Mrs. JonesWMS - ELA

WurtlandLanguanauts

Classroom Policies and Helpful Information

Mrs. A. Beth Jones

7th Grade English and Language Arts

Wurtland Middle School

700 Center Street

Wurtland, KY 41144

Phone: (606) 836-1023

Email:

Webpage:

Principal: Amanda Powell

Greenup County Schools Board of Education

45 Musketeer Drive

Greenup, KY 41144

Phone: (606) 473-9819

Superintendent: Sherry Horsley

Pg. 2Letter to Parents and Students

Pg. 3-4Supplies List

Pg. 5Classroom Rules

Pg. 6-8Classroom Expectations and Procedures

Start of Class Procedures – pg. 7

Classwork Procedures – pg. 7

Attention Grabber – pg. 8

Hallway Procedures – pg. 8

Conflict Management Procedures – pg. 8

Pg. 9-10Technology Resources

Pg. 11Future Writing Assignment Style Sheet

Pg. 12-13Writing Suggestions, Problems, and Issues

To: All Parents and Students

From: Mrs. Jones

Hello Students and Parents!

My name is A. Beth Jones, and I will be your 7th grade ELA teacher at Wurtland Middle School this year. I am excited to get to know each and every one of you (Yes! Parents included!)

My passion for teaching comes from a desire to inspire our young people to become self-sufficient learners, eager to take on the world and become responsible and active citizens. When searching for truth in our technological world of instant access and purposeful misinformation, it is important for us to be able to recognize a reputable resource, understand what is being communicated, and compare the information against other reputable resources. We must be responsible for what we read, and learn to clearly determine fact from fiction, opinion from truth, and pointed discussion. We must be able to identify our audience and communicate our ideas to them in a manner that interests them and they understand. Without the ability to effectively communicate our ideas, they become stagnant. Our true path to growth is through interacting with this vast world of knowledge and discovering the rich diversity of culture and landscape our beautiful world holds for us.

It is my goal to inspire this mentality within you/your child during the short time we have together, and to show you all how important the footsteps you leave in this world truly are.

In order to accomplish this, we will be examining several different styles of literature as well as expressing our understanding of information in many different ways. We will focus mostly on reading, writing short responses, as well as professional paragraphs and essays, but will also work with oral and visual presentation. Our class will frequently participate in whole-class discussion where we, as a group, examine information and share our ideas and opinions. We will be working with various study styles, learning good note taking techniques, and learning how to extract quality information from reputable sources in print and online. Note-taking in class could easily mean the difference between struggling to keep up and being successful in this class. PLEASE - Take thorough notes and study any material covered in class for at least 10 minutes each night.

I look forward to working with all of you in order to make this a successful and exciting school year.

Sincerely,

A. Beth Jones

Supplies List – DO NOT PANIC!!!

These items will be used nearly every day, and each student is required to have the following 4 items, keep them safe, and bring them to class EVERY DAY. If you are unable to purchase these items, I can show you how to create a tool that will work just as well:

  • Agenda (If you have a multiple-course agenda or use an electronic agenda, that will be fine; but you must devise a way to easily access the information for your responsibilities in this course.)
  • 1 – Composition Journal to keep a Personal Dictionary (PD)
  • 1 – 1”, 3-Ring Binder (This can be a combined course binder, but you must have a section specified for ELA.
  • 3 – Dividers/Folders – You will be responsible for keeping your work organized. How you do so is up to you. I am always available to help you get organized if you need new ideas on how to do so more efficiently. However, I do require you designate room in your binder for at least the following five sections:

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Mrs. JonesWMS - ELA

  1. Tools and Course Information
  2. Current Assignments
  3. Graded Work

The following items are supplies we will be using in class. I have a small collection already for students to use to get us started. However, once they are gone, I do not have the means to replace them. If you are able to donate any of the following items, it would be greatly appreciated.

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Mrs. JonesWMS - ELA

college-ruled loose-leaf notebook paper

white copy paper

index cards

composition notebooks

#2 wooden pencils

pink erasers

ball-point black ink pens

multi-colored markers, crayons, or colored pencils

glue sticks

white-board markers (black OR multi-colored)

standard ruler

Scissors

White-out

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Mrs. JonesWMS - ELA

*ANY AND ALL DONATIONS ARE WELCOME and APPRECIATED*

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Mrs. JonesWMS - ELA

Hand sanitizer

Clorox wipes

Facial tissues (no lotion)

Paper towels

Dictionaries/Thesaurus

Page protectors

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Mrs. JonesWMS - ELA

Classroom Rules

  • Ready to learn:

I will come to class ready to learn the amazing things my teacher and fellow students have to share with me every day.

  • Ego-free:

I will leave my ego at home. We are a family inside these walls. Everyone matters.

