"Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain."

Welcome to Mrs. Clinton's classroom!

Dear Parents/Guardians & Students:

Welcome to Cameron Middle School!

My name is Simone Clinton. I am your child’s 7^th grade English Language Development/ELD Social Studies/SEI Science teacher this year. In the ELD class, your child will learn English grammar, reading strategies, academic vocabulary through word study, the writing process, and participate in academic conversations and Socratic Seminar to better understand the texts that they read.

Encouraging your child to read every night for at least 20 minutes is a great idea, as reading is just like practicing to get better at a new sport; daily practice will result in your child becoming a more skilled reader.

Reading is the best way to help your child learn more vocabulary words in English. It is also strongly recommended that you listen to your child read and ask them questions about their book.

You should have received your child’s ACCESS scores last spring, which are a measure of your child’s English Language Development in the domains of speaking, reading, writing, and listening. I will be going over these scores with your child and setting goals for demonstrating growth in each of these areas this year. Your child will take the ACCESS test again in January, 2020.

Please review with your child the description of class expectations and the grading policy, which I have gone over with your child in class. I encourage you to look at your child’s homework agenda notebook each night, as each teacher asks your child to write down homework assignments at the beginning of class.

My telephone number at school is 508-879-2290 and you can also contact me by e-mail at sclinton@framingham.k12.ma.us. I look forward to meeting you at our Open House on September 19^th, at 6:00 p.m. and to working with your child this year.

Regards,

Mrs. Clinton

ELD Teacher

Cameron Middle School

English Language Development/Social Studies

Mrs. Clinton ~ Room 229

1. Materials You Need to Bring to Classroom:

Ø 1 spiral notebook OR a binder with filler paper

Ø One binder to keep in the classroom

Ø 1 folder for papers

Ø Pencils & pens, coloring pencils and markers

1. Homework:

3 points – complete

2 points – partly complete

1 points – completed late

0 points - L

Homework turned in on time will receive full credit or partial credit, and if it’s one or several days late it will receive partial or late credit at the teacher’s discretion.

1. Grading:

Your grade is an average of the following:

Ø 35% Classwork & Participation

o Are you on task and giving your best effort?

o Are you using talk moves in your academic conversations?

o Are you using class time wisely and completing activities to the best of your ability?

o Are you listening to directions and following them?

o Are you prepared with your ELD materials?

o Are you cooperating during group activities?

o Are you remembering to speak in English? (except for clarification purposes)

o Are you demonstrating a positive attitude?

Ø 35% Tests, quizzes, writing assignments & projects

Ø 20% Socratic Seminar

o Academic Conversations & Writing Process

Ø 10% Homework

1. Lateness Policy:

You have one “freebie” for arriving to class late without a pass from a teacher. After you have used up your “freebie” you will then receive a lunch or after-school detention (at the teacher’s discretion) for each time you arrive late without a pass. Excessive lateness will result in administrator/parent contact.

1. Learner Responsibilities: (please copy below)

1. RESPECT EVERYONE! RESPECT CLASSROOM PROCEDURES!

2. DEMONSTRATE EFFORT

3. BE PREPARED WITH MATERIALS, HOMEWORK AND READY TO WORK TO GET SMARTER

ENGLISH IS THE UNIVERSAL, COMMON LANGUAGE SPOKEN BY ALL PEOPLE IN THIS ELD CLASSROOM. ENGLISH IS THE LANGUAGE THAT WE WILL SPEAK WHEN WE ARE IN THIS CLASS.