We begin again!

Homework due Thursday, January 7^th: For language arts students should be ready for their Weekly Word Study quiz. They should bring in their completed Weekly Word Study sheets, as well as five sentences using their five spelling words.

Homework due, Monday, January 11^th: Students should memorize William Carlos Williams’ poem, “The Red Wheelbarrow.” For drama class students should bring in a piece of writing—poem, dramatic monologue, or even a piece of fiction, that they are interested in memorizing.

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.

This week's focus in writing workshop has been on William Carlos Williams’ dictum, “No ideas but in things.” The sixth graders began the class by giving their impressions on what Williams might have meant by this famous statement. We then, using, “The Red Wheelbarrow” as a launching pad, discussed what it means to a writer to focus on the concreteness of things.

In cultural studies the students are about to begin a study of the Spanish explorers' effect on California. Their first in-class project is to work in groups of four and document their expedition to an imaginary land of their creation. This expedition is to be undertaken in the name of Rey Normando el Fabuloso, that oh-so-well known king of the 16^th century.