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Each student receives a paper copy of this the first day of school. It is to be stored in their binders and kept there the entire year.

 

 

7th & 8th Grade Language Arts

 

7th and 8th Grade Social Studies 7th grade SS syllabus

 

Course Syllabus - Ms.Grimes

 

Hello & Welcome Back!

 

I am Ms. Grimes, your Language Arts teacher for this school year, and I am proud to say that this is my 13th year teaching middle school  Language Arts! This year, I will be teaching three separate sections of Language Arts and Social Studies and I couldn’t be more excited that you are in my class!

 

My philosophy is to make learning fun, while tackling important concepts and skills that are required to be successful in life. My goal for every student this year is to increase his or her reading level and to build and improve upon the writing skills he or she already has. By the end of this year, my students will be better critical thinkers, authors, and scholars, and be in a strong position for 8th grade and high school.

 

To accomplish this, I need YOU to be on board. We are in this together. Your education is my top priority, and it should be yours as well. Are you ready to learn? More importantly, are you prepared and up for the challenge? I promise you, there is no better reward than reaping the benefits of your education.

 

                            Looking forward to working with you,

 

                          Ms. Grimes

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contact Information



Email: [email protected]

 

Phone: (908) 352-7664 ext. 4427            

 

Class Website: tinyurl.com/wokgrimes

 

 

All homework and information on our class will also be posted on the class website. Please visit frequently for due dates and links, in addition to the parent portal website, which only shows grades.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Course Description

 

In 7th grade Language Arts, the students will be introduced to various fiction and nonfiction texts, articles, and videos with the goal of increasing their reading comprehension and critical thinking skills. They will also write for different purposes and audiences including narratives, compare/contrast essays, and argumentative/persuasive essays, just to name a few.

 

Tutoring/Extra Help Schedule

 

Tutoring is a time for students to receive extra help (one on one or small group), utilize computers/chromebooks,  or to simply have a quiet place to work on their Language Arts work. Students may see any 7th Grade LA teacher for tutoring that best fits their schedule. All students must request a pass the day prior from their LA teacher, otherwise they cannot participate in tutoring.

 

 

NO PASS = NO ENTRY.

 

 

 Wednesday from 3:20-3:50 PM with Ms. Grimes

 

 

 

 

 

 

Suggested Materials for Success

 

Standard LA Classes and Resouce Classes

 

Each student will maintain a binder dedicated only to LA. Random binder checks will count as a grade.

 

____ 2 inch binder or larger

 

____ 5 Tab Dividers (to separate our units).

 

____ Pens (Blue/Black ink only)

 

____ Pencils

 

____ Highlighter

 

____ Loose Leaf

 

____ Silent Reading Novel

 

 

Dedicated notebook or binder filled with loose leaf, folder, pens/pencils  

 

* Tissue boxes are welcomed and truly appreciated!

 

 

 

 

 

 

General Classroom Procedures

 

Classroom Rules: All classroom, school, and district rules/policies must be followed at all times. This includes cell phone and uniform. Classroom rules are clearly posted, and district and school guidelines can be found online and in the student handbook. Consequences include warnings, teacher detention, loss of privileges, parent/guardian conferences,  and administrative referral. On the other hand, rewards for positive behavior include praise and recognition and privileges and incentives. Remember, “When you do good, you feel good!”

 

Bathroom/Nurse/Water - Only one student may leave at a time regardless of destination or gender. You MUST sign out and back in, and have a pass written out in your AGENDA. I do not write paper passes.

 

Agenda - The agenda provided to you must be with you at all times during class. You will record your HW and assignments, and utilize this if you wish to leave the room for any reason.

 

Classroom Library - I have a classroom library that you may rent books out from, one at a time. You must sign books out of the library and back in. Failure to properly sign your book back in may result in an UNMET fine.

 

Grading - All LA classes follow the district guidelines for grading.  Tests are 40%, Quizzes are 25%, Classroom Participation is 15%, and Homework and Projects are both worth 10% of the total grade.  

 

Plagiarism - Any amount of plagiarism is not allowed and will result in an automatic zero on the assignment or assessment. As a courtesy, the first time (and only the first time) a student plagiarizes they may “re-do” the assignment, however a parent/teacher conference is required and 50 points will be deducted from their score. The new assignment will be due 5 days from the date of the conference. If a student plagiarizes a second time, then the original zero will stand. Plagiarism is stealing of intellectual property and is not acceptable. It is important for students to learn this lesson now rather than later in their educational career when consequences can be more severe.

 

Extra Credit - There will be one extra credit opportunity per marking period, and it will be offered to all students out of fairness. The purpose of extra credit is to act as a “grade booster,” not a “grade saver,” so please take advantage of every “regular credit” opportunity.

 

Scholastic Book Club - Our classroom is enrolled in Scholastic’s Book Club. This program allows students and their families to purchase books at a discounted rate direct from the publisher! In turn, we receive rewards for our classroom in the form of free books and supplies. To place an order, please visit orders.scholastic.com. Our class code is NZB24. Shipping is always free!

 

 

 

 

 

Google Classroom

 

My classroom is also an “electronic classroom.” This means that access to a computer and internet is crucial. Students must adapt and learn to use a computer proficiently as a life skill that is required in our current job market and society.

 

  • Each student has a google account via the Hillside School District. This is the only account I will accept. No personal accounts may be used.

  • Many parents/guardians ask if there is a parent account. There is not, however, I can link you to your child’s Google Classroom account. Then you will see all of their assignments.

  • Students who may not have internet access at home may utilize computers during tutoring hours or sign up for HW club. There is no excuse. You must take the initiative to work it out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Absences/Tardies/Late Assignments

 

Absences:

 

  • Unexpected - Students are responsible for all work missed while absent. They must take the initiative to ask the teacher or a classmate for any notes, announcements, etc. that they missed. It is recommended they attend a tutoring session to catch up. If there was an assignment due while the student was absent, it is expected the day they return.

  • Expected - All of the above applies, however, it is highly recommended to conference with the teacher prior to your absence to receive the work.

  • Suspensions - All of the above applies. A suspension is not a day off. If your suspension is extended, any work sent home must be completed and is due the day you return.

 

Tardies:

 

  • Homeroom:You must be in homeroom and in uniform before the bell rings at 8:15. That means you have already gone to your locker, put away any hoodies and jackets, and gathered your supplies. Anyone that enters after the bell must receive a late slip from the office. Once you are in homeroom, you may not go to your locker.

  • Class: You must be in class and in your seat before the bell rings at your scheduled time. Entering after this time will result in lates. Lateness to class will result in loss of points and/or a teacher detention. Frequent tardiness to class will result in parent conferences and administrative consequences.

  • Cuts: Any student who is 10 minutes late to class will be considered a “cut.” Cuts result in administrative consequences and an immediate parent phone call. Additionally, any student who leaves the room for bathroom, nurse, water, etc. and is out for an excessive amount of time will receive a consequence.

 

Late Assignments:

 

  • All Classes -  HW is never accepted late, no exceptions.

  • Standard LA & Lab - Assignments other than HW maysometimes be accepted late, however, please note that 10 points will be deducted from the grade each day that it is late, for a maximum of 5 days. After 5 days, the assignment will not be accepted. Please note that due to the nature of some assignments (ex/ Peer Reviews) or timing (end of the marking period) some assignments cannot be accepted late. Bottom line… just hand in assignments on time.