Creating Life-long Learners

Hello parents and students,

As we begin the trimester, I want to encourage all of you to take the opportunity to emphasize the importance of reading and growing as scholars to your children.  Many students do not enjoy reading, and this is effecting their development as readers and learners.  Reading should be encouraged as a hobby for students, and time should be allotted at home to encourage reading. 

Some ways to foster a love of reading include:

1.  Allocating a special hour in the evening for reading

2. Reading with your child: pick a book, read it, discuss it, and go see the movie!

3.  Make a habit of going to your local library: 

• It is a great place for students to study, and they can check out books for free!
• The library will have events/activities to introduce children to classic/new authors
• Some libraries offer free tutoring to local students

3. Create a quite reading corner in your home where your child could curl up with a good book

4.  Limit TV and video game time

5. Share your favorite childhood books with your children

6. Award your child when they finish a book

Thanks,

Mrs. Moussa

Tutoring Available for Santa Monica Residents

Hello parents and students,

I saw this in the Viking View, and I thought I would pass this information along since many parents have inquired about tutoring.

FREE Tutoring Program Available through the Los Angeles and Santa Monica Public Libraries.

Any student in grades 3-12 with a library card for the Santa Monica Public Library or the Los Angeles Public Library can take advantage of free online tutoring services provided through the libraries. Patrons can access free tutoring online either at a library or at home from 1:00 pm until 10:00 pm daily.. This is live help and users do not need a camera. Students type in the problem they are having and the tutor types back to them. There is even a board where students can write out a problem and the tutor will assist them. For more information visit the Los Angeles Public Library's Live Homework Help link, http://kidspath.lapl.org/kidspath/homework/live_homework_help.html , or Santa Monica Public Library Brainfuse link, http://smpl.org/Brainfuse_Kids.aspx.

Thank you,

Mrs. Moussa

 

Middle School Field Trip - Friday December 6th, 2013

Hi,

This is a reminder that 6th and 7th grade students are going on a field trip this Friday, December 6th, 2013.  The field trip is to the Broad Stage to view "National Geographic Live!  The Lens of Adventure."  Students are required to turn in both permission slips signed by a parent/guardian in order to participate in the field trip.  On the day of the field trip, students are asked to wear their school uniforms and to dress warmly, because we are walking to the Broad Stage.

There are several students that have not turned in their permission slips, please make sure your student has turned in theirs by tomorrow.

Thank you,

Mrs. Moussa

 

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Hi Everyone,

I wanted to wish all of my middle school students and parents a very happy Thanksgiving

School work over the Thanksgiving holiday:

6th Grade:
-Sixth grade has been assigned two worksheets to work on over the Thanksgiving holiday:

• "Visualization"
•  "Writing Across Texts"

-Sixth grade was also provided with an extra credit worksheet.

7th Grade:
-Seventh grade is working on an in-class essay as an assessment for Unit 3 of Literature.  Students are encouraged to review the two reading selections they are writing about: "Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost and "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer.  Students should have created an organizational chart of information they are using for the essay and an outline.  They are allowed to use their outline in class to assist them in writing the essay.

The essay question for this comparative essay is:

"In an essay, compare Robert Frost's view of nature in "Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening" by Jon Krakauer's view of nature in Into Thin Air.  How does each author respond to nature?"

8th Grade (literature in my class):
 -Eighth grade is currently reading Rascal.  We have completed the novel and the students are watching the movie in class.
-The students will be asked to compile all of their chapter assignments and create a study guide for the novel.
*Students should make sure they have all of their chapter assignments in order to compile them.

All of the Grades:
-All of the grades need to make sure they are keeping track of their free reading in their reading logs.  All of the reading logs will be collected on December 3rd.

-Students are required to turn in both reading logs.

Thank you, and enjoy your holiday!

Mrs. Moussa

Halloween Announcement

  

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

 

 

Halloween Costume Guidelines. Halloween Costume Parades, Thursday, October 30. 

We will hold our annual costume parade under the pavilion at 8:30 am this Thursday, October 31. Children may wear costumes to school. In the spirit of Halloween, costumes and make up may be scary, but they must not be inappropriate or offensive and may not include weapons in any description. Anyone who plans to send Halloween treats to school for class celebrations must first check with their child's classroom teachers for advance approval.

Parent/Teacher Conferences (7th Grade)

Hello parents,

I wanted to inform you that the schedule for parent/teacher conferences is now available in the office.  To make an appointment, please call Ms. Francis, and she can schedule your appointment with me.  Conferences are Monday, November 25th - Wednesday, November 27th.  

Please, take a moment to review GradeLink.com (http://www.gradelink.com/) for your student's grades.  

Make sure your student makes-up any missing assignments, quizzes, and tests.  Making-up missed assignments is the student's responsibility, and at the end of trimester all missing assignments will be converted to a zero.

Thank you for your help, and have a great day!

