January 13, 2010

 

 

Dear Parents and Families,

 

 

Happy New Year and welcome back! I hope this message finds everyone well rested and in good spirits. I also wanted to thank all of you who helped make our bookmaking project a huge success. I’m sure you’ve seen the books that the students have made as they filled them with poetry over winter break. We will now use the books to create field guides of the local botany in Altadena. When we are finished with this, we will celebrate with a publishing party in which students can share their books with the Odyssey community.

 

Students are also working on their independent literature circles. Please ask your son or daughter to share their folders with you. Part of this project requires students to read independently, at home, everyday. Your support with this is greatly appreciated.

 

In history, we are learning about life in the Middle Ages. Students will be working on mini-research projects for this unit and will have the opportunity to re-create scenes from the middle ages in the form of a medieval feast. More information will follow as this project unfolds.

 

Again, thank you for your support and commitment.

 

Sincerely,

 

Daryl Bilandzija

 

 

 

  

 

 Dear Parents and Families,

 

 

Going into winter break, the middle school students will have a lot of work to be proud of and a solid foundation to build on throughout the year.

 

Now that we’ve completed our first class reading of Lord of the Flies, students have been working on writing analytical essays. These essays require students to develop critical thinking skills in relation to a piece of literature, and more importantly, to express their ideas using evidence and logic. Students have been working hard on these essays and will have their final drafts done by next week. Please ask your son or daughter to share their essays with you.

 

For our next unit in English, students will continue to develop their reading skills through independent book circles. Students will be placed in small groups based on reading levels, and each group will choose a book from a recommended list. Each member of the group will have specific roles, and the group will have time in class to meet and discuss their books. In addition to book circles, we will also be making our own sketch books. This will be a collaboration project with the arts committee and local artist, Linda Illumanardi, who will help students create their own personalized sketch journals. Students will then use these journals to do observational sketches and writing about the local botany and animal life in Altadena. In order to make our books, we will need some basic supplies. Please stay tuned for a list of supplies to be donated for this project.

 

In History, students are wrapping up their final projects on the fall of the Roman Empire. Some students are working on newspaper articles, some are working on performance based raps, and others are creating illustrated booklets. Again, please ask your son or daughter to share this work with you.

 

As always, thank you for your continued support and communication. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

 

Happy holidays and enjoy the break.

 

 

Sincerely,

 

Daryl Bilandzija

 

 

 

November 2, 2009

Dear Parents and Families,

First of all, I want to thank all of you for being a part of the ILP goal setting process this year. It was great to meet you and discuss ways we can help our students grow and learn. We have all of the ingredients for a successful year.

This month in English, we will be wrapping up our unit on Lord of the Flies and beginning our unit on independent reading. This book is challenging students on many levels and offering great learning opportunities. Students are learning how to decipher unfamiliar vocabulary words in context, hold literary discussions and analyze the book using evidence and logic. Students are also working on interdisciplinary projects that will support their understanding of Lord of the Flies. These projects involve a bit of research and a fair of amount of writing. Students have plenty of time to work on their projects in the computer lab, but they may also need extra time at home, especially if they are working in groups or with partners. Please ask your son or daughter to share their projects with you and discuss what they are doing.

When we begin independent reading, students will be grouped according to reading levels to form “book circles.” Each book circle will be given a list of recommended books to choose from and students will have the opportunity to read and discuss these books with their groups. This requires students to read independently for about 45 minutes a day and keep daily reading logs. I ask that you help monitor your son or daughter’s reading by checking and signing their reading logs every day. I will be doing the same and this will help keep students on track.

In history, we are learning about the rise and fall of the Roman Empire. Students are learning how to take information from a textbook and paraphrase it into an outline format. We are supplementing our unit with film clips and discussions that allow students to make connections between the Roman Empire and our own American Empire. Again, please ask your students to share their reading, notes and assignments with you.

I am looking forward to another month of learning. As always, if you have any questions, please contact me.

Sincerely,

Daryl Bilandzija

 

September 28, 2009

 

 

Dear Parents and Family of 7/8^th Grade Students,

 

Though the month of September was short, we’ve hit the ground running in English and History. By now, students have written a personal essay, composed an original poem that uses specific literary devices, and are currently re-writing the ending of a short story that we read in class. We are also reading a variety of short literary pieces, including short stories, poems, folk-tales and non-fiction. In history, we’ve been reviewing ancient civilizations and learning how the inventions, discoveries, art, architecture and beliefs of these civilizations have shaped our world today.

 

Starting in October, we will begin reading our first class novel, Lord of the Flies by William Golding. This book will invite students to discuss and debate age-old questions relating to human nature and the development of civilization. Not only with this book build critical thinking skills, it will serve as a thematic connection to what we are learning in history as well. 

 

I am requesting that every student owns a personal copy of the book. This allows students to take notes in the book during class, and to use the book at home for projects and writing assignments. Students will need to have the book in class by October 5.

 

Please let me know if you would be willing to purchase a book for your son or daughter. If not, the school will be able to supplement those students who do not purchase their own books. Please understand that the more money we save on classroom supplies, the more money we have for fieldtrips and other school functions.

 

I appreciate your continued generosity and support and look forward to a new month of learning.

 

Sincerely,

 

 

Daryl Bilandzija   

 

 

 

X____________________________________________________________

 

I can purchase _______ copy/copies of the book.

Thank you parents for all of your contributions. Due to your generosity, our classroom supply closet is fully stocked.

 

If you would still like to help, please see me about fund-raising for our upcoming camping, hiking and field-trips.