Mr. Sullivan

Welcome to Mr. Sullivan's seventh grade English class!  I am excited to begin this school year at Monomoy Middle School!  After graduating from Nauset High School, I left the Cape to grow both personally and professionally.  Coming back home to teach is a dream come true.  I cannot wait to get to know all of you and begin the school year!

This site will contain all of the essential information.  Assignments, homework, upcoming tests, and ongoing projects will all be detailed on this website.  The VAST majority of our assignments will be completed on your school-issued Chromebook.  My goal is to be as paperless as possible, so most assignments will be completed online.  That being said, anything we do on a computer can be done on paper.

This page of my website contains information that would normally be contained in a syllabus.  Grading policies, classroom expectations, assignments, a class calendar, and my before and after-school availability, will all be updated here regularly.  When in doubt, come look here.

If you have any questions pertaining to school-wide policies, please refer to the Monomoy Regional Middle School Student - Parent Handbook.

Everyday please bring with you: 

• Writing utensil

• Chromebook

• Whichever book we are reading as a class

• A positive attitude

Grades will be made up of two main categories; Mastery and Practice.

Mastery (70%) - Assignments that are graded based on accuracy of answers based on how it relates to the daily objective and State standards.  These assignments can include, but are not limited to; tests, quizzes, projects, papers, exit tickets, or online practice work (IXL, flocabulary, etc.).

Practice (30%) - Assignments that are intended for students to show that they are learning and get feedback on how to improve prior to the mastery assignments. These assignments can include, but are not limited to; homework, exit tickets, classwork, brain frames, or online practice work.

** Assignments will be given points values that reflect their overall importance. Example: An essay will have a larger impact on the Mastery category than one exit ticket or one quiz.

Grading Scale (Per Monomoy Student - Parent Handbook)

100 - 90 - A

89 - 80 - B

79 - 70 - C

69 - 60 - D

Below 60 - F

As with anything in life, communication is everything...

If you are absent, you must advocate for yourself and come see me so that we can cover anything you missed.  Before school, during lunch (if I am available), and after school (if I am available), are all appropriate times to come see me.  I may be able to speak with you during class however, it may not always be the case.  

If you do miss an assignment, you will be given five days to make it up.  Extensions beyond the five day period will be granted on a case-by-case basis.  

Please do your best to stay on top of assignments as they will pile up and create unnecessary stress.  

I am available every day before school for extra help.  Typically I arrive by 8:00 am every morning.  

After school help is available, but days and times will vary.  

If you need extra help, you need to speak with me privately and arrange a time(s) for us to meet.  

Although I don't require students to read independently during the school year, I strongly encourage it.  There is a causation relationship between one's struggles in writing, and their refusal to read.  In short, if you are struggling with your writing, try reading more.  Reading really anything will help one improve upon their writing.  If you would like any suggestions, I would be happy to speak with you.  

I grew up in Eastham and went to Eastham elementary as a child.  I left Cape Cod when my parents divorced when I was in fifth grade.  I moved to Florida with my mother, while my brother stayed in Eastham with my father.  I lived in Florida for five years before moving to Winston-Salem, North Carolina in 10th grade. In tenth grade I moved from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, back to Eastham, to finish out high school at Nauset.  

After high school, I went to Bridgewater State University on a swimming scholarship, but quickly realized that I was not mature, or responsible enough, to pursue a college degree.  I knew I wanted to be a teacher, but I knew that I was not ready to put in the effort it requires.

After a year at Bridgewater State, I dropped out of college and moved to Wilmington, North Carolina (which is on the coast of North Carolina).  I lived in Wilmington for four years before moving back to Eastham in 2008.  

I then moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to live with my now wife and to enroll at Temple University.  While at Temple I earned a bachelor's degree in secondary education.  I taught a high school graphic design and visual communication class in Philadelphia before moving once again, to Wilmington, North Carolina.  

After teaching seventh grade history and Latin in North Carolina, I realized that as much as I may fight it, Cape Cod is my home and it is where I am most comfortable. 

I want you all to know that I am proud to call this place my home.  I am also aware that not everyone experiences the same thing on a day-in, day-out basis here on this little island.  However, we are all a part of this community and we must lean on each other in times of need.  I am here to listen to you all, and my door will always be open. 

-Mr. Sullivan