Mrs. Caruso's Class Blog

Welcome Back!

2009-09-01T07:24:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Ms. Komar! She has taken over my position for the first half of this school year while I am on maternity leave.

I wish you all the best as you start this new school year!

I'll see you in February.
-Mrs. C

Baby Caruso has arrived

2009-08-09T09:08:00.000-07:00

Jillian Ryan Caruso was born on Tuesday, August 4 at 12:39 pm.
She weighed 7 lbs. 14 oz., and is 21” long.

Animal Planet Episode

2009-07-08T20:18:00.000-07:00

The following information came from Mr. Turner:

Dear All -

Although it has been a long time in coming, here is the segment from Animal Planet that highlights the pigs and Nelsen in our January spirit assembly. There is no mention of the school or the fundraiser, but much of the footage is of the assembly along with the students in the background.

If the following address below is not a hyperlink, just cut and paste it into your browser: http://animal.discovery.com/videos/most-outrageous-pig-genius.html

Steven Turner
7th Grade Science / ASB Advisor

Happy Summer!

2009-06-22T05:49:00.000-07:00

Thanks everyone for a great school year! Here's to a fun last day and a safe summer for all.

Check back in August for a baby update.

Regards,
Mrs. C

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The end is in sight

2009-06-11T17:10:00.000-07:00

How did I miss a month of updates? And did anyone notice? We've been busy studying South and North America in social studies and working on vocabulary and book groups in language arts. Time just flew by.

The end of the year is so close we can taste it. Before we head off to summer, however, there are a few housekeeping things to be aware of. Most importantly, all late/missing work must be turned in by Wednesday, June 17. Make sure to check Gateway....I'm updating it frequently as work rolls in and I dig through the pile of late work that has shown up.

I want to thank you all for a great year. It sure has been a busy one, but also a lot of fun. I'm going to miss this group of students next year.

Speaking of next year, I will be taking first semester off for maternity leave. I'll be back at Nelsen in February. And in case you're interested, I'll post some pictures of the new baby on this blog when she arrives in August.

Thanks again! And have a great summer.

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From WASL to CBA

2009-05-06T19:09:00.001-07:00

One assessment after another…that's what it feels like these days.

We finished up the WASL and jumped right in to our social studies CBA (classroom-based assessment). Students have spent the last two weeks learning/reading/watching/writing about the Three Gorges Dam in China. This is a combined social studies/language arts project that ALL seventh graders at Nelsen are completing. It fulfills both state social studies and a district writing requirements.

The good news...we're almost done. Final drafts will be completed in class this week. This will also conclude our study of East Asia.

Next on our agenda....South and Middle America! Watch for new map assignments on Monday.

Here we go a WASL-ing....

2009-04-16T17:11:00.000-07:00

Well...here we are...three days of testing done, three more to go. The kids have been great at showing up prepared--with a full night's sleep behind them and full bellies to get them through the testing block. Attitudes have been outstanding and everyone has been focused and ready to give their best. I'm so proud of them all! Keep it up!

The afternoons have been, as you can imagine, a little slower paced than normal. I've been incorporating some art activities into both language arts and social studies to give students' brains a much needed rest...it keeps them thinking, but in a different way.

The only due date this week is the East Asia map which will be collected tomorrow.

Next week we'll be doing more of the same--expect a lighter-than-normal workload and tired kids at home each night.

Remind your students to rest, eat well, and keep doing the great job they have been!

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Wishing you a relaxing spring break.

2009-04-03T21:03:00.000-07:00

I didn't post an update this week as I was in the midst of getting my National Board portfolio entries finished and sent off. Phew! I'm so glad that's done! Now I just need to study for a big exam in June.

I hope you all enjoy a relaxing spring break. My family will be spending the next four days in Disneyland with my husband's high school band students. Not exactly restful, but certainly fun.

See you all on the 13th!

-Mrs. C

PS: I haven't posted this yet, but know that a couple of you are interested....we found out last week that we are expecting a girl.

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For the Week of March 23- March 27

2009-03-24T17:54:00.000-07:00

ALL WORK FOR THIRD QUARTER IS DUE ON FRIDAY, 3/27!

