NAME:
Mrs. Kosakowski
SCHOOL:
Haworth Public School
CLASS:
7th Grade Language Arts
SCHOOL PHONE:
Mrs. Kosakowski’s Classroom Guidelines
Five Guidelines for Success:
1. Respect—Treat others the way you want to be treated
a. Respect for personal differences
b. Respect for property
2. Responsibility—you are responsible for your own behavior
a. Recognize personal space
b. Use words wisely
c. I over E especially in C
3. Participation—come prepared to learn and share your ideas
a. Bring all materials necessary to aid in learning
4. Awareness—listen to others and follow directions
5. Follow all school rules and regulation
Students who are positive, contributing members in this class will receive:
1. Verbal praise
2. Written praise
3. Positive parent contact—notes and phone calls home
4. Leadership roles, special honors and privileges
5. Class rewards
6. A positive classroom environment
If your behavior prevents our class from functioning, the following order of
consequences will apply:
1. A verbal warning
2. A five-minute conversation with me after class/school.
3. Morning detention with parent notification
4. A conference with your parents
5. Meeting with administration
Homework Policy
Homework is an important part of our curriculum. The objective of
homework is to strengthen skills and reinforce knowledge learned in our classroom.
Because Language Arts includes Grammar, Spelling & Vocabulary, Literature and
Writing, the amount of homework and time students spend on assignments will
vary. Expect Grammar, Spelling and Vocabulary homework to revolve around
reinforcing workbook and practice exercises. Literature and Writing
assignments are for the most part longer-term projects that might be either
analytical or creative. These longer-term assignments may span weekend days,
but many times you will only have Language Arts homework Monday through
Thursday. All homework will be posted in our classroom and on my website.
This page can be accessed through the Haworth website.
In all Language Arts subject areas homework assignments are worth 20% of
student’s grade. Regardless of the subject, completed homework will receive
full credit. Any incomplete work receives an automatic 65 (D). If a student
fails to hand in homework they will receive a 0 (F) and will turn in a
paper(to be kept on file) that explains why they have not completed the
assignment.
Papers and projects are due no later than the end of the day on the day that
they are due. Unless a student is absent for illness, in which case the
assignment is due upon return, a paper handed in at any other time is a late
paper. The penalty for late papers or projects is 1 letter grade off per day
late.
Because our studies are intense there will be times in which students may
re-do assessments if they did not completely master the intended content or
skills, and the student has demonstrated sincere effort to prepare for the
assessment the first time it was given. Rigorous relearning and review will
qualify a student to redo an assessment. Redoing an assessment is a
privilege. Students must re-do assessments within one week of their return
otherwise the original grade stands. The higher of the two grades will be
recorded. Occasionally, assessments cannot be redone, but instead students
may correct their mistakes and receive half credit for each item they correct.
Students must re-do assessments on their own time, not during direct teaching
time in our class. In order to redo any test, not project, major writing or
quiz, students must first submit the original work signed by a parent and
request a retest or redo opportunity.
Preferably, Writings should be typed, double-spaced in 12 point type New
Times Roman font, with standard margins. If writing or literature assignments
are handwritten, blue or black ink is acceptable. You may use pencil when
completing homework or daily assignments that are not being turned in
(grammar, vocabulary, spelling) or in-class work.
Neatness counts! Messy homework or Writing will not be accepted. They will
be returned to you for revision or recopying and will be treated as late papers.
Papers with no name are put into a “No Name, No Credit” tray. A student may
check the tray and upon finding his/her work, write his/her name on it and
resubmit it. The tray is emptied into the trash every few weeks. Once the
assignments are evaluated, they are placed in a tray called “Papers to Be
Returned to Students.” If a student hasn’t had a paper returned in a while,
he or she should check there.
Parents are encouraged to provide instructional assistance, including:
designation of a study area, adherence to specific homework time period,
positive support, and supervision, as well as parent/teacher communication.
Personal growth, mastery of English language skills, and knowledge are more
important then grades. Please try to keep a clear prospective on your
achievements. While we focus on academics, we will also try to evolve into
confident and compassionate individuals.
If students or parents have any question regarding our homework policy or any
of our assignments please email me at Mendes@nvnet.org.
Procedures
Beginning Class
1. Entering Class:
You are expected to be at your desk with all required materials when the bell
rings. If you are not, you will be marked late. If you are late three times
I will make a phone call home and school policy will be enforced.
You must check the blackboard for the daily assignment. You are expected to
start on the assignment immediately. If there is no assignment, you must sit
quietly or read while you wait for further instructions.
2. Announcements:
No matter what is going on in class, it must be quiet for any announcements
made over the public address system. Even if the announcements do not pertain
directly to you, please be quiet.