  • Safe:

I will ensure everyone is safe from bullying and other dangers, because all of us are friends and care for one another.

  • Prepared:

I will make sure I am prepared every day to follow through with “R”; books, paper, writing utensil, and any other items necessary will be brought to class with me and not left in my locker or at home.

  • Engaged:

I will engage in classroom conversations to get the best experience and understanding available.

  • Community-focused:

I will use what I learn to make a positive difference in our classroom, city, state, national, and global communities.

  • Teach Learning:

I will teach my classmates and teacher, and allow them to teach me. We will work together to ensure an effective learning environment.

Unfortunately, there are consequences for not following the rules:

  1. Verbal Warning
  2. Student/Teacher Conference
  3. Demerit
  4. Contacting Family
  5. Referral to Office/Possible ISI

Classroom Expectations and Procedures

  • Work is not “Optional”: All classwork is required to be completed, even if you are unable to attend class. This includes all absences, including personal and school related reasons. If you do not complete assigned work, you will miss out on key information for future assignments.
  • Be on Time: Class starts at the bell. You should be in your seat ready to participate by the time the bell rings. If you are late beginning your class work, you will miss important information and activities to our lessons, and possibly fall behind. I want you all to be successful in this class!
  • Be Prepared: Have assignments ready to turn in at the beginning of class on its due date. Have all class materials available when you enter the classroom. You cannot do the work assigned unless you bring all required material to class each day. Leaving to go to your locker takes time away from your learning and uses time you could otherwise be working on assignments to keep from having homework.
  • Engage: You will get the most from this class if you engage in teacher and student driven discussions, projects, groups, etc. School is a place for you to learn how to be a self-learner and how to interact with others effectively. Use this opportunity to become your best possible self!
  • Use Your Time Wisely: Pay attention to the teacher and other classmates when they are addressing the class. Listen with a “hearing” ear, not a “responding” ear (listen to absorb what is being said/shared, not internalizing how you will respond to it). Do not be disruptive – If you are finished with work, work quietly on another project or get out your reading book/material. Use the time you are given in class to complete work and prevent having to work on your assignments at home. You will have plenty of time to socialize with your friends at lunch, in the hallways, or outside of school.
  • Be Supportive: Encourage and help yourself and your classmates. Learn to recognize your strengths and weaknesses, offering help to others and accepting help for yourself. This is a community learning environment. We are all here to learn, so use your classmates as a tool to help you in that journey.

If you have a problem, I have an open-door policy. Do not hesitate to talk to me about anything.

Do not leave the classroom without teacher permissionANDa hall pass.

Complete silence when there are announcements – This is a matter of respect. Even if you are not interested in the information, someone else may be and someone is trying to share information – be respectful, be quiet.

Write legibly and proofread EVERYTHING! I will deduct points for work I cannot read/understand.

The bell does not dismiss class; I do.

Keep the room clean! We all have to share this space. Clean up your area and any other messes you see in the room. Put away all class materials. Return your chairs/tables before leaving class.

Start of Class Procedures

  • You will enter the classroom quietly and check the front WhiteBoard/SmartBoard and pod bindersfor your start of class assignments.
  • You will stay in your seat during flashback activities. This time will be used to take attendance. If you finish flashback activities early;review the “I Can” statement and any other information relating to today’s task so you understand the purpose of today’s lesson, review your agenda to make sure you are current on all classroom tasks and assignments, review your class notes and assignments from the day before, and only then you may quietly read your book or work on other class homework.
  • You will follow any other directives on the board, paying attention to any assignments that are due and the day’s listed activities to prepare yourself for the work ahead.
  • Homework that is due to be turned in for the day will be turned in before you begin your flashback work.
  • Everything you hand in MUST be properly labeled (Name/Date/Period - NDP) and go in the properly marked bin for your class period, unless otherwise directed.
  • If work has been completed in your journal, journals will be placed on top of the student’s desk and opened or marked to the page work has been completed.

Classwork Procedures

  • Missed Assignments: If any assignments are missed due to absence, there is no reason for you to fall behind in class. To ensure you have every opportunity to succeed, you may assign a classmate or have your legal guardian pick up the day’s work packet from me. Alternatively, you can pick up from me upon your return.All assignments are to be completed, even when absences are excused. You will be given time equal to the days absent to complete any missed work. If you feel you need more time, you must discuss this with me and get my approval or you will be penalized points as with any other late assignment.
  • Missing/Late Work: Work that is not turned in on the due date will be docked 10% of that assignments overall score. If work is more than 1 week late, it will be docked 50%. Any work that is more than 2 weeks late will not be accepted. The only exception to this will be if missing work accounts for more than 1 letter grade and the student has below a “C” for their overall course grade. At this point, students will be sent to credit recovery for the opportunity to earn back full credit for the missing work.
  • Labeling Work: All documents MUST have your name (common name and last initial), date, and class period (this will be referred to as your “NDP” – or name/date/period) clearly listed in the top right corner unless otherwise indicated. I will not hunt down the owner of assignments. I will set unidentified work aside, but it will be your responsibility to claim work if you have not received a grade after turning it in. As well, failing to properly label your work will result in a 1 point reduction of that work’s final grade.
  • Location: Your journals are to be in class with you every day. This will help you keep the majority of your work organized in an easy to find location. Any work that is to be taken up will be placed into the appropriate class period bin at the start of class on the day it is due, unless otherwise specified.

