Students visit Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh via virtual connection

On April 4, Avonworth 8th Grade students participated in a virtual seminar with the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh.  The program entitled, Holocaust Testimony and How it Relates to You featured two segments. 

 In the first segment, 93 year-old Sam Gottesman, a Holocaust Survivor from Czechoslovakia, shared his personal story about his horrific experiences in Auschwitz, Bergen-Belsen, and several labor camps in Europe. 

Read more about Sam Gottesman's story online

Holocaust Survivor and Speaker Sam Mr. Gottesman presenting at the Pittsburgh Holocaust Center

The second part of the program included a presentation by Andrea Joseph from the Anti-Defamation League and included anti-bullying messages that promoted tolerance and acceptance of others beliefs.  The virtual seminar was broadcast live from Greenfield and viewed by hundreds of students who were invited to submit live questions through a chat feature to Mr. Gottesman and Ms. Joseph.  8th Grade students will continue to study the Holocaust in the coming weeks and participate in a Teen Screen event organized by the Jewish Film Forum of Pittsburgh on May 19 to view the film, Nicky's Family.

8th grade students listening and watching the Holocaust Center Seminar in Mr. Haskins's room. 

The Outsiders

THE OUTSIDERS

A Novel Look at Film

A Novel Look at Film

Please ask your child for the following letter that was sent home yesterday.  

Dear Parents/Guardians:

Eighth grade students just finished reading and studying the award-winning novel The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton.  Since it was first published in 1967, it has remained a popular book among teenagers here at Avonworth.

We will conclude the novel unit by watching the PG-13 movie, The Outsiders: The Complete Novel on Monday, October 31.  The Francis Ford Coppola movie was rereleased in 2005 and captures the spirit of the young adult characters and themes prevalent in the novel.   The author S.E. Hinton helped direct the movie and even played a small part in it. 

Students will learn how to critically watch the film and reflect on key elements of the novel as they complete their “Movie to Film Analysis” online discussion in school.   After comparing and contrasting the movie’s character development, conflicts and themes to those within the novel, students will write and discuss their own reviews of the movie. 

If you do not want your student to watch the movie, please return the form below by Wednesday, October 26.  An alternative activity will be provided for students who will not watch the movie.  No action is needed if you approve of The Outsiders movie activity.

Thank you and stay gold!

Mrs. Galecki

8^th Grade Reading Teacher

If you DO NOT want your student to watch the PG-13 movie, PLEASE COMPLETE, SIGN AND RETURN this form by Wednesday, October 26. You can also email your request to me at kgalecki@avonworth.k12.pa.us.  Thank you!

_________________________________                       

  Student Name (please print)                                   

          My child does not have my permission to watch the rated PG-13 movie The Outsiders: The Complete Novel on Monday, October 31.  I would prefer that my child participate in an alternative activity.

X_______________________________                        ________________

Parent/Guardian Signature                                                Date

Reminder! AR due Wednesday!

AR Points are due Wednesday, May 25!

Parents, you can check your child's reading progress!  Click on the link below and login with your child's login information.  

https://hosted321.renlearn.com/24471/HomeConnect/

Holocaust Survivor visits AMS 8

Making history come alive! Holocaust Survivor Shulamit Bastacky speaks to the 8th grade students.

AR due soon!

AR Points are due May 25!

Parents, you can check your child's reading progress!  Click on the link below and login with your child's login information.  

https://hosted321.renlearn.com/24471/HomeConnect/

AR Midterm Progress Check

AR Midterm Progress Check is Wednesday, February 3. 

Parents can check their students' AR goals and reading progress by clicking on the Home Connect button below. 

Use your child's AR login information. 

8th Graders Declare Their Independence

To supplement their study of the American Revolution in civics class, eighth graders tackled the complex text The Declaration of Independence in reading class.  Students focused on identifying the texts' main ideas and translating it into modern day English.

