GRADES

Here are the class grades:

A:XXXXXXXXXXX

B:XXXXX

C:XXX

D:

F:X

Congratulations to those students who got A’s and B’s.  Better luck next time to the rest of you.

 Please Do Now:

1. Check your “Leave Me A Note” box for notes from me or your section editor.
2. Check the comment box on your last post for notes from me or your section editor.
3. Leave a note for me, Alex R and your section editor saying what story you are doing.

Today, students will:

1. Plan articles
2. Plan interviews
3. Conduct interviews
4. Prewrite articles

Tonight’s homework is:

1. Write the first draft of your article – DUE MONDAY!
2. Leave a note for me and your editors that the first draft is on your blog.

Changes for the Second Nine Weeks

 First of all, I’d just like to say thanks to all of you who helped to make “Mission Weiss” – or whatever you crazy James Bond doppelgangers call it – a mission accomplished.  I was really surprised to have 15 kids in my office all of a sudden, and really touched by the effort you guys put into everything!

OK so now back to business:

For the purposes of this class, all new work that we do from today on will count for the second nine weeks.  Any outstanding work that you are missing must be on your blog by midnight tonight for me to grade it for the first nine weeks.

NEW NEWSROOM STRUCTURE 

We will be operating like a real newsroom for the second nine weeks.  Each one of you has been assigned a section to write for (News, Features, Opinion, Sports, Arts & Entertainment).  You can check your assignment by clicking on the “Staff Writers” tab at the top of this website. 

For the next nine weeks, you will be in very close touch with the editor of your section.  To see who your editor is, click on the “Editorial Staff” tab at the top of this website.  To facilitate better communication between the Staff Writers and the Editorial Staff, please follow the following Instructions for setting up a Parking Lot. 

NEW GRADING SYSTEM 

For the rest of the year, you will be graded based on a portfolio system.  You will be expected to write many articles based on the deadlines established by your editor, but you will only submit three pieces to me for grading. 

Each piece will be given three grades:

1. Evidence of Prewriting: You will have to show me how you planned your story angle, your interviews, your notes, and the structure of your story.  It is not required that you use the forms on my website, but it is highly recommended and the easiest way to get an A for your Prewriting Grade.
2. The Story:  I will check your story for its timeliness, story structure, proper lead, proper use of quotes, appropriate style, and spelling, grammar, etc.   I will essentially be grading your story using a Peer Editing Form, so I suggest you use it as a checklist before you submit the story.
3. Evidence of Reflection:  With each of the three stories that you submit, I want you to write a one page reflection on what you learned during the prewriting, writing and editing process.  How have your news gathering, writing, and editing skills improved over your last effort?  What obstacles did you run into while writing this story, and how did you overcome them?

Three stories x Three grades = 9 grades per 9 weeks

If you complete all three assignments for all three submissions in good faith, you can expect a minimum grade of B for the quarter.

You may write other stories for other sections by contacting those editors, but the three stories you submit to me each nine weeks must be in your assigned section. 

For the third and fourth quarters, you will be able to communicate your section preferences to me in advance.  If you are doing a good job, I am more likely to accept them.

TODAY’S AGENDA:

1.  OK, so now I’d like you to brainstorm story ideas for your section on your blogs. 
2. When you are finished, please review The Beachcomber Online website at http://thebeachcomberonline.typepad.com  Some of you have written stories that are not on the website for some reason.  If this applies to you, please leave Me, the Editor in Chief, and the proper Section Editor notes in our Parking Lots.
3. Features Writers: Read pp 58-63; Opinion Writers: Read pp 64-66; Sports Writers: Read pp 67-71; Arts & Entertainment Writers: Go to www.rollingstone.com and read 5 reviews.
4. Please contact me.  I have other projects that need working on.

Best Regards,

Mr. Weiss

Sports Reporters Needed!!!

Hey, its Aaron Groff, the Sports editor.

The paper is in desperate need for people to cover sporting events. Within the next couple days i will repost the sport calanders link on this website. No one covered the games that they said the would cover. This is a disapointment. If you are serious about covering a sporting event, comment this post. At the event, all you need to do is interview a couple students and athletes about the match and then write a brief one paragraph summary on he event aswell.

