Week of Dec. 5 – Dec. 9

Welcome to Trimester Two!

     It has been a busy first trimester, but it is done at last! Grades are being calculated and posted by teachers at this very moment, and report cards will go home by the end of the week. Trimester One report cards will include, for Language Arts, persuasive writing, grammar, presentation, and timeliness scores. Before you know it, we will be on vacation again, and then it will be a new year. But that is getting a bit ahead of things, so let's focus on the present.

     This week in Barclay Language Arts, students will take the SRI (Standard Reading Inventory) to check on how their reading comprehension has improved since the start of the year. In the coming trimester, we will be focusing on that exact subject, so this will be a handy score to compare to the end of the trimester. Students will have all class on Monday to complete this, and may finish it on their own time at home. This must be completed by Wednesday so we can compare progress by Friday's in-class student-teacher conference about it.

     On Monday, before taking the SRI, students will get five vocabulary words for the week, which they will be expected to spell and match with a definition and part of speech on Friday.

     On Tuesday, students will dive into scene descriptions, examining one moment from their novels and identifying all the descriptive words from them. Proper reading comprehension means depth of understanding, so recognizing how authors describe a setting is key to success. Students will work on this in groups or individually, and will turn in their work by the end of class.

     On Wednesday, which is a two-hour delay start for students, they will engage in a similar activity regarding a character from their novel; this time, the descriptions may come from anywhere in the text, not just one scene. This is a more student-driven assignment, and so will be done in pairs or individually. Students must be prepared to present their characterizations to the class verbally (without a computer) on Thursday.

     On Thursday, students present their characterization to the class and attend to the characterizations by their peers. Any remaining time will be used to review the concepts of characterization and setting.

     On Friday, students will take a quick vocabulary quiz, write a Week in Review, focusing on how much they understand about setting and characterization, and will be brought up to talk about their reading comprehension one at a time as they write. Any remaining time in the period will be spent reading.

     After school this week, our boys play at home against Lincoln at 4:45 on Monday, and the girls play at home against Windham at the same time on Thursday. The Newspaper Club meets Tuesday afternoon immediately following school, and Chess Club meets on Wednesday.

     Get in touch with any questions or concerns, and welcome to Trimester Two!

Sincerely,
Mr. DeMaris

Week of Nov. 21 – Nov. 25

Good afternoon!

     This week is a short one from the school's point of view; there are only two days of classes, followed by Thanksgiving Vacation. The days are slightly unusual as well.

     On Monday, classes are their usual times for a Green day, but a few classes will be catchup periods. RTI will be primarily dedicated to Social Studies, with students who are set in that class given time to work on Math, Language Arts, and Science.

     On Tuesday, students will likely have shortened classes in the afternoon, and in the morning they will attend an assembly run by local meteorologist Charlie Lopresti. He will talk about extreme weather conditions, show some videos, and share his experiences working with a new company. This ties in nicely with our current science curriculum, which is about weather patterns. Tuesday is Full Chorus day during RTI. Yearbook club meets Tuesday afternoon, too.

     Wednesday through Friday is Thanksgiving vacation for students and teachers alike. Take this time to remember what good things you have in your life, and let someone who cares for you know you care for them. See family, smile, and share a few moments. The weather on Thanksgiving is supposed to be grey and rainy, but you can still appreciate the warmth indoors.

     Thank you for your time, and keep in touch if you have any questions.

Regards,
Mr. DeMaris

Week of Nov. 14 – Nov. 18

Good afternoon!

     This week is off to a great start; students were focused and attentive for the most part, and the weather was beautiful outside. This is also a pretty straightforward week, with only one aberration in the middle.

     Academically, all four classes are starting formal work with narratives; Gold, Green, and White classes began today with Elements of Literature definitions, while Blue class brainstormed what they knew about World War I, sharing it with the class. Every class will transition soon into story-based analysis over chosen books, with Blue class focusing on World War I literature that ties into Social Studies class.

     The rest of this week will be dedicated to choosing which book students will read in class; there are four options available, and students will be spending class time reading them, discussing them, and responding to them to develop their literary analysis skills. With rare exceptions, books will be kept in the classroom.

     Wednesday is a late arrival day, but other than that the weekly schedule seems normal. Next week, remember, is Thanksgiving, so we only have two days of school.

Regards,
Mr. DeMaris

Week of Nov. 7 – Nov. 11

Good morning,

     This week continues our work on story analysis with a comparison of original texts to movie versions of the same narrative. Over Monday and Tuesday, students watch a movie adaptation of "The Tell-Tale Heart" as a class, and compare it to the written text on their own, explaining what was changed and kept and why they think the director made those decisions. After that, on Wednesday, students move on to their own personal texts for a day. On Thursday, all classes visit the book fair one last time this season before spending the remainder of the class time reading.

     The second round of parent-teacher conferences take place Tuesday evening from 3:30 – 6:30; we meet in Mrs. Davis' room, while my room is used as a waiting area for those who arrive early or stay after. Yearbook and Newspaper Clubs (like so many clubs this day) are cancelled due to the early start of conferences. Wednesday afternoon Chess Club is still on; Mr. Edwards will not be joining us this week, or for many weeks to come, though.

     Friday is Veterans Day, formerly Armistice Day, and is a day to honor and remember all who have served this country in her armed forces. It is also a day off school as a result of it being a federal holiday. Take some time on your day off to thank a veteran for his or her service; it is their efforts that provide our safety and our freedom.

     If you have any questions or concerns, as always feel free to contact us!

Regards,
Mr. DeMaris

Book Fair!

Hey All,

     The Book Fair is open this week and next on Green Days; I am taking Gold Class and Green Class tomorrow during class time, and White and Blue class next Thursday. Bring some money and look around for books!

Regards,
Mr. DeMaris

Week of Oct 31 – Nov 4

Hello Everyone!

     We started the week yesterday with no internet access at school, so my posting of this little message was delayed. Regardless, yesterday's classes were spent finishing presentations and starting narratives, with most students choosing to read "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allen Poe. The other option, "The Open Window" by Saki, still had a few fans, but with the more gory aspects of Poe's work he naturally gets more attention.

     Today we move on to stories full-time, digging into the narratives to figure out how best to understand complex texts. Wednesday and Thursday are much the same, processing additional Elements of Literature as we go. Friday we write a Week in Review, and that is the week done! This is a vague description, I know, but different classes are operating at different speeds on these skills.

     Wednesday is Parent-Teacher Conference night, from 4:00 – 7:00, and all the slots are taken. We encourage the student to join us (after all, students are why we are here!) so bring them along. Next week conferences (also booked) are on Tuesday, November 8, from 3:30 – 6:30.

     Friday is Hat Day, raising money for a community need; bring a dollar and wear a hat!

Regards,
Mr. DeMaris

Kokonut Kapers — A Komedy!

Hello Everyone,

     Tonight, our drama club puts on their performance of Kokonut Kapers, a classic comedy fit for all ages. They have worked long and hard to put this show together, so you should drive out and see the fruits of their labors. The play starts at 7:00 tonight in the Lowlands Gym here at BEMS.

     If you cannot attend this evening, I certainly hope you can make it tomorrow (Friday) night! The show is at the same time and same place. Bring the family, bring your friends, and have a good time.

     Finally, tomorrow is PICTURE RETAKE DAY. If you missed your shot last month, or you didn't like the way you looked, or you just want to get a better look for the yearbook, this is your chance. Dress well, smile brightly, and enjoy!

Sincerely,
Mr. DeMaris