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Curriculum Night
Ms. Wolf’s ClassesLanguage Arts/Social
PLEASE SIGN IN ON THE FRONT DESK! THANK YOU!
Homeroom Topics
How can you help your child be his/her best? Help your child
get organized: Use an assignment
book Use a notebook
with dividers
Homeroom Topics
Set up a Study Routine: Establish a
consistent place to study that is comfortable and quiet.
Establish a consistent time each day for reviewing class work and completing homework.
Help students master completing bigger projects by: Encouraging your child
to start early Encouraging your child
to break larger tasks into smaller chunks
Encouraging your child to ask for help when needed.
Either from myself, a classmate/friend, sibling, or yourself.
Homeroom Topics
Check on his/her progress regularly
Keep your child supplied with basic supplies like paper, pencils, rulers, and a calculator
Praise your child’s success and efforts! Stepping in when your
child is doing well will encourage his/her effort and will help to build self confidence.
Homeroom Topics
Home Environment
Make your home a “learning resource” by keeping magazines, books, and music around.
Encourage your child to read for fun nightly. Try to find a time when
the whole family can read together.
Home Environment
Use the local library. Get a library card and
borrow books and other resourceful materials.
Make sure your child gets plenty of rest nightly.
Visit the school- attend open houses, parent conferences, and other after school events.
If Your Child is Having Difficulty… Talk with your child Contact your child’s
teacher (agenda, email, phone)
Contact your child’s guidance counselor
Schedule a parent conference with the team teachers.
Contact the assistant principal, Ms. Thompson.
Miscellaneous
Early Dismissals: Students must bring a note to the guidance office
in the morning with the time of the dismissal. They will receive a pass and will leave class on
their own at the designated time. Early dismissals for students without prior
arrangements will only be made during the class changes:
9:51 am, 10:37 am, 12:56 am, 1:40 am.– This minimizes interruptions to instruction time.
Due to afternoon dismissals, students will not be able to be checked out after 2:45 pm.
Important Dates: Mid-Quarter Progress
Reports: September 29-Oct 1 December 11-12 February 26-27 May 11-12
Report Cards and Team Newsletters: November 10 February 2 April 3 June 16 (to be mailed)
PARENT ASSISTANT!!
Academic Enrichment Classes were assigned this
week. A course syllabus will be
sent home with your child. The purpose of the
Academic Enrichment course is to provide enrichment to the curriculum.
Students who scored a level I or level II will be assigned to REACH classes.
Students will begin AE on Monday 9/14
Exploring Novels
We will begin by reading the novel, Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech. This book has won many several
awards; including the 1995 Newberry Medal winner.
Exploring Novels
As we read, we will be focusing on: Story Elements of Fiction Reading Strategies Specific Themes/Messages Vocabulary Comprehension Discussions
Exploring Novels Assessments:
Journal Writing Vocabulary Projects
Rubric/Choices Quizzes/Tests Daily Reading/Participation Grade
* We try to get in as many novels as time permits!!
Brief Introduction I moved to Charlotte from Columbus, OH
in July of 2007. In 2006, I was able to spend 5 months
traveling/teaching 5th grade in Germany In May of 2006, I traveled throughout Europe
for my senior capstone- comparing European school systems to our American school systems.
I am very excited about this upcoming year and have truly enjoyed getting to know each one of your children!
Language Arts
Placement: Students are placed in
courses based on: EOG Language Arts
Scores Grades Academic Performance
* Specific questions regarding placements can be addressed to Dawn Akers.
Overall Goal: To build higher level
literacy strategies that will build success in all areas.
The ultimate goal is for increased participation in high school Advanced Placement courses.
Language Arts
Language Arts What would you see in
the classroom? Cognition Connections Critical Stance Interpretation Mini Projects Application of knowledge in
new settings. Cooperative Learning Creative Problem Solving Multiple Intelligences Visual representations of
ideas Reflective assessment Critical thinking processes
The goal for this course is to help students develop skills in oral language, written language, and media and technology for expressive, informational, argumentative, critical, and literary purposes.
We will explore the structure of language and study grammatical rules in order to speak and write effectively.
Our activities will include working both in groups and independently, completing projects, writing many types of papers, using research skills, developing reading strategies, and focusing on vocabulary.
We will also be doing novel studies in class in addition to the works students will be expected to read outside of class.
Language Arts- 8th Grade Expectations
Language Arts: Reading
# of Book Reports: There will be a
minimum of 1 per quarter.
