Mrs. Oski

Language & Literature: Grade 8

 

Expectations:

1.       Try everyday

2.       Work hard

3.       Respect yourself (by participating in your education), your classmates (by not interrupting their learning, and this classroom (including your teacher and any other adult).

4.       Come to class on time with a writing utensil, 3 inch CORE binder, agenda, and independent reading novel.

5.       Practice Respect, Responsibility and Resiliency

6.       Complete assigned work on-time. 

7.       Look, listen, and participate

 

Materials Needed:

·         3 inch CORE binder

·         Agenda

·         Independent reading novel

·         Writing utensil

·         Loose leaf paper

·         Composition notebook (to be used and a reader’s journal and left in the classroom)

 

Grading Policy:

a.       Assessments: 80%

o   This includes essays, tests, classwork assessments, projects and quizzes

o   Papers and projects are major assignments in this class.  The due dates will be given far in advance and reminders will be given, as well as time to work on these in class.  Major assignments will be accepted up to one week late, losing points each day.  After being a week late, the best the assignment can get is 50%.  We will be spending a great deal of time on these assignments and unless there is a special circumstance that I am made aware of, there is no excuse to hand them in late.

b.      Homework: 20%

o   Reading is an important part of this class and some of it will have to occur outside of class, so please do it.  Homework will be made known at the beginning of every class and is to be turned in at the beginning of the next class.

o   If homework is not turned in at the beginning of class, I will take the assignment for the following day, but it will be marked late.

o   If the homework is giving you problems, please see me BEFORE homeroom the next day.  We can make an appointment for help without late penalty.

o   Beginning in October, a specific genre will be assigned to each class section, and students will be responsible for reading one text from that genre and completing an assignment.   Reading for twenty minutes a day.  Students can read at their chosen pace, but it is their responsibility to be finished with both the book and the assignment by the first of each month. 

 

This Year:

      We will cover 3 major units and read three CORE texts.  We will also be reading in literature circle groups during each unit.

Unit #1: Power of One- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Unit #2: The Evil Within- The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

Unit #3: Where’d my childhood go?- Along Way Gone by Ishmael Beah

 

What to do if you’re absent:

ü  E-mail the teacher to see what you missed

ü  Check the homework hotline or my school web page

ü  Check in with your classroom ‘family’ to see what is due

ü  You have the same amount of days as you were out to make up your work

ü  Be sure to get notes from a friend and ask me for any handouts you missed

ü  If you know you’re going to be out, let me know as far in advance as possible

 

We will be using a variety of strategies this year, including Cornell Notes and WICOR strategies (Writing, Inquiry, Collaboration, Organization, Reading) in order to ensure student success.