| Welcome to 8th grade English Language Arts and Reading! I hope you had a wonderful summer, played hard, soaked up some sun, relaxed, and are ready to embark on a wonderful year of learning. :) We have many new adventures in store for you. I cannot wait to meet you and look forward to getting to know each of you throughout the year. This being the first year of our new STARR test, there have been many changes to our curriculum. This year will be challenging and encompass a vast array of reading, writing, listening, speaking, and research skills. I hope each of you comes with a ready-to-learn attitude and is prepared to work. Students should bring to class EVERY day: pen/pencil, (1 1/2-2') ELA binder, composition notebook, any/all assignments due that day,and be on time. Please come prepared. During the first week, I will take up supplies and help students prepare for the first six weeks. If you are unable to get supplies, please contact me or our counselor - we can help you. These supplies are crucial to student success and organization. All handouts, power points, notes, and homework assignments will be posted in the Shared Objects tab (top right on the screen) and then in the Class Documents (8th grade General English will have a folder; 8th Pre-AP will have a folder). My goal for the year is to make sure each student is prepared for 9th grade. This endeavor takes a team, and I hope to work closely with my students and parents alike toward this end. The most effective team I know of has the following roles: TEACHER - will provide instruction, encouragement, and guidance; STUDENT - will listen, take notes, ask questions, create goals, set a plan, and produce quality work; PARENT - will support student by supplying encouragement, asking about assignments, providing quiet workplace for studying, and expecting quality work from student. Parents, there is one other element that I believe to be absolutely necessary for student success - LEARNING. As the year progresses, we often become focused on what grade our student is making on assignments and tests. While grades are important, please do not lose focus on what has been learned! Not all students are good test-takers, so from time-to-time, ask your student what they learned instead of what grade they earned. Good grades do not always mean they have learned the material, and below average grades do not always mean they have not learned. In class, I will use a variety of ways to determine mastery of objectives, so I hope you will talk with your student about what is happening in our classroom and see what knowledge your student can share with you. Classroom Needs Parents, if you would like to donate to our room, we are always in need of the following, so feel free to send them at any point during the year. Students who bring items may receive 4 bonus points each six weeks to be added to their lowest test grade (1 - 2 points for each item). Appreciated Items: Kleenex (1 pt) Germ-X / 12oz (please no stinky ones!) (2 pts) Clorox Wipes (2 pts) Expo Board Cleaner (2 pts) Pack of Pencils (1 pt under 23 - 2 pts 24+) Pack of Pens (1 pt under 10 - 2 points 12+) Pencil Sharpener (1pt) Construction Paper - manila or color (1 pt) Notebook Paper (1 pt) |