In order to Register a new student you need to call (978) 463-5845 to set up an appointment with our Guidance counselor, Jamie Salvatore.  Appointments will take place on August, 20th, 21st, and 22nd.  You will need the following Documents:

1) Birth Certificate

2)  Up-to-date Immunizations

3)  Proof of Residence (i.e. a Utility Bill with your name and address, a Signed Purchase and Sales Agreement, or a Signed and Notarized Lease.)

4) Individualized Plans (IEP’s or 504’s)

The office does not reset or create ASPEN accounts and passwords.  If you are having any difficulties with your account please go to the following link: https://www.tritonschools.org/students-parents/aspen-help/

2019 SEVENTH-GRADE SUMMER READING

This summer, we would like you to read two books and complete the assignments for each.

First, read either The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise, by Dan Gemeinhart, or The Honest Truth, also by Gemeinhart,  and complete the following, doing your very best work:

PROJECTS FOR COYOTE:

1.  Create a diorama (scene in a box or other container) of your favorite scene from your book.

or…

1.  Sew a doll of Coyote or her father, Rodeo,

or…

1.  Paint a favorite scene from your book.

or…

Choose three of the writing prompts below and complete.  You should have at least one written page.

1.  What do you most admire about Coyote? Explain, and include a quote from the book that illustrates that aspect of her personality.
2.  Would you have the courage and be as comfortable with independence as she is?  Would you do any of the crazy things she did? Why or why not?
3.  What was your favorite scene?  Did you picture it like a movie as you read?
4.  Write a letter to Dan Gemeinhart telling him what you thought of this book: why you liked/loved it, or what you didn’t like/love, what you connected to.

PROJECTS FOR THE HONEST TRUTH:

1.  Create a diorama (scene in a box or other container) of your favorite scene from the book.

or…

1.  Sew a doll of Mark, Jessie, or his dog, Beau. (…or any character from the book you’d like to!)

or…

1.  Paint a favorite scene from The Honest Truth.

or…

Choose three of the writing prompts below and complete.  You should have at least one written page.

1.  What do you most admire about Mark? Explain, and include a quote from the book that illustrates that aspect of his personality.
2.  Would you have the courage to do what he did?  Why or why not?
3.  What was the most intense scene to you?  Did you picture it like a movie as you read?
4.  Write a letter to Dan Gemeinhart telling him what you thought of this book: why you liked/loved it, or what you didn’t like/love, what you connected to.
5.  Write a letter to Mark from his parents that shows the angst they go through when he’s missing.

Second, we would like you to read a novel of your choice. We have provided you with a Book Completion Form to fill out and have signed by a parent or guardian, acknowledging that you actually read the book. Instead of writing a “book report” that tells us what the book is about, we want you to write what you thought about the book (we call this a “WIT” = “What I Think”), so we can hear your voice in your writing!

Some ideas to write about:

• How did the book make you feel?
• Do you wish a character had made a different decision?
• Were you disappointed by a character’s behavior or words?
• Did you hope for a different ending?

Please do not write, “I liked this book,” or “This book was good.” Write WHY you enjoyed reading it (your personal feelings), and what you thought of the characters and story.  We should be able to tell that you read your specific book by the details you include.

Your writing should fill the lines of the paper.  SUMMER READING ASSIGNMENTS DUE 9/6/19

7th Grade Summer Reading

Triton Regional Middle School

                                                    English/Language Arts Department                                                   

          Summer Reading 2019

     Grade 8

Why Read Over the Summer?

“Children who read will do better in other subjects and in all aspects of schooling and beyond.  As the world becomes increasingly complex, reading is increasingly important for children trying to find their place in it.” – Francine Alexander

“The Journey of a lifetime starts with the turning of a page.” Rachel Anders

“Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.” – Charles Eliot

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” – Dr. Seuss

What are my responsibilities?

Each student will read 2 books for summer reading, one required book and a second choice book, from a pre-approved book list.  The 7th grade English teachers and/or your local librarians can help you to make a selection.

