Announcements

3rd Academic Quarter Announcements:

Welcome to Mr. Sykes's 7th Grade ELA website. The site is currently being constructed and updated, so check regularly for updated information as the site develops.

ATTENTION Parents and Students:

Reading and English Grade Distribution Changes Effective January 3, 2012

Commencing January 3, 2012, the grading paradigms in both Honors and On-Level Reading and English courses will reflect the following value distributions:

READING:
Daily Participation:35%; (+)Tests, Reports, Projects: 45%; (+) Quarterly Exam: 20%=
100%Total Reading Grade ***************************************************************************************************************************
ENGLISH:
Daily Participation:35%; (+) Essays, Tests, Reports: 35%; (+) Spelling:10% (+) Quarterly Exam:20%=
100% Total English Grade.
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These grade distribution changes should encourage greater daily participation, facilitate increased accumulation and application of content, impel heightened development of critical thinking proficiency, and ultimately result in higher standardized test scores. The parish grading scale is not affected in any way by the new grade distributions.
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2011-2012 Parish Grading Scale

A 93 - 100

B 85 - 92

C 75 - 84

D 67 - 74

F 0 - 66
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        The third quarter's Guaranteed Curriculum (G.C.) Language Arts study will examine how the G.C.'s "Essential Understandings and Enduring Questions" relate to Lois Lowry's social reform oriented science fiction novel The Giver. In addition, the novel's vocabulary will be defined, discussed, used to write sentences, and examined for the words' connotations as used by the author in the novel. Students will critically read and analyze the novel's literary elements and learn various reading skills including fact v. opinion, propaganda recognition and creation, and types of literature as well as exploring how the novel relates to the students' community and the issue of social responsibility v. personal ethics, which will be reflected in letters students will write to the novel's titular character.

          As in previous quarters, the students will write a book report on an independently chosen fiction novel. Students visited the library 12/ 12/ 2011, to select their third quarter book report books. Honors and On-Level students are to continually be reading their self-chosen book report books. Honors students' book report books should be completely read by 1-16-2012, when book reports will start to be written in class. On-Level students' book report books should be completely read by 1-23-2012, when book reports will start to be written in class. The proofread final copy of the Honors book report, written on the prescribed form, is due in class, Monday, January 23, 2012. The proofread final copy of the On-Level book report, written on the prescribed form, is due in class, Monday, January 30, 2012.


         English Unit 9: "Adjectives & Adverb," and "Prepositions," Unit 11, and pertinent Grammar Workbook pages will be concurrently studied as a descriptive essay is written, peer-edited, proofread, and submitted for grading by LEAP oriented rubric standards. We will also be completing Zane Bloser Spelling units. Normally, the weekly Spelling contract will be due on Thursday, when a Spelling pre-test will be given, and the Spelling words will be formally tested on Friday. Weekly Reading Journal entries or I-LEAP test preparatory exercises, and D.O.L.'s will continue to be written daily and cumulatively checked on Fridays. Typically, there is a Readingtest on Friday covering weekly materials read, skills taught, and the weekly vocabulary words. Be sure to briefly study the English Facts handout daily.

As directed by the St. Tammany Parish School Board, English and Spelling textbooks are no longer being issued for take-home usage. An English grammar workbook, Reading literature textbook, and a paperback copy of The Giver novel will be issued to students.

Steps for Accessing Online Student Reading Book

Activation Code: 2379343-30

1. Go to http://www.classzone.com
2. Select Language Arts for Middle or High School
3. Select Louisiana under state.
4. Click on Go under Find Your Book
5. Click on the appropriate grade of the literature book
6. At the bottom of the screen, click on Online Book
7. Click Continue on the "Online Book Copyright Notice" screen
8. Under Returning Visitor, enter the username SlidellJr and password Tigers and click Submit
9. The Online Book will come up on the next screen.

