2013-2014 Syllabus
Ms.
Melanie Pauker
7th
Grade English Language Arts
Crittenden
Middle School
Welcome to seventh grade! These guidelines are to promote cooperation and to encourage student learning and responsibility. Please refer to them for any questions about my classroom.
Course Description: Seventh grade English Language Arts is the study of skills in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Students will develop comprehension and communication skills. Students will develop reading strategies that they will be required to apply during independent and classroom reading. Students will use the writing process to communicate effectively and efficiently. Students will enhance their vocabulary and their understanding of grammar in order to further themselves as a reader and a writer.
Class Rules:
Rule 1: Be prompt.
Rule 2: Be prepared.
Rule 3: Be positive.
Rule 4: Be productive.
Rule 5: Be polite.
Rule 1: Be prompt.
Rule 2: Be prepared.
Rule 3: Be positive.
Rule 4: Be productive.
Rule 5: Be polite.
Required Materials:
□ Interactive Student Notebook
□ Pencil
□ Pen (ONLY blue and black ink accepted)
□ Lined filler paper
□ REV Flashcards
□ Independent Novel
□ Interactive Student Notebook
□ Pencil
□ Pen (ONLY blue and black ink accepted)
□ Lined filler paper
□ REV Flashcards
□ Independent Novel
Interactive Student Notebook (ISN): Students will be creating and using an Interactive Student Notebook throughout this school year. Their notebook is to be used strictly only for this class. Students are not to tear out or use any of the paper from this notebook for anything other than this class and as instructed by the teacher. Each notebook must match the teacher’s notebook. If a student loses their notebook, they will be expected to recreate the notebook in its entirety, no matter the circumstances. For further guidelines, please see the ISN grading rubric.
Classroom
Economy: Each student will receive 15
dollars in cougar cash at the start of every marking period. Students can earn
cougar cash by completing assignments, behaving appropriately, and actively
participating in class. Every Monday is “payday,” which is when students will
receive the money they have earned that past week. Students who break the rules
or fail to complete work will be fined, and they must pay back the specified
amount to the teacher. Students can use their cougar cash on school events or
at Ms. Pauker’s Classroom Café.
Jigsaw
Incentive: As a class, students will
work together to earn jigsaw puzzle pieces. All three classes are working
towards completing the same puzzle. When all puzzle pieces are collected and put
together, students in all three of my classes will earn a game day.
Brownie
Points & Extra Credit: Students
can earn extra credit by completing “Brownie Point” assignments. These
assignments are not mandatory. They provide students with extra practice of
necessary skills. Students can earn up to 100 extra credit points in the
Test/Project category of the gradebook per marking period by completing 10
Brownie Point assignments. These assignments will be graded based on accuracy.
Therefore, a student will not earn full credit simply by turning in the
assignment but by doing it correctly. Upon completing their first Browning
Point assignment of the week, students will earn a Brownie Board Piece towards
their class total. A student can only earn 1 Brownie Board Piece per week. If
12 Brownie Board Pieces are earned for a class, that class will receive
brownies at the end of the week. At the end of the week, each board is cleared.
Reading
with a Purpose Project: This year our
class is working towards raising money for Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, a
non-profit organization that aims to find a cure for and aid families affected
by childhood cancer. We will be doing this in many ways but primarily through
reading. Throughout the school year, students are expected to be reading
independently for a minimum of 20 minutes a day. If students are reading a
novel that is level appropriate for them, this would result in reading roughly
20 pages daily. The teacher will complete a weekly page check. Upon finishing a
novel, students must complete an “Exit Interview” in order for that book to
count towards their total book tally. Each student is being assigned at least
one sponsor, who is willing to pay $1 to Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for
every book they complete.
Tardy
Policy: Students who are late with a
pass should enter the room quietly, place their pass on the teacher’s desk,
observe what everyone is doing, and get straight to work. Students who are late
without a pass will receive lunch detention. Students who receives 3 tardy
lunch detentions will receive a letter home. Students who receive 4 tardy lunch
detentions will receive a letter and/or phone call home. Students who receive 5
tardy lunch detentions will have a mandatory parent-teacher conference.
Absence
Policy: Students who are absent are
responsible for getting all missed materials. In other words, they must ask
their class buddy for any missed notes and obtain any missed assignments from
the “While You Were Out” crate. These assignments must be made up within the
same number of days the student was absent. If a student was absent when a
project was due or on a test/quiz day, the student will be expected to turn in
the project or take the test/quiz on the day they return.
Homework
Policy: Students are to complete all
assigned homework and projects before entering the classroom on its due date.
The teacher can check homework by completing a 3-2-1 quick check or a
collection check. The teacher may also opt not to check homework. However, if a
student has a missing or incomplete assignment, they must complete a form and
return it to Ms. Pauker. The student will have 1 day to complete the missing or
incomplete assignment for partial credit. After that point, the student will
receive a zero. For a missing or incomplete project, students must turn in the
completed assignment before the end of the marking period. The highest grade a
late project can receive if turned in a day late is a 91%; if 2 days late is an
82%; if 3 days late is a 73%; and if 4 days late is a 64%. For the remainder of
the marking period, the highest grade the late project can receive is a 64%.
Test/Quiz
Re-take Policy: Students will only be
permitted to re-take any test or quiz once. Students must fill out the re-take
form and explain how they plan to prepare themselves for the re-take test or
quiz. Upon receiving the form, Ms. Pauker will assign and date and time when
the student is permitted to re-take the test or quiz. The teacher will keep the
higher score in the gradebook.
Restroom Policy: Students will receive 3 bathroom pass coupons at the beginning of each marking period. Students can buy more bathroom passes from the Classroom Café throughout the school year using the cougar cash they have earned. Students are not to use the restroom during the first and last 10 minutes of class. The teacher will notify students when it is an appropriate time to use the restroom.
Library Visitations: Students will visit the library as a class once a month. Students will also be able to visit the library on a rotating schedule between assigned groups during silent sustained reading time. There is also a classroom library that students can visit before homeroom and during class if they have completed all assigned work. Keep in mind that going to the library is a privilege that can be taken
away.
away.
Grading Scale:
v A = 92% - 100%
v B = 83% - 91%
v C = 74% - 82%
v D = 65% - 73%
v F = 64% or below
v I = Incomplete Assignments
v A = 92% - 100%
v B = 83% - 91%
v C = 74% - 82%
v D = 65% - 73%
v F = 64% or below
v I = Incomplete Assignments
Grading Policy:
Ø Homework: 10%
Ø Classwork: 30%
Ø Quizzes: 25%
Ø Test & Projects: 35%
Ø Homework: 10%
Ø Classwork: 30%
Ø Quizzes: 25%
Ø Test & Projects: 35%
Extra Help: Ms. Pauker offers extra help after school every first and third Tuesday of the month. In order for students to stay, they must notify Ms. Pauker when and why they wish to stay. Students will be given a permission slip that they must fill out and have their parent or guardian sign. If a student does not have a completed permission slip, that student will not be permitted to stay.
Contact Information:
[email protected]
(757) 591-4900 ext. 22804
http://mspaukersclassroom.weebly.com/
[email protected]
(757) 591-4900 ext. 22804
http://mspaukersclassroom.weebly.com/
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