7th Grade Science-Ms



Welcome to 8th Grade!

Ms. O’Malley: Seneca Middle School

Grade 8 English Language Arts

bomalley@cvs.k12.mi.us

(586) 723-3900 ex. 4051

2nd hour prep

September 3rd, 2019

Welcome to 8th grade! My name is Brenna O’Malley and I am looking forward to a great year with your child. This is my second year at Seneca Middle School but my seventh year teaching. This year, I will be teaching three sections of Language Arts and two sections of Leadership. I am looking forward to working with all of my students this year!

LANGUAGE ARTS

Overview: The focus of the 8th grade ELA curriculum is on writing and reading comprehension, with an emphasis on literacy strategies and text structures. We accomplish this by using the comprehensive reading program called Study Sync. This rigorous program is aligned with the Common Core State Standards and is designed to increase fluency, develop comprehension skills and reinforce writing skills.

Students will be taking the NWEA adaptive MAP reading test twice this year (fall / spring), along with the M-STEP in the spring.

Our units of study include:

1. Suspense!

o Argumentative Writing

2. In Time of War

o Informational Writing

3. A Moral Compass

o Literary Review

4. The Civil War

o Narrative Writing

5. Novel Studies: “I Am Malala” and “Lord of the Flies”

Because the 8th grade curriculum has such a strong focus on writing, I am asking that students have a composition notebook and a binder with 5 tabs by the second week of school. Students will bring these to class on a daily basis for writing assignments, note taking and other activities. The use of the binder will keep students organized. The DHS 9th grade center uses a color coded binder system for organization, so this is a great way to get ready for high school.

Books!

Throughout this course, students will be using library books to help with research, independent reading selections (novels, comics, magazines, etc), two different assigned Novels, and various materials to promote their literacy skills. Students need to bring an independent daily reading (IDR) or silent reading material to class EVERY DAY!

Supplies for Success!

o 1 composition book for Writer’s Notebook (MANDATORY)

o 1 ½ inch Binder with 5 divider tabs (MANDATORY)

o Pencils

o Highlighters (multi-colored pack)

o Red pens

o Colored pencils

o 1 Homework folder

***Materials need to be in class by September 11th, 2019!***

Donations of Kleenex, Hand Sanitizer, Colored Pencils, Markers, Crayons, Clorox Wipes are always appreciated

(Students receive a late homework pass for their donations!)

CLASSROOM EXPECTATIONS

RESPECT……………..

…..for yourself

…..for your classmates

…..for your surroundings

…..from your teacher

Students will work together the first week of school to develop key working agreements for their class. These student agreements will be posted in the room all year. All students are expected to follow classroom rules. These include being respectful, being responsible, being safe, and doing your personal best. There are many things that fall under these categories. Doing your own work and being academically honest is also a very important part of my classroom expectations. Any student who is being academically dishonest will be given an automatic “zero” and parents will be contacted.

HOMEWORK: The amount of homework will vary depending on the lesson and how wisely you use your time in class. Homework will be given to reinforce concepts and activities covered in class.

Please remember the following:

1. Always put forth your best effort. Please follow directions, be neat, and always elaborate.

2. Please properly head all assignments. This includes your first/last name, date, hour, and assignment as well as class number.

LATE POLICY: Any assignment turned in late without a late pass will receive a 50% penalty after the first day unless a Late Pass is utilized. Assignments will not be accepted more than one week late. Students are expected to complete their work on time and have it turned in on time. There are NO EXCEPTIONS!

ABSENCE POLICY: If you are absent, it is your responsibility to find out what you missed. You have the number of days you were absent to make up the work. If your work is not turned in upon your return, then it will be considered late and marked down as such. You should check with a classmate or the teacher to copy any notes that were taken and get any handouts that were passed out that day. Extra copies of papers that were handed out can usually be found in the extras folders at the side of the room.

AGENDA:

Each student will receive an agenda from their homeroom teacher at the beginning of the year. Students are expected to bring and fill out agendas on a daily basis as a way to stay organized. Periodic agenda checks and/or agenda quizzes will be given and used as a part of your final grade. If you are absent, it is your responsibility to fill out your agenda for the days that you missed.

