1. Please take the time to complete the following tasks:  Sign in on my attendance sheet.  Record your email address if you are NOT currently receiving my weekly emails.  Write a brief note to your son or daughter; I promise we won’t check these for conventions! Mrs. LaBonge Language Arts 8 th Grade

2. I AM I am an eighth grade English teacher at Strayer and have been for the past seventeen years. I am a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, so I am obviously a Fighting Irish Fan ! I am a wife of sixteen years to my high school sweetheart. I am mother of three exceedingly busy children (Hannah (14), Madelyn (11) and Brecken (8)). I am a chauffeur endlessly driving them to soccer, karate, piano, voice, PREP, and play- dates. I am YOUR child’s dedicated teacher who strives to see them succeed. I am SUE LABONGE.

3. SpringBoard (4 units) SEVENTH year of implementation for grades 6-11 SpringBoard is aligned with CollegeBoard and Pennsylvania standards. It is a rigorous program that exposes students to a wide variety of genres; it includes excerpts from “The Odyssey” to “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” by Shakespeare, CORE NOVEL: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. It focuses on teaching strategies (TPCASTT and SOAPStone) that will help them attack and analyze various texts. Students have their own book which enables them to record notes and mark the text (further improves reading skills). Students have access to their book on-line as well!

4.  Each unit in SpringBoard requires students to complete TWO Embedded Assessments.  Unit 1  Writing a Hero’s Archetypical Journey Narrative  Writing a Definition Essay: Defining a Hero  Unit 2  Writing an Expository Essay  Writing an Argumentative Essay  Unit 3  Presenting Voices of the Holocaust (Panel Discussion)  Presenting a Multimedia Campaign  Unit 4:  Writing an analysis of a Humorous Text  Performing Shakespearean Comedy

5. READING REQUIREMENT: Students will ….. Select 2 books from a different genre each marking period. Complete given assignment assessing their comprehension via the learning targets of: Key ideas and Details Craft and Structure Students present and critique the book to the group. FIRST due date is September 24th!

6.  Grades are weighted as follows:  Graded Evidence: 90%  Homework Completion: 10% ***A graded assignment will lose 10% each day it is late.  Daily homework is given a completion score as follows:  2 – complete according to expectations  0 – little to none attempted ***HW that is late will receive a score of zero.

7. At home practice is always updated and posted on the website (includes attachments students may print and use). http://www.qcsd.org/domain/506 COMING ATTRACTION: Canvas! I keep all class handouts on my back countertop for ONE week. Parent portal enables access to grades; I post evidence.

8. Email….slabonge@qcsd.org Or call 215-529-2335 (will NOT ring through during the day).