Attention Grabber

Hands Up – Mouths Closed

WhenIwantyourattention, Iwill say, “Signal”, and raise my handin theair. Once you see my hand raised, or notice other students raising their hands, you will stop talking, turn your eyes toward me, and raise your own hand. Once the class is quiet and has given me their full attention, I will continue with instruction. Thisprocedure effectively quiets the class, and directs their attention to me without unnecessarilyraising my voice.

HallwayProcedures

Whole-class Hallway Use:

  • Walk! No running.
  • Use quiet feet.
  • Keep youreyesin front of you and your hands to yourself.
  • Remember, we are:

RIGHT (stay right of the hallway)

TIGHT (keep your mouth closed tight; no talking)

and WIDE (walk wide around left-hand turns so we do not head-butt oncoming traffic)!!!

Personal Hallway Use:

  • Restrooms are to be used between classes. You are not automatically entitled to restroom breaks – plan accordingly.
  • If you have an emergency, you will need to report to the office.
  • You must always ask permission before leaving the class, and get a hall pass from the teacher.
  • Go directly to your required destination and return quickly, no socializing.
  • If you are caught off task outside of the classroom during class time by any staff or if you fail to return to the room within a sufficient amount of time, you are subject to an immediate demerit.

ConflictManagement Procedures

  • Take a deep breath.
  • Take responsibility for yourself; identify if your words or actions may be the problem.
  • Learn to recognize how a situation or conversation may cause conflict ahead of time, and use your critical thinking skills to find a better way to address an issue.
  • Follow “The Golden Rule” – Treat and speak to others the way you would like to be treated and spoken to.
  • Identify the consequences to the situation if it continues, and decide if it is really worth the conflict.
  • Look for a better solution.
  • BE RESPECTFUL OF EVERYONE!
  • Take it to an adult. If you are unable to resolve a conflict on your own, take it to an adult before the situation gets out of hand and someone gets hurt.

Technology Resources

There are several links to technology resources on our classroom webpage; Lore’s Links – Languanauts’ Resource Symbaloo!!! Feel free to browse through all the links there. The left-side is dedicated to school specific sites, but there is an area for dictionary/thesaurus apps, presentation programs, and ELA skills practice. The entire right-side of the Symbaloo is dedicated to activities and games that will help you practice ELA skills, including standard specific practice, keyboarding, and even learning Spanish and American Sign Language. If you create your own account for any resource we will be using together in class, I will gladly keep your login information in a safe location for you to access.

  • Common Sense Media:

This is an excellent resource for information concerning digital citizenship and how to stay safe. There are many articles, games, and other types of media that deal with interacting in the digital world. The site has different areas for different age students. They are also the creator of the Digital Passport app. Their Digital Passport app is available in both iTunes and GooglePlay stores for $2.99, so be sure to ask permission first.

  • Digital Citizenship:

This is a web site that gives really good information for you and your parent(s)/guardian(s) concerning how we should conduct ourselves in the digital world. Please take time to visit the page and get a head-start on becoming a responsible digital citizen. The more you understand about how your online behavior affects others, the better equipped you will be to be successful in this new digital world.

Please feel free to share with me any digital tools or webpages you enjoy using in your other classes or daily life, and we will see if we can incorporate them in our lessons.

Future Writing Assignment Style Sheet

Formatting:

  • All work may be turned in hand-written OR typed, unless given specific instructions.
  • Black, Times New Roman or Arial, 12 point font (NO OTHER FONT WILL BE ACCEPTABLE)
  • 1” margins throughout document – If hand-writing your paper, do not write in the border areas of the page or on the last two lines.
  • Do not create hyphens in words. If a word will not fit entirely on a line, please move the entire word to the next line.
  • Double-spaced – If hand-writing your paper, skip one line between each written line.
  • Indent every paragraph using the tab feature – If hand-writing your paper, use a two-finger indent.
  • All pages should be numbered (this does not include a cover or title page but doesinclude the bibliography or resource page).

Ideas must be developed in complete sentences and structured paragraph form. ONE SENTENCE IS NOT A PARAGRAPH. If writing more than one paragraph, you must use the last sentence in each paragraph to transition from one main idea to another.