Mrs. Darling
Rm 201
863-6141 Ext. 1301
[email protected]
English Syllabus
English is an amazing subject! Whether you believe this statement or not right now, by the end of this year, my goal is to open your mind to the history, beauties, difficulties, and wonders of this language that we speak and use every day in so many wild and different ways! Did you know that English is spoken in every continent on the planet? And did you know that, because of its flexibility and integration with other languages, it has arguably the largest vocabulary of any language? According to GlobalLanguageMonitor.com, as of January 1, 2014, “the number of words in the English language is 1,025,109.8. . . Currently there is a new word created every 98 minutes or about 14.7 words per day.” (“Number of Words in the English Language”)
Although our language is amazing, it is also QUITE complex and confusing at times! However, our language helps us effectively communicate with others, and this skill is a crucial requirement for most jobs and professions. Being able to read, write, listen, and speak well is also something that most people find desirable in others around them.
In this class, we will develop an awareness of the amazing power of language and learn that reading and writing are ongoing processes that need to continually be sharpened through daily practice. This class will encourage you to become responsible for your own education and will show you the benefits of a life-long love of learning, which is the ultimate goal for each student in this class!
I hope you will challenge yourself this year by reading and writing genres you may be unfamiliar with, extending the length of your reading and writing, and pushing yourself to think beyond the concepts and questions I give you in class and challenge the class and yourself with your own questions, opinions, and thoughts.
Class Expectations - As 7th or 8th graders, you should be familiar with what proper classroom behavior looks like and sounds like, and I hope you choose to be great role models for the rest of the school as well as your community. To do this, you will show pride in yourself and our class. I expect each student to abide by the East Rockford Middle School Code of Conduct as shown in your planner. With that in mind, we will:
1. Be respectful of everyone at all times. Be kind with our words and actions. This doesn’t just apply to our classroom, but that goes for the hallways and cafeteria as well. If you see other students from this class, or even your teacherJ, it is only respectful to smile and acknowledge each other!!
2. Be on time. You are expected to be seated and working when class starts.
3. Be prepared. Please bring all your materials with you on a daily basis.
4. Be ready to actively participate, learn, and ask questions. Have a growth mindset rather than one that is focused on grades. So much of your success in Language Arts is about the amount of effort you put into your work. I can teach you the guidelines for good writing and how to get the most meaning out of what you read, but I can’t make you apply those skills every day. You must be willing to put in the time, effort, and attention to detail if you want to succeed. I care much more about quality than quantity, which means slowing down, taking your time, developing a plan or strategy, and reflecting on and revising your work.
Behavior Discipline Plans –Please familiarize yourself with our school and classroom rules, and make wise choices with respect to your behavior. Remember that your primary purpose for being here at school is to learn. Any behavior which demonstrates a lack of attention to this goal or which disrupts the learning opportunities of others is not acceptable. Consequences for misconduct may include parent notification, lunch detentions, or after school detentions.
English Department Unified Classroom Materials
One 3-Ring Binder – 1.5 inch
One 8x11 Spiral Notebook – 3 hole punch, standard size (70 pgs.)
Five Dividers with Tabs
One Highlighter
Pens – Black or Blue
One Pack of Colored Pencils – Set of 10-12
One Zippered Pencil Pouch
Pencils & Erasers
One Packet of Post-It Notes – Any Size
School I.D.
Technology Use Form – Make sure all 4 areas are checked
Binder Set-Up – After putting the following assignments where they go, please use your own common sense to decide where to put your workJ Do NOT throw anything away!!! We will recycle and add to our portfolios at the end of each marking period.
