English Language Arts Blog

It's a Wrap!

2010-05-29T20:08:00.011-06:00

The school year is coming to an end and I am honored to be a teacher at East Austin College Prep Academy. I am excited that I have been part of the educational journey to the future success of each of my students. It is amazing how the children have grown and blossomed in only a year! I am very proud of every single one of my stellar students!

Reminders:

No School Monday
Talent Show is on Tuesday, June 1st
The last day of school is June 2nd - we will be having a fun-filled day at the park, please join us!
The Summer Institute begins on Monday, June 7th for 3 weeks.

East Austin College Prep Academy -Where failure is not an option!

You're a Very Special Person

You're a very special person,

and you should always know

that I love to be your teacher,

but how fast the time did go!

I wish that you could visit me,

as through the grades you go.

Try hard to learn all you can,

there is so much more to know.

The one thing that I tried to teach you to

last your whole life through,

is to remember that your're special

and to always be you!

Reader's Theater

2010-05-29T20:05:00.002-06:00

Enjoy a few performances from my students doing a variety of Reader's Theater!

Mother's Day

2010-05-05T18:57:00.003-06:00

On May 9th it's Mother's day - don't forget to celebrate and show your appreciation to your mommy!

Read my acrostic poem that I wrote for my mother:

M is for Mother who I can always count on
O is for Out of this world because of her imagination
T is for Timeless because she lives life to the fullest
H is for Heart, her heart is gigantic and full of love
E is for Effortless, she lives her life with ease
R is for Radiant, her beauty portrays a sense of glamour
H is for Helpful, she is caring and thoughtful
O is for One mother that I will always respect and cherish
O is for Only person who will not judge me
D is for Dependable and loving

Cinco de Mayo

2010-05-02T08:52:00.002-06:00

Why do we celebrate Cinco de Mayo in the United States? If you do not know and love to join in the festivities with friends and family, it's important to know what the fiesta is all about!

Watch this video to learn more about Cinco de Mayo:
Cinco de Mayo Video — History.com#cinco-de-mayo

Cinco de Mayo is Spanish for "May 5," a day that commemorates the Mexican victory over the French in 1862. It is celebrated mostly regionally in Mexico near the Puebla region, where the battle took place.

In the United States, the fifth of May is a day to celebrate Mexican-American culture and experiences. These celebrations often include food, drink, and dancing. If you could make up your own way to commemorate Cinco de Mayo, what would it be?

TAKS Test

2010-04-28T13:26:00.004-06:00

Today is our final TAKS testing day and the students have displayed an enormous amount of concentration these past couple of days. I am so proud of every single one of them! Our students at East Austin College Prep Academy are outstanding and I'm sure the results will prove that to be true. Our students are super stars and the TAKS test is an opportunity for them to shine.

Writing Prompt:
How did you feel about the Math and Reading tests? Do you feel you were prepared for both tests? Why or why not? How did the staff at EACPA make you feel? Express your feelings about the TAKS Pep Rally - was it fun? Do you have any ideas or suggestions on how we can improve or get you ready for state assessments next year? What do you think about the TNT Steps and did the TNT Rap help you remember the strategies during the test? What about the TNT Rap student and teacher performances - did you enjoy the show?

Please write a comment on my blog and choose 5 students to read and comment on their blogs. Then write a blog responding to my writing prompt questions. This is for a grade, so do your best! After you have completed a full page blog, add images, hyperlinks, and a video.

Earth Day

2010-04-23T12:51:00.002-06:00

Today we had the opportunity to see an awesome presentation by the Alliance for Climate Education! What are you going to do to make a difference?

ACE Assembly Trailer from ACE Space on Vimeo.

Corpus Christi, Texas

2010-04-11T17:53:00.010-06:00

This weekend we went to Corpus Christi, Texas for a cheerleading competition and support my daughter, Viviana. This was her last competition for the season and she was excited about getting out of town and on the beach!

The Star Center cheerleading team placed 4th place out of 6 teams. They were hoping they would place at least 3rd! I think they did an awesome job! They worked very hard all year and it was evident during their final performance of the season. I'm very proud of her and all her cheer teammates! Great job!

