Welcome to Ms. Miller’s 8th grade Language Arts class!
Dear Parents/Guardians,
Welcome back to a new school year! I am pleased to have your child in my 8th grade Language Arts class this year. We will be working hard, having fun and learning a lot of new material. My goal is to have your child prepared for high school.
Following is a list of class expectation and consequences, a supply list, and the grading policy. Please discuss all of the following with your child, then sign the attached contact sheet and return by Wednesday, August 23.
I strongly believe that a child’s success at school depends on the partnership between teachers and families. Thank you for your help in providing school supplies, encouraging good study habits, and helping your child do his/her best work! If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us. The easiest and quickest way to reach me would be by email (). Looking forward to a great year!
Sincerely,
Ms. Christina Miller
Materials
All students are required to bring their charged Chromebook, power reading book,binder with 5 tab dividers,a notebook, student handbook, highlighter, and pen to class every day. In addition to these daily supplies, please bring either 2 dry erase markers OR a box of Kleenex. Any extras supplies are much appreciated as we go through a lot throughout the school year!
Grades
Grading will be on a 90/10 scale with 90% of a student’s grade coming from summative assignments that show knowledge and mastery of a topic (ex. tests, major papers, projects, etc.) The remaining 10% of a student’s grade will come from formative assignments which help students to learn concepts (ex. homework, quizzes, classwork, etc.). Edline will be updated with the most up to date grades every Thursday afternoon.
Test Retakes
All students are encouraged to prepare for and help develop important study skills in middle school. However, occasionally students will perform poorly on an exam and will then be given an opportunity to retake the test. After testing, students receiving a grade lower than a D may be eligible for a retake. Students will be required to complete 70 percent of assigned work, including both in class and out of class assignments as well as formative checkpoints prior to the original summative assessments, inorder to earn the right for a retake. If a student is eligible for a retake, he or she will need to successfully complete an assignment or attend a help session. After a student completes the extra activity or help session, they can schedule a time to retake the test. The new test will then be graded and the original score replaced.
Absences
If you have been absent, it is your responsibility to come to me and find out what you have missed during your absence. Any work that was missed must be made up. If you know you will be out of town/missing class for an extended amount of time, let me know that so that I can give you the work that you will miss while you are gone.
Classroom Expectations
I believe that every child is entitled to the opportunity to learn and therefore I have expectations for all students to follow to ensure they are not preventing their classmates from learning. These guidelines need to be followed each day. Students who do not adhere to the school rules will receive consequences in accordance with the school’s discipline procedures (as stated in the student handbook).
- Be in your seat and ready to work when the bell rings.
- Use class time to work productively on the appropriate subject.
- Treat your teacher, classmates, and the property of others with respect.
- Maintain a positive attitude.
Classroom Consequences
It is the responsibility of each student to contribute positively to the educational climate of the classroom. Students who fail to comply with the classroom expectations will receive the following consequences:
1st offense: Verbal warning
2nd offense: Teacher-student conference
3rd offense: A teacher detention will be issued and parent call home (failure to serve the detention will result in a Dean’s detention”
4th offense: Referral to the Dean of Students
** Major infractions can, at the teacher’s discretion, result in more severe consequences regardless of previous steps taken**
Classroom Library
Since reading is a central focus in my Language Arts class, I have created a classroom library with books of varying levels and genres. This library is available to any student (or parent) who wants to choose a book to read recreationally or for power reading. I expect that your child treat the classroom library with the same respect that they do any other library. If they happen to damage or misplace a book I expect them to pay for the book. Lost/ damaged paperback books will cost $5 and lost/ damaged hard cover books will cost $10. They can also replace the lost or damaged book with a new copy of the same book. If you would like your student to be able to check out books from my classroom library, please check the box on the following page and return to me.
**If you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to come talk to me, or have your parents call (630-759-7200 ext: 447) or email me (). Let’s have a great year! **
** Please detach this sheet and return to Ms. Miller by Wednesday, August 23.**
I have read and understand Ms. Miller’s Language Arts syllabus.
(Please sign and print your name below.)
______
Student NameSignature
______
Parent NameSignature
Home Phone #:______
Parent/Guardian Cell #: ______
Parent/Guardian Email*: ______
I have read and discussed Ms. Miller’s process for checking out books, along with the lost and damaged policy.
______I give permission to my son/ daughter to check out books from Ms. Miller’s classroom library.
______I do not give permission to my son/ daughter to check out books from Ms. Miller’s classroom library.
______
Parent signatureStudent signature