Welcome to Language Arts; 7 th Grade Homeroom

1. Welcome to Language Arts; 7th Grade Homeroom Ms. Greenhalgh www.missgreenhalgh.wordpress.com

2. My Goals • Increase confidence • Positive learning environment • Interactive learning experience • Encourage independence and organization skills • Homework and assignments are meant kept to enrich learning, not stress students and parents!

3. How to Succeed in Middle School • Sunday Night Routine: • Check Gradelink.com • Check teacher websites for reminders, announcements, updates and homework for the week • IXL • Never leave class confused • Make YOUR Assignment Book the all your friends want to consult • Sleep 8 hours, play/ “break a sweat” 30 minutes everyday • To encourage a happy learning environment… • I always give students at least one week warning for all tests; Vocabulary quizzes always on Thursdays and Book Report due dates planned for entire year

4. What’s happening in… • 6th Grade: • Congratulations, Hogwarts graduates! • House Cup • The Giver: job assignments • 7th Grade: • Training center: special skills • Cross-curricular social justice studies: the American work place, education, and fair wages • 8th Grade: • Cross-curricular social justice studies: racism in literature and modern prisons

5. Literature Circles • Differentiated learning: students in small groups are assigned novels and time frames complementary to their individual learning • Grouped according to a variety of different reasons • i.e.: Fluency work, comprehension skills, etc. (not simply high. grade-level, below grade-level, and above grade-level) • Students have the opportunity to learn at their own pace • Mondays: whole-group meeting • Tuesday- Thursdays: small group learning • I work with small groups, lessening teacher-student ratio • Opportunity to group students according to their individual needs

6. How Much Help Should I Give My Middle School Child? • Middle School is transition time! • We move away from “family projects” and towards higher level student independence expected of them in high school and beyond • According to Archdiocesan standards, students in grades 6-8 should spend 2 hours nightly on homework • If, after this time, your child has put forth their best effort and is left exasperated, stressed, and exhausted, please stop! You may write me a note. • Homework and other assignments are meant to enrich, not stress unnecessarily! • Homework is a weekly packet to allow families to plan around soccer practice, family outings, etc.

7. Homework Policy • Weekly Homework Packet: begin together in class, completed independently • Always due Thursdays in time for Literature Circle group discussion • “One More Day” Late homework pass • When emergencies happen, students may use this to extend their deadline by ONE extra day • Excludes long-term assignments • Please check Gradelink.com regularly: report card should not be a surprise

8. WOW WORDS • We LEARN vocabulary to be enrich our understanding and dialogue, so why memorize? • WOW WORDS start small and add on throughout trimester • 6th Grade: start with 1, then 2, then 3, then 5 • 7th Grade: start with 3, then 4, then 5 • 8th Grade: start with 5 • 5 additional words added each week until end of Trimester (weekly quizzes are cumulative) • WOW WORD quiz every Thursday

9. Book Reports • To enrich learning in all three Language Arts curriculum areas: Literature, Language and Speaking & Listening • Three over the course of the entire year: one per trimester. • All directions, due dates and information listed in guidelines (blue hand out in student’s binder; also available download on my website)

10. My Website • www.missgreenhalgh.wordpress.com • Please visit my website regarding most questions. You will find most information there like: • Book Report guideline handout (due dates, directions) • Syllabus • Rubrics • Announcements & Updates • Study tips

11. Classroom Business • 7th Grade Brunch • Thank you! Most prepared and generous class with supplies EVER! 