While in Corpus Christi, we were able to have some fun in the sun! We stayed right on the beach, all we had to do was open the hotel door. I enjoyed watching my kids play in the warm water, make sand castles, and walk along the shore. While we were walking we saw a jellyfish! It was amazing to see it up close.

We also went to see the Selena Memorial - Mirador de la Flor. I think it is a wonderful memorial for the Tejano Queen. My daughter loves Selena's music and she remembers dancing to her music as a little girl.

I enjoyed a short getaway to Corpus Christi, Texas. We hope to return in the summer and spend more time enjoying the beautiful city.

Now, back to school and time to get focused and ready for the upcoming TAKS test!

Spring Break

2010-03-21T13:40:00.006-06:00

It's already Spring Break 2010? Wow, time flies when you're having fun! We all were ready for a break at EACPA and couldn't wait to stay up late, sleep in late, enjoy time with our family, rest and relaxation, and most of all - NO homework!

Awwww, I have enjoyed all of the above. As you can see, I even had the opportunity to go away with my family on a little getaway! We went to visit Galveston, Texas were I got to enjoy the beach! Galveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island near the Gulf of Mexico. It is only a short 4-hour drive from Austin, Texas.

On our first day in Galveston, it was raining. So we decided to have lunch at the Rainforest Cafe. We also rode on the Rainforest River Adventure Ride. The ride was a river raft filled with rainforest animals and startling noises throughout.

The next day, we spent all day at the beach - luckily, the sun came out! I spent time reading, making sand castles, collecting sea shells, playing frisbee, and walking my dog "Coco." Later, we went on a Dolphin Baywatch Tour. I didn't see one dolphin - everyone else saw 4 dolphins. I guess I had the worst seat on the boat. Regardless, it was a nice tour around the bay - it was also super relaxing!

I am enjoying my spring break and hope you are, too! I hope you are all well rested and ready to come back to school refreshed and ready to learn!

~ Mrs. Estrada

TNT Rap Video

2010-03-15T13:52:00.001-06:00

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

2010-03-06T18:24:00.004-07:00

Students at East College Prep Academy recently finished reading Hatchet by Gary Paulsen. Hatchet is a book about a 13 year old boy name Brian Robeson who learns to survive after a plane crash in the Canadian wilderness. Luckily, he has a hatchet his mother gave him as a gift before he leaves to go visit his father for the summer. Brian learns to face many challenges in order to survive - he builds a shelter, hunts for food, and fights off wild animals. He also struggles with a secret he knows about his mother's unfaithfulness, which ends his parents' marriage, and also deals with his inner feelings of being alone. After almost two months, Brian is rescued and returns home a new person.

Click here to learn more about Hatchet and Gary Paulsen.

After reading the book, we watched the movie based on Hatchet called A Cry in the Wild. Students compared and contrasted the similarities and differences between the movie and book. They found many differences and all students seemed to agree that reading the book was a more vivid and imaginative way of enjoying such an adventerous story.

Check out a clip of the movie A Cry in the Wild:

It's Snowing!

2010-02-23T16:23:00.005-07:00

Wow! It is snowing in Austin, Texas! It's unbelievable. It started snowing around 9:00 a.m. this morning and continued to snow until the afternoon hours today. The students were amazed and excited all at the same time. Snow is just something that does not happen in Central Texas very often. Some students were able to enjoy the snow outside for a few minutes and play while the snow fell from the sky. They couldn't wait to go home and be able to make a snowman, make snow angels, and play snowball fights with their friends and family. Luckily, because us Texans are not used to this kind of weather we were able to go home early today to avoid the slick and dangerous roads. Enjoy it while it lasts because it will be gone tonight!

Click here to read more about today's weather report.

Watch this video to learn more about Austin's Snow Day!