PBIS and HERO IN THE HALLWAY

We have two school wide behavior programs at Seneca. Hero in the Hallway is an anti-bullying program that encourages students to stand up for others when needed. Students are taught to speak up when bullying or when other problems occur.

With PBIS, we teach students positive behavior expectations and reward them when the positive behaviors are observed.

GUEST TEACHERS

Students are expected to be on their BEST behavior whenever a guest teacher is present. They will treat him or her with respect. If a guest teacher leaves a student’s name due to poor behavior, an automatic detention will be given or the assistant principal will administer more severe consequences.

WEBSITE and REMIND 101

You can get to my website through the Seneca website. Check there for information and a weekly agenda. Please sign up for Remind 101 for messages regarding due dates and important announcements.

Remind 101: Website:

1th hour ELA text @omalleyb1

5th hour ELA text @omalleyb5

6th hour ELA text @omalley6

....text to 81010

OFFICE 365

All students have an email through Office 365. They also have the ability to access their documents through the One Drive. This will eliminate the need for a flash drive or the need to email documents to work on at home. Students will have access to all of the Microsoft programs virtually through Office 365. Directions for Office 365 will be given in class and will be on our website.

PARTICIPATION

Participation grades include class involvement and contribution to class discussion, adherence to class rules, cooperation with a substitute teacher, and class preparation. Students should come to class with their binder, notebook and something to write with EVERY DAY. Students will not be allowed to leave to go back to their lockers after class has started unless they use a locker pass.

LOCKER/BATHROOM PASSES

This is an 8th grade policy and will be the same in every class. Each student will be given 6 bathroom/locker passes per quarter. If a student needs to leave class for any reason after the bell has rung, they will be asked to sign a locker/bathroom pass. These 6 passes will cover all classes for the entire quarter. Students do have the opportunity to go to lockers and bathrooms between every class this year, so these additional passes should be used in emergencies only. Students may NOT use locker passes that belong to other people.

SNACKS

There will be no snacks allowed in classes this year. Snacks should be left in lockers. Students may bring water only to class. If there is a medical concern regarding this rule, please contact me and we will work something out. The entire 8th grade is a PEANUT/TREE NUT FREE ZONE, so please choose snacks accordingly. Students are welcome to eat snacks between classes as long as this does not result in being late for class.

PROGRESS AND COMMUNICATION

Students and parents can check PowerSchool at any time for an updated grade. If you do not have your user name and password for PowerSchool, please visit the main office to obtain this information. If you have concerns regarding progress or any other matter, please feel free to contact me. My planning period is 4th hour. Before or after school is also an option. Open communication is very important, and I am always accessible. As it is not possible to have phone conversations at other times during the school day, many parents and students find email to be useful. General information regarding dates, homework, and upcoming events can also be found on the Wyandot website as well as my classroom website. We also encourage parents to sign up for school messaging.

POWERSCHOOL

This is a very important and convenient tool for tracking progress. Please plan to log on and check grades on a regular basis. I will not print out missing assignments. If students want to know what they are missing, I will refer them to PowerSchool to check. I do try to update the grades on a timely manner, but please understand writing assignments may take a few days to post. Some assignments, projects and tests take longer to grade than others. I do try to post the assignments a head of time with the due date for the assignment in Power School. I will also mark the assignment “collected” or “missing” as I am grading. You can check to see items that are due, if an item is collected but not yet graded or if something is missing. Missing means they came to class but did not turn in the assignment. If it is still missing the next day, I will turn that into an NHI. If a student is absent when something is due, I will put ABS in the gradebook. If it is not turned in when the student returns, I will change ABS to NHI. I do add comments to assignments, so if something is late or missing, I will add that comment next to the grade.

*Note: All policies and procedures are subject to change based on teacher discretion.

Always feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. I am looking forward to a very successful year!

Sincerely,

Ms. Brenna O’Malley

(586) 723-3900 ex. 4051

bomalley@cvs.k12.mi.us

Our Mission:

The Seneca community creates a safe environment focused on learning, respect and kindness. We are dedicated to students becoming successful citizens who achieve their highest potential.

Learning – Respect – Kindness – Success

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