Welcome to the 2017-2018 school year! I pray that we will all have an enjoyable year and grow in God’s Word and wisdom: academically, socially and emotionally. The following pages will highlight some of the routines, procedures,and curriculum of our classroom this year. Please review these pages in order to be prepared for a rewarding year. And always, may the Lord bless our work as we seek to find strength knowing that “The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer” (Ps. 18:2)!

Discipline

Education must be fun and structured at the same time. The line that surrounds this balance and makes certain that neither becomes dominant is discipline. Complicating discipline is the fact that children at this age level are becoming young adults and are learning how to monitor their own behaviors in the light of following their Savior, Jesus. As a result, these children will be working toward a higher level of self-discipline and maturity than may have been expected of them in their younger years. In order to help nurture these children it is important to develop and follow the Commands of God. These Commands can be summed up in the Ten Commandments. We can break them down into three main rules for our classroom:

  1. Show God honor and respect.
  2. Show your teachers and adults honor and respect.
  3. Show your classmates honor and respect.

Although simple, these rules cover almost every aspect of the school day. God’s name cannot be used in vain or taken lightly. We should greet adults cordially, address them respectfullyandlistentothoseinauthority. We should not put down our neighbors and speak poorly of them or gossip. In keeping with these three main rules, Christian discipline can be achieved as we carry out our Lord’s command which states: “Now then if youwill indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples for all the earth is Mine.” (Ex. 19:5). Through obedience to God’s will we are reminded of our own sinfulness and need for a Savior. In the 7-8th grade classroom, we will treat each other with an attitude of respect and consideration by virtue of our redemption due to the sacrifice of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Behavior

In order to help the child maintain a Christian attitude in following the commands of our Lord, the following day-to-day rules will be enforced:

  1. Quiet talking with classmates may take place in the classroom before school and during breaks. However, no interruptions or personal remarks may be made during lessons, formal study periods, or between lessons without permission. If there is a question on an assignment, or if you need to speak to Mr. Schulz or myself, permission will be obtained through raising your hand.
  2. While class is in session you may not leave your seat except for emergencies. Permission must be granted in order for you to leave your seat at all times. If I am out of the classroom for any reason, you are to remain in your seat.
  3. Any item left in the hallway before school will remain there unless special circumstances prove differently.
  4. There will be no throwing of objects, running, or yelling at any time, either in the classroom or in the school building. You will also keep hands and all objects to yourself and respect other people’s property.
  5. Bathroom breaks are to be taken before school, during break time, at lunch, and during any afternoon recess. Only during an emergency will you be able to use the facilities during class time.
  6. Show courtesy for the property of others and respect for the blessings of our classroom, school and church.
  7. You will show your Christian faith through appropriate language, dress, attitude, and kindness toward one another.

Because God’s Law is used as a mirror, a curb and a guide for all Christians, there will be consequences should a student find it difficult to conduct himself/herself within the guidelines of this classroom. He/she will be disciplined using the following management techniques:

-Removal of an object that interferes with safety or instruction.

-Practicing the correct behavior.

-Loss of the privilege the student is unable to handle.

-Counseling the student regarding the incorrect behavior.

-Reflective essays to help the student think about the improper behavior.

-Loss of recess.

-Special conference with Pastor and/or the Board of Education.

Special discipline problems will be handled according to the school’s discipline policy as stated in the school handbook on pages 4-5. The main reason for this is to make parents aware of a serious problem which may be developing. It is also necessary to find a solution to the problem. The ultimate goal is repentance and comfort by the Gospel’s reassurance that the child’s sins are forgiven by God. If there is a reoccurrence of a specific problem, a written record will be kept and added to the student’s permanent file.

Which methods of student management are carried out will depend on the nature and frequency of the misbehavior. Once again, only the love of Jesus can motivate someone to change. Therefore, any dealings with students are done in a manner that promotes Christian love and concern for each child as a member of Jesus’ family.

Disputes with other children

If your child is not getting along with another child and has not been able to solve the issue on their own, do not take sides or call the other parent in anger. Try to follow these steps:

  1. Get all the facts from your child and leave room for disbelief. Your child is a sinner too, and there may be part of a story missing, a lie, or some other information that changes the story. This needs to be an opportunity to teach your child whether they are right or wrong.
  2. Politely call the parent to inform them of the nature of the problem as you understand it. Give them time to take in the information- this was probably emotional for you too! If the issue is large, you may want to give each of you time to deal with the problem and meet face to face.
  3. Give the other parent time to follow the guidelines of step one. Their child may give additional information, repent, or add to the problem.
  4. Listen to each other and agree on what happened.
  5. Be the adults and leave on good terms. This will include:
  6. Any apologies
  7. A plan of action
  8. A list of things each will discuss with their child
  9. Punishments that will be applied
  10. Forgiveness for any wrong done
  11. Thanks for the care of a loving Christian friend.

