Welcome to Ms Wasson's Wordy World Web Page!  

My e-mail address is DAWasson@leeschools.net .  That is the most efficient method ofcommunication.

  The title of this painting is "Au Revoir- Earth"   The Argo team is named for the Greek ship and not a rocket ship, but I still liked the image.

It is time to stop the rumors; I dislike rumors, so yes, it is true that I am leaving.  Yes, it is true that it tears my heart out to leave the Argo team.  My parents need me to come home to the Ozarks to help them make the transition into assisted living; they will be eighty soon, and I must go.  As Dr. Lohmeyer says, "Family first." 

However, Bonita Springs Middle School has been my family for over twenty years now.  And anyone who remains a part of the staff here for any length of time knows that we are family at BSMS, close- and always looking out for one another.  It is a rare atmosphere, and if one finds such a working environment, one is lucky indeed.

The Argo Team is also a family.  Working with the same group of kids for three years is a privilege.  They arrive as children, and they leave ready for high school.   It is a challenging, interesting, creative, and rewarding ride, and it is hard work!  But I have loved every minute spent with the Argo kids and my various teammates along the way. The past eleven years have been the peak of my career as a teacher.  Again it is a position that is very difficult to leave.

My replacement is going to be excellent; she comes highly recommended and is already well known. I hear that she is creative and not very good at paperwork. (I am horrible at paperwork.)  She has also worked with Jim Bell previously and lived to tell the tale.  She sounds perfect for the job, and I wish her all the best.

"Au Revoir" in case you do not know, means "good bye for now".  I hope that holds true, and that I see many members of my BSMS family down the road.

Take care always,

dwasson

 13th May, 2009

Well, perhaps I have been somewhat lost.  But we certainly have never been idle, and we won't leave high gear until the screaming end.  The Argo trip was splendid, and we made nearly $400.00 with Argo Bears for the Relay for Life...   But there is still quite a lot of ocean for the Argo ship to sail....

8th grade:  Morphological Matrix,  a World Mythology presentation, and the finale-- the Yin and Yang project.

7thth grade: Morphological Matrix, Skellig, and the Skellig Wings project.

6th grade:  Morphological Matrix, The Giver, and The Giver Precision of Language project.

If that sounds like a bunch of work-- it is, especially for  8th grade.  But we are busy, crazy, creative, and pretty happy these days after FCAT...

More later, take care....dwasson

I And then it was THE END of third quarter!!  Wow.  In so many ways it was eternally long, (testing) but yet the time flew by.  Third quarter is an odd one, and fourth quarter will simply vanish like fog.  So be prepared. 

This week the kids will have a creative writing piece due on Thursday.  That is the 26th of March, and I believe there has been AMPLE notice, so no excuses-- no dogs, washing machines, broken printers, open windows on the bus, notes from mothers... nothing. RIght? 

Otherwise we are reading The Giver, which has the 6th graders captivated.  We will begin a marvelous novel called Skellig, with 7th grade, and a general study of  Greek and world mythology in 8th grade.  Everyone should be happy, I think.

Mr. Bell and I are setting out on our Physics and Fantasy field trip once again.  Wish us luck. 

Take care out there.

dwasson

   17th March, 2009 --  Deadlines...

It is that time of year; it's always that time of year isn't it?  Now that testing is over, all is better actually, but the message is that school is far from over!!

7th grade has a project on The Odyssey due this Friday, the 20th.

8th grade will have a little project on Anne Frank  TBA.

6th grade Dr. Seuss projects were fantastic!  We are on to The Giver.

All Argo language arts students have a "long term" creative writing piece due on March 26th-- that is the Thursday before spring break.

For 6th grade it must be one page.. polished.

For 7th and 8th grade it must be two pages polished.  

 "Polished" means I will not accept something that a student writes on the bus that morning, that he/she writes in front of me mere seconds before I collect it, or a wadded up rough draft.  I want to see that the student has put time and effort into a piece of writing that he/she truly likes well enough to expend the extra energy and effort it takes to produce excellent writing. They know about this, so excuse for ridiculous amounts of procrastination; they even have time in class.

Don't forget the meeting Wednesday night for our 7th and 8th grade field trip!

