Bi- Weekly Journals 

Each child has an assigned journal due date due every other week. For example, if your child's day was a Monday, then his/her journal would be due every other Monday. This journal should be worked on during school. When an in-class assignment is finished early, students should go directly to their journal, as independent work. However, in the case that the journal cannot be completed, this is when it should be brought home for completion. There are no exceptions, students have two weeks to finish this.

  Rubric 

*  It must be in letter format: 
Dear Mrs. Gold, the date must be on the top right of the page, and it must end with Sincerely, Your Name.     
3 points total

*  The title of the book must be underlined, and the author's name must be sited.
2 points total

*  It must give a complete summary of the book including a beginning, middle, and end. The summary must include characters, setting, plot, problem, and solution.
4 points total

*  It must include at least two connections- things that remind you of your life experiences, a movie you've seen, or a book you've read. The connection shouldn't be just one sentence, it should explain a little about your memory.
4 points total

*  It must point out at least one thing you liked about the book, and why. It must point out at least one thing you didn't like about the book, and would have liked to change about something, and why.
4 points total

*  It must be edited and neatly written, including correct spelling and grammar.
3 points total

18-20 = Advanced Proficient
16-18 = Proficient
15 and below = Partially Proficient

  Journal Response Example 

September 8, 2005

Dear Mrs. Gold,
This week, I read Yoko, by Rosemary Wells. It's about a Japanese kitten named Yoko, who brings sushi and red bean ice cream for lunch at school. She's crushed when her classmates begin to make fun of her. Two bulldogs say, "Yuck! Red bean ice cream is for weirdoes!" Mrs. Jenkins, Yoko's teacher, decides to solve this problem by holding an International Food Day at school. Everyone must bring something from their culture. Mrs. Jenkins encourages everyone to try everything. Still, Yoko's sushi remains untouched and she's feeling extremely sad and left out. Finally, Timothy, a raccoon, decides to try the sushi and he likes it! The next day at lunch, Yoko and Timothy are sharing Dragon Rolls!

While reading this book, it reminded me of several things in my life. I love Japanese food, and every Friday, I go out for sushi! My favorite type of sushi is a Philadelphia Roll, which is made up of smoked salmon and cream cheese! My second connection is that Timothy, the raccoon, reminds me of myself because I'll try anything once! I really enjoy experiencing new foods.

I enjoyed this story a lot. I liked it because of the different cultures that were shown throughout the story. I liked hearing about the different types of foods the animals got to eat at International Food Day, and it made me hungry! The one thing I would change about the story is the ending. It's great that Timothy liked Yoko's sushi, but I still felt bad for Yoko because no one else would try it. I guess that unfortunately, this is a normal thing for people. Sometimes they are stubborn and won't try new things. If I wrote this story, I would end it with everyone liking the sushi and they all became friends!

I recommend this book to you!
Sincerely,
_________________________(your name)