Ms Orlando

Seminar, Week of May 12 - 16

Welcome back, Wildcats!  Are you counting the days until summer?  I'll bet that you are!  Know, though, that we are going to stay busy and learning each and every last day of your seventh grade experience!

In the next two weeks, we will complete our novel study of Running Out of Time.  Be prepared for a few more quizzes over this material, however, we will not have any more vocabulary quizzes/tests.  The next quiz will be on Tuesday, May 13.  The Mock Writing Assessment will be held this Monday morning and you will go to connections in the afternoon.  Remember to bring two blue or black ink pens as your final draft must be written in ink!

Blocks 4 and 6:  Be prepared to present your "green" projects the last week of school.

HOMEWORK:  Your Running Out of Time projects are due this Monday and Tuesday respectively.  Don't be late turning them in!!!  If you are not in class Monday due to the writing assessment, just hand in your work the following day.

Have a wondrous Wildcat week and keep counting! >^..^<

Update For This Week

The 7th Grade Mock Writing Test will be held on Monday, May 12.  In homeroom tomorrow, students need to bring three sheets of notebook paper for Monday's test.  Make sure, too, that you have pencils and black or blue pens as your final draft must be in pen.

HOMEWORK:  Blocks 3, 5 and 7 - "Modern Description" Project is due Monday; "Against All Odds" due Tuesday.  Blocks 4 and 6:  Keep working on your projects.

Seminar, Week of May 5 -9

We will spend the last weeks of school reading Running Out of Time and working on our portfolio projects.  There may be one or two more vocabulary quizzes from the novel, but I will decide this sometime in the next few days.  Blocks 4 and 6 will give their "green" presentations the last week of school.

REMINDERS:  The book fair will be here this Friday.  Pajama Day is this Wednesday.  Please follow the dress guidelines provided by your homeroom teacher.  The cost to participate is $2 with proceeds going to the Del Edwards Memorial Garden.

HAVE A WONDERFUL WILDCAT WEEK!

Update for Week of April 28

*Progress reports go home Wednesday and must be returned by Friday.

*There will be a vocabulary test on Monday over the terms in Chapters 1 -5 of Running Out of Time.

*All classes will take a quiz over the first four chapters of our novel tomorrow (Thursday).

*Blocks 4 and 6 must select project presentation dates by this Thursday.

Have a wonderful rest of the week and a terrific weekend!

Seminar, Week of April 28 - May 2

Can you believe that this week will actually transition us into the month of May?  Where has the time flown?  CRCT will wind up this Tuesday and then our schedules will return to normal.  I am so proud of my homeroom for having perfect attendance during testing and hope to repeat this on Monday and Tuesday.  I will give everyone in homeroom two "cats" if they are present for the remainder of our testing time.  Stay well and be here on time with sharpened pencils and a positive attitude!

With a few exceptions, we will be spending the rest of this nine weeks with our novel study of Running Out of Time.  I have requested that students have a BRADDED FOLDER to keep all their work - notes, vocabulary, quizzes, tests, and project options - and will be checking folders for a homework/participation grade on WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30.  So far, all classes seem to be excited about the story as it has many twists, turns, and a definite air of mystery about it that coaxes one to read on!  Parents, as I have mentioned previously, if your child needs reinforcement in reading, you might wish to purchase the book to keep at home.

HOMEWORK:  Although there is no official homework this week, I expect to see folders on Wednesday, agendas signed by Friday, and Blocks 4 and 6 ready to begin presenting their "green" projects by this Wednesday as well.  Please let me know if there are any issues with you being prepared to do so.  Everyone:  start learning your Running Out of Time vocabulary terms.

REMINDERS:  Progress reports will be going home this week.  Remember to bring these back to each teacher signed by a parent.  Any of my students that return their signed progress report the very next day will receive a "cat".  Also, mark your calendars to attend the mural dedication ceremony at Durham this coming Sunday, May 4, at 2:00.  This should be a touching and memorable event!

Have a super week and remember that Wildcats Rule!!!!!

Seminar, Week of April 21 - 25

WELCOME TO CRCT WEEK!  I know that all of you will do your best each day of testing beginning this Wednesday.  Get your rest, eat a nutritious breakfast each morning, and, most importantly, RELAX!  You can do this as you have all studied hard throughout the year.

To keep stress to a minimum in class this week, there will be no homework and our Unit 6 vocabulary test will be taken on Tuesday before CRCT begins.  As most of you did an AWESOME job on your "Almost There" quiz this past Friday, you should breeze through this test.  We will complete our CARS activities on Monday and begin our novel study on Running Out of Time as well.  We will be alternating between reading the novel aloud as a class and practicing silent, sustained reading.  Students will be given question sheets for each of the chapters that they will be expected to complete as they read.  All tests given on the novel will have questions that come directly from these study sheets.  Vocabulary terms from the book will be included as part of these tests/quizzes. 

HOMEWORK:  Technically, there is none, but I would like everyone to have a new, not used, bradded folder for your Running Out of Time handouts, project sheet, and due dates by this Friday, April 25th.  ALL activities that deal with this novel should be placed in this folder on a daily basis.  I believe that you can purchase folders from the school store every morning except Monday.

REMINDERS:  Blocks 4 and 6 - Please continue to work on your "Green Projects" this week and next.  These are due April 30th.  Remember the Durham Workday on Saturday, April 26 to beautify our grounds in preparation for the mural dedication, Sunday, May 4th at 2:00 p.m.  Mark the dates on your calendars!