Take care out there...

dwasson

Well, testing is here again.   FCAT Reading begins next Tuesday, March 10th.  It would help our efforts greatly if our students were able to have a good night's sleep, eat breakfast, and arrive at school with a positive attitude.  We and the kids will do the rest.

The Personal Odyssey project for 7th grade will be due before spring break, which means at the end of THIS MONTH.

The Dr. Seuss project is due at the end of next week.  The dates on that are March 12th and 13th for 6th grade.  They have had fun doing it. 

Everyone take care out there..

Your harried Language Arts Teacher.... dwasson

27 February, 2009

Yes, we are still preparing for FCAT, BUT we are doing many other studies as well.   I try to mix the sticks with the carrots as well as I can, but the kids can still tell the difference, and so can I.  One cannot disguise FCAT testing, and unfortunately, as long as schools are measured by these tests, we will have to prepare for them.  eeeeeeek. 

 Mrs. Brawner, our head of the reading department ,is giving the 8th graders two special "cram" sessions for the FCAT reading test, which is fairly difficult.  She has been a marvelous help, and I could tell that the students felt far more comfortable utlilzing just a few of the methods that she showed them.

But in the meantime...  the 8th grade continues with Anne Frank, and they are enjoying it.  The play is so well written and such an interesting study of people.  They will have an easy project at its conclusion.

7th grade is learning why The Odyssey is one of the greatest stories in the world.  They have a "personal odyssey" project, (metaphorical, of course) due when we finish the work, and that will be not too far away.

6th grade is having the best time doing a Dr Seuss project.  I must admit it is a personal favorite as well.  They students can do a completly original creature/character and poem.  But if they borrow body parts from Dr. Seuss, they must document / footnote those borrowed parts just as they would any research project.  We also watch a  very entertaining documentary called IN SEARCH OF DR SEUSS.   It is very informative about this genius.

And that is what is going on this week.  Be careful out there...

dwasson

6th February, 2009

I am most certainly remiss, terribly remiss, and I apologize. 

The world was nothing but puppets, and now it is nothing but FCAT Writes and trying to ready the 6th grade for the Everglades.  I will be cooking taco meat this week-end for that outing.  Now there's a good way to prepare to write.  As far as preparing YOUR students for FCAT Writes, which is TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10th,  please be sure that he or she is up and has a something to eat, and he or she is a tad more alert than usual.  We will do the rest. 

Otherwise, we are doing some creative writing, working EXTREMELY hard on using FORMAL language instead of INFORMAL language, and reading good FORMAL literature, paying attention to how we SPEAK, because it affects how we WRITE. 

There.  That's what  has been going on.   Give us a thought on Tuesday and send good weather to the Everglades with the 6th graders....

And take care out there...

dwasson

PS: How does Spiderpig relate, you ask?  I don't know.  It just does.

  Mid-terms and puppet shows!!  I feel like the picture to the left.  The students are writing their first big-time essays on LITERATURE for their mid-terms.  It isn't easy for them, but they have the three class periods, they may take the essays home to work on them, they may use dictionaries, and they may ask any questions of me that they wish.  Since this is the first essay of this kind for most of them, I will consider that in grading them.  It is the polar opposite of FCAT Writes, which I thought they should experience.

And then there's the annual Open House puppet show!!  Bigger and better than ever, we hope to keep the Argo Program alive and sailing  with imagination, joy, fun, and a BIG MESS!!  These are the elements of creativity after all.

Everyone have a wonderful long week-end.

dwasson

7th January, 2009!!

Happy New Year!

Well, it is never all that happy, because the new year always brings testing in the public schools.  Testing, open houses, the competition for new students; the new year is an ultra busy time, and it would seem as if it should be more of a time when one could reflect and plan calmly.  Not so, never so.  Jump on the boat and row!

FCAT Writes is February 10th.  I believe that the students will be in very good shape for that test.  We are planning and discussing introductions and points and supports quite often.  We have even discussed the times one might discover that one has selected the wrong topic on which to write!!  One can begin and find that there is simply not sufficient knowledge base to write a good paper.  We learn that the hard way at times.  

We continue vocabulary, but with a bit less vigor that first semester; the kids have enough stress right now.

