Welcome!
Start HERE for classroom expectations and routines!
What is ELA 7?
In Language Arts, you are taught to think, read, write, speak, view, and listen. You will be given opportunities to grow as a critical reader, passionate writer, confident speaker, and analytical thinker!
You have a double period of language arts. This means you will be in language arts class for 93 minutes each day. Because language arts is two classes, the homework and learning expectations are double that of your other courses.
A Typical Day in ELA7
Preparing YOU for an AWESOME life!
Language & Grammar will be explored and practiced via mini-lessons and direct instruction. You will be expected to study MUG (mechanics, usage, grammar) notes just as you used to study multiplication facts and state capitals.
Choice Reading (CR) is how we will begin or end nearly every class period. During this time you will usually be reading books of your choosing rather than assigned texts. You must arrive in class each day with a book (not a device) to read.
Journaling will happen nearly every day. Some days you will be asked to respond to the material we are discussing in class, and other days you will be presented with the option of a general writing prompt or your own writing ideas. The most important thing is that you are writing every day!
Vocabulary will encompass 100 words commonly found in young adult literature, words related to what we are reading in class, and academic terms related to language arts. Vocabulary skills will be woven throughout the curriculum. It is your job to memorize the words taught in class so you can understand and apply them effectively.
Speaking and Listening are vital elements of our day. You will be developing speaking and listening skills through various small group and whole group activities. Opportunities to speak in front of peers include book talks and journal sharing as well as multiple informal speaking opportunities and formal speeches. No worries, we begin with many low-stakes opportunities to speak in front of the class. Most students are pleased to find that their “stage fright” is gone by the end of the first quarter!
Reading activities, where we discuss and interact with texts from many different genres, take place throughout the week. During this time, you will also receive direct instruction in reading strategies and skills, work on becoming critical and analytical readers, and, most importantly, develop a love of literacy as you use literature to talk about your own life and your place in the world.
Clipart from Google Images free domain with permission for non-commercial use.
Room #61
Classroom Rules
Respect for SELF --> Respect YOURSELF by making the most of your 93 minutes per day. Learning the skills we practice in class will help you be successful in ALL areas of your life!
Respect for TASKS --> Respect TASKS by paying attention to detail, identifying when you are confused and seeking help, making an effort to understand and grow.
Respect for OTHERS --> Respect OTHERS by keeping on-task and working hard to keep everyone involved in learning activities, assuming the best intentions in others, and choosing kindness.
In this classroom, you are part of a community of learners. No one of us has all of the answers (not even Ms. Wyatt!). We will work together to become stronger readers, writers, thinkers and communicators in a respectful environment where we are all valued.
Citizenship & Participation
You will be rewarded for being a prepared learner and hard-working student!
By participating fully in class, you benefit both yourself and peers. We all learn more when we work together!
At the start of each quarter and at each midterm (approximately every six weeks), you will be awarded CITIZENSHIP & PARTICIPATION POINTS. You automatically get 100% of the points (that's an A+!). Hold on to your points by being RESPECTFUL OF SELF, TASKS, and OTHERS.
Two points will be deducted when you are not respectful and/or not contributing to a culture of learning. Examples of how you can avoid losing two points are listed below.
**Points will NOT BE DEDUCTED the first two weeks of school when you are just getting used to being a seventh-grader. :)
Arrive in class ready to participate!
Have at least one working PENCIL. Many students keep spare pencils in a pocket in their language arts binder or in their language arts mailbox. If a classmate needs to borrow a pencil, ask them to give you their shoe as collateral so you are sure to get your pencil back at the end of class.
Bring a Choice Reading (CR) book. Be prepared to read for up to twenty minutes in ELA7 class each day; that means that if you are a fast reader, you'll need to bring at least two books in case you finish one in class!
Be in the classroom when the bell rings and in your seat within seconds after the bell rings. Remember that class is started by the bell and NOT by Ms. Wyatt. If Ms. Wyatt is talking with another student or teacher, find something productive to do as you wait. Ideas of ways to be productive: read your IR book, organize your ELA7 binder, sharpen your pencils, study class notes, etc.
Be respectful!
Be respectful of yourself. That means you arrive in a "ready-to-learn" mindset and apply Habits of Mind. Know that treating each ELA class as a work-out for your brain will have big payouts for your future because all careers rely on some form of either reading, writing, or communicating.
Be respectful of others. Be aware of those around you and avoid behaviors which would cause others to become distracted, off-task, left-out, or embarrassed. Keep the classroom organized and clean, so it's a positive learning space.
