English 7 Syllabus
Thurgood Marshall Middle School
Mr. Prescott Room B203
858-549-5400 ext. 2223
Welcome to 7th grade and to English/Language Arts. I am delighted that your child is going to be in my class this school year. I look forward to working with you to ensure that your child will receive an exciting and rewarding experience each day that they are with me.
This course content focuses on teaching student skills and strategies for independent reading and writing grade-level text. Instruction in each unit of study interrelates reading, writing, oral communication, and language study. Students are provided with multiple opportunities to engage in academic discourse as they question, interpret, extend, and formulate their own ideas as well as evaluate and respect the ideas of others. The goal of instruction is to support students in becoming independent, strategic, critical readers, writers, listeners, and speakers who communicate effectively in various forms, for multiple purposes, and for a mixture of audiences.
Students will begin to engage in the new Common Core State Standards’ lessons that are scaffolded to support a range of reading/writing abilities. Curriculum and assignments are differentiated in terms of depth, and complexity, acceleration, pacing and novelty to meet unique individual needs. Students’ reading, writing and speaking activities involve in depth critical thinking and reasoning. Units of study include: elements of literature, short stories, novels, historical fiction, research and biographies with a multicultural and international emphasis. These educational interactions will create an understanding of personal difference through tolerance and unconditional acceptance of others.
Organizational skills will be emphasized throughout the school year. Students may use either a 3 ring binder or a 3-5 Subject Notebook with pockets. Handouts related to various reading or writing strategies, notes, and warm-up activities will be maintained in this notebook. The dividers should be labeled “Handouts”, “Notes”, and “Warm-ups”. Students will keep this notebook inside the classroom, but may be instructed to take it home throughout the school year.
The course will be differentiated affording the students the opportunity to cover the content area in greater depth and complexity. Students are expected to take an active part in the learning process through a variety of methods of instruction.
Recommended Supplies:
3 ring binder for English with lined paper and 3 dividers (1 - 1.5 inches)
3-5 Subject Spiral notebook
Pencils and pens (At least one with blue/black ink)
Eraser
Set of colored pencils
Highlighters in at least 2 different colors
Independent reading novel (MUST bring to class everyday)
School I.D. card for library material access
Marshall Planer to write down assignments
Homework: Students will be expected to read daily. Students will be responsible for reading books that are suitable for him or her in regards to content and reading level. Each student will be responsible for reading books in all four genres (Fiction, Non Fiction, Historical Fiction and Science Fiction) and will complete book projects each quarter. Students will be required to complete 4 book projects throughout the school year. Detailed instructions will be sent home when the first project is assigned. Please make sure your child has a novel to read at home and that it is brought to class each day since there will be times when he or she will need to silently read in class.
All assigned work is expected to be completed ON TIME. All final copies of writing assignments will be typed, Times New Roman 12 pt. font. If a writing assignment is turned in not typed, it will result in a late score. Late work will be accepted; however, 50% will be deducted from the grade if it is 0-3 days late. Zero credit will be given for any homework received more than 3 days late. This is a policy that is intended to encourage you to manage your time effectively in the classroom and at home. Any student who is absent will be given 2 days per day of absence to complete missing work. Absent memos should be filled out by a classmate. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO FIND OUT WHAT YOU MISSED AND COMPLETE YOUR MAKEUP WORK!!! If an assignment due date falls on the day of a field trip, the student is still responsible to turn in the work on that particular day before they go on the trip and get work that is missed. Work that is turned in after the due date (if the student is on a field trip) will result in a grade that is 50% less than full credit.
Grading Procedures: Student’s grades are comprised of written and oral presentations, independent activities, discussion, projects, tests and quizzes, writing, Socratic Seminar, debates, and assigned readings. I will use a straight scale for grading as follows: A = 90%, B = 80-89%, C = 70-79%, D = 60-69% and F = 59% and below
For an update on grades and assignments, please login to Power School. Progress reports (with current grades) are distributed to students every 6 weeks. Official semester grades will be issued in February and June. Parents if you have concerns about your child’s grades, please feel free to communicate via email, note in planner, or phone. PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE VOICEMAIL messages unless you have your student alert me to it. EMAIL is the most effective way to communicate with me.
Citizenship: Citizenship is an earned grade. The student’s effort, cooperation, and interaction with other students will determine citizenship grades. Students control their citizenship grades through appropriate behavior and adhering to the rules.*Please see separate sheet for citizenship grades.
Discipline: Students who choose to be disobedient and don’t follow the rules will receive an immediate consequence. ALL students have the right to learn, and I have the right to teach. I do not tolerate disruptions or disrespect in the classroom, and you shouldn’t have to experience it either. In order for a positive learning environment to be maintained, problems will be handled quickly. Parent support is crucial. Students have a copy of classroom policies in their notebook and school rules in their Marshall Planner.
Tardy Policy: I do not tolerate being late to class.
First Tardy – Warning
Second Tardy - Note home in planner and five minutes of lunch detention
Third Tardy - Lowered citizenship grade and phone call
Fourth Tardy - Citizenship grade lowered again
Assistance: I am happy to help students with their work outside of class. Please schedule a time with me before school or during lunch. Often times it just takes 5 minutes of your time to meet with me to clarify things. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE FOR HELP!!! This means, if you are unclear about anything, let me know as soon as possible so that I can help you understand what you need to do. Passes are required to meet with me during lunch, so please get a pass before you want to come see me.
I look forward to working with all of you and forging a new path of learning that ignites passions and develops skills! Education is a TEAM EFFORT! Together we can learn something new every day and have fun doing it! I encourage all of you to participate, ask questions, share experiences, and take pride in your work. Our classroom is a place for you to feel comfortable learning, growing, and being yourself! So, let’s have a productive year!
****Keep this course syllabus in the English notebook as a reference for the entire school year.****
Signature Page
Please review the information in this syllabus with your parents and then sign this sheet. Please make sure to fill out the information requested below.
Return this to Mr. Prescott on Monday, September 14th.
Student Name (please print) ______
Student Signature ______
Parent Name (please print) ______
Parent Signature ______
Additional Information
Parent’s email (more than one is fine): ______
Home Phone: ______
Cell Phone: ______
Best way to contact: ______
Language Spoken at Home: ______
Computer with Internet access: YES / NO