This week in Social Studies:

Monday - Students began work on a map South East Asia. Current event #5 was also assigned on this day.

Tuesday – Students worked on a packet of questions on Chapter 29 of their text book.

Wednesday - Today we will be watching a video about Indonesia and taking notes.

Thursday and Friday - We will be creating Wayang (shadow) Puppets from SE Asia.

Due Dates:
Wed. 3/25 - Chapter 29 Packet
Thurs. 3/26 - South East Asia Map
Fri. 3/27 - Current Event #5

This week in Language Arts:

Monday - Students took a third quarter district reading assessment.

Tuesday and Wednesday - The class will be scoring real WASL responses as we revisit expository writing. The goal is for students gain a better understanding of what good writing looks like, and what is expected of them on the WASL this year.

Thursday and Friday - Students will be working on concrete poems about South East Asia.

Third quarter AR points are due by the end of the day on Monday, March 30.

This week also marks the last few days of Ms. Komar's full time student teaching. She will be in and around our classroom next week finishing up grades and we will have a small celebration for her next Friday (April 3). She's done an outstanding job and we all wish her the best as she starts looking for a full time job...(finally getting paid!)

Congratulations, Ms. Komar!

For the week of March 16 - March 20

2009-03-17T10:35:00.000-07:00

Social Studies

This week we will be continuing our unit on South Asia:

On Monday the class was divided into six groups and they created a summary of an assigned country. Tuesday the groups will present their summaries and the rest of the class will take notes.

Wednesday we will learn about Nepal, its culture and history, and Mt. Everest. Thursday we will be watching a video about the mountain and its legend.

Friday will be a QUIZ from the notes the students took on Tuesday and a brief lesson on Gandhi.

Language Arts

Monday we finished the book Homeless Bird then took a trip to the library so that students could earn their A.R. points for the book. Remember...everyone needs 15 A.R. points by March 30th.

Tuesday we will be working on creating quilt squares as a final project for Homeless Bird. Each student will create a quilt on a provided piece of paper depicting six scenes from their own life. They will be required to color and decorate their quilts as neatly as possible. Finished projects are due Friday.

Wednesday and Thursday we will be working on scoring persuasive essays in order to prepare for the WASL coming up in April!

Friday we will be sharing and grading the quilt squares.

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Language Arts Extra Credit Opportunity

2009-03-10T18:50:00.000-07:00

You’re family is invited to a fun, free evening at Nelsen!

Nelsen Middle School’s
Family Literacy Night
Friday, March 13, 2009
6:00 - 8:30pm

Stations will include:
* REI presents Leave No Trace
*Cultural Center
* Bingo
* Math Literacy
* Notebook Making with Knowledge Points
* Mystery Guest Reader

Each student will have their name put into a raffle for a chance to win one of many prizes!

~Refreshments provided by Starbucks~

BONUS: My language arts students can earn 10 extra credit points for attending.

For the week of March 9 - March 13

2009-03-10T18:32:00.000-07:00

Language Arts

This week in language arts we will continue reading the novel Homeless Bird. This novel is about a girl named Koly who, at the age of thirteen, is getting married. However, after her new husband dies, Koly’s life takes many different twists and turns, through which she continues to show great strength and courage. This book ties in nicely with the unit we are beginning on South Asia in social studies.

On Monday we created a biography poem about Koly together as a class. The students then used the same format to write a poem about themselves. The rough draft is due on Wednesday and we will be working on the final during class on Thursday. There will also be an assignment coming home asking the students to write a poem about a family member. This poem will be using the same format and will require some time to interview the family member, so be on the look out!

Social Studies

In social studies we began a new Unit on South Asia. We have been working on our maps in class and they are due on Thursday. This week we will be learning about the physical geography of the region and studying India’s history and culture. On Friday there will be a short lesson on Bollywood and then the students will have the chance to watch some clips of movies and music videos from India’s Bollywood.

For the week of March 2-6

2009-03-02T19:51:00.000-08:00

Social Studies

Big test this week! Students will be able to use the notes they've been taking on the five major world religions for a test on Thursday and Friday. Even though this is an open note test, I've encouraged students to study by reading over some of their notes each night, even highlighting major terms/ideas. This will help them find things more easily.

Next week we will start South Asia.

