Welcome to the 8th Grade!

Check your Homework!

This Week’s Announcements & Reminders

Information on Speech Team:

Speech Team 2011-2012

Speech Team is a great opportunity if you love public speaking. The High School tournaments are fun and competitive and the emphasis is on positive feedback leading to improved performance. Speech Team begins meeting on October 6. 

Time Commitment: Thursday afternoon practices are optional, but highly encouraged as we have limits on the number of students we can register for the tournaments. We are available from 3:15 to 4:00 every Thursday to advise, edit, critique and encourage team members as you choose, refine, and practice your pieces. All team members must meet with an advisor and perform their piece before they will be registered for a tournament. 

Cost: There is a $25 fee for Speech Team which covers two tournament costs and an end of the speech team season pizza lunch. Please make checks out to St. Mark School. If your student chooses to go and is eligible to go to all three tournaments there will be an additional fee (not in excess of $10) assessed in late January. 

Tournaments: There are three tournaments. Students may compete in all or in just one, depending on their schedules. The Blanchet tournament is on December 10 and will end by 6:30. The Seattle Prep tournament is January 25 and lasts until 7 pm. Eastside Catholic tournament is the first Saturday of February.

For questions, call Tami Martin 364-1633.   

The following criteria will be used to determine who goes to competition in the event that we have more students than open slots:

• All deadlines are met (see below)

• Attendance

• Use of time during the meetings

• Quality of piece/performance in late November

• Eighth graders (who are eligible for a scholarship) who have met the above criteria will get precedence if all other factors are equal

Deadlines to meet:   expository; oratory; ed com events/interpretive reading events

• October 13      events to compete in are determined

• October 20      topic has been chosen/reading has been chosen

• October 27      research of topic completed/introduction of the reading completed & typed

• November 3    $25 fee has been paid/first draft completed/reading is typed

• November 10  final draft completed/reading is being practiced & has been timed

• November 17 ** all speeches are nearly ready for competition: they are complete, practice of    the piece is ongoing, revisions are being made in delivery (tone, pitch, speed)

• December 1    students are prepared to go through their classroom evaluations to see where improvements can be made for tournament

• December 8   last practice before competition

• **November 17 is the day I will be registering students for the Blanchet competition

Our Teacher - Mrs. Martin

A 1981 graduate of the University of Portland , Mrs. Martin taught for 5 years and did post-graduate work until starting her family. She has four children who have all attended St. Mark School : Margaret (class of 2000), Matt (class of 2002), Clare (class of 2009) and Mary (class of 2011).  Prior to becoming the 8^th grade teacher, Mrs. Martin substituted, worked as the Development Director and taught middle school math part time. She is now in her 6th year of teaching the 8^th grade and loves St. Mark school, math, science, and her family. In her spare time, Mrs. Martin finishes the New York Times Crossword Puzzle, does Sudoku, plays Spider Solitaire, and loves to go hiking and kayaking. Mrs. Martin spent time this summer in Italy.
 

Contact Information:

8thgrade@stmss.org

Classroom Responsibilities:

Classroom Responsibilities - Coming soon!

Major Projects

* Winter

* Spring

Ongoing Elements: