Mrs. Downey welcomes you  to the

Evergreen's Reading Website.              

                     Quote of the week:  "We take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude."

    The 8th grade reading anthology consists of selections written by prominent authors and poets. The readings focus on individuals, young and old, who face multiple dilemmas and the emphasis is on the solutions and the lessons learned. In addition to the anthology, the students will also read at least three (3) novels. The Light in the Forest by Conrad Richter was chosen to complement the American Indian unit of study in the history class. Two others under consideration are My Brother Sam is Dead  by Christopher and James Collier and That was Then This is Now by S. E. Hinton.

 Silent Sustained Reading

    All of the classes engage in SSR (Silent Sustained Reading). This requires the students to read a novel of their choice for 10 to 15 minutes a day. Hopefully, this mandatory reading time will introduce students to a variety of genres, thus encouraging him/her to continue reading for enjoyment. THIS IS MY GOAL!!!

Tips for Success:

1.  Be prepared - come to class with SSR book, notebook, writing tools, and don't forget your ANTHOLOGY.

2.  Remember - all work should be written in blue or black ink.  Use an erasable pen for assignments if that's easier for you.  Answers should be written in complete sentences with appropriate punctuation unless otherwised specified by the teacher. 

3.  Be respectful to the teacher and others in the class.  Please raise your hand and do not disturb others especially while they're working. 

4.  Hand in assignments on time.  If you don't finish during an allotted class time please finish for homework.

5.  You need to have a SSR book each day to earn complete credit on your SSR chart.  Each day that you're unprepared is -5 points.

6.  Ten ways to become a better reader - READ, READ, READ, READ, READ, READ, READ, READ, READ, READ!!

    ~ Chart 3 for SSR has been distributed. Beginning 1-5-09 I will be checking book choices for SSR.     

    ~ We continue to use our Reading Response Journals each day after SSR time.  I am encouraging students to write about reactions to what they've read as well as to make connections.

    ~ Progress reports will be going home the week of Dec. 15th.  Anyone who has questions with regard to their grade may come and find out about any missing assignments.  Homework needs to be done a regular basis.  Those students who do not hand in homework will receive a 0 until it is handed in. 

    ~ Recently most students have completed "The Apprentice".  This is a story that for the most part was read independently.  Our final story selection from our anthology will be "The Gift of the Magi" written by O. Henry.    

    ~  Newspaper articles also have been a recent focus.  We are using the front page healdlined news to discuss and review.

     Books should be covered.  There are still students with uncovered books.  Students are responsible for the condition of their text. Uncovered books will result in a teacher detention. Be sure to bring a chapter book to class each day for SSR!

                We have a single session day on Tuesday, Dec. 23rd for students.  Classes will resume on Monday, January 5, 2009. 

            Happy holidays to all my students and their families.  Enjoy a safe vacation and Happy New Year!!        

                                            If you have any questions, please contact me at my web site.  I'd be happy to hear from you.  By the way, some parents asked which novels we might be reading.  One of them may be My Brother Sam is Dead.  Another choice may be That Was Then, This is Now a sequel to The Outsiders. 

This website was updated on Friday, December 12, 2008.

downeyan@watertownctschools.org.