By Susie Rogers, 5th-8th ELA

This fall, our seventh and eighth grade students embarked on a creative adventure for the Pumpkin Patch project, brainstorming and illustrating original short stories from start to finish. The project emphasized the importance of understanding the elements of a plot diagram—exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution—as students carefully crafted stories that were engaging, meaningful, and fun.

Once their stories were complete, the students transformed them into published books to share with others. Each student dressed as one of their story’s characters and decorated a pumpkin to match their tale, bringing an extra layer of creativity and personality to the project.

During the Pumpkin Patch event, the students read their stories aloud to our “Littles”—pre-K and primary students—who were thrilled to take home a copy of the book as a keepsake from a memorable day filled with imagination, laughter, and learning. This experience allowed the older students not only to practice storytelling skills and illustration techniques, but also to see the joy of having a book published and enjoyed by others.

Projects like this remind us that understanding the building blocks of a story and sharing it creatively can turn the writing process into an exciting and tangible experience. From brainstorming ideas to seeing their work come alive for a young audience, students gained a true sense of accomplishment and the magic of storytelling.

By Susie Rogers, ELA, 5th-8th

Our 7th graders recently wrapped up one of the most beloved traditions of the year — The Outsiders novel project! After diving into S.E. Hinton’s classic story, students worked through a comprehensive novel packet to analyze the novel’s rich characters, setting, and themes. Their discussions showed how deeply they connected with Ponyboy, Johnny, and the rest of the gang.

To celebrate finishing the book, students enjoyed watching the movie adaptation — complete with chocolate cake and Pepsi, of course — just like the Curtis brothers would have wanted!

The grand finale was the “Bloom Ball Project,” where students combined creativity and critical thinking. Each side of the ball featured meaningful quotations, original poems, personal reflections, and favorite characters. The finished pieces now hang proudly from our classroom, joining the work of past 7th grade classes in our growing ceiling of Outsiders Bloom Balls.

This project continues to be a student favorite every year — a perfect mix of literature, creativity, and timeless lessons about friendship, loyalty, and staying true to yourself.

By Susie Rogers, 5TH-8th, ELA

This week our class put a creative twist on grammar with our Preposition House Project! Students were challenged to design a colorful and original “house” and then bring it to life with descriptive sentences that showcased their knowledge of prepositional phrases.

Each student wrote 10 sentences that used prepositional phrases to describe different parts of their house. For example: “The flowers in front of the porch are bright yellow” or “A cat sleeps under the window on the second floor.” In every sentence, students carefully labeled the preposition, the object of the preposition, and any adjectives that gave extra detail.

This project wasn’t just about building grammar skills—it also encouraged creativity. The houses were decorated with bold colors, fun designs, and unique details that reflected each student’s personality. By combining art and language, students showed how prepositional phrases can make writing more vivid and precise.

The Preposition House Project was a fun and memorable way to wrap up our prepositions unit. Our classroom is now filled with bright, imaginative houses that prove grammar can be both challenging and exciting!

By Susie Rogers, 5th-8th ELA

Every other week, our students dive into their Wordly Wise notebooks to discover, research, analyze, and apply 15 new vocabulary words. This routine gives them the chance not only to study definitions, but to use words in real life contexts, which makes the learning stick.

Because everyone learns differently, we make sure to mix things up: some students thrive with workbook practice, while others enjoy a hands-on matching game or an online Blooket challenge that keeps the energy high. Our younger learners focus on understanding and recognizing the words, while our older students take it a step further by writing original sentences that use each word correctly.

Why does this matter? According to research, students with larger vocabularies score up to 50% higher on reading comprehension tests compared to peers with smaller vocabularies. A strong vocabulary improves not just test scores, but also communication, writing, and critical thinking skills.

As the writer Ludwig Wittgenstein once said, “The limits of my language mean the limits of my world.”  By strengthening vocabulary, we open the doors to clearer thinking, better expression, and endless opportunities.

Enjoy my 8th Grade class sentences:

After Fischer found out he was going to a birthday party, he had a wonderful disposition. - Shepherd

There was an anonymous letter found in Christopher’s locker. - Lennox

It is absolutely imperative that you vote this year,” he added after awhile. - Boogie

My family has generations of the name, Swan Burrus Moss, over the years. - Rivers

My class let out a spontaneous laugh after Mrs. Rogers started dancing. - Hattie

William Shakespeare was the playwright of a vast anthology of plays. - Archer

My love for reading was instilled over the hot summer. - Elliot

The school has been modified by adding new buildings, getting new students and teachers, and redoing classrooms. - Jojo

The tall and strong metal fence that glistened in the sun encompassed the school’s large and vast campus. - Christopher

Extricating our car from the crowded highway was muchore difficult than I thought. - Poca

The conjecture made by the Christians about when the rapture would take place is correct. - Reece

By Susie Rogers, 5th-8th ELA

This week in ELA, our 5th grade class put a fun twist on reviewing the parts of speech—starting with nouns. Students began with a timed challenge: filling out a list of nouns that fit specific categories. The race was on to think quickly while making sure each answer truly counted as a person, place, thing, or idea.

Once the lists were complete, we turned the review into a lively game of Scattergories. Just like the classic game, teams compared answers and had to cross off any duplicates. Only the most creative and unique nouns earned points! For example, instead of everyone writing "dog" as an animal, some students came up with clever choices like “axolotl” or “narwhal” to avoid elimination.

The activity had everyone brainstorming, laughing, and stretching their vocabulary. It was a fun way to prove that reviewing grammar doesn’t have to be boring—sometimes, a little competition and creativity is all it takes to make nouns unforgettable!