Language Arts

We are finishing up going over strategies for success on the reading WASL today and tomorrow. The major things to remember include: underlining the answer when you find it in the text, crossing out answers that are wrong on the multiple choice section to narrow things down, and answering EVERY part of the extended response questions.

Students received a vocabulary packet to go along with a new novel we're starting on Wednesday: Homeless Bird. The vocabulary is due next Monday (3/9).

Homeless Bird is set in modern day India and ties in nicely with our overview of Hinduism and upcoming study of South Asia in social studies. (I just love it when we can mix the curriculum!) One of my major goals for this novel is, honestly, just for students to just enjoy reading it. It's a wonderful, fast-paced story and students are always hooked right away. We will do a couple extension assignments with the novel, but no major quizzes or projects...I'll keep you posted as those come up. This week our focus will be reading and discussing the story in class.

For the week of Feb. 23 - 27

2009-02-24T20:07:00.000-08:00

Social Studies:

This week and next in social studies we will be looking at the five largest world religions: Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Students will learn about the history, basic beliefs, traditions, practices, sacred writings, and major holidays of each over the next several days. We have discussed in class how three of these religions evolved in the Middle East and the other two in South Asia—our current and next regions of study. I believe it is important for students to understand the basic concepts of these five religions in order to fully understand the impact of religion on daily life and culture in these parts of the world. Students are encouraged to talk with you each evening about what they have learned that day.

During this process, students are taking notes on each religion. There will be a test next Thursday and Friday over this material and they will be able to use their notes on it. (A great lesson that the better their notes, the more helpful they will be to them!) If a student is absent on any of these days, he/she needs to get the notes from a friend.

Also, students do have a current event due this Friday. For period 1, the format remains the same as it has been all year. For periods 3 & 6, there is now a worksheet to complete about a news article instead of the former write-up; an article still needs to be attached.

Language Arts:

This week we are wrapping up a few loose ends, going to the library in search of AR books, and doing some practice test-taking and scoring for the reading portion of the WASL. We are also going over some strategies for success on the reading WASL.

For all classes:

This is a fairly light homework week, so it’s a great time to help your student get caught up on any missing work!

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Where has the last month gone?

2009-02-19T13:19:00.000-08:00

To say that I've fallen a little behind in updating this page is a bit of an understatement.

I'd like to fill you in...The district computer filter has prevented me from updating this blog from school so I have to do it from home. Normally this would not be a big deal, but as some of you might have heard from your students, I'm now about 4 months pregnant. As parents yourselves, I'm sure you know how exhausting the first couple months of pregnancy are. Throw a three year old in the mix and I just haven't been nearly as efficient in the evenings as I usually am. Anything “extra” got knocked down the priority list for the last couple weeks. Happily, the fatigue is now waning and I'm feeling more like myself again so I hope to be back to my regular weekly posts. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

My big question is...does this website help you? Please zip me a quick email or post your comments here (anonymously if you'd like) and let me know if this blog is a useful tool for you to keep up with the goings on in my classroom.

Thanks! Hope you are all enjoying a beautiful, sunny week off! We'll get back to the swing of things on Monday.

For the week of Jan 12-16

2009-01-12T21:29:00.000-08:00

Back in the swing of things....

This week Ms. Komar took over language arts. Here's what she has to share with you:

Language Arts

This week we will be beginning a new book called Chain of Fire by Beverely Naidoo. The book is set in South Africa during apartheid, so it goes well with what we have been learning in Social Studies! To enhance the students comprehension of the book, they will be participating in literature circles. Literature circles are basically student led book clubs. Students will have a job to complete each week and must be prepared to share their work with their literature circle group. Groups will be comprised of 5 or 6 students and will meet on a weekly basis, during class time, to discuss the book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and I am very excited to share it with the students!

Monday: Reading Chain of Fire
Tuesday: Reading a short story and having the students create their own endings to the story,
Reading Chain of Fire
Wednesday: Preparing for literature circles, Reading Chain of Fire
Thursday: Literature circles
Friday: Chain of Fire chapter quiz (chapters 1-5)

Social Studies (still with Mrs. Caruso)

Maps of Europe were assigned today and are due Thursday. Students have two class periods to work on them at school; the rest should be done at home. We'll also do a couple short worksheets this week focused on the geography of Europe, reinforcing map skills from earlier in the year.

