May 1, 2012
Composition- we have presented our Personal Narratives to the class and they were great!! The kids love to tell about their lives and I love to hear all about them!! We had a great time. Our next paper is a unit on how to write instructions...should be interesting! We will be doing a reflective paper for the final.
Literature - we are studying traditional literature and mythology. A study guide for the final will go out next week - probably Thursday - and then the final will be on Wed, May 16th.
Please encourage your children to remain "present" in the classroom and concentrate on school work until the last day. I know it is hard this time of year, but we still have a lot of units to cover!
Thank you!!
Mrs. Shumate
April 10, 2012
Composition - We are in the middle of our research unit. We have spent a great deal of time in the library and have gathered some great facts about our particular year. We are now outlining our thoughts and organizing for our rough drafts that are due on Monday the 16th.
Literature - We are doing CRT practice for the upcoming tests on the 17th and 18th. We will be looking through the student CRT booklet that was given out last week. You might review each subject with your child, also!
I think right now we all look 
but after testing it will be 
!! Get a good night's sleep and eat something yummy for breakfast to get your brain working!!!!
March 26, 2012
Composition - We are starting research paper over a specific year. Ask your child what year he/she has and maybe talk to them about what happened during that time period. They will research three events during that year and write the standard five paragraph essay with works cited. The final draft will be due April 20 with several steps of the research process due along the way.
Literature - We are finishing our novels and will be watching the movies at the end of the week. I am sending home permission slips that need to be signed and returned asap so we can proceed with the movie. Pre AP will be expected to write a compare/contrast essay over the novel v the movie.
March AR test due Friday the 30th!!!!
March 6, 2012
Comp spelling words: #27
neutralize, precipice, reminisce, vandalism, misdemeanor, perpetrator, custody, detention, suspension, research
We have begun our persuasive compare/contrast paper. This will take us up to spring break.
Literature: We are continuing with our novels and hopefully will be wrapping them up shortly after spring break.
AR goals due March 15th!!
February 28, 2012
Comp spelling words; #26
indecisive, habitually, circuit, scenic, apprehend, penitentiary, perspective, corduroy, jeopardize, hypnotize
In Composition we have started our poetry unit. We are writing 8 specific poems and then choosing our favorite 5 to put into a booklet. This is due Friday, March 2.
February 22, 2012
Comp spelling words: #25
commitment, counterfeit, rehabilitation, psychedelic, characteristic, impressionable, spectacles, preliminary, community, eventually
We have begun our writing units!! The assignments will be fast-paced and will build on one another. Please encourage your child to have the assignment completed on the due date. If not, he/she will fall further behind and risk a late grade. I give ample time in class to complete what needs to be. With that said, our descriptive paper is due tomorrow - Feb 23. Monday we will start a poetry unit followed by the persuasive paper. That will take us into spring break. After the break we will begin our research paper. Fun stuff!!!!
In Literature, we are reading our class novels - The Westing Game and The House of Dies Drear. Ask your child to tell you about the plot and ALL of the characters. These novels will take us into spring break!
February AR test is due February 24th
March AR test is due March 30th
Third nine weeks AR goal is due March 15th.
February 7, 2012
Comp - spelling words 23
participation, composition, citation, plagiarism, treacherous, occupancy, susceptible, paraphernalia, precipitation, evaporation
We are learning about the writing process!
Literature - We are starting our novel units. 1st and 7th: The House of Dies Drear
4th and 5th: The Westing Game
These units will take us to spring break.
Mrs. Shumate 
January 27, 2012
Comp - spelling words 21 and 22
vegetable, twelfth, rotary, x-ray, equilibrium, ammonia, pneumonia, excruciating, apologetic, guitar
symmetrical, synonymous, visitor, youth, density, critical, complaint, courageous, ordinary, extraneous
Literature - Tone projects due on Monday, January 30!!
Comp - spelling words 19 and 20
principle, principal, survey, weird, career, deferred, evidently, protein, flouride, righteous
opportunity, argument, heavily, reveal, televise, youngster, atmosphere, predecessor, aerosol, grotesque
January 18, 2012
I don't know how many thank you notes made it home, but please know how much I appreciated every single gift!! The homemade goodies were fantastic and I am truly overwhelmed with your generosity with the gift cards, decorations, smell good (that is what we call it at my house!!), and monogrammed bags!! I am blessed every day to spend time with your precious children!!