All mid-term exams will be essay. And that means "proper essay" not FCAT style essay.  I am explaining those to the students.  They will be allowed to use dictionaries, refer to the novels and stories, ask me questions, and have quite sufficient time to complete them.  It will be interesting to see the results.

Happy New Year again, and take care......   dwasson

18th December, 2008

Tomorrow is the big day: the final presentations of the Morphological Matrixes are due.  Several of the students have said that they have attempted to explain the projects to their parents and are met with blank stares.  I can say nothing more than I said last week other than the Morphological Matrix is a project that the kids LOVE, it is highly creative, it requires imagination, cooperation, creativity, and some very challenging writing.  Often the presentations are quite clever, but one must understand the bizarre nature of the constructions to truly enjoy them.   I believe Mrs. Knapp will be coming through to view them just out of her own curiosity.

A word about group/ team work.  When I assign a group project such as the Morphological Matrix, or a vocabulary game such as Paper Capers, or board races,  I am quite subjective in my grading.  The kids know very well that they cannot "hide" from me in a crowd and make no contribution to the group to which they have been assigned.  I give individual "progress grades" daily, and the final grade is assigned individually.  I give  each of the groups an evaluation as well.  But the majority of the grades are individual, and subjective.   My experience as a teacher, and my knowledge and understanding of each of my students, must be trusted in this matter.  The Morphological Matrix is a project we do only twice a year, but the students look forward to it.  I have seen very shy students laugh, wear funny horns or hats, say lines, or emit loud roars with the encouragement of a group.   There are struggles; there are miracles, and great learning takes place, both academic and of the nature of human beings.  It is a project for gifted kids.

After winter break, the first big concern will be mid-terms.  We will be writing five paragraph essays on a choice  of literature which we have studied in this class.  The students will have to think of a total of an hour and a half, ( over three days) be given the literature to use, and they will be able to use dictionaries for their essays.  I will also help the younger kids as they need it, and ease nerves as needed.  Mrs. Knapp has graciously consented to grade the 8th grade essays in addition to my grading, so that once again, the 8th grade will have the advantage of two readers and two grades.  This is a more authentic method of essay writing, than FCAT Writes.

Then we will be hitting it hard for FCAT Writes which is February 12th.   As we all know, FCAT Writes is a STATE TEST.  The students are given forty five minutes to write on a cold topic without benefit of dictionaries or discussion.  It is a standing high jump and an entirely different story.  I teach them to survive and do as well as they can on this state test.  Period.

Best wishes to everyone for a happy and healthy winter break.

dwasson

11th December, 2008

By now you are hearing about the "Morphological Matrix".  It is an enormous creative activity that we do twice a year.  It utlizes, writing skills, cooperation, creativity, humor, you name it.  I will attempt to explain this activity to you.

The kids generate a huge list  (matrix) of characters, settings, problems, and goals.

I divide them into at least three groups, and then they select by turns characters, settings, challenges and goals.

The results of the choosing leave them with a bizarre and random collection of "stuff" to work with.

A group could have: Frodo Baggins, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Cat in the Hat, and Tigger as characters they must use.

 The Old Woman’s Shoe,  Narnia,  Hogwarts Academy, NYC, could be the settings. The problems  they face might be could be a T- Rex,  Darth Vader, Flying Monkeys, and The White Witch.

 The goals to be reached might be : Find Nemo,  breaking Aslan's chains,  Identify Thing One and Thing Two, or to capture the Joker, or make green eggs and ham taste good.

The sadistic teacher than adds her  factors, such as vocabulary words they must use, the Afflack Duck appearing randomly, a construction paper bowtie must be made and worn by everyone,  and a special line, (this time it’s the Bushism, “ You can’t take the high horse and then claim the low road.”They have to write the script, and make everything out of construction paper.  It’s a big mess, a lot of fun, and the results are usually quite funny.

The Morphological Matrix presentations will not be due until the final days before winter break.

This Friday, the 12th, All Argo students have a poem due that is at least 14 lines long.  I am here early every morning if anyone needs help.

