Parent Letter- Sent September 6, 2023 

It is posted below, but please ask your student for this, if you have not seen it.

Open House/Curriculum Night

Slideshow

Materials that will be discussed are in the next box.

 Slide Show 

Open House Materials Packet 

Parents/Guardians, Please sign and return ONLY the last page 

and keep the rest of the information packet.

Welcome

New 8th Grade Students to Ms. Packer’s English Class.

September 6, 2023

Dear Student and Parent/Guardian(s): 

     I am your child’s English teacher. I am looking forward to a very successful year and I know that you are, too. I have high expectations and will be doing all that I can to help your child achieve the goals I have set for them, as well as those that they have set for themselves. Welcome to your eighth grade year. I hope it will be a time of growth and change for all of us, wherein language, drama, and literature will not only be appreciated, but also enjoyed.

     Parents, you can help.  I will be expecting all work assigned to be completed.  The way 

you can help is to ask your child every day if schoolwork needs to be done, and if so, make sure your child

completes the assignment.  I will be using the  Google Classroom and the Ottoson Agenda book for all assignments 

and I suggest that you review assignments daily. 

                                                     ASSIGNMENT POLICIES

I.    Assignments

              A.      All work is due as specified by the teacher.   Students are welcome to stay after school 

                       that day  in order to complete an assignment they did not have for class.                    

              B.      Absences will be dealt with on an individual basis. 

II.   Failing grades on assignments

              A.      Any student earning a failing grade on an assignment may redo the assignment.

2.     The assignment must be redone correctly. You must make an appointment with your 

    teacher prior to your submission of the revised work(come talk to me and say you 

    would like to redo the assignment.). Then the student must email the teacher that they

     have resubmitted their work.

3.     All work not resubmitted, will retain the original grade.

              E.      The highest grade that may be earned on a redone assignment is 75%.

III.    Late work

1. Students may stay after school (on the day the assignment is turned in) when they do not complete their assignments. They can earn full credit for the work when they stay.

2. Assignments will be accepted the VERY NEXT DAY(only), for a late grade beginning at 75%. The grade will then be assessed for incorrect answers and then given a final grade.

IV.  Email 

1. Email is for questions that cannot be asked in person. If you want to know why you received a grade, then this type of question must be asked in person, after school, when we can sit and talk. 

2. I do not read email after I leave the building, so please be patient as I will not answer anything until the next day. 

                                ORAL BOOK REPORTS

           During each ten-week grading period, students will be required to give oral book reports. The 

           format for those reports will be as follows:

1. All students will be required to read a specified number of pages each grading period; the type of books to be read will vary according to curriculum. Students may read as many books as are necessary in order to reach the required number of pages. The designated genres MUST be completed before students have free choice. 

1st ten weeks  600 pages 300 pages due by Term One Midterm 

Students may choose the genre

2nd ten weeks  650 pages 325 pages due by Term Two Midterm 

Historical Fiction (before 1930) No WWII- No Holocaust) AND Mystery

3rd ten weeks   700 pages 350 pages due by Third Midterm 

Science Fiction AND Fantasy Fiction (these are two different genres) 

4th ten weeks  BIPOC authors and/or main characters (The Hate U Give is a 

                                                          High School novel and cannot be read during this term).

            II.          Students are expected to read 30 minutes each day. All students should bring reading books or

                          digital readers to school every day. 

            III.        During SSR, Office Hours or via Screencastify book reports will  be given.  These reports are 

                         given on a one-to -one basis (the student will discuss the book with the teacher).                                    

            IV. Students are encouraged NOT to wait until the last week to try to give their report. When a book 

                    is finished (or almost finished) the student should make the appointment immediately. Only

                    ONE book may be reported on at a time.  There will be a cut-off date, posted on Google 

                    Classroom and on the classroom white board, for giving reports. NO reports will be heard after 

                    this date, even if a student is absent on that date. 