Be respectful of tasks. Whether it's quiet reading time, journaling time, discussion time, or work time, do your best to participate. Keep a GROWTH MINDSET. Identify your weaknesses or confusions and seek help on our website, during advisory, by emailing Ms. Wyatt, by placing a note on Ms. Wyatt's desk, by seeking help from a peer, by reviewing notes in your binder, by looking at Google Classroom, etc. Identify your strengths and areas of growth, and feel PROUD!
During Choice Reading, be seated away from others and remain "in the reading zone" engaged deeply in your CR book.
Be a self-motivated learner!
Your red binder is the textbook for this class. Have your binder with you EVERY day, and keep your binder organized.
When a skill, concept, strategy, or vocabulary list is introduced in class, spend time outside of class reviewing your notes. Reach-out for help if something feels confusing!
Complete learning preparation (homework) so you are ready to participate in classroom activities. Remember that incomplete homework leaves you at a disadvantage in class.
Use your Planner! Ms. Wyatt will randomly check planners.
Fill out your planner during the time provided in class.
LOOK at your planner in study hall and at home.
Look ahead at your schedule of extracurricular activities and family time...and determine when you will get learning prep DONE.
Choice Reading (CR)
There is no better way to build comprehension skill, vocabulary, a foundation of general knowledge, empathy for others, and vicarious life experiences than to read! Reading is a vital part of the language arts curriculum. We will read independently in class 10-25 minutes each day. The district requires that you read at least 25 additional minutes at home each day. That’s a total of approximately 45-50 minutes of reading per day!
You will need to check out a book from the school or public library or bring one from home and have it in class every day. We will attend library once per week during language arts class. If you need new library materials between our ELA7 class visits to the library, checkout should be done before school, after school, during study hall or in advisory. Independent reading is one of the MOST IMPORTANT parts of our time together, and therefore you will not be allowed to go to the library during ELA7 other than the days we go together as a class.
It is the expectation of the Pleasant Valley District that, combined with class texts, students complete a minimum of 25 books by the end of their seventh-grade year. Many students are pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to meet this goal! In fact, so many seventh-graders have easily achieved this goal that PVJH ELA7 teachers will be challenging each of you (and themselves) to complete the 40-Book-Challenge!
What Type of Books Should be Brought to Class for CR?
If you were going to baseball practice, you would bring a glove. If you were developing artistic skill, you would bring paints and brushes. If you wanted to be a musician, you would bring your instrument. This is a reading class, so you must bring a book each day! The book you bring must be:
at an appropriate reading level. It's okay to try a very challenging book or reread an old favorite once in awhile, but most of the books you read in this class should be of a "just right" reading level.
a book you are making progress on each day. If you are almost finished with a book, be sure to bring your NEXT book to class so you don't run out of reading material during IR. In fact, many students conveniently store a second book in their ELA mailbox.
from the 40-Book-Challenge list. Although you do not need to finish a set amount of books this year, you need to finish at least two books per midterm (that's three weeks per book) before you read an anime or graphic novel.
a selection which will in some way challenge you as a reader. This is a reading class and together we will work to develop your reading and vocabulary skill set. To do so requires that you explore and sample a wide variety of genre. Select titles based on the 40-Book-Challenge categories.
a hard copy of a book (not an e-copy). You are welcome to read books on your cell phone or device before school, in study hall, during advisory, and at home. Devices will not be used for reading in class.
If you are ABSENT...
We miss you when you are gone! Hurry back!
During your absence or upon your return to school, visit the DAILY AGENDA posted in Google Classroom. Homework will not be provided in advance as lessons are crafted on a day-by-day basis and subject to change as needed.
It is YOUR responsibility to complete make-up work listed in Google Classroom. You have two school days for each one day of school absence to turn in make-up work for up to full credit; if you have lots of make-up work in other classes, email Ms. Dircks to request an extension of the due date.
Absent one day --> make-up work due two school days later.
Absent two days --> make-up work due four school days later.
Absent three days --> make-up work due six days later.
Need help catching up? Schedule an advisory time with Ms. Wyatt; she is HAPPY to help YOU!
Fidgets & Stress Relievers
Please do not bring fidgets/gadgets from home.
Why? Because items brought from home typically become a distraction, become misplaced, or are broken accidentally by peers.
If you have valid need of a stress reliever, fidget, or other similar gadget, please have a parent contact me and and an exception will gladly be made for you!
Drinks & Snacks
We all need to work together to keep PVJH clean. Our awesome building is surrounded by cornfields...and we often get rodents (bugs, mice...). Likewise, flavored drinks leave behind residue even after wiped up. Therefore, no food or flavored drinks are allowed.
