Bowles' AVID Adventure

Today we began our unit on “HOW TO ACE ANY TEST”.  Our Field Trip to UGA is this Friday, March 19th.  Be at the bus port for a 7:30 a.m. departure.  We will return by the end of the school day.  You may choose to bring your I-Pod or electronics for the trip but please realize that McClure is not responsible for any lost or stolen items.

 Wear comfortable shoes, nice jeans (no holes please), and either a UGA T-Shirt or a nice dress/collar shirt.  We want to represent McClure Middle School with pride and make a great impression!  Please be sure you have turned in your $6.00 for lunch.

Tomorrow is tutorial day so have your question(s) ready.  Here is the permission slip for UGA if you lost the original one I gave to you:   Field Trip Form for UGA

AVID Students at the Georgia Capitol

ALL AVID STUDENTS:  PLEASE CHECK YOUR GRADES FOR ALL CLASSES.  THE END OF THE GRADING PERIOD IS VERY NEAR.  MAKE SURE YOU KNOW YOUR AVERAGE AND TURNED IN ALL WORK.

AVID students  designed commercials to promote our Smencil Company.  Today in class students viewed the videos and made comments/suggestions for improvements.  Eighth grade students also completed an AVID quick write on “Paying Students for Going to School”. 

AVID Field trip to University of Georgia is Friday, March 19th.  We will leave McClure promptly at 7:30 a.m. from the bus port and return by the end of the school day.  Students will tour the campus, talk with the admissions office and eat lunch.  Remember to turn in your permission slip and $6.00 for lunch.

IMPORTANT REMINDER FOR THIS FRIDAY

Remember to have your four Cornell Notes,  Learning Log, Agenda signed and binder in order for tomorrow.  8th grade students I will be seeing you in the afternoon so have everything ready for me to check! Any 8th grader who wants to write a letter to me for the AVID Day at the Capital contest needs to have it submitted to me by next Tuesday, February 16th.  I found out my deadline was Wednesday to submit the names to the regional AVID office.  Good luck to all and remember to turn your letter in to me by the deadline date!

This week will be covering how to write an effective summary.  On Wednesday students will be reading and summarizing an article about the new IPad recently launched by Apple.  Tuesday/Thursday students should come to class PREPARED WITH A TUTORIAL QUESTION.  Remember to check academic teacher blogs and your grades daily!  It is your responsibility to maintain your agenda and prioritize your time.    Organize your life and keep setting your academic goals.

This week in AVID we will be discuss the importance of using inference before, during and after reading.  We will also be covering the five criteria for writing a good summary.  Remember to do your Cornell Notes, Learning Log and Tutorial Questions if applicable to your class.  Be sure you have set ACADEMIC GOALS for this 9 week period.   You should be writing everything down in your AGENDA.  Use good time management at home.   Any questions?  Email Mrs. Bowles

This week in AVID…..we will finish our Career Research Papers on Monday, Tuesday/Thursday we have tutorials (don’t forget your question(s)), and Wednesday we will continue our Test Taking Strategies/Tips with Ms. Webster.  I am currently in the process of planning our next College Field Trip.  Remember to write EVERYTHING DOWN IN YOUR AGENDA!!!!  Friday will be the first BINDER CHECK for the 9 weeks.  Get yourself organized!  Clean out any papers and store them in your classroom folder.  Be sure you get a parent signature on your agenda sometime this week.  Four pages of Cornell Notes are due as well as your learning log for the week.

We are continuing to discuss “Living on a Budget” and how our career choices influence our daily living.  Students will be writing a reflection of the budgeting activity and then we will begin our career focus.  We will be investigating a career of their choice and then plan the appropriate paths to lead them to that career.  This unit allows students to synthesize what they learned from the Cost of Living activities and determine the level of education they need to support their lifestyle goals.

Remember that tomorrow we have tutorials.  Don’t forget your tutorial form with questions!

We are now focusing on a career unit in AVID which will last until the end of the nine week period.  Students will be researching  and analyzing careers that seem interesting to them.  We are also discussing living on a budget and how your career impacts live choices.  Remember that every Tuesday and Thursday you should have a tutorial question!  NO EXCEPTIONS

The AVID students will be on a field trip Monday, November 9th.  We are going to KSU for a campus tour.  Students will meet in the main lobby after homeroom.  Thank you to the parents who have agreed to drive.  Please meet us in the main lobby at 9:25.  Students  not going on the field trip should report to Ms. King during their scheduled connection period.  You should work on your movie review paper.

Students continued working on their college research project.  Today is the last day we will work on this in class. 

The following websites are excellent resources for researching colleges.  Please look at these for information on your particular college.  Also, the Sallie Mae site is an excellent overview for the college preparation process.

Georgia College 411 http://www.gacollege411.org/default.aspx

Career Cruising http://careercruising.com/

College Board http://www.collegeboard.com/

Sallie Mae-Planning for college http:///www.thesallemaefund.org/smfnew/pdf2009_mission_possible.pdf

Youniversity http://youniversitytv.com/youlife/index.home.php

Remember:  You are the only one responsible for the choices you are making.  No excuses

Students were also assigned a “Movie Review” writing piece.  It should be one page in length and follow the guidelines on the handout.

On Wednesday, we will be having a guest speaker in AVID.  Thursday will be tutorial day so come prepared with your two questions. 

Field Trip Forms went home today.  Please return them asap with your $5.00 for lunch at Chick-fil-A.  The field trip is Monday, Nov.9th.  We will be going to Kennesaw State University for a campus tour and presentation from admissions.