—all of the note-taking you have done in a variety of formats—what were doing here is bringing it together, noticing Patterns and Trends, and then applying critical thinking skills to share ideas about why.

Remember to keep the criteria at the front of your mind.

French: actively practicing the vocab we have learned so far; using the text-to-speech app on the blog to help us with our pronunciation.

Reflection: if you have not yet completed your reflection, what is your plan for tonight?

Science: If you have not yet completed your lapbook, what is your plan for tonight? Remember that you also need to complete the reflection page and your self-assessment on the rubric.

HOMEWORK – November 25, 2024

Socials: Use the green outline as a checklist. Take your time with each step. Remember that you have a lot of the thinking already done—all of the note-taking you have done in a variety of formats—what were doing here is bringing it together, noticing Patterns and Trends, and then applying critical thinking skills to share ideas about why.

Remember to keep the criteria at the front of your mind.

French: actively practicing the vocab we have learned so far; using the text-to-speech app on the blog to help us with our pronunciation.

Reflection: if you have not yet completed your reflection, what is your plan for tonight?

Everyone else: don’t forget to give the reflection forms to your family.

Science: If you have not yet completed your lapbook, what is your plan for tonight? Remember that you also need to complete the reflection page and your self-assessment on the rubric.

HOMEWORK – November 21, 2024

Tonight’s Homework: for those of you who have completed your lapbook, what is the last item on the Phase Three checklist?

If you have not yet completed your lapbook, what is your plan for tonight? Remember that you also need to complete the reflection page and your self-assessment on the rubric.

FRIDAY

As discussed, there is no school for students tomorrow, but unbelievably, I am required to put in a full day of work. Fairness would suggest that you should be working, too, but in an awe-inspiring manifestation of my supreme benevolence, I ask that you only put in a half-day (“Oh, thank you, Professor Great Brain. Whatever did we do to deserve such mercy?”).

Art: You did such an amazing job with your last Joni Mitchell artwork, I’d love to see another! Remember how Lynda Barry talked about copying being one of the best ways to improve your drawing skills, and how it can be fun to feel someone else’s “line” inside your hand? With that in mind, you are going to copy another painting by Joni Mitchell. Plan to spend about one hour on this.

Please go to jonimitchell.com and then click on the “Painting” tab. (You can also look at the paintings she did for her album covers.)Take some time to explore her paintings (there are some quick links at the bottom of the page, and/or you can explore by decade). Find a painting that calls to you, for whatever reason. If the image is small, you might consider using Google images to find a larger version, as we discussed in class.

Draw a page-sized frame in your comp book or on a blank piece of paper and begin to copy the painting.

Lynda Barry’s incredible advice about copying: don’t think, “I am copying a drawing – this is the nose, these are the eyes,” etc. Instead, think of the image as a collection of lines, each with a spatial relationship to the others. Where does this line start? Where does the next line begin? Think of it like a map.

When you are finished copying, add color. What do you notice about her use of color? How can you approximate the effects?

Apply pliable awareness while you draw and color.

Consider entering “Joni Mitchell” into Youtube and finding a playlist of her songs. Listen while you copy and color, for inspiration.

Reflection: spend about one hour here. Take a look at the Pullman Challenge section of the outline: what are you doing to embrace that aspect of the assignment? And ask yourself, Am I using my examples as opportunities to tell short stories, with me as the hero?

Recall our discussion about formatting: plain fonts (like Times New Roman, Calibri, or Arial), 12- or 14-point font, standard margins.

Socials: spend about one hour here. Use the green outline as a checklist. Take your time with each step.

What did you learn from our Science project that you can apply here? Hint: it’s the early steps that make all the difference. Hint #2: use the criteria to shape your approach; check in with the criteria often.

HOMEWORK—November 20, 2024

On-Going (what do you need to do tonight to meet the due dates in a relaxed way?):

Reflection: apply the feedback you received today. You don’t have to use every piece of advice you received; but you do need to consider why you received the feedback. Final drafts are due Monday.

What are you doing to embrace the Pullman Challenge?

Science: Use the rubric, the checklist, and the outline to help you shape your work. Lapbooks are due tomorrow—this includes the self-assessment on the rubric and the reflection questions.

French: practicing the vocab we have explored so far.

Socials: using checklist in the green assignment outline to shape your approach. What did you learn from project management with the brain lapbook that you can apply here?

No school (for students) on Friday—but I am expected to be here, working hard, so plan for a half-day of work at home (fair is fair…)

HOMEWORK—November 19, 2024

The Golden Compass: please use the character read-aloud outline to help you do your prep, and make sure you have your marked-up script with you tomorrow.

Socials: make sure you have the NewsHour graphic organizer you’d like to submit for assessment with you tomorrow.

On-Going (what do you need to do tonight to meet the due dates in a relaxed way?):

Science: Use the rubric, the checklist, and the outline to help you shape your work. Lapbooks are due Thursday.

Remember: focus on one aspect at a time; set short-term goals, as in, “Finish ______ tonight.”

French: practicing the vocab we have explored so far.

Socials: finishing Step One in the outline; starting Step Two.

Sports Day Teams: tomorrow, dress like an athlete and win points for your team.

No school (for students) on Friday—but I am expected to be here, working hard, so plan for a half-day of work at home (fair is fair…)

HOMEWORK—November 18, 2024

The Golden Compass: please use the character read-aloud outline to help you do your prep, and make sure you have your marked-up script with you tomorrow.

Socials: you have done two NewsHour graphic organizers since you received feedback on your note-taking. Tonight, choose one of those to submit for assessment. But ask: do I need any of this information for my final project? If yes, write it down, or ask me to give you a photocopy.

On-Going (what do you need to do tonight to meet the due dates in a relaxed way?):

Science: Use the rubric, the checklist, and the outline to help you shape your work. Lapbooks are due Thursday.

Remember: focus on one aspect at a time; set short-term goals, as in, “Finish ______ tonight.”

French: practicing the vocab we have explored so far.

Socials: beginning Step One in the outline; perhaps starting Step Two.

HOMEWORK—November 15, 2024

Socials: please read the assignment outline slowly and thoughtfully. Come in with questions on Monday.

On-Going (what do you need to do tonight to meet the due dates in a relaxed way?):

Reflection: using the assignment outline, the marking sheet, and your web to shape your work. Full rough draft is due Monday. If you have a printer at home, please print out a copy of your draft and bring it with you on Monday.

Science: Use the rubric, the checklist, and the outline to help you shape your work. Lapbooks are due Thursday. What do you need to do this weekend in order to finish the work on time, with pride?

Remember: focus on one aspect at a time; set short-term goals, as in, “Finish ______ tonight.”

French: practicing the vocab we have explored so far.

Socials: beginning Step One in the outline; perhaps starting Step Two.

HOMEWORK—November 14, 2024

On-Going (what do you need to do tonight to meet the due dates in a relaxed way?):

Reflection: using the assignment outline, the marking sheet, and your web to shape your work. Full rough draft is due Monday.

Science: Use the rubric, the checklist, and the outline to help you shape your work. Lapbooks are due November 21. What do you need to do tonight in order to finish the work on time, with pride?

Remember: focus on one aspect at a time; set short-term goals, as in, “Finish ______ tonight.”

French: practicing the vocab we have explored so far.

Socials: beginning the process of looking through your notes (comp book, Current Events graphic organizers, T-charts, levels of government graphic organizer) and considering the categories of the criteria:

How do the three levels of government work, separately and together?
How does the election process work in the U.S.?
What were the main issues at play in the election?
Why did it turn out the way that it did?
Optional: the potential short-term and long-term impacts of the election

HOMEWORK—November 13, 2024

The Golden Compass: readers, please do your prep tonight and bring your scripts in tomorrow.

On-Going (what do you need to do tonight to meet the due dates in a relaxed way?):

Reflection: using the assignment outline, the marking sheet, and your web to shape your work. Full rough draft is due Monday.

Remember: focus on one aspect at a time; set short-term goals, as in, “Finish ______ tonight.”

French: practicing the vocab we have explored so far.

How do the three levels of government work, separaely and together?
How does the election process work in the U.S.?
What were the main issues at play in the election?
Why did it turn out the way that it did?
Optional: the potential short-term and long-term impacts of the election

HOMEWORK—November 12, 2024

Socials: please make your final decision about whether you are working solo or with someone else, and what container you are using to demonstrate your learning.

Also, please bring in your final two NewsHour graphic organizers (from last Friday and the Friday before) tomorrow.

On-Going (what do you need to do tonight to meet the due dates in a relaxed way?):

Reflection: using the assignment outline, the marking sheet, and your web to shape your work. Full rough draft is due Monday.

Science: Use the rubric, the checklist, and the outline to help you shape your work. Lapbooks are due November 21.

French: practicing the vocab we have explored so far.

HOMEWORK—November 8, 2024

No School on Monday.

Tonight: choose an election-related segment from the NewsHour (from tonight or from Wednesday or Thursday) or watch tonight’s Washington Week, and record your ideas in your graphic organizer.

Before you start, review the feedback you received last week. How might you apply the feedback?

This Weekend:

Reflection: spend about 30 minutes here, using the assignment outline and your web to shape your work.

Science: Use the rubric, the checklist, and the outline to help you shape your work. Lapbooks are due November 21. What do you need to do with weekend in order to finish the work on time, with pride? The long weekend might be a good chance to get yourself caught up.

Socials: look through the “101 Ways to Show What You Know” handout. What might be a good option for you, to demonstrate your learning about the U.S. election and the U.S. government?

HOMEWORK—November 7, 2024

Reflection: spend about 20 minutes on this tonight.

Science: spend 25 minutes tonight on your project. Use the rubric, the checklist, and the outline to help you shape your work.

HOMEWORK—November 6, 2024

Reflection: please go through the non-exhaustive list of things we’ve done in class to date and put a star beside the items that you think you might use as examples of where you have grown, and put an X beside the items that you think you might use as examples of where you feel stuck.

Aim to have about 6-10 items in each category: growth and challenge.

Science: spend 30 focused minutes tonight on your project. Use the rubric, the checklist, and the outline to help you shape your work.

Socials: optional: watch a bit of the NewsHour tonight, to see how they debrief the election results.

HOMEWORK – November 5, 2024

ELECTION!

The day has finally arrived—fasten your seatbelt! Please allow for some meaningful news watching tonight.

If you do not have access to a TV at home, you can use this the Livenews link. On the right of that page, you’ll see links to MSNBC, Fox, and CNN. Also visit the NewsHour site and watch their live coverage. Spend time with each channel. What do you notice?

While you watch, have your comp book out and record your observations:

What’s happening?
How are you feeling?
What do you notice about how different sites/channels are reporting the election returns?

Remember to keep a close eye on the Electoral College count and the key races for control of the House and Senate and governorships. Use the handouts you received today to track these races.

An interactive to track key House races can be found here.

Use your Electoral Collage map to color in the states as the official results are called (some of these many not be called tonight). If you’d like to color in the Electoral College map online, use this link.

HOMEWORK – Nov. 4, 2024

Self-Regulation: How will you remember?

Socials: A reminder to talk to your family about keeping some of tomorrow evening free (like around 6:30/7:00 p.m. on), so that you can watch some of the election returns.

Science: spend 45 minutes on Phase 3 tonight, maybe more if you have succumbed to the Procrastination Monster. The checklist and the rubric are your friends. Lapbooks are due November 21.

Forms: don’t forget to give your family the form(s) you received today.

