Week of Feb. 28

The talent show auditions went great last week, as we suspected...Neuse Charter has talent! The second, and final, chance to audition and show your talent is this Thursday, directly after school. Don't miss out!
Our quilts look beautiful and everyone should be very proud of all their hard work on them. I will assemble them this week and they will be on display very soon!
This week 5th grade will learn about the Harlem Renaissance. Poetry, jazz, the lindy hop, the Cotton Club and Langston Hughes. We will focus on tone and mood of poetry and stories and write a poem of our own based on poetry and blues from the Harlem Renaissance.
6th grade will also learn about the Harlem Renaissance. Our focus in 6th grade will be the art and poetry of Harlem Rennaissance. Students will learn to write a poem and paint a self portrait designed to move the reader. We will read an autobiographical short story by Zora Neale Hurston.
Spelling/Vocab for this week:
5th grade
Week of 2/28
Harlem Renaissance
rattled
kitchenette
furnished
mistrust
latching
presentable
pursue
Langston Hughes
sentiment
secede
ratified
unconstitutional
flourish
diaspora

6th grade
Week of 2/28
Harlem Renaissance
secede
ratified
unconstitutional
flourish
Zora Neale Hurston
extenuating
peered
differ
deplored
disembarked
register
abrupt
veneer
saunter
diaspora

Talent Show Announcement!

Neuse Charter Has Talent!

All forms of talent welcome! Singing, Dancing, Music, Comedy, Acting, Bands, Duck-calling, etc!!!!! If you are a master, or even pretty good, then come audition to be part of Neuse Charter’s 1st big variety show on April 1 at the new gym!!!
1st Prize: cash!, other prizes to be determined.
This is a benefit for Neuse Charter Middle School English Department!
All students, faculty and staff are invited to the audition, but you must be signed up. Sign-up sheets in the front office, Berner’s modular and Brindle’s modular. Let’s make this a show to remember!
Auditions:
Thursday, Feb. 24: 2:45-4:00
Thursday, Mar. 3: 2:45-4:00
Sign up today, and start practicing! (ages 10 and up)

Week of Feb.14

The 5th grade dance was a blast! Everyone looked beautiful and a good time was had by all. Even though, next time...more dancing! Committee members did an excellent job of decorating and the room looked awesome. Cleanup was fun, efficient and was done in no-time. Everyone should take a minute and reflect on what a great job you all did, truly a team effort!

This week we will write our escaped slave stories and dye and sew our quilts! There will be vocabulary. Words for all classes this week:
1.Integrity- steadfast adherence to a strict moral or ethical code

2.Civil Rights- The rights belonging to an individual by virtue of citizenship, including equal protection of the laws, and freedom from discrimination

3.Racism -The belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others.

4.Abolitionist- A reformer who favors abolishing slavery.

5. Discrimination- An adverse judgment or opinion formed beforehand or without knowledge or examination of the facts.

6. Emancipation- Freeing someone from the control of another.

7.Prejudice- A preference or an inclination, especially one that inhibits impartial judgment.

8. Heritage- Something that is passed down from preceding generations; a tradition.

9.Oppression- the exercise of authority or power in a burdensome, cruel, or unjust manner.

10.Equality- The state or quality of being equal.

11.Advocate -To speak, plead, or argue in favor of.

12.Segregation- the policy or practice of separating people of different races, classes, or ethnic groups, as in schools, housing, and public or commercial facilities, especially as a form of discrimination.

13.Bias - a particular tendency or inclination, especially one that prevents unprejudiced consideration of a question; prejudice.

14. Labor-Physical or mental exertion, especially when difficult or exhausting; work.

15.Injustice-Violation of another's rights or of what is right; lack of justice.
How easy is this? I even gave you definitions this week!

Dates this week;
Feb. 18: Progress reports go home
PTO theme baskets are due this week. 5A: theme is the ARTS. Please donate!

Week of Feb. 7th

We finally begin Black History Month! No vocab/spelling test/words this week, but much new vocabulary will be introduced.
Black History Month Syllabus Week 1 5th and 6th grade

Monday, Feb. 7
Assigned to group you will work with and sit with, review syllabus
Begin 1st part of a 4-part timeline. You will generate one timeline, with 4 parts per group (graded activity)(25 points)
Assigned a proverb, read and discuss, in round–robin fashion what you think your saying means. Begin to think about a visual representation of your proverb.

Tuesday, Feb 8
Prompt: write a short explanation of your proverb/saying.
Media Center
Return to group, lesson about proverbs, and group discussion of some of the sayings.
Create and design a construction-paper collage of proverb. No markers, no pencil, no crayon!!!!! (graded activity)(100 points)

Wednesday, Feb. 9
Prompt: Revisit your explanation of your proverb. Write it again, with corrections, neatly and with good vocabulary. This will be assessed (graded activity) (100 points)
Complete your collage and explanation

Thursday, Feb. 10
Prompt: Handout
Lesson: Timeline part II (graded activity) (25 points)
Short Story: Clara and the Freedom Quilt short story (5th) or The Patchwork Path: A Quilt Map to Freedom (6th)

Friday, Feb. 11
Prompt: In your group, begin writing a story about a runaway slave. First, decide on a character; name, age, family, story, appearance, likes and dislikes. Second, each team member selects a quilt square to use as their part of the story. Third, create a word bank of words that you think will come on handy for a story about a runaway slave. Lastly, begin writing your story. Each person will describe one aspect of your team’s person (divide it up) in the first paragraph, developing a richly detailed character sketch. Then the adventure begins! Create a conflict that is intolerable to your character, something h/she cannot live with and so must run away from the life of slavery! Use your quilt pieces to describe his/her journey north, be sure to add problems and excitement along the way to freedom. (graded activity, 200 pts.) Each member is responsible for a part of this activity and there will be a peer graded portion that will be worth 50 out of the 200 points.
Other news:
5A: We still need donations for the PTO ARTS theme basket. Remember, Neuse Charter relies on parental support!

5th grade Dance this Friday!!!!!
Dance Committee will reconvene this Wednesday and Thursday to finish planning! Dance: Friday in Mrs. Berner's room from 3:30-5:00. Parents are welcome to meet and mingle in the Media Center during the dance. I will send home more information on Monday.