Welcome to the Union Eighth Grade Center!

We are going to have an exciting school year together here in English class. Your full participation will be crucial to your success in this class. I can’t wait to get to know you better as you embark on your eighth-grade journey.

Please keep this letter at home to refer to throughout the year.

All About Academics

In eighth grade you will expand your studies in English language arts to understand how literature, grammar, spelling, and vocabulary are interrelated, and how the language arts are the foundation for effective written and oral communication skills. We will be doing the bulk of this work through the workshop model of learning; more on that later. You will work to become a strong reader in order to betterunderstand and analyze a variety of literature, write original work in narrative, informational, and argument forms.

Supplies

There are four categories of supplies needed for English class. Please let me know if you have any questions about this list.

1)These supplies are necessary for exclusive use for English language arts work:

  • Pencils
  • 1 (one)composition notebook
  • 3 (three)of 3”x3” Post-its pads
  • 1 (one) 1 inch binder to hold handouts/homework/letters home.

2)You will also need to have these general supplies every day to participate in English class:

  • Student Handbook/Agenda- cannot leave the classroom without it
  • Loose notebook paper
  • Dark blue or black ink pen and a pencil
  • Your current book or other reading project
  • Highlighters (multiple colors—yellow, blue, green, and pink preferable but not required)

A Note About Organization

Eighth grade and high school require a lot of focus on keeping yourself organized. Doing so will save you a lot of headaches. Notebooks will be organized on Monday the 25th and will be graded on their continued organization. If you are not yet in the habit of maintaining an organized binder for all of your different class materials, it is time to start. I recommend either a two-inch or larger three-ring binder or Trapper Keeper with tab dividers for each class and your agenda book. Keep this binder stocked with loose-leaf paper as well as a pencil bag with different writing implements and small supplies. You might consider including some folders/dividers for homework, papers for your parents, etc.

If you have any questions about organization, I highly recommend meeting with me during non-class time to discuss options and help.

Homework

Homework and reading will be assigned on a regular basis in class and may include anything from a small writing task to a long-term project. You need to use your agenda book to help keep track of assigned work, planned tests and quizzes, and due dates for projects. Late work will lose points. Failure to keep up with assignments will result in AE (Academic Engagement) for 75% of the assignment value. Failure to turn in AE work will result in a zero grade with no chance of make-up. Failure to attend assigned before/after-school AE will result in a detention. Parent contact will precede any assignment of before- or after-school AE.

Reading Workshop

You will read every day in class.You will be expected to bring appropriate reading material (fiction and non-fiction books) to EVERY SINGLE DAY. Regular library access and our classroom shelves will be available on a regular basis for fresh reading material.

Our English curriculum incorporates the Reading Workshop model of learning, which includes daily reading in class. A significant part of your time and grade will be dedicated to your reading work through your Literacy Notebook, teacher conferences, and other work products.Routines will be discussed as the school year gets underway.

Discipline and Restorative Justice
We will follow the Code of Conduct as stated in the Student Handbook (available online and in agenda book). Typically, a verbal warning will be issued for minor disruptions. If further action is needed, one or any of the following may be given:

Phone call to parent; Written notice requiring parent signature; Assignment of detention; Parent conference; Referral to principal.

Planned and Unplanned Absences

It is the responsibility of the STUDENT to acquire the notes and assignments missed due to their absence and to turn these in on time! Follow the procedures listed in class.

The time given for make-up work to be completed, as outlined in the Student Handbook, is the number of days the student is absent plus one day.

If a student is absent the day a major project or previously-assigned homework is due, it becomes due the day the student returns to school. This applies regardless of the reason for absence.

When you miss class, the whole class is affected. If you know ahead of time that you will be absent, please confer with Ms. Zelenski so she can ensure proper accommodation and provide any necessary materials for your return

Grading

You earn the grades you receive in this class. Participation and enthusiasm are key; our aim is growth and self-improvement. Each student is on a unique journey of which improvement in language arts is essential; opportunities to individualize projects and assignments are offered when possible.

Your grade is primarily based on your progress in the units of study focusing on the writing process and critical reading. Maintenance of an organized Literacy Notebook is essential to maintaining a strong grade in English class. Your grades will be weighted in four categories as shown here. One of the categories is your semester final. To insure a satisfactory grade, maximize your class time and turn in work on time.

Keep In Touch

There are several ways to keep in touch with me and our class goings-on throughout the year. Choose one or all to stay up-to-date on deadlines and classroom activities.

  • Remind101: This is a text message-based system which allows the teacher to send short reminders and announcements. It is private both ways: neither sender nor receiver has access to individual cell phone numbers. To sign up to receive class-related announcements from Ms. Zelenski, please text “@mszelenski” [do not use the quotation marks] to 81010. A follow-up text will ask for your name so I have a list of who’s participating in the messaging system.
  • Email List:Send an email to my school address, , with the subject line “English Email Updates” and I will add you to the group email list. I will send important reminders via email.

We will have several different “formats” for classroom interaction, depending on the day and unit of study which will have their own special procedures. These are general, everyday procedures which help our English classroom run smoothly and encourage learning.

1)When you arrive to class, get ready for the day’s activities. Make sure your materials (pen/pencil, notebook, book) are ready to go before the bell.

2)Get permission first! Getting up out of your seat or talking can be very disruptive, so please raise your hand first and wait to be called on and given permission.

3)Try not to leave the class. If you need leave the class, have our agenda ready to be signed and submit your pass to Ms. Zelenski at an appropriate time to leave the room (no whole-class instruction is going on). You have only three hall passes per semester. You must have both your agenda and your pass to leave.

4)Keep your current reading material with you at all times. Should you finish a whole-class assignment early, you will be expected to work on your independent reading.

5)Do not interrupt another speaker (Ms. Zelenski or a classmate). It’s generally best to raise your hand when you’d like to speak or ask a question, though during some class discussions/activities, it won’t be required.

6)If you are tardy, without disrupting class activities,get your materials together, and join the class. Turn in any office/teacher pass quickly and quietly to the homework tray by the door.

7)Late work (regular or from AE) should be turned in at the homework tray. If assigned homework is more than one day overdue, you will be assigned AE. Work that is more than a week late is graded at Ms. Zelenski’s discretion.

8)If you are absent, check the folder for the day(s) you missed and get notes/assignment from a classmate. Make-up work in the Literacy or Writing notebooks should be completed by the next notebook turn-in unless otherwise arranged. Loose work should be turned in to the appropriate inbox. Turn in make-up work on time.

9)Your safety is very important to me. I take all warnings—tornado, fire, IOC—seriously and expect you to do the same. Follow all directions quietly and calmly.

10)Cell phones should only be seen and out

if being used on an assignment/activity with permission from both Ms. Zelenski and your

parent(s)/guardians(s).

11)Respect all others. This not only means people (classmates, teachers, substitutes, etc.), but their space and property as well.