1. Welcome to Hernandez Middle School 6th Grade English/Language Arts 2015-16

2.  New responsibilities - Lockers Changing classes Numerous teachers More homework

3. Expanded extra-curriculum  Clubs  Athletics  Music and Art

4.  A year of adjustment  COMMUNICATION IS KEY!! -With other students -With your teachers -With your parents

5.  CPS teacher 24 years; 26 years total  Attended EIU, St. Xavier University, American College of Ed.  Masters Degree in Reading  Masters Degree in Educational Leadership  Endorsements: Math & ESL  Married, 5 children, two dogs  This is my seventh year teaching at HMS  Teacher at Sandoval 5 years

8.  Students are expected to be in school every day, on-time, in uniform and ready to learn.  Students are expected to behave with the utmost respect for all and everything around them.  Students are expected to learn and excel in their classes.

9.  Arrive on time, seated and prepared to start class.  Keep your hands, feet, objects and comments to yourself.  Pick up after yourself!  Be respectful to everyone.  Come prepared to class with all materials.  Complete all assignments; in and out of class.  Do your best!  Come to school in the HMS uniform.  Refrain from chewing gum.  Use all school materials appropriately.  Raise your hand to be heard. Failure to follow these rules will result in warnings, removal from your group, self assessment referrals, phone call or note home, reflection session or referral to administrator depending on the violation.

10.  Be prepared and on time to class  Use your agenda daily.  Have your parents sign it daily.  GRADING  Late work will not be excepted unless you have an excused absence. You are given assignments with enough time to complete them and hand the assignments in on time. Do not wait until the last minute to complete given assignments. Assignments will not be accepted late. If you do not turn in you assignments you will be given a zero! Grade scaleGrade categories 90 - 100 ------AHomework 10% 80 - 89 -------BClass work 35% 70 – 79 -------CQuizzes 15% 60 – 69 -------DTests 20% Below 59 -----FProjects 20%

11. Have homework completed :  Homework is an essential part of learning and part of your grade in every subject. You will have at least 45 minutes of homework every night in all subjects.  English/Language Arts homework will be assigned nightly and on some weekends. Work not completed in class will also have to completed as homework.  There will be several projects that will be assigned throughout the year. Students will have 1-2 weeks to complete these projects which will be graded as a project. Failure to complete these projects will lower your grade significantly.  As part of your homework you will be required to read at least 30 minutes every night in the book that you have taken out of the class library or is part of your literature circle.  Homework MUST be completed every night!! Failure to complete homework will result in receiving a zero, exclusion from activities, notes and phone calls home.  CPS policy: 25 books must be read by the end of the school year. You will be provided with a book log to record your books.

12.  Ream of white copy paper  One package of colored construction paper  One box of Kleenex  One roll of paper towels  Antibacterial wipes  Hand Sanitizer

13.  1 composition notebooks  1 yellow spiral notebook  Highlighter  Loose leaf paper  Art supplies (keep in your locker in a pencil box)  Scissors  Blue/black and red pens (keep in pencil pouch)  Index cards and post its  Portfolio  Yellow folder  Some novels upon teacher request

14.  -Expository Text -Narrative, Argumentative, and Expository Writing  SCOPE Magazine  READY Common Core  Literature Circles -Novel based learning -Responding to reading through writing -Talking with peers about what you’ve read  Word of the Day  Bell Ringer  SRA

15.  Novel Projects  Writing  Vocabulary activities  Integrating content class learning

16.  Send me an email  DMRuff1@google.cps.edu DMRuff1@google.cps.edu  School website: www.ichernandez.org  Check the student portal - gradebook  Write a note in the agenda

17. Huskie Pride