Last week was a gloomy, rainy start to the new year, but I think that all classes were off to a good start. We had a few schedule changes, and we have welcomed a new student to our seventh grade. All classes have worked on daily grammar, and it seems that most students are starting to remember some of the rules and terms we have been studying all year. Our daily sentences drill students on basic capitalization, punctuation, grammar, sentence structure, and vocabulary. These skills are specifically tested on the SAT in April.

We are also kicking into high gear to prepare for the ADAW (Alabama Direct Assessment of Writing) which will take place the last week in February. Each week between now and then, students will have an in-class practice test. The real test is one clock hour long. We are practicing doing the prewriting (plan) and a quick rough draft of what they want to put into the test booklet. Writing with a time restriction can be stressful, but with practice, most students find that they can produce more than they thought in a short period of time. Last week, they tried a narrative prompt, and this week, they will try an expository prompt.

Meanwhile, we have also managed to spend some time reading selections from the textbook. My regular students read an old Twilight Zone story, “The Monsters are Due on Maple Street.” I think they did a good job of reading the teleplay aloud. After we finish the accompanying written work, we will watch the TV episode. My advanced class read several versions of Cinderella and will be working on a comparison/contrast essay this week in class. Adanced classes are going to begin a semester project of writing a children’s historical fiction book. They will begin be doing a book report on a story book from their own childhood. That is always a fun activity.

Let me know if you have any special concerns about your child’s progress as we move along second semester. Grades went home last Friday, of course, and sometimes that can be stressful. Thanks to all of our parents for supporting what we do at Mountain Gap!