From this point forward into the school year, we will be using the Language Arts textbook almost daily. All students were issued a textbook of their own and should be bringing it to class as needed. While I know they are unaccustomed to this from prior years; I am trying to instill in them some responsibility and accountability to prepare them for life in high school and beyond. There are many students who keep “forgetting” to bring it and they are being forced to take a tardy to return to their locker to retrieve it. Some students have already lost their books.

While I expect them to haul the book to class everyday as needed, they do not need to bring it home as I have given them an online access code. Students who are absent or need to finish homework/classwork can access the online book with the following information:

Go to my.hrw.com

user name-allclasses11
password- b5k4z

MOST of our stories are accessible this way, some are not. I will usually tell them when one is not available online.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Find attached the instructions for the literary letter and exit tickets. All students have had these assignments since the beginning of the card-marking and they all received both of these sheets a few weeks ago. I have had several requests for new ones today, so I am posting the documents. As you will see at the top of the literary letter paper, it specifically says/said to KEEP this paper for the rest of the year.

SSRExitTicket

Literary Letter pg1

End of Card Marking Obligations

This is just friendly reminder that the end of the card-marking is Friday October 16th, 2015. All students are required to turn in an Exit Ticket (for a book they completed this card-marking), as well as a Literary Letter, for SSR. They know what these are, have directions sheets for both, and that these can be turned in at anytime throughout the card-marking. To this point approximately 10-15 of 130 students have turned in both. THESE ITEMS ARE DUE BY WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14TH. After this the items will be considered late (see syllabus for late work information), and will not be accepted at all if not turned in by Friday.

The Literary Letter is summative points and will count as a zero on a test if not turned in by the end of this week.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Students, your Article of the Week, on refugees heading to Michigan, needs to be turned in tomorrow as you walk through the door. Below are the reminders for how the text should be highlighted.

Please email me with any questions that you have…..

corrivr@dearbornschools.org

These reminders were posted on the board for all of the students to see yesterday. Please take a moment to ask your student if any of these reminders apply to them.

*If you are absent you are responsible for getting your work (front table, in labeled folders); I will not come to you with it.

*Exit tickets and Literary Letters for the 1st card-marking are due by October 14th.

*Late work for the 1st card-marking will not be accepted after October 9th.

*Test retakes for “I Escaped a Violent Gang” (only if you scored 11 or lower) must be taken within one week of you getting your score. Per the syllabus, you must come to me to request this; I will not come to you.

********As of this time, not one of the 5 students who failed the test have come to me for a chance at a retake. They should see me by tomorrow, before the end of the day, to take advantage of this opportunity.

Welcome-

We have spent the first 2 weeks of the year getting to know each other and working together to put into place our classroom norms and procedures. The students have been setting up their binders, reading and annotating articles, and today we took our first quiz.
It is my expectation (they know this) that they be reading at home for 15-20 minutes each evening. Please ask them about what they are reading.
It was nice to meet many of you at last weeks open house and I look forward to working with you and your child throughout the year.
If you have any questions, the best way to reach me is via email- corrivr@dearbornschools.org

Enjoy your break!

Students recently wrote an essay on their name.  If they turned it in on time, it was returned to them on Monday and they were offered the opportunity to re-write the essay if they were dissatisfied with their score.

All re-writes are due tomorrow, October 2nd, 2014.

We are now at the 1/2 way point of the 1st card-marking and students are finally back in the “swing” of school.

This weekend they have been assigned to come home and research their name.  They will be using this information to write a personal narrative in class on Monday.  Following are the items they should be focusing on in their research:  Origin and history of their name (where did it come from and who has had it in the past), the story of how they were named, advantages/inconveniences of their name, why they like/dislike their name and what, if any, nicknames or teasing come with their name.

In addition to this assignment, students were given class time to complete some vocabulary work related to the short story “Raymond’s Run”.  If they did not complete it in class it is also homework.  They should have a list of 8 words they chose from the text, what they think the word means, and follow that with a dictionary definition.  Finally, they should have 8 original sentences using their 8 words.

As always, they should also be reading; ask them about their book!

Have a great weekend!!