HOMEWORK – Nov. 1, 2024

Self-Regulation: How will you remember?

Socials: choose one election-related segment from any episode of the NewsHour from tonight or this past week—or tonight’s episode of Washington Week—and record your ideas in your graphic organizer. How might you incorporate the feedback your received today?

Socials: if you have not already done so, please complete your NYTimes T-chart this weekend and make sure you have access to it on Monday.

Also, a reminder to talk to your family about keeping some of this coming Tuesday evening free (like around 7:00 p.m. on), so that you can watch some of the election returns.

Science: spend 30-45 minutes on Phase 3 this weekend, maybe more if you have succumbed to the Procrastination Monster. The checklist and the rubric are your friends. Lapbooks are due November 21.

HOMEWORK – October 30, 2024

Self-Regulation: How will you remember?

Socials: if you have delivered your presentation, have you done the last item on the checklist?

Reading: please look up and record the definitions of the following words in your comp book:

Consul
Consulate

Socials: Please make sure you have your NYTimes t-chart notes with you tomorrow.

Also, if you are able, talk to your family about keeping some of this coming Tuesday evening free (like around 7:00 p.m. on), so that you can watch some of the election returns.

Science: spend 30-45 minutes on Phase 3 tonight. The checklist and the rubric are your friends. Lapbooks are due November 21.

Halloween: remember, with your costume, consider: will this be a traumatic experience for a kindergarten? And consider what we discussed regarding race, culture, and gender.

HOMEWORK – October 29, 2024

Self-Regulation: How will you remember?

The Golden Compass: Readers, please make sure you have your script with you tomorrow and that you have done your prep, as per the assignment outline (linked on the LA page of the blog, if you lost your copy).

Socials: if you have delivered your presentation, have you done the last item on the checklist?

If you are presenting tomorrow: practice! How are you going to remember to bring your final script and your loaded USB with you tomorrow?

Socials: please look up and record the definitions of the following words in your comp book:

Oligarchy
Autocracy
Totalitarianism
Fascism

Please make sure you have your NYTimes t-chart notes with you tomorrow.

Science: spend 30 minutes on Phase 3 tonight. The checklist and the rubric are your friends. Lapbooks are due November 21.

HOMEWORK – October 28, 2024

Self-Regulation: What do you need to do tomorrow so that you can walk in the room ready to learn and ready to regulate your voice and actions to suit the environment? How will you remember?

Seen and Heard: add one unexpected thing seen and one unexpected thing heard to your Seen and Heard lists, from your observations today/tonight.

Socials: if you have delivered your presentation, have you done the last item on the checklist?

If you are presenting tomorrow: practice! How are you going to remember to bring your final script and your loaded USB with you tomorrow?

Socials: please look up and record the definitions of the following words in your comp book:

Democracy
Republic
Monarchy
Populism

Science: spend about 30 minutes on Phase 3 tonight. The checklist and the rubric are your friends.

HOMEWORK – October 24, 2024

Tonight’s Homework: choose one segment that relates to the election from any of this week’s episodes of the NewsHour and make notes in your comp book, to add to your pool of knowledge for our final Socials project.

Optional: watch an election-related NewsHour segment on Friday, such as “Brooks and Capehart,” or watch Washington Week on Friday and add to your notes. If you do this, send me an email, following email etiquette, letting me know what you learned. This would be considered Extra Credit for Socials.

FRIDAY

As discussed, there is no school for students tomorrow, but as I am required to put in a full day of work, it seems only fair that you are also putting in some time. As you are smaller than I am, the amount of time is smaller too.

Art: Remember how Lynda Barry talked about copying being one of the best ways to improve your drawing skills, and how it can be fun to feel someone else’s “line” inside your hand? With that in mind, you are going to copy a painting by Joni Mitchell. Plan to spend about 45 minutes on this.

Please go to jonimitchell.com and then click on the “Painting” tab. Take some time to explore her paintings (there are some quick links at the bottom of the page, and/or you can explore by decade). Find a painting that calls to you, for whatever reason. If the image is small, you might consider using Google images to find a larger version, as we discussed in class.

Draw a page-sized frame in your comp book and begin to copy the painting.

When you are finished copying, add color. What do you notice about her use of color? How can you approximate the effects?

Apply pliable awareness while you draw and color.

Consider entering “Joni Mitchell” into Youtube and finding a playlist of her songs. Listen while you copy and color, for inspiration.

Science: using your checklist, the outline, and the rubric, spend one focused hour here. Recall: we are aiming to be finished with Phase 2 by Monday (although research continues, as needed).

Socials: you have chosen an election issue to explore in the New York Times article (linked on the Socials page of the blog). Please create a Word document with a T-chart, with your two columns labelled “Trump” and “Harris.” Explore your section of the article and record the candidate’s position on the issue(s). Spend about an hour here.

On a separate page (maybe in your comp book), make a note of questions that come up and/or that you don’t understand as you are reading.

Save your work. We will share these notes with each other next week.

HOMEWORK – October 23, 2024

Self-Regulation: What do you need to do tomorrow so that you can walk in the room ready to learn and ready to regulate your voice and actions to suit the environment? How will you remember?

Seen and Heard: add one unexpected thing seen and one unexpected thing heard to your Seen and Heard lists, from your observations today/tonight.

Socials: consult your checklist—what do you still need to do before tomorrow?

Keep the criteria firmly in mind as you finalize your script and your slides.

Practice → Confidence. Consider all of the ways of rehearsing the text that we have explored.

A few things to keep in mind:

Pace: if you speak too quickly, we won’t be able to follow your ideas—use your breath to help you stay calm so that you can have control over the speed
What are the key words in each sentence? Consider underlining them in your script
What is the last word in each sentence?
Eye contact: if you are able, try to land your key ideas in the audience rather than in your paper—this is where practice really helps

How are you going to remember to bring your final script and your loaded USB with you tomorrow?

Science: if you gained some inspiration from the images we looked at today, might it be a good idea to write the ideas down before you forget?

Grade 7s: hoodie order forms are due tomorrow.

HOMEWORK – October 22, 2024

Self-Regulation: What do you need to do tomorrow so that you can walk in the room ready to learn and ready to regulate your voice and actions to suit the environment? How will you remember?

Seen and Heard: add one unexpected thing seen and one unexpected thing heard to your Seen and Heard lists, from your observations today/tonight.

Socials: please make sure you have your Current Events graphic organizers with you tomorrow, including the one you have chosen to submit to receive feedback on.

On-Going—spend about 30 minutes on one of the following tonight (maybe more if you are feeling behind):

Socials: consult your checklist—what do you still need to do before Thursday?

Keep the criteria firmly in mind as you finalize your script and your slides.

Practice → Confidence. Consider all of the ways of rehearsing the text that we have explored.

Science: Your checklist is your friend, as is the rubric. Before, during, and after drafting each aspect of the project, look at the descriptors in the rubric.

What feedback did you receive from your conference? How are you applying the feedback?

You might want to aim to be finished with Phase 2 in one week (Monday).

French: practicing the vocab we have explored so far.

Grade 7s: hoodie order forms are due Thursday.

HOMEWORK – October 21, 2024

Self-Regulation: What do you need to do tomorrow so that you can walk in the room ready to learn and ready to regulate your voice and actions to suit the environment? How will you remember?

Seen and Heard: add one unexpected thing seen and one unexpected thing heard to your Seen and Heard lists, from your observations today/tonight.

Socials: look back through the Current Events graphic organizers you have completed. Choose one to submit for feedback.

On-Going—spend about 30 minutes on one of the following tonight (maybe more if you are feeling behind):

Socials: using the outline, the marking sheet, and the checklist to guide your approach.

Keep the criteria firmly in mind as you finalize your script and your slides.

Science: Your checklist is your friend, as is the rubric. Before, during, and after drafting each aspect of the project, look at the descriptors in the rubric.

What feedback did you receive from your conference? How are you applying the feedback?

You might want to aim to be finished with Phase 2 in one week (Monday).

French: practicing the vocab we have explored so far.

Grade 7s: hoodie order forms are due Thursday.

HOMEWORK – October 18, 2024

Self-Regulation: What do you need to do Monday morning so that you can walk in the room ready to learn and ready to regulate your voice and actions to suit the environment? How will you help yourself remember?

Seen and Heard: add one unexpected thing seen and one unexpected thing heard to your Seen and Heard lists, from your observations today/tonight.

Science: Conferences continue Monday. Please make sure you have all of your notes with you every day.

Math: complete one problem (Gr. 6s, as discussed, one word problem from the Multiplication section of the instruction packet), experimenting with following the criteria, in order:

Create a visual that:
1. Represents the nature of the problem; here, multiplication
2. Is labelled with the known information and identifies the unknown information
Identify, from the known and unknown information:
1. The # of groups
2. The # of things in each group
3. The total # of things
An estimate
A step-by-step problem-solving process, with all of your thinking represented—consider how you can make your thinking clear on the page
A double-check of your calculations
A full sentence answer, including units

Socials: use the graphic organizer to record ideas from a NewsHour segment of your choice (that is directly related to the U.S. election) from tonight or episodes from this past week, or from tonight’s episode of Washington Week. Remember that you have instructions on how to do this and a Tips sheet, too (linked on the class blog, if you have lost your copies).

Socials: presentations start on Thursday. Use your checklist to help with your prep. Please have a copy of your script with you on Monday – if you are able to print this out at home, please do so.

HOMEWORK – October 17, 2024

Self-Regulation: What do you need to do tomorrow so that you can walk in the room ready to learn and ready to regulate your voice and actions to suit the environment?

Seen and Heard: add one unexpected thing seen and one unexpected thing heard to your Seen and Heard lists, from your observations today/tonight.

Science: Conferences continue tomorrow. Please make sure you have all of your notes with you every day.

On-Going—spend about 30 minutes on one of the following tonight (maybe more if you are feeling behind):

Socials: using the outline, the marking sheet, and the checklist to guide your approach.

Look at the marking sheet: how are you being assessed? Let those Big Ideas help you edit your script.

Use your script to help you begin to think what images best support the text (consider rereading the advice in the assignment outline.

Science: Your checklist is your friend, as is the rubric. Before, during, and after drafting each aspect of the project, look at the descriptors in the rubric.

French: practicing the vocab we have explored so far.

HOMEWORK – October 16, 2024

Self-Regulation: as discussed today, our class continues to have a significant struggle with self-regulation, and this is slowly down our learning and creating tension in the room. What do you need to do tomorrow so that you can walk in the room ready to learn and ready to regulate your voice and actions to suit the environment?

Seen and Heard: add one unexpected thing seen and one unexpected thing heard to your Seen and Heard lists, from your observations today/tonight.

Science: Conferences continue tomorrow. Please make sure you have all of your notes with you every day.

On-Going—spend about 30 minutes on one of the following tonight (maybe more if you are feeling behind):

Socials: using the outline, the marking sheet, and the checklist to guide your approach.

If you do not yet have a full rough draft of your script, please make that your priority. Use your script to help you begin to think what images best support the text (consider rereading the advice in the assignment outline.

Look at the marking sheet: how are you being assessed? Let those Big Ideas guide your script-writing.

Science: Your checklist is your friend; use the links on the blog to explore possible interactives. Consider drafting each aspect and then choosing an interactive that best suits the material.

French: practicing the vocab we have explored so far.

HOMEWORK – October 15, 2024

Seen and Heard: add one unexpected thing seen and one unexpected thing heard to your Seen and Heard lists, from your observations today/tonight.

