This break is definitely needed for all of us! Please take the time to relax, refresh, and rejuvenate (that is easier said than done during this busy time of year). It is very important to take care of yourself and to cherish this time with family and friends!
I want to send a HUGE THANK YOU to the parents that supported my Donors Choose projects for Bring on the Books: We Love to Read! (AR young adult books for the classroom library) and Art Comes Alive in English (supplies for coloring, cutting, and gluing). I am so touched by your generosity and support and all of my students will definitely reap the rewards when all of these items arrive mid-January.
It was an amazing first week back to school after the Thanksgiving break! We started reading Maus I: My Father Bleeds History and the students seem to be enjoying the graphic novel. It definitely portrays the Holocaust in a different way (the students were pretty excited that it had pictures). The main reason why I love having the students read this book is because their ability to recognize literary terms and analyze text improves so much over the course of the graphic novel. This will prepare them for the novel that we will read in January/February, Fahrenheit 451. They will apply the same skills they are learning now on a deeper level through literary analysis essays.