Current Event #3 is due this Friday (Jan. 16).

An early start to winter break!

2008-12-20T17:16:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone is staying safe and warm.

Happy holidays and we'll see you in January!

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For the week of Dec. 15-19

2008-12-15T16:41:00.000-08:00

Brrrrrr!!!!!

Okay, now that I've gotten that out of the way....

Social Studies

Today and tomorrow we'll be using class time for students to work on their culturegram assignments. Finished packets are due on Wednesday. Wednesday we'll be watching a video about families in Egypt and on Thursday and Friday students will be taking and scoring the preliminary rounds of the National Geography Bee.

Language Arts

Today we finished up our notes on elements of persuasive writing. Students have until Wednesday to add pieces to their rough draft, which is when they need to bring a complete draft to class for a peer editing activity. A final copy, the rough draft, and notes are all due on Friday. The other two days of the week (in case you were keeping track) will be used for a timed-writing sample and reflection.

I'm keeping it brief because there is a high likelihood of having to change and adjust as Mother Nature plays havoc with our schedule this week.

Hoping you all keep safe and warm!

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Our Kente Men

2008-12-11T21:06:00.000-08:00

After learning about kente fabric from West Africa (everything from how it's made to what the colors and symbols represent to modern adaptations), students made these little men dressed in "kente cloth" earlier this week.

Updates for Dec. 8-12

2008-12-10T18:21:00.000-08:00

Okay....we've gotten a little off schedule this week. See below.

Language Arts....still on track for the week.

Social Studies....we are a little behind. We didn't start the culturegram project until today. Students will have tomorrow and two days next week to complete it. It will be due on Wednesday, 12/17 instead of this Friday.

Also, period 1 has a crossword puzzle due tomorrow. Period 5's is due Friday.

A quick review of upcoming deadlines:

Thursday 12/11

LA:
unit 2 vocab (words X3, sentences, and CS/CRW)
a rough draft of a persuasive letter

SS:
crossword puzzle (period 1)

Friday 12/12

LA:
unit 2 vocab test

SS:
crossword puzzle (period 5)
current event (all classes)

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For the week of Dec. 8-12

2008-12-08T16:59:00.000-08:00

Social Studies

Monday: Students learned about West African Kente cloth today; homework tonight is to finish up coloring their own sample so we can create little “Kente men” tomorrow.

Current event #2 was assigned today. This is completely a homework assignment (no class time will be given to work on it) and is due on Friday. Students have directions in their binders.

Tuesday: We’ll assemble our Kente men in class.

After that, students will begin a project on Africa, using information from the Culturegram website. (The school district pays for access to this site and you may use it from home: www.culturegrams.com, username: w304mfredn, password: culture) They’ll be completing a research “overview” sheet about five separate countries. I will select the first county and we will complete it together in class. They will select the other four and will work on them during class on Wednesday and Thursday.

Wednesday: Students have this day to work on their culturegram assignment. They should complete 2 countries to stay on track.

Thursday: Students have this day to work on their culturegram assignment. They should complete 2 more countries to finish up.

Friday: Culturegram packets are due. Current events are also due. We’ll spend class time discussing some of their topics.

Language Arts

Monday: Our second vocabulary unit was assigned. Just like last week, students need to do the following for unit 2: write each word three times to practice spelling, use each word correctly in a sentence, and the “completing the sentence” and “choosing the right word” exercises. This work is due on Thursday.

Tuesday: We’ll continue notes on essentials of persuasive writing. We need to finish up our “audience awareness” activity form last week and will complete a worksheet on persuasive language (that we didn’t get to last week).

Wednesday: Students will draft a persuasive letter in class today, keeping in mind the elements of persuasive writing that we have covered so far. They will be allowed to finish up at home if they need more time.

Thursday: Continue notes on essentials of persuasive writing. Students will be taught the strategy of “concession/rebuttal” in persuasive writing. For homework, students need to go back and add one concession/rebuttal argument to their persuasive letter.

Friday: Vocabulary test: unit 2. Students need to know how to spell each word, as well as its definition.