Mrs. Moussa

Upcoming Tests and Quizzes

Hi everyone,

Due to our short school week this week, the vocabulary quizzes and tests are scheduled for Monday.  The students were notified of this change on Monday (10/21/13).

Here is a list of the upcoming quizzes and tests:

Sixth Grade: Vocabulary Test (Units 4-6)

Seventh Grade: Vocabulary Quiz (Unit 7)

Eighth Grade: Vocabulary Quiz (Unit 7)

Have a great weekend,

Mrs. Moussa

Change in Vocabulary Quiz and Test Date for 6th and 7th Grade

Hi,

This is a reminder that the vocabulary test for 7th graders on units 4-6 has been scheduled for Monday, October 21st, 2013.  Also, the 6th grade unit 6 vocabulary quiz has been scheduled for Monday, October 21st, 2013.  


The quiz and test were scheduled for this Friday, but we will be taking them on Monday.

Don't forget to review your vocabulary words over the weekend!

Thanks,

Mrs. Moussa

Upcoming Vocabulary Tests (7th and 8th Grade)

Hi,

This is a notice of upcoming vocabulary tests for 7th and 8th grades.

7th grade has a vocabulary test on units 4,5,and 6 on Friday, October 18th, 2013 .

8th grade has a vocabulary test on units 4,5, and 6 on Monday, October 21st, 2013.

Please make sure to review the vocabulary words' synonyms, and definitions.  As discussed in class, the most important thing is to be able to understand how to use the vocabulary words.  So, students should focus on knowing the synonyms.

Have a great week!

Mrs. Moussa

 

Unit 2 Final Project - Author Study (7th and 8th Grade)

Hi everyone,

Example of a presentation board project

Seventh and Eighth graders are currently working on their final project for unit 2 of literature.  This final project is an author study of one of the authors in unit 2 of our literature books.  Here are the instructions  for the project. 
This project is due on Wednesday, October 23rd, 2013.

Seventh & Eighth Grade – Unit 2 Final Project

Unit 2 final project has two components:

1.     Research the life and work of one of the authors of the selections in Unit 2:

*All of the items below must be posted on a presentation board

a.   Write a newspaper article about the life and literary work of the author.

                                                             i.      Don’t forget to include:

1.     Where was he/she born?

2.     Where was he/she educated?

3.     What were did he/she work?  Was he/she successful?

4.     What were his/her most powerful literary works?

b.   Include one poem/short story of the author of your choice, and illustrate important imagery used in the poem/story

c.    Write a letter to the author:

                                                             i.       Telling him/her which of their poems/short stories is your favorite, and why

                                                           ii.      Your favorite quotes/part of the story/poem

                                                        iii.      How you identify to the poem/short story

d.   Pictures of the author, or book covers

2.     Oral Presentation:

a.   Organize an oral presentation of all of the above information

b.   Choose your favorite poem/short story by your chosen author and analyze it:

                                                             i.      Explain the theme/main idea of the poem/story

                                                           ii.      Explain symbolism or figurative language used in the poem

                                                        iii.      Share key quotes from the selection

                                                        iv.      Describe why you chose this poem, and how did you identify with it

**Don’t forget to turn-in a bibliography of all the sources you used for your research. **

 

Example of presentation board project

Upcoming Language Arts Tests and Quizzes

Hello students and parents,

As you know, this week and some of next week is dedicated to ITBS Testing.  Due to this testing, this week's vocabulary quizzes/tests will be postponed until next Friday (September 28th).  This will allow students two weeks to study and work on their current vocabulary units. 

Here is a schedule of upcoming tests and quizzes:

Sixth Grade: 

• Vocabulary Test (Units 1, 2, 3) - Friday, September 28th

Seventh Grade: 

• Reading Test (Unit 1) - Monday, September 23rd 
• Vocabulary Quiz (Unit 4) - Friday, September 28th
• Spelling Quiz (on vocabulary words) - Friday, September 28th

 Eighth Grade:

•  Reading Test (Unit 1) - Monday, September 23rd
• Vocabulary Quiz (Unit 4) - Friday, September 28t

P.S. I am always here to help!  Please, make an appointment, if you feel you need some support before the tests/quizzes.

Good luck!!! 

 

 
                     

Vocabulary Tests for 7th and 8th Graders

Hello Students and Parents,

This post is just a reminder that 7th and 8th graders have a vocabulary test this Friday for Units 1, 2, and 3.  The students were notified of the test on Monday, and we have been working all week on reviewing the vocabulary words.  Please, review the words with your student.  The test will assess the students' knowledge of word definitions, synonyms, and antonyms.

Thank you, and have a great week!

Mrs Moussa

Missing Class and Missing Assignments

Hello students and parents,

I hope you are all enjoying your weekend, and the St. Anne's Festival.  It has come to my attention that there have been many absences in the past couple of weeks of school.  It is understandable that illnesses and extenuating circumstances may hinder students from attending school, but I wanted to stress the importance of maintaining a regular attendance.  When students miss class they miss lessons, activities, and important classroom discussions.  