You are WELCOME to bring:
Water-flavored water in a working water bottle. (Say that five times fast!) You may bring plain water in a water bottle.
Gum until Ms. Wyatt finds chewed gum anywhere other than the garbage can at which time gum will be in time-out for two weeks.
Mints or hard candies (not suckers) until Ms. Wyatt finds empty candy wrappers anywhere other than the garbage can at which time mints and candies will be in time-out for two weeks.
Birthday Treats
Food = fun! You are welcome to bring birthday treats to celebrate your birthday, half-birthday, pet's birthday, imaginary friend's birthday, and/or your favorite author's birthday. In other words, you can bring snacks more than once in the year!
Choose your snacks from the PV Spartan Safe Snack List located on the district web page. Avoid all items with nuts and/or peanut butter.
Bring plates and/or napkins if needed.
Use the class seating chart (attached at the front of the classroom) to count how many snacks are needed for your ELA7 class periods.
Individually wrapped snacks are preferred. It's ideal if you can bring the packaging so that all students can check the ingredients list.
Let Ms. Wyatt know at least one day in advance of bringing a snack to share.
There's a Cell Phone in Your Student's Head.mp4No Technology Allowed
Keep all personal technology devices (phones, tablets, earbuds, etc.) safely LOCKED in your locker during ELA7. Although Ms. Wyatt REALLY dislikes having to send devices to the office, to be fair and consistent any devices seen or heard will be sent to the office. Why? Watch the video!
Do you prefer reading on a tablet? Lots of us do! You are encouraged to read from a device in study hall, on the bus, and at home. In ELA7 class, we will read from traditional books. Of course, if you have an identified need for receiving assistance from a device, please have your parents contact Ms. Wyatt and an exception to this rule will gladly be made!
Binder
The ELA7 binder is your TEXTBOOK. You must have your binder each day in class.
If your binder becomes unorganized, used the sample binder (in the classroom) as an example for repairing your binder. Good times for cleaning/organizing your binder: during IR, in advisory, before school in our classroom, at home, or in study hall.
Pencil
Bring at least one working pencil to class. Some students opt to keep spare pencils in the pocket of their ELA7 binder or in their mailbox. It's wise to write your name on your pencils!.
If you find yourself without a pencil (YIKES!), borrow from a classmate. Give your classmate one of your shoes (YES, your SHOE) in trade for a pencil. Your shoe will be returned by your kind and sharing classmate when YOU return their pencil.
Independent Reading Books
This is a READING class, so you need to have a book to read. Table books, like Guiness Book of World Records, should be saved for at-home or study hall.
We will attend library together once per week (most weeks). If you need additional visits to the library, please do so before school, after school, or during a study hall. If you are a FAST reader or often abandon books, bring more than one book from which to read!
Bring a PENCIL to Class EVERY day!
We are in school; thus a pencil is an important tool. Below are options for solving your “Oops, I forgot a pencil!” issue. Notice that telling Ms. Dircks you lost your pencil is NOT an option.
keep several spare pencils in your ELA mailbox
keep your pencil for ELA stored in the pocket of your red binder
look for extra pencils in Lost & Found by the mailboxes
ask a buddy for a pencil
make it a game to collect pencils from the hallway floor (DOZENS are there each day) and store those you find in your ELA mailbox - consider challenging your friends to see how many pencils you can find in a week!
Extra Credit
News Flash: there isn't any!
The goal isn't in the accumulation of points but rather in discovery, growth, developing work ethic, and learning for the pure ENJOYMENT of learning. NO EXTRA CREDIT WILL BE OFFERED IN ELA7. If you desire extra practice OR enrichment, visit the other pages on this website for games, activities, contests, publishing opportunities, and tutorials. The reward for choosing to complete extra practice or additional work is intrinsic and VALUABLE...but no points will be added to your grade.
Homework...it's OPTIONAL (sort of)
It’s your right to choose to complete (or NOT complete) assigned homework (we call it LEARNING PREP. in ELA 7). Learning Prep. makes up a very small portion of your grade. However, it is often used as the basis of in-class discussion, practice, and activities. Incomplete learning prep. leaves YOU at a disadvantage among peers. Likewise, failure to put forth best effort on homework often results in being unprepared for graded tasks. AND, late work will receive reduced credit.
Late work will receive partial credit; late work will not be accepted the final week of the quarter.
You are Invited!
The ELA 7 classroom door will be opened at 7:20 for students who enjoy a bit of blissful reading time before the school day begins. Here's how it works:
Enter the classroom QUIETLY after 7:19 a.m. Make as little noise as possible so as not to disrupt other readers.