Div. 3 Town: look back at the ideas you generated today about positive ways of embracing the values that you identified as being useful for our class to explore.

Can you come up with positively framed statements of what we might be doing if we very embodying those ideals? What would it look like?

Spend about 10-15 minutes on this tonight and bring your ideas in to share tomorrow.

The Golden Compass: reader, please have your scripts with you Tuesday and make sure you have put in some time on your prep, using the assignment outline as your guide.

Science: Conferences continue tomorrow. Please make sure you have all of your notes with you every day.

On-Going—spend about 30 minutes on one of the following tonight (maybe more if you are feeling behind):

Socials: using the outline, the marking sheet, and the checklist to guide your approach.

You might be aiming to have a rough draft of your script written by tomorrow, so that you can begin to think what images best support the text. Look at the marking sheet: how are you being assessed? Let those Big Ideas guide your script-writing.

Science: Your checklist is your friend; use the links on the blog to explore possible interactives. Consider drafting each aspect and then choosing an interactive that best suits the material.

French: practicing the vocab we have explored so far.

HOMEWORK – October 11, 2024

NO SCHOOL MONDAY

Monday: find a private time with each member of your family and tell them something that you appreciate about them or that you are grateful for about them. In your comp book record:

Who it was
What you said
Their reaction
How you felt after

Seen and Heard: add one unexpected thing seen and one unexpected thing heard to your Seen and Heard lists, from your observations today/tonight. Saturday and Sunday are optional.

The Golden Compass: readers, please have your scripts with you Tuesday and make sure you have put in some time on your prep, using the assignment outline as your guide.

Socials: choose an article from NPR’s “Untangling Disinformation” series and use your Current Events graphic organizer to record your thoughts and opinions.

Science: Conferences continue Tuesday. Please make sure you have all of your notes with you every day.

On-Going—spend about 30 minutes on one of the following this weekend (maybe more if you are feeling behind):

Socials: using the outline, the marking sheet, and the checklist to guide your approach.

You might be aiming to have a rough draft of your script written by mid-next week, so that you can begin to think what images best support the text. Look at the marking sheet: how are you being assessed? Let those Big Ideas guide your script-writing.

Science: Your checklist is your friend; use the links on the blog to explore possible interactives. Consider drafting each aspect and then choosing an interactive that best suits the material.

HOMEWORK – October 10, 2024

Seen and Heard: add one unexpected thing seen and one unexpected thing heard to your Seen and Heard lists, from your observations today/tonight.

The Golden Compass: readers, please have your scripts with you tomorrow and make sure you have put in some time on your prep, using the assignment outline as your guide.

Socials: continue exploring the Electoral College ratings on the Cook Political Report. If we consider all of the Solid and Likely states as locked in, what possible paths do Harris and Trump have to win the White House? This will involve some math and testing out different combinations.

If you want to go further, you might look at some of the toss-up states and learn what is influencing voters in those places, and how each candidate is attempting to win them over.

We will spend several days on this task. Spend about 15 minutes here tonight.

Science: Conferences continue tomorrow. Please make sure you have all of your notes with you every day.

On-Going—what did you not do last night? Spend about 30 minutes on that tonight:

Socials: using the outline and the checklist to guide your approach.

You might be aiming to have a rough draft of your script written by mid-next week, so that you can begin to think what images best support the text. Remember: the purpose of your sharing is to help us understand the upcoming election better—let that Big Idea guide your script-writing.

Science: Your checklist is your friend; use the links on the blog to explore possible interactives.

Forms: Verification forms are now overdue.

HOMEWORK – October 9, 2024

Seen and Heard: add one unexpected thing seen and one unexpected thing heard to your Seen and Heard lists, from your observations today/tonight.

Socials: begin the process of exploring the Electoral College ratings on the Cook Political Report. If we consider all of the Solid and Likely states as locked in, what possible paths do Harris and Trump have to win the White House? This will involve some math and testing out different combinations.

If you want to go further, you might look at some of the toss-up states and learn what is influencing voters in those places, and how each candidate is attempting to win them over.

We will spend several days on this task. Spend about 15 minutes here tonight.

French: please review your letters and numbers.

Science: Conferences continue tomorrow. Please make sure you have all of your notes with you every day.

On-Going—what did you not do last night? Spend about 30 minutes on that tonight:

Socials: using the outline and the checklist to guide your approach. Remember, you can’t paint a house until the structure is built.

Science: Your checklist is your friend; use the links on the blog to explore possible interactives.

Forms: Verification forms are now overdue.

HOMEWORK – October 8, 2024

Seen and Heard: add one unexpected thing seen and one unexpected thing heard to your Seen and Heard lists, from your observations today/tonight.

Quick Research: who is Joni Mitchell? Spend about 10-15 minutes investigating this tonight, and record your findings in your comp book.

Science: Conferences continue tomorrow. Please make sure you have all of your notes with you every day.

On-Going—what did you not do last night? Spend about 30 minutes on that tonight:

Socials: using the outline and the checklist to guide your approach. Remember, you can’t paint a house until the structure is built.

Science: Your checklist is your friend; use the links on the blog to explore possible interactives.

Forms: Verification forms and FSA exemption letters are due tomorrow.

HOMEWORK – October 7, 2024

Seen and Heard: add one unexpected thing seen and one unexpected thing heard to your Seen and Heard lists, from your observations today/tonight.

Science: Conferences begin tomorrow. Please make sure you have all of your notes with you every day.

The Golden Compass: readers, please ensure that you have your script with you tomorrow and that you have done your prep.

Socials: optional: tonight’s NewsHour will most likely have information about the history of the war in the Middle East.

On-Going—at least 30 minutes on one of the following tonight:

Socials: using the outline and the checklist to guide your approach. Remember, you can’t paint a house until the structure is build.

Science: rereading the project outline and carefully reading Phase 2 of the checklist. Use the links on the blog to explore possible interactives.

Forms: Verification forms are due Wednesday.

HOMEWORK – October 4, 2024

Seen and Heard: add one unexpected thing seen and one unexpected thing heard to your Seen and Heard lists, from your observations today and each day on the weekend.

Socials: use the graphic organizer to record your notes while watching one election-related segment from the NewsHour (from tonight or this week) or from tonight’s episode of Washington Week (Friday’s episodes usually go online at around 6:00 or so).

Science: using your checklist and experimenting with the key words you are using in your searches; and keeping the note-taking criteria at the front of your mind as your record your findings. Remember: the checklist and the outline are your friends. Conferences begin next week. You might consider rereading the outline and the checklist to ensure you haven’t forgotten anything important.

Forms: yellow YPC forms are now overdue; if you are planning to not attend those concerts, please still return the form but note on it that you are choosing not to attend—please make sure your family is aware you will stay home either that morning or afternoon.

Verification forms are due Wednesday.

HOMEWORK – October 3, 2024

The Golden Compass: readers, please ensure that you have your script with you tomorrow and that you have done your prep.

Seen and Heard: add one unexpected thing seen and one unexpected thing heard to your Seen and Heard lists, from your observations today.

Comp Book: review the notes you took while watching Brené Brown’s TEDTalk. Somewhere in your comp book—inside front cover, inside back cover, back cover, or a blank page—write the words I Am Enough in a font of your choice by large and legible, and add a little decoration.

On-Going:

Science: using your checklist and experimenting with the key words you are using in your searches; and keeping the note-taking criteria at the front of your mind as your record your findings. Remember: the checklist and the outline are your friends. Conferences begin next week.
Socials: reread the assignment outline and use the checklist to begin your exploration. Where will you be recording your research?

Forms: if your yellow YPC form is not yet in, please return that tomorrow; if you are planning to not attend those concerts, please still return the form but note on it that you are choosing not to attend—please make sure your family is aware you will stay home either that morning or afternoon.

Verification forms are due Monday.

HOMEWORK – October 2, 2024

The Golden Compass: readers, please ensure that you have your script with you tomorrow and that you have done your prep.

Seen and Heard: add one unexpected thing seen and one unexpected thing heard to your Seen and Heard lists, from your observations today.

On-Going – consider, as we did today, setting a specific goal for yourself for your at-home work tonight:

Art: using the criteria and Lynda Barry’s calm, friendly mindset to engage with your Name Plate—due tomorrow. Recall what we discussed about how to engage in your Final Artist Moment.

Socials: reread the assignment outline and use the checklist to begin your exploration. Where will you be recording your research?

HOMEWORK – October 1, 2024

Socials: finalize the process of picking your Top Seven options for the upcoming mini-project.

Optional: watch part or all of tonight’s debate between J.D. Vance and Tim Walz. The debate starts at 6:00 p.m. and is being broadcast on CBS, but many other channels will be offering live-feeds.

If you’d like to watch online, go to pbs.org/newshour. You should be able to go to this feed even after 6:00 and rewind to watch from the beginning.

As you’re watching, pay attention to the issues that they are discussing and the differences between the two candidate’s stances on those issues, and pay attention to their debate styles. Who is more convincing? Why?

Consider taking notes of the key differences between the two candidates, both in terms of content (what they say) and delivery (how they say it).

The Golden Compass: readers, please ensure that you have your script with you tomorrow and that you have done your prep.

Seen and Heard: add one unexpected thing seen and one unexpected thing heard to your Seen and Heard lists, from your observations today.

Music: please make sure you have your recorder and Music duotang with you tomorrow.

On-Going:

Art: using the criteria and Lynda Barry’s calm, friendly mindset to engage with your Name Plate—due Thursday.

HOMEWORK – September 27, 2024

Seen and Heard: please make a T-chart in your comp book and label one column Seen and one column Heard. This weekend, pay attention to what is going on around you and add at least one unexpected thing seen and heard to each column on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.

We now have several on-going items. This weekend, spend about 45 minutes on one (or divided between two or three) of the following:

Socials: continue to explore the list of potential mini-research topics, aiming to have your Top Seven list by Wednesday.

Art: using the criteria and Lynda Barry’s calm, friendly mindset to engage with your Name Plate—due Thursday.

*********

EXTRA HOMEWORK: think of this as a kind of at-home detention: our class is engaged in a pretty big struggle right now in terms of self-regulation (knowing how to control your thoughts, feelings, and actions—body and voice—in response to the classroom environment) and in terms of demonstrating basic respect by listening attentively when others are sharing ideas and resisting impulses to distract others when the work requires personal focus.

Over the weekend, spend some time in your comp book writing or drawing (and writing and drawing) your ideas about how you, personally, can help us overcome this obstacle, and how our class can work together as a group to achieve these goals.

No school on Monday, in acknowledgment of Truth and Reconciliation Day.

Grade 7s: if you have not yet brought in your blue form noting your preference for camp, that needs to be in by Tuesday, otherwise we will need to assume that you are not interested. If you or your family have any questions, please don’t be shy about asking.

HOMEWORK – September 26, 2024

Socials: spend about 20 minutes exploring the list of politician’s connected to the upcoming election, following your interest to create a Top Seven list.

Art: spend about 15 minutes on your Name Plate, using the criteria as your guide. Can you approach this from Lynda Barry’s calm and friendly place?

Reading: please make sure you have your pages from chapter 3 (Tony Makarios) with you tomorrow.

Photos: individual photos will be taken tomorrow.

Truth and Reconciliation Assembly tomorrow—consider wearing orange to support this important cause.

Grade 7s: if you have not yet brought in your blue form noting your preference for camp, please bring that in tomorrow.

HOMEWORK – September 25, 2024

Science: spend about 20 minutes exploring your sources, using the checklist as your guide. Are you aware of the criteria for note-taking?