Because scholars believe that Thomas Jefferson meant for the Declaration to be dramatically performed , students revealed their understanding of the document by completing their own dramatic reading in our makeshift Independence Hall.

Eighth graders were assigned a short passage from the Declaration to practice reading with proper phrasing, pronunciation, emphasis, pause and tone.     As “experts” of the text, students completed an impressive dramatic reading of this important document!  Many students even memorized their passages for extra credit.

  

Happy New Year!

WELCOME 2016! 

School resumes on Monday, January 4, 2016! 

Don't forget to read your AR book! AR due January 5!

AR Due Soon!

Reminder!

AR Points are due Tuesday, January 5.

Don't wait until Holiday Break to read your books!

Parents, you can check your child's reading progress!  Click on the link below and login with your child's login information.  

Book Club

Eighth graders just finished the American Revolution Book Club Project in Mrs. Galecki’s reading class.   Each book club had four scheduled reading and literary analysis assignments to complete over a four week period.  After completing each assignment, students shared their prepared analysis and response to the text during a scheduled, structured book club discussion session.   Students proved that they can engage in student-led, higher-level critical discussions about literature.  They shared their analysis of their texts' literary techniques, historical facts, conflicts, point of view and themes. 

 

Students will continue their study of the American Revolution in reading class by analyzing The Declaration of Independence.

Reading Class - Theme Analysis Workshop

Ask your students to show you their Theme Analysis Organizer on Google Classroom.  See how students are making great gains in their literary analysis and essay writing skills.  This past week students worked hard in their reading class's Theme Analysis Workshop.  Throughout the workshop, students developed top-notch thesis statements, found best evidence within the text, practiced using MLA parenthetical documentation, and developed analysis to support their claims.  While building their essay-writing skills, they also developed the ability to find a text's implied meanings. 

AR due Soon!

AR will be due next week! 
Tuesday, October 20, 2015!

Click to access Renaissance Home Connect:
https://hosted321.renlearn.com/24471/HomeConnect/

AR Progress Check

AR

Midterm Progress Check & Quiz September 22, 2015

Click the icon below to access the Home Connect log-in for Accelerated Reader. Parents, ask your child for the AR Home Connect letters that were sent home Wednesday.

https://hosted321.renlearn.com/24471/HomeConnect/

2015-2016 Back-to-School Supply List

Textbook Return

Science books are past due.

Math books are due tomorrow.

Reading & English books are due June 2. 

Civics textbooks will be collected on June 4.  Replacement cost for a lost textbook is: $70.47

Read about more end of the year information from the Grade 8 Blog.

Anne Frank final test on Tuesday

Anne Frank final for reading class

June 2

Read about more end of the year information from the Grade 8 Blog.

AR is due!

Reminder: Last day to earn AR points is Wednesday, May 27! No extensions!

Read about more end of the year information from the Grade 8 Blog.

Reading Classroom Library Book Return

Please return all books you borrowed from the Reading Classroom Library by Wednesday, May 27.  We have many books that still need to be returned! Check your lockers or under your bed and find and return those books.  

Also, reading textbooks need to be returned Tuesday, June 2. 

Read about more end of the year information from the Grade 8 Blog.

Holocaust Survivor Visits AMS 8

On Wednesday, students heard the life story of Sam Weinreb. He is a holocaust survivor who escaped Auschwitz Concentration Camp, Poland in 1944. He explained how he became the only survivor from his immediate family due to the persecution of Jews in Eastern Europe. At the time of German occupation of his native Czechoslovakia, Mr. Weinreb was the same age or younger than the 8th grade students in the audience.

Avonworth Middle School was Mr. Weinreb's last Pittsburgh speaking engagement as he moves to Boston to live with his daughter. This activity was part of the various events held to help connect Grade 8 students to World War II and the Diary of Anne Frank which is being read in reading class. Special thanks to Mr. Weinreb, JFilm, Mr. Smith, and Mrs.Galecki for organizing the assembly for our 8th grade students.