Teacher: Mrs. Murphy

Email:

Phone: 205-231-5370

Room: #15

Hello Parents and Students,

I am the 7th grade ELA/Writing teacher for the 2016-2017 school year. I am looking forward to a spectacular year with you. My number one goal for this year is to motivate you to become life learners.

Classroom Rules:

·  Be Respectful

·  Be Responsible

·  Be Resourceful

Consequences: If you CHOOSE not to follow the rules, consequences can include any combination of the following depending on the frequency and severity:

·  Verbal Warning to stop the misbehavior

·  Written Warning to document the misbehavior

·  Phone call to parent and/or parent conference

·  Office Referral that includes a visit with a principal.

Class Routine and Organization:

Upon entering the class, students will sharpen pencils and turn in homework before class starts. It is your responsibility to sharpen your pencil at the beginning of class. Every day there will be an assignment to complete for your Daily Warm-up Activity and/or Journal Entry.

You must be in class on time. If you are late, I will mark you tardy. If you continue to be tardy without proper written documentation, you will be written up. The bell does not dismiss you from class. I will dismiss you. Students are not allowed to walk around the classroom without permission. If you need to throw trash away, it must be kept with you until the end of class and only when permission is given to line up for dismissal.

Restroom breaks will be taken at specific times during the duration of your day, outside of the classroom instruction. You will be allowed to use the restroom during class, but only in cases of an emergency. Locker breaks are given twice a day, NOT DURING CLASS CHANGE. You can and will lose locker privileges if you are caught at your locker at any other time.

Finally, keep your area clean. At the end of class, remove all of your supplies and books from the desk. No food or gum is allowed in the room. I am not responsible for items left.

Materials:

You are required to have a ELA/Writing composition notebook. It must me brought to class every day. I will show you how to organize it; however, you are responsible for keeping it organized. There will be a notebook check throughout the year, which is worth 50 points. Students must have at least one independent reading book with them at all times. When a student does not have these materials, they are unable to fully engage in the prepared educational experience and may lose points from final grade.

Daily, you are required to bring the following item

·  ELA/Writing Composition notebook

·  2 Pencils/Pens- Blue or Black only

·  Pencil sharpener (Must have a covering and can’t make any noise)

·  3 Prong Portfolio Folder ( For Writing Portfolios)

Assignments, Homework, and Absentees:

·  Assignments: When assignments are given you are responsible for turning them on the due date.

·  Homework: My expectations for my students are simple. Students should use daily planner to record when homework is given. All assignments are expected to be turned in on time. Work should be written in a neat and legible fashion to receive credit. Homework not done in this manner will have points taken off and/or not be accepted.

·  Absentees: If you are absent, you are responsible for your own makeup work. You will have two school days (for every day you are absent) to complete and turn in the missing assignments (e.g. if you are absent two days, you will have four days to complete and submit your makeup work). If you miss a test, come see me to make arrangements.

Curriculum, Grades, and Progress Reports:

1.  CURRICULUM: All assignments are based on Common Core Standards: English Language Arts.

2.  GRADES: A standard percentage system and grade categories are used (see charts below). Rubrics are also incorporated regularly to evaluate everyone on the same criteria.

Grade / Percentage / Grade Categories
A / 100 – 90 / Homework / 20%
B / 89 – 80 / Quizzes / 10%
C / 79 – 70 / Class Work/Participation / 30%
D / 69 – 60 / Major Test/Projects / 40%
F / 59 – Below

3.  PROGRESS REPORTS: Parents and students can check student progress through STI on the Internet as often as you’d like. (Passwords can be obtained in-person through the office).

4.  Unsatisfactory grades may not be changed at the last minute OR near the end of the quarter. Students are expected to do their best on all assignments.

ELA and Writing Syllabus
1st Nine Weeks (August 5 – October 4)
Mrs. Murphy
Common Core Standards:
Reading Standards for Literature
RL.1-Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
RL.3- Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact
RL.6- Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the point of view of different characters or narrators in a text
Writing Standards
W.7.1 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence. [W.7.1] a. Introduce claim(s), acknowledge alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically. [W.7.1a] b. Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text. [W.7.1b] c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), reasons, and evidence. [W.7.1c] d. Establish and maintain a formal style. [W.7.1d] e. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented. [W.7.1e]
W.7.4- Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
Language Standards
L.7.1 b- Choose among simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences to signal differing relationships among ideas.
Speaking and Listening
SL.7.1- Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners a. Come to discussions prepared, having read or researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion. [SL.7.1a] b. Follow rules for collegial discussions, track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed. [SL.7.1b]

Daily Warm-up Activity- At the beginning of each class period, students will complete a Daily Warm-up activity. The Warm-up Activity will be checked every week and is worth 5pts per day. Students will not receive credit for incomplete work or unattempted assignments.

Essay- Students will be given various essay topics to complete throughout the year some will be related to books we have read and others about various topics discussed in class. All essays will be handwritten in class and then typed on independent time. Final copies of essays must be typed in order to receive full credit. No Exceptions!

Homework- Students are required to read a minimum of 20 pages per night of their AR book every night regardless of any other homework assignments.

Parent-Teacher Contact Form

(Must Return to School)

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I have read and understood what my child will be learning and the set expectations for him/her in this course.

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