About me...
Since coming to the middle school in 1997, I
have taught both seventh and eighth grade English, most often in looping
situations. I have a BA in English, a MAT in secondary education
with a middle school endorsement and I received National Board
Certification in 2002. In addition to my work here at the middle
school, I serve as an adjunct professor in the Education Department at
Rhode Island College.
Remember...
In addition to assigned written homework, students should be reading for 30-45 minutes every day. Books read independently need to be annotated and logged in reading folders.
SUMMER READING!!!
The ASFMS 2010 Summer Reading Program
is now underway. Parents and students have been notified of the
benefits of ordering the books before June 1, 2010 and receiving
a major price reduction (by one for $6.50 or more, get a second book
-$6.50 or less- for free.) Additionally, students will leave
school in June with their books and that will save the hassle of chasing
the titles all summer. Catalogues and order forms were sent home on May
24, 2010. As was the case last year, students need to read and
complete two responses to literature options. Responses
will be due by mid-September.
In ELA...
May 17, 2010
May book projects have been assigned. Please see the attachment if extra copies are needed. These projects are due on June 11th.
The students on the Pegasus Team will finish
out the year by reading
Jumping the Nail by Eve Bunting. The novel is the final
reading in a unit called Choices. Students have been
reading and analyzing short stories, poetry and articles dealing with
peer pressure and the rewards and consequences that come with
independent decision making.
April 26, 2010
April book projects have been assigned. Please see the attachment if extra copies are needed.
April 5, 2010
Research based persuasive essays ~ please see attached.
March 5, 2010
March book projects have been assigned. Please see the attachment if extra copies are needed.
February 26, 2010
Check list for SPIRAL BOOK (see attached)
February 3, 2010
February book projects have been assigned. Please see the attachment if extra copies are needed.
There is a long term unit assigned called Navigating the Nile, there is a hyperlink to the syllabus on the tab above as well as on the title here. It is important for students to stay current with their work, please make note of the timeline.
This project will be a journey back in time to an ancient
civilization filled with wonder and mystery. We will explore the
people, places and things of ANCIENT EGYPT, research the culture and
analyze its impact on our lives today.
The focus of our unit will be on research skills. You will present
your findings in the form of a spiral book. Please pay very close
attention to the time line; you will need to be prepared and ready to
work everyday in order to finish this project on time.
Your first job will be to decide a topic for your research and book.
You may choose ANY person, place or thing that relates to ancient
For example, you may decide to research
pyramids. That is fine but you will find that it is a huge topic
and you may need to focus only on how the pyramids were built or what
can be found inside a pyramid. Likewise, you might choose to
research sarcophagi and discover that you have to expand your topic to
burial rites.
You will need to decide a shape for your book
that symbolically represents your topic. I will help you with
shapes. Books will be 20 pages long and each page MUST contain a
graphic and complete description (at least two full sentences.) It
will be up to you to decide what information about your topic and what
graphics and illustrations you will use. I will provide
guidelines, but you are the final authority.
January 6, 2010
January book projects have been assigned. Please see the attachment if extra copies are needed.
Body mapping projects have been assigned. Students are required analyze one character of their choice, from the book Wish You Well. They will be required to do some of the work at home, as well as in school. Please click on the link in order to view the specific criteria. Due dates will be give in class. Please check your child's agenda for specific due dates.
December 4, 2009
December book projects have been assigned. Please see the attachment if extra copies are needed.
Nov. 5, 2009
Over the course of the next few months, the students on the Pegasus Team
will be reading Wish You Well by David Baldacci. Set
the mountains of Virginia in 1940, Wish You Well is the
coming of age story of Louisa Mae Cardinal, a twelve year old girl from
New York City. Louisa Mae, nicknamed Lou, and her brother Oz,
journey through family tragedy and relocation as they journey through
adolescence.
This book was chosen as the Read Across Rhode Island book in 2003 and
quickly became a favorite among middle school students. Baldacci
writes beautifully about family relationships, social justice, the
environment, and growing up. His well defined characters are
charming and engaging. His message is powerful.
At this time the students and I would like to invite you to read along
with us as we travel with Lou and Oz Cardinal from New York to Virginia.
Reading together can be an extraordinary experience for families and can
serve to open up dialogue and meaningful conversation between you and
your child. Our only request is that you do not “give away” plot
lines if you read faster than we do! We will be reading Wish
You Well, in class, together and it will take us a couple of
months.
If you, or any member of your family, would like to borrow the book from
our school library, please have your child check out a copy.
Students will be checking out their own copies as well.
Thank you for all you do to support our work. We look forward to
reading with you!
Mrs. Tundis and the Pegasus Team Students
- November Book Projects have been assigned. Please follow the link provided to find out the criteria and please note the rubric provided.
Over the course of the next few weeks students will be working on their Halloween Stories. We have completed planning and plotting packets, created word banks and read a few ghost stories in class. Students should have the assignment, the work folder and their composition notebooks in class daily. All rough drafts will be due on Monday Oct 26, 2009. Final drafts will be due on Oct 29, 2009. NO LATE WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED.
Our reading selections will center on the history of the Salem Witch Trials. We will read about the events that led up to the fateful winter of 1692, the arrests, trials and executions, and the aftermath. Students will travel to Salem at the end of the month very well versed in the Witch Hunt chapter of American history.
September 29, 2009Students are responsible for bring their
folders, composition notebooks and agendas to class everyday. All
long term projects and assignments will be given in writing, posted on
the homework board and linked on the website. All work pertaining
to any given unit must be kept in the unit folder. Students should
check the folder contents list daily to make sure that they are
current with all work.
