Calaxy Wiki > Add new wiki page

Hillview Middle School

Dear Parent / Guardian and Student,

Welcome to 8th Grade Language Arts at Hillview Middle School. As your teacher, I will be working to improve and teach new writing and reading skills. You should be aware of the following Language Arts information.

1. GATE is a rigorous, high level class; and homework will be such as to challenge and prepare students for the Honors, Advanced Placement (AP), and International Baccalaureate (IB) classes in high school.
2. You should have a 2 1/2 or 3 inch three ring binder with a pencil pouch. The same binder will be used for all your classes.
3. You should have two sharpened #2 pencils, two standard black or blue pens, and two red pens or pencils ready for each class. You may also have a set of highlighters.
4. You are responsible to keep your work organized and ready to hand in when due.
5. All written work must be properly labeled and formatted according to the Modern Language Association (MLA) guidelines provided in class.

6. All written assignments should be done in pen (regular black or blue) or word processed. Your parents may help you with the typing, but you must do the writing first. Writing drafts and homework worksheets may be done in pencil. No work is to be done in colored ink. (Colored ink is reserved for making corrections in class.)
7. The scores for the class are weighted so that Accelerated Reader is worth 15%, tests are worth 40%, quizzes are worth 15%, essays are worth 20%, and homework/classwork is worth 10% of your grade.
8. Your AR score is evenly divided between three AR goals. You will receive credit for the percentage of each goal you meet.
9. It is your responsibility to make up work missed because of an absence. All absent work must be marked "Absent" and turned in to the work collection tray.
10. Late work is unacceptable; however, I understand that emergencies sometimes happen, and I will consider partial credit for late work if it is turned in with a parent note explaining why it is late.
11. You may earn extra credit by earning more AR points than your quarter goal and/or by scoring more than 85% correct on your AR quizzes. You may also earn five extra credit points for each unused "necessity pass" you turn in at the end of each semester. No other extra credit work will be given in my class.

There guidelines are intended to help you be aware of what is expected of you. With your cooperation, this should be a very successful school year. If you have any questions about the class during the school year you may call me at 722-9993 ex. 75508 or email me at c.andrews@westside.k12.ca.us .

Yours truly,
Mr. Christian Andrews
8th Grade Language Arts