Remember what we looked at today (kids.kiddle.co) and yesterday (googling “cbc [and your brain part]”.

Reading: spend about 15 minutes here, continuing to explore the pages you received yesterday from chapter 3 of The Golden Compass. Recall what we are focused on noticing:

How punctuation is used for
- Sense
- Rhythm
- Humor
How Pullman uses structure for effect (sentence structure; paragraph structure)
How Pullman builds specific images using words
Effective word choice

Add these ideas, and their impact on you as a reader, to your existing notes on the pages and bring that in for discussion tomorrow.

The Golden Compass: readers, please use the Read-Aloud handout to do your prep this evening. Don’t forget to bring your script with you tomorrow!

Photos: individual photos will be taken on Friday.

Early dismissal on Thursday: 1:47 p.m.

Grade 7s: if you have not yet brought in your blue form noting your preference for camp, please bring that in by Friday.

HOMEWORK – September 24, 2024

Writing: please go to the Daily Diary page on the class blog (Learning from Home → Daily Diary) and read from the beginning of the page down to and including the two-page story, “Seeing What Is There.”

If you want to take things further, you could go to the “The Coronadiaries” page and read how students used their Daily Diary during lockdown.

Reading: continue to explore the pages you received today from chapter 3 of The Golden Compass. Recall what we are focused on noticing:

How punctuation is used for
- Sense
- Rhythm
- Humor
How Pullman uses structure for effect (sentence structure; paragraph structure)
How Pullman builds specific images using words
Effective word choice

Make notes on the pages of your thoughts and bring that in for discussion tomorrow.

The Golden Compass: readers, please use the Read-Aloud handout to do your prep this evening. Don’t forget to bring your script with you tomorrow!

Photos: individual photos will be taken on Friday.

Early dismissal on Thursday: 1:47 p.m.

HOMEWORK – September 23, 2024

Art: take the blank sheet of paper you were given and repeat the process of folding it into 8 quadrants. Then, draw a frame in each cell and add the line at the bottom of each frame for text.

Art: spend about 15 focused minutes on the exploration of possibilities for your name plate.

Socials: quick research: what are shaping up to be the key races in the House and the Senate? In other words, which races should we be following because they may determine which party gains control of the two chambers of Congress?

The Golden Compass: readers, please arrive with your scripts, ready to read (meaning, you have followed the guidelines on the Read-Aloud prep outline).

Photos: individual photos will be taken on Friday.

HOMEWORK – September 18, 2024

Math: please watch the “Mistakes” video at youcubed.org (www.youcubed.org/resources/mistakes-video/) and record what you think are the useful or interesting ideas shared in the video. What do you think might be happening in the brain that makes this research true?

Art: if were you to use visuals—pictures, symbols, colors—to represent your interests and usual ways of being (how you think, feel, believe, and behave), what visuals might you use? Create a page in your comp book to record these possibilities.

The Golden Compass: if you are reading a character part, please do your prep this evening.

Science: get out your project outline and the checklist and spend about 20 focused minutes on the next item(s) on the checklist.

Note: no school (for students) on Friday; but I have to be here for a full day, so fair is fair: you will have to put some time in, too—not a full day (“Thank you so much, O Kind and Benevolent Prof. Great Brain!”), but a considered amount of time. Plan accordingly…

HOMEWORK – September 17, 2024

Math: please watch the “Speed” video at youcubed.org (www.youcubed.org/resources/speed-video/) and record what you think are the useful or interesting ideas shared in the video. What do you think might be happening in the brain that makes this research true?

Comp Book: choose a different item from Lynda Barry’s list of comp book entry ideas than you chose last night and spend about 10 minutes engaged in that activity in your comp book.

Science: get out your project outline and the checklist and spend about 20 focused minutes on the next item(s) on the checklist.

HOMEWORK – September 16, 2024

Math: please watch the “Brain Crossing” video at youcubed.org (www.youcubed.org/resources/brain-crossing-video/) and record what you think are the useful or interesting ideas shared in the video. What do you think might be happening in the brain that makes this research true?

Comp Book: choose one item from Lynda Barry’s list of comp book entry ideas and spend about 10 minutes engaged in that activity in your comp book.

Science: get out your project outline and the checklist and spend about 20 focused minutes on the next item(s) on the checklist.

HOMEWORK – September 13, 2024

Science: read the Research section of the checklist and ask yourself, “Do I understand what each step means?” Bring questions in on Monday.

Spend about 30 minutes on Science this weekend, starting at the beginning of the checklist.

Remember, if you are uncertain how to engage in research and take notes, that’s okay. Do recall some of the work we did on Thursday, creating quick webs from the two brain videos – consider trying that out on your own. We will continue to explore note-taking strategies in the coming weeks.

Socials: please go to the “Full Episodes” page of the PBS NewsHour website—pbs.org/newshour/video—and watch one segment from tonight’s (Friday’s episode) that looks like it is related to election news. (If you don’t know which one to choose, you might look at the “Brooks and Capehart” recap of the week’s political news, but feel free to follow your own interest instead.)

In your comp book, write down the source (NewsHour, and “The name of the segment”), and then record what you consider to be the Important Details (not everything they say, but the things you think someone else would need to know in order to gain a good, basic understanding of the content). Bring those notes in to share with the class on Monday.

Comp Books: if your comp book cover is not complete, you’ll need to finish it this weekend. Are you aware of the criteria?

HOMEWORK – September 12, 2024

Science: reread the project outline, slowly and thoughtfully, to ensure that you fully understand what is being asked of you. Come in with questions tomorrow.

And then, do an initial dip into exploring the basic function of your brain part.

Comp Books: comp book covers are due tomorrow. Are you aware of the criteria?

Terry Fox Run is tomorrow. Dress for running and bring a water bottle. Tomorrow is also the Hornet Dress-up day (black and yellow/gold). If you have not already done so, might you bring in a twoonie for cancer research?

Info Session: please remind your parents to check their email and complete the very short survey I sent them last night, if they have not already done so.

HOMEWORK – September 11, 2024

Lynda Barry: please go to the Daily Diary section of the class blog (“Learning from Home” → “Daily Diary”) and scroll down until you see the Title “Too Scared to Draw.” Read those three short pages, and then refresh your memory of Ivan Brunetti-style by reading the “Lesson” page.

Then, draw you and the members of your family (pets and siblings who don’t live at home included!) in this style. What are the key identifying details that make each person (and pet) instantly identifiable?

You draw each member in isolation (separately) or create a scene that they are all in together. Color is optional.

Socials: think back on the beginning of our learning about the U.S. government and the upcoming election. What questions do you have? This could be a combination of “What does [this word/concept] mean?” and larger, more specific or open-ended (why… how…) questions. Record these curiosities in your comp book.

Who Am I?: your profile is due tomorrow.

Comp Books: comp book covers are due Friday. Are you aware of the criteria?

Homework – September 10, 2024

Socials: complete the process of taking notes from your section of the three rings of the U.S. government. Remember that you are only recording the Important Details, and you are experimenting with doing so in as few words as possible.

Suggestion: read each paragraph once for sense, then, slowly, a second time, to take your notes. Look for clues, such as words that are in italics, to help you determine what is Important.

Another way to think about this is, what information would someone else need to know to have a basic understanding of the responsibilities of this branch of government?

Bring those notes and the handout with you tomorrow, so that you can teach other groups about your section.

Optional: watch part or all of tonight’s debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. The debate starts at 6:00 p.m. and is being broadcast on ABC, but many other channels will be offering live-feeds.

If you’d like to watch online, go to pbs.org/newshour. On that homepage, there will be a window for tonight’s episode of the NewsHour; but there should be another window (usually in the top left corner) for the debate – choose that one. You should be able to go to this feed even after 6:00 and rewind to watch from the beginning.

Don’t worry if you don’t understand everything that they are saying: our learning this term will be focused on developing a strong understanding of these ideas and the vocabulary used to discuss them—tonight is just a preview to help get your interest and curiosity up.

Who Am I?: your profile is due Thursday.

Comp Books: comp book covers are due Friday. Are you aware of the criteria?

********************

HOMEWORK—June 18, 2024

Playland: please remember these things:

try your best to be at school on time
dress for the weather (hot and sunny), including sunscreen
it you would be upset if you lost it, don’t bring it
wear comfortable shoes
from the moment we leave school to the moment we return, you are representing not just yourself but your family, our class, and Capitol Hill – what does that mean you are doing with your voice and body? What does that mean you are not doing with your voice and body?
in Playland, you must always be in a group of at least two
you must check-in with me at the Meeting Point at least once during the day
you must return to the Meeting Point by 2:00 p.m.

HOMEWORK—June 17, 2024

Grade 7s: don’t forget to draft out your two favorite memories from your time at Cap Hill (short but detailed) and the list of AKA names that you’d like me to use. Send me this information via email, with Gr. 7 Memories in the subject line. Due tomorrow.

It’s now all WoE, all the time. Considering the due date, how much time do you need to put in tonight?

WoE: as you work on your final drafts, keep in mind these things:

How are you treating place?
How are you treating the major themes, when they arrive?
How are you treating your WOW moment(s)?
How are you applying Ivan Brunetti’s Catcher in the Rye thinking model?
How are you using the Character Guidelines?

Aim for relaxed, focused, purposeful work.

Due Wednesday, June 19.

HOMEWORK—June 14, 2024

Books: if you have not yet turned in your Lit Circle book and your copy of Understanding Comics, please bring those in on Monday.

Playland: remember—your permission form is due Monday.

It’s now all WoE, all the time. Considering the due date, how much time do you need to put in this weekend?

WoE: as you work on your final drafts, keep in mind these things:

How are you treating place?
How are you treating the major themes, when they arrive?
How are you treating your WOW moment(s)?
How are you applying Ivan Brunetti’s Catcher in the Rye thinking model?
How are you using the Character Guidelines?
Are you taking your Final Artist Moment with each panel and each page?

Aim for relaxed, focused, purposeful work.

Due Wednesday, June 19.

HOMEWORK—June 13, 2024

Books: if you have not yet turned in your Lit Circle book and your copy of Understanding Comics, please bring those in tomorrow.

Tonight: What is calling for your attention? Spend 45 focused minutes on one of these items tonight (more if you are behind):

WoE: as you work on your final drafts, keep in mind these things:

How are you treating place?
How are you treating the major themes, when they arrive?
How are you treating your WOW moment(s)?
How are you applying Ivan Brunetti’s Catcher in the Rye thinking model?
How are you using the Character Guidelines?

Aim for relaxed, focused, purposeful work.

Due Wednesday, June 19.

Career: use the assignment outline and your notes to help you find success with this task. Due tomorrow. You will hand this in first thing in the morning.

Sports Day: tomorrow, wear your team color! Wear clothes you feel comfortable in and shoes that are good for running. There will be an early dismissal at 1:00 p.m.

HOMEWORK—June 12, 2024

Books: those of you who said you knew “exactly” where your books were, please visit that place, pick up the book, put it into your bag, and bring it in tomorrow.

French: we will share our skits tomorrow! What do you need to do tonight in order to arrive with a sense of confidence?

Please have a printed copy of your script with you tomorrow, for submission. I just need one per group.

Grade 7s: don’t forget to draft out your two favorite memories from your time at Cap Hill (short but detailed) and the list of AKA names that you’d like me to use.

