Ms. Melissa Cooper

7th Grade Language Arts  Spindletop Team  Voice mail: 512-841-1406

Email:  Website: murchisonmatadors.org/cooper

Welcome to 7th grade AdvancedLanguage Arts at Murchison!

The AISD Cloud

Sign in to my.austinisd.org to access student information, schedule,

grades and attendance, and textbooks. You can also edit your contact info.

Please encourage your child to check his/her grades frequently—seventh grade

is an excellent time for him/her to take ownership of his/her weekly progress.

Supplies—things to bring every day

  • English/LA section in your notebook with threedividers
  • Composition book (you may leave this in the classroom)
  • Library book, novel, or e-reader from home
  • Pens and pencils, paper, etc.
  • Agenda

Expectations

  • I expect participation, quality work, and on-task behavior from all students at all times. I don’t expect perfection, but I want each of you to put forth your best effort every day.
  • Please do not bring gum, candy, drinks, or snacks to class.
  • Your cell phone should be off and away unless you’ve been given specific permission to use it for a class activity.
  • Be on time—you must be in the room (not in the hallway) before the bell rings.
  • Keep backpacks and materials out of walkways; at the beginning of class, take out your materials and stow backpacks for the duration of the period.
  • I appreciate kindness, generosity, friendliness, honesty, civility, dedication, and respect!

Writing

  • Students will write in their writers’ notebooks every day.
  • Throughout the year students will explore complex writing strategies such as using dialogue, applying literary elements, and writing with voice.
  • Students will study grammar and vocabulary.
  • Students will learn how to take Cornell Notes and use them to study.
  • Seventh graders take the STAAR writing test in the spring.

Reading

  • 40-book challenge: This year we are asking all Murchison students to set a goal of reading 40 books from a variety of genres. This schoolwide initiative is based on The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller.
  • Students may bring personal e-readers to school but may not read on their phones, etc.

I also have eight classroom Kindles I will lend to students during silent reading time.

  • Parents, if you have concerns about a book your child has selected or have specific rules he/she is expected to follow, please discuss them with your child. I do not police their reading, but I do expect students to abide by their parents’ rules.

Literature

Advanced students will complete three IB-style book studies this year: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, and The Hot Zone by Richard Preston. Please be aware that these are challenging texts with adult themes. These books may count toward your 40-book total.

Assessments

  • All classes will have periodic assessments, both scheduled and unscheduled.
  • Students can expect frequent district-, state-, and federally-mandated testing.

Grading and Retakes

  • Grading categories: reading, writing, grammar, vocabulary, and research skills. Each category counts 20% of the student’s average.
  • Late work loses 15 points per day. Students have three class days to turn in late work.
  • Retakes: Teachers may allow students who earn a failing grade on a major assignment to take a retake or complete corrections for a maximum grade of 70%. Please see the Retake Policy sidebar of my website for more information.

Procedures

  • All assignments are due the next class day unless otherwise stated.
  • Students are responsible for checking the board and turning in all work to the Due Today white basket—I do not ask students for their work.
  • I post an agenda, homework, work due, and reminders on the board every day.
  • The MMS website is a fantastic resource for students and parents to keep up with classroom activities. Please help your child get into the habit of checking teachers’ websites (and cross-checking that information with their written agendas) daily.
  • Makeup work: check with me,the website, and/or a reliable classmate if you are absent. It is each student’s responsibility to retrieve makeup work and ask for help.
  • Tutorials are held before and after school on Wednesdays. I also encourage students to visit with me during advisory.

Unique middle school issues: As many parents know (or will soon discover!) at this time in students’ lives, athletics, peer relationships, and social activities often take precedence over schoolwork. Students who previously earned As or behavior accolades suddenly become <gasp!> teens more concerned with social lives than grades. They miss homework, argue, procrastinate, and fudge the truth. No, these are not desirable behaviors, but they are typical. It’s not easy to watch kids make bad decisions—some parents want to “helicopter” in to fix everything; others simply deny there’s a problem. But teensshould be allowed to make mistakes and taught how to learn from them in order to discover how to resolve their own problems. I want to help my students internalize the big-picture skills they need in order to have successful academic careers this year and beyond.

And finally, a little about my credentials: I earned a BA in English from UT Austin and have Texas teacher certification in secondary English and ESL. In 2006 I achieved National Board Certification in Early Adolescence/English Language Arts and I was honored to receive an HEB Excellence in Education leadership award in 2011. This is my 19th year to teach middle school Language Arts and my 17th year at Murchison. Additionally, I attended AISD schools from seventh to 12th grades, my husband attended Murchison, and we have a sixth-grade Matador this year. I enjoy teaching English to young adults—they keep me on my toes and make every year a new challenge. 
Please complete and return the following by Friday Sept. 5:

Student name: ______

Parent name(s):______

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Parent phone number(s): ______

Parent email(s): ______

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Parents, please tell me, in fewer than a million words, what you’d like me to know about your child. Use the back of this paper if you need more space. Feel free to type your response if that’s easier. 

(Note: I will share this information with team teachers only; if you wish something to remain confidential, please let me know.)

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