7th Grade
ELA Summer Reading for the Incoming 7th Graders
This summer you shall read Robert Cormier’ s ground-breaking YA novel…
I Am the Cheese
You will need a composition notebook to keep a journal of 15 minutes of reading per night over the summer. You will briefly write about what you’d read (7 - 10 sentences minimum), and one of your parents MUST sign off on every night’s reading.
Each entry must be dated, signed by a parent, and thoughtfully written.
Any unfamiliar vocabulary that you come across must be jotted down under your nightly summary and the definition must be LOOKED UP and written out as well!
Here is the link for the novel on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/I-Am-Cheese-Robert-Cormier/dp/0375840397/ref=sr_1_1crid=29IW64WEDY4Z1&dchild=1&keywords=i+am+the+cheese+robert+cormier&qid=1621432343&sprefix=i+am+the+cheese%2Caps%2C197&sr=8-1
Have a fantastic summer and see you all in September!
Mr. Henrickson
Dear incoming 7th Grade parents:
The long-awaited book list is here! I shall attach the links to Amazon so that purchasing the books will be a breeze. Books are to be purchased and ready for use one week prior to the Christmas break.
The first book is "The Wednesday Wars" by Gary D. Schmidt. The paperback version we shall be using can be found here:
https://www.amazon.com/Wednesday-Wars-Gary-D-Schmidt/dp/054723760X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=8RAIGXF8Z179&dchild=1&keywords=the+wednesday+wars+by+gary+d.+schmidt&qid=1624021794&s=books&sprefix=The+wednesday+wars%2Caps%2C150&sr=1-1
The second book is "The Tempest"* by William Shakespeare (yep, THAT Shakespeare!). The version of the book we shall be utilizing is part of the "Shakespeare Made Easy" collection which supplies the original text on the left-hand page and a modern, easy-to-understand translation on the right-hand page. The paperback version we shall be using can be found here:
*A word about "The Tempest":
There is an allusion in the play about the monstrous character Caliban's attempt to sexually assault Prospero's daughter Miranda. While nothing is graphic or detailed ("If I'd gotten away with it, I would have peopled the island with Calibans!"), it is necessary to understand Caliban's motivations in order to fully appreciate the motif of Prospero's colonization of the island which Caliban clings to with bitter contempt.
https://www.amazon.com/Tempest-Shakespeare-Made-Easy-William/dp/0812036034/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=the+tempest+made+easy&qid=1624021837&s=books&sr=1-2
Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns at rhenrickson@stpathunt.org
Cheers!
Mr. Henrickson
Dear incoming 7th Grade parents:
We’re off to a grand year of reading, writing and all which that entails! As such, I wanted to permit all of you a peek behind the curtain at what we shall be tackling for the first few months.
Along with the merry mechanical skills one would expect to be espoused in an ELA classroom (proper grammar, punctuation, spelling, etc.), we will embark upon the study of a perpetual societal albatross - homelessness - through the lens of three short stories; O. Henry’s “The Cop and the Anthem,” New York Times nonfiction tale “The Ballad of Sonny Payne,” and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s “The Man with the Twisted Lip.”
Should any parent have cause for concern over any of these titles, please feel free to contact me at rhenrickson@stpathunt.org. I shall be more than happy to discuss those concerns.
I feel very strongly that as the teacher of your children I should be as transparent as possible with regard to what they will be studying in class, and why. The titles are chosen with great care and consideration; geared not only towards the bountiful academic ends your children will achieve, but also the enlightenment of character and strengthening of moral fortitude which are the cornerstones of a well-rounded Catholic education.
Warmest regards,
Mr. Henrickson
Henrickson’s Classic Classroom Canons
1. SEATING:
A) All students are fully seated (legs under seats, pulled all the way in) as soon as they enter the classroom (and at the 7:40 homeroom bell). They must remain that way for the entire period, no exceptions. This keeps them from slouching back or slumping forward into “sleepy” positions, keeps their feet off of the chairs, and keeps them from leaning the chairs back, potentially causing them to fall.
B) Seating is always Boy-Girl, Boy-Girl. While this may sound archaic, it truly keeps the students more in line as it separates the cliques and they are a bit more embarrassed to do ridiculous things if a person of the opposite gender is on either side of them.
C) All students must ask permission to get out of a seat for any reason (tissues; throw something out; hand something to another student; etc.).