Sit at your assigned seat or relax in a comfy spot on the floor.
Read, write in your journal, rest your head on the table and relax, or study silently.
At 7:30, when the first bell of the day rings, you may begin talking with others in the room.
At 7:33, the START OF CLASS bell will ring.
*If you want to be a social butterfly, need to move, or want to talk, please head to the cafeteria or hang out in the hallway!
Missing/Late Work
It’s your job to know if you have late/missing/incomplete/make-up work. The office will send a missing work report to your parents every Thursday. Here are your options for staying informed (and getting late/missing/incomplete work turned in BEFORE your parents find out!):
Check the grade portal weekly for EVERY class. Instead of clicking on GRADES in the portal, click on SCHEDULE and on each of your classes; in this way you will receive specific information about your assignments.
Ms. Wyatt will often leave YOU a note in the grade portal letting you know how you can resubmit the work, find extra copies, receive help, or earn more points.
Fill out your planner during the time provided in class each day. Make time to work on homework throughout the week rather than waiting until the evening before the due date!
Use the DAILY AGENDA page in Google Classroom to know what you missed while you were absent.
***Late work may receive reduced credit.
***Late work may not be turned in the last week of the quarter.
Weighted Grading
Reading = 25%
Speaking & Listening = 25%
Writing & Language = 25%
Vocabulary = 20%
Citizenship & Participation = 5%
*Formative Assessments = 0%
*Formative assessment scores are placed in the gradebook for growth-tracking and skills-targeting purposes only.
Missing/Lost Work...it happens!
Stay CALM. This happens to ALL OF US sometimes, and it's going to be okay.
If an assignment appears as missing (MI) in Infinite Campus but you believe you have turned it in, don’t panic! Perhaps you were absent on the due date and simply need to turn in the make-up work. Maybe it’s an item you and I chatted about, and you’ve been given an extension. There are many reasons an item may show as MI in the portal.
Remember, it’s your job to keep track of missing work. Checking the portal weekly and utilizing your planner are the best ways to avoid missing/late work! To see missing work, follow THIS path: pleasval.org --> students --> schools --> PVJH --> teachers --> Wyatt --> SCHEDULE --> language arts
Follow these steps if you believe you’ve turned in an MI item:
FIRST, check to see if I left you a comment (about why I marked the item MI) in your portal! If that doesn't answer your question, follow the steps below.
1. Check the no-name board located by the classroom door.
3. Look in your language arts binder.
4. Search your locker, backpack, and homework spot.
5. Re-do the assignment by getting a copy from the EXTRA COPIES box or Google Classroom
Printing Homework
Unfortunately, there are no printers in the language arts classroom. When an assignment date is given, it is your responsibility to determine a way to get the work printed BEFORE THE START OF CLASS ON THE ASSIGNMENT DUE DATE. We often edit together and use typed pieces in writing mini-lessons, which leaves you unable to participate in class if your work is not with you.
Your options:
Share the document with Ms. Wyatt on Gdocs with a request to print, allowing enough time for Ms. Wyatt to print it and fetch it from the office printer.
Print in the cafeteria or library before school, during study hall, or in advisory.
Email to a buddy who owns a printer and look at them with sad puppy eyes until they agree to print it for you.
Ask a parent to print at work OR print at the public library.
YOU are
Important to ME!
I’m here to help you. I teach seventh-grade because I LIKE people your age. I want to help you, but I have 80+ students, so there may be times I am unable to read your mind and determine that you are struggling. PLEASE reach out to me when class feels hard, when you feel overwhelmed, or even when you just need a friendly ear! Here are ways you can get in touch with me:
place a note on my desk
wyattkelly@pleasval.org
ask for an advisory pass
post your question in Google Classroom
If a concept or assignment feels confusing:
If you don’t get enough time to copy down all of the notes, place a note on Ms. Dircks’ desk requesting a copy of the day’s notes and you’ll find them in your mailbox the following day.
Schedule a day (or several days!) to receive tutoring from Ms. Dircks during advisory.
Email questions to Ms. Dircks and she can send back helpful links and information.
Use the helpful tutorials and links on the other pages of this website!
Internet Access
Most of your learning prep will require access to the Internet. If you do not have access at home, do one of the following:
--> stay for advisory and use the PVJH WIFI
--> use a computer in study hall
--> go to the public library
--> use a computer at a friend or neighbor's house
If you have unusual circumstances and none of the above options will work out, have a parent email Ms. Wyatt as soon as possible so another solution can be found!