Thanks

ATTENTION ALL JOURNALISM I STUDENTS!!!

Hello, this is Roberta, the News Editor.

I really need someone to write an article about the Quill and Scroll Honor Society’s recycling program. I would write about it myslkf, but I’m VP of Quill and Scroll, so that would make me biased.

Anyway, see Mr. Weiss about the e-mail that Ms. Duval sent him, and you can get quotes from me, Claire Austin, Sarabeth Biechman, Sam Levine, and Ms. Duval. You can also ask 100 wing teachers upstairs about the program - they already got their recycling boxes.

If you need any more help, just leave me a note on my page.

Thanks a lot, whoever writes this article well will probably get published. Please have it done by Wednesday, October 24, and let me know if you are writing the article. 

 Thanks.

Miami-Dade Virtual School

Dear Scholars Academy students,

 The Miami-Dade Virtual School is offering a new round of online courses that begin October 29.  For more information, see Dr. Page’s bulletin posted below:

M-DVS October

Best Regards,

Andy Weiss

Real Journalism Day

Please Do Now:

Divide into two teams.
Make sure each team has at least one person who was at the Pep Rally today.

Today, students will:

Conduct “On the Spot” journalism.
Divide their teams into roles: interviewers, photographer, copywriter, copy editor.
Compile information and write an entire story in one class period.

Tonight’s homework is:

Brainstorm story ideas on your blogs

Beachcomber participates in Spirit Week

To all staff: As we are all representatives of the student voice, it is our job to represent the school as a whole. Therefore, I would like editors and writers to dress up for Spirit Week. The schedule is as follows:

Tuesday- Tacky Day

Wednesday- College Shirt Day

Thursday- 50’s Grease

Friday- Hi-Tide Pride Day

 Mr. Weiss knows about this and plans on dressing “tackier than I normally am”…so get into the spirit!

PLEASEPLEASEPLEASE! It’s a fun way to dress up in something you never would on any normal day, and a great way to get into the yearbook. Snapshots will be flying over everyone who dressed up for the Beachcomber (print and online) as well.

Have fun with it!

Your Editor,

Alex

Peer Editing Day #2

NOTE: Journalism II students will be checking your 2nd drafts tonight, so make sure to look out for their comments.

Please Do Now:

1. Print off 5 copies of your second draft as a double spaced Word Document.
2. Print off 5 copies of the “Peer Editing Form.” 
3. Trade them around with your peer editors.

Today, students will:

1. Manually edit your peers’ first drafts with a red pen.
2. Manually fill out a “Peer Editing Form.”
3. Return your revisions and editing forms to your peers.
4. Answer the following three questions on your peers’ blog posts: “1) Is the first sentence of this story a proper news lead?  Explain.  2) Are there enough quotes here for a story?  Explain.  3) Does the reader get to a quote by the third paragraph?  4) Is this article written in Inverted Pyramid or Wineglass format?  Explain.
5. Begin your final drafts – Due Wednesday.

Tonight’s homework is:

1. Finish your final drafts by Wednesday. 

Reminder from the business manager

Hey guys.

I received no comments back on any ideas of places that would be interested in placing ads in The Beachcomber.  Once again, I need each of you to find 5 places that would be interested in placing an ad in The Beachcomber along with their phone numbers, their fax numbers, and their addresses.  You will receive grades on completing the assignment. It is not a huge assignment and I promise that it will not be very time consuming, but you will be graded. 

 Thanks guys,

Corina Grazutis

Business Manager

Peer Editing Day

Please Do Now:

1. Print off 5 copies of your first draft as a double spaced Word Document.
2. Print off 5 copies of the “Peer Editing Form.” 
3. Trade them around with your peer ediors.

Today, students will:

1. Fill out a “News and Features Postwrite” and paste it as a comment to your peers’ posts.
2. Manually edit your peers’ first drafts with a red pen.
3. Manually fill out a “Peer Editing Form.”
4. Return your revisions and editing forms to your peers.
5. Begin your second drafts – Due Monday.

Tonight’s homework is:

1. Finish your second drafts by Monday.