Ms. Holstein - 7th Grade ELA
In order to achieve the highest level of education there must be a triangle of trust and open communication between the child, parent/guardian, and teacher. Please feel free to contact me regarding that or any other situation that may be potentially helpful in our endeavors. My conference is 1st period from 8:15 to 9:00. [email protected]
I graduated with honors in Interdisciplinary Studies and recognized as Who’s Who in Colleges and Universities from UTSA in the fall of 2002. I did my student teaching in the spring of 2003 at Spring Branch Middle School and then started teaching at SVMS. I opened PRMS and now BMS. I have taught Honors and Academic ELA for 20 years.
I have three wonderful children that attended Comal ISD schools. They were all high school varsity athletes and now they are all in successful careers. I now have two Rat Terriers, Willie Nelson Holstein and Waylon Jennings Holstein that keep me exercised daily. I also have four grandsons, Owen 5, Emmitt 4, William 3, and Cooper 2, that I spend as much of my time quality time as possible.
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GRADES: Please give your 7th grader a chance to take ownership of their grades. If you have questions about your child’s grades or missing work, please discuss this with them before you contact me. If you see a “0” on the grade alert, that is my indication to the student that something is wrong, and they need to see me. It could be a no name paper, or a paper that they thought they turned in but didn’t. Don’t worry unless you see a continued 0 in the slot. Even then, the student will complete and turn in the work. They must know the concepts in order to be successful. I am much more concerned with their learning than their grade. They will have do-overs on most items if they need them. If you see a 1 on the grade sheet. That means that they have more than a week or two to complete an assignment and made the choice to not complete the task after several reminders. This too can be made up to at least a 70. Again, I want them to learn as much as possible to a successful citizen.
Mrs. Holstein’s
2025-26 Supply List
Composition Book - (not a spiral)
Pens/ #2 pencils (plenty)
Grading Pen (not yellow)
Scotch tape
Colored pencils
Highlighters
(Only the Composition Book will remain in class.)
Novels:
If you would like to purchase a novel for your child’s personal use (which I recommend in order for them to take notes in the book), we are reading the following two novels this year:
Touching Spirit Bear, Ben Michaelson
The Adventurous Deeds of Deadwood Jones, Helen Hemphill
Please have all supplies (except the novels) by Thursday, August 21st.
Note: We will be using the composition book this first week, and we will be writing in class every day.
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2025-26 Dates of Competition and Location
6th Grade - February 7, 2026, at SBMS
7th and 8th Grade - February 21, 2026, at BMS
Number Sense
The competition is a 10-minute, fill-in-the-blank test in which the students do mathematical operations in their head to find answers to problems. Students will not be able to show any work. The coach will teach you a lot of secret math tips and tricks.
Ready Writing
Students will have 1 hour and 15 minutes to write an essay on one of two given topics. Judges grade on interest (50%), organization (35%) and correctness of style (15%). Good writers – this is your event!
Oral Reading
You will have 6 minutes to read a piece of poetry (not a story) aloud. The goal is to read it in an expressive way. Your body language, gestures, and facial expressions reinforce the message of the piece of literature being read. If you like to perform, this is your event.
Dictionary Skills
The competition is a 20-minute, 40-question, short-answer test in which students use a dictionary to look up various information such as a word’s origin, pronunciation, part of speech, and of course, definitions. If you are good with a dictionary, or want to get better, try this out!
Calculator
The test is 30-minutes, 80-problems, fill-in-the-blanks. You will use math skills, reasoning, and a calculator to solve realistic problems. If you like using a calculator, you’ll like this event.
Modern Oratory
Students will prepare a speech ahead of time on a topic selected from a list of approved topics. In the speech, the student must present both the pros and cons of the topic and cite sources where they found the information on the topic. This is for those who like to be heard!
Spelling
The test consists of 60 words, 50 from the spelling booklet that you’ll have to study and 10 tiebreaker words. The first meet’s test will be from the A-L letters and the second meet’s words will be from the M-Z letters in the spelling booklet. As the words are called out by the adult, students will attempt to spell each word correctly with proper capitalization. In the event of a tie, the last 10 words will be scored to determine a winner. Natural spellers and good studiers will do well!
Maps, Graphs, and Charts
You will use an atlas to answer a 30-minute, 60 question test made up of multiple choice, true/false, and fill in the blank questions. Some questions will be about pie charts and bar graphs. If you like using an atlas or reading graphs, this is your event.
Math
This is a 30-minute, 50-question, multiple-choice test using basic mathematic skills as used in everyday life. Practice will make perfect for you math whizzes!
Listening Skills
Students will listen to a story that is approximately 7 minutes long and then answer 25 questions from the story in 10 minutes. Students will be allowed to jot down notes on scratch paper. You will do well if you can remember details easily.
Impromptu Speaking
Students will be given a choice of different topics and will have 3 minutes to prepare a speech that is less than five minutes in length. If you are good at thinking on your feet, this is the event for you!
Science
The competition is a 30-minute, 35-question test of the student’s knowledge of scientific fact, understanding of scientific principles, and the ability to think through scientific problems. If you love learning scientific facts, this is for you.
Social Studies
The competition is a 30-minute, 40-question test of the student’s knowledge in the areas of history, government systems, economies, citizenship and culture. You will also be tested on your analysis of historical primary source reading. If you love history, this is your event.
Chess
Chess puzzle competition is very different from tournament chess play. Contestants in a chess puzzle contest receive a paper-and-pencil test that includes a series of chess boards with pieces in particular positions. Questions are based on analysis of material or possible moves in each given diagram. See links above for sample tests and other resources.
Art
This contest involves the study of paintings from the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. and paintings or pictures from selected Texas museums. The Art Smart Bulletin, published every other year, is the source for study of history and art elements relative to the 30 art selections and is the final authority in the spelling of artists' names and titles of art works. As part of their study, students will demonstrate an understanding of art history and interpret ideas and moods in original artworks while making informed judgments about the artwork.
