7/8 M

Students have been working hard at school on their friendly letters. Please continue to encourage nightly reading at home. Other than that, there will be no additional homework this week. Thank you for your continued support!

Spelling Tests and Word Work workshops are on hold until the New Year as we focus on our Friendly Letter unit.

I have set up a Teams page for each of my ELA classes, and I would like students to try accessing it from their home devices. I have uploaded the class lesson PowerPoint for our “7 Days of Christmas Gratitude” assignment, which will take us up to the Christmas break. 

For homework, students should simply think about what they might write for their daily gratitude letters; unless they were unproductive during class, in which case they may have writing to complete at home. Each letter should be a minimum of 6–7 lines and must be fully completed before students create the card that accompanies it. 

With December here and the holiday season underway, our ELA classes are focusing on writing friendly letters. Students will handwrite their letters and place them in homemade cards—these will also make lovely gifts. I will assess the draft letters for specific writing skills, but the main goal is for students to create something meaningful. 

To support this work, there are two Newsela articles: “How to Write a Thank-You Note” and “Receiving a Thank-You Note.”  Students are asked to read them as part of their nightly 20 min. of reading if they are able. Class time will be provided, but this will cut into our writing and card making time. 

Thank you for your support! 

Grade 7/8M & 8P:

• Realistic Fiction Book Report is due Monday, November 24, 2025.

All ELA Classes:

• Spelling Test on Day 5 – Thursday, November 21, 2025.
• The test will include:
  • Canadian provinces
  • Words following the -able / -ible rule
  • Words that are easier to spell when divided into syllables
• We are focusing on developing spelling strategies in addition to memorization.