Hope for Haiti

2010-02-12T18:23:00.005-07:00

On January 12, 2010, an earthquake hit Haiti and left 1.2 million people homeless. Students at East Austin College Prep Academy wanted to do something to help people in the earthquake-devastated nation of Haiti. Student council came up with the idea of selling chocolate bars, pickles, and frozen pickle juice! I know, frozen pickle juice! It has become an anticipated after school treat for many students. The price is a good deal, it sells for only .25 cents and all other items are only $1.00. The goal is to raise $500.00 before March, so far, we have raised over $400.00! Thank you students, staff, and parents for your support.

To learn more about how you can help Haiti click here.

Austin Toros Essay Contest

2010-01-20T09:21:00.010-07:00

Students had the opportunity to be part of an essay contest to win tickets to an Austin Toros basketball game on Thursday, January 28, 2010. Congratulations to Juan, Valerie, Irie, and Arlette!

Please read their essays below:

My Real Roots
My name is Valerie and I’m going to give you my honest opinion on why I think Mexican Heritage is important to know and what I do to celebrate it.
First off I know that anyone from Mexico or has Mexican Descendants has Mexican Heritage. I have Mexican Heritage because my grandpa’s on my mother and father’s side is from Mexico. So technically I have double the decedents.
I love my heritage and I think you should, too. Whether you’re Mexican, African-American, Caucasian, pink, purple, blue, green, or yellow. I also think that celebrating your heritage is very important because I strongly agree that we all should be very very proud of who we are and what we are made of. No one should be embarrassed of who we are. Once again I think we all should show off who we are because it doesn’t matter what’s on the outside all that matters is what’s on the inside.
In my familia we celebrate Cinco de Mayo y Dias de los Muertos. We celebrate Cinco de Mayo by going with my parents to a Mexican restaurant and comer delicioso Mexican Comida. On Dias de los Muertos we celebrate by going to my grandmother’s cemetery and bringing flores y cruces. Also we eat at her famous Marketa.
Some common Mexican traditions include piñatas, Quinceañeras, Jamicas, and many other fiestas.
I decided not to hide or be embarrassed about my heritage because I think it’s important know who you are and never let anyone tell you different. Thank You!

Hi my name is Arlette and I am a student at The East Austin College Prep Academy. It is very important for me to celebrate Hispanic Heritage because it is in my blood since the day I was born and it’s my pride.

I am very proud of being Hispanic because you celebrate fun stuff and enjoy a great life. Some of the celebrations we celebrate are: El dia de los reyes, which we celebrate in January the 6th, it’s about kings who come and give you presents, you also have to buy a rosca. A rosca is a circled bread that you eat and somewhere inside the rosca there’s a little baby Jesus and if you get the baby Jesus then you have to make a party at your house. The most celebration that Hispanics celebrate is the posada, I think that that is because mostly all Hispanics are Catholics and the celebration has to do with Jesus. The celebration is like this: you have to make an altar and on the 24th of December you have to swing the baby in a little blanket for him to get to sleep. You pray during the swinging part and sing too. At the end of the swinging you have a dinner with family and they give the kids some candy bags with cookies and other stuff. Some of the foods that you eat at the posadas are: tamales, atole, and pan dulce.

I am very proud of my self because I always celebrate Hispanic heritage and never forget about it. My essay is about Hispanic Heritage. I’m Hispanic myself so I’m hoping this will be easy. Hispanic heritage month is celebrated every September 15 – October 15. I will be writing about my favorite Hispanic people.

First, there was Cesar Chavez who fought for the rights of farm workers in a non-violent way. Also, before Cesar Chavez died he actually visited my elementary school. Next, I will be talking about Edson Arantes Do Nascimento, a.k.a. Pele. To me he was the best soccer player ever. He played in 4 and won 3 World Cups. He was the star of Brazil in 1958 when he was only 17 and scored 4 goals in 6 games. Next, Diego Armando Maradona is a very famous Argentine soccer player. What made him very famous was by attracting the attention of a professional soccer team when he was 9. But also a lot of controversy. In the 1986 World Cup in Mexico he scored a goal with his hand. He called “La Mano de Dios” Spanish for “The Hand of God”. Next, there’s George Lopez a Hispanic comedian. He has a very famous saying “If life gives you lemons, you make lemonade” His biggest breakthrough was his TV show “George Lopez” (2002).

