HW from Thursday, 12/15/16

Due after break, on Tuesday, 1/3/17

1) Have a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful Happy New Year celebration with your family! Don't forget to share what you wrote with your parents!!

2) Continue to read in The Extraordinary, Ordinary Life of Mark Rodriguez. You should have read at least up to p. 50 by the time we return. 

NOTE: You are fine to continue reading past page 50. In fact, I suggest you take advantage of the break to finish reading the book, in order to save yourself some time next semester when your homework workload is heavier. But I'll leave that up to you. 

3) The December Reading Log is due, signed by a parent, the day we get back! 

Also, daily:

+ Read your (approved) Reading Log book for pleasure, aiming for at least 30 minutes daily. Mark the number of minutes on your Reading Log (in multiples of five, rounded down) as you go along. 

+ Write in your Gratitude Journal, aiming for three things but listing at least one thing you are thankful for daily. When you have done so, place a check mark in the top corner of your Reading Log calendar for that day.

The January Reading Log is due, signed by a parent, on Thursday, 2/2/17.

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OPENING (Bible verse and prayer): 

Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! 

No KEYS on 12/20, 12/22, 12/27, 12/29

For Tu, 1/3: Zach (CWA); Haddon (CWB)

For Th, 1/5:  Zayden (CWA); Katie (CWB)

For Tu, 1/10: Caelie (CWA); Caleb (CWB)

For Th, 1/12: Victoria (CWA); Gabrielle (CWB)

For Tu, 1/17: Logan (CWA); Luke (CWB)

For Th, 1/19: Joshua (CWA); Haddon (CWB)

For Tu, 1/24: John (CWA); Katie (CWB)

For Th, 1/26: Zach (CWA); Haddon (CWB)

For Tu, 1/31: Zayden (CWA); Caleb (CWB)

For Th, 2/2: Caelie (CWA); Gabrielle (CWB)

HW from Tuesday, 12/13/16

Due on Thursday, 12/15/16

1) You will turn in your thankfulness essay packet on Thursday. Please make sure you have all four drafts, stapled together, with all the red copies and printed Markup copies included. Your lovely printed D4 draft, in second person, will be on top. You will not have a single-spaced final draft for this essay.

2) If you took home your second-person D4 draft (to continue working on it at home before Thursday), don't forget to bring it back!

3) I have put the favorite season essays on the Student Writing Samples site. Please visit there and make sure yours is published there. If you do not see it, please send it to my regular email as an attachment (your single-spaced, final draft copy). NOTE: I have sent an email to those of you whom this applies to.

4) Continue to read in The Extraordinary, Ordinary Life of Mark Rodriguez. You will need to have read all of Part I (pp. 13-49) by the time we return from Christmas Break on January 3. You may read at your own pace over the next few days and weeks, but you should have read up to p. 50 by the time we return. 

NOTE: You are fine to continue reading past page 50. In fact, if you were to take advantage of the break to finish reading the book, you may save yourself some time when your homework workload is heavier next semester. But I'll leave that up to you. 

Also, daily:

+ Read your (approved) Reading Log book for pleasure, aiming for at least 30 minutes daily. Mark the number of minutes on your Reading Log (in multiples of five, rounded down) as you go along. 

+ Write in your Gratitude Journal, aiming for three things but listing at least one thing you are thankful for daily. When you have done so, place a check mark in the top corner of your Reading Log calendar for that day.

The December Reading Log is due, signed by a parent, on Tuesday, 1/3/17.

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OPENING (Bible verse and prayer): 

For Th, 12/15: John (CWA); Katie (CWB)

Merry Christmas! No KEYS on 12/20, 12/22, 12/27, 12/29

For Tu, 1/3: Zach (CWA); Haddon (CWB)

For Th, 1/5: Chase (CWA); Caleb (CWB)

HW from Thursday, 12/8/16

Due BEFORE Tuesday, 12/13/16

1) Make all corrections on the paper I handed back to you today (the red copy of your D2 of your thankfulness essay). Save the new, corrected draft as D3, then print it out.

2) Change the paper from third person point of view to first/second person point of view as we always do—by circling the words that need to be changed and then making the necessary changes by writing them in the blank lines between the printed text.

3) Go back into your saved D3 and make the changes you marked on your printed copy. Save this draft of your paper (the one in first/second person) as D4, then print out a copy. 

4) Email the D4 as an attachment to my Markup address before Monday (and preferably as soon as possible).

5) Continue to read in The Extraordinary, Ordinary Life of Mark Rodriguez. You will need to have read all of Part I (pp. 13-49) by the time we return from Christmas Break on January 3. You may read at your own pace over the next few days and weeks, but you should have read up to p. 50 by the time we return.

Also, daily:

+ Read your (approved) Reading Log book for pleasure, aiming for at least 30 minutes daily. Mark the number of minutes on your Reading Log (in multiples of five, rounded down) as you go along. 

+ Write in your Gratitude Journal, aiming for three things but listing at least one thing you are thankful for daily. When you have done so, place a check mark in the top corner of your Reading Log calendar for that day.

The December Reading Log is due, signed by a parent, on Tuesday, 1/3/17.

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OPENING (Bible verse and prayer): Please NOTE that this list of names has changed!!

For Tu, 12/13: Joshua (CWA); Josiah (CWB)

For Th, 12/15: John (CWA); Katie (CWB)

Merry Christmas! No KEYS on 12/20, 12/22, 12/27, 12/29

For Tu, 1/3: Zach (CWA); Haddon (CWB)

For Th, 1/5: Chase (CWA); Caleb (CWB)

HW from Tuesday, 12/6/16

Due on Thursday, 12/8/16

1) Email me your beautiful, single-spaced final draft—which you already printed and turned in today—as an attachment to my regular email, so I can post it on the website.

