Mrs. Lane - English Language Arts

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!

All students should read over the holiday break, but there is no written homework.
Progress reports go home today as well!

Congratulations!

The middle school faculty wishes to congratulate the following students:
Becca Johnson for being elected Junior Beta Club President,
Kalyn Billingsley for being elected Junior Beta Club Vice-President,
and the following students for being eligible to become members of Junior Beta Club by earning a 93 (or higher) average for the first two grading periods:
Ellie Cate Beavers
Emily Gabbard
Jessie Palmer
Emily Shuler
Emily Dorsey
Paige Moss
Ryan Vinson
Caroline Christy
Cheyenne Fleszar
Corbin Hawkins
Greg Palmer
Cristell Ruiz
Lindsay Wagner
Mrs. Lane will send home more information next week concerning dues, requirements, services, and induction service scheduled for February.
Have a great weekend!

Mrs. Lane - English Language Arts

All classes are working in class on Coach books and test-taking skills. Students have no homework over the weekend except to finish book reports.
Eighth Grade book reports are due Monday.
Seventh Grade book reports are due Wednesday.
Sixth Grade book reports are due next Friday.
See you all at the Christmas Ball tonight in the cafeteria from 6:00-9:00!

Mrs. Lane - English Language Arts

Sixth Grade - We are finishing up Literaure Unit 1 out of the textbook, and we will have a unit test on Thursday. There is no homework for this class except to work on book reports, which are due Friday, December 19th.

Seventh Grade - We are finishing up the Mythology Unit out of the textbook, and we will have a unit test on Thursday. Students will have no homework except to work on book reports, which are due Wednesday

Eighth Grade - We have finished Call of the Wild, and students need to write 4 paragraphs on the following topics -

What is the effect of having a limited third person point of view in this novel? What is the effect of reading the story the eyes of a dog? How do you think that the novel would be different from the viewpoint of one of the humans in the story?

Discuss at least two major symbols Jack London used in this novel. What do each represent, and why are they effective in the novel?

Describe the two most interesting transitions in Buck’s life, and explain what makes them your favorites.

Comment on your reaction to the novel as a whole. Did you like it or not? Which specific parts did you like or dislike? What stands out the most in your mind?
Students need to turn these in Thursday at the beginning of class. We are watching the movie in class. Students have no homework except to work on book reports, which are due Monday, December 15th.

Mrs. Lane - English Language Arts - Friday Update

Sixth Grade - Read "The Stone" in literature books for next Tuesday. Read for book reports.
Seventh Grade - Read "The Labors of Hercules" for next Tuesday. Read for book reports.
Eighth Grade - Finish Call of the Wild for Monday.

Middle School Toy Drive

We are holding a Toy Drive to benefit the Masonic Home for Children Please send in your new, unwrapped, (or very gently used!) toy by Dec. 18th. If you bring in a toy before the 12th you will receive $1.00 off the price of admission to the Holiday Ball. Also - the homeroom with the most donations will win a "brownie party!" Please bring all donations to Ms. Taliaferros room.

The Holiday Ball

The Middle School SGA is sponsoring a "Holiday Ball". The dance is semi-formal and will be held on the 12th of December. It's from 6:00 - 9:00 in the Highlands Cafeteria. The price of admission is $3.00 but if you bring a toy for our Toy Drive you will be able to get in for $2.00!

Mrs. Lane - English Language Arts

Be sure to check my website link for book report dates and projects!
Sixth Grade - Finish reading "President Cleveland, Where Are You?" for homework.
Seventh Grade - Read "The Flight of Icaraus" for homework.
Eighth Grade - Finish reading chapter 5 in Call of the Wild for homework.