Well those are some of my favorite Hispanic people. Hispanic heritage is like celebrating your cultures for all the people who are from the Spanish speaking countries like Mexico, all of Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. Here are some Hispanic firsts. Joseph Marion Hernandez was the first Hispanic to be in Congress. U.S. representative: Romualdo Pacheco. U.S. senator: Octaviano Larrazolo and Dennis Chavez to serve an entire term. Those are just some Hispanic firsts. Some Hispanic cultures that have come to the U.S. like cowboys and Mexican food is the second most popular type of food in the U.S. That was my essay I hope you like it.

My name is Irie and I am Hispanic. I am going to tell you what Hispanic heritage month means to me and who was my inspiration. His slogan si se puedes, and what the meaning behind it was. Thank you for your time.

To me Hispanic Heritage month means a time for family and friend to get together and give thanks to one another .Hispanic Heritage month lasts to september15-october15 and through those days I think the person who inspired me was Cesar Chavez and his slogan ‘’si se puedes’’ which in English it means yes we can.

The most memorable slogan to emerge from the 2008 presidential campaign was the inspiring phrase,” yes we can.’’ Perhaps my most memorial campaign that I’ll truly remember. Certainly Osama’s used of Chavez’s charisma as expressed in his signature narrative,” yes we can”, does not bind the president to the late prophets every political position, but he has acknowledged the authorship of his slogan.

On Chavez’s birthday,(march31st) Obama released the following statement: “si se puede/yes we can” was more than an slogan, it ws an expression of hope and a rejection of those who said farm workers could not take on the growers. Through his courage, Mr. Chavez taught us that an single voice could change our country, and that together, we can make America a stronger, more just, and more respected nation.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

2010-01-20T09:17:00.007-07:00

"Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscietious stupidity."

-Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968)

Americans have recognized black history annually since 1926, first as "Negro History Week" and later as "Black History Month." Click here to explore a great website to learn why it's important to celebrate "Black History Month."

Students at East College Prep Academy have written acrostic poems, summaries, and used art to express their appreciation of Dr. King. Please come take a look at the wonderful work of our students located outside of my classroom, on the hallway bulletin board!

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. He organized nonviolent marches to protest segregation and racial injustice. His 1963 "I Have a Dream" speech dealing with peace and racial equality is one of the most powerful speeches in American history. Dr. King was assassinated by a gunman in 1968.

Click here to watch videos, read his "I Have a Dream" speech, and learn more about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

"I Have a Dream" Speech Video

We're Learning!

2009-10-15T12:14:00.003-06:00

I am happy to report that the students are learning a lot! They are blossoming more and more every day! I know that the beginnning of the school year has been a time to adjust and settle into our amazing school. The students passion for learning and goals of being stellar students are evident. Their responsibilities as middle schoolers is now crystal clear and they are getting the hang of all the wonderful opportunities that East Austin College Prep Academy has to offer!

We are currently working on Latin & Greek Root Vocabulary Words, Spelling, Grammar, Sentences, Prefixes & Suffixes, Analogies, Reading, Poetry, Writing, and Blogging! Last week we set up our very own blogs for English Language Arts! The students were very excited to be able to express themselves via the blog platform - very high tech! I love it! I enjoy reading their blogs, commenting on how they can become better writers (bloggers), and how important it is to their future to be able to write well - whether it's on paper or screen!

I would like to thank all my students and their parents'/guardians' for all their hard work and support these past 2 months! I'm very grateful and so lucky to have the opportunity to share, learn, and be part of each and every one of my students' lives!

Love,
Mrs. Estrada

Haiku Poems

2009-09-24T20:55:00.005-06:00

After our field trip to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, I had the students write a Haiku poem about a flower. Click on this link to learn more about the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Haiku is a poetic form and a type of poetry from the Japanese culture. Haiku combines, form, content, and language in a meaningful, yet compact form. Many themes include nature, feelings, or experiences. The most common form for Haiku is three short lines. The first line usually contains five syllables, the second line seven syllables, and the third line contains five syllables. Haiku doesn't have to rhyme. This is challenging because you have to put the poem's meaning and imagery in the reader's mind in only 17 syllables over just three lines of poetry!