Independent Books: each student must read at least two books/quarter
Reading Strategies will be stressed.
Reading Strategies:
Students will apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate text.
They will draw on prior experiences, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features.
Choosing a Just Right Book What is a “just right” book?
The child can read most of the words, but not all.
The child can understand most of the ideas, but not all.
He/She is eager to keep reading- he/she may even think about the book when not reading it. It is interesting!
He/She might learn something new.
What is a “challenge” book? He/She cannot
read many of the words.
He/She cannot understand many of the ideas.
What is an “easy” book
He/She can read every word.
He/She can understand every idea.
We will be going to the media center as a class to check out books regularly.
Language Arts: Writing
Types of Writing: Real-World writing-
not stories. FOCUS is persuasive
Evaluative: making a judgment and convincing others to agree.
Problem Solution: creating a solution to a problem and convincing the audience to agree.
Language Arts Supplies
* 3-ring binder (1 ½ - 2 in. should be fine) * 5 Dividers/Sheet
Protectors/Scissors/Gluestick * Spiral notebook * Pencils/Pens (black or blue ink only) * Loose leaf college-ruled notebook paper
(a lot of it!) * Highlighters and markers are suggested
Classroom Expectations Consequences Consequences are a result of students choosing to break
class rules. Parent Contact- I will always attempt to contact parents
at the first sign of a problem. Hopefully, any troublesome issues can be stopped at this
point. Unified Discipline Plan (UDP)- If a student still has
problems after the initial parent contact, I will then follow the procedure outlined in the UDP. This process moves from warning student/team conference after school detention administrative referral. Parents will be notified as students move through the
discipline plan. Let’s not even create a reason for this to be put into place.
BLACKOUT CARDS First Celebration: 9/25/2009
Rewards I do not give rewards. Students earn them
by making right choices. Verbal praise Contact Home (phone/email)- will receive a
positive report. Prizes/Candy- only at the end of each
quarter Classroom Chair Pencils/Erasers Homework passes Any other reward I feel is appropriate
Communication
I encourage both students and parents to discuss any questions, concerns, or comments with me.
Email is usually the better option, as I try to check my inbox periodically throughout the day.
EMAIL: [email protected]
Summer Reading Project
CHANGE: Due on Tuesday September 29, 2009
The 28th is a teacher workday… Instructions are on the school
webpage
Thank you to all of you who donated classroom supplies! It is all VERY much appreciated.
Also, thanks so much for those of you who wrote to me about your child. I loved reading about each one of them and I look forward to the upcoming school year!
General Classroom Procedures continued from Language Arts Make-Up Policy * Each student is responsible for completing
all work missed during any absence from class.
* It is not my responsibility to find students to give them make-up work. They must take the initiative to get their own assignments and complete them in a timely manner.
* Work not made up reverts to a zero. The CMS Middle School Policy says that students have 5 days
to make-up missing assignments. – This is to help prepare them for high school.
Crestdale Grading School A 93-100 B 85-92 C 84-77 D 76-70 F Below 70
My Classroom Grading Scale Tests/Projects: 45% Quizzes/Class work:
45% Homework: 10%
ALL completed work will be kept and stored in my room. You are welcome to email me at anytime if you would like to see/know a certain score.
Homework All homework assignments will be written in
the agenda on the day they are given. I will stamp the planner showing that the
student has copied the assignment correctly. Students should never say they do not know
what their assignment is. I encourage you to check your child’s planner
daily to see what we are covering in class. Working Lunch- for students who choose not
to do their homework- they will work on homework during lunch.
10% off a day…
Social Studies Overview Based on the NC course
of study, we will be studying the following: North Carolina in the
American Experience. Geography Native Americans European Explorers Revolutionary War Civil War Great Depression World War II Opportunities for active
citizenship Impact of demographic,
economic, technological, social, and political developments in N.C.
General Concepts:
Geography History Culture Government Economy
This is known as the ‘regional approach.’ which has been set by CMS.
Technology
Integration of technology will occur regularly. Power Points and other forms of
technology will soon be posted on my teacher webpage.
Overview
Group/Individual Projects
Vocabulary (Warm-Ups/Quizzes)
Map Study Global Connections Cultural
Characteristics Physical Environment Social, Economic, and
Political Institutions
National Geographic Bee National
Competition – Geography Trivia
$25,000 is the top prize.
We will narrow our school representative down by winter break.
If the student scores high enough- they will compete in Raleigh- next to Washington DC
