Mrs. Albanese’s Blog

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Washington DC Monuments Walking Tour for Eighth Graders 

Assemble at Mariner Middle School parking lot, 6:45 am

• Leave Mariner Middle School at 7:00 am on 4 Jor-Lin coach buses
• Travel to Washington DC, about 2.5 hours depending on traffic
• 10:00 Arrive at the Arlington National Cemetery.
• Visit General Lee’s home, Women’s memorial and the Kennedy graves.
• 10:30 Changing of the guard ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers.
• 11:00 Board buses, go to Lincoln Memorial.  Take packed snack/lunches off bus with you.  Chaperone groups visit monuments in the area including The Vietnam, Korean, Lincoln and Roosevelt, Washington monuments.
• 1:45 Meet at the World War II memorial and board buses.
• 2:00 Drive a short distance to Union Station for some lunch and shopping. 3:15 Board buses and head back to DelawareParent pick up promptly at 5:00 pm please! 

This fabulous field trip is for all eighth graders who have adhered to the code of conduct.  We need plenty of parent/guardian chaperones!    Students must

1. Make arrangements for their ride home from Mariner at 5:00 pm
2. Be prepared to do a lot of walking.
3. Get permission and money to their homeroom teacher by Wednesday, April 16.
4. Wear comfortable walking shoes and bring a jacket in case of rain or cold. 
5. Bring a lunch/snack and drinks for the trip.  Bring $ for lunch and/or souvenirs.

Students are encouraged to bring a breakfast/lunch/snack for the ride and after Arlington.  We will be able to eat again at Union Station before we leave Washington. 

$25.00 for trip. Lunch at Union Station is on your own.

Do your research!  Look up these places to know more about the walking tour:

• Arlington National Cemetary: Women’s Memorial, Kennedy graves, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
• Lincoln Memorial
• Vietnam Memorial
• Korean Memorial
• Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial
• Washington Monument
• World War II Memorial
• Union Station Washington DC
• Chesapeake Bay Bridge

   To do a review, follow this format.

• Tell the name of the show and what it was about (plot). 
• Tell who was in the show (characters) actors and character names if you remember.
• Tell where the story took place (setting).
• What did you like about the show?
• What did you not like about the show (predictable, common themes, too uninteresting).
• Would you recommend this show to others – why or why not?

   Homework – Read AR books for 30 minutes each night! Your next book review is May 9.

Monday – Poetry Challenge – final poems from teams printed and posted. TV and Movie review. Use the guide. 

Tuesday – MARINER IDOL POETRY SLAM. Teams perform their poems and the top four poems, one from each class are revealed!

Wednesday – WASHINGTON DC Field Trip. Be here at 6:45. Buses roll at 7:00. 

Thursday – Movie and book reviews posted on your blog with pictures!

Friday – Surprise

Writing Tools demonstrated in this essay:

• Magic 3- three items in a series separated by a comma
• Assonance – words that sound the same
• Voice – telling it like you see it!  

Cape Sports Rock and Float! 

Cape sports really rock!  Get this – the number one Track Team, the number one cross country team, the number one hockey team IN THE STATE!  How can we keep this tradition going?  Give students more places to play! 

A brand new swimming pool would allow all of the community to have a chance to learn to swim, play and enjoy the water. Swimming is a very effective aerobic activity and would benefit our youngest citizens, our students and our adult population.  This pool could be used for all the people and would enhance our life as a healthy and vigorous group.  The Cape Henlopen area would gain a reputation as abeing health conscious by providing this facility right in our high school.   

We live and work next to the Atlantic Ocean. Our students train every year to be lifeguards and to save people who flock to our beaches in the summer and fall. Shouldn’t our school support their efforts by having a pool available for training all year round? Our swim team continually comes up short in competitions because we don’t have a diving team. Why? We don’t have a diving pool for practice. The new Cape pool would be a showcase for these young athletes who are building life-long healthy skills. 

By the way, I love to swim!  Can you tell?  I have been swimming for over 50 years! I can picture my children and grandchildren enjoying the pool, learning to scuba dive, and competing in swim meets. How about a Cool School Pool Party? Show a nautical movie on a big screen right above the pool while students swim and have some healthy fun!  Just think, splashing, swimming as a part of our Cape world.   

Click on the comment link below to request books that I will purchase from our Book Fair for the class library.

     As part of CHIP I get to help teachers learn more about Protopage. Fortunetly, my students have made that easy.  Here are my links.

http://www.protopage.com/8sgreat

http://www.protopage.com/italy2008

Teachers who take this class and would like to get in touch with me or my students to ask questions can make comments right here.  We will get back to you!

April is National Poetry Month  To celebrate we are having a poem writing and performing challenge. Write a poem using one of the following themes and perform it for the class on April 28th. The best poets go on to perform at the HOB First Annual Poetry Slam!  Themes: growing up, friendship, bad day, favorite things.Guided Poetry – remember the 3 R’s – repetition, rhyme and rhythm!

Suggestions: Name a friend.  Name a description of friend or a quality.  Compare the friend to something (metaphor).  Repeat using another friend or another quality.

Sample:

Do you know Jack?

Bad news with Nikes and speed

Belt slung low

Where does he go

To get what he needs? 

Do you know Jack?

Always looking for a fight

Pickin and jivin

What does he do

To get himself right?       

    Homework – Read AR Book for 30 minutes each night.

Monday – BOOK FAIR DAY! Visit and get great ideas for you personal library and for our class library. Persuasive Essay Brainstorm:  This Week’s Essay Question

We are building a new Cape Henlopen High School!  They saved some money on construction costs and they are asking the public if we want to build an extra playing field and a swimming pool. What do you think?  Are you pro or con?Do a brainstorm in a Word document. Make a list of reasons to support your argument.Then write a persuasive essay in Word. Save it to your file. 

Tuesday – EARTH DAY! PICTURE DAY  Poetry Challenge in Teams (see post).  Persuasive Essay – Revise, edit and publish on your blog.  Give it a good, descriptive title. Don’t forget to email me a copy of your blog URL today! I will place your blog URL on my blogroll.  We can look at your blog from my blog!

Wednesday -  No school for students! Parents and students visit Mariner to meet with teachers to and discuss goals. Where will you be next year?

Thursday – Library Last chance to take AR test for this marking period. Also check out good books. Remember, the STAR test is just around the corner so read and increase your reading skills! 

Friday – Book Review – Write a book review and post it on your blog. Be sure to cover these: characters, plot, setting. Also tell what you think the author was trying to say about life.  What message did you come away with?

Cape Henlopen School District is building a new high school! There is money left over  and the school board is asking the public if we want to build an extra athletic field and a 6 lane swimming pool.  What do you think? Are you for the pool and the field or against?

Do a brainstorm – a list of ideas to support your opinion.

Then, write a persuasive essay in Word, stating your ideas.  Save it to your file, revise, edit and post on your blog.