Ho Ho Ho..... dwasson

2nd December, 2008

It's time for the traditional pre-winter break "Walter the Armadillo" story.   I think they will be better than ever this year.   It is always good to take a break from the FCAT essays, and Walter surely is a break.

More later...

Yes, the "Walter" stories have been very successful.  They were just what was needed to break the grind for awhile.  Back at the grind, however, the kids have an "on the spot" quiz tomorrow over 24 words from the list,  of "100 words every high school student and You should know".   We will be using the vocabulary words in our morphological matrices next week.   I think that we will read today in the novels as well.   Time for a little kick back time.

Have a Ho Ho Ho week-end and be careful of traffic...   dwasson

18th November, 2008

And where did LAST week go?  We worked on what we used to refer (to, too, two) as homonyms, but (which, witch) now are called "homophones".   That is not a helpful change.     I often wonder if textbook authors have ANY kind of contact with real students.  But we worked on several of the most troubling sets, (there, their, they're) which came up in the Bonita Writes essays, and did board races with them.  The students can use the words correctly independent of their writing!!!

So this week we do another Bonita Writes..  It 's actually very helpful for the administrators to grade the papers; it gives the students TWO graders on their essays.   They are going to have to really tow the line; great demands are being made of us..  It's a good thing.

We are working on nouns, and we continue with S.E. Hinton novels.   No projects in Language Arts right now.   They have enough....

This coming Thursday is the kids next all school essay.   Wish us luck.   Thanks...   dwasson

And then it was November, and winter solstice approaches; not that it makes a difference to us in Florida, but I always feel it somehow.

We are finishing projects and beginning new novels this week.  THE OUTSIDERS for the 6th grade, THAT WAS THEN< THIS IS NOW, for the 7th graders, and RUMBLE FISH, for the 8th graders, so it is a trio of S.E. Hinton being read on the Argo team.   She remains a popular author with young people and with me.  :o)

Bonita Writes went well.   I was pleased with the kids' efforts.  Next week we will turn in ongoing creative works again.

And this week's vocabulary will be "On the Spot".   Ask your student what that means.

Take care,  dwasson

29th October, 2008

  These short weeks are tough!  It's difficult for everyone  (especially me) to find the groove again after the days away.  The kids are all finishing projects and preparing for our first BONITA WRITES which is tomorrow.   The entire school will be composing  on the same essay topic.  I have prepared them all day today by writing introductions in unison- cooperatively... as classes.  The introduction is the most difficult and the most important part of an essay to write.   I am pleased to say that they did very well, and I am hopeful that they will do well on their essays tomorrow.  Friday, they will be able to complete what little bits they need to finish up on their various projects.

Stay warm!   dwasson

These sho

It feels as if school has been is session forever!  I don't know why.   This week we are into grammar; I have discovered that the 6th graders know very little at all of grammar, and I am lighting fires under that 7th and 8th graders to make them REMEMBER that YES they did have grammar last year!!

7th and 8th graders are also doing some essay practice...  later in the week we will all return to some literature..   for a little rest and relaxation and good chat.

take care, dwasson

8th October, 2008

We have a tricky and fun vocabulary list this week because we are going to play a game on Friday-- the paper capers game.   I am going to try it for the first time with the 6th grade, so that will be an adventure.  I believe that they are about ready for something unstructured; we will just have to see.

8th grade finished Algernon.

7th is coming close to finishing Day No Pigs Would Die and 6th has just finished Rikki Tikki Tavi.

So things are clattering right along.  Next week we will have to tumble back into some ESSAYS... argh.

Have a good week, everyone....   dwasson

 2nd October, 2008

My favorite quote from Harry Potter is Dumbledore's, " Soon we must all face the choice between what is RIGHT and what is easy."

I find that to be my greatest challenge, especially in teaching writing--- to constantly demand that my students do NOT simply write what is EASY to write.   To that end, their weekly assessment tomorrow will be taking simple sentences, and embellishing them.  Their challenge will be to write interesting, well thought out sentences.  It is more difficult for them than one might think.  Good writing takes patience and time, and neither are qualities that our electronic gadget age cultivates in our students.

I was pleased with the writing that the students did for this week.   They are coming along. 

Have a good week-end.    Back to some vocabulary next week.  Interesting words and a fun game with them at the end.... 

dwasson.