1) Proper Heading on the Inside Front cover
2) Agendas in the front
3) Writer’s Notebook(Behind agenda or in front pocket)
a) Front – All Quickwrites and drafting
b) Back – Partner Clocks & To Read List
4) 1st Divider – Mini-Lessons (Fill with Filler Paper)
a) ML #1 – Speech Tips
5) 2nd Divider – Reading
a) Student Reading Record & To Read List
b) 1st Semester Reading Packet
c) Articles of the Week
d) Reading/Writing Survey
6) 3rd Divider – Writing
a) Writing Territories List
b) “One Day” Prompt & Rubric
7) 4th Divider – Miscellaneous
a) Class Syllabus
b) Notebook Handout
Procedures and Rules
1. Beginning of Class - When the bell rings, you should already be in your seat and writing down your agenda from the board. If there is a beginning activity on the board, you should begin this activity quietly as soon as your agenda is done. “Good Things” will be done at least twice a week but may be done at the end of the class instead of the beginning. Although “Good Things” as a class will be done on a weekly basis, please don’t refrain from sharing your good things with me when you walk in the door, at the end of class, etc.!
2. Speaking in Class - During lectures, notes, and teacher-led activities, please raise your hand and wait to speak when you have a question or a thought to add. If it is a student-led activity, groupwork, or open forum type discussion, please wait for a break in the conversation and then speak your mind! Remember active participation is part of your gradeJ
3. Late Work Policy – Unless otherwise noted by the specific teacher, ALL assignments are due at the beginning of class on the day due if the student wishes to receive 100% credit. The English department has a unified policy that deducts 10% by day for up to 5 days. (90% - 50% Credit) After 5 days, the assignment will be a zero. Serious extenuating circumstances can be discussed with the teacher AFTER the class period. Important Note: When assignments come in late, whether it is one day late or the five day maximum, these assignments will be graded AFTER all on time assignments are graded and put in to the gradebook. Unfortunately, this means the student who turns in late work may have to keep the zero they received for a few days. However, this should be looked at as reinforcement that when you don’t turn things in on time in life, there will be consequences!
4. Absent Work - Upon returning from an absence, you should immediately ask a classmate for the agenda from the missed days as well as any missed notes, etc. You will be given up to one week after the assignment was due to turn in the work that was missed. Put assignments in the In Box with “Absent” and the day you were absent written on the top.
5. Restroom Passes - You should use the restroom, water fountain, and go to your lockers during passing periods or lunch. Three emergency passes will be allowed each quarter. Please use them wisely!
6. No name on a paper = No grade on a paper!! However, the assignments that cannot be graded because there is no name go into a No Name folder that is located by the cupboards in the classroom. If you take the initiative to find it and prove it is yours, you can earn partial credit back.
7. Substitute Teachers = In the event of a substitute teacher, you should be helpful and cooperative. A student’s name left by the substitute teacher = a detention.
8. When the phone rings or intercom buzzes – When there is a disruption in the classroom, you need to continue to work. If the class is in the middle of a discussion, you need to be respectful and be quiet until I am done.
*Communication and Resources for Parents
Daily Agenda – The students keep a daily agenda in the class. This helps them remember assignments as well as allows the parents to see what is happening in the class and what is due at any time. This also allows absent students to quickly catch up on what was missed without taking time out of the class period. The daily agenda is collected monthly and therefore also helps the students with their participation gradeJ
Family Access – The Gradebook section of Family Access allows communication of current grades between teachers, parents, and students. The Homework/Message Center allows teachers to put deadlines and daily homework on this website for parents and students to access. This helps parents to be connected to each course’s goals and standards. Long-Term or Large Assignments can be emailed home to parents and students through this program when deemed appropriate by the teacher.
Important Note regarding Family Access: There may be times when your child’s assignment will be marked with an asterisk. (*) This means that the assignment has been placed in the gradebook but the grades have not been added as of yet. This DOES NOT affect their grades in any way!! However, sometimes missing assignment emails may go out to you in regard to an asterisk. This is a glitch in Family Access that they have not been able to fix as of yet and creates much confusion. Please check the F.A. Gradebook when you receive a worrisome missing assignment email. Although this is not always possible, I will try to avoid entering grades until all assignments are graded and in.
