Trimester 3 Reading Goals

I hope everyone had a restful spring break!  It has been great to be back with the students this week!

I want to share that your student has set their reading goal for the trimester.  This goal is listed in terms of the
number of pages your student feels they can read in 12 weeks.

In addition, your student has chosen how they will be logging their reading this trimester (reading calendar,
Google spreadsheet, or Goodreads.com). This information is also in PowerSchool.  

Studies show that, over the past two decades, there has been a downward trend in voluntary reading after
13 years of age. In short, most adolescents are reading less. Two of the strongest predictors of adolescents
who read frequently are that they:

1) have time to read independently at school -and-

2) rate themselves as highly enjoying reading.  

That said, we’ll continue our most celebrated routine of reading throughout the whole period on Thursdays.
I will meet with your child periodically to ensure they are reading a book that they enjoy. Please feel free to
ask them about their reading as well!

Mid-term reading logs will be collected on Friday, April 13th.  At that point, students should be
about halfway to their trimester reading goal.

Trimester 3 reading logs are due Friday, May 25th and are worth 10% of your student's
final grade.

Thank you for your support, and please let me know if you have any questions.

Self-affirmations and Notes of Gratitude

Did you know that numerous studies have show that young adults who practice gratitude are HAPPIER? Notes of self-affirmation and gratitude make everyone's day a bit brighter in our classroom! Have a note you'd like me to stick in your student's mailbox? DM @SEJH8 (Instagram) or email pisarik.rachael@iowacityschools.org #gratitudeisthebestattitude #affirmations #itsthelittlethingsthatmakemesmile

Back to School Night

Remember that tonight is Back to School Night from 6-8 pm at SEJH!

Extra Credit

Students, you can now earn extra credit by sharing the Signposts you notice. Include the following information on your Instagram post:
1) Take a photo of the page containing the Signpost
2) Name the Signpost, answer the anchor question, & list the title/pg. #
3) Underline or highlight any other important information.
4) #BookSnaps #sejh @SEJH8

Welcome to 3rd Trimester!

This trimester, we will further build our online presence!  Not only will we continue to upload written work to our online Weebly portfolios, but we will build an online READING presence as well.  Be sure to update your Goodreads account every Monday.  Let your peers know what you are reading, as well as which authors, genres, and topics interest you the most.  Attention to your Goodreads account will serve as your Reading Log this trimester.  Questions??  Ask Mrs. Pisarik.

Language Arts 8 Portfolios

I'm so excited to finally reveal your student's Language Arts Portfolio! Eighth graders are using a platform called Weebly to showcase their work this year.  Click on the Language Arts 8 Portfolios tab to the left (under Contents) to find a link to individual websites!  Excellent work, Little Hawks!

Trimester 1 Reading Logs

Remember to continue reading each and every day!  Students who meet their Trimester 1 reading goals will see their final grade increased by 1/3 of a letter grade.  For example, a student who is earning a B+ and meets their reading goal will earn an A-; similarly, a student who meets their reading goal and is earning A at the end of the tri will be "bumped up" to an A+.  We will update our Everywhere Reading Logs every Monday during class.  If you need an extra, click on the link to the left to print a copy.