2) If you did not do this over the weekend, do it now! (This #2 is a repeat assignment from last Thursday, because some of you did not complete it. If you did, just move on to #3.) 

Your character sketches are posted (with the exception of a couple that are still outstanding). Click on the link in the sidebar of this homework blog to visit the publications blog and read each other's character sketches. (They are not long and it doesn't take long to read all of them.) Please decide which you like best, and write me a paragraph that explains which is your favorite and why. Send your document to me as an attachment to Markup, complete with a proper header and proper format. I am still making sure you all know how to format your documents, how to save them, and how to send them as attachments to whichever email I tell you to (Markup or regular).

3) Read pp. 1-15 in The Extraordinary, Ordinary Life of Mark Rodriguez, which includes the following sections: "Preface," "Prologue," "Before You Read This Journal," "Introduction to Part 1," and "A Prayer for Protection" (July 2009). You may certainly read on in this section if you'd like, but this is all you need to read for class on Thursday, 12/8.

4) Bring the book to class with you on Thursday and each day from then on until Christmas break. 

Also, daily:

+ Read your (approved) book for pleasure, aiming for at least 30 minutes daily. Mark the number of minutes on your Reading Log (in multiples of five, rounded down) as you go along. 

+ Write in your Gratitude Journal, aiming for three things but listing at least one thing you are thankful for daily. When you have done so, place a check mark in the top corner of your Reading Log calendar for that day.

The December Reading Log is due, signed by a parent, on Tuesday, 1/3/17.

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OPENING (Bible verse and prayer): Please NOTE that this list of names has changed!!

For Th, 12/8: Logan (CWA); Luke (CWB)

For Tu, 12/13: Joshua (CWA); Josiah (CWB)

For Th, 12/15: John (CWA); Katie (CWB)

Merry Christmas! No KEYS on 12/20, 12/22, 12/27, 12/29

For Tu, 1/3: Zach (CWA); Haddon (CWB)

For Th, 1/5: Chase (CWA); Caleb (CWB)

HW from Thursday, 12/1/16

Due on Tuesday, 12/6/16

1) Make the suggested corrections to your essay on your favorite season and save it as D3. Then make the document single-spaced, make sure your header is correct, make sure you have a creative title, and save it again as Final Draft. Print the beautiful single-spaced final draft and add it to the stapled stack, which should be in this order:

Essay Planning Worksheet

D1 (proofread and signed by you and your parent)

D2 ("red copy," proofread by me)

Beautiful final draft for the website

2) Next, finish completing your Essay Planning Worksheet (EPW) for your thankfulness essay (on things you're thankful for about your parents). Study your list of ten things you made you're thankful about, then figure out three natural categories that the items on your list seem to fall into. Write each of those categories onto one of the category spots of your EPW.

NOTE: Below is a list of some categories you came up with today as we were working together in class. Feel free to use some of these ideas as you plan your essay. In other words, you don't have to stick to your original list of ten, or to what you wrote on the EPW in class. If you want to modify things as you go along, that's fine. Just be sure to change them on the EPW.

* ways they love me

* ways they provide for me

* how they homeschool me

* fun activities we do together

* ways they teach me 

* how they're cool

* ways they are kind and thoughtful
* how they help me understand life and spiritual things

* etc.

3) Once your specific items are written onto your essay planning worksheet, write the opening sentences for your paragraphs on your EPW. Complete the EPW fully before you try to write your paper!

4) Using your fully completed EPW, write your essay. Call it D1. Proofread it on screen, make corrections, and print it. Read over the printed D1, making note of anything you think should be changed. (Remember, you must always proofread your own paper before handing it to someone else to proofread for you.) 

5) Print another (corrected, clean) copy and have someone who isn't a parent proofread it, too (and sign it). If you agree with them and think they're good suggestions, incorporate their suggestions. Save the corrected copy as D2.

6) Print your double-spaced D2. Staple it all together in our standard order (oldest on the bottom):

List of ten items you're thankful for in your parents

Completed Essay Planning Worksheet

D1 (with suggested corrections and signature)

D2 (corrected version for me to grade)

You will turn this whole packet in at the beginning of class on Tuesday.

7) Your character sketches are posted (with the exception of a couple that are still outstanding). Click on the link in the sidebar of this homework blog to visit the publications blog and read each other's character sketches. (They are not long and it doesn't take long to read all of them.) Please decide which you like best, and write me a paragraph that explains which is your favorite and why. Send your document to me as an as an attachment to Markup, complete with a proper header and proper format. I am still making sure you all know how to format your documents, how to save them, and how to send them as attachments to whichever email I tell you to (Markup or regular).

Also, daily:

+ Read your (approved) book for pleasure, aiming for at least 30 minutes daily. Mark the number of minutes on your Reading Log (in multiples of five, rounded down) as you go along. 

+ Write in your Gratitude Journal, aiming for three things but listing at least one thing you are thankful for daily. When you have done so, place a check mark in the top corner of your Reading Log calendar for that day.

The December Reading Log is due, signed by a parent, on Tuesday, 1/3/17.

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OPENING (Bible verse and prayer): Please NOTE that this list of names has changed!!

For Tu, 12/6: Victoria (CWA); Gabrielle (CWB)

For Th, 12/8: Logan (CWA); Luke (CWB)

For Tu, 12/13: Joshua (CWA); Josiah (CWB)

For Th, 12/15: John (CWA); Katie (CWB)

Merry Christmas! No KEYS on 12/20, 12/22, 12/27, 12/29

For Tu, 1/3: Zach (CWA); Haddon (CWB)

For Th, 1/5: Chase (CWA); Caleb (CWB)