3. Fire Drills or Emergencies:
If there is a fire drill or any other emergency, you are expected to comply
with the school regulation. You will walk quickly and quietly out the nearest
exit, stay together as class and wait for further instructions. If you are in
the bathroom or anywhere else in school, then you are to exit the building
immediately and find the nearest teacher or administrator.
4. Absences:
If you know in advance that you will be absent, talk to me about any
assignments you might miss. As long as you had an excused absence you are
able to make up the work you missed while you were out for full credit. You
have 3 days to make up the work, after that it is recorded as a zero.
Absences are your responsibility. I will not remind you of the work you need
to make up. You need to see me before, after class or school, or during a
quiet assignment time. Do no disrupt the whole class for what you missed
personally. Previously announced tests, projects and Writings are due the day
you return to school if you are absent on the day they were assigned to be due.
Class & Work Requirements
1. Daily necessities:
Bring all materials to class each day and be ready to work. (You will not be
allowed to return to your lockers for forgotten supplies.) Coming to
class unprepared will result in zero for the day. At the end of the marking
period the zeros for being unprepared will be factored into your participation
grade.
Textbooks must be covered and kept in the condition that they were received
in. Your notebook and folder must be neat and organized as we will be taking
notes and adding work regularly.
2. Following Directions:
It is the utmost importance for you to get the information you need to be
able to do well and complete this course. You will need to PAY ATTENTION. I
will only say things twice.
3. Paper Headings:
All papers must have the following heading:
Name: Date
Homeroom Class
4. Signal For Getting Your Attention:
My hope is that our class will be a place where creativity and positive
energy thrive. There will be times when I need your complete attention and
cooperation. At these times, I will hold up two fingers for peace. This is
your signal to come to full attention.
5. Signal For Getting My Attention & Moving Around The Class:
When you need my attention to ask a question you must raise your hand. If
you need to use the bathroom, get a tissue or throw something away you must
ask. Please remember that these tasks should be accomplished before or after
class. So use your common sense before asking. If you must leave our
classroom, you’ll need to take our pass, which will be located in the front of
our room. You may only leave when the pass is available.
6. Talking During Seatwork:
When you are working independently, I see no reason why you can’t speak
quietly with one another. This is a privilege though, and will be taken
away if you abuse it. Also please realize that if your talking is hindering
someone else’s work, you will need to be quiet.
7. Activities to Do When You Finish Your Work:
Bring a book to class or:
When you have completed any required assignment, there will be practice
activities available for you to work on. I highly recommend these
activities, as they will reinforce your language arts skills. All completed
practice materials will be held in your portfolio and considered at the end of
each marking period.
8. Movement In and Out of Work Groups:
We will be working together on many projects this year. During these times,
you will need to be considerate and respectful of each other and of class
rules. Each member of the group is responsible for bringing their own
materials and level of participation. If there are problems, group work will
be severely limited.
9. If You Need Help:
I am available before school, during lunch and after school for extra help.
If at any other time you feel the need to speak with me, I will be happy to
schedule an appointment with you.
10. Dismissal:
You must wait to be dismissed at the end of each class.
Our Classroom
1. Keep It Clean:
We will be spending a lot of time in our classroom. Therefore, it is
necessary that we regard it with care. Starting with your locker and desk,
and then working outward, you will be responsible for keeping our class neat
and clean. Also, if you use any of our community materials you will be
expected to put them away properly. You will be asked to stay after
class/school to help clean up if this is not taken seriously.
2. Taking Home Class Materials:
You will be allowed to borrow books from the class library. There will be
a sign- out sheet posed and a two-week limit on all books borrowed. If you
lose or destroy a book, you will be asked to replace it.
3. Audio-Visual and Computer Equipment:
Always ask permission to use any AV equipment in our room. Our policy is,
you break it-you buy it. Whether we use the school laptops or the computers
in Mr. Talty’s room, please do not ask if you can “surf the net.” The answer
will always be NO!
4. My Desk:
My desk is strictly off limits unless I directly give you permission. Feel
free to use any of the materials found at the Student Information & Supply
Station.
5. Substitutes & Other Visitors:
If I am out for the day, you are still expected to follow our class rules and
procedures. You are responsible for any and all assignments. You should
treat any substitute/visitor to our class with respect and afford them the
same treatment you would like to receive if you were a “stranger in a strange
land.”
Grading System:
1. Writing assignments will be scored with various middle school rubrics.
2. For all creative assignments, including oral reports, you will receive one
grade for content.
3. In Language Arts grades for homework assignments, performance projects,
classwork, tests and quizzes carry different weights. They are as follows:
Tests: 30%
Homework: 20%
Performance: 30%
Classwork: 20%
At the end of every marking period your grades are averaged together and are
based on the following grading scale:
A+ 98-100 B+ 87-89 C+ 77-79 D 65-69
A 94-97 B 84-86 C 74-76 F 0-64
A- 90-93 B- 80-83 C- 70-73