Mrs. Suckley Language Arts


Esuckley@Sau15.net

Language Arts

I frequently tell my students that Language Arts is the most important of all subjects. This is not entirely tongue-in-cheek. The ability to articulate your thoughts and feelings with precision in a rational, sensitive and interesting manner will impact every aspect of your work and your relationships. Words matter. They matter because, coupled with actions, they are the only way to share our inner selves and to connect with others. My task is to help you become more adept at language usage, free from the errors and insecurities that cripple so many people and render them frustrated, fuming and silent. Your voice needs to be strong, clear - and heard!

General Expectations

  • Work is divided into short term and long term assignments. Some are predictable. For example, you will be expected to complete a journal which will be due on the last school day of each month. This is a long term assignment. Short term assignments are typically reinforcement sheets in which you can practice the specific grammatical or usage concepts covered in class, text questions or creative writing. Clear due dates will be given and the work should be completed before the start of class.
  • Late and missing work is handled in accordance with our school policy. There is a ten point reduction for each day late until the assignment reaches a score of 50%. Late work older than three weeks is no acceptable.
  • Test retake requests must also conform to our school policy guidelines. Please familiarize yourself with this information.
  • Help is continually and generously offered. You may come into my classroom Monday through Friday between 7:30 am and 8:05 am or Monday through Thursday between 12:20 and 12:50 pm. You may come in to study quietly or to participate in a grammatical tutorial. Attendance at one of the morning tutorials is worth five points while the noontime sessions are worth three points. These points may be added to a disappointing test score. However, in order to obtain the points, you must be present for the full tutorial. Students may use up to twenty points on any single assessment.
  • My grade book is updated every weekend. I encourage my students to check Power School frequently. This will insure that our records are in complete agreement.


Parent Tips

Your student will benefit enormously from having a designated and quiet study space fully equipped with all the supplies needed to complete homework. The recommended daily guidelines for homework time are 70 minutes for Grade 7 and 80 minutes for Grade 8. Each student is provided with a planner to record assignments and due dates. Planners are checked or stamped at the conclusion of each class. Assignments are posted on individual class pages. Regular weekly checks of PowerSchool are very helpful in ensuring that work is being submitted on a timely basis. It is also an opportunity for parents to review assessment results in order to determine if and when remedial help is needed. The recognition that Mom or Dad will be checking PowerSchool regularly is often a powerful motivator for the middle school student.

Your Language Arts Teacher

A little background about Mrs. Suckley:

  • I live in the foothills of Uncanoonuc Mountain in a rambling cottage on the edge of the forest. The modest house and grounds are called The Cedars. I live here with my dad and "the Toms"; my husband and son, along with three dogs, three cats, six chickens and an occasional field mouse. There are multiple gardens filled with flowers, herbs and vegetables and frequent visits from denizens of the forest; deer, foxes, bees, ground hogs and dozens of species of birds. Life in the cottage is very relaxed. Book cases and shelves are everywhere and there are lots of worn but comfortable overstuffed chairs just right for settling down for a good read. During the summer, the windows are flung wide and the sounds of the forest permeate the space. In the cooler months, crackling fires warm the interior and the scent of fresh coffee and baking fills the air. I like to read, listen to music, bake, watch old movies, sew, work in my garden and scour flea markets, yard sales and estate sales for vintage finds. This is my seventeenth year at the Moore School teaching Language Arts.