Greetings Parents/Guardians,

Welcome to the2017-2018 school year here at John Drugan. This first 9 weeks and throughout the year,our 7th grade Language Arts students will work extremely hard to prepare for the STAARS test in the spring. It is our priority that your child is taught at a rigorous level in approaching the writing skills they must master for their grade level. They will review the six steps to the writing process and will write different kinds of essays showing proper grammar usage, spelling, punctuation and other conventions of writing. Students will also learn to proofread and revise their writings as well as others.

1st 9 Weeks

TEKS Reading

7.1 - Reading/Fluency. Students read grade-level text with fluency and comprehension.

7.2A,B.E, - Reading/Vocabulary Development. Students understand new vocabulary and use it when reading and writing

7.3C - Analyze how place and time influence the theme or message of a literary work.

7.4A - Analyze the importance of graphical elements (e.g., capital letters, line length, word position) on the meaning of a poem.

7.8A - Determine the figurative meaning of phrases and analyze how an author's use of language creates imagery, appeals to the senses, and suggests mood.

7.13A - Interpret both explicit and implicit messages in various forms of media.

7.13B - Interpret how visual and sound techniques (e.g., special effects, camera angles, lighting, music) influence the message.

TEKS Writing

7.13C - Evaluate various ways media influences and informs audiences.

7.14 Writing/Writing Process. Students use elements of the writing process (planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing) to compose text.

(B)Develop drafts by choosing an appropriate organizational strategy

(e.g., sequence of events, cause-effect, compare-contrast) andbuilding on ideas to create a focused, organized, and coherent

piece of writing.

7.15 Writing/Literary Texts. Students write literary texts to express their ideas and feelings about real or imagined people, events, and ideas.

(A) write an imaginative story

(B) Write a narrative

Write a poem

7.19 Oral and Written Conventions/Conventions. Students understand the function of and use the conventions of academic language when speaking and writing.

(A)identify, use, and understand the function of the following parts of speech in the context of reading, writing, and speaking.

  • use conventions of capitalization
  • spell correctly, including using various resources to determine and check correct spellings
  • Verbs
  • Subordinating conjunctions
  • Conjunctive adverbs

7.19B - Write complex sentences and differentiate between main versus subordinate clauses.

7.19C - Use a variety of complete sentences (e.g., simple, compound, complex) that include properly placed modifiers, correctly identified antecedents, parallel structures, and consistent tenses.

Together we will take our students academic success to beyond excellence!

We look forward to working alongside with you to reach our students’ full potential. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns. We personally make a pledge to maintain and initiate open communication with you regarding your child’s progress. You can reach us at 937-6800. You can also visit our website at

Thank you for your support,

Mrs. Palomares. Mrs. Veik, Mrs. DeSantiago