Tonight: What is calling for your attention? Spend 45 focused minutes on one of these items tonight (more if you are behind):

WoE: as you work on your final drafts, keep in mind these things:

How are you treating place?
How are you treating the major themes, when they arrive?
How are you treating your WOW moment(s)?
How are you applying Ivan Brunetti’s Catcher in the Rye thinking model?
How are you using the Character Guidelines?

Aim for relaxed, focused, purposeful work.

Due Wednesday, June 19.

Career: use the assignment outline and your notes to help you find success with this task. Due Friday.

Sports Day: win points for your team by dressing in these colors: Thursday: Red; and Friday: your team color!

HOMEWORK—June 11, 2024

Books: please bring in your Lit Circle book and your copy of Understanding Comics tomorrow.

Band: please make sure you have your instrument with you tomorrow.

Tonight: What is calling for your attention? Spend 45 focused minutes on one of these items tonight (more if you are behind):

WoE: as you work on your final drafts, keep in mind these things:

How are you treating place?
How are you treating the major themes, when they arrive?
How are you treating your WOW moment(s)?
How are you applying Ivan Brunetti’s Catcher in the Rye thinking model?
How are you using the Character Guidelines?

Aim for relaxed, focused, purposeful work.

Due Wednesday, June 19.

French: use your vocab handouts and our online tools to finalize your script. And then: practice! Out loud! Due Thursday.

Career: use the assignment outline and your notes to help you find success with this task. Due Friday.

Next Week: win points for your team by dressing in these colors: Wednesday: Blue; Thursday: Red; and Friday: your team color!

HOMEWORK—June 10, 2024

Tonight: What is calling for your attention? Spend 45 focused minutes on one of these items tonight (more if you are behind):

WoE: as you work on your final drafts, keep in mind these things:

How are you treating place?
How are you treating the major themes, when they arrive?
How are you treating your WOW moment(s)?
How are you applying Ivan Brunetti’s Catcher in the Rye thinking model?
How are you using the Character Guidelines?

Aim for relaxed, focused, purposeful work.

Due Wednesday, June 19.

French: use your vocab handouts and our online tools to finalize your script. And then: practice! Out loud! Due Thursday.

Career: use the assignment outline and your notes to help you find success with this task. Due Friday.

Next Week: win points for your team by dressing in these colors: Tuesday: Yellow; Wednesday: Blue; Thursday: Red; and Friday: your team color!

HOMEWORK—June 6, 2024

Tonight: What is calling for your attention? Spend 45 focused minutes on one of these items tonight:

WoE: as you work on your final drafts, keep in mind these things:

How are you treating place?
How are you treating the major themes, when they arrive?
How are you treating your WOW moment(s)?
How are you applying Ivan Brunetti’s Catcher in the Rye thinking model?
How are you using the Character Guidelines?

Aim for relaxed, focused, purposeful work.

Due Wednesday, June 19.

French: use your vocab handouts and our online tools to finalize your script. And then: practice! Out loud! Due Thursday.

Career: use the assignment outline and your notes to help you find success with this task. Due Friday.

Note: No school (for students) tomorrow, but I am required to be here, putting in a full day, so…

Consider tomorrow (Friday) a gift of time: I encourage you to put in a half-day, so that you can spend meaningful time with our final on-going projects. I would love for you all to be proud of what you hand in—part of that will mean not rushing in the final days. Help yourself by putting in time this weekend. Don’t let your Inner Saboteur win!

Campers: Welcome back! What’s your plan for the weekend? Don’t forget commitments you made to your WoE partner(s).

Next Week: win points for your team by dressing in these colors: Monday: Green; Tuesday: Yellow; Wednesday: Blue; Thursday: Red; and Friday: your team color!

HOMEWORK—June 5, 2024

On-Going: What did you not touch during work block today? Spend 45 focused minutes on one of these items (maybe more, if you are feeling behind):

WoE: as you work on your final drafts, keep in mind these things:

How are you treating place?
How are you treating the major themes, when they arrive?
How are you treating your WOW moment(s)?
How are you applying Ivan Brunetti’s Catcher in the Rye thinking model?
How are you using the Character Guidelines?

Aim for relaxed, focused, purposeful work.

French: use your vocab handouts and our online tools to finalize your script. And then: practice! Out loud!

Career: use the assignment outline and your notes to help you find success with this task.

Non-Campers: thank you for being so welcoming and inclusive with our guests—let’s keep that up tomorrow!

HOMEWORK—June 4, 2024

On-Going: Spend 45 focused minutes on one of these items (maybe more, if you are feeling behind):

WoE: as you work on your final drafts, keep in mind these things:

How are you treating place?
How are you treating the major themes, when they arrive?
How are you treating your WOW moment(s)?
How are you applying Ivan Brunetti’s Catcher in the Rye thinking model?
How are you using the Character Guidelines?

Aim for relaxed, focused, purposeful work.

French: use your vocab handouts and our online tools to finalize your script. And then: practice! Out loud!

Career: use the assignment outline and your notes to help you find success with this task.

Campers: remember, you need to be here by 8:15 tomorrow morning.

And remember, you will need to do homework tonight and on the weekend.

Have a great time!

Non-Campers: remember, you have an individual and collective responsibility to extend respect and an inclusive attitude toward our guest tomorrow.

Grade 7s: if you and your family have not yet submitted your baby and current photos to Ms. Chetty, that is now very overdue. Check with your parents. They have an email from me from May 21. Please send those in tonight.

HOMEWORK—June 3, 2024

Current Events: please ensure you have your most recent graphic organizer with you tomorrow.

On-Going: Spend 45 focused minutes on one of these items (maybe more, if you are feeling behind):

WoE: as you work on your final drafts, keep in mind these things:

How are you treating place?
How are you treating the major themes, when they arrive?
How are you treating your WOW moment(s)?
How are you applying Ivan Brunetti’s Catcher in the Rye thinking model?
How are you using the Character Guidelines?

Aim for relaxed, focused, purposeful work.

French: use your vocab handouts to brainstorm possible text for your script. Use the online tools linked on the French page of the blog to help you with this task.

Career: use the assignment outline and your notes to begin to draft your approach to sharing your final learning.

Note: if you are attending camp, you might consider putting in some extra time on WoE, as a gift to your partner(s) and to Future You.

HOMEWORK—May 31, 2024

Current Events: tonight, please visit the full episode pages of this week’s episodes of the PBS NewsHour and choose one segment to watch and record your thoughts in the Current Events graphic organizer.

I encourage you to reread the feedback you received last week and actively apply it to your work.

On-Going: Spend 45 focused minutes on one of these items this weekend (maybe more, if you are behind):

Lit Circles: have you handed in your final reflection?

WoE: as you work on your final drafts, keep in mind these things:

How are you treating place?
How are you treating the major themes, when they arrive?
How are you treating your WOW moment(s)?
How are you applying Ivan Brunetti’s Catcher in the Rye thinking model?
How are you using the Character Guidelines?

Aim for relaxed, focused, purposeful work.

French: use your vocab handouts to brainstorm possible text for your script. Use the online tools linked on the French page of the blog to help you with this task.

Career: Please reread the assignment outline and reread your Survivor notes; then, begin to draft your approach to sharing your final learning.

Note: if you are attending camp next week, you might consider putting in some extra time on WoE this weekend, as a gift to your partner(s).

HOMEWORK—May 30, 2024

Socials: please make sure you have your latest graphic organizer with you tomorrow.

Science: if you have shared your learning, please do something nice for yourself tonight to acknowledge your hard work.

D&D: please ensure you have your character sheet with you tomorrow.

DMs: what do you need to do tonight in order to be ready to continue the adventure? One part of this is using common sense to determine which rooms and experiences the party is likely to enter tomorrow and reread those parts of the module.

On-Going: Spend 45 focused minutes on one of these items tonight:

Lit Circles: all reflections are now due.

WoE: as you work on your final drafts, keep in mind these things:

How are you treating place?
How are you treating the major themes, when they arrive?
How are you treating your WOW moment(s)?
How are you applying Ivan Brunetti’s Catcher in the Rye thinking model?
How are you using the Character Guidelines?

Aim for relaxed, focused, purposeful work.

French: use your vocab handouts to brainstorm possible text for your script. Use the online tools linked on the French page of the blog to help you with this task.

Art: use your drafts and the criteria to build your mini. Due tomorrow.

HOMEWORK—May 29, 2024

Socials: please make sure you have your latest graphic organizer with you tomorrow.

Science: the remaining gallery walk sharings and presentations will happen tomorrow. Please ensure you have all of your materials with you.

Note: The whole-school photo will be taken tomorrow.

On-Going: Spend 45 focused minutes on one of these items tonight:

Lit Circles: The Farthest Shore: your reflections are due Thursday; Lord of the Flies: your reflections are due Friday.

WoE: as you work on your final drafts, keep in mind these things:

How are you treating place?
How are you treating the major themes, when they arrive?
How are you treating your WOW moment(s)?
How are you applying Ivan Brunetti’s Catcher in the Rye thinking model?
How are you using the Character Guidelines?

Aim for relaxed, focused, purposeful work.

French: use your vocab handouts to brainstorm possible text for your script. Use the online tools linked on the French page of the blog to help you with this task.

Art: use your drafts and the criteria to build your mini. Due Friday.

HOMEWORK—May 28, 2024

Socials: please make sure you have your latest graphic organizer with you tomorrow.

Science: Presentations will be shared tomorrow; the remaining gallery walk sharings will happen on Thursday. Please ensure you have all of your materials with you.

On-Going: Spend 45 focused minutes on one of these items tonight—you might consider spending more time if you are feeling behind with any of these assignments.

Lit Circles: The Farthest Shore: your reflections are due Thursday; Lord of the Flies: you reflections are due Friday.

WoE: as you work on your final drafts, keep in mind these things:

How are you treating place?
How are you treating the major themes, when they arrive?
How are you treating your WOW moment(s)?
How are you applying Ivan Brunetti’s Catcher in the Rye thinking model?
How are you using the Character Guidelines?

Aim for relaxed, focused, purposeful work.

French: use your vocab handouts to brainstorm possible text for your script. Use the online tools linked on the French page of the blog to help you with this task.

Art: use your drafts and the criteria to build your mini. Due Friday.

HOMEWORK—May 27, 2024

Science: please have all of your Science materials with you tomorrow. If you do not have your work with you, I will only be able to assume that your project is not complete.

On-Going: what has gotten the least amount of your attention over the last two days? Spend 45 focused minutes on that tonight—you might consider spending more time if you are feeling behind with any of these assignments.

Lit Circles: Lord of the Flies—Tuesday. Use the feedback you received over the past three weeks to help shape your approach for your final circle.

Remember, in your prep, continue to think, “How does ____________ help me understand the book/themes/character/writing process better?” What are the details of how it does this?

The Farthest Shore: your reflections are due Thursday.

WoE: as you work on your final drafts, keep in mind these things:

How are you treating place?
How are you treating the major themes, when they arrive?
How are you treating your WOW moment(s)?
How are you applying Ivan Brunetti’s Catcher in the Rye thinking model?
How are you using the Character Guidelines?

Aim for relaxed, focused, purposeful work.

French: Continue to practice the vocab we have learned this year—5-10 minutes, 3 times a week.

What sentences can you begin to form now that you know être and avoir? How can you combine those verbs with our other known vocab? Write down your ideas in your comp book.

Art: use your drafts and the criteria to build your mini. Due Friday.

HOMEWORK—May 24, 2024

Tonight:

I encourage you to reread the feedback you received today and actively apply it to your work.

