8th Grade Seminar Information

Our weekly updates generally break down into two parts: a review of the previous week and a preview of where students are headed with their Seminar experience.

Review:

*Students spent last week working on the outline for their second assignment. Students' second assignment is either a debate/argumentative writing or a process/step-by-step writing. The outline was due at 9:00 AM on Monday, March 10th.

A few of the writing requirements we focused on in class this past week include:

1. Selecting appropriate body paragraph ideas based on our main idea

2. Writing a thesis statement/claim which introduce the paper’s main ideas

3. Restating thesis statement/claim in conclusion paragraph

4. Setting a “hook” to grab the reader’s attention

5. “Releasing the hook/releasing the reader” strategy in the conclusion paragraph

6. Avoiding 1st person/2nd person language (I, my, me, you)

*Most students should have had their 1st mentor meeting by now. The expectation is to have our first mentor meeting by Friday, March 14th.

Preview:

*This week students will be moving from their outline to their final copy draft of assignment number two. Students will be self editing, peer editing, organizing and formatting their second assignment throughout the week.

*Assignment number two is due Friday, March 14th at 9:00 AM. The assignment will be handed into Google Classroom.

*On Friday, March 14th, students will be creating individual plans for their third assignment. Each plan will be different based on students' needs. Please have a conversation with your child about their plans for assignment number three.

Thank you for your continued support.

Review of Last Week:

1. 8th Grade Seminar students had assignment number one due at 9:00 am, Friday, Feb. 28th. Documentation of this assignment should have been shared with Mr. Luedtke through Google Classroom.

2. An optional book order was due Monday, Feb. 24th. Students could have potentially used Seminar grant money or their own money to purchase a pre-owned book from the internet that focuses on their Seminar experience. Ms. Henke will be ordering these books as soon as possible.

3. Exciting News! Students reached out to their mentors via email. Students are expected to have their first mentor meetings finished by Friday, March 14th.

Preview of This Week:

Students will begin their second Seminar assignment on Monday March 3rd. This assignment typically connects to the “Comprehension” level of learning. Students will have the choice to write a debate/argumentative paper or a process paper.

Over these two weeks (Monday March 3rd-Friday, March 14th), please expect students to work on this assignment for approximately 3-5 hours at home. This may include working on the outline, rough draft, editing or final copy of their assignment. Attached you will find the main outline we will be using as a class. Our students' second assignment is due Friday, March 14th at 9:00. It will be turned into Google Classroom.

Finally, please be on the lookout in your email for the individual letters being sent home about student progress. For more information about these letters, please see last week’s parent update located just below this one.

Thank you. Mr. Kevin Luedtke

Review: Last Tuesday Feb. 18th, 8th Grade students were assigned their Seminar Mentor! Wahoo!

Well over forty staff members from across NOSD volunteered to mentor students through their semester. Please talk to your child to find out who their mentor is and see last week's Smore review to learn more about the mentor process.

Last week, students started the first of six assignments, which will make up each student’s Seminar experience. Our first assignment is due Friday Feb. 28th by 9:00 am. For most students, the focus of the first assignment should be around “Knowledge.” Or in other words, around “Remembering” new vocabulary and ideas that will act as the foundation for the next five assignments. Every two weeks, students will complete a new assignment which increases the complexity and depth of learning about their self selected topic, as seen in the images below.

Preview: Moving forward, our second assignment will be teacher led, as students will be asked to write a debate paper or process paper about their self selected topic. This will be the “understanding” or “Comprehension” level assignment. Students will still have the freedom to decide which style paper will best fit their Seminar experience and still get to decide what the focus of the paper will be. This will allow students the opportunity to see the expectations a teacher has in structuring a two week assignment and also allow our students to brainstorm, plan, write and edit their papers following a similar writing structure seen in their ELA classrooms. Please talk with your child and see which style of paper best suits their Seminar experience needs. Remember, when selecting the paper topic, the expectation will be for students to find research, quotes and evidence which supports their writing ideas.

Finally, the goal is to send a parent letter home every two weeks which explains that your child is on track with their Seminar experience or that your child is starting to show signs of falling behind and/or missing due dates that go along with their plan. Last year was the first year we were able to fully implement this email system, and the goal is to attempt to do that again this year. Please look for them by email.

Thank you, Mr. Kevin Luedtke

Review: Last week was a large milestone for our 8th grade Seminar students as they completed their letter of intent meetings. Thank you to all the staff members who volunteered to be on the committees and for the flexibility of parents/guardians and students in arranging a time to stay after school for this important step in our students Seminar journey. These meetings act as one last time to catch any potential concerns with student plans, offer suggestions to plans which may not have been thought of, and most importantly, allow students to gain confidence in their interview skills, while simultaneously setting them up for success on the six assignments that make up their Seminar experiences.

Last week, students also made electronic copies of their “letter of intent.” Students made a few changes to the format and content of the second letter to create their “letter to potential mentor.” Please feel free to look over your child’s mentor letter, and even proofread it with them. This letter will eventually be shared with a mentor who decides to align themselves with your child based on the topic your child is choosing to study. Which brings me to…….

This week: By the end of the week the goal is to have a mentor aligned with your child. Our 8th grade students will share their “Mentor Letters'' with the staff members who choose to be part of their Seminar experience. Email correspondence will then begin between the staff member and the student.

