November Letter

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