At no time should you discuss this situation with another parent unless they or their children are directly involved. Gossip is sometimes spread and edification of a Christian brother or sister may be lost. Any words we say which harm another’s reputation in the eyes of others without intent of building the reputation are considered as gossip. If you as parents are unable to solve the dispute, how can you expect your children to? In fact, they may learn that they don’t have to because they have seen how the parents responded. If a problem persists without a resolution I can be called on to arbitrate or assist. Please help your child learn the Christian way to solve problems.

Homework

God has blessed each student with a certain amount of ability. As teachers, we expect each child to do his/her best, and to use the ability that God has given them. Your child is in the upper grade classroom and is getting ready for high school. They should have 1 to 1 ½ hours of homework each night. Very seldom will work be assigned just to be done at home. A better definition of homework is work which needs to be finished at home because there was not enough time at school to accomplish it all (to the best of your child’s abilities). Homework is necessary to ensure that reading can be done, the work can be done neatly, and the breadth of the subject matter can be covered. If your child is spending more time on homework than the allotted time, check the following factors:

  1. Do they have an area in which to do homework that is quiet and free of all disturbances, phone calls, noise or television? They may not really be spending 3 hours on homework; they may be spending one hour on homework and 2 hours on entertainment!
  2. Do they have all of the materials they need, and is their work area neat?
  3. Do they have a separate notebook for each subject and aretheyusing that notebook? Often, disorganization can double the amount of time it takes to complete a task.
  4. Are they not keeping track of their assignments? Children who are always calling others or who don’t have their assignment books, are wasting time and not developing good study habits.
  5. Is the child wasting time in school? Sometimes extra homework is a consequence of misbehavior and the child not using time wisely.
  6. Does your child understand the work? This sometimes happens and a quick note to the teacher or a phone call can buy your child extra time, dismiss the homework, or lead to some other time saving solution.
  7. Are you checking your child’s assignment book, looking at the work that comes home, or simply inquiring about the projects or material content? Children really do care if their parents take an interest in their school work.

There will be some time to work on each daily assignment during class time or free time. Some will need more time to complete assignments and that work will be the child’s homework for the evening. There may also be extended projects to be worked on at home from time to time (an extension of work that has begun in class). Below are some homework responsibilities and consequences for the apt pupil:

Responsibilities:

  1. All assignments are to be completed and ready before school begins. They are to be placed in the appropriate boxes before 8:14.
  2. Students are responsible for making up any missed work due to an absence.
  3. If there is a lengthy absence, the child may get his/her assignments from a classmate.
  4. Students will turn in work that is neatly done and in proper order.
  5. Torn, wrinkled, or frayed material will not be accepted unless it is an art project.
  6. Papers should follow the guidelines and rubrics as assigned by the teacher (hard copies are to be handed in- drafts may be stored on mass storage devices, flash drives, etc.)
  7. Each assignment should have the student’s name, subject, page #’s, and date clearly displayed in the upper right hand corner of the page.

Consequences:

  1. Failure to hand in homework at the proper time (prior to 8:14 on the day in which it is due) will result in the work being late- no matter what.
  2. Work that is not complete will be finished during lunch recess. This includes afternoon classes. Late work that is done during the day for afternoon classes will be reduced one grade level after correction.
  3. Work that is more than a day late will be reduced one letter grade for each day it is overdue (ultimately- three days of grace: B+,C+,D+).

Parents are the key to making homework a positive experience for their children. Therefore, we ask that you make homework a top priority. You can do this by providing a quiet homework environment and by issuing praise, interest, and support. If the child is having problems, please contact one of us, we will be happy to help!

Curriculum

Religion

Because the study of God’s Word is the most important thing we do, it is here that we will begin our look at what will be taught this year. The following religion classes will be taught to your child to help them grow as life-long disciples of Christ:

-Catechism—Pastor Headrick and Pope will be teaching the 7-8th grade. Various memory passages and a review of the basic doctrines of the bible will be covered in this course. Classes will take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

-Word of God—Our religion course for this year will be an in-depth Bible study covering many books of the Bible plus topical studies. We will review I & II Peter as we review how we are chose by God to be His holy people. We will study the book of Ephesians, a continuation from the 7th grade study of the book of Acts. We will also study world religions, Christian Life Planning, and much more. All units will be tied to our year theme, “Built on the Rock.” There will be some special projects for this including a Bible time-line, world religions project, special writing assignments, Seder meal observance, and more! We will also study the geography of Palestine, review the journeys of the children of Israel, and apply the meaning of this Scripture to our daily lives. Please take the opportunity to learn along with your child, the wonderful story of our Lord’s church and the role He has given us all to share His Word to the world!

