Be Respectful refers to your ability to treat others the way you expect to be treated. OLHMS students exhibit respect by… - being polite and courteous - following classroom expectations - accepting teachers’ decisions - cooperating and encouraging others

Be Responsible refers to your ability to take ownership of your actions. OLHMS students exhibit responsibility by… - being prepared for class - following directions the first time they are given - completing tasks - using equipment properly

Be Safe refers to the role you play in maintaining a safe learning environment. OLHMS students exhibit safety choices by… - wearing school ID at all times - avoiding harmful situations - honoring personal space and materials - entering and exiting the learning environment in an orderly fashion

It is our belief that children become better readers and writers with daily opportunities to practice and connect to a variety of texts geared to their instructional levels. Our Holt Textbook, which students can access online, is our main resource. We also encourage independent reading with a variety of genres. There is a literary focus and reading strategy that we practice with each reading selection. Students are encouraged to predict, question, visualize, connect, review and evaluate as they read. Writing prompts connect to what we are reading with Narrative, Persuasive and Expository essays developed during the year. SSR (Self-selected reading) time and Literature Circles are planned to give the students the chance to share and discuss what they are reading. We want the students to understand that Reading is Thinking!

By the end of this course, the students will: *Read with understanding and fluency. *Read and understand literature representative of various societies, eras, and ideas. *Write to communicate for a variety of purposes. *Listen and speak effectively in a variety of situations. *Use the Language Arts to acquire, access, and communicate information.

Each day, students will: *Begin class with a warm-up activity related to the daily objective. *Be introduced to the daily objective. *Take part in a variety of activities to meet the goals and objectives set forth for the day. *End class with a closing activity that provides a formative assessment of the objective.

As my student, you are expected to: *Respect all adults in our building *Treat your classmates and other students with dignity and respect. *Treat yourself with dignity and respect. *Act Responsibly in all areas of OLHMS. *Act in a safe manner in all areas of OLHMS.

As your teacher, I promise to: *provide a safe learning environment. *treat you with dignity and respect. *be the best teacher that I know how to be. *use available technology and resources to meet your individual needs.

Homework is given as a learning tool that aides student achievement of Learning Arts objectives. All work is due on the assigned date, or reduced credit is given. Students are responsible for work missed while absent and should meet with the teacher to discuss test/quiz make-ups. Grades are based on students’ understanding and application of content and skills. Points are earned on various projects, tests, quizzes, and various classroom activities. No extra credit will be given for missed points.

*Holt textbook with online username and password. *Teacher chosen novels. *Non-fiction and current event articles. *Binder and pens