Letter to All Students

To All Students:

Welcome back to school! I look forward to an exciting and productive year!! First, you will need to bring the proper items to class with you each day. You will need a three-ring binder in which to keep all work. You will keep all handouts, vocabulary, warm-up activities, returned work, etc., in this binder. At various times, I will check your folder to ensure you are keeping up with your work. (You will need tabbed dividers for your notebook.) I also might give a notebook test at any time without announcing this prior to class. It is your responsibility to keep up with all work. Next, any formal writing or assignments must be typed unless otherwise stated. Never wait until the last minute to print an assignment in case your printer does not work or other complications arise. It is your responsibility to complete your work and turn it in on time. All assignments should be turned in at the beginning of class, not during or after. Do not ask to leave the room to get an assignment. Do not skip my class to finish and/or print your assignment.

When you enter the room, place any homework in the basket at the front of the room (labeled), check the return trays for returned papers, proceed to your assigned desk, get out your three-ring binder and writing utensil or your computer (depending on the assignment), and begin the warm-up activity on the board. The warm-up activity will vary from journals, No Red Ink exercises, and handouts. Always read the board, turn in any homework, pick up returned work, and do the assignment, This is an easy way to keep up with what is going on during class. (If you have any questions, you are welcome to ask me!)

When you write a journal, you need to write the journal topic and date at the top. You also need to number the lines 1-20. When you do an exercise, you need to write the page number, exercise, and date at the top. You will be expected to follow the directions. Depending on the type of warm-up activity, grades are usually taken on Fridays, but I may take a grade at any time to ensure that you are spending those initial few minutes doing the work assigned. The activities are not to be postponed! I am giving class time to do this work; therefore, I expect it to be worked on during class.

You will take a vocabulary test each week in which you will spell and define a list of words. Make sure you copy the new words after you finish your test. You will be responsible for these each week. Even if you are absent during the week, you will be required to take the test. (You have the words a week in advance.) You will also have quizzes on root words, prefixes, and suffixes.

You will have various projects and assignments throughout the year. Do not wait until the last minute to do an assignment. You will be provided a rubric for most major assignments; however, you will be given directions on each assignment. You will need to write down any instructions I provide so that you will complete the assignment according to specification. Also, all projects and assignments are for you to do alone, not with another individual or group, unless otherwise specified. I want to give you the grade you earn, not the grade someone else has earned. You are not to copy someone else's ideas, whether it is a classmate or someone online, etc. Your work should be original.

We will begin the year getting to know one another. You should be prepared to share your writing and ideas with others in the class. Our year will consist of writing, vocabulary, short stories, novels, plays, literary terms, journals, poetry, creative writing, projects, book reports, presentations, grammar, usage, mechanics, and much more. It is going to be a great year!!!

Ms. Leonard