Welcome to Aprende 2017-18 ELA / AVID Jackie Williams 8th grade

Teacher, Student, Parent Connection Classroom, school, and homework expectations Direct contact with parents Phone number: 480-541-6355 E-mail: jwilliams@kyrene.org Basics Students need to be in class every day. Students need to be prepared with materials and assignments that are due each day. Students need to be organized. Communication will be made via text alerts, email and/or phone You are welcome to come to class with your student at any time.

Education Originally from Omaha, Nebraska BA in Organizational Communication from Creighton University MA in Communication from University of Nebraska at Omaha MA in Elementary Education from Northern Arizona University Certified elementary K – 6 Certified middle school language arts Certified secondary ELA

Teaching Background 9+ years language arts teacher specializing in writing for 6th, 7th, and 8th grades in the Crane School District in Yuma, AZ Jan. – May 2013 6th grade language arts at Kyrene Middle School August 2013 – to present 8th grade language arts at AMS

English / Language Arts: Standards based lesson plans Reading: Novels – individually and as a class NEW! & a variety of expository articles Writing: Explanatory Argumentative Personal Narrative/Narrative Language/Grammar Holt Elements of Language and student packets. Listening/Speaking Philosophical Chairs and Socratic Seminars Individual and Group Presentations

Homework & Assessments Reading is a daily MUST! Students will be required to keep a reading log that is parent signed for 80+ minutes per week starting week 2. ALA expectations are specific to that class. Advanced notice usually on long term projects. Check web page or agenda Grade: 80% weighted tests, quizzes, classwork & writing projects; 20% homework Recurring assessments: vocabulary, grammar, reading, and writing. Point system for basic assessments. Rubrics most often used for writing.

Late Work: Both practice/homework and assessments are to be turned in by the due date. Assignments that are not turned in by the due date will be entered as 0% (F) in the grade book and the comment code “Missing” will appear. I want your work! I need to know that you are progressing and what you know. I cannot care about your work more than you care about it yourself. Getting work and/or assessments done may mean working at lunch and/or after school.

Course Content and Assignments Grammar and sentence mastery Reading Note-Taking Critical reading, thinking, speaking & writing for literary, explanatory and argumentative responses Vocabulary and analogies Novel study

High School Transition If student is two years below grade-level (based on test scores), he or she is placed in an extra reading or math class as needed.

Supplies 1-1/2” (no smaller) Set of 5 dividers for ELA ONLY! 1 composition book preferably college ruled (No spirals, please!) Set of colored pencils – set of 12. #2 lead pencils / eraser tops Notebook paper Pencil bag to be included in the binder. Highlighters: yellow, pink, blue, green, orange

Classroom Rule: I have one classroom rule and that is to be respectful. We will spend the majority of the first week going over what respect looks like in the variety of settings in our school, in our classroom, and to each other. Remember the gum policy. You will be sent to ISI for gum and given a time out referral. Repeat offenders will face further consequences. Please drink all Starbucks type drinks, Arizona Iced Tea’s, etc. at home or before the first bell. You will be asked to throw away these kinds of drinks when you enter the classroom.

What is AVID? AVID stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination and is a program that is in place in over 6,000 schools. For the 17-18 school year, Aprende, Akimel, and Centennial were chosen to be AVID schools in Kyrene. AVID teaches skills and behaviors for academic success, promoting college readiness through critical thinking, collaboration, student advocacy, and organizational skills. Aprende will have two AVID elective classes, one in 7th grade and one in 8th grade, which will support selected students in advanced coursework, while also providing organizational, efficacy, and goal-setting skills. Next school year we will incorporate a 6th grade AVID elective. Aprende will begin incorporating school-wide uniform organizational skills, note-taking, and WICOR strategies (writing, inquiry, collaboration, organization, and reading). All students will have AVID agendas, which will be distributed during Advisory on August 9th. For more information, you can visit www.avid.org or contact our principal at rkory@kyrene.org

Teacher, Student, Parent Connection Classroom, school, and homework expectations Direct contact with parents Phone number: 480-541-6355 E-mail: jwilliams@kyrene.org Note: I tend to check my email after school hours. This may not be true with all teachers, but, normally, I will see and respond to emails at any time I can. Basics Students need to be in class every day. Be organized, be at school every day, communicate via email and/or phone Encourage your student to talk to your teacher. We want your child to talk directly to us about missing work, make-up tests…