8th grade Seminar Mentors will be meeting with their 8th grade student at least three times over the semester:

1) Before March 15th

2) Before April 15th

3) Before May 15th

Lastly,

It’s here! As of Monday Feb.17th, our 8th grade students will officially begin their personalized Seminar experience. Assignment one of six begins Feb.17th and has a due date of Friday, Feb. 28th. Please talk to your child about having any supplies they need at school between Feb.17th-Feb. 28th in order to have success with their first assignment.

Thank you, Mr. Kevin Luedtke

Hello Parents/Guardians of Our 8th Grade Students,

Thursday, February 6th was an important checkpoint for our students in their Seminar experience. Using the electronic sharing option in Google Docs, each student was expected to have shared their letter of intent AND linked letter of intent video to their assigned letter of intent committee members (2-3 NOSD staff members) AND to Mr. Luedtke. We have some wonderful student self-selected plans and ideas. The Class of 2029 Seminar experience is really starting to take shape.

Over the past few weeks we have had the opportunity to share student plans, letters and videos together in class. Hopefully, your child took advantage of this time in class. Please ask to see your child’s letter, and even proofread and edit it with them. There are some really unique ideas coming from this class. It is great to see their thoughts on paper.

The letter of intent, along with the video, was one of our first major due dates in the Seminar experience. Students have known about this due date for over a month, and it has been shared out in a variety of ways including Google Classroom, our “master paper copy due dates handout,” this weekly SMORE update, as well as verbal and written reminders daily in class.

Letter of Intent Meetings will take place on Monday 10th, Tuesday 11th and Thursday 13th of February between 3:00-4:00. Students have selected their own dates and times. Please check in with your child about their transportation home from school that day. Students will need to check in with Ms. Henke if they would like to take the late bus home.

****COMING SOON****

8th grade Students will be assigned their Seminar Mentor for the semester

Thank you for your continued support as we work with your child on this authentic educational experience.

Mr. Kevin Luedtke

Hello 8th Grade Parents,

Another week into the semester and another week of 8th grade Seminar progress for our students. Please check out our Week 2 REVIEW to learn more about what was done in class last week and our Week 3 PREVIEW to find out what’s coming next.

Week 2 REVIEW: Jan. 27th-Jan. 31st

*8th Grade Students should have completed the following assignments this past week:

A) Five potential Seminar topics that interest each student

B) Is my potential Seminar topic a good fit for me? Survey

C) Bloom’s Taxonomy Framework which begins to outline students six assignments

Week 3 PREVIEW: Feb. 3rd-7th

This week each 8th grader is gearing up for their letter of intent meeting and working hard on writing their letter of intent which is based off of their Bloom's Taxonomy Six Assignment Framework that should have been completed last week. In class, we will review requirements for the letter, examine templates and example letters of intent, and begin drafting the letters.

Over the course of the week, we will focus on editing and finalizing the letters, so they can be sent out to our letter of intent staff committee members. The final copy of each student’s letter of intent is due at 9:00 am on Thursday February 6th. This year, along with the letter of intent, students are required to record a video of themself explaining their Seminar process. They can use their letter of intent or Bloom’s Framework as a guide for this. This can be done on the student’s chromebook. Recording this video will help prepare the students for their letter of intent meeting next week. The recorded video is also due by 9:00 am February 6th. The video should be linked to their letter of intent and turned in using Classcraft/Google Classroom.

On Thursday, February 6th during class, students will email their letter of intent and recorded video to Mr. Luedtke, and the two/three staff members on their letter of intent committee. In the case of an absence, students are still responsible for emailing their letter and video by 3:00 PM. It is important that committee members have this information before letter of intent meetings begin on Monday.

As a reminder, letter of intent meetings will be held Monday February 10th, Tuesday February 11th, and Thursday February 13th from 3:00-4:00 p.m. with 12 minute time slots for each student. Please be sure your child has transportation from this event. Students will be able to take the late bus if needed.

As always, we thank you for your time and support. Please reach out if you have any questions.

Thank you, Mr. Kevin Luedtke

Hello 8th Grade Parents and Guardians,

8th Grade Seminar is up and running! The first, and one of the most important steps of this process, is selecting a Seminar topic choice. Students have started to come to class with great ideas for good fit Seminar topics. We encourage you to have conversations about this with your child. You can see the attached parent presentation for more information. Students are expected to have a final seminar topic selected by January 30th at the latest.

Also attached to this letter you will find a general list of due dates for this semester. These due dates are subject to change to fit the needs of our class as the semester progresses, but the list will give you a general outline of the Seminar process.

Finally, letter of intent meetings will be held February 10th, 11th, and 13th, from 2:45-4:00 p.m. Your student will need to sign up for one date and one 15 minute time slot to present their Seminar plan to a panel of two/three staff members. Students will need to arrange transportation, including signing up for the late bus if needed.

As always, feel free to reach out to Mr. Luedtke with any questions.

Thank you for your time and support throughout the 8th Grade seminar process.

Mr. Luedtke

• Due dates document

• Is My Seminar Topic a Good Fit For Me?

• Parent presentation

Charles Schwartz - Principal,

Director of Pupil Services Special Education,

District Assessment Coordinator

Sandra Henke- Secretary

Office Hours: 7:00a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

401 Highland Drive, Fredonia, WI 53021

262-692-2463 /Fax 262-692-2313 NOSD Website