Homework Pick-Up – With a parent request, teachers will fill out a Homework Request form and attach any homework to this for the student for pick-up in the front office after school.
Student Responsibility
Technology has allowed teachers and parents to jump leaps and bounds in communication when it comes to following their course schedules as well as following student progress. Unfortunately, sometimes technology can help in various respects and detract from others. Family Access can have the unfortunate capability of taking away from student responsibility if used incorrectly.
At the middle school level, students should be working on achieving the independence of schoolwork, time management, and communicating with the teachers they see every day. If we do not help them reach this goal, they will only continue to struggle and get further behind in their studies and work in the future, whether it is at the Freshman Center, the high school, the post-secondary level, or in the work place.
It is important that we help them learn life skills as well as our core curriculum, and that we give our kids the opportunity to complete their own educations. Whenever the teacher or the parent is doing more work than the student, there is a problem that we need to look at together.
Parent Contact Sheet
Parents: MOST of this syllabus is for your child!J However, please make sure you have read the late work and the absent work policies and the Communication and Resources for Parents section before you sign this. Thanks!
P.S. Also, please let me know if your student needs any help getting the required materials listed!
Please fill out the Parent Contact Sheet and return by Monday, September ______
Student Name: _____________________________________________________
Parent to Contact First:
First and Last Name: _________________________________________________
Relationship to Student: ______________________________________________
Home Phone: _____________________ Work Phone: _____________________
E-mail Address: _____________________________________________________
The best time to reach me: ____________________________________________
Second Parent Contact:
First and Last Name: _________________________________________________
Relationship to Student: ______________________________________________
Home Phone: _____________________ Work Phone: _____________________
E-mail Address: _____________________________________________________
The best time to reach me: ____________________________________________
Aside from specific incidents where teacher discretion will be used, what would your preferred method of contact be? Phone E-mail
Student Signature: ________________________________ Date: _____________
Parent Signature: _________________________________ Date: _____________
Rm 201
863-6141 Ext. 1301
[email protected]
English Syllabus
English is an amazing subject! Whether you believe this statement or not right now, by the end of this year, my goal is to open your mind to the history, beauties, difficulties, and wonders of this language that we speak and use every day in so many wild and different ways! Did you know that English is spoken in every continent on the planet? And did you know that, because of its flexibility and integration with other languages, it has arguably the largest vocabulary of any language? According to GlobalLanguageMonitor.com, as of January 1, 2014, “the number of words in the English language is 1,025,109.8. . . Currently there is a new word created every 98 minutes or about 14.7 words per day.” (“Number of Words in the English Language”)
Although our language is amazing, it is also QUITE complex and confusing at times! However, our language helps us effectively communicate with others, and this skill is a crucial requirement for most jobs and professions. Being able to read, write, listen, and speak well is also something that most people find desirable in others around them.
In this class, we will develop an awareness of the amazing power of language and learn that reading and writing are ongoing processes that need to continually be sharpened through daily practice. This class will encourage you to become responsible for your own education and will show you the benefits of a life-long love of learning, which is the ultimate goal for each student in this class!
I hope you will challenge yourself this year by reading and writing genres you may be unfamiliar with, extending the length of your reading and writing, and pushing yourself to think beyond the concepts and questions I give you in class and challenge the class and yourself with your own questions, opinions, and thoughts.
Class Expectations - As 7th or 8th graders, you should be familiar with what proper classroom behavior looks like and sounds like, and I hope you choose to be great role models for the rest of the school as well as your community. To do this, you will show pride in yourself and our class. I expect each student to abide by the East Rockford Middle School Code of Conduct as shown in your planner. With that in mind, we will:
1. Be respectful of everyone at all times. Be kind with our words and actions. This doesn’t just apply to our classroom, but that goes for the hallways and cafeteria as well. If you see other students from this class, or even your teacherJ, it is only respectful to smile and acknowledge each other!!