On-Going: what has gotten the least amount of your attention over the last two days? Spend 45 focused minutes on that this weekend—you might consider spending more time if you are feeling behind with any of these assignments.

Lit Circles: The Farthest Shore—Monday; Lord of the Flies—Tuesday. Use the feedback you received over the past three weeks to help shape your approach for your final circle.

Remember, in your prep, continue to think, “How does ____________ help me understand the book/themes/character/writing process better?” What are the details of how it does this?

Contact: your reflections are due Monday.

WoE: as you work on your final drafts, keep in mind these things:

How are you treating place?
How are you treating the major themes, when they arrive?
How are you treating your WOW moment(s)?
How are you applying Ivan Brunetti’s Catcher in the Rye thinking model?
How are you using the Character Guidelines?

Aim for relaxed, focused, purposeful work.

French: Continue to practice the vocab we have learned this year—5-10 minutes, 3 times a week.

Science: Have an awareness of the due date and how you are being assessed—how are you working the three aspects of the criteria into your project?

Due date: Tuesday.

Art: use your drafts and the criteria to build your mini. Due next Friday.

HOMEWORK—May 23, 2024

D&D: you need to have completed the process of leveling up your character before tomorrow (except your hit dice). Please make sure you have your character sheet with you tomorrow.

DMs: what do you need to prep tonight in order to be ready for tomorrow’s session.

On-Going: what has gotten the least amount of your attention over the last two days? Spend 45 focused minutes on that tonight.

Lit Circles: The Farthest Shore—Friday; Lord of the Flies—next Monday. Use the feedback you received over the past three weeks to help shape your approach for your final circle.

Remember, in your prep, continue to think, “How does ____________ help me understand the book/themes/character/writing process better?” What are the details of how it does this?

Contact: your reflections are due Monday.

WoE: as you work on your final drafts, keep in mind these things:

How are you treating place?
How are you treating the major themes, when they arrive?
How are you treating your WOW moment(s)?
How are you applying Ivan Brunetti’s Catcher in the Rye thinking model?
How are you using the Character Guidelines?

Aim for relaxed, focused, purposeful work.

French: Continue to practice the vocab we have learned this year—5-10 minutes, 3 times a week.

Science: Have an awareness of the due date and how you are being assessed—how are you working the three aspects of the criteria into your project? Please don’t keep questions to yourself—talk to me if you are feeling stuck or confused.

Art: use your drafts and the criteria to build your mini.

HOMEWORK—May 22, 2024

Career: please ensure you have your comp book with you tomorrow.

On-Going: what has gotten the least amount of your attention over the last two days? Spend 45 focused minutes on that tonight.

Lit Circles: The Farthest Shore—Friday; Lord of the Flies—next Monday. Use the feedback you received over the past three weeks to help shape your approach for your final circle.

Remember, in your prep, continue to think, “How does ____________ help me understand the book/themes/character/writing process better?” What are the details of how it does this?

Contact: your reflections are due Monday.

WoE: as you work on your final drafts, keep in mind these things:

How are you treating place?
How are you treating the major themes, when they arrive?
How are you treating your WOW moment(s)?
How are you applying Ivan Brunetti’s Catcher in the Rye thinking model?
How are you using the Character Guidelines?

Aim for relaxed, focused, purposeful work.

French: Continue to practice the vocab we have learned this year—5-10 minutes, 3 times a week.

Art: use your drafts and the criteria to build your mini.

D&D: complete the process of leveling up your character for Friday.

DMs: open communication with your partner as you plan for Friday’s session.

HOMEWORK—May 21, 2024

On-Going: what has gotten the least amount of your attention over the last two days? Spend 45 focused minutes on that tonight.

Lit Circles: Contact—Wednesday; The Farthest Shore—Friday; Lord of the Flies—next Monday. Use the feedback you received over the past three weeks to help shape your approach for your final circle.

Remember, in your prep, continue to think, “How does ____________ help me understand the book/themes/character/writing process better?” What are the details of how it does this?

The Dark Is Rising: your reflections are due on Tuesday.

WoE: as you work on your final drafts, keep in mind these things:

How are you treating place?
How are you treating the major themes, when they arrive?
How are you treating your WOW moment(s)?
How are you applying Ivan Brunetti’s Catcher in the Rye thinking model?
How are you using the Character Guidelines?

Aim for relaxed, focused, purposeful work.

French: How is your conjugation of avoir and être going? Assessment could happen at any moment…

And continue to practice the vocab we have learned this year—5-10 minutes, 3 times a week.

Art: use your drafts and the criteria to build your mini.

D&D: complete the process of leveling up your character for Friday.

DMs: open communication with your partner as you plan for Friday’s session.

HOMEWORK—May 17, 2024

Monday is Victoria Day. There is no assigned homework for that day. But there is regular weekend homework—and, if you are feeling behind with any of our ongoing projects, you might want to take advantage of this free day to dig in and catch up. As always, the choice is yours.

Tonight:

I encourage you to reread the assignment outline and the “Tips” document (linked on class blog, if you have lost your copies) before you begin.

On-Going: what has gotten the least amount of your attention over the last two days? Spend 45 focused minutes on that this weekend.

Lit Circles: The Dark Is Rising—Tuesday; Contact—Wednesday; The Farthest Shore—Friday; Lord of the Flies—next Monday. Use the feedback you received last week to help shape your approach for the next Circle.

Remember, in your prep, continue to think, “How does ____________ help me understand the book/themes/character/writing process better?” What are the details of how it does this?

The Lord of the Flies: your reflections are due on Tuesday.

WoE: as you work on your final drafts, keep in mind these things:

How are you treating place?
How are you treating the major themes, when they arrive?
How are you treating your WOW moment(s)?
How are you applying Ivan Brunetti’s Catcher in the Rye thinking model?
How are you using the Character Guidelines?

Aim for relaxed, focused, purposeful work.

French: How is your conjugation of avoir and être going? Assessment could happen at any moment…

And continue to practice the vocab we have learned this year—5-10 minutes, 3 times a week.

HOMEWORK—May 16, 2024

D&D: please ensure you have your character sheet with you tomorrow.

DMs: what do you need to do tonight to be prepared to continue the adventure? What rooms do you think your party might spend time in? You are encouraged to reread the entries for those rooms and encounters as a part of your prep.

On-Going: what has gotten the least amount of your attention over the last two days? Spend 45 focused minutes on that tonight.

Lit Circles: The Lord of the Flies—Friday. Use the feedback you received last week to help shape your approach for the next Circle.

Remember, in your prep, continue to think, “How does ____________ help me understand the book/themes/character/writing process better?” What are the details of how it does this?

WoE: as you work on your final drafts, keep in mind these things:

How are you treating place?
How are you treating the major themes, when they arrive?
How are you treating your WOW moment(s)?
How are you applying Ivan Brunetti’s Catcher in the Rye thinking model?
How are you using the Character Guidelines?

Aim for relaxed, focused, purposeful work.

French: How is your conjugation of avoir and être going?

And continue to practice the vocab we have learned this year—5-10 minutes, 3 times a week.

Science: Have an awareness of the due date and how you are being assessed. Please don’t keep questions to yourself—talk to me if you are feeling stuck or confused.

HOMEWORK—May 15, 2024

Career: please ensure you have your Survivor graphic organizer(s) and your comp book with you tomorrow.

On-Going: what has gotten the least amount of your attention over the last two days? Spend 45 focused minutes on that tonight.

Lit Circles: The Lord of the Flies—Friday. Use the feedback you received over the past two weeks to help shape your approach for the next Circle.

Remember, in your prep, continue to think, “How does ____________ help me understand the book/themes/character/writing process better?” What are the details of how it does this?

The Farthest Shore: your reflections are due tomorrow.

WoE: as you work on your final drafts, keep in mind these things:

How are you treating place?
How are you treating the major themes, when they arrive?
How are you treating your WOW moment(s)?
How are you applying Ivan Brunetti’s Catcher in the Rye thinking model?
How are you using the Character Guidelines?

Aim for relaxed, focused, purposeful work.

French: based on the practice round today, how is your conjugation of avoir and être going?

And continue to practice the vocab we have learned this year—5-10 minutes, 3 times a week.

Science: Have an awareness of the due date and how you are being assessed. Please don’t keep questions to yourself—talk to me if you are feeling stuck or confused.

HOMEWORK—May 14, 2024

On-Going: what has gotten the least amount of your attention over the last two days? Spend 45 focused minutes on that tonight.

Lit Circles: The Farthest Shore—Wednesday; The Lord of the Flies—Friday. Use the feedback you received last week to help shape your approach for the next Circle.

Remember, in your prep, continue to think, “How does ____________ help me understand the book/themes/character/writing process better?” What are the details of how it does this?

Contact: your reflections are due tomorrow.

Career: please carefully reread the instructions for making for final pick. How are you applying the feedback you got from your 2^nd pick? Due tomorrow. If you are not at school tomorrow (Wednesday), please email me the name of your final pick before 2:47.

WoE: as you work on your final drafts, keep in mind these things:

How are you treating place?
How are you treating the major themes, when they arrive?
How are you treating your WOW moment(s)?
How are you applying Ivan Brunetti’s Catcher in the Rye thinking model?
How are you using the Character Guidelines?

Aim for relaxed, focused, purposeful work.

French: How is your conjugation of avoir and être going?

And continue to practice the vocab we have learned this year—5-10 minutes, 3 times a week.

Science: Have an awareness of the due date and how you are being assessed. Please don’t keep questions to yourself—talk to me if you are feeling stuck or confused.

HOMEWORK—May 13, 2024

Current Events: please ensure you have your current events graphic organizers with you tomorrow.

On-Going: what has gotten the least amount of your attention since Friday? Spend 45 focused minutes on that tonight.

Lit Circles: Contact—Tuesday; The Farthest Shore—Wednesday; The Lord of the Flies—Friday. Use the feedback you received last week to help shape your approach for the next Circle.

Remember, in your prep, continue to think, “How does ____________ help me understand the book/themes/character/writing process better?” What are the details of how it does this?

The Dark is Rising: your reflections are due tomorrow.

Career: please carefully reread the instructions for making for final pick. Use the feedback you received to shape your approach. Due Wednesday.

WoE: as you work on your final drafts, keep in mind these things:

How are you treating place?
How are you treating the major themes, when they arrive?
How are you treating your WOW moment(s)?
How are you applying Ivan Brunetti’s Catcher in the Rye thinking model?
How are you using the Character Guidelines?

Aim for relaxed, focused, purposeful work.

French: How is your conjugation of avoir and être going?

And continue to practice the vocab we have learned this year—5-10 minutes, 3 times a week.

Science: Have an awareness of the due date and how you are being assessed. Please don’t keep questions to yourself.

HOMEWORK—May 10, 2024

Current Events: tonight, please visit the full episode pages of this week’s episodes of the PBS NewsHour and choose one segment to watch and record your thoughts in the Current Events graphic organizer. (Remember: you can look below today’s episode to find episodes from other days.)

I encourage you to reread the assignment outline and the “Tips” document (linked on the Socials page, if you have lost your copies) before you begin.

On-Going: bee honest: what have you been avoiding? Spend 45 focused minutes on that this weekend.

Lit Circles: The Dark is Rising—Monday; Contact—Tuesday; The Farthest Shore—Wednesday; The Lord of the Flies—Friday. Use the feedback you received this week to help shape your approach for the next Circle.

Remember, in your prep, continue to think, “How does ____________ help me understand the book/themes/character/writing process better?” What are the details of how it does this?

