***PLEASE ASK YOUR STUDENT IF HE/SHE HAS A SCHOOL ID. ALL STUDENTS ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE AN ID. THEY CAN NOT CHECK OUT BOOKS FROM THE LIBRARY WITHOUT A 2011/2012 ID. STUDENTS ARE REQUIRED TO READ FOUR AR BOOKS PER NINE WEEK. AR COUNTS 10% OF THEIR GRADE.
Students are currently working on the following standards, skills, and activities. This list can take several days or weeks to complete. The students' learning pace and mastery of the skills determines how long standards/skills and activities are taught. The majority of the language arts standards/skills are taught in a prerequisite manner. Prerequisite simply means that a student must master/learn certain skills before they can move on to master others.
STANDARD(S)
-See 8th Grade Language Arts Georgia Performance Standards http://www.georgiastandards.org/index.aspx
-CRCT Practice Site: WWW.linkstolearning (user name: ga, password: temp)
WRITING
Eighth grade students took the Georgia, Grade 8 Writing Assessment 2012 test today. Students have been reminded that writing exercises are still on-going and they are expected to write as diligently and effective as they did when practicing for the writing test. Assigned writing activities/exercises receive a classroom grade.
SPELLING
A list of spelling words will be distributed on Monday, January 23. Homework is due on Tuesday, January 24 but will be accepted thru Friday, January 27.
-Spelling words are issued every Monday, unless other wised announced in class (NO EXCEPTIONS). If school is closed on a Monday, then the word list is distributed on Tuesday. The spelling test will be given every Friday (The date may change because of an unexpected school event). Students will also be tested on the definition of each word. Students who are absent on the day of the test, should be prepared to take the spelling and vocabulary test on the day they return. THE STUDENT MUST LEARN TO SPELL EACH WORD AND THE DEFINITION.
Grammar skills being taught or practice (Book: Holt Handbook-Grammar, usage, mechanics, sentences, Second Course, Holt, Rinehart and Winston)
*Previously taught grammar chapters are reviewed throughout the each new chapter.
*Chapter 4: Complements: Direct and Indirect Objects, Subject Complements
*Chapter 5: The Phrase: Prepositional, Verbal, and Appositive Phrases
*Chapter 6: The Clause: Independent Clauses and Subordinate Clauses
Reading Skills being taught
Comprehension and vocabulary development are enhanced through the AR (Accelerated Reading Program, literature stories and classroom activities
LITERATURE
Stories from the literature book are read as a whole class and independently. All literature activities are evaluated using several pre and post test instruments.
The next literature story is 'The Ransom of Red Chief,' pages 482-495. After reading and discussing the story aloud, students will be assigned a volunteer homework assignment. All students were issued a purple and brown Elements of Literature, Second Course text book. Students were instructed to take the book home or leave it in their locker to be carried home when needed. The assignment is not mandatory but can help boost their final Nine Week grade average.
On-going Story: Check with your students to learn about the story being read in class. Students may be assigned to read a story in advance.
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS
-Homework is assigned to assist students in preparing for tests and developing skills. Spelling homework is due no later than Thursday. I Will not accept spelling homework on Friday unless the student was absent on Thursday. All other homework is due on the day the assignment was announced in class (unless otherwise noted). Students are encouraged to complete their spelling homework on the day the words are distributed. The homework is designed to help the student prepare for the spelling vocabulary test on Friday.
SPELLING HOMEWORK
Assignment: Write at least 3 synonyms (words that mean the same) for each spelling word and at least 2 antonyms (opposite word) for each word. (Should be completed on day it is given, however, students are not penalized for submitting the spelling work on another day. If they would like to make two copies of the homework and submit one before Thursday that is completely acceptable.
GRAMMAR HOMEWORK
A. Grammar homework will be assigned throughout the week. I cannot give you or the student a specific date for the assignment. Grammar homework is assigned after a skill(s) are introduced, taught, and practiced in class. Asking your student if he/she has more than spelling homework to study or complete will ensure that the student completes the assigned homework
Task(s) see your student for the assigned task(s)
AR (Accelerated Reading)
Each student is required to read at least one hour every night. All students visit the library once a week with the classroom teacher. They may check out two books during their visit and request to visit the library any other day.
Students must read a total of four books for the Second Nine Week Grading Period. Failure to read and take four AR books may result in a low language arts report card grade. All AR books must have a 5.0 reading level or higher. Books below 5.0 may not be used toward the AR grade, unless assigned by the classroom teacher (see Progress Report Standard ELA8RC1 for grade) AR counts 10% of the total Language Arts Grade.
GRADING Policy
The Muscogee County School System is Grading Policy: A=100-90, B=89-80, C=79-70, F=69-0
Grades are weighted according to the following scale.
-Grammar Assignments/Activities: 20%
-Writing Assignments/Activities: 20%
-Literature Assignment/Activities: 20%
-Spelling Assignment/Activities: 20%
-Homework Assignment/Activities: 10%
-AR Grade include the # of books Read and the % of correct items on each test taken (Accelerated Reading) Assignment= 10%
Total: 100%
Graded Paper
Students are given their graded papers as they are graded. They are encouraged to share their papers with a parent(s)/guardian. Parents can gather a great deal of information about their child's academic ability, work habits, classroom performance, and study habits. I encourage parents to use the graded papers as a means of helping their student make better grades. Using the graded papers to punish a student before giving assistance is inappropriate and does not work in most instances. You can help your student by having him/her correct the items he /she missed on the graded paper. Having the student correct or redo missed items will help the parent discover their student's weaknesses and strengths. The parent will discover if the student is in need of parental assistance, tutoring, positive/negative encouragement or if the student is being just plain irresponsible. Please visit the classroom, contact me, or call the school and make an appointment with your student's team of teachers to discuss his/her progress. In order to better manage teacher time, teachers meet as a team and not individually.
Helpful Parent Information
* All classroom work is completed in pencil unless instructed not to do so by the teacher.
* Progress Reports were distributed on Wednesday, January 11, 2012. Students were asked to return the progress report with a parental signature. A homework grade of 100% will be assigned for returning the report and a grade of zero for unreturned papers.
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