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For the week of Dec. 1-5

2008-12-02T17:18:00.001-08:00

It was so great to have the chance to meet and/or catch up with so many of you last week at conferences. Thank you for taking the time to come in and talk. I hope that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoyed a nice long weekend!

Here's a look at this week:

Social Studies

Monday: Students completed a worksheet called “How Much do you Know About Africa?” and then as a class we discussed misconceptions and stereotypes that we might have about this huge, diverse continent. Then we went over the Map of Africa assignment. (Students should have instruction sheet in their notebooks.)

Tuesday: Work time on maps of Africa. Also, culture "puzzle pieces" were due today.

Wednesday: Discussion of colonization and independence of African nations. Students will have a worksheet to finish up at home.

Thursday: Ms. Cockle will be sharing her photos and stories of living and teaching in Ghana last year.

Friday: Maps of Africa are due. We’ll be watching a video about families in Ghana; students will have a note-taking worksheet to complete.

Language Arts

Monday: Our first vocabulary unit was assigned. (Students now have a vocabulary book that they should keep in their notebook.) For the 20 words in unit 1, students need to do the following: write each word three times to practice spelling, use each word correctly in a sentence, and the “completing the sentence” and “choosing the right word” exercises from the book. This work is all due on Thursday. There will be a test on Friday. (See below.)

Tuesday: Begin notes on the essentials of persuasive writing. Complete an in class activity about clear position statements.

Wednesday: Continue notes on essentials of persuasive writing. Students will do a group activity on audience awareness.

Thursday: Continue notes on essentials of persuasive writing. Complete a worksheet on persuasive language. Vocabulary work for unit one is due.

Friday: Vocabulary test. Students need to know how to spell each word, as well as its definition.

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For the weeks of Nov. 17-21 and 24-26

2008-11-23T21:17:00.000-08:00

Remember....half days this week due to conferences. Students will be released at 11am on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.

Social Studies

Last week students completed several in-class activities and a larger project about climate zones. The project was due on Friday; please check gateway to see if your student turned it in.

This week we'll be defining the word "culture" which is a very important concept as we get ready to move beyond basic geography skills and begin studies of cultures around the world for the rest of year. Our first stop, after Thanksgiving, will be Africa.

We did spend two days last week going over the requirements of current events and students practiced all elements of the assignment with the class. Unlike in previous years (if you had an older student in my class), current events will no longer be a weekly assignment. The assignment now requires a little more depth of thought and a bit more writing. Therefore, they will only have to do 4-5 per quarter. I will post all of the due dates for the quarter soon. In the meantime, please have your student show you the assignment directions that should be in their notebook.

Language Arts

Students finished their most recent writing assignment: short stories based on the artwork from "The Mysteries of Harris Burdick." The final drafts have been compiled and I'm working on printing and binding an anthology of these creative stories for each student.

From here until winter break, we will be focusing on persuasive writing. This is the second mode of writing that they will have to demonstrate on the WASL. (The first was expository, which we've been working on up to this point.) Right now we're working on some preparatory activities. We'll begin really digging in after the long weekend.

We'll be going to the library this week so students can check out an AR book to read over the break.

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For the weeks of Nov. 3-7 and 12-14

2008-11-13T15:04:00.000-08:00

November 3 marked the beginning of second quarter.

A quick overview of what we've been up to...

Social Studies:

Last week we finished working on landforms with a couple in-class activities and a take-home quiz. If your student is showing a "0-missing" grade on Learning Gateway for the quiz, they have until Monday, Nov. 17 to turn it in and earn partial credit. After Monday, the grade will remain a zero.

This week and next we are focusing on weather, climate, seasons, and the water cycle. This information is a direct compliment of what they have been/are learning in science. It's fun to hear students make the connection between the two classes and begin to see the overlap.

Language Arts:

Last week we wrapped up the district reading assessments for first quarter and watched "The Outsiders." Students completed a Venn diagram comparing the novel to the movie. My first period class overwhelmingly agreed that, while they enjoyed the movie a lot, the book was "way better!"

Yesterday we looked at some pictures from the book "The Mysteries of Harris Burdick." Students participated in an observation/brainstorming activity; today, tomorrow, and Monday we'll be in the computer lab writing short stories based on the drawings.

