Oak Park Preparatory Academy - English 8

2015-2016 (Syllabus)
http://www.oakparkschools.org
Mr. Olds

Mrs. Kraiza

Room: 201
rolds@oakparkschools.org
www.elaclassolds.weebly.com
Prep Hour 2nd Hour
Phone Extension - 2534

Room: 206
lkraiza@oakparkschools.org
www.mrskraiza.weebly.com
Prep Hour 2nd Hour
Phone Extension - 2540

Dear Parents/Guardians:
Welcome to a new school year! We look forward to working with you and your child.
Please read through the policies and expectations as stated below.
LEARNING GOALS/ OBJECTIVES
Students will engage with a wide variety of texts from poetry to non-fiction to promote literacy.
Students will become independent readers and thinkers while being able to compare texts,
respond to texts and infer from texts. Students will make real world connections through this
engagement of reading, writing, speaking and creating within a variety of text.
CONTENT/ STATE STANDARDS ADDRESSED
You may find all standards for English Language Arts at the following:
http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy
NOVELS: (Subject to change)
Wonder by R.J. Palacio
The Great Greene Heist by Varian Johnson
Pinned by Sharon Flake

MATERIALS NEEDED:
One Subject Notebook (Mr. Olds only)
Pens (Blue or Black)
Duo-Tang Folder (supplied by OPPA)
Writers Notebook (supplied by OPPA)
Student Planner

UNITS OF STUDY

METHODS OF ASSESSMENT
Includes but is not limited to:
Writers Notebooks
Work/Reading Folders
Essays
Projects
Classwork
Quick Writes
Quizzes
Do Now/Bellwork
M-Step Prep
PSAT Prep

Launching Writers Notebook (Poetry)

Narrative Reading
Literary Essay
Independent Reading
Informational reading

Argumentative Reading/Writing
M-Step Prep

Interdisciplinary Unit w/Social Studies on the

Civil War

MAKE UP WORK POLICY

When a student is absent from school, he or she still must complete the work missed. Each
student is afforded adequate time to complete make up work. For each day the student is
absent, the student has double the amount of days to make up their school work. FOR EXAMPLE:
if you are absent 2 days from school, you have 4 days to make up your school work. It is the
students responsibility to get make-up work from teacher and turn in on time.
HOMEWORK
Homework is assigned on an as-needed basis throughout each unit.
ATTENDANCE
Students are expected to arrive to class on time every day. Late students will not be permitted in
class without a hall pass or note from their parent. Students who exhibit a pattern of being late
will be referred to our school attendance officer for further disciplinary action.
GRADING
The English Language Arts department follows the Oak Park School Districts grading policy.
http://www.oakparkschools.org/
CLASSROOM EXPECTATIONS
You are being respectful when you allow others to do their work and to pay attention without
interruption. Disruptive behavior or norm violations will result in the following:
1.) O=One- on- one conference with student
2.) P= Parent/Home contact
3.) P= Provide an intervention strategy
4.) A= Administrative Intervention
* We will request immediate assistance from the office in certain situations, such as fighting, etc.
OUR LEARNING DAY
10 min. Meet and Greet: Do Now/Journal
20 min. Instructional Time, Mini-Lesson, Modeling
15 min. Independent Practice, Class/Group Work Time
5 min.

Check/Assess and Report Out

5 min.

Clean Up and Final Words of Encouragement

**This schedule can adjust as needed

Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.

-- John Dewey