Welcome to 7 Red Open House Our team will be meeting for core classes in the pavilion beginning 3rd hour. If your son/daughter goes to an off team teacher any time between 3rd and 8th hour, please feel free to get up and leave during our presentation. An announcement will be made over the intercom to let you know when classes are changing. For those of you who have to leave during our presentation, the Open House power point will be posted on our team website. A mass was sent out to all 7 red parents. If you did not get it, please let one of us know.

Notes… Reading Club – Forms were sent through ; we have hard copies if you need one. Field trip to Missouri Botanical Garden – October 22. We need volunteers (you don’t have to ride the bus). School Volunteer forms (red) are being passed around. Volunteer packets (blue) are on the back table. Help Wanted Posters are on the wall, we appreciate any donations! Parent s are needed. Please sign the form that is being passed around if you did not get an from us already. Homework Club will be on Mondays and Thursdays during the activity period. Conferences – Thursday, October 7 - You will be scheduled to meet with your child’s 8 th hour teacher unless they are off team. In that case you will meet with your child’s 7 th hour teacher. The blue conference sign-up forms were sent home in the U.S. mail. Infinite Campus can be accessed from the South Middle Website.

Integrated/Challenge Science Curriculum –Nature of Science –Cells and Heredity –Astronomy –Sound and Light –Electricity and Magnetism –Science Careers and Exploration

The Classroom Homework Policy (Hotline and Website) Science Notebooks Grading –Quizzes –Tests – Projects – Labs Extra Credit

Communication Arts-7th Grade Units of Study Reading to Understand My Community Reading Fiction (literary elements) Writing to Influence My Community (persuasive opinion piece) Reading Nonfiction Writing Nonfiction (expository, narrative, persuasive) Literary Response

Expect to See… students making frequent entries in their Writer’s Notebooks using their tic-tac toes and viewing the world as writers do, recording their thoughts/reactions DESE scoring guides for writing and summarization rubrics for fiction and nonfiction reading students working towards standards-based goals/ “I can” folders students reading appropriately lexiled fiction and completing weekly reading responses (Lexile.com) students following and responding to current events via their Nonfiction Article of the Week

Grading Students will receive separate grades for reading and writing. Because of the order of our new curricular units, there will be times during the year when one area will be focused more heavily than the other. For example, in Trimester 1, we have two reading units and few writing assignments. It is particularly important that students complete all assignments on time and do their very best work.

Homework Policies In communications arts, overnight homework assignments will not be accepted late. Long-term assignments will lose ten percent for each day late up to three days and then receive half credit. No late work will be accepted after the unit has ended.

How to Support Reading and Writing at Home Ask kids questions about the books they are reading. Schedule a time each week when the entire family reads. Encourage kids to read the editorials in the newspapers/magazines. Watch the world news together. Go to the library together. Visit book stores. Attend author book readings and book signings of authors kids are interested in. Read a book together. Have “Book Club” meetings at home. Review their writing and scoring guides often. Encourage kids to keep their Writer’s Notebooks close so they can record ideas/thoughts/observations.

A Typical Day in Math When students come in the class they should immediately start their RAP (Review and Practice), write down today’s assignment in their planners and have their Homework from the previous night out on their desk. While they are working on the RAP, I am taking roll, checking homework, etc. We will go over each homework assignment daily and students are given the opportunity and encouraged to go over any “Hairy Homework”. If they do not have their homework – they may turn it in the next day for ½ credit – after that no late work will be accepted. Homework will count for 30% of their grades, while tests and quizzes will count for 70%. Projects – I will announce in class whether a project will count as a test or homework score – depending on the amount of time/level of the project. We go over the new lesson together and do practice problems. Students are expected to take notes, write down examples, work in groups, share ideas with class, etc. Typically homework is assigned daily. Please check homework hotline or team webpage for a list of assignments.

Challenge Pre-Algebra Curriculum Trimester 1 Integers and Operation – Variables and Equations/Integer Operations Problem Solving Strategies Linear Patterns and Relationships – Solving Equations Trimester 2 Understanding Proportionality – Ratios, Proportions and Percents Data Probability – Data Analysis and Probability Data Analysis – Mean, Median, Mode, Interpreting Graphs Geometry and Measurement – Polygons and Transformations, Area and Volume Trimester 3 Algebra – CMP – Moving Straight Ahead - Linear Relationships Geometry and Measurement – Right Triangles Algebra – Factors, Fractions and Exponents, Multi-step Equations and Inequalities.

Pre-Algebra Curriculum Trimester 1 Problem Solving Strategies Algebra – Patterns in Numbers Data – Data and Statistics Understanding Proportionality 1– Number Patterns and Fractions Understanding Proportionality 2– Ratios and Proportions Trimester 2 Understanding Proportionality 3– Percents Integers and Operations Algebra – CMP – Variables and Patterns - Equations Trimester 3 Geometry: Transformations – Geometric Figures, Measurement and Area, Surface Area and Volume Probability – CMP – How Likely Is It? Fraction Review

World History Ms. Beth Miller, Room 2403 Voice Mail: During the school year, we will take a closer look at our world’s history from its earliest days to the discovery of the Mayans, Aztecs, and Incas. The textbook we are using is from Holt, World History, as well as History Alive, units that engage students through interactive slide lectures, problem solving group work, writing, acting, and interactive notebooks. The textbook can be accessed online by clicking the link on my webpage. Below you will find a tentative timeline for the year: 1st Trimester Introduction to History – August River Valley Civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt – Aug./Sept./Oct. River Valley Civilizations of India and China – October 2nd Trimester River Valley Civilizations of India and China – November Ancient Greece – November/ December Ancient Roman Empire/Byzantine Empire – January African Empires – February/ March 3rd Trimester Feudal Europe and Feudal Japan – March/April Aztecs, Incas, Mayans – May

Five Essential Questions will drive our work in each unit. Those EQ’s are: –To what extent does geography influence history? –What role does government play in organizing societies? –What impact do new inventions, technologies, and forms of communication have on a society’s economy and overall culture? –How do philosophies, religions, customs, symbols and art impact society? –Why do civilizations grow and decline over time? Required Materials Students are expected to bring their folder, paper, pencil, and the school provided assignment book to class each day. In addition, we will often use glue sticks, markers, colored pencils, highlighters, scissors, and rulers. Classroom Expectations Students are expected to arrive on time for class, have all materials, and be ready to learn. Classes will consist of varied lessons and activities, providing students the opportunity to work independently, in pairs, and in groups. Classroom Expectations include: –Respect self, classmates, and teacher –Participation –Bring all necessary supplies to class

Assignments and Projects Homework will be given approximately three nights per week. Always check the assignment notebook for assignments! Each Monday, the assignments for the entire week will be shown from the website on the Smartboard for the students to copy into their planner. Links to the handouts can be found on the team website. Projects will be assigned throughout the year, but will be broken into parts with a timeline and due date. Make Up and Late Work If a student is absent from class, it is the student’s responsibility to contact me to see what needs to be made up. Typically, a student is given one day to make up work for each day absent. However, circumstances leading to other necessary deadlines will be worked out with the teacher on an as needed basis. Late assignments not due to absences will not receive full credit. One day late will result in ½ credit. After one day late, no credit will be given. Grading Students’ grades will consist of homework, quizzes, tests, and projects. Each unit will include at least one or two quizzes and a test or another culminating activity. Point values will range from 10 points (homework) up to 100 points (test or project).