Poetry Explosion and Turning the Clock Back to the Civil War
October LRC Happenings
One hundred sixty-seven new books were added to the LRC collection in the month of October in the LJHS library. Have you stopped in to browse through the newest titles to find that special book to read during R.O.A.R. or your silent reading time?
Seventeen staff members enjoyed our second “Books & Bagels” on October 22nd. Staff members enjoyed coffee, juice, and bagels as they searched our newest acquisitions and shared ideas. It was a great opportunity for everyone to find those special titles that fit each curriculum area.
Map testing filled the early October schedule in the LRC as each grade level participated in language usage, reading, and mathematics testing. We will revisit the map testing in January at all grade levels.
Mr. Marx introduced Microsoft Excel to our sixth grade math students. Students learned how to input data into Excel and to then use the “chart wizard” to create both column and pie graphs. The sixth grade wizards used those skills to create graphs to represent their Skittles data.
Sixth grade language arts classes kicked off their poetry unit in October. The recordings of well-known poets and staff members reading a variety of poems in various styles was presented to the sixth graders in a PowerPoint presentation. Students returned to the LRC for two more visits—this time to browse through over two hundred poetry books. The sixth graders were in search of a humorous and serious poem that they would memorize, practice reading with expression, and then present to their peers. The poets will also present their own poetry piece. Three to four students are going to be selected from each class and then be invited along with their parents to our very unique Poetry Café. Those invited to the Café would present their oral interpretation or original piece to everyone present at the café while enjoying snacks.
Mr. Jocson’s language arts classes explored activities on Vocabulary.com and completed their personal narrative essays. Ms. Matareyih’s literature class worked in the LRC lab on their creative Rikki-tikki-tavi essays. Mr. Marino’s AT Literature students searched through our picture book collection to find one book that they would read. After reading their selection the students created a commercial for that book. Each of the commercials was filmed and then the students graded their own work based upon Mr. Marino’s rubric. Mr. Ghinazzi’s social studies classes created PowerPoint presentations on a country in Latin America utilizing the five themes of geography. Our French Cultures class under Ms. Finaldi’s guidance researched French speaking countries for their final presentations.
As part of the 8th grade cross-curricular unit of study for the Civil War, Mr. Prichard used a PowerPoint presentation about Gettysburg created by Mr. Marx to explain the significance topography played in the turning point of the Civil War. In language arts Ms. Mersky and Ms. Renaud’s classes used the LRC lab to create character sketches of someone they knew for their descriptive essays and began to write their narrative experience papers. In literature Ms. Mersky’s classes searched through non-fiction, fiction, and picture books for a civil war book to read and then present a book report to their peers. The students later returned to the LRC to enjoy The Story of the H.L. Hunley and Secrets of a Civil War Submarine. Mr. Marx and Mrs. Marino presented the first of their historical timeline pieces to the 8th grade social studies classes. The central piece of the story was the picture book The Drummer Boy. Accompanied with period music, photographs, and factual information the story tells the story of a young boy who enlists in the Union army at the outset of the Civil War and of the events he encounters during his enlistment.
The LRC will be hosting the annual LJHS fall book fair November 17-25. Students will be able to purchase books before school, during lunch, or during the time they visit the fair with their literature classroom. The book fair will also be open during parent conferences. Don’t forget to stop in, browse the shelves, and purchase those special titles. Remember to get a jump on your holiday shopping or simply find that title for silent reading or R.O.A.R.
The LRC will be hosting their very first Scrabble and Snacks Day on December 18th. If you enjoy playing Scrabble this is just for you. We’ll provide the snacks and some very special game boards for the first twenty-four students to sign-up beginning on December 2nd. It’ll be a fun-filled afternoon from 3:10-4:55 p.m. The activity bus will be available for any participants that need transportation home. Reminders will go home on December 1st.
The
LRC kicked off their second contest of the year at the beginning of
October in conjunction with the presidential election race in full
swing. How well did the students of Lisle Junior High School know
their presidents? Judging by the results...not very well. This
daily puzzler appeared to have stymied our trivia sleuths. Each day
clues were given about one of our presidents. The task at hand was
to figure out which of our leaders was featured. A presidential
display board featured each of our leaders and Mr. Pociask
spotlighted presidential facts in our Presidential Almanac every
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. A new president was featured each
day. Although we had an increase in faculty participation, our
student scholar participation fell dramatically. Eighteen “goody”
bags were distributed, while Kelly Krebaum was the raffle
winner!
Next up for daily puzzle buffs will be “Ready, Willing, and Able,”
beginning Wednesday, November 12th. If you’re ready, willing, and
able, give this puzzle a go. Find a rhyme for each word in the
clue, so you end up with a familiar three-word phrase in the form
“____, ____, and ____.” For example, the clue “Took, Sign, and
Blinker” would lead to the answer “Hook, Line, and
Sinker.”