Language/Writing

Language is the gift of communication that our Lord has given us to share the Gospel with all nations. Because of this, it is a most important subject. Our language course this year will work to develop fluency in grammar, punctuation, mechanics and spelling. We will begin a new curriculum called “Easy Grammar.” This proven system will benefit our young language scholars as they master proper language techniques. The following items will be covered in our language classes this year:

  • Parts of speech review (prepositions, adverbs, pronouns, adjectives, etc.)
  • Sentence diagramming (plotting the mechanics of a sentence)
  • Agreement
  • Complex/compound sentence structure
  • Mechanics
  • Usage (proper use of pronouns, verbs, placement of phrases, clauses, etc.)
  • Combining sentences while avoiding run-ons and fragments

Our writing for this year will consist of a combination of language and literature skills. Each writing assignment will be made with the specific guidelines, scoring and format. As always these writing assignments are to be a reflection of the best writing that the student can do and will be scored as a “double grade” for the respected subject. Various book reviews will also be collected as part of our reading incentive program. (Examples of the writing guidelines and scoring rubrics are included at the end of this handbook). The writing for this year will include topics from our writing curriculum called “Strategies for Writers,” and will consist of the following:

  • Narrative Writing (a personal narrative/memoir that expresses an event in one’s life)
  • Historical Episode (a narrative story-telling style focused on a historical person/event)
  • Geographic Description/ Vignette (using descriptive language to focus on one subject based on observation notes)
  • Persuasive Speech (an editorial that proposes a solution to a certain problem)
  • Editorial writing (various forms of persuasion including a T.V. commercial)
  • Business letter (drafting a professional business letter to address a particular problem)
  • Expository writing (a shorter report displaying evidence of cause and effect)
  • Research Report (a year-end writing assignment on a topic of choice in which research is used and applied on the given subject (start thinking of something right now!)

Literature

For 7-8th grade, the series will cover various reading genre plus look at an array of various authors including: Toni Cade Bambara, Edgar Allan Poe, Laurence Yep, W.W. Jacobs, Jack London, Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou, and Mark Twain. In our literary efforts, we will work towards interpretive reading and discussion. Literature circles and Shared Inquiry techniques will be employed to better understand the different writing styles. We will also be reading three novels for the year which will be taught on alternating quarters. Our novels for this year will be Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt, Call of the Wild by Jack London, and The Westing Game, by Ellen Raskin. There will be many comprehensive assignments, vocabulary building, and cooperative reading strategies for this course. A sample of the Language Arts Learning Goals is attached to this handbook along with a typical comprehension practice sheet that the children will be working on during class.

History

Our history study this year will reflect on God’s hand in the building of our nation and its growth into a world power. We will cover four basic units: 1. Westward Expansion and Causes of the Civil War,Manifest Destiny and the compromises dealing with slavery and abolition, 2. The Civil War- study of the implications of the war and reconstruction, 3. The Birth of the new Republic, the Progressive movement and “Gilded Age”and 4. America Becomes a World Power the growth of our early country including the Spanish American War, WWI and WWII. Our history lessons will take place on Monday through Thursday. There will be various activities throughout the year to reinforce topics discussed in class. Activities include:

  1. Cause and Effect comparison of land disputes in new territory
  2. Abolition report
  3. Civil War causes reflective essay
  4. Dramatic reenactment, “a day in the life,” of a Civil War soldier
  5. Corporation building/ the formation of a trust and business
  6. WWI multi-media presentation
  7. 20th century decade poster contest!

Mathematics

Mr. Schulz will be teaching the Course II, Course III, and Algebra this year. Math work will be the completion of our new math series. Our math study for the year will consist of 12 chapters. Each chapter has between eight to ten lessons. Some lessons will be studied in one class period; others will be studied in two or more classes. Students will have homework assigned to them after most lessons. For each chapter there will be one or two quizzes, a chapter review, and a chapter test. Each student will be required to have a scientific calculator. I recommend the TI-30Xa not solar) or the TI-30X IIs. I do not recommend the TI-34. Some assignments may require the students to use MS Excel to create graphs.