Career: please carefully reread the instructions for making for final pick. Use the feedback you received to shape your approach. Due Wednesday.

WoE: as you work on your final drafts, keep in mind these things:

How are you treating place?
How are you treating the major themes, when they arrive?
How are you treating your WOW moment(s)?
How are you applying Ivan Brunetti’s Catcher in the Rye thinking model?
How are you using the Character Guidelines?

Aim for relaxed, focused, purposeful work.

French: based on our test run today, how is your conjugation of avoir and être going?

And continue to practice the vocab we have learned this year—5-10 minutes, 3 times a week.

Science: Have an awareness of the due date and how you are being assessed. Please don’t keep questions to yourself.

HOMEWORK—May 9, 2024

Please ensure you have your character sheet with you tomorrow.

DMs: what do you need to do tonight in order to be ready for the adventure tomorrow?

Career: in your comp book, please make a sociogram of the players still in Survivor—use your notes, especially from the last two episodes, to draw your blue and red lines. Consider how past and current alliances are impacting play.

Beside this web, list the players who are now on the jury. Draw lines to the players in the sociogram—who has whose vote for sure? Who might have certain people’s vote? Who for sure will not vote for whom?

On-Going: what have you spent the least amount of time on recently? Spend 15-30 focused minutes on that tonight.

Lit Circles: The Dark is Rising—Monday; Contact—Tuesday; The Farthest Shore—Wednesday; The Lord of the Flies–Thursday. Use the feedback you received last week to help shape your approach for the next Circle.

Lord of the Flies: your reflection is due tomorrow.

WoE: as you work on your final drafts, keep in mind these things:

How are you treating place?
How are you treating the major themes, when they arrive?
How are you treating your WOW moment(s)?
How are you applying Ivan Brunetti’s Catcher in the Rye thinking model?
How are you using the Character Guidelines?

Aim for relaxed, focused, purposeful work.

French: how confident are you with your conjugation of avoir and être?

Art: are you ready to start making your mini? Are you clear about the physical details of your character?

Science: Have an awareness of the due date and how you are being assessed. Please don’t keep questions to yourself.

HOMEWORK—May 8, 2024

Please ensure you have your Survivor graphic organizer and your comp book with you tomorrow.

On-Going: what have you spent the least amount of time on recently? Spend 45 focused minutes on that tonight.

Lit Circles: Lord of the Flies—Thursday; The Dark is Rising—Monday; Contact—Tuesday; The Farthest Shore—Wednesday. How are you applying the feedback you have received?

The Tombs of Atuan: your reflection is due tomorrow.

WoE: as you work on your final drafts, keep in mind these things:

How are you treating place?
How are you treating the major themes, when they arrive?
How are you treating your WOW moment(s)?
How are you applying Ivan Brunetti’s Catcher in the Rye thinking model?
How are you using the Character Guidelines?

Aim for relaxed, focused, purposeful work.

French: how confident are you with your conjugation of avoir and être?

Art: are you ready to start making your mini? Are you clear about the physical details of your character?

Science: Have an awareness of the due date and how you are being assessed. Please don’t keep questions to yourself.

HOMEWORK—May 7, 2024

On-Going: what have you spent the least amount of time on recently? Spend 45 focused minutes on that tonight.

Lit Circles: The Tombs of Atuan—Wednesday; Lord of the Flies—Thursday. Use the feedback you received last week to help shape your approach for round two.

Contact: your reflection is due tomorrow.

WoE: as you work on your final drafts, keep in mind these things:

How are you treating place?
How are you treating the major themes, when they arrive?
How are you treating your WOW moment(s)?
How are you applying Ivan Brunetti’s Catcher in the Rye thinking model?
How are you using the Character Guidelines?

Aim for relaxed, focused, purposeful work.

French: how confident are you with your conjugation of avoir and être?

Art: are you ready to start making your mini? Are you clear about the physical details of your character?

Science: This morning, we clarified the criteria for this project—please apply that knowledge to your work. Have an awareness of the due date and how you are being assessed.

HOMEWORK—May 6, 2024

Socials: please make sure you have your Current Events graphic organizers with you tomorrow.

On-Going: what have you not touched in the past two days? Spend 45 focused minutes on that tonight.

Writing: editing: this is where true writers really apply themselves. This goes beyond proofreading. Experiment, wonder, play, test—how are you applying our Exploding Paragraph work to your own craft? How are you building specific images with words? How are you engaging the reader?

Final copies due tomorrow.

Lit Circles: Contact—Tuesday; The Tombs of Atuan—Wednesday; Lord of the Flies—Thursday. Use the feedback you received last week to help shape your approach for round two.

The Dark Is Rising: your reflection is due tomorrow.

WoE: as you work on your final drafts, keep in mind these things:

How are you treating place?
How are you treating the major themes, when they arrive?
How are you treating your WOW moment(s)?
How are you applying Ivan Brunetti’s Catcher in the Rye thinking model?
How are you using the Character Guidelines?

Aim for relaxed, focused, purposeful work.

Science: Do you have clarity about how you are being assessed? Use the assignment outline. Don’t be afraid to dip back in to targeted research. Are you tracking your sources?

HOMEWORK—May 3, 2024

I encourage you to reread the assignment outline and the “Tips” document (linked on the Socials page, if you have lost your copies) before you begin.

On-Going: bee honest: what have you been avoiding? Spend 45 focused minutes on that this weekend.

Lit Circles: We return to our regular schedule next week: The Dark Is Rising—Monday; Contact—Tuesday; The Tombs of Atuan—Wednesday; Lord of the Flies—Thursday. Use the feedback you received this week to help shape your approach for round two.

Lord of the Flies: your reflection is due Monday.

WoE: as you work on your final drafts, keep in mind these things:

How are you treating place?
How are you treating the major themes, when they arrive?
How are you treating your WOW moment(s)?
How are you applying Ivan Brunetti’s Catcher in the Rye thinking model?
How are you using the Character Guidelines?

Aim for relaxed, focused, purposeful work.

Final copies due Tuesday.

Science: If you have not yet made a decision about how you will share your learning, make that your focus now and then get to work!

Use the assignment outline. Don’t be afraid to dip back in to targeted research. Are you tracking your sources?

HOMEWORK—May 2, 2024

Student-Leds: if they have not already done so, please remind your family to complete their “2 Stars and a Wish” form.

D&D: please ensure you have your character sheet with you tomorrow. Do you have a full understanding of your character’s spells, attacks, traits, and features? If not, what can you do tonight to increase your knowledge?

DMs: what do you need to do in order to be ready for tomorrow’s session?

Lit Circles: Use the assignment outline to guide your work. Circles continue this week: Friday—The Lord of the Flies.

We return to our regular schedule next week: The Dark Is Rising—Monday; Contact—Tuesday; The Tombs of Atuan—Wednesday; Lord of the Flies—Thursday. Use the feedback you received this week to help shape your approach for round two.

The Tombs of Atuan: your reflection is due tomorrow.

On-Going: bee honest: what have you been avoiding? Spend 30-45 focused minutes on that tonight.

WoE: as you work on your final drafts, keep in mind these things:

How are you treating place?
How are you treating the major themes, when they arrive?
How are you treating your WOW moment(s)?
How are you applying Ivan Brunetti’s Catcher in the Rye thinking model?
How are you using the Character Guidelines?

Aim for relaxed, focused, purposeful work.

Final copies due next Tuesday.

Science: If you have not yet made a decision about how you will share your learning, make that your focus now and then get to work!

Use the assignment outline. Don’t be afraid to dip back in to targeted research. Are you tracking your sources?

HOMEWORK—April 30, 2024

Note: Early dismissal tomorrow at 1:45.

Student-Led Prep 1: if you have family members attending the 2:00 sharing tomorrow, please help them choose a class name tonight. Criteria: 1) it needs to be appropriate for a classroom, and 2) it needs to make them happy when they hear it.

Also, please check with your family to see how many of them are coming tomorrow – let me know this tomorrow morning so that we can ensure we have enough chairs.

(And please remind your family to do their best to be on time.)

Student-Led Prep 2: tonight, complete the process of going through your comp book, binders, and accordion folder, using stickie notes to identify items that you might like to share with your family.

Use the blue handout to record your thoughts about why you are sharing each item. Please reread the instructions on that blue sheet before you begin.

Student-Led Prep 3: if you are leading an activity tomorrow, finish your text and practice it out loud a couple of times. If you have questions about what to say, please ask me tomorrow.

Lit Circles: Use the assignment outline to guide your work. Circles continue this week: Wednesday—Contact; Thursday—The Tombs of Atuan; Friday—The Lord of the Flies.

Given that you have had an extra week to prepare, the expectation is that you will bring in rich, detailed, thoughtful contributions.

The Dark Is Rising: your reflection is due tomorrow.

HOMEWORK—April 26, 2024

Student-Led Prep: tonight, spend 30 minutes going through your comp book and black binder, using stickie notes to identify items that you might like to share with your family.

Use the blue handout to record your thoughts about why you are sharing each item. Please reread the instructions on that blue sheet before you begin.

ALSO: those of you who are taking on teacher roles for next Wednesday, this weekend please draft out a short script for yourself and bring that in on Monday.

Science: tonight, please read the assignment outline for Phase 3 of your independent research. Bring in questions on Tuesday.

Note: No school (for students) on Monday, but I have to be here for the full day, so you know what that means…

Consider this a gift of time: we have a lot of fairly big on-going projects currently in motion; use this free day to sink into the work and take some stress off of your plate.

You are encouraged to take about 3 hours on Monday (or split the time up over the three-day weekend) to rotate the following:

Socials: go to the PBS NewsHour website (linked on the blog under Socials), click on “Full Episodes,” and then choose one segment from Thursday or Friday to watch while recording your ideas on the second page of your current events graphic organizer.

Reread the orange handout before you begin.

Lit Circles: Use the assignment outline to guide your work. Circles meet next week: Tuesday—The Dark is Rising; Wednesday—Contact; Thursday—The Tombs of Atuan; Friday—The Lord of the Flies.

Given that you have an extra week to prepare, the expectation is that you will bring in rich, detailed, thoughtful contributions.

WoE: as you work on your final drafts, keep in mind these things:

How are you treating place?
How are you treating the major themes, when they arrive?
How are you treating your WOW moment(s)?
How are you applying Ivan Brunetti’s model?
How are you using the Character Guidelines?
How is every member of your group being given space to make a meaningful artistic contribution?

Aim for relaxed, focused, purposeful work.

Writing: what’s it like to apply Ursula K. Le Guin’s advice and to place yourself in the world of your character and record what you see and hear? What you are stuck, rather than try to think harder, what’s it like to relax, wait, and listen for the words? A full first draft is due on Tuesday.

Science: Having read the outline for the final stage of this work, begin drafting out how you will share your learning.

Consider what gaps you need to fill in your knowledge in order to become an expert on your topic? Are you applying the feedback you received during your conference? Are you tracking your sources?

HOMEWORK—April 25, 2024

Career: Please make sure you have your Survivor graphic organizer with you tomorrow.

On-Going: please aim to spend about 45 minutes on one or two of the below activities—
you are encouraged to keep all of these activities in rotation—
and consider making a goal journal entry for yourself, to aid in focus:

Lit Circles: Use the assignment outline to guide your work. Circles meet next week. Given that you have an extra week to prepare, please use that time to bring in rich, detailed, deep contributions.