Students should start thinking about second quarter AR points. They will need another 15 points by January 20. (Extra points earned during 1st quarter will be carried over to this grading period.)

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For the week of October 27-31

2008-10-28T14:14:00.001-07:00

This is the last week of 1st quarter, so we're wrapping things up...

Social Studies

On Monday and Tuesday we finished up working with charts and graphs. Students practiced pulling information from graphs and also created line and bar graphs when given a set of data.

On Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday students will be taking notes on how landforms are created; next week we'll be looking at different types of landforms. There will be a quiz on this information next Friday (Nov 7).

Language Arts

Yesterday and today we pushed through and finished up The Outsiders. We will be going to the library tomorrow (Wednesday) during class so students can take the AR test. Tomorrow is the cut-off for earning AR points for first quarter.

On Thursday and Friday, students will be taking a district reading assessment, covering skills we've been working on while reading The Outsiders.

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Welcome Ms. Komar!

2008-10-24T16:26:00.000-07:00

Hello!

My name is Molly Komar. I will be completing my student teaching this year in Mrs. Caruso's classroom. I am super excited to be an intern and student teacher at Nelsen Middle School! I'll be at Nelsen part time for the next month and then will return for full time student teaching from January through March.

When I am not at Nelsen, you will find me in a classroom at City University, working on my Masters in Teaching and doing my fair share of homework! (I earned my degree in Criminology from the University of Southern Maine in 2003.) Of course, I do have free time on the weekends, which is when you will find me skiing, hiking, playing with my dog, spending time with friends and family, or traveling.

I can't wait to meet everyone. See you soon!

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Discovery Program accepting referrals

2008-10-24T16:24:00.000-07:00

From the school district website:

October 20, 2008 - Each year the school district seeks to identify highly capable students who may qualify for the Discovery Program. The Discovery Program will begin accepting referrals November 3rd, with the forms available at each elementary and middle school. The deadline is December 19, 2008. Referrals not received by this date will be considered for the following school year.

Qualifying students will be placed, on a space availability basis, in the 09-10 school year.What is the Discovery Program? The Discovery Program is designed to serve the Renton School District’s highly capable students from 2nd through 8th grade with challenging, advanced curriculum. Kennydale and Talbot Hill are the designated elementary Discovery locations, with designated Discovery teachers at each level.

All three middle schools have Discovery Program classes for language arts and social studies in grades six through eight. At the high school level, counseling for appropriate selection of courses is provided. The High School Registration Booklet describes the various course options, including Honors and Advanced Placement classes.

For more information about the Discovery Program contact Vickie Damon, Director, Categorical Programs (425) 204-2401.

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AR Reminder!

2008-10-20T20:27:00.000-07:00

Fifteen Accelerated Reader (AR) points need to be completed by next Wednesday, October 29.

We'll be done with The Outsiders on Tuesday and will go to the library on Wednesday so students may take the test; it is worth up to seven points.

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For the week of October 20-24

2008-10-20T20:14:00.000-07:00

Social Studies

Monday
Measuring and map scale practice (in class practice)

Tuesday
Creating a scaled map of the classroom. (In class activity with potential "finish up" time needed at home.)
Neighborhood map is due.

Wednesday
"Examine a Map" activity where students will be asked to identify and use the 6 parts of a map we've been working on.

Thursday
Graphs, diagrams, Charts, and Tables. Pages S10-S13 in textbook. (In class activity with potential "finish up" time needed at home.)

Friday
Practice reading graphs. (In class activity.)

Language Arts

Monday
The Outsiders, chapter 5: complete questions
Skills Review 1D assigned

Tuesday
The Outsiders, chapter 6: read, complete questions

Wednesday
The Outsiders, chapter 7: read, complete questions

Thursday
The Outsiders, chapter 8: read, complete questions
Skills Review due

Friday
The Outsiders, chapter 9

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The end of the quarter is approaching!

2008-10-17T09:49:00.001-07:00

The last day to turn in any late/missing work for my classes is Friday, October 24.