Many of the students that have missed school have not made an active attempt to find out what lessons, activities, quizzes, and assignments they have missed.  

It is imperative that students understand that it is their responsibility to find out what they missed when they were absent, borrow notes from a fellow student on the lessons, make up the missing assignment/activity, and to turn it in.  This is an important part of being a responsible student/learner; which, students and parents agreed to work towards when they signed the Achieving Excellence contract.

Students who do not make up missing assignments/quizzes after their absences will have a point deducted for each day it is late.  A date must be set to make-up missed quizzes/tests the day the absent student returns to school.  I will no longer seek out students for make-up assignments or quizzes/tests.

Thank you, and have a great weekend,

Mrs. Moussa

Vocabulary Quizzes Rescheduled

Hello parents and students,

As you know, this week was a short week due to the Labor Day holiday and the St. Anne's Festival.  In order, to allow the students ample time to prepare for the vocabulary quizzes for their respective grades, I have moved the quizzes date to Monday, September 9th, 2013.  The students were notified of this change yesterday, Wednesday, September 4th, 2013.  I have made several announcements in class of the change of date, so students should be aware.  Please, take the time to quiz your son/daughter on the vocabulary words that they will be quizzed on.  The students should know the definition of the word, and its synonyms and antonyms. 

Have a great weekend,

Mrs. Moussa

Here's what we are working on . . .

Hi everyone,

Here is an update on what grades 6th, 7th, and 8th are currently working on in Language Arts:

6th Grade:  We just finished identifying the sequence of events in a story.  Students applied their knowledge of how to identify the order of events and the necessary elements for a story by creating a comic strip.  The class is beginning to work on identifying the stages of the writing process.

7th Grade:  We have been reading short stories and poems that center around characters grappling with their identity.  The class learned the identifying characteristics of fables and poetry.  Also, students are learning to recognize the speaker and his/her motives in a story/poem.  We have begun a discussion of the stages of the writing process.



8th Grade:  The class has been reading short stories that have a historical setting.  After reading several stories, students created their own fictional short stories in a historical setting of their choice.  They experienced the writing process through writing their short stories, in addition to continued discussion of the subject matter in class. 

Tests/Quizzes:

• There is a vocabulary quiz every Friday
• Starting next week, for 7th Graders only, students will be quizzed on the spelling and meaning of the vocabulary words. 
• 8th and 6th Graders take spelling with their respective homeroom teachers, so they should follow the instructions given to them by Ms. Mendez and Ms. Abel.

Extra Credit:

6th Grade: none at this time

7th Grade: none at this time

8th Grade:  provide a poem by a well-known literary figure that has the central theme of "Choice".  Turn-in the poem along with the following information: 

• Title (make predictions based on the title of the poem)
• Paraphrase the poem
• What is the connotation of the poem?  What is the meaning of the poem (beyond the literal)
• Attitude/tone of the speaker
• Shifts of attitude of the speaker
• Central theme

 

Grading Policy

Grading Policy

Assessments (tests, quizzes, and knowledge checks) play an important role in education.  They allow the students to apply the knowledge they have learned.  In addition, they allow the teacher to gauge student understanding and pin point areas where students need more support.  In my classes, we will be following the standard grading scale used by all Saint Anne School teachers, but here is how grades will be distributed:

 

Chapter Tests                                            40%

Achieve 3000 (Blended Learning)           20%

Class work and Participation                  15%

        Includes: group work, papers, projects

Homework                                                15%

        Includes: monthly reading log

 Quizzes and DOL/Bellwork                   10%

*Please note, the assignments done by the students on the first full week of school will not be included in Gradelink.  These assignments were used to familiarize the students with the classroom routines and procedures. 

**The first graded assignments will be the vocabulary quizzes this Friday for 7th and 8th graders, and the short story assignment that has been assigned for the 8th graders.



Welcome Back Saint Anne Students!!

Hi,

I would like to welcome all of Saint Anne's School students back from their summer vacations and introduce myself to students and parents.  My name is Mrs. Mary Moussa, and I will be the Language Arts teacher for sixth, seventh, and eighth grades.  I am really excited to join the Saint Anne School team, and to have a chance to meet and work with all of you.  This year will be very exciting for students and teachers alike.  All of us cannot wait to implement Blended Learning and use all of the new technology that has been provided for us. 

 

My goal for students in my classes is to create life-long learners by developing their reading comprehension skills and give them a solid understanding of writing conventions, so they can apply this knowledge in the future.  Classes will include literature, grammar and writing, vocabulary, and spelling.  Students will be encouraged to make cross-curricular connections, and demonstrate this knowledge through projects, papers, and presentations.  I recognize the important role that parents play in creating students who value learning and hard work; therefore, I appreciate your help in encouraging students to put forth their best effort in homework, papers, projects, or exams.

 

I look forward to meeting and working with all of you.

Sincerely, 

Mrs. Mary Moussa