Collingswood Middle School
Language Arts 7 · Writers Workshop 7
Miss Whitman
856-962-5702
Welcome to Seventh Grade Language Arts and Writers Workshop! These classes are designed to help you become
better readers, writers, and speakers, and to foster a lifelong appreciation
for literature of all types. Please
review the below syllabus carefully and return the signed agreement to Miss
Whitman within ONE DAY. This is your
first homework assignment of the year—be on top of it!
Course Texts
In both Language Arts and Writers Workshop, we will utilize
a wide variety of texts, most of which are available at Collingswood Middle
School. We will read short selections
and complete novels from a variety of genres including fiction, non-fiction,
drama, and poetry. While our class
novels change from year to year, some typical seventh grade class reads are:
Crunch,
by Leslie Connor
Freak
the Mighty, by Rodman Philbrick
The Fat Boy Chronicles, by
Lang Buchanan
The
Watsons Go to Birmingham, by Christopher Paul Curtis
Roll of
Thunder, Hear My Cry, by Mildred Taylor
Flipped,
by Wendelin Van Draanan
Schooled,
by Gordon Korman
Student Responsibilities
1.
Class begins promptly when the bell rings, at
which point you should be in your assigned seat and working on the “do now”
assignment. At the end of class, I
dismiss you—NOT the bell.
2.
Some of your class materials will be stored in
Room 204, and you must retrieve them prior
to the start of class each day:
·
3-Ring Binder with Organizer Tabs
·
Composition Book
·
Word of the Day Cards
You are required to bring the
following items to class with you each day:
·
Blue or Black Pen (NOT pencil)
·
Agenda Book
·
Independent Reading Book
·
Writers Notebook
·
Any Completed Homework Assignments
3.
There are to be no cell phones, iPods, tablets,
or other electronic devices used in class without express permission from the
teacher. These items should be turned off and out of view. Not only is it remarkably rude to use your
cell phone in class—it can also be seen as a cheating device and a distraction
to your classmates. If I see you using a
cell phone or iPod, I will confiscate it and return it to you at the end of the
day.
4.
Please use the bathroom and/or get water before
or after class whenever possible. Should
you have an emergency need, you must
take the class hall pass with you to your destination. If I find that you have abused your hall pass
privileges, I will take them away entirely.
5.
Late assignments will lose an automatic ten
points per day of lateness (for example, a paper turned in Wednesday that was
due Monday will receive a maximum score of 80%). Computer/printer issues are NOT a valid
excuse for incomplete assignments.
6.
Please do not touch anything on the teacher’s
desk, filing cabinet, window shelf, etc.
7.
Unless specifically told otherwise, students are
to work independently on all
assignments.
8.
If you miss work due to absence, it is your responsibility to find out what
you missed and turn in all assignments.
9.
Plagiarism and cheating are both considered
forms of stealing in this
class. If you are caught in either
activity, you will receive a zero for the assignment.
10. Be nice to each other. Be nice to me. Respect will take you very, very far.
Grading
Grading will be based on a point system. Every assignment is worth a certain point
value, and at the end of the marking period, students will receive a percentage
grade based on how many points they received out of the total number possible. Typically, homework assignments and class
work will be worth 10-25 points per item, while essays, tests, and projects may
be worth 50-100 points. Students will be
made aware of the point values of all assignments, and the values will also be
reflected in Genesis. Students will also
receive academic points for class participation and behavior based on teacher
observation and Class Dojo data.
Items considered
toward your final grade:
Tests, Projects, Public Speaking Assignments, Essays
Independent Reading (SRC)
Quizzes, Short Writings
Homework
Class Work (Writers’ and Readers’ notebooks are part of this,
as are Word of the Day cards)
Participation and Classroom Behavior
Required School
Supplies
All students are required to obtain and bring in the
following supply items for this year’s language arts class. All
students should have their supplies before Tuesday, September 9, 2014.
1 3-ring
binder and lined paper to fill it
1 package of blue or black pens
1 black and
white composition notebook
1 colored
folder
1 colored
notebook
1 box of
tissues
2 packages
of 3x5-inch index cards
Post-It
notes—lots of them!
Highlighter
Class Communication
All classroom information, including these expectations,
will be posted on a class website, and all students and parents will have
access to the link. The website can be
found at http://misswhitman.blogspot.com/
All students and parents will also have the opportunity to
sign up for text and e-mail alerts about important class items through
Remind101. Students will receive access
codes during the first few days of school.
Writing Revision Policy
If you receive an undesirable score on an essay or project,
you may meet with me to discuss submitting a revision. You will no longer be eligible for a perfect
score, but you can improve your overall grade, perhaps bringing your D to a C
or C to a B. It is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY
to approach me if you are interested in this opportunity.
Teacher Contact
I am eager for you to succeed, and will be available before
and after class in Room 204 to offer extra help, answer class questions, and
provide academic support as needed. I
will seek to be in my classroom beginning at 7:15 AM each day and stay after
school until 3:15 PM. PLEASE ask for help as often as you need
it. I am here for you, and I believe
that every student in my class is
capable of excellence.
“If you are
not willing to learn, no one can help you.
If you are determined to learn, no one can stop you.”
-Unknown
