Mrs. Deese-Smith's

ELA Homepage

Syllabus:

Welcome to 7th Grade!

I am so excited for our year together! ELA, or English Language Arts, covers a wide range of skills, including reading comprehension and analysis, writing, speaking, researching, grammar, and vocabulary. To learn and practice these skills, we will be reading a variety texts, including young adult novels, poetry, non-fiction articles, and short stories. We will also get to compose written work that includes stories, poetry, essays, summaries, and a research paper. We will participate in activities that highlight our individual work, as well as experience activities that grow us in working together, such as book clubs and philosophical chairs. Be prepared to complete daily starter exercises, ask questions and make connections with what you are reading, and write in both familiar and new styles!

Special Note for Honors Students:

Students in Advanced ELA must maintain a C average (greater than or equal to 70%) to remain in the program. If a student fails to meet the greater than or equal to 70% average, he/she will be placed on Improvement Plan Probation. Any student scoring less than or equal to 69% on two different nine weeks will be removed from the program.

Grading Scale for all Students:

A - 100-90 B - 89-80 C - 79-70 D - 69-60 F - 59-0

Reading at Home(work)

Students will be given adequate time to complete any assignments in class, and will need to take home any work that is not completed and return it the next day.

The BEST way to become a better reader and writer is to read and write! It is recommended that students read for at least 30 minutes at home each and every day. This reading should be fun and interesting, and it doesn't have to be a book! Comic books, graphic novels, magazines, audio books, and news articles are all great texts to practice with. I am always more than happy to help students find a great read! Students or parents can contact me at any time for a recommendation, and I have worked hard to make sure that my classroom library is diverse enough to find something for every reader.

Student Materials

Most of our work will be done in class and kept in a 1" binder that will stay in the classroom at all times. If any work or studying needs to be done outside of class, students may "check out" a section of their binder to take home and return the next day. This way, all work will stay organized and will be present each day for class.

Please purchase and bring in a white 1" binder and dividers (at least 5) within the first week of school.

The following items should be brought to class each day:

CHARGED iPad
sharpened pencil / mechanical pencil with lead (with erasers!)
a book to read for fun
highlighter
glue stick
pack of sharpened colored pencils

Setting Up Your Binder

Setting up your ELA Binder

Make-Up Work

The student is solely responsible for making up any missed assignments, quizzes, or tests if the student is absent from class for any reason. The student will have a minimum of three days to complete the assignment until either an LLC slip is written or a zero is given. In the case of an activity or assignment that cannot be made up, the student will be exempted in the gradebook.

Discipline Policy

The following points system is consistent among all 7th grade teachers. A copy of this policy will be sent home to be signed during the first week of school.

Point System

Your behavior will be monitored throughout the day. You will get “points” for not following rules in the classroom as this distracts the learning environment.

Consequences

Getting 4 POINTS in one class results in a teacher lunch detention to be served with the individual teacher.
Getting 6 or more points for the whole day results in a team lunch detention at the GREEN ID table. This will be served in addition to a 4 point teacher detention if that applies.
Getting more than 4 points in one class results in a Discipline Note.
Getting 10 or more points in one day results in a D-Note.
Gum, ID violations, and/ or dress code violations addressed twice in one day or three times in one week, including during electives, will result in a D-Note.
Three negative days in a week or three consecutive green IDs will result in a D-Note.
During tutoring, students must be actively engaged in an academic activity. If not, first warning will be a green ID and the second warning will be a D-Note.

Points will be distributed in Mrs. Deese-Smith's classroom according to this chart:

Procedures:

Students will be introduced to these procedures during the first week of school. They will be expected to meet these expectations daily in order to create and maintain a positive learning environment.

BEGINNING OF CLASS

Enter room quietly and go straight to your seat.
Get out the required materials listed on the board.
Hang your bookbag on the back of your chair.
Sit down and read silently at your desk.
When I hand you your starter, put your book in the basket under your desk and begin completing the starter posted on the board. Once every student has their starter, I will start the timer.
As you work on your starter, I will pass out your binders. Immediately put your binder in the basket under your seat.
When the timer goes off, we will go over the starter together. Make any corrections as we go over it.
If you finish your starter early, get your book from under your desk and read silently. You may not work on anything else, including an assignment from another class.
To turn in your starter for credit, make sure your name is on your starter and pass it to the right. I will collect them from the last person on each row. Starters will not be accepted once I have taken them up from each row.

END OF CLASS

Pass your binders to the right. Only the last person on each row will put your row’s stack of binders away into the designated cubby.
Stay seated in your desk until I dismiss you. Students will be dismissed once everyone is seated and quiet, and after all materials have been returned.

MATERIALS

You must raise your hand and ask permission to leave your seat. You may not leave your seat to throw away trash. Trash will be discarded at the end of class.
To borrow a pencil, you must give me your ID until you return my pencil.
To sharpen a pencil, raise your hand, and I will switch it out for a sharpened one.
To borrow notebook or copy paper, raise your hand. I will either give you permission to retrieve it from the front of your class or bring it to you as soon as I can.
The green supplies shelf or plastic drawers may be accessed only with permission.
When using special supplies such as glue sticks, markers, or construction paper, I will pass these out from the front of the room. You may retrieve extras if given permission.
When you borrow a material, YOU OR YOUR GROUP MUST RETURN IT BEFORE THE END OF CLASS. Put all materials back in their original boxes. Cap markers and glue sticks.

BATHROOM

Via school policy, each student has 3 bathroom passes per class for each interim (4 ½ weeks).
Due to new safety procedures, you may use the bathroom during class only if it is an emergency, but not during the first 10 or last 10 minutes of class. If you have a medical reason for needing to use the restroom more frequently, you must bring a note from home or the doctor to the school nurse.
You may not use the bathroom during direct instruction.
If you use more than 3 passes in an interim, you will receive restroom detention for each additional trip to the restroom. This detention is 10 minutes, and should be served in the teacher’s room at the beginning of lunch. Restroom detentions can “build up” and lead to more than 10 minutes of detention at a time.

Contacting Me:

I love being a part of the Fulmer family! I've dreamed of being a teacher since kindergarten, and I consider it a privilege to teach your child. I want our "nest" to be a place of curiosity, critical thinking, and conversation. If you ever have any questions about what your student is learning, areas for growth that might require some extra help, or available resources, please do not hesitate to contact me.If you would ever like to meet in person, I am available most days during the times below. To make sure I am able to give you the time you deserve, please email me ahead of time so I can reserve time for us to get together. I look forward to working with you to make this year the best year yet for your student!

Monday/Tuesday: 12:15-1:00

Wednesday/Thursday: 10:45-11:30; 12:15-1:00

Friday: 12:15-1:00

Email: adeese@lex2.org

Phone: (803) 822-5660 (School Office)

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