Course Description:  In seventh grade English you will read (a lot), write, think, inquire (research) and report your findings, and practice contributing constructively in large and small groups.  For more detail see the Utah State CORE Curriculum for the Language Arts, 7^th Grade at http://www.schools.utah.gov/curr/lang_art/sec/core.htm  .  For details specific to our school and class, go to Ms. Dorsey’s English classroom web page.  Find it under “Faculty & Staff” and “Claudia Dorsey” at http://www.afjh.alpine.k12.ut.us/ or go to cavemanenglish.blogspot.com. 

 

Seventh Grade Textbooks:  English class textbooks will be left in the classroom, not checked out to students.  (Less weight in the backpack!)  Our textbooks include Elements of Literature, Holt, Rinehart, Winston; The Write Source, Great Source; Writing and Grammar, Prentice Hall. 

 

Seventh Grade Literature:   Novels and other books that may be read as a class or in small groups include Stand Tall by Joan Bauer, The Giver by Lois Lowry, The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander, Words By Heart by Ouida Sebestyan,  Ice Story by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel, The Midwife’s Apprentice by Karen Cushman, Walk Two Moons  by  Sharon Creech, The Adventures of Ulysses by Bernard Evslin, and Call of the Wild  by Jack London.  Other books and reading materials will be used in small groups and by individual readers. 

 

Book-of-the-Month Club Assignment:   In addition to the reading we’ll do as a class and in small groups, students are required to read a novel (or other approved book) on their own each month.  The book cannot be one read as a class.  It must be grade level/student reading level appropriate and approved by a parent or guardian and by the teacher. Students should bring their books to class.  There may be time in class to do individual reading, but much of that reading will be done outside of class.  Each month they will also complete a final assessment based on the outside reading.   The reading and assessment will be worth 100 points or more.  Have your September book read by Sept. 21.   If finished early, you’ll still need to bring a book to read each day.

 

Materials and Fees:  It is your responsibility to come to class each time with pencils, blue or black pens, and lined paper. Also bring your book to read. You will also need a binder with dividers to organize assignments.  This binder can be used for more than one class.   Keep all assignments until after you have received your final grade that term. As we begin the year, bring a composition book to leave in class for Writing and Reading Workshop. You’ve paid a computer lab fee at registration that covered your use of the English Computer Writing Lab. 

 

Grading Policy: Are you tired of reading disclosure documents?  Put a smiley face on the signature page and receive a treat.  Work that will be graded includes daily class work (including appropriate participation in class activities), homework (especially the home reading assignment), quizzes, exams, vocabulary and spelling tests, writing assignments – process and product, novel assessments,  inquiry projects, and reading logs as assigned.

       Grading Scale:                           95-100% = A          73-76% = C

                                                                90-94% = A-         70-72% = C-

                                                                87-89% = B+        66-69% = D+

                                                                83-86% = B          63-65% = D

                                                                80-82% = B-         60-62% = D-

                                                                77-79% = C+          0-59% = F

 

Quality Standards for Work: Inquiry and book projects and final drafts of major assignments will not be accepted unless they meet the following criteria:

s Use 8 1/2x 11" paper unless otherwise indicated.

s The paper should be smooth-edged (no spiro-bits).

s Type or write using standard blue or black ink.

s Write on only one side of the paper.

s The product should be neat and legible.

s  Follow any additional requirements in the assignment.

 

Homework Policy: The major homework will be reading your book-of-the-month.  You will also want to spend at least a little time each day to work on spelling or vocabulary words (and word parts) you haven’t yet mastered. You will be given time in class to work on most other assignments.  However, if you don’t finish in class, your in-class work will become homework.  

 

Late Work Policy:  Late work due to excused absences may be turned in for full credit within three class periods of returning to school.  Other late work will be accepted for a maximum of 75% credit up to one week before the end of each term.  These dates are posted on the class blog calendar.  You will need to fill out and attach a late form before you turn in the assignment.  No late work or further revisions will be accepted during the last week of each term.

Make wise use of Cave Time as needed to complete or make up work.

 

 

Attendance Policy: See the student planner/handbook for school policies.  If a student must miss school, a parent or guardian should call the school office or send a note to the office to have that absence excused.  

Planned absences should be discussed with me in advance.  Excessive tardies will affect the citizenship grade. 

When a student is absent:  Access information about what we have done in class at our class blog at cavemanenglish.blogspot.com.  The student is responsible for obtaining any materials needed to make-up work.

 

Class Rules:         Follow the school rules and. . .                                                          F See your planner for our school rules.E

1. Be on time. (Be in your seat working on the bell-ringer by the time the tardy bell rings.)

2. Be prepared. (Bring needed materials including a book to read, homework, or other work you should have done, and readiness to learn.)

3. Be on task.  (Be doing what you need to be doing when you need to be doing it.)

4. Help maintain a positive classroom environment by respecting yourself, the teacher, other students and staff, as well as property.

5.  Don’t bring food or drink (except water in a clear bottle), unless the teacher specifies a treat or party day.

6.  If you must, you may chew gum as long as I don't have to see it or hear it, or find it under a desk or on the floor.

Note: Since we will be incorporating Reading and Writing Workshops into our classes this year, it is especially important that you show you are able to work independently as well as with small groups.  

 

Citizenship Grades:  Students will earn a citizenship grade based on this (school-wide) criteria. 

