Back To School Night2013-2014

Mrs. Takei Math & Science

Mrs. Jeffries Language Arts & History

Contact Us:stakei@sunol.k12.ca.us

kjeffrie@sunol.k12.ca.us • Email is fabulous before 3pm• Handwritten notes are great• Leave a phone message with the office

925-862-2026• Give us 24hrs to respond

Daily Schedule:

Mrs. Takei’s Room (404) Mrs. Jeffries’ Room (406)

8:30-9:30 7th Grade Pre-Algebra 8th Grade Language Arts

9:30-10:30 7th Grade Life Science 8th Grade US History

10:30-10:45 Recess Recess

10:45-11:30 8th Grade Math 7th Grade Language Arts

11:30-12:40 8th Grade Physical Science 7th Grade World History

12:40-1:15 Lunch Lunch

1:15-2:00 M-Th Elective: Algebra 1Fri: 7th Grade Health

M-Th Elective: Student CouncilFri: 8th Grade Health

2:00-2:50 PE w/ Mr. Fererra M/T/FFAME (Mrs. Campbell) - Thurs

PE w/ Mr. Fererra T/Th/FFAME (Mrs. Campbell) - Mon

Homework Website:

www.sunolglen.weebly.com

It is the student’s responsibility to write down all homework in their planner every day.

We remind them!

This website is a backup for students and parents.

Math/Science Homework Guidelines:

• Math – 1 assignment every night (videos/notes/‘you try’ problems)– Monthly Project: 1-2 weeks to complete

• Science – notes, 2-3 questions, worksheet, lab questions –related to work started in class– Virtual Labs (online labs—1 week to complete)– One research project or paper every trimester– Science Fair is mandatory

• Collaborize Classroom is utilized for science/health discussions and often given 2-5 days to respond.

Language Arts Texts, Workbooks, and Assignments:

• Vocabulary for Achievement (workbook)- 1 Unit assigned each week on Monday, due on Thursday

• Spelling Book-Pretest on Monday in class, 1 unit assigned each week on Monday, due on Friday, Spelling Test every Friday

• Grammar done in class daily• Study Island assigned every Wednesday Due the Following

Wednesday• Literature Text- assigned daily in class (or Novel)• Literature Selection Support (workbook)- assigned daily in

class, or other assignment related to literature (or assignment for Novel)

Writing:

• Journal/Daily writing• Homework-literary analysis, responses to daily reading• Weekly- different Strategies will be addressed with 1-8

paragraphs and/or essays being assigned • Writing formal papers/essays• Students will be working on various aspects of writing

throughout the year some of the styles of writing will include:

• Narrative, Descriptive, Persuasive, Explanation of a process, Short Story (Narration), Response to Literature, Compare and Contrast, Research Report

7th Grade:Book Projects• Book projects are done outside of class.• 3-6 for the year, some students will choose their own book, others I will

assign and provide the book

Novels• Novels are read in class.• The Pearl John Steinbeck• A Wrinkle in Time Madeleine L’Engle • The Phantom Tollbooth Norton Juster • Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry Mildred Taylor• The Outsiders S.E. Hinton• The Giver Lois Lowry

8th Grade:Book Projects• Book projects are done outside of class.• 3-6 for the year, some students will choose their own book, others I will

assign and provide the book

Novels• Novels are read in class.• The Old Man and the Sea Ernest Hemingway• Let the Circle Be Unbroken Mildred D. Taylor• A Christmas Carol Charles Dickens• The Diary of a Young Girl Anne Frank• Adventures of Tom Sawyer Mark Twain• The Glory Field Walter Dean Myers

7th & 8th History:

• Students should expect a history assignment each night. May be reading and taking notes, doing a worksheet, or writing.

• For each Chapter in History students will turn in a 3 paragraph typed summary of the chapter

• We usually cover one lesson a day in class.• Students will be assigned Study Island on Wednesday with

the assignment being due the following Wednesday• At the end of the chapter we spend one day on review.• Then one day on a group activity (often a game that prepares

students for the test)• Finally, there is a test at the end of each chapter

7th & 8th Health:

• Students will attend health class one time per week on Friday from 1:15 – 2:00 PM with their homeroom teacher.

• Students will be given assignments related to their studies in health that are due the following Friday.

• Health assignments and grades can be viewed on Edline under the heading of Health

• The Health grade will be incorporated into the PE grade at the end of the trimester and will be one quarter (25%) of the PE grade.