         Books that are movies and TV shows are not allowed unless the book is discussed with Ms. Packer BEFORE the student begins to read.  If you do not have approval, your book report WILL NOT be accepted

REMINDER TO STUDENTS: YOU HAVE APPROXIMATELY 10 WEEKS EACH

                        GRADING PERIOD- SELECT YOUR BOOKS AND BUDGET THE TIME ACCORDINGLY.

WEIGHT OF GRADES -Subject to change by curriculum/administration

                                 Book Reports /Summer Reading             25%

Writing                   25%

Reading\ Activities           20%

Grammar                   15%

Vocabulary           15%

                                                                              ABSENCES

Students are responsible for checking the Google Classroom and the make-up work tray (located at the corner of Ms. Packer’s desk) when they are absent. 

                                                    CLASSROOM RULES

I believe your child can act responsibly and I expect them to follow the school and classroom rules.  

               Your child should:

* respect other people, their opinions, and their property; and

*          be present and on time; and

* bring all learning materials, including an agenda book, outside class reading book, text, pen,

                                                   and all other necessary supplies; and

* be prepared to participate.

Inappropriate behavior will result in disciplinary action suitable to the severity of the problem.  

SUPPLIES   

In addition to the Learning Community list, students will need the following supplies for English:      

              Outside class reading book/digital reader  

** All students should bring one box of Kleenex to their ASPIRE teacher.

    Finally, I want you to know that one of my most important goals this year, and every year, is to keep the lines of communication open with you. I will update the Grade Portal as often as possible after each  Midterm. 

Please do not hesitate to call me at school at any time or for any question that you may have.      

The number is 1- 781-316-3745 ext. 1309.  My school email address is:  jpacker@arlington.k12.ma.us

Ottoson Website: www.arlington.k12.ma.us  (then click Ottoson Middle School in the left column, then on the next screen at the top click Cluster, then  click on 8th grade, then choose Earth team).

Thank you for your support,

Judith A. Packer                                                 

Parents, please keep this information letter for your records. 

It is also located on the stream page of your child’s Google Classroom.

Please sign and return Only THIS PAGE to Ms. Packer by Friday, September 8, 2023.

 Welcome: Welcome to this English class and to your eighth grade year of rigorous study. I hope this will be a time of growth and change for all of us, wherein language, drama, and literature will not only be appreciated, but also enjoyed. Please join me in signing this contract. Include any comments you may have in the space provided.

                                                         ______________________________________________________

                                                        Judith A. Packer                                         Date:  September 6, 2023

                                                        Earth English Language Arts

          jpacker@arlington.k12.ma.us

                                                        781- 316-3745   x 281309

I have read and understand the course description and the rules and expectations for the coursework and my behavior. 

Student’s Printed Name:  ___________________________________________________

            Student Comments:

_______________________________________________

   Student Signature                         Date

Parent/Guardian Comments:

Students, please have your significant adult(s) in your household include legible comments on this page. Have them include any concerns they might have about this course description, student achievement in English, or any information they want me to know. 

              Parent/Guardian Comments:

    _________________________________________________________                      ____________

                                                       Parent/Guardian Signature                                                  Date

Ottoson Middle School • 63 Acton Street • Arlington MA 02476 🕿 316-3745

                                               Internet Address: http://www.arlington.k12.ma.us/ottoson/Ottoson1.htm 

MIDTERM-Parents/Guardians (Don't Panic): 

The Mid-term Book Report Grade is a "Work-in-Progress" grade. Students have ten weeks to read their total amount of pages (Term one is 600 pages). This grade is NOT how well they did giving their report; it reflects the number of pages completed at Mid-term, divided by the total they they owe for the term.    At Mid-term they need to know what progress they have made and what they still need to do to finish. If they read and give their reports, this grade will only go up as the term ends. The students know this information. They are only worried about how to explain it to you. Don't panic, but do ask them what they are reading. The last day for reports is  November 13, 2023. No reports will be taken after this date and time.

TechHub has a Help section for parents: TechHub 

Part 2 of Introduction Letter is on a Google slide. Parents will have no access unless their child shows them this slide.