Dear 8Th Grade Parents,Sept. 8, 2016
Dear 8th Grade Parents,Sept. 8, 2016
Welcome back to school! I am very excited about working with your children in 8th grade social studies this year! I have already covered many of the important points about this class in the parent letters which your child brought home the first week of school, but here is some additional information which you may find helpful.
Our focus in 8th grade social studies this year will be on the years leading to the Civil War, the Civil War and Reconstruction, Reform, Expansion, Wars, Turbulent Decades, and Modern America. We have a *lot* of ground to cover, but I’m confident that we can do it! Students will be challenged to work hard, and must keep up with homework assignments and vocabulary terms. Additionally, students will be expected to participate in class discussions on a frequent basis. Also, the students will soon be starting current events articles; each student will be required to present two articles during the trimester. Students in 8th grade should present articles/political cartoons about international events. (iPads may not be used for current events presentations. Students need to bring in a newspaper article or a printed version from an online newspaper website. I also have plenty of free Herald-Mailpapers available for students to take.)
Students should not need to bring their textbooks home every night. The book we use is called America: History of Our Nation by Prentice Hall. These books should be covered at all times. Students are responsible for keeping their books in the best shape possible.A warning will be given for uncovered books…demerits may follow if the book remains uncovered. In addition to books, students will be sometimes taking notes in a social studies notebook, and completing activities using their school iPads. They will be able to upload notes and assignments to their account on eBackpack, which can be accessed from any device with internet access. (If internet availability is a problem, please let me know.)
You can view my homework assignments by scanning the QR code at the bottom of the letter. This code will take you directly to my teacher page. Aside from HW, you’ll find lots of other good info here, too!
While in my class, students are expected to adhere to the “SMCS Keys for Success,” which are: Be Kind & Gentle, Be Respectful, and Be Responsible. Our instructional time together is very valuable. I cannot take time to continually discipline students who may be impeding others from learning, so I do expect everyone in my class to behave appropriately at all times. Thank you for your support of this!
I try very hard to import grades into PowerSchool twice a week. Please let me know if you have specific questions about a grade or assignment. I do provide opportunities for students with grades of C or below to make corrections on tests and quizzes. Students have one night to make corrections (using their books is fine), and I will average the corrections grade with the original grade to get the final score. Not all students choose to take advantage of this opportunity to improve poor grades! Please also remember that tests must be signed. You can expect to see graded tests/quizzes coming home within a day or two of when they were given. Tests and projects will count in my gradebook twice. You will see the same grade posted as both a content grade and an application grade for tests and projects. I do this because tests and projects require a lot more preparation and work than vocabulary definitions, classwork, or quizzes. As such, I feel they should be reflected in a student’s overall average as being worth more.
If you have any questions for me throughout the year, please do not hesitate to get in touch. Email is best, as I can respond to it quickly. () My door is always open, and I believe we, as parents & teacher, make an incredible team! Working together will ensure your child’s success!
Thank you for the opportunity to work with your children. We are going to have a wonderful year!
Mrs. Kristy Gross