Vocabulary Will Be Given out the First Day of the School Week and a Quiz Will Be Administered

Welcome to Mrs. Robertson’s 7 th Grade LEAP Class!

Contact Information: Mrs. Phyllis Robertson Email – [email protected] Room – C119 Phone – 972-350-2036

I am very excited to have you in my class! You are the best and the brightest at Lamar, and I have planned a year that will be challenging and fun!

There’s always more. In a fast-paced world rich with information and packed with hectic schedules, it’s easy for our lives to be stretched a mile wide and an inch deep. When we are satisfied with the surface, we miss out on seeing the world for the beautifully complex space that it is. In seventh grade, we want to challenge our students to think deeply to see that things are not always the way they appear on the surface. There’s always more to see when you take time to look.

Our units of study this year will be:  Unit 1 – Identity  Unit 2 – Perseverance/Grit  Unit 3 – Perspectives & Conflict  Unit 4 – Growth & Change

The following is the basic plan for our class:  Students will have ONE LEAP composition notebook  The composition notebook will be divided into the following four parts: o Reading Responses o Words to Know o Lesson Notes o Creative Keepsakes  We will be reading a limited number of whole class novels with a much stronger focus on individual reading. I want students reading more of what they ENJOY reading, rather than what I might force them to read. It is recommended that students read books from a variety of genres. Students should select from the list below.

Genres: Poetry Anthologies Traditional Literature Biography, Autobiography, Memoir Realistic Fiction Historical Fiction Chapter Book of your choice Fantasy Science Fiction Graphic Novels Mystery Informational KEEPING IN TOUCH . . . “Remind 101” is a program I use to send reminders, due dates, announcements, etc via text messaging to students and parents. It is a teacher “send” process only. Students and parents are not able to text back comments or questions. Students will be given the opportunity to sign up for this during class the first week of school (only If your child has unlimited text messaging). Text to 81010; message @kafhdh

You are also encouraged to check my Google site for additional information, due dates, and project information using the link or QR code below. The web address indicates 6th-grade-leap, but it is my site for both 6th and 7th grade Leap. https://sites.google.com/a/staff.lisd.net/6th-grade-leap/

Grading Policy

Please check the Skyward grade book regularly to keep up with missing and incomplete assignments and class average.

Grades are given in numerical form. A 100 is the highest possible score while a score below 70 is failing. Per district policy, students are allowed to retake a failing test grade for a maximum of a 70%. The following is the grade weighting for this class.

(MAJOR GRADES) 40% Tests and Projects (MINOR GRADES) 35% Quizzes Daily Work and Homework 25%

Late Work Any assignment is considered LATE if not completed when called for during class. Students are able to obtain credit for late assignments. Late work given to me the day following the original due date is eligible for a maximum grade of 70. Work given to me two days after the original due date is eligible for a maximum grade of 50. Any date after this, the assignment will be recorded as a ZERO.

Absent Work Getting sick and missing school is unavoidable; however, it is the student’s responsibility to collect any work missed during the absence. Per LISD’s absence policy, students have one day to complete the missed work for each day absent. Absent work can be collected before or after school the day the student returns to campus. If a student misses a quiz, test, research, or any other special assignments, arrangements should be made to come before or after school for assistance. If a student is absent two or more consecutive days, please call the front office to request absent work.

Tutoring Schedule The following are my tutoring times. Please use these times to get extra help, catch up from absences, work on late assignments, and/or work on test corrections.

Tuesday & Thursday 8:15 am Alternating Mondays 8:15 am

Other tutoring times can be set by making special arrangements.

Class Reading Assignments: Attached is the list of LISD approved novels for whole class instruction. Novels taught whole class will be selected from this list. If there is an issue with a specific novel on the approved list, please do not hesitate to let me know.

Classroom Discipline Lamar Middle School teachers use a collaborative behavior management plan to foster a safe and successful learning environment. This plan includes a team approach, teaching expectations across all classes, tiered consequences for multiple behavior infractions, and recognition and rewards for appropriate behavior and demonstrating good citizenship. Inappropriate classroom behavior or tardiness to class will result in a student warning. If after the warning, the behavior or tardiness continues, students will be issued an infraction warning and will follow the Lamar discipline plan. Students are expected to come to class prepared to learn.

Parents: If you have any questions, never hesitate to ask! I’m available by email and phone, so please contact me if you have any concerns about your child.

I look forward to working with you and your child!

Phyllis Robertson