Welcome to language arts!
"It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves." ~Edmund Hillary
Embedded Files
Information for Students and Parents
Information for Students and Parents
Are you averaging two or more hours of at-home reading per week?
You: Yes, Mrs. Lacey, I am!
Me: Fantastic! Keep it up, and tell me about the amazing things you're reading.
OR
You: No, I'm not.
Me: Why not? Your daily homework is twenty minutes of reading. Read more; it's good for you.
Welcome Letter (Mrs. Lacey's grades, policies, and procedures)
Newton Middle School Student Handbook
Google Classroom is the hub for all assignments, both in person and at home.
Below you will find reading and writing information, teacher information, and contact information.
What will we be working on this year?
8th Grade Outline
8th Grade Outline
First Semester
The Outsiders
understanding how literary elements overlap
analyzing dialogue and character development
writing arguments and summaries
Memoir Unit
using descriptive details to create tone, mood, and voice
creating and developing theme or message
writing personal narratives
Six Things
informative structure to convey information clearly
analyze the effectiveness of non-fiction text features such as pictures, charts, graphs, maps, captions, etc.
presentation skills including slide design, volume and clarity, and using non-fiction text features
Second Semester
To Kill a Mockingbird
using fictional text to understand history and current events
extensive non-fiction incorporation
writing arguments and reflections
presentation skills
Choice project
understanding media and bias
product creation and design cycle
using feedback to drive revisions
presentation skills
Reading Information
"A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies....The man who never reads lives only one." ~George R. R. Martin
Reading Suggestions
Reading Suggestions
Middle School "Must Reads" from Goodreads
2020 - 2021 Student Recommendations
Follow me on Instagram @mrs.lacey_loves_books
Writing Tools
"This is how you do it: You sit down at the keyboard and you put one word after another until it's done. It's that easy, and that hard." ~Neil Gaiman
About Me
I started teaching in 2000 and have been teaching language arts at Newton since 2002. I grew up in Oklahoma and have a B.A. in English from Oklahoma State - GO POKES! My Masters in Education is from Dominican University in Illinois. Even though I am not a Colorado native, I love living here. My family and I enjoy hiking, camping, and just being outside enjoying this beautiful state. When I'm not basking in the Colorado sun, my favorite thing to do is travel. Beaches are great, but my heart lies in the mountains. I can also be found reading, writing, painting, shopping, playing with my son, or trying something new in my spare time. I am a sports fan by default because as they say, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em." At my house it's all about EPL football (which we Yanks refer to as soccer), and our team is Arsenal. We also support all our local Colorado teams... and the Oklahoma State Cowboys, of course!
Contact Information
Email (the best way to contact me): JLacey@LPS.K12.co.us
Phone: 303-347-7900
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