I hope that everybody enjoyed their weekend and was able to enjoy this year's Super Bowl Sunday.  As we head back into school this week students in the 7th grade will be focusing in on types of poetry.  We have focused over the past two weeks on different poets as well as the figurative language used in poetry.  We will continue to look at devices used in poetry and make the connection to how they are used in short stories and effect the meaning of what we read.  We will look at lyrical, concrete, free-verse, sonnet, haikus and more this week.  We will conclude this unit next week (February 11th) with our Poetry cafe.  This is a tradition for the 7th grade at Saint Jerome and is an opportunity for them to share poetry they compose with their peers as well as you!  Please consider joining us during the school day for our poetry cafe.  The 7th grade will turn in the formal letter they began last week on Monday.  For those students who wrote to a person of historical significance that is still alive, I will mail out their letters from school.  Many students chose great people to focus on.  We will be taking the second round of Benchmark tests administered by the Archdiocese this week.  This is a great opportunity for us to understand students knowledge of content as it lines up with the common core standards.  This is a transitional year so these results will help guide instruction in language arts for the remainder of the year.  Finally, we will be scheduling a field trip for the 7th grade to the Museum of Tolerance this week.  Be on the look out for a permission slip to be sent home.  We will also be in need of chaperones for the day, so if you are able please mark the permission slip accordingly.  This is a great way to interact with your child's peers as well as receive service hours!  Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have this week.