2. Be on time. You are expected to be seated and working when class starts.
3. Be prepared. Please bring all your materials with you on a daily basis.
4. Be ready to actively participate, learn, and ask questions. Have a growth mindset rather than one that is focused on grades. So much of your success in Language Arts is about the amount of effort you put into your work. I can teach you the guidelines for good writing and how to get the most meaning out of what you read, but I can’t make you apply those skills every day. You must be willing to put in the time, effort, and attention to detail if you want to succeed. I care much more about quality than quantity, which means slowing down, taking your time, developing a plan or strategy, and reflecting on and revising your work.
Behavior Discipline Plans –Please familiarize yourself with our school and classroom rules, and make wise choices with respect to your behavior. Remember that your primary purpose for being here at school is to learn. Any behavior which demonstrates a lack of attention to this goal or which disrupts the learning opportunities of others is not acceptable. Consequences for misconduct may include parent notification, lunch detentions, or after school detentions.
English Department Unified Classroom Materials
One 3-Ring Binder – 1.5 inch
One 8x11 Spiral Notebook – 3 hole punch, standard size (70 pgs.)
Five Dividers with Tabs
One Highlighter
Pens – Black or Blue
One Pack of Colored Pencils – Set of 10-12
One Zippered Pencil Pouch
Pencils & Erasers
One Packet of Post-It Notes – Any Size
School I.D.
Technology Use Form – Make sure all 4 areas are checked
Binder Set-Up – After putting the following assignments where they go, please use your own common sense to decide where to put your workJ Do NOT throw anything away!!! We will recycle and add to our portfolios at the end of each marking period.
1) Proper Heading on the Inside Front cover
2) Agendas in the front
3) Writer’s Notebook(Behind agenda or in front pocket)
a) Front – All Quickwrites and drafting
b) Back – Partner Clocks & To Read List
4) 1st Divider – Mini-Lessons (Fill with Filler Paper)
a) ML #1 – Speech Tips
5) 2nd Divider – Reading
a) Student Reading Record & To Read List
b) 1st Semester Reading Packet
c) Articles of the Week
d) Reading/Writing Survey
6) 3rd Divider – Writing
a) Writing Territories List
b) “One Day” Prompt & Rubric
7) 4th Divider – Miscellaneous
a) Class Syllabus
b) Notebook Handout
Procedures and Rules
1. Beginning of Class - When the bell rings, you should already be in your seat and writing down your agenda from the board. If there is a beginning activity on the board, you should begin this activity quietly as soon as your agenda is done. “Good Things” will be done at least twice a week but may be done at the end of the class instead of the beginning. Although “Good Things” as a class will be done on a weekly basis, please don’t refrain from sharing your good things with me when you walk in the door, at the end of class, etc.!
2. Speaking in Class - During lectures, notes, and teacher-led activities, please raise your hand and wait to speak when you have a question or a thought to add. If it is a student-led activity, groupwork, or open forum type discussion, please wait for a break in the conversation and then speak your mind! Remember active participation is part of your gradeJ
3. Late Work Policy – Unless otherwise noted by the specific teacher, ALL assignments are due at the beginning of class on the day due if the student wishes to receive 100% credit. The English department has a unified policy that deducts 10% by day for up to 5 days. (90% - 50% Credit) After 5 days, the assignment will be a zero. Serious extenuating circumstances can be discussed with the teacher AFTER the class period. Important Note: When assignments come in late, whether it is one day late or the five day maximum, these assignments will be graded AFTER all on time assignments are graded and put in to the gradebook. Unfortunately, this means the student who turns in late work may have to keep the zero they received for a few days. However, this should be looked at as reinforcement that when you don’t turn things in on time in life, there will be consequences!
4. Absent Work - Upon returning from an absence, you should immediately ask a classmate for the agenda from the missed days as well as any missed notes, etc. You will be given up to one week after the assignment was due to turn in the work that was missed. Put assignments in the In Box with “Absent” and the day you were absent written on the top.
