Welcome to 7th & 8th Reading/

Language Arts

with Mr. MacDonald

A message to the kids on the first day:

I’m going to kick your butt this year. Really.

8th graders, I’m going to kick your butt again. But harder. I promise.

…but this is a good thing.

Rigor, stretching, higher order thinking.

Rigor, stretching, higher order thinking.

• The stuff we’ll do this year is rigorous. It’s doable but challenging; it should make students truly think.

Rigor, stretching, higher order thinking. •Don’t worry, they can do it!

• I promise all assignments are doable and worthwhile.

• If your student struggles at first, it’s okay! That’s how we learn when the bar is raised.

Struggling?! After-school extra help• I LOVE working in small groups or one-on-one with

students after school. I'm available most days after school to work with any student, struggling or not, on any assignment or to review and clarify concepts from class.

• This type of instruction is simply invaluable to you as a learner, and I am more than happy to do it. I want you to reach your potential as a writer, reader, and thinker.

• Email or talk to me to set up a time

What will we do this year? Well, on the most basic level…

Think.

Reading this year…Accelerated• …will be intense, but doable.

• 7th grade: reading at least 5 books• 8th grade: reading at least 6 books

• Quote quizzes to check if student read

Communicating with me• Wiki for HW, reminders, due dates, calendar, extra handouts, notes, etc. • Use for all classes.• 7thgradehillsboro.wikispaces.com

• - 8th grade HW will still be posted here (tentatively!)

• Students or parents can email me questions about homework. I’ll respond, nine times out of ten.

Wordly Wise 3000 Vocabulary Study

•Quiz every 12 days or so.

•Enrichment vocabulary

•Challenging but doable.

Homework• Expect about 20 minutes of homework per night.

• This is in addition to AR reading.

Accelerated Reader (AR)• Based on STAR data.

• Requirements: Read at least two novels each quarter. • 20 minutes per night, approximately.

• Books should not be “easy” reads. They need to be on level or above. We’re going to learn about lexile levels later to allow the kids to gauge if a book is challenging enough.

• Even if yours is the kid that reads constantly, its worth way more to them if they are reading a challenging text.

Grades• Homework – 20%

• Writing + Projects – 30%

• Active Reading + Response to Text – 20%

• Tests/Quizzes – 30%

“thinking tracks”Active Reading + Response to Text – 20%

Active Reading + Response to Text – 20%Writing inferences directly on the text:

Active Reading + Response to Text – 20%Writing inferences directly on the text:

Active Reading + Response to Text – 20%Writing inferences directly on the text:

7th Grade: First Book: The Pearl

8th Grade: First Book: Night

Discipline Policy 1. Formal Warning (student/teacher conference)2. First Ticket (student/teacher conference)

- lunch detention + email/phone call3. Second Ticket

- after/before school detention + email/phone call- parent phone call/email

4. Third Ticket- Friday Opportunity School

5. Fourth Ticket - Office referral, Friday Opportunity School/ISS

Attendance is ESSENTIAL.

• From the letter to your parents…

• To learn most effectively and authentically, students must be at school. Missing days for anything other than sickness is unacceptable. We need you in class! While we know dentists and doctor appointments are hard to come by, please schedule these after school. Remember, we can’t teach you if you are not in school.