American Fork Junior High Desired Results for Student Learning (DRSL’s) and Performance Indicators Civic and Social Responsibility
Performance in         Following School Rules    attendance, punctuality, dress, language  (Code of Conduct)          Integrity   honest, truthful, does own work         Respect     for faculty and staff, for other students, for physical facilities          Motivation     on task, prepared, turns in assignments, gets and does make-up work
O Outstanding	S  Satisfactory	N  Needs Improvement	U  Unsatisfactory
Helps Others	Responsible for Own Actions	Not Taking Responsibility for Own Actions	Hurts Others
compliments encourages recognizes contributes  supports  includes	consistent on-time prepared reliable respectful	blames disrupts tardy unprepared	truant uses put-downs harasses  disrespectful  tardy unprepared destructive excludes

 

Contacting Me:  School telephone: 756-8543, extension 206.    Classroom:  206   Before school by appointment-- 7:30-8:10 a.m.; After school -- 2:45-3:30 p.m.; or otherwise by appointment.  E-mail: dorsc405@alpine.k12.ut.us

English class blog: cavemanenglish.blogspot.com.   My web pages are linked from our school site.

Extra credit is occasionally available to those who read the class blog (web pages). 

 

 Note to Parents:  Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns (or to volunteer your help).  My favorite method of communication with parents is e-mail, so if you have an account, please share your address with me right away by sending an e-mail with the subject line – “Parent of  [your student’s name].”   You could include other contact information in the message instead of filling out that part of the signature sheet attached here.  However, I will still need the signatures.

    Your seventh grade student should be taking on more responsibility for schoolwork, but he or she still needs your guidance and encouragement to keep backpack and binder(s) organized, to use the school planner, to keep up on schoolwork, and to value the learning that’s available.   Use our school website and Skyward to stay current with what’s going on at the school and with your individual child.   I’m looking forward to working with you to help your child have a successful and enjoyable seventh grade year. 

PLEASE KEEP THIS DISCLOSURE DOCUMENT.

Parent-Teacher Conferences: Thursday, September 23; Thursday, December 2; Thursday, February 24.

 

Please fill out the attached signature sheet and VIP Information sheet, and return to Ms. Dorsey

by September 2.   The points for turning them in on time will count on the grade.

 

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Parent and Student, please fill out this side.  _____/10 points

Student, please fill out the other side.

 

return to ms. dorsey

(Points received for return by SEPTEMBER 2,

or within one week if the class is added later during the school year)

 

Disclosure Document Signature Sheet  -- Dorsey – Seventh Grade English

Please return this sheet, signed by both student and parent, by September 2 (or within a week if you have added this class during the school year).

We have received Mrs. Dorsey’s disclosure document and have looked at it together.

Parent signature: _________________________________________Date________________

Student signature: ________________________________________Date ________________

Neatly print student name ___________________________________________________

 

Comments or Questions: _______________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

Please provide the following contact information.  Often the information in the office or on Skyward is incorrect, and I’d like to be able to contact you quickly and accurately if the need arises.   Please print neatly. 

Or, and his would be even better, instead of filling out the lines below, e-mail me at dorsc405@alpine.k12.ut.us, with this subject line: Parent of [your child’s name].  Include a message to update me on the following information. Please return the above signatures anyway.

 

Parent/Guardian names:

Phone numbers:   Home –

Other for Mom? (or other guardian) --

Other for Dad?   (or other guardian) --

Address: Street --

City/Zip --

E-Mail address(es):

 

E-Mail or phone messages are usually effective ways to contact me.  I especially appreciate e-mail contacts.  However,  bear in mind that sometimes e-mails  and voice-mail messages are delayed within the system, and sometimes the systems do go down, so please be patient.  I’ll respond as soon as I can. 

 

Remove this sheet from the disclosure document and save the disclosure document where you can find it again.  The parent could keep it at home, or it could be kept in the student’s English binder.

Return this sheet to me, filled out on both sides.

 

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Student, please fill out this side.  _____/20 points

Parent and Student, please fill out the other side.

V.I.P.  – Information on a VERY IMPORTANT PERSON – YOU!

Dorsey – ENGLISH (to be seen only by the teacher)

1. Your full name __________________________________________________________ Period ______________

2.  Nickname (if you have one you’d rather be called) _________________________________________________

3.  Age ___ Birthday _________ Write three words that describe you: ____________________________________

4.  What is your favorite book or type of book? ______________________________________________________

5.  What do you like to do when you don’t have to do anything? _________________________________________

6. What subject(s) (not necessarily school subjects) would you like to learn more about? _____________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________

7.  What/who were your school and teacher for sixth grade? ____________________________________________

8.  Have you every lived anywhere other than the American Fork area?  If so, where?  _______________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

9.  What do you do really well? __________________________________________________________________

10. What do you know a lot about? _______________________________________________________________

11. What small treats (edible) do you like best?  (examples: Tootsie Rolls, Starburst,  Jolly Ranchers, Laffy Taffy, mini candy bars, sugar-free, etc.) ______________________________________________________________________________

12.  How good are you at reading?  Explain. _________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

13.  How good are you at writing? Explain. ­­­­­­­_________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

14.  Tell about an “unforgettable” person in your life.  Explain. _________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

15.  Tell about an “unforgettable” place you’ve been.  Explain. _________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

16.  Did you take a trip this summer?  Where? – or – What was something fun you did?

____________________________________________________________________________________________

17.  What would you like to do when you graduate from high school, and what occupation(s)/job(s)/career(s) are you interested in? ______________________________________________________________________________

18.  What is something unique and/or exciting you want me to know about you?

____________________________________________________________________________________________

19.  If an author wrote a book just for you, what would it be about?  ______________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

20.  Is there anything else you’d like me to know about you? ___________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________