June 12, 2018

Dear Rising Seventh Graders and Parents, 

We hope you are looking forward to a wonderful summer and an awesome seventh-grade year. We look forward to meeting the rising seventh grade and feel very blessed that they will be with us here at St. Dorothy’s School. 

The summer work for incoming seventh graders can be found below.  Work is required in Reading and Math.

The math assignment is designed to reinforce the skills learned throughout the school year, and prepare students for the math in seventh grade. 

Summer reading is designed to maintain student reading level, improve comprehension, and enhance vocabulary. It is essential to ensure that students’ literacy skills remain strong. Below you will find the two assigned novels and one coordinating assignment. The assignment has multiple parts, please read the directions carefully. The assignment should be typed and printed at home in MLA format. All assignments, including math, are due the first Friday of the school year.  If you have any questions throughout the summer, please do not hesitate to contact one of the teachers.

In the past I gave a summer assignment for science but this summer I would like for our rising 7th and 8th graders to get outside and play, and to use their summer to recharge and enjoy the world around them.

Mrs. Cardone   ccardone@stdots.org
Mr. Braun    sbraun@stdots.org
Mrs. Callahan    jcallahan@stdots.org 

1. MUST READ: Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson. Students will be going on the Yellow Fever Walking tour in Philadelphia. The cost will be $25 per person and permission slips will be passed out on the first day of school. There is no summer written assignment, but students should be prepared for discussion.
2. Read ONE of the novels on the list below. 
   • Cracker! The Best Dog in Vietnam by Cynthia Kadohata
   • Heat by Mike Lupica
   • Mick Harte Was Here by Barbara Park
   • Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick
   • Freak the Mighty by Rodman PhilbricCutk 
3. After reading one of the books from the list directly above; students should answer ONE question PER section. Each answer should be AT LEAST four sentences long. Students are required to type their four responses. Students should take the time to plan and organize their writing prior to writing. 

Section 1- Global Understanding

• What was the most important event in the story? ™
• Summarize the story in at least 4 sentences. Include characters, setting, conflict, and resolution. ™ 
• What was the lesson this story was trying to teach? ™ 
• What was the major conflict in the story? ™ 
• What was the theme or topic of the story? Give examples. ™ 
• What was the protagonist’s or the main character’s point of view? ™ 
• What would be another good name for the story? Why?
• Can you connect this story to another book or a world event? Tell about it.

Section 2- Developing Interpretations ™ 

• How did the character feel in the story? How did you know? ™ 
• Did the main character change in the story? How? ™ 
• What steps did the character take to solve the conflict? ™ 
• What was the relationship between the characters? ™ 
• Describe the feelings of the protagonist. ™ 
• How does the conflict unfold in the story? ™ 
• How are the characters the same? How are they different? 

Section 3- Critical Stance ™

• How well was the setting described in the story? What else was needed? ™ 
• How did the author let you know how the characters felt? Give examples from the book. ™ 
• Does the author make the story seem real? How? Give examples. ™ 
• Compare this story to another one you’ve read by this author. Are there any similarities? ™ 
• Did the story end how the characters would want it to end? Why do you think this? ™ 
• Was the title a good one for this story? Why or why not? ™ 
• Tell how the setting affected the character’s actions. ™ 
• What is the genre of this story?

Section 4- Personal Response ™ 

• Compare a character to someone you know. ™ 
• What actions would you have taken if you had this problem? Why? ™ 
• Have you ever had a conflict like this? Tell about it. ™
• Would you want to be one of the character’s friends? Tell which character and why or why not. ™ 
• What advice would you give one of the characters?