5. Restroom Passes - You should use the restroom, water fountain, and go to your lockers during passing periods or lunch. Three emergency passes will be allowed each quarter. Please use them wisely!
6. No name on a paper = No grade on a paper!! However, the assignments that cannot be graded because there is no name go into a No Name folder that is located by the cupboards in the classroom. If you take the initiative to find it and prove it is yours, you can earn partial credit back.
7. Substitute Teachers = In the event of a substitute teacher, you should be helpful and cooperative. A student’s name left by the substitute teacher = a detention.
8. When the phone rings or intercom buzzes – When there is a disruption in the classroom, you need to continue to work. If the class is in the middle of a discussion, you need to be respectful and be quiet until I am done.
*Communication and Resources for Parents
Daily Agenda – The students keep a daily agenda in the class. This helps them remember assignments as well as allows the parents to see what is happening in the class and what is due at any time. This also allows absent students to quickly catch up on what was missed without taking time out of the class period. The daily agenda is collected monthly and therefore also helps the students with their participation gradeJ
Family Access – The Gradebook section of Family Access allows communication of current grades between teachers, parents, and students. The Homework/Message Center allows teachers to put deadlines and daily homework on this website for parents and students to access. This helps parents to be connected to each course’s goals and standards. Long-Term or Large Assignments can be emailed home to parents and students through this program when deemed appropriate by the teacher.
Important Note regarding Family Access: There may be times when your child’s assignment will be marked with an asterisk. (*) This means that the assignment has been placed in the gradebook but the grades have not been added as of yet. This DOES NOT affect their grades in any way!! However, sometimes missing assignment emails may go out to you in regard to an asterisk. This is a glitch in Family Access that they have not been able to fix as of yet and creates much confusion. Please check the F.A. Gradebook when you receive a worrisome missing assignment email. Although this is not always possible, I will try to avoid entering grades until all assignments are graded and in.
Homework Pick-Up – With a parent request, teachers will fill out a Homework Request form and attach any homework to this for the student for pick-up in the front office after school.
Student Responsibility
Technology has allowed teachers and parents to jump leaps and bounds in communication when it comes to following their course schedules as well as following student progress. Unfortunately, sometimes technology can help in various respects and detract from others. Family Access can have the unfortunate capability of taking away from student responsibility if used incorrectly.
At the middle school level, students should be working on achieving the independence of schoolwork, time management, and communicating with the teachers they see every day. If we do not help them reach this goal, they will only continue to struggle and get further behind in their studies and work in the future, whether it is at the Freshman Center, the high school, the post-secondary level, or in the work place.
It is important that we help them learn life skills as well as our core curriculum, and that we give our kids the opportunity to complete their own educations. Whenever the teacher or the parent is doing more work than the student, there is a problem that we need to look at together.
Parent Contact Sheet
Parents: MOST of this syllabus is for your child!J However, please make sure you have read the late work and the absent work policies and the Communication and Resources for Parents section before you sign this. Thanks!
P.S. Also, please let me know if your student needs any help getting the required materials listed!
Please fill out the Parent Contact Sheet and return by Monday, September ______
Student Name: _____________________________________________________
Parent to Contact First:
First and Last Name: _________________________________________________
Relationship to Student: ______________________________________________
Home Phone: _____________________ Work Phone: _____________________
E-mail Address: _____________________________________________________
The best time to reach me: ____________________________________________
Second Parent Contact:
First and Last Name: _________________________________________________
Relationship to Student: ______________________________________________
Home Phone: _____________________ Work Phone: _____________________
E-mail Address: _____________________________________________________
The best time to reach me: ____________________________________________
Aside from specific incidents where teacher discretion will be used, what would your preferred method of contact be? Phone E-mail
Student Signature: ________________________________ Date: _____________
Parent Signature: _________________________________ Date: _____________