Welcome to 8 th Grade Literature Ms. Schutte & Mrs. Fraleigh

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1 Welcome to 8 th Grade Literature Ms. Schutte & Mrs. Fraleigh Expectations: Be Respectful Be Honest Be Responsible Be Positive Have a Good Attitude Help Each Other Keep Your Area Clean Work Hard Participate Come to Class Ready to Learn Your Responsibilities There are some high expectations in 8 th grade literature that we are sure you can meet if you dedicate yourself. As your teachers, we will treat you with respect and fairness. In return, we ask the following from you. Attendance & Tardies There is a definite connection between attendance and good grades. Students are encouraged to miss no more time than is absolutely necessary. There will be a great deal of discussion and class exploration. Coming to class is the first step to learning. If you are tardy you will miss important information and disrupt others. If you have to miss class, it is up to you to ask for and to make up the work you missed. All assignments will be posted on Progress Book ( and on panthercountry.org. When you Get to Class When the class period starts you are expected to begin working on the assignment on the board. If you are late to class, it will be a pass. If you are late and out of passes, it will be a demerit, unless you have a pass from another teacher. You must be in your seat and working when the bell rings. Passes Just as attendance and tardiness can cause you to miss important information, so does leaving the classroom after class beings. We understand that you may forget something in your locker or may have to leave the room for other reasons, so each student is allowed a pass. At the beginning of each grading period, students will receive a card with three spaces for each class to be marked once a pass is used. Hall Passes: These passes are used to leave the room to go to a locker, the office, or the bathroom. o Note: If all of the passes are marked or the card is lost, during a grading period students will not be allowed any of the advantages listed above without other consequences or Demerits being issued. Assignments Most of your grade will depend on how you perform on assignments in class, and some will be homework. Grades will be made up of a variety of homework, tests, projects, quizzes, journal entries, assignments, etc. o Late Assignments: You are expected to hand in work on time. Work should be turned in at the very beginning of class, if not, it is considered late. 1

2 Make-up work Each student has 1 day for each day they are absent to complete and turn in make-up work. Make-up work must be turned in at the beginning of class on the day it is due. Any make-up work not turned in at the beginning of class when it is due will be considered late and will receive a 0. For example, if a student was absent on Tuesday, the work from Tuesday would be due on Thursday, not Wednesday because Wednesday would be the one extra day for the absent day. If a student is absent multiple days in a row, the extra days begin when the student comes back. For example, if a student is absent on Monday and Tuesday, work from Monday and Tuesday would be due at the beginning of class on Friday. *It is your responsibility to get make-up work and turn-in make-up work on time. Make-up Tests If you know that you will be absent on a test day you can take the test early. Otherwise, make-up tests will be taken on the day a student returns to school. You will need to see your teacher about scheduling to take a make-up test either before your absence or on the day you return to school. Any tests that are not taken on time will be deducted points. *It is your responsibility to schedule and take make-up tests on time. If the test continues to not be made up, it will become a 0. Materials Each day you must bring the materials to each class that are required. If you have to leave the room to get materials it is considered a pass. Behavior Your actions affect others. Unfortunately, many do not see how their behavior affects the people around them. When you choose to study, participate, and work hard, your knowledge and focus help the class learn more. If you engage in disruptive behavior, the Demerit System will be used as a punishment. o The Demerit System*: o First Offense - A demerit goes home to be signed and returned. o Second Offense - A second demerit goes home to be signed and returned along with a phone call. o Third and Fourth Offenses - A demerit goes home to be signed and the student earns a morning detention. o Fifth Offense - A demerit goes home to be signed and the student receives DAC (Disciplinary Action Class, a.k.a. In-School-Suspension.)*all offenses are reset at the start of each new grading period. Grading Policy The 8 th grade classes will be based on a weighted grading system. Points will be given for class requirements, assignments, assessments, journals, writing assignments, and projects, etc. The points will be calculated into a percentage and each student will receive a letter grade based on the following percentages: A B C D 69 F The letter grade for close percentages, for example 92.5 %, will be at the teacher s discretion. The determination will be based on a combination of factors including effort, missing assignments, and behavior. 2

3 Plagiarism and Cheating Plagiarism will also not be tolerated. If you plagiarize an assignment, you will automatically receive a zero. There is no opportunity to redo the assignment, and partial credit will not be given. Do your own work! Cheating will not be tolerated. The first violation will result in a zero for the assignment. This includes tests. The second violation results in an F for the grading period. This applies to any assigned work including projects, tests, quizzes, and SkillsTutor. As your teachers, we will do our best to look out for you and exceptions may be made where special circumstances arise. We have very high expectations, but with hard work and dedication we know you will do well. Please see the attached documents for information pertaining to materials, specific classes, and the online textbook. Please fill out the last sheet which requests some information from you and your child and return no later than August 30, As always, please contact us with any questions or concerns. We are looking forward to a great year! Sincerely, Ms. Schutte & Mrs. Fraleigh 3

4 Holt