Enjoy reading some wonderful Haiku poems from my students!

Rose in the Winter

The rose slowly died

I knew Winter was here now

Spring brought the rose back

~Ezekiel Joshua Ortiz

American Beauty Berry

A beautiful thing

indescribable flower

beautiful color

~Dajasia Hitchcock

Red in the Wind

My flower is red

it is very beautiful

had a cool flower

~Tristan Aleman

Flower of Blue

A bluebonnet is

a beautiful blue flower

please do not pick one

~Samantha Aguilar

Lily

The yellow and white

that surrounds the pollen

and floats in water

~Macey Amaya

Cute yellow petals

blowing around the playground

bright and beautiful

~Victoria Jaimes-Haros

The Hibiscus

The flower blooms high

Beautiful yellow, pink, blue

With a sweet, soft scent

~Christian Gomez

Purple, yellow, white

I see wild flowers in sight

all day and all night

~Heaven Cook

Rose

Winter was here now

I watched the rose die slowly

Snow covered the rose

~Alexis Cedillo

The Chocolate Flower

Petals like the sun

Named like yummy chocolate

But can't be eaten

~Karina Sanchez

Week 3 Done!!!

2009-09-11T15:13:00.003-06:00

It's Friday! Week 3 is now done and we have learned a lot about reading, writing, and working together as a team.

We have reviewed and practiced our capitalization, punctuation, sentence types, subjects and predicates, and short vowels. Students are doing awesome working in pairs, groups, and today we had our first individual presentations. Students wrote a personal narrative about a time they won or lost a game and how they felt about it. I enjoyed listening and reading all of your stories students - great job!

This past week we also had the opportunity to see President Obama speak to all students across America about the importance of education. His speech was so inspiring and hopeful to many students who aspire to make a difference in the future of our country. Please see link of video to view the speech online: http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2009/09/08/sot.obama.education.entire.cnn?iref=videosearch

Today, we also had a moment of silence to honor the heros and victims of September 11, 2001. The students really felt like talking about the terrorist attack and sharing stories was a way for them to express themselves. They also took a few minutes to write a reflection about what they know and how it may them feel. I thought it was important to explain to students that they can use writing as a tool and as a form of expression to deal with their feelings. They were so curious and their emotions were evident of the devistating incident that happened many years ago. Most students were only 2 or 3 years old!

Thank you students, staff, and parents for your continued support! Let's keep learning and growing together as a team.

Love,
Mrs. Estrada

Week 2 - Ready, Set, Go!!!

2009-09-01T19:24:00.002-06:00

Last week was a thrill! I had a great time getting to know all my students during the first week at the East Austin College Prep Academy.

Many of my students are wonderful writers and enjoy reading a lot. I am so happy to know this! Another thing I noticed was that my students are amazing poets! We had the opportunity to write poems about our dreams. There are many creative students who enjoyed this activity. Many students added beats to their poem presentations that they shared with the class, which made it very entertaining for everyone! Thank you to all students for participating in all of my group and partner activities we did during last week.

Let's keep up the good work students! I'm hope to continue our positive learning environment that we have established in our classroom so that we can - learn, learn, learn!

Don't forget to check the syllabus and homework blog posts for updates!

"The more that you read, the more things you will know.
The more that you learn, the more places you'll go."
- Dr. Seuss

What a Day!

2009-08-24T19:20:00.002-06:00

Today was our very first day of school at the East Austin College Prep Academy. I am happy to report that is was a wonderful day! The students all seemed as excited as I am to be part of the school and are eager to learn.

I feel that we are off to a great start and hope to learn more about my stellar students! I will keep my blog short today, I need to get a good night's sleep to be ready for tomorrow!

Thank you students, staff, and parents - you're awesome!

: ) Mrs. Estrada