I also want to say WOW for the art supply donations on my teacher wish list. We love to use construction paper and color and paste projects. We use lots of construction paper and with every students using the coloring supplies, they run out fast. Thank you so much for caring!!
Now - on to lessons!! Literature - poetry for the next few weeks. We are looking at all types of poems and breaking them down.
Composition - Clauses and punctuation. We will begin our writing units within the next month.
Spelling words #18
February synonym
temperature Wednesday
tomorrow surprise
manuscript coincidence
hysterical chandelier
Parent/Teacher Conferences are February 13 and 16 from 3;30 to 6:30. Please contact me via email if you have concerns and might need a conference.
Mrs. Shumate
December 12, 2011
Comp Spelling Words - Lesson #16
dehydrate hydration
amendment franchise
divine fiery
omitted terrible
zodiac welfare
November 29, 2011
Comp Spelling Words - Lesson #14
asphalt disappoint
enterprise integrate
opponent prominent
suing usable
visible resolution
We are studying verbs!! Yea!! 
In Literature we are reading A Christmas Carol. We are doing a lot of background information this week and will begin the play next week. A study guide for the final will go home on the 8th and the Final will be on the 14th. We will end this nine weeks by watching one of many versions of the movie.
1st hour Pre AP papers are due December 2nd.
7th hour Pre AP papers are due Decmeber 9th.
I have to make a change in the AR goal due date. It is now Friday the 16th.
All Makeup work for both literature and composition will be due by the 16th. Anything after that will not be graded.
Merry Christmas!! 
November 15, 2011
Comp Spelling Words - Lesson #13
logical exceed
allotted deficit
reconcile referred
yacht succeed
decorative festivities
I will be conducting a spelling bee in class to determine our participants in the school spelling bee in December.
Literature classes:
We are wrapping up our novels this week and will be taking our tests on Friday. We will be reading A Christmas Carol upon our return from the break... Christmas already?!!!
November AR test is due December 2nd. AR goals for second nine weeks due December 20th.
I wish everyone an amazing Thanksgiving with family and friends. I am thankful for each and every one of your children!!
Mrs. Shumate
November 9, 2011
Comp Spelling Words - lesson #12
abstract aviator
concrete immigrant
subjective delegate
objective movable
possessive tendency
October 24, 2011
Please contact me via email if you wish to schedule a parent conference. They dates are Tuesday, Nov 1 and Thursday, Nov 3 starting at 3:15.
October 16, 2011
Literature:
We are still reading our novels. They have been a lot of fun to read and they pose some pretty interesting questions!! Ask your kids about them.
*AR goals are due Wednesday the 19th!
Composition:
We will not have spelling words this week because of Fall Break. They are to be working on their Halloween/Fall narrative project that is due on Halloween.
Have a great break!!
Mrs. Shumate
September 28, 2011
Composition:
I have made a change with spelling and vocabulary tests. Fridays seem to be very busy with student activities so we have many absences. I will not give the tests on Thursdays so we don't have so many makeups to do. The words for this week are:
dehydrate aluminum
cemetery deceive
hydrant installation
nickel pamphlet
reference physician
Literature:
We are starting our novel units. 1st and 7th hours are reading The Giver and 4th and 5th hours are reading Tangerine.
September AR book is due Friday the 30th.
Mrs. Shumate 
September 14, 2011
Comp classes:
Spelling words #5
recommend surgeon
optometry they're
there their
accumulate believable
precede proceed
Literature classes will continue with literary elements for the next week and 1/2 by looking at a few more short stories.
Mrs. Shumate
September 7, 2011
Comp classes:
Spelling words #4
architect canceled
dissatisfied gauge
illiterate judgment
possession technique
hurricane compassion
Literature classes:
We are reading "Rikki Tikki Tavi" and doing lots of activities with the short story. I will hand out the study guide for this test on Monday. The OPEN BOOK test will be Tuesday the 13th.
Mrs. Shumate
Composition classes:
Spelling words #3
accessible criticism
brilliant existence
inhabitant occasionally
restaurant unique
interrogative advisory
This week in Literature we are going to test over all of the literary elements on Wednesday. We are doing a study guide on Monday and discussing on Tuesday so they will be prepared for Wednesday. Composition will see lots of grammar lessons this week with spelling/vocabulary tests on Friday.
Mrs. Shumate
Welcome back to school!! I can honestly say I was VERY ready to kick off the new school year!! We will start with literary elements in Literature and some writing assignments and grammar in Composition. More later!!
Mrs. Shumate