Dear Parents and Students,

It is with much excitement that I welcome you to the 2014-2015 school year. I hope that you hae
had a !un-!illed summer and are ready !or a success!ul school year. I loo" !orward to #ettin# to "now your
son or dau#hter. Durin# the upcomin# year, the emphasis in $an#ua#e %rts will &e on increasin# critical
readin# comprehension s"ills when students read !or in!ormation, as well as ar#umentatie writin#. In the
process, I will expect a #reat deal !rom your child, &ut neer more than he or she can handle. I am tou#h
and strict &ut I am also !air. I will also encoura#e your child to trust his'her classmates as we &uild a
classroom community where teamwor" and per!ormance are alued alon# with the other o&(ecties o! the
)ommon )ore )urriculum. *y #oal is to ma"e lan#ua#e come alie.
Students will also !ocus on improin# writin# and lan#ua#e s"ills throu#h the completion o! multiple
compositions related to a ariety o! #enres and !or a multitude o! purposes +with an emphasis on
in!ormatie, ar#umentatie, and narratie writin#,. Students will read and write daily, with a &alance o!
&rie! and extended responses assi#ned. In order to meet these #oals, the students will study essential
-uestions, reolin# around these !ollowin# units. /ruth, )hoices, Identity, and 0alues.
Students will &e assessed on readin#, writin#, #rammar, spea"in#, and listenin#. With the
Common Core, students will be expected to do much more writing and independent work than in
previous years. 1oweer, students will hae ample opportunity to edit and reise their writin# and wor"
&e!ore &ein# assessed. /hose students who hae not mastered the topic and who need some re-
teachin# will hae tutorin# made aaila&le to them.
Rules Behavior
1, I will &e respect!ul at
all times.
2, I will &e on time to
class and prepared
!or learnin#.
2, I will only leae my
seat when permitted
&y *r. /aylor.
4, I will !ollow all
directions the !irst
time they are #ien.
Consequences
%ccepta&le classroom &ehaior
that !ollows the posted rules
will &e expected at all times.
3ailure to comply with these
rules will result in.
1. 0er&al 4arnin#
2. 5ehaior re!lection and
parent contact
2. /eacher detention and
parent contact
4. )on!erence with
student, teacher and
school support teacher
5. 6!!ice re!erral
Positive Rewards
Mustangs.
Students will &e #ien 7*ustan#8 cards
when they are &ehain# appropriately
and doin# well in class, which they are
a&le to spend in my classroom store as
well as the school wide store.
R!"#$
Student #rades are entered into a Pinnacle computer pro#ram at least once a wee" and you should
chec" Pinnacle on a re#ular &asis. 9ou will &e a&le to iew the #rades on-line !or each term. 9ou may also
choose to set up automatic #rade noti!ications throu#h the Pinnacle system. In Pinnacle, % means work
has been excused. +Does not help or hurt the student:s #rade, /he use o! & means that assigned work
*6;6)%)9 *IDD$< S)166$
=
th
>rade $an#ua#e %rts- *r. /aylor
was not turned in +? counts as 0@, /he use o! ' means the student earned (ero points on turned in
work.
)ormative !ssessment +used to dia#nose student
needs and #uide instructional decisions,
*ummative !ssessment +used to show student
mastery o! standards and seres as accounta&ility,
/ypes o! these assessments include. warm-ups,
classwor", homewor", note&oo" chec"s, rou#h
dra!ts o! writin# assi#nments, etc.
/ypes o! these assessments include. post-
tests'assessments, -uiAAes, pro(ects,
per!ormances, !inal dra!ts o! writin# assi#nments,
port!olios, etc.,
)ormative !ssessment Weight+
1omewor"- 10@
%ll other !ormaties- 40@
*ummative !ssessment Weight+
Summatie- 50@
,omework -ake.up Work /ate Work
1omewor" will &e assi#ned on a
re#ular &asis and will represent
10@ o! the term #rade.
Vocabulary Homework:
1omewor" will consist o!
oca&ulary practice 5 times per
-uarter +normally #ien on
*onday and due on /hursday,.
Students are expected to
complete the wor"sheet, as well
as study each ni#ht !or their
oca&ulary -uiA on 3riday.
Other Homework:
6ther homewor" assi#nments
mi#ht include daily oca&ulary
practice, !inal copies o! writin#
pieces, readin# noels !or
literature circles, and completin#
&oo"'wor"sheet pro(ects.
#t is the responsibility o0 the
student to pace him1hersel0 to
have the work ready to turn in
on time.
Be#ular school wor" missed due
to an a&sence should &e pic"ed
up on return to school. /here is a
speci!ied area in my classroom
!or students to pic" up this
missed wor" that they need to
complete.
How many days to make-up?
I! students hae &een a&sent,
they are #ien the num&er o!
days that they were a&sent to
ma"e up their wor". 3or
example, i! the student was
a&sent !or 2 days, upon their
return to school, they will hae 2
days to ma"e up their wor".
#t is the student2s responsibility
to gather their missing work
0rom their class 0older and
complete it.
4hen students do not complete
assi#nments, they are excusin#
themseles !rom learnin#. /here
are no excuses, so students will
&e #ien opportunities to
complete'turn in late and missin#
assi#nments.
One day late C Student can
complete and turn in the
assi#nment and receie =0@
credit.
Two days late C Student can
complete and turn in the
assi#nment and receie D0@
credit.
Beyond two days late C Student
can complete and turn in the
assi#nment until the end o! term
and receie 50@ credit. I! a
student re!uses to complete an
assi#nment &y the mid-term or
the end o! term they will not &e
#ien credit.
3utoring and 3est -ake.up
/imes !or tutorin# and test ma"e-up will &e made aaila&le to students durin# <$/ time. Students
who missed tests or -uiAAes will &e si#ned up !or an <$/ time to do their ma"e-up test. Students
stru##lin# with a certain concept mi#ht also &e si#ned up !or some re-teachin#. Students can also
re-uest to come in !or <$/ i! they !eel as i! they need more support.
/anguage !rts *upplies
4ither 5you only need one o0 the below 6 options7 .
8. % !older with !asteners'&rads in the center that will &e diided into three sections. /he
le!t-hand poc"et will hold homewor", the &ac" poc"et will hold extra paper, and the
middle section will hold their notes and classwor".
6B
9. % &inder with three diiders +)lasswor", homewor", paper,.
6B
6. % lar#er &inder +can hold all your classes, &ut with a section !or $an#ua#e %rts that
includes diided sections !or classwor", homewor", and clean paper.
3hese supplies will also be needed+
Seeral sharpened pencils with erasers
4hite note&oo" paper
5lue or &lac" in" pens
6ne &ox o! tissues !or the classroom i! possi&le
I am truly loo"in# !orward to a success!ul year. /han" you in adance !or your e!!ort and
cooperation in wor"in# with me to ma"e this the &est year your child has eer hadEE I! you hae any
-uestions or concerns throu#hout the year, please !eel !ree to contact me &y email at
michael.taylor:0cps.org.
Sincerely,
*ichael /aylor
<mail. *ichael.taylorF!cps.or#
Phone. 240-22G-4DGG
4ee&ly Site. http.''=th#radelan#ua#eartstaylor.wee&ly.com

By signing, you are showing that you understand all o0 the rules and
procedures and have read and discussed the eighth grade language arts letter.
Please complete and return this sheet to Mr. Taylor by Friday, 8/29/14
This will be your students irst homewor! "rade or the year.
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Student ;ame +printed,
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Student Si#nature Parent'>uardian Si#nature
;uestions, Comments, or Concerns<
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