7th Grade Honors Writing

Welcome incoming 7th graders! I cannot wait to see you! An exciting year is awaiting you in Room 7060! We will soar in writing!

Syllabus

Here is the syllabus for the year 2015-2016. Almost everything is here, so if you peruse this document you will not be lost. Nothing will surprise you in my class!

 7^th Grade Writing

AC2E Middle School

Mr. Hilario A. Patino

School: 956-352-6324/  956-352-6363

Email: hpatino042@rgccisd.org

Planning periods available to meet: 9^th (2:50-3:35)

Syllabus                                                                                                                                                            August  24, 2015

To the student:

                You are about to study writing in seventh grade. It requires more understanding and mastery of the rules of English grammar as well as a high level of skillfulness in crafting pieces of writing which expresses deep and carefully thought-out ideas. Skillful writing does not come easily for most people. It involves a lot of work and persistence in doing it right. But once it happens, the rewards are great. It is like a mother who has given birth to an adorable child! Take heart. You are about to embark on an adventure!

Course Objectives

Primarily this course requires the students to write a multi-paragraph essay in the form of a personal narrative or an expository piece. Each of these has its own requirements which will be examined in detail in the course of each six weeks. Secondly, this subject demands from the students a consistent command of usage rules as well as conventions of the English language as applied in the essays that will categorize the learners on an accomplished level.

Course Overview

Among the main topics of this subject are the parts of speech, sentences, sentence structures, combination of sentences, punctuations, conventions; drafting essays with a clearly defined focus, appropriate organizational strategy, precise word choice and vivid images, use of simple, compound, complex sentences, internal and external coherence, and effective introductions and concluding paragraphs.

Teaching Strategies

This course will employ various methods that have been found effective in enabling students to learn and are supported by data as to their usefulness. Cooperative learning, lecture, Socratic questioning to elicit student responses and understanding, the use of depth and complexity in planning and implementing lessons, journal writing, oral presentations, recitations, role playing, mnemonics, acronyms, diagramming of sentences, thinking maps, open response questions, and rubric scoring will be utilized as part of classroom techniques of instruction.

Standards

Standards for this subject will follow the ones specified in the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) which could be broken down to Readiness and Supporting Standards.

STAAR Exam and TEA Holistic Scoring Rubric

Writing will be tested in 7^th grade. Cognizant of this fact, the score levels of the state test called State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) for compositions are determined by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) through a holistic scoring rubric. The levels are as follows

Score Point 1	Very limited	Weak in many areas
Score Point 2	Basic	Somewhat weak in some areas
Score Point 3	Satisfactory	Sufficiently strong
Score Point 4	Accomplished	Consistently effective

The student points for the revising and editing sections of the STAAR are combined with the scores of the compositions through a specific formula whose total shows either a passing or failing score.

Testing Schedule

District Benchmark  1  Writing Day 1  November 10, 2015 (Tuesday)

                                          Writing Day 2  November 11, 2015 (Wednesday)

District Benchmark 2   Writing Day 1  February 9, 2016 (Tuesday)

                                         Writing Day 2 February 10,2016 (Wednesday)

STAAR Writing  Day 1    March 29, 2016 ( Tuesday)

STAAR Writing Day 2    March 30, 2016 (Wednesday)

Grades

Grades will be computed according to two categories: class work  (75%) and tests (25%). Class work involves participation, recitation, assignments, homework, projects, journals, binders, writer’s notebook, book reports, and others. Tests entail quizzes, six weeks exams, and benchmarks.

The teacher will not assign a grade of “A” for late work. He will count 10 points off per day of late work. If work is turned in and is of good quality, it will not be assigned a grade lower than a “70”.

Work not turned in will be recorded as NHI (not handed in) or M (missing) on the student portal so that grade reports will compute the grade as zero until handed in.

Tardy Policy

Tardies are minutes taken away from learning. Students who are chronically tardy waste the most valuable commodity in school - time.

Tardies at Ac2E Middle School accumulate all day and start over at the new 6 weeks. These will be referred to the office with consequences.

Tardies 1-4 Teacher records and warns the student.

Tardy 5 – Referral to administrator. Parent contact

Tardy 6 – Referral to administrator. Parent,  teacher, administrator meeting

Tardy 7 – Referral to administrator. ISS at home campus assigned.

Tardt 8+ - Referral to administrator. Student will be transferred to home campus.

Code of Behavior

In Mr. Patino’s class, the following Code of Behavior will be cultivated:

1. Honesty

2. Initiative

3. Responsibility for actions

4. Awareness of time and space

5. Fearlessness to ask questions

6. Importance of presentation

7. Organization

8. Humility

These qualities will guide all interactions in the classroom.

Discipline Plan

1. Follow teacher’s written and spoken directions the first time given all the time.

2. Ask permission before leaving seat, talking, going to and from anybody and anywhere in the classroom.

3. Keep hands and feet to oneself.

4. No gum, food, or drinks are allowed ( except when permission is given and during special occasions).

5. Talk softly and respectfully.

Consequences

1. Parent contact

2. Grade level meeting with parent and/or student

3. Referral to the office of administrator (principal, assistant principal, counselor)

List of Materials

Two (2) composition notebooks

One (1)  one and a half inch (1 ½) three-ring binder

One  (1) pack of dividers with labels

Two (2) packs of lined papers

Two (2) packs of #2 pencil

One (1) pack of markers

One (1) box of wipes (for 1^st  period only)

One (1) box of Kleenex (for 1^st and 2^nd periods only)

Binder Organization

                                1. Cover page

·         Integrated Language Arts (ILA)

·         Personalized image or picture

·         Your first and last name

·         Grade level and period (7-1)

·         Teacher’s name (Mr. Hilario A. Patino)

·         Goals: To get an exemplary performance in

           STAAR writing

           : To become a lifelong writer

·         Affirmation: “ I can and I will succeed.”

                          “ No excuses! I am responsible!”

2. Dividers with labels

·         Label #1= Grammar Notes

·         Label #2= Compositions Notes

·         Label #3= Compositions (Drafts)

·         Label #4= Hand-outs

·         Label # 5= Weekly tests and common assessments

·         Label# 6= Homework

·         Label #7= Notebook papers

Work Expectations

Journals, assignments, homework, book reports, projects, presentations, and other products will have their specific formats to be explained and required by the teacher. They must show professional quality (neat, in correct formats, deep and insightful content, presentable to professionals).  They have to be consistently followed by the students. Any digression or non-compliance of these expectations will result in the work not accepted or not graded until the format is followed.

Concluding  Reminder  All learning happens when the student applies what have been communicated to him/her. But what is even more important is when he/she uses the knowledge gained for his/her own betterment as well as that of his/her fellow human beings.

Contract

I have read the above syllabus and its requirements and will promise to be guided by it. If I have any questions about the writing class, I will refer to it first before asking the teacher.

______________________________                                                   ____________________________

Parent Signature                                                                                       Student Signature

Date_____________                                                                                Date_______________