A Visit From Mitali Perkins.

Homework due Thursday, January 21^st: Students should bring in their completed Weekly Word Lists, and come prepared for their spelling quiz. Remember to also bring in five sentences, each with a word from your list.

Since we did not have a Literature class today due to a special visit to our classroom, students should bring in the Literature Circle work they prepared for today; which was to read from chapter 23 to chapter 26 of the Island of the Blue Dolphins, and then complete their Literature Circle tasks for that week.

Homework due, Monday, January 25^th: Students should come to drama class with the piece of writing they chose memorized.

Ongoing Homework: Students should remember to read for thirty minutes each evening. Reading the assigned novel does count towards the nightly reading. Remember there are no restrictions on what you choose to read, as long as you make sure you get your assigned reading done. Please remember to record the date, the title of what you read, and how many pages you read on your Reading Journal entry form. Please turn in your entry forms on Friday, so that I can review how your reading is going. I will return them to you on Monday. I would encourage you to keep up with your reading over the weekend.

Today the Wildcat Creek classroom was honored with a visit from writer Mitali Perkins. Ms. Perkins has written such books as Monsoon Summer, Rickshaw Girl, Secret Keeper, and her latest work, Bamboo People. In her novels, the location where they take place is an important element. Today during her workshop with the 6^th graders, she focused on how to use place in a story to create mood. The students got a chance to try some of the techniques she shared with them.  Ms. Perkins ended the class by reading some of the students' writing. She told the students that she was struck by the use of active verbs, and the sense of detail in their work. All in all it was good day to be a writer in Wildcat Creek.