Mrs. Lane - English Language Arts

Welcome back, and I hope everyone is rested and ready to work!
I will meet with each individual student today to discuss grades and any missing work. I must have verifications on grades done tomorrow, so this gives every student a chance to "fill in the blanks."
Eighth Grade - New vocabulary and worksheet in class on chapters 3 and 4 in
Call of the Wild-
chronic
feign
superfluous
convalescence
expediency
equilibrium
impede
pompous
vigil
demonstrative
Seventh Grade - Students will take notes on vocabulary unit 5 and read "Orpheus the Great Musician" and do Quickwrite on page 512.
Sixth Grade - Students will read "La Bamba" for tomorrow and do a brief worksheet on adjectives as a grammar review.
Finally, congratulations to eligible students for the second merit party of the year, which took place Tuesday, November 25, 2008. Keep up the great work!
Craig Forster
Emily Shuler
Ryan Vinson
Brett Wilson
Valarie Billingsley
Allie Bolt
Grace Brassard
Preston Chastain
Ann Marie Crowe
Craig Dalton
Andrew Figel
Veronica Garcia
Meredith Garren
Elizabeth Houston
Kenan Lewis
McKinley Moseley
April Moss
Philip Murphy
Kirstyn Owen
Clayton Pair
Ivy Satterwhite
Jessie Tilson
Shannon Welch
Josh Wolfrey
Kalyn Billingsley
Spencer Crumley
Greg Palmer
Parker Sims
Skyler Wagner
Sydney Wagner
Caroline Christy
Chase Flowers
Becca Johnson
Shawn McCall

English/Language Arts 11/24 and 11/25

Sixth Grade - Everyone turned in book reports on Monday, 11/24, after having a few extra days to work on them due to the snowday last Friday. We also discussed the next book report and went to the library to check out new books. On Tuesday, 11/25, we will do a brief worksheet on literary genres, and we will make cards for Mrs. Sizemore's holiday project. The only thing students should do over the holiday is to read.
Seventh Grade - Monday and Tuesday are both devoted to mythology presentations. We will also discuss the next book report dates and projects today, 11/25. There is no homework over the holiday except to read.
Eighth Grade - Students did a vocabulary assignment and a worksheet on chapters 1 and 2 in Call of the Wild on Monday, 11/24, which will be the first grades of the third grading period. We will discuss those worksheets today, 11/25, as well as begin chapter 3 together. Students should read through chapter 4 over the holiday and read for the nonfiction book reports.
I HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A SAFE AND BLESSED THANKSGIVING!

Mrs. Lane - English Language Arts

Sixth Grade book reports are due on Monday!
Eighth Grade needs to finish chapter 2 in Call of the Wild for Monday.
Seventh Grade may start a book for the next book report date, to be set next week.
Have a nice, long weekend!

Mrs. Lane - English Language Arts - Wednesday Update

Sorry that it's been a couple of days since my last post. I was at a workshop on Monday, and my students and I played "catch-up" yesterday.
Sixth Grade - On Tuesday, we went over the worksheet on pronouns from Monday. Today, we will go over the short story worksheet from Monday. Students are to finish "The All-American Slurp" from their textbooks for class tomorrow, and book reports are due this Friday.
Seventh Grade - I took up students' book reports yesterday (after postponing them one day), and we discussed Greek and Roman mythology. We went to the library to do some research other mythology, and we did a worksheet on "Origin of the Seasons" in class today.
Eighth Grade - Vocabulary from yesterday is due today. Students also had re-writes on a worksheet from Monday, and we started reading Call of the Wild in class.

Mrs. Lane - English Language Arts

Sixth Grade - We graded and discussed a pronoun worksheet and the short story "Ta-Na-E-Ka." On Monday, students will do one more practice worksheet on pronouns and have an open-book worksheet on the story. Book reports are due next Friday.
Seventh Grade - Students did exercises on vocabulary unit 4 after review. Students will take a quiz on the words on Monday, as well as begin reading the mythology unit in the textbook and do worksheet on capitalizing proper nouns. Book Reports are due tomorrow!
Eighth Grade - Students turned in book reports today! Students finished discussing 3 poems out of the textbook, "Columbus," "Western Wagons," and "The Other Pioneers," and we went to the library for a nonfiction book. Students will do a worksheet on the poems and watch a video on Alaska to begin our study of Jack London and Call of the Wild.

