Page 5
Volume 4 Issue 3
News from the English Department at JFK:
Writing units are in full swing for all grade lev-
els: Grade 6-Research-Based Information Writing;
Grade 7-The Art of Argument: Research-Based Es-
says; Grade 8-Investigative Journalism. A Teachers
College Reading and Writing Project curriculum staff
developer continues to work with both English and
social studies teachers to fine-tune classroom strat-
egies and writing techniques within these writing
units. Students in all grade levels are getting ready
to showcase the final products of their unit writing.
Specifically, Grade 6 students have studied teen
activists and investigated topics worth fighting for,
such as Abandoned Pets, Bullying, Child Labor, Envi-
ronment, and Girls' Education. After researching,
reading, note-taking, outlining, and drafting, these
students are ready to inform their readers with
their own research writing.
Grade 7 students have investigated both harmful
and helpful consequences of competitive sports and
have taken a closer look at a more detailed topic of
their choice. Is competitive dance a sport? Should
football helmets be redesigned? Students
have developed claims and acknowledged counter
claims after an abundance of research in an attempt
to answer these (and multiple other) questions.
Grade 8 students are writing about events happening all around them after having
trained their minds to see stories amid their surroundings. Articles blending the skill of narrative,
information, and argument are being written with journalist professionalism. Students have cho-
sen to shed some light on high-interest topics important to teens such as the dangers of drug use
and the need to promote more frequent acts of kindness. The planned JFK renovations and lead-
ership under JFK's new principal, Dr. Berrios, are also newsworthy topics being explored.
Next month, English students will dive back into reading units where poetry will be inter-
spersed as often as possible in celebration of National Poetry Month. In June, Eighth grade stu-
dents will have an opportunity to enter their poetry into the 2019 Ryan Theobald Poetry Con-
test.
Please come to the Enfield Junior Women's Club Spelling Bee on April 25th at 7:00 in the JFK audi-
torium to see our sixth grade finalists compete for recognition.
The English Department is happy to celebrate reading, writing, and working with words!