29 September, 2008

This will be a strange week.  Here today, gone tomorrow and resume a "normal" week on Wednesday.  Yeah, right.  With middle school kids.     So they are writing.  The 7th and 8th grade students have an "ongoing' creative writing assigment due on Wednesday the 1st of October which they have been aware of for some time now.   The 6th graders received an assignmnet today of writing three short stories, two false and one true.   All three should be well written enough for the rest of us to have trouble discerning the false from the true.  They seem to be into it.   It will be due Wednesday as well.

Everyone enjoy that Tuesday off!     dwasson

25th September, 2008

6th and 7th grades will have regular vocabulary quizzes tomorrow, so study!!  8th grade will do a different exercise as their words are extremely difficult.   7th and 8th graders need to bring their creative writing assignmnets with them tomorrow and Monday.  Those will be due  next Wednesday.

Monday, 22nd September, 2008

Early and fair warning this week.  Friday, 26th September, all classes will have a regular vocabulary quiz.  That means words, spelling , definitions.  No games, no ponies, no toys.  Just like the other half lives.   So study those words.

17th September, 2008

We have spent the first part of the week on an editing exercise (Revise and Edit, pages 88 and 89)which has been rather eye-opening for all of us.   The exercise consisted of nine sentences which contained thirty-two misspelled words.   The kids (and I can somewhat include myself) all realized what a "spell check" dependant society we have become.  They were not too terrible at finding the misspellings but they were HOPELESS at correcting the spelling.  I shared with them the fact that before I became a teacher I was a better speller.  Spelling is a knack; that is why I will NEVER fail a student for misspellings in their work.  I believe in complete articulation- knowing the meaning of a word and having the ability to use it, is far more important.   But spelling a word incorrectly in an essay, or even on ebay, can make one look uneducated, and that is something that just won't do for an Argo student.  Therefore spelling is something that they must CARE about.     The 7th and 8th graders will do board races with these words from Revise and Edit this coming Friday.   I don't know just yet what will be in store for the 6th graders.   We'll see.

If parents are thinking about holiday or birthday presents, any of our kids would love and use a Franklin Electronic Dictionary.   They are so much easier and faster than the big fat books, and while they will never replace the big fat books, the kids are much more likely to use them.  Just a thought.  Your student will be pleased.

Take care out there.  dwasson

10th September, 2008

8th graders were returned their first essays this week.  We worked on cleansing SLANG from our formal vocabulary.  I asked them what do "hanging out", "stabbing in the back" ,"got your back", and "be there for you" MEAN, they were able to give me the words, "spend time together", "betray", "defend" and "stand by oneside".   How about that?  They only need think a little while longer. 

I did the exercise with the 7th graders as well.  They responded quickly.  The war on slang and "text lingo" becomes more difficult every year for those of us who teach writing.

The 6th graders have finished "Mowgli's Brothers" and are working on their animal projects.  We are going to watch the JUNGLE BOOK today.

The students will be writing good sentences or stories as their vocabulary exam on Friday of this week using these words:

They have felt extremely challenged by these words, but we have worked on them rigorously.

Affect  (verb)  produce a response or influence

Effect-  (noun)  the result

Illicit – illegal, unlawful

Elicit-  draw forth, produce a reaction

Signet.  A symbol or seal (Hogwart’s seal)

Cygnet-  baby swan

Classical-  Greek or Roman architecture, or old and traditional

Classic..  of highest quality (“66Mustang)

Evanescent -  fading quickly – a rainbow is evanescent

Effervescent-  bubbly  like soda

Voracious  -- insatiable appetite for food or activity

Rapacious—ravenous, greedy predatory

Judicious  wise, sensible, practical

Judicial—unbiased, fair   a judge

Cynical—distrustful of human goodness

Skeptical-  unconvinced   - doubting

Obtuse  -  dull, slow mentally blunt

Abstruse-  beyond average IQ  (rocket science)

Queue-  a line of people

Cue -  a signal to begin

Peace- tranquility

Piece-  a part

Principle-  basic truth

Principal  head of school

Waist  torso between chest and hips

Waste  careless use or spending

*************

Everyone take care,

dwasson

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