WoE: as you work on your final drafts, keep in mind these things:

How are you treating place?
How are you treating the major themes, when they arrive?
How are you treating your WOW moment(s)?
How are you applying Ivan Brunetti’s model?
How are you using the Character Guidelines?
How is every member of your group being given space to make a meaningful artistic contribution?

Aim for relaxed, focused, purposeful work.

Science: As you continue your research, consider what gaps you need to fill in your knowledge in order to become an expert on your topic? Are you applying the feedback you received during your conference? Are you tracking your sources?

HOMEWORK—April 24, 2024

Musical: please remember to honor Ms. Lui’s request to wear a dress shirt and dark pants/skirt or a dress tomorrow for the dress rehearsal of the musical.

Socials: if you did not complete recording your thoughts about the current events segment that you chose today, please complete that at home tonight. Use the orange handout to guide your approach.

WoE: as you work on your final drafts, keep in mind these things:

How are you treating place?
How are you treating the major themes, when they arrive?
How are you treating your WOW moment(s)?
How are you applying Ivan Brunetti’s model?
How are you using the Character Guidelines?
How is every member of your group being given space to make a meaningful artistic contribution?

Aim for relaxed, focused, purposeful work.

HOMEWORK—April 23, 2024

Student-Led Conferences: please check in with your family—I sent them an email about the conferences with a link to a very short survey to complete. Please remind them to complete the survey this evening if they have not done so already.

Musical: please check in with your family—can you tell me definitely tomorrow: will you be present at the evening performance on Thursday?

Tennis: tennis permission forms must be in tomorrow morning if you’d like to participate in tennis lessons tomorrow.

On-Going: please aim to spend about 45 minutes on one or two of the below activities. Consider making a goal journal entry for yourself, to aid in focus:

WoE: as you work on your final drafts, keep in mind these things:

How are you treating place?
How are you treating the major themes, when they arrive?
How are you treating your WOW moment(s)?
How are you applying Ivan Brunetti’s model?
How are you using the Character Guidelines?
How is every member of your group being given space to make a meaningful artistic contribution?

Aim for relaxed, focused, purposeful work.

HOMEWORK—April 22, 2024

D&D: the adventure continues tomorrow! Please make sure you have your character sheet and any D&D-related books with you tomorrow.

DMs: what do you and your partner need to do tonight in order to be ready to lead tomorrow?

On-Going: please aim to spend about 45 minutes on one or two of the below activities. Consider making a goal journal entry for yourself, to aid in focus:

WoE: as you work on your final drafts, keep in mind these things:

How are you treating place?
How are you treating the major themes, when they arrive?
How are you treating your WOW moment(s)?
How are you applying Ivan Brunetti’s model?
How are you using the Character Guidelines?

Aim for relaxed, focused, purposeful work.

HOMEWORK—April 19, 2024

Lit Circles: if you have not already done so, please work with your parents to secure some small sticky notes.

On-Going: please aim to spend about 45 minutes on one or two of the below activities. Consider making a goal journal entry for yourself, to aid in focus:

Lit Circles: Use the assignment outline to guide your work. Circles meet the week after next. Given that you have an extra week to prepare, please use that time to bring in rich, detailed, deep contributions.

WoE: as you work on your final drafts, keep in mind these things:

How are you treating place?
How are you treating the major themes, when they arrive?
How are you treating your WOW moment(s)?
How are you applying Ivan Brunetti’s model?

Aim for relaxed, focused, purposeful work.

HOMEWORK—April 18, 2024

D&D: complete the process of leveling up your character by tomorrow. Your goal is to have a full understanding of how your traits, features, attacks, and spells work.

If you have a Players Handbook (or any other D&D-related books) signed out, please make sure you are bringing it back to school tomorrow.

Please ensure you have your character sheet with you tomorrow.

DMs: what do you and your partner need to do tonight to be ready for tomorrow?

Lit Circles: please work with your parents to secure some small sticky notes.

On-Going: please aim to spend about 45 minutes on one or two of the below activities. Consider making a goal journal entry for yourself, to aid in focus:

Lit Circles: Now that you know your group and your responsibilities and your meeting date, use the assignment outline to guide your work.

WoE: as you work on your final drafts, keep in mind these things:

How are you treating place?
How are you treating the major themes, when they arrive?
How are you treating your WOW moment(s)?
How are you applying Ivan Brunetti’s model?

Aim for relaxed, focused, purposeful work.

Science: if you have not already done so, please explore the “101 Ways to Show What You Know” document on the Science page of our class blog. How might you show what you know?

As you continue your research, consider what gaps you need to fill in your knowledge in order to become an expert on your topic?

HOMEWORK—April 17, 2024

Photos: class photos (and extracurricular group photos) will be taken tomorrow.

Lit Circles: please work with your parents to secure some small sticky notes.

On-Going: please aim to spend about 45 minutes on one or two of the below activities. Consider making a goal journal entry for yourself, to aid in focus:

Lit Circles: Now that you know your group and your responsibilities and your meeting date, use the assignment outline to guide your work.

WoE: as you work on your final drafts, keep in mind these things:

How are you treating place?
How are you treating the major themes, when they arrive?
How are you treating your WOW moment(s)?
How are you applying Ivan Brunetti’s model?

Aim for relaxed, focused, purposeful work.

Science: if you have not already done so, please explore the “101 Ways to Show What You Know” document on the Science page of our class blog. How might you show what you know?

As you continue your research, consider what gaps you need to fill in your knowledge in order to become an expert on your topic?

Photos: class photos (and extracurricular group photos) will be taken tomorrow.

D&D: complete the process of leveling up your character by Friday. Your goal is to have a full understanding of how your traits, features, attacks, and spells work.

If you have a Players Handbook signed out, please make sure you are bringing it back to school every day.

DMs: what do you and your partner need to do this week to prepare for Friday?

HOMEWORK—April 16, 2024

Writing: using the assignment outline and an inspiration die from today’s reading of backstory examples, please begin brainstorming how you will approach this task. One option: make a web of the required aspects, noting the particular details relevant to your character for each one. Spend about 30 minutes with this tonight.

Science: please explore the “101 Ways to Show What You Know” document on the Science page of our class blog. How might you show what you know?

Photos: please let your family know that our class photo will be taken on Thursday.

D&D: complete the process of leveling up your character by Friday. Come in with questions tomorrow.

Continue to brainstorm: where/how did your character get their items? How did they learn their spells and their class? Why did they decide to become an adventurer?

If you have a Players Handbook signed out, please make sure you are bringing it back to school every day.

DMs: based on what happened today, what do you need to do this week to prepare for Friday?

Report Cards: please work with your family to bring your signed report card envelope back by tomorrow.

HOMEWORK—April 15, 2024

Ongoing: what did you not do during work block today? 30-45 minutes on that tonight:

WoE: relaxed, focused, thoughtful work. Think about the Ivan Brunetti exercise we looked at last term (Catcher in the Rye): what is the purpose of each line?

Science: where are the gaps in your knowledge? What new questions have arisen in your exploration? Make this the focus on your research moving forward.

Other:

Photos: please let your family know that our class photo will be taken on Thursday.

D&D: complete the process of leveling up your character by Friday. Come in with questions tomorrow.

Continue to brainstorm: where/how did your character get their items? How did they learn their spells and their class? Why did they decide to become an adventurer?

If you have a Players Handbook signed out, please make sure you are bringing it back to school every day.

DMs: based on what happened today, what do you need to do this week to prepare for Friday?

Math: do you need to practice finding the measures of central tendency of a data set?

Report Cards: please work with your family to bring your signed report card envelope back by Wednesday.

HOMEWORK—April 12, 2024

Photos: please let your family know that our class photo will be taken this coming Thursday, April 18.

Ms. Leung: Monday will be Ms. Leung’s last day at Cap Hill [insert hysterical crying emoji here]. Consider your interactions with her and how she has helped you. On Monday, you will create an index card drawing for her. What might you draw and say?

D&D: in your comp book, continue sketching out your character—their body, their clothing, their weapons, and their special equipment. Try to be specific. This will aid you in beginning your backstory next week.

Based on what you learned today, what do you need to do to increase your knowledge about the game and your character? Continue to build up your knowledge of how to use your spells, traits, and special features—this can be done by reading or rereading sections of the Players Handbook or by looking up video resources on Youtube or print resources on cbr.com, or by watching online D&D games on Youtube (e.g. Relics and Rarities—usually clean—Critical Role or Exandria Unlimited—note: contains course language; please check with your family first—Force Grey or Dimension 20—language content unknown…).

If you have a Players Handbook signed out, please make sure you are bringing it back to school every day.

DMs: based on what happened today, what do you need to do this week to prepare for next Friday?

WoE: please spend about 45 minutes on your chapter this weekend—either working on a panel, or reading your chapter, or finding reference images, or watching interviews with Ursula K. Le Guin, or practicing things you know you will need to draw next. Let this be relaxed, thoughtful work—it is not a race.

Math: do you need to practice finding the measures of central tendency of a data set?

Report Cards: please work with your family to bring your signed report card envelop back by next Wednesday.

HOMEWORK—April 11, 2024

D&D: in your comp book, continue sketching out your character—their body, their clothing, their weapons, and their special equipment.

Continue to build up your knowledge of how to use your spells, traits, and special features—this can be done by reading or rereading sections of the Players Handbook or by looking up video resources on Youtube or print resources on cbr.com.

If you have a Players Handbook signed out, please make sure you are bringing it back to school every day.

Please ensure you have your character sheet with you tomorrow.

DMs: what do you need to do tonight in order to be ready to begin the adventure tomorrow?

WoE: please spend out twenty minutes on your chapter tonight—either working on a panel or practicing things you know you will need to draw tomorrow. Let this be relaxed, thoughtful work—it is not a race.

Math: do you need to practice finding the measures of central tendency of a data set?

HOMEWORK—April 10, 2024

Please spend 30-45 focused minutes on the following:

D&D: complete the process of leveling up your character. Your goal here is to have a full understanding of the mechanics of your character: your traits, features, and spells. If there is anything you don’t understand, please bring those questions in tomorrow (if you are confused by something, I can guarantee that other people are confused by it, too).

All: please read this article: https://www.cbr.com/dnd-things-no-player-should-ever-do/ (linked on class blog on the Homework page).

All: in your comp book, begin sketching out your character—their body, their clothing, their weapons, and their special equipment.

If you have a Players Handbook signed out, please make sure you are bringing it back to school every day.

DMs: working with your partner to prep to start the adventure! (Maybe Friday!)

Math: do you need to practice finding the measures of central tendency of a data set?

HOMEWORK—April 9, 2024

D&D: if you are a magic-user, please complete making your choices for your cantrips and first-level spells. The section of the Players Handbook that covers your class will have information about how you determine how many spells you know.

If you are not a magic user, please explore your class in the Players Handbook and start to think about where you will go at Levels 2 and 3.

All: please make your choice about your character’s background.

All: please watch three (3) of the video sections in the “Handbooker Helper” playlist on Youtube—choose videos that are relevant to your class or race and/or your general knowledge level of the game.

If you have a Players Handbook signed out, please make sure you are bringing it back to school every day.

DMs: working with your partner to prep to start the adventure! (Maybe Friday!)

On-going:

Career: use your graphic organizer and consider the resources listed on the outline (also on the Career page of the blog); aim for thoroughness; use specific examples; look at each ability/skill/way of being from all sides. Due tomorrow.

Reading/Socials: reading your chapters slowly and thoughtfully, looking up unknown words and concepts. As discussed in class, aim to use specific evidence from the texts to support your opinions. Due tomorrow.