Is almost here! Please don’t forget to bring your money next Tuesday and Wednesday as we will be visiting the book fair as a class.

Middle School Students have finally started their first novel studies and so far students are hooked! Grade 6’s started reading Ghost, a coming of age novel about a young boy obsessed with world records. Grade 7 students have started reading The Outsiders, a novel that touches on some heavy themes including in vs out, family, friendship, colour, and social class. While Grade 8 students started Steinbeck’s classic, Of Mice and Men a novel that really dives deep into an unlikely friendship. Please note that all students have a hard copy of their respective novels, but digital versions have been posted on both Google Classroom and the Homework Boards as well.

Happy reading!!!

You talked! We listened. We would like to introduce you all to the new and improved Homework Board! It’s simpler. Less “stuff”. Neat. Tidy. Clean. Organized. User friendly. And may we add, pretty! Original links still work. Your feedback is always welcome! Let’s give this one a go!

This week Middle School English Language Arts students had the opportunity to explore our new reading program, Amplify. This program allows students to read closely by following an interactive graphic novel. Students enjoyed the first step of the program which was designing their very own avatar. This exercise was followed by a dynamic and engaging chapter one featuring the student as the main character. Feedback thus far has been very positive!

The Grade 8s are fundraising! Starting tomorrow we will be selling Bad Monkey Popcorn. Pick up a kosher, vegan, pareve and nut free snack at recess in the main lobby and after school outside the front doors. $2 for a snack bag & $5 for a big bag. We will also be selling at Back To School Night tomorrow.

This week Middle School English Students are getting back into the writing groove. Each class will have a series of various writing topics to choose from, each topic allowing students to showcase their creativity as both writers and thinkers. Stay tuned for our final products!

Welcome Back, Middle School English Language Arts Students!

I hope you had a wonderful summer and that you are just as excited as I am to start another school year. We have lots to look forward to this school year, the first one being our Middle School Retreat (which starts on Wednesday!). But until then, enjoy the beautiful weather today and do something you love.

Can’t wait to see you tomorrow!

Grade 7 finished reading The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime. The students finished debating in class some very controversial topics that stemmed from the novel. are currently preparing their public speaking speeches. Topics are hot, fun, controversial, thought-provoking, and so much more. Students are encouraged to add their flair and finesse this year. We are moving away from the more formal approach and introducing ways to captivate and engage our audiences – gestures, body language, props, appropriate dress, and even a little acting are all welcome.

We are more than half way through the Outsiders and things have gotten intense. You are no longer a Grade 7 OJCS student. You have been hired by “The Times” to report and write on one of the main events that have taken place in our novel thus far. Check out your assignment sheet for precise direction and possible topics. All articles will be published in our classroom newspaper.

Hi Grade 7! Let’s do the time warp back to the 60s…Mr. P’s time. What was life like? What kind of music did teens listen to? What was the political climate like in the US? What did teens do in their spare time? What were some of their worries? Are they similar to our (teen) worries today? What about social class and gangs? Was there a division? Did this impact teens socially? Did they overcome it? How? Today you had an opportunity to do a digital scavenger hunt throughout the 60s and we listened to an epic 60s playlist to set the mood and get extra inspo. Tomorrow we will begin working on our group research project to be even more in the “60s know”.