1. Required choice: This year, students will be given a choice between 4 very current and popular titles: Fever, 1793, a historical fiction novel about yellow fever, by Laurie Halse Anderson, The Hate U Give, a fiction novel by Angie Thomas, I Will Always Write Back: How One Letter Changed Two Lives, a true story, by Martin Ganada & Caitlin Alifrenka, and The Secret Life of Bees, another fiction choice by Sue Monk Kidd.

2. Book of your choice: See provided suggestions on pre-approved book list.

***  The summer reading assignments will  be scored as an assessment grade

            at the start of the 8th Grade English/Language Arts class.  ***

A bit about the options for our required choices:

 

Fever, 1793:

It’s late summer 1793, and the streets of Philadelphia are abuzz with mosquitoes and rumors of fever.        

           The fatalities are mounting. Now they include Polly, the serving girl at the Cook Coffeehouse. But

           fourteen-year-old Mattie Cook doesn’t get a moment to mourn the passing of her childhood playmate.

           New customers have overrun her family’s coffee shop, located far from the mosquito-infested river, and

           Mattie’s concerns of fever are all but overshadowed by dreams of growing her family’s small business

          into a thriving enterprise. But when the fever begins to strike closer to home, Mattie’s struggle to build a

          new life must give way to a new fight—the fight to stay alive.

The Hate U Give:

Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.

I Will Always Write Back: How One Letter Changed Two Lives:

It started as an assignment. Everyone in Caitlin’s class wrote to an unknown student somewhere in a distant place. All the other kids picked countries like France or Germany, but when Caitlin saw Zimbabwe written on the board, it sounded like the most exotic place she had ever heard of–so she chose it.

Martin was lucky to even receive a pen pal letter. There were only ten letters, and forty kids in his class. But he was the top student, so he got the first one.

That letter was the beginning of a correspondence that spanned six years and changed two lives.

The Secret Life of Bees:

Set in Sylvan, South Carolina, in 1964, The Secret Life of Bees tells the story of a 14-year-old white girl,

           Lily Melissa Owens, whose life has been shaped around the blurred memory of the afternoon her

           mother was killed. She lives in a house with her abusive father, whom she refers to as T. Ray. They

           have a no-nonsense maid, Rosaleen, who acts as a surrogate mother for Lily.

Parents and Guardians

The Triton Middle School English/Language Arts Department strongly recommends that you assist your child in selecting a book that is appropriate for him/her.

“Children who report that their parents encourage them to read are more likely to read a high volume of   

books (65% read more than 10 per year).”- www.readingmatters.org

                                                       

A copy of the suggested book list will be given to your child to bring home along with the assignment by the end of the school year. The assignment will also be available on the Triton website.

Assignment:

Please choose ONE option for EACH of the books you have read. *Please make sure that you have included all the requirements of the assignment (see bold print) to earn full credit, and please complete 2 DIFFERENT options.

** You must choose  

• Cartoon: In a minimum of 6 frames, illustrate a scene or chapter from the novel. Label each  scene/character that is illustrated. Make sure each is clearly distinguishable. You may also   

          choose to illustrate the climax, or ending of the story, for example. In addition, write a  

          paragraph explaining your illustrations/events.

2. Write a letter to a character in the book, addressing their actions, choices and/or   

           behavior, and discuss how you felt about their choices/actions.  

           Your letter should be 200+ words. Must be in standard letter format, and free of

           grammatical errors.

3.       Alternate Ending: Rewrite the last chapter/ending of your book, or add an ending that

tells the “rest of the story,” if it ended with a cliffhanger. The alternate ending must be 200+

words, typed or in pen, and included a separate short paragraph explaining how your

ending is different from the original ending and why you changed it.

    

4.        Complete a graphic organizer on your novel. Include: characters, setting, major events,

          the climax of the story, and a conflict in the story. Briefly describe each element.

          **You may use the template provided, or create one of your own. (See attached template).

Summer Reading Letter and form 2019.doc – Google Docs