Have a marvelous week!  Go Wildcats!!!

Seminar, Week of April 14 - 18

Welcome back!  Hope everyone had as wonderful a spring break as I did and that each of us is ready for the relatively short slide to the end of the school year.  This week, we will be learning the vocabulary terms in Unit 6 and practicing our CARS activities in preparation for the upcoming CRCT.  I will give the students an "almost there" quiz on vocabulary this coming Friday, so keep learning the terms all this week.  Blocks 4 and 6 will have some time in class this week to work on their "green" projects.

HOMEWORK:  Study for your "almost there".  Blocks 4 and 6 - your project deadline has now been moved to April 30th.  Please plan to meet with your groups outside of school to work on these projects.

REMINDERS:  CRCT Power Practices begin this Wednesday.  These are held from 7:50 until homeroom each morning for different subjects.  Seminar will meet this Friday.  Plan to be there!!!

Seminar, Week of March 31 - April 4

WELCOME TO OLYMPICS WEEK!!!  This will indeed be a busy one at Durham!  In Seminar, we will continue to do our "CARS" practice exercises and learn more about infectious diseases through watching an educational video.  All classes will take notes during the film and will be quizzed over the information.  On Tuesday and Thursday, Blocks 4 and 6 will be doing research for their projects in the computer lab, so bring your materials.

HOMEWORK:  Blocks 3, 4, and 5 are to write thank-yous to Mr. Orlando for his presentation on the environment this past Friday (Blocks 6 and 7 completed these in class).  Please be sure to include three things you learned, what you liked the best, and what you would like to know more about.  This is a classwork grade - no homework passes accepted!  Also, remember to have your agendas on your desk when the bell rings and get them signed for this week's check.

REMINDERS:  Earth Hour is TONIGHT from 8 to 9.  Why not celebrate with the lights out for one hour!

OLYMPIC BEHAVIORS:  Just a reminder that sportsmanship counts!  I know that you will all be on your best behavior and will excel in all activities you do.  GO ENGLAND!!!  GO WILDCATS!!!

Update, Week of March 24 - 28

There are a few changes in the plans ahead that I wanted all to be aware of.  First of all, I have decided not to begin our novel study until after spring break; that way, the students will have more continuity with the book.  Secondly, we will concentrate on completing Chapter 19 in our science text in the coming week and continue to work on "CARS" activities geared to enhance reading comprehension strategies.  Student grades for the first "CARS" lesson this week were, for the most part, low; however, each student will be given the opportunity during this 9-week period to re-do their lessons until they reach a grade of "80" or better.  Students will be given time in class to do so as often as possible.  They are also welcome to come to my classroom any day after 8:30 a.m. to work on and get help with these lessons.

REMINDERS:  Homeroom students, you need to return your report card cover sheet to me, signed, by this Friday if you have not already done so.  You will serve silent lunch beginning next Monday until I receive your form.  Get agendas signed tonight!!!!!  You know why! :)  Tomorrow is our quiz on Section 1 of Chapter 19 in our science books.

EXCITEMENT:  Danny Orlando will be giving his presentation entitled "Storms and Opportunities - A Planetary Climate and Energy Discussion" in the Durham theatre this Friday at 12:45.  Parents, you are more than welcome to attend!  Blocks 3 and 4 will be expected to complete thank you notes to Mr. Orlando by the following Monday; remaining blocks will do these in class after the assembly.

OLYMPICS:  The final list for the olympics will be posted in my room tomorrow.  Please check to see if you have a conflict with another sport and make a trade with someone if you can. 

Seminar, Week of March 24 - 28

Welcome back!  This week, we will begin our study of how diseases are transmitted and what protects us from illnesses.  Students will be engaged with various SmartBoard activities on this subject including games and quizzes.  We are studying this topic in our science book as we prepare to read the novel Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix.  I have a class set of these books that will have to stay in the classroom unless checked out to a student who has been ill and needs to make up the reading.  Parents, you might want to go on-line to www.amazon.com or contact a local bookstore if you want your child to have his/her own copy.  We will begin our novel study sometime next week.

We will also be engaged in activities to help students better prepare for the CRCT from now until we take the test in April.  These activities will include warm-ups, power-word reviews, and reading comprehension exercises.  Classes will be assigned Skills Tutor activities to complete at home as well for extra credit.

This Friday, we are in for a special treat.  My husband, Danny Orlando, who works at EPA and is their Energy Star coordinator for the region, will be coming to Durham to give an awesome presentation on the state of the environment to the entire 7th Grade.  The program should start at about 12:45 in the theatre.  Parents, you are more than welcome to attend; we would be happy to have you there!  All classes will be required to write thank-you notes to Danny using the correct "friendly letter" format and includingin the body of the letter a minimum of three things learned from the presentation and at least one thing that they could implement at home or school to save energy.

HOMEWORK:  Get agendas signed!  I will have two checks this week: one "surprise" and one for parentsignature.  Study Section 1 of Chapter 19 in your science book as you will have an "almost there" quiz on Thursday.  Keep working on Skills Tutor assignments!  Get a bradded folder by Tuesday, April 1st.

REMINDERS:  Olympics Week begins March 31st.  If you still need a team t-shirt, they are being sold at the school store for $5.  Vocabulary books are also available for $10.

Have a wonderful wildcat week!