Welcome to 7^th grade!  I am honored and excited that you are a member of my class.  I expect a lot from you and my hope is that you will give your best effort at all times.  You will be taking part in many activities this year designed to get you involved in learning.  I vow to do my best in giving you all the support and guidance you need throughout the year.  Be proud of the successes and accomplishments you experience!

Classroom Expectations:

1.  Respect one another at all times / Be polite

2.  Come to class prepared and ready to learn

3.  Follow directions the first time they are given

4.  Focus your attention and effort on the subject matter of this class

5.  Clean up after yourself

Rewards:

            Extra credit slips, awards, homework passes, positive notes/phone calls home,radio/video time will be given for excellent behavior.

Consequences:

            I expect and will help create a classroom environment where each individual shows respect for one another. Infractions will be given on the student communication card for violating school-wide expectations (refer to student agenda).  Missing homework assignments will be recorded on the homework card. Office referrals will be given for severe disruptions.

Grading:

            You will be awarded points and given a grade based on homework, classwork, quiz and test scores, various projects and class participation.  You will receive a progress report to take home at the midway point of each quarter, however, you can always ask me for a grade update.  I do accept late work at reduced credit. You should also be aware that you can access grades online through the parent portal in the Aeries system (information will be provided to you regarding how to log on, passwords, etc.) If your parents accessed the parent portal last year, the login information is the same.

Classroom Materials to be brought to class daily:

• Lined paper
• Black or blue pen
• Pencils with erasers
• Reading book
• Colored pencils
• Binder and agenda book

Class Reminders:

• Students will receive an independent reading log every month.  You should be reading on your own for 20 minutes each night from a novel of your choice.

• You will be assigned one book project each quarter.  That means you will complete a total of 4 book projects during the school year.  The book you are reading independently for your reading log should be used for your book project as well. 

• Students will receive a new set of 20 vocabulary/spelling words every 2 weeks.  You will have one week to complete the worksheets and they will be corrected in class. The quiz for the words will take place on the Friday of the second week.  That means you have two weeks to study!  You can make extra credit flashcards for the vocabulary words to use in class and to study from at home.

• Always have your binder/agenda with you in class.  You must copy down the homework every day.

• Students will focus this year on narrative writing, writing arguments, informative/explanatory texts, and short research projects.  Writing is a process that will usually begin in class and be completed at home with final drafts.  Please see the attached handout entitled Sierra Vista Writing Conventions for the correct way to format papers.

• Students will have grammar instruction in class and packets to complete to practice the learning.  Packets will usually be worked on in class, however, if a student falls behind, he/she may need to work on these packets at home.

• The following textbooks will be used throughout the year:  McDougal Littell:  Language of Literature, Language Network, and Write Source 2000 (Sebranek).  These will not be checked out to students for home use unless specifically requested by the parent. We will also read several novels and plays as a class.

Parents:  Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have questions or concerns.  My email address is as follows:  tesmith@c-vusd.org or you can contact the front office and leave a message for me.  Thanks and I’m looking forward to a great year!