Please finish your cue cards tonight. Try to memorize your speech. Tomorrow (Friday) will be a dress rehearsal. You will be presenting in class next week starting on Monday. Students will be selected randomly.

Don’t forget to plan out your dramatic flair by 1) underlining words to read with emotion, 2) planning your dramatic pauses, and 3) planning your gestures.

• Download the handout: How to use Cue Cards (Page 1)

• Download the handout: How to use Cue Cards (Page 2)

• Download the handout: How to use cue cards effectively

• Download the handout: How to write a great speech (sample)

• Download the handout: Public Speaking Rules and Rubric

Here is an online stopwatch: http://online-stopwatch.com

There is a silent cake auction tomorrow (Thu April 1). Bring money so that you can bid on cakes to take home! More information will be provided in class. Good luck to all students, parents, and teachers bidding on cakes. Thanks to all of the volunteers who are donating cakes for this school fundraiser.

Here’s what we did in the lab today:

1. Finish your goals document in Google Docs.
   1. What did you do well?
   2. What do you need to improve next time? Find the writing errors identified in the rubric and copy/paste the mistakes into your table.
   3. Fix your mistakes in the “comments” column.
   4. Have a teacher check your work.

The Persuasive essay (or paragraphs) is due on Thursday April 1.

1. Type in your good copy and share the file with me. For example, R7F – your name – essay. (Put the word, essay, in your filename.)
2. Triple-check your work for the errors that you put in your Goals google document.

Notes:

1. All work must be completed at school.
2. Use the revising and editing checklist to make sure you have completed the assignment correctly.
3. On Thursday, you must hand in your mindweb, your draft, and any revisions / editing you have done. (You will receive a mark for the writing process.)
4. By Thursday, you should have finished typing in your good copy on Google Docs. (Thursday’s lab period can be used to finish your persuasive writing or to work on reading stuff.)
5. If you need extra help or extra time, please come in during second recess.

Additional Notes for R7C and R7F students who are writing persuasive paragraphs:

By Thursday April 1, you need to hand in three paragraphs to be marked. You have two options:

Option 1: Write 3 separate paragraphs about three separate topics.

For each paragraph, you need to complete the following:

• mind map
• draft (there should be around 11 sentences in your paragraph)
  1. topic sentence (explaining your opinion)
  2. write a sentence about your first idea
     • write 2 sentences about your first idea.
  3. write a sentence about your second idea
     • write 2 sentences about your second idea.
  4. write a sentence about your third idea
     • write 2 sentences about your third idea.
  5. closing sentence (summarize your opinion)
  6. call to action (tell your readers what to do)
• revising / editing
• good copy

Option 2: Write a ’3 paragraph’ essay about one topic

You need to complete the following:

• mind map
• draft (there should be around 11 sentences in your paragraph)
• body paragraph
  1. introduction paragraph
     1. catchy sentences to grab the reader’s attention
     2. 3 facts about your topic
     3. what is your opinion?
  2. body paragraph explaining your idea
     1. topic sentence (explaining your opinion)
     2. write a sentence about your first idea
        • write 2 sentences about your first idea.
     3. write a sentence about your second idea
        • write 2 sentences about your second idea.
     4. write a sentence about your third idea
        • write 2 sentences about your third idea.
     5. closing sentence (summarize your opinion)
  3. conclusion paragraph
  1. restate your opinion
  2. call to action (tell your readers what to do)
• revising / editing
• good copy

Welcome back! Today is the start of Term 3.

Term 2 mark sheets were sent home today. An electronic version was sent to parents / guardians who have provided an email address.

These are the assignment marks that will be used to determine the final Term 2 Report Card marks. The mark on the report card is based on the most recent and most consistent work. It is not an average, although averages are provided on the mark sheet for your convinience. Term 2 Report Cards go home on Friday April 9.

Parents / Guardians, if you would like to discuss your child’s progress, please let me know if you would prefer a phone interview or in-person interview. I am available to meet before or after school by appointment. I can be reached via email or through the school at 613-843-7722.

Scholastic Orders

Forty-five dollars in scholastic gift certificates were given out today to students. Every time you read 20 minutes, your name gets entered into a draw to win a five dollar gift certificate. If you didn’t have your reading log signed today, you need to come in during second recesses until your reading log is signed.

Scholastic orders are due on Friday if you’re placing a book order.

Term 2 Class Party

Sad news. Our term 2 class party was supposed to be the Thursday before March break, but unfortunately we had to change dates because of the science fair. We were supposed to have our class party this Thursday (Thu Mar 25) but unfortunately I have a workshop in the afternoon to go to.

So, when would you like to reschedule the class party? Mon Mar 29 or Thu Apr 1? (It has to be a day when we have a double period.)

Term 3 Reading Log handsouts were given out today. The tracking log starts on Mon Mar 8 and goes until the end of the school year. You do not have to read during the March Break, but those of you who do read, can simply count that as your reading homework for a different day.

I will be checking reading logs on Mon Mar 22 when you return from March Break. I will be checking to see if you have parent signatures up to Friday Mar 12.

You can download the Term 3 Reading Log here if you lost yours:

• Download the handout: How to write a great speech (sample)