Writing FormatMLA Style Formatting is always used and taught.

Students will be provided instruction on proper formatting. The sheet they are given is attached.

www.easybib.com (creates your bibliography for you in MLA style!)

• Typing:• 12 pt font• Double spaced• Times (Times New Roman)• 1” margins• Cover Page (see sample) *Formal writing assignments will be typed students need to turn in 2 copies (one to www.turnitin.com and one to the teacher). *www.turnitin.com is a plagiarism check program. Any plagiarism greater than 1% will receive an F.

Grading:• Most assignments are graded for completeness. However, an occasional score will be taken once or

twice a week in order to gauge student understanding and mastery.• Completeness: 10pts – done accurately and according to directions• Missing: “M” = 0• Incomplete: “I” = 0• Absent: “A” = 0

– Students may turn in a missing assignment for maximum of C- credit (7/10pts = 70% = C-); the deadline for missing work is the Tuesday following the week the assignment was given (example assigned Tuesday of week 9 must be turned in no later than Tuesday of week 10)

– After the Tuesday, the “M” & “I” will change to “0” and not be accepted after this point.– Absent work will be given a deadline for turning in assignments. The usual guideline is to give

the student the same number of days to make up assignments as the number of days that they were absent. • It is the student’s responsibility to track their teacher and the assignments down. The

website is great for this!• However, we often will suggest an alternative situation, excuse some assignments, and

give a weekend to recover and catch up.• Come speak to the teachers!

• A “grade check” is required each week for every student (7th & 8th). A sample is on page 7. Student can pick one up in class or they are posted on weebly on the forms page.

Test Corrections

• Tests may be corrected and turned back in for ¼ of the points that were missed.

• (LA, History, & Science –not Math). • (Received 80 out of 100, complete the test corrections,

new score 85%) – (60/100 = D- 60%, corrections 70/100 = C-)

• Tests come home for a signature. Signatures are worth 5pts each and can not be “made up” later (This is for Mrs. Takei’s classes). The idea is for students to share both good and bad with their parents so that we can all work together to support students as needed.

Grades

(History, LA, Science)60% Tests and Quizzes20% Homework/Classwork20% Essays, Projects, Labs, Other

(Math)15% Interim Assessments25% Formative Assessments (Pacent)10% Mental Math25% Homework25% Projects/Quizes/Textbook Tests

Follow Their Progress • Edline.net (LA, History, Science, Health, PE, Elective)

• mypacent.com (math)

• Grades updated online every Friday • Math printouts will be given out every Monday/Tuesday and required to be signed and turned in the next day.• Grade Checks need to be completed and signed by a parent and turned into the homeroom teacher each

Tuesday. All missing/late/absent work should be stapled to the grade check.

Progress ReportsTrimester 1

Thursday 10/10Thursday 10/24

Trimester 2

Thursday 1/23Thursday 2/13

Trimester 3

Thursday 5/1Thursday 5/22

FinalsTrimester 1

Thursday 11/7 HistoryFriday 11/8 ScienceTuesday 11/12 Language ArtsWednesday 11/13 Math

Trimester 2

Thursday 2/27 HistoryFriday 2/28 ScienceMonday 3/3 Language ArtsTuesday 3/4 Math

Trimester 3

Tuesday 6/3 HistoryWednesday 6/4 ScienceThursday 6/5 Language ArtsFriday 6/6 Math

ExtrasStudy Island:www.studyisland.com This is a website that all 6th-8th grade students are enrolled in. It is an online standards based program that will offer students additional practice and learning through multiple choice questions as well as games. **Families without computers/internet access daily should speak to one of us so that we can make a plan for your student to be successful and receive the additional support offered through this program. Collaborize Classroom:http://mrsjeffriesclasses.collaborizeclassroom.comhttp://takeiclasses.collaborizeclassroom.com • Can be used in all subject matter. • Extension of our classroom discussions.• Online etiquette is taught, discussed, encouraged, and best practices used.• Further alignment to the common core standards

Other

• Sample “Cover Page”• Sample of “Weekly Grade Check”

• www.sunolglen.weebly.com– Has most items we have passed out or want

students to have easy access to

WAYS TO HELP

• Art Volunteer• Garden Parent (1x per month)• Fundraising• Photo copying• Filing• Shopping• Room Parent---parties/special activities• Welcome inside the room as well

Washington DC Trip

• All 7th & 8th Graders • Spring 2014• Sign Up/Register• Email Mrs. Jeffries