Here are some questions that I am usually asked at the beginning of each
school year. I hope that this clears up any potential confusion there might
be surrounding these quesitons!
- Do we have to complete Accelerated Reader in seventh grade English?
- Can my child earn any extra credit?
- How many AR points can the student earn for reading AR books and completing the tests?
- Can we expect to see a lot of homework in English?
- What are participation points and how do students earn them?
- What happens to participation points if a student is absent?
- What is the best way to contact me?
- How do I access my child's grades online?
- What is Bellwork?
- Do you post assignments for parents to see?
Do we have to complete Accelerated Reader in seventh grade English?
The answer is no, you do not have to complete AR as an assignment
in my class. We do, however, offer you the opportunity to earn
extra credit for reading AR books and completing the tests.
*NOTE: STUDENTS ARE STILL EXPECTED TO HAVE A READING BOOK OF SOME
KIND AT ALL TIMES! I still expect them to read, we just don't
have AR as a requirement for that reading.
*Note: This is subject to change a bit this year. Please check back here for updates.
Can my child earn any extra credit?
The answer is, yes! The extra credit your student can earn is
through reading books within our Accelerated Reader program and
taking tests on them. Please see questions one and two for
further explanation of this. Other than that, the student just
needs to complete homework assignments on time, arrive prepared
and participate in order to earn his or her particpation points,
and stay after school for tutoring if needed.
How many AR points can the student earn for reading AR books and completing the tests?
The student can earn up to twenty-five bonus points per quarter
for reading AR books and taking the tests. They earn one extra
credit point for each AR point they earn up to twenty-five
points! *NOTE: These points will not be added until the end of
each quarter.
Can we expect to see a lot of homework in English?
The answer to that question is no! Please refer to the section
entitled "Homework" for more on this.
What are participation points and how do students earn them?
Participation points are exactly what they seem to be-points
students earn for actively participating in class. They earn
points based on a number of criteria. First, they must come
prepared every single day. They must have a pen, pencil, and
library book with them at all times. Failure to do this will
result in a reduction points. They also must actively participate
in classroom discussions and demonstrate a positive and
responsible attitude at all times. Completing all these things
will earn them five points a day. That is equal to two test
grades each quarter! That can be a great grade booster,
especially for students who are not good test takers. Please
realize that I would never do something like this if it hurt a
student's grade. I have been amazed at how much of a difference
these participation points can make! I want students to get
points for effort, not only the work they complete.
What happens to participation points if a student is absent?
If a student is absent, they will receive zero participation
points for that day. HOWEVER, they may earn those points back if
they get the work they missed when they return to class and
complete it within the appropriate time frame (the assignment is
expected three days after his or her return to school). If I have
to ask for the work (meaning it is late), if it is turned in
halfway done or with half-hearted effort, or if it is never
completed at all, the student may lose some or all of those
points. If a student misses a test, he or she will be expected to
set up a time with me to make up the test. He or she can expect
to take an altered version of the original test.
What is the best way to contact me?
The best way to contact me is through email, because I try
my best to check it throughout the day. If that is not an option,
then I can be reached at the school. Please feel free to call
and leave a message with the secretary, and I will return your
call as soon as possible.
How do I access my child's grades online?
You can access your child's grades and see what assignments he or
she might be missing on our Students 1st website. You may access
the website by going to the Carl Junction Homepage and clicking
the "Students 1st" link under "Parent Login". In order to create
your account, you'll need to contact Mrs. Lilani Runnebaum in the
CarlJunction R-1 Central Office at (417) 649-7026 to receive your
access code.
What is Bellwork?
Bellwork is something that we do at the beginning of each class
period. This is a daily warm-up exercise in which students will
be asked to answer a multiple choice question or correct a
sentence with grammatical errors and write a five
sentence paragraph each day. This will be in their bellwork
folder, the three-pronged folder they are asked to bring in
the "Supplies" section of this webpage. These are mostly ten
point entries. You will see it on Students 1st as "Bellwork", so
don't be surprised to see a lot of those when you log in!
Do you post assignments for parents to see?
The answer to this question is YES! I feel that partnering with
the parents is the best was to ensure that a student has a
successful experience in my room. I will be setting up parent
email accounts and I will email a weekly schedule so you can stay
on top of what is going on with your student in English. I also
post any assignments I can here on my website so that you can
check them out or print them if your child is absent. I strongly
desire to partner with you this year!