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Hemlock Public School District has great things happening in the “middle.”  The middle school language arts program is blooming with ways of learning.

The 5th-grade English Language Arts and Reading recently had changes to the daily schedule.  They now have a two-hour literacy block. This extended time allows students to be immersed in a variety of instructional strategies.  Students are asked to read together and independently.  Technology tools allow students to listen to stories from the Journey’s Reading Series. 5th-grade teachers are also supplementing the reading series through the use of Scholastic Storyworks, iXL Online Learning, and various novel studies.  Students are working to complete their independent reading comprehension goal through Accelerated Reader

6th-grade students focus on Cultural Connections.  They are learning how reading can transcend cultural barriers and create links to the world on a larger level. 

The 7th-grade students are immersing in exploring what drives humans to undertake life-altering missions via literary passages, such as non-fiction, fiction, and poetry. The creativity of these young writers has shined brightly in activities that have included journal entries portraying Klondike Stampeders, poems about the quest for gold, and creating old-time newspaper ads.

“Students will be continually encouraged to think and write boldly and independently throughout the year,” stated 6th-7th-grade teacher Annie Hough.

The 8th-grade students are currently engrossed in the “Suspense!” unit.  Masters of suspense, such as Alfred Hitchcock, Stephen King, and Edgar Allan Poe, are at work in this unit.  After reading classic thrillers, students will try their own hands at the genre, applying what they have learned about suspense to their narrative writing projects.

“Students began this unit as readers of hair-raising tales, and they will finish as writers, creating hair-raising stories of their own,” shared 8th-grade teacher Ashley Helmer.

There are great things happening at every grade level in every classroom at Hemlock Middle School.  If you are interested in a tour from Principal Keyser and see things first hand, please call 989-642-5253 to set up an appointment.