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For the week of October 13-17

2008-10-13T15:09:00.000-07:00

Social Studies

Students took notes on the 6 elements of a quality map today: map title, compass rose, legend/key/symbols, grid, scale, neat line/border. We will be working with different elements each day this week. By next week, students will be accurately combining all of the elements into a map that they create.

Language Arts

The Outsiders...some students were so intrigued by the first chapter on Friday that they read the rest of the book over the long weekend! I love the enthusiasm. As a class, however, we read chapter two today and will aim to be through chapter five by the end of the week. Instead of a skills review this week, students have a fairly extensive vocabulary crossword puzzle based on words from the novel. Finished crossword puzzles are due next Monday.

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Recap of October 6-9

2008-10-13T15:04:00.000-07:00

Last week was brief, but busy!

Social Studies

We continued our study of the Five Themes of Geography and had a test on Thursday. I will have the tests graded and back to the kids as soon as possible!

Language Arts

Students turned in their personal narrative on Monday and then spent two days completing a district writing assessment covering skills we've been working on for the last month. On Friday we started reading The Outsiders by SE Hinton...guaranteed to be one that even reluctant readers enjoy!

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Playdough...with a point!

2008-10-01T19:10:00.000-07:00

Today in language arts we practiced an editing strategy...with playdough instead of words. After "brainstorming" several ideas, students created a "rough draft." Then we applied the A.R.M.S. strategy to enhance their creations: add, remove, move, substitute. Finally students created a "final draft" and "published" their creations. Here are a few of them.

Next,we'll apply this technique to the essays they've written.

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For the week of Sept. 29-Oct. 3

2008-10-01T11:54:00.000-07:00

How is it Wednesday already?!?! My apologies for not posting this update sooner.

Social Studies

We began discussing the "Five Themes of Geography" this week, taking notes and looking at dozens of examples on Monday and Tuesday. Today students will be completing a worksheet that asks them to apply these new classifications to a variety of examples. The rest of the week will be spent applying the five themes to Nelsen Middle School and Renton. The notes and accompanying NMS/Renton assignment will be due on Friday. Ask your student to tell you about MR. HELP!

Language Arts

Students should have finished and turned in their visual rubric this week. This assignment was a visual representation of the 4-point WASL scale for writing. Several projects are on display in the hallway by the library for the next week and a half. The rest of this week we are working on editing strategies that can be applied to their personal narratives. Final copies of personal narratives are due on Monday, October 6.

Skills review 1C is due tomorrow.

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Don't forget...

2008-09-25T15:20:00.000-07:00

Social Studies:

Latitude/Longitude quiz tomorrow!

Language Arts:

Bring your finished "Skills Review" and an AR book tomorrow.
Also, you need a complete rough draft of your personal narrative by Monday.

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A message about Gateway access codes

2008-09-25T15:18:00.000-07:00

Gateway Student Grading System.

Thank you for attending Open House on Tuesday! We appreciate your time and effort to come meet the Nelsen Staff.

If were unable to attend, or you did not receive the Gateway access code during Open House, the codes will be sent via U.S. Mail to all Nelsen parents. You should receive your code within the next week or two. Because of confidentiality, access numbers cannot be given out via telephone.

AFTER you receive your access code, if you have any difficulties, or questions, please contact Terri Zura at 425-204-3056, or terri.zura@renton.wednet.edu

Thank you for your patience!

Nelsen Administration

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For the week of September 22-26

2008-09-22T15:34:00.000-07:00

Open house is tomorrow night, starting at 6:30. I look forward to meeting you!

Social Studies:

We'll continue practicing latitude and longitude this week, with two worksheets due on Wednesday and one more assignment due Friday. There is a QUIZ ON FRIDAY!

Language Arts:

We are working with the WASL writing rubric this week, first by translating it into seventh-grade-friendly terminology and then by creating a visual representation of it. Students will also receive their second skills review packet on Tuesday which will be due on Friday of this week.

On the horizon...a complete draft of a personal narrative needs to be ready for next Monday. (9/29)

For the week of September 15-19

2008-09-15T14:43:00.000-07:00

One of my goals for making this blog as useful as possible is to give you an overview of each week: what topics we're studying, major projects on the horizon, weekly due dates, etc. Please take a few minutes to go over your student's planner with them--we take time each Monday to fill them out for the week.

