1. Welcome to De Masi Back to School Night 2013 Our team appreciates your interest in your young adult’s education and social development. Thank you for completing the monumental mounds of paperwork and completing our survey on the yellow paper. We hope tonight is enjoyable as well as informative! Some of you may have sat in these very same classrooms as a student!

2. WELCOME to BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT I am Betty Dovas – Language Arts Teacher I co-teach with Karen Craig two periods a day I have the pleasure of being a part of your family for the next 180 days. We will work together as a team preparing your young adult for eighth grade and high school. To contact me by phone 856-988-0777 To contact me by e-mail dovasb@evesham.k12.nj.usdovasb@evesham.k12.nj.us Check out the webpage for additional information Check parent portal regularly.

3. INSIGHT into the ADOLESCENT PSYCHE By 8 th grade students don’t always share their thoughts with their parents. Friends replace parents for support. Be there anyway! Keep lines of communication open between home and school and between you and your child. They really want you in their life. Most of the time they are reluctant to ask for help! Use your “spider senses” to second guess what they are thinking! When in doubt, call us!

4. EXPECTATIONS Be open-minded, polite, and respectful. Be prepared with all materials daily. Participate appropriately. Use time and materials wisely. Ask for clarification when in doubt. Come for extra help sooner rather than later. Submit all assignments on or before due date. Leave all excuses on the bus!!!!

5. COURSE OF STUDY Reading Science Fiction Unit – short stories/novella Contemporary Realistic Fiction Historical Fiction Using technology to improve our knowledge Guided Silent Reading/Non-Fiction Text NJAsk8 Reader’s Theater for fluency

6. COURSE OF STUDY Writing Explanatory Writing Persuasive/Argumentative/Research Creative – Narrative/Descriptive Poetic, Imitative, Original Writing Brushing up on writing skills – grammar/usage/spelling/punctuation Using technology to enhance our writing

7. Genesis Grading Everything we do is assessed as either effort or achievement. Each item is worth a specific amount of points. Late items lose points. Extra points are earned through class coupons, extra pages, specifically designed activities that enhance learning, and some early submissions. Extra credit is not arbitrarily assigned, it is built into the activities

8. ASSESSING PROGRESS in WRITING CW/HW - Effort 15 % Pre Class Activities Daily Edit-Word Studies-Notes-Spelling Submissions/Participation Preparation

9. ASSESSING PROGRESS in WRITING ASSESSMENT/ACHIEVEMENT 85% Writer’s Workshop/Writer’s Crafting Narrative/Expository/Persuasive/Argumentative Compositional Risks/Style/Content/Organization Word Choice/Formatting/Following Directions WNB - Prompted, Free, and Quick Writing Word Study - Assessment in written work/language development

10. ASSESSMENT in READING CW/HWEFFORT15% Reader’s Workshop- CBF goals/Projects Book Talks/Random Book Checks Informal Assessments/ Preparation/Active Listening/Following Directions Submissions – CNN, RRJ, and RW

11. ASSESSMENT in READING Achievement Assessments85% RRJ Prompts RW/CNN/Reflections/Reactions Quizzes Quick Writes & Comprehension & Vocabulary Tests Comprehension/Vocabulary/Reading Skills