Welcome to Open House2014-2015

Language Arts

Mrs. DiFiore

Communication• Telephone: (630)636-2555

• E-mail: cdifiore@sd308.org

• Office Hours: Monday-Friday from 7:30-8:00 a.m. (If you need to see me outside of these hours you need to make an appointment)

• Home access: updated daily/weekly to show students grade

Communication• Website: Important information and weekly

homework assignments

http://intranet.oswego308.org/schools/be/tools/admin_pagecontent3.asp?Mode=update&ID=8882

** If you would like to have a conference with me please schedule a time in advance.

Classroom Expectations Overview• Students come with their materials every day. A silent

reading book is required every day.

• Tardy policy- 3 tardies and they receive a demerit (Continue to follow the demerit system posted in the back of their planners)

• Absence policy- students need to report to me for information/tests to make up

• Homework policy: ZAP Passes

Grading PolicyHomework-10%Classwork-15%Projects-30%Participation-15%Test-30%

• 90-100 = A• 80-89 = B• 70-79 = C• 60-69 = D• 59 and below = F

How can my child raise his or her grade?• Extra Credit: Which will be posted on my website when extra credit

is available

Writing and Grammar• Review basic skills

• Develop and apply more advanced grammar skills through written work

• Develop a writer’s notebook

• Six Traits writing: narrative, persuasive, and research-based expository (*flash drive)

• Narrative, Vietnam Research Paper and an Argument paper

Reading/ Literature

• OWL comprehension strategies

• Story elements

• Character study

• Short stories

• Poetry

• Reader’s theater/plays

• Non-fiction

• Among the Hidden– Luke has never been to school. He's never had a birthday party, or

gone to a friend's house for an overnight. In fact, Luke has never had a friend. Luke is one of the shadow children, a third child forbidden by the Population Police. He's lived his entire life in hiding, and now, with a new housing development replacing the woods next to his family's farm, he is no longer even allowed to go outside.

– Then, one day Luke sees a girl's face in the window of a house where he knows two other children already live. Finally, he's met a shadow child like himself. Jen is willing to risk everything to come out of the shadows — does Luke dare to become involved in her dangerous plan? Can he afford not to?

– Government regulations limit families to two children each, so Luke, an illegal third-born, must live his life in secret, hidden in his family's farmhouse. Then he joins Jen, another "shadow child, " for a chance to come out into the light--a dangerous gamble with high stakes

• Novel studies – Letters From Wolfie: It's 1969 and America is deeply divided over the

war in Vietnam. Yet when thirteen-year-old Mark donates his dog, Wolfie, to the Army's scout program, he feels sure he's doing the right thing. After all, his dad is a WWII veteran, and his older brother Danny is serving in Vietnam. But although Wolfie's handler sends letters detailing Wolfie's progress, the Army won't say when and or if Wolfie and the other dogs will be returned to their owners. As Danny's letters home become increasingly grim, Mark grows more and more unsure of his decision to send Wolfie and of his feelings about the war. He'll need to do something drastic to get Wolfie back, but how can he raise his voice in protest without betraying his country?

Weekly Spelling/Vocabulary

• Weekly spelling Test (15 points)

• Weekly Vocabulary Packet (30 points)

• Weekly Vocabulary Test every Friday (20 points)

Other Projects

• Interactive Reading Notebook Book– Check weekly for completion– Grade each Month– Covers concepts we have discuss in class

• Survivor Book Talk (last quarter)

• Speeches and presentations

Common Core

• Explanation of thinking and evidence (detail)• Independent work• Collaborative work• Increased autonomy• Increased writing in all classes

Common Core- Language Arts• Graded Discussions

– Set of standards for listening and speaking– Taught how to present and engage in

meaningful discussions (Socratic Seminars)– Discussion will be scored so we can measure

student growth

• Increased Writing– Smaller pieces more frequently– Narrative (text-based, text-inspired, personal)– Informational or Argumentative (research-based)

Library Center

• Rebecca Caudill's and Bulldog Best

• http://www.oswego308.org/schools/bednarcik/

If you have any questions please feel free to email me, call me, or make an appointment to

meet with me. Thank you!