I will try to post each week's plan as close to Monday as possible. Details could change from time to time, but it should give you a general idea of what's going on in class.

Social Studies (periods 1, 3, & 5)

Last week we spent time looking at the difference between maps and globes and reintroduced some familiar vocabulary terms: latitude, longitude, Equator, Prime Meridian, International Dateline, and hemispheres. This week we will be working specifically with latitude and longitude. We will be doing in-class activities and worksheets that will help them practice, practice, practice! Next Friday (Sept. 26) there will be a quiz on these topics. You can expect 10-15 minutes of daily homework this week.

Language Arts (periods 2 & 6)

Last week we began looking at the concept of elaboration, which we also clarified as “showing versus telling.” We read a funny short story by Gary Paulsen about his Great Dane named Caesar. This week we will look closely at that story for examples of elaboration as students work towards their first large writing assignment. Students will begin drafting a personal narrative later this week.

Students also received their first "Skills Review" packet today. This is a set of worksheets which review/practice some basic language arts skills. They will focus on different topics each week and will vary in difficulty depending on individual students’ areas of strengths and weaknesses. Watch for these weekly. They will be assigned each Monday and will be due on Thursday.

Upcoming Due Dates:

2008-09-04T13:03:00.000-07:00

Social Studies
Map of Summer, due Friday, Sept. 5

Language Arts
Who am I? poster, due Friday, Sept. 5

Back to School Letter

2008-09-01T16:28:00.000-07:00

Social Studies and Language Arts
Mrs. Caruso
Nelsen Middle School, Room 106

About Mrs. Caruso
This year marks my tenth year of teaching. (Wow. Where does time go?) I have been at Nelsen for six years. Prior to teaching in Renton, I was with the Bellevue School District and also worked for a couple years in the corporate world.

One of my professional goals this year is to obtain my National Board Certification. I feel like I am at a great place in my career to move forward with this challenge and am excited about the professional growth that is on the horizon for me.

My family and I enjoy living here in Renton; in fact, we live very close to Nelsen. My husband is a high school band director and our son, Miles, will be three in November.

About this class
I am extremely excited about the coming school year. This year’s study of world geography will include map skills, the five themes of geography, creating and interpreting charts/graphs, current events, and regional studies from around the globe. In language arts we will focus on elaboration, the persuasive and expository writing modes, vocabulary and spelling, and improving critical reading skills.

Each student will check out a geography textbook to keep and use at home this year. If you need an extra book to keep at a second home, please let me know. Students will bring home language arts textbooks on an “as needed” basis.

Materials
Students are responsible for having the following materials with them in class every day:
 Three ring binder/notebook
 Notebook paper
 Student planner
 Writing pens/pencils
 Eraser
 A set of colored pencils
 An black ultrafine point sharpie for outlining maps

Classroom expectations
1. Be in your seat when the bell rings
2. Come to class prepared to work
3. Listen carefully and follow directions
4. Respect the rights and property of others
5. No gum or food is allowed

Online Grades
We will continue to use the Learning Gateway/Skyward system that most of you became familiar with last year. To access the website, students use the same log-in/password that they use to log into school computers.

Log-in names are last name (up to 12 characters).first initial followed by their 6-digit student number. (For example: caruso.m123456) All passwords have been reset to student numbers for the start of the school year. If you have trouble accessing the on-line grade book, please let me know.

Late Work
Students will receive late work slips at the beginning of each quarter. These slips may be attached to any daily assignment or current event up to one week after its due date to avoid any late penalty. Late work slips may not be used on large projects. Without a late work slip attached, late daily work will be accepted for only half credit.

Mrs. Caruso's Summer Highlights

2008-09-01T16:06:00.000-07:00

A train trip to Oregon, a drive up the Oregon coast, a visit to the Museum of Flight, The Bouncy Place, Renton River Days....a very full, fun summer for the Carusos.

Here we go!

2008-05-06T21:28:00.000-07:00

I've set up this blog as a communication tool to keep parents regularly informed about what's going on in the classroom. My goal is that it will become a place where you can see daily assignments we are doing in class, learn about projects on the horizon, and find out about opportunities to become more involved in the classroom. I value your feedback and suggestions; this is a work in progress.

More to come soon!