2. FOOD:
A) NO FOOD is permitted at any time (unless lunch is to be held in the classroom). This includes GUM and any form of CANDY. Candy draws ants into the room, and gum stuck under tables has ruined boys’ slacks and girls’ skirts/skorts in the past. I always straighten & check the desks between classes. If I discover any candy wrappers in a students desk, that student will receive an infraction.
3. RESTROOMS:
A) Any 7-1 homeroom student may use the facilities one at a time before 7:40 and again at the end of the school day.
B) Only one female at a time is permitted to use the restroom during ELA classes.
C) Males are generally not permitted to use the restroom during ELA classes. If a male student requests use of the restroom prior to/after lunch, I recommend he hold off until lunch period or when he returns to his homeroom. If he persists for a second time, I will gauge the authenticity of his needs and only then determine whether or not he should be allowed to leave the room. This reduces “pre-planned” meet-ups in the restrooms where all fashion of adolescent hijinx may occur (Monsignor Camp has had to replace tiles, piping, fixtures, etc. on multiple occasions in the Boys restroom at considerable expense).
D) Any student leaving the classroom for any reason (including the restroom) MUST sign out with the correct time and then sign back in with the correct time. He or she must also indicate what period it is. I shall check the log during the class to make sure everything has been filled out correctly.
4. WATER:
A) Drinking water is only permitted at the very beginning of class. I tell the students they may have their “final gulp” before having to put the bottles away (off of their desks). This may seem a Draconian gesture, but I find it helps with the constant self-distraction of guzzling water when the students should be paying attention, and eradicates the anxious crinkling of plastic bottles or crashing of metal bottles which have fallen to the floor during class. It also cuts down on students having to use the restroom the following period. Any student who absolutely needs water during the period is free to ask, and I will determine who may do so on a case-by-case basis.
5. SPEAKING:
A) Only one student speaks at a time. I impress upon the students that to speak over someone else - whether it be me or a peer - is distracting and disrespectful, and that if I did that to his or her grandparent they would feel the same about me.
6. CHROMEBOOKS:
A) Chromebooks are to be kept in their cases unless I specifically ask for them to be taken out, not in nor on their desks. This eliminates the inherent temptation to peek at them. Any student caught utilizing a Chromebook other than when permitted will receive an immediate infraction.
No Spiral Notebooks (ONLY Composition books)
No "Clicky" pens (regular pens with caps only)
Junior High Rules and Regulations
1. When you arrive at school you go to your locker and then immediately to your homeroom to start the day promptly at 7:40am. Consistent lateness will reflect on your report card.
2. Only St. Patrick’s School or St. Patrick’s Sports sweatshirts and sweatpants are allowed to be worn during the school day. You will not be permitted to keep your sweatshirt or sweatpants on if they are not representative of St. Patrick’s School.
3. School shoes must be worn when you are in your school uniform. NUT passes and gym days are the only days that sneakers are acceptable. Without a doctor's note, infractions will be given when school shoes are not worn.
4. All NUT passes must be handed in to your homeroom teacher. If one is forgotten it must be handed in the next day or an infraction will be given. If you wear a NUT pass on a day that is not allowed (ie. school mass, Olympic Day, retreat) your parents will be emailed to drop off your school uniform and an infraction will be given.
5. Chromebooks are to be used only when a teacher instructs you to do so. Anyone who is caught doing something other than what is asked of the teacher, including homework for another class, will lose their chromebook for the remainder of the school day and the next school day.
6. Anyone arriving at school in clothing that is not appropriate will have an email sent to your parents for a uniform to be dropped off and an infraction will be given. All clothing guidelines are clearly noted in the handbook.
7. Cell phones must be turned off and handed in to your homeroom teacher. They will be given back during homeroom at the end of the day. Anyone caught with a cell phone after prayers have been said will be sent to Sr. Maureen. Sr. Maureen will then contact the parents to pick up the cell phone.
8. It is highly recommended for parents to download the Google Classroom app to know what is happening in each of your child’s classes. This is where you can see all announcements, assignments, and grades posted in real time. Please ask your child for their login information in order to do this. Grades will also be posted on PowerSchool each trimester.
Junior High Grading Policy
● Grades will be given as percentages.
● Test and project grades will be weighted twice as much as quiz grades, classwork, and homework.
● All grades will be averaged together to calculate the trimester grade.
● Class participation, effort, and classroom conduct will be reflected in the effort and conduct grades on the report card.
● The grades for each trimester will be averaged together to give a Final Grade for the school year.
Student Signature: _________________________________________________ Date: ________
Printed Name: _____________________________________________________ Class: _______