Mrs. Lane - English Language Arts - Thursday Update

Eighth Grade - Students have a vocabulary quiz in class today, and we discussed three poems from our literature book. There is no homework, except BOOK REPORTS ARE DUE TOMORROW.
Seventh Grade - Book reports have been postponed from next Monday until Tuesday since I must attend a workshop in Franklin that day. We had a grammar assignment in class today, so there is no homework tonight except to work on book reports.
Sixth Grade - Students are working on grammar worksheets in class today, and they should finish "Ta-Na-E-Ka," a short story in their textbooks, for tomorrow. Students should also remember that book reports are due next Friday, November 21st.

Mrs. Lane - English Language Arts - Wednesday Update

Sixth Grade - Students wrote 2 journal entries in class today and discussed them. The next reading assignment is "Ta-Ne-Ka," which is due Friday.
Seventh Grade - Students did a worksheet in class and took notes on vocabulary unit 4, as well as turning in books and paragraphs on The Giver.
Eighth Grade - We went over vocabulary exercises on unit 3; there will be a quiz tomorrow. We also discussed the worksheet on Harriet Tubman from Monday.
All students should be working on book reports!

Mrs. Lane - English Language Arts - Monday Update

ENJOY YOUR VETERAN'S DAY TOMORROW!!
Sixth Grade - We are discussing last week's noun quiz and story worksheet in class today. There is no homework except for the upcoming book report, due on November 21st.
Seventh Grade - We had an open-book final assignment on The Giver today, but students need to work on the composition section to turn in on Wednesday. Students should also work on book reports, due on November 17th.
Eighth Grade - We worked on vocabulary and a worksheet on last week's reading assignment in class. There is no homework except to work on book reports, which are due on Friday.

Mrs. Lane - English Language Arts - Friday Update

Sixth Grade - Students took a quiz on nouns in class and did a worksheet on the story "Just Once." All students should work on book reports over the weekend.
Seventh Grade - Students had a vocabulary quiz in class today, and we worked on compositions in the computer lab. Students should finish The Giver over the weekend in order to prepare for the final test.
Eighth Grade - Students worked on vocabulary exercises, compositions, and book reports in class. Students should make sure they have finished "Harriet Tubman - Guide to Freedom" for Monday.
A REMINDER TO ALL STUDENTS TO BRING IN SIGNED FORMS FOR THE YOUNG AUTHORS CONTEST ON "BRIDGES." HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

Mrs. Lane - English Language Arts - Thursday Update

Sixth Grade - Noun review today in class for a quiz tomorrow. We are reading a story from the textbook in class today. Students should be reading for book reports.
Seventh Grade - We read and discussed chapter 19; students should be through chapter 21 for class tomorrow, and students will have a vocabulary quiz.
Eighth Grade - Students should read "Harriet Tubman - Guide to Freedom" for tomorrow. We worked on book reports and compositions today in class.

Mrs. Lane - English Language Arts - Wednesday Update

Sixth Grade - Students did a worksheet on proper nouns in class today. They should read for book reports at home.
Seventh Grade - We had a great discussion on the novel in class today. Students should read chapter 18 for tomorrow.
Eighth Grade - Students read the short story "The Secret" together in class. Read for book reports.

Mrs. Lane - English Language Arts - Tuesday Update

Sixth Grade - We are continuing classwork on grammar - nouns. Students should read for book reports.
Seventh Grade - Students did a worksheet in class on chapters 11-15 in The Giver. They also did vocabulary; this is homework if they did not finish. We will have a discussion period in class tomorrow.
Eighth Grade - We reviewed last week's short story test in class today. Students also took notes on vocabulary unit 3.