8 Grade Writing Syllabus - St. Louis Public Schools

[Pages:3]8th Grade Writing Syllabus ? 2014-2015 School Year ? Mr. Cashman

Introduction

"Everyone achieves ? no exceptions, no excuses!" --Gateway Middle School Motto

Welcome to eighth grade! I am very excited to have each of you in writing class this year, and I look forward to working with you!

As you know, writing is one of the foundations for success in future schooling and in life. Put simply, you need to continue to develop strong writing skills, especially as high school draws near. With this in mind, I expect you to work very hard in this class. This class will be challenging, and you will have to put in a lot of effort in order to be successful!

Of course, I will be here to help you every step of the way. I take my job very seriously, and I am committed to doing everything I can to help you succeed. Ultimately, YOU are the one who must decide how seriously you will take this class, though. If you put forth the effort, you will leave this class much better prepared for your future.

I am available any time to help you with any part this class. Just let me know!

Writing Projects and Grammar

This course is divided into two central components: Writing projects and grammar.

We will have several major writing projects throughout the course of the school year. For each project, the final draft will be due on a specific date. Significant amounts of class time will be spent on these projects and we will use the writing process for each project. You might also need to spend time outside of school working on these projects. Your work throughout each project (pre-writing, writing your first draft, revising, editing, and conferencing) as well as your final paper will constitute significant portions of your grade.

All writing projects will be graded according to the following five elements: Development, organization, textual evidence, language and style, and conventions (grammar, spelling, and punctuation).

Grammar quizzes will be given throughout the year and will usually be given on Fridays. In the event of a student absence, the quiz must be made up within two school days of the missed quiz. There will be a quarterly grammar exam at or near the end of each quarter of the school year.

Big Goals

With hard work, I have no doubt that we can reach the goals I have set for this year's class. These goals are outlined here.

During this school year, students will grow significantly as writers and will:

1) Average 80% mastery on grade level grammar expectations, according to quizzes and quarterly exams 2) Average 80% mastery on the five elements of writing by the final writing project of the school year 3) Move up at least one level on the communication arts portion of the MAP Test (either from below basic

to basic, basic to proficient, or proficient to advanced) ***Those who have already tested at the "advanced" level will be expected to significantly improve their scores so that they are even higher. 4) Continue to learn the power that each person has to make a difference in the community, the country, and the world

By meeting each of these goals, students will be on a path towards success in high school AND college!

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Rewards

The most important rewards for your hard work will be that you learn and get prepared for the future.

There will also be other rewards for those who put forth significant effort and demonstrate positive behavior, though. For example, if you follow the classroom expectations during a particular class period, you will earn a ticket. You can put your name on the ticket and leave it in the jar on my desk. I will pick names from this jar to receive prizes every Friday. The more tickets you have, the better your chances are!

Also, students who have earned a high number of tickets at different points throughout the year will be eligible for pizza parties and other special prize drawings.

In addition, those who exemplify the eighth grade traits of character, integrity, and agency will earn Gateway Behavior Bucks that can be entered into drawings for gift cards or used for the privilege of dress down days.

Furthermore, those who consistently make the right decisions will earn the privilege of attending monthly school activities.

Finally, if you behave well, complete your work, and show improvement, you will often receive positive phone calls home so that your family knows how well you are doing.

Class Expectations

1. Be responsible 2. Be respectful 3. Be your best

What do these expectations mean?

Being responsible means that you are prepared for class with all necessary materials (see "Materials Needed" section on the next page), you are on time for class, and you complete all class work and homework assignments.

Being respectful means that you are polite and courteous to your classmates, your teacher, and any guests or visitors that we have. It means that you raise your hand and wait to be called on. It also means that you listen carefully and quietly when your teacher or classmates are talking. When you are sitting, being respectful means that you are sitting up straight with your head up.

Being your best means that you are awake and attentive during every minute of every class. It means that you are an active participant in class activities and discussions, and you complete your work to the absolute best of your ability. Being your best means that you try your best on every assignment, every day...no exceptions, no excuses!

Consequences

If you fail to follow any of these expectations during any given class period, you will receive the following consequences (not necessarily in this order):

1) Loss of ticket 2) Loss of Professional Points 3) Phone call home 4) Temporary change of seat or classroom 5) Written referral to the office, kept on permanent file

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Materials Needed

You will need a folder and loose-leaf paper (kept in your folder) for this class. If you need either of these materials, please let me know. You will need to come to class with your folder and a pen or a pencil every day. Please note that you must have both your folder and a pen or pencil to be eligible to receive a ticket for a particular class period. Your will also need a spiral notebook for this class, but this notebook will be provided to you and will remain in the classroom at all times.

Grading

Your grade for this class will be determined by the accumulation of points that you earn. Everything you do is worth a certain number of points and your final grade will be determined by dividing the amount of points you earn by the number of points possible. This will yield a percentage and a standard grading scale (90% - 100% = A, 80% - 89% = B, 70% - 79% = C, 60% - 69% = D, and 59% and below = F) will be used.

Homework ? Weekly Essays and Book Reports

Every week, you will have at least one written homework assignment: A weekly essay. The essay prompt will be provided to you on Monday and will be due on the last day of class during a given week (usually Friday).

The length requirements for weekly essays will vary depending on the assignment. Some weeks, you will be asked to revise and edit previous work. This is a great opportunity to practice your writing and improve your grammar skills! Often, there will be a "grammar focus" that is part of the weekly essay assignment. This just means that you will be asked to focus on a specific rule (or specific rules) of grammar when you complete your essay and that your grade will depend, in part, on how well you follow these rules.

Many of your weekly essay assignments will relate directly to the independent reading book that you are reading during literacy block AND at home.

In addition to your weekly essays, you will also have four book reports to complete throughout the course of the school year. The requirements and due dates for these book reports have been provided along with this syllabus. Extra copies of this information will be available upon request throughout the school year.

Studying and Additional Homework Assignments

In addition to written homework assignments, you will also be required to spend time outside of school studying for weekly grammar quizzes and grammar exams. Quizzes and exams constitute a significant portion of your overall grade. Thus, it is very important that you study! Please note that additional written homework assignments may also be given as the school year progresses, depending on the academic needs of students.

Late Work

Any late work that is accepted will automatically be given a twenty percent grade reduction.

Professional Points

For every class, you will receive either a "5" or a "0" for your "Professional Points" grade. If you follow the rules and are a respectful member of class, you will receive a 5. If you do not, you will receive a 0. This means that 25 points per week, and thus an important part of your overall grade, are tied directly to your professional participation in class.

Extra Help and Tutoring

Whenever you need extra help with anything, please just let me know! I am always available to help you in any way that I can.

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