        Honors Language Arts' 3rd Quarter Book Report Presentations must be completed by February 17, 2012. All Honors book report presentations will occur as scheduled by the student sign-up sheet. Students began scheduling book report presentation dates on December 14, 2011. Presentations begin January 26, and conclude February 17, 2012. As mentioned in the book report presentation option choice contract each student signed, any presenter not presenting as he or she scheduled will receive a grade of zero. The presence in class of any member of a video presentation group on the day scheduled for the group's presentation represents the entire group and will be expected to present the video, and the grade earned for that presentation, or lack of presentation, will be applicable to all members of the video presentation group. Participation in a video presentation group is completely voluntary.

Novels that are also movies, novels taught in class, and serial novels such as Twilight, Chronicles of Narnia, or A Series of Unfortunate Events are not eligible as book report books. 

Book report book selection standards:

1. The novel must be a work of fiction and 120 pages or longer.
2. The book report book cannot have been made into a movie.
3. Novels that are part of a series such as the Narnia, Twilight, or Lemony Snicket books may not be chosen as their serial nature precludes the writing of a sufficient plot conclusion summary.
4. Class novels may not be used as book report books.

Renew or return your book report book to retain your library privileges and avoid paying fines. You can return library books by simply dropping them in the slot in the door to the right of the library's main door to avoid having your book be overdue. If you'd like to visit the library outside of classtime to renew a library book or to select a book to read for fun, ask for a pass to use after you eat your lunch, or to go to the library at 7:15 A.M., before classes start.

Please be sure the student possesses all needed supplies each day.

Pens run out of ink; always have more than one red and black pen.
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Activities not completed in class should be completed at home.
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Complete each day's Reading Journal and D.O.L. entries.
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Study one section of the English Facts handout for about five minutes daily. Students will be tested on the content of the English Facts handout.
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Please write only in black ink.
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Never write on the back of a page; start a new page.
Assignments written on the backs of pages become illegible when the front side of the page is corrected. Therefore, assignments written on the backs of pages cannot be graded and will need to be rewritten on a separate page to earn credit. 
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December12: Monday: All classes visit the school library to select third quarter book report books.
December 13: Tuesday: Third quarter "Book Report Book Choice Statement" is due.
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Important Third Quarter Dates:
January 3, Monday: First day of the third academic quarter
January 3, Monday: New Grade Distributions take effect in my Reading and English classes.

January 6, Friday: Week 1 Giver test to p.39, Chps. 1- 5, Vocabulary, & Fact v. Opinion
January 6, 2012: Begin descriptive essay writing project.

January 13: Friday: Week 2 Giver test to p.100, Chps. 6-12;Vocabulary; Bias; Main idea & Supporting Details
January 17:Tuesday: Honors book report book should be completely read.
January 17: Tuesday: Honors classes begin writing the third quarter book report.
January 23: Monday: On-Level classes begin writing the third quarter book report.
January 23: Monday: Honors written book report is due.
January 25: Wednesday: GIVER All-novel Test
January 26 - February 17, 2012: Honors oral book report presentations occur.
January 30: Monday: On-Level written book report is due.
February 1, 2012: Letter to the Giver is due.
February 3: Friday: Adjectives & Adverbs Unit Test
February 7: Tuesday: Ransom Week 1 Voc. & Novel Test (Test covers the novel to p. 39.)
February 15: Wednesday: Ransom Week 2 Voc. & Novel Test of the novel to p.110.
February 17: Friday: Last day to present Honors oral book report presentations.
February 20 -24: Monday > Friday: Mardi Gras Holidays
February 27: Monday: Return to school.


Supply List

Please remember to bring these items to every class:

2

Red ink pens

2

Black ink pens

1

Black & white composition notebook

1

Folder to save tests & handouts

2

Notebooks & some loose leaf paper

English grammar workbook

Any novel OR textbook we're reading

                                                

          Be sure to briefly study the English Facts handout daily. 

          It may help students to consult   www.classzone.com   and/or www.brainpop.com  to better understand and reinforce materials studied in class.  Please be sure to bring all necessary books and supplies to class daily. 

            

 

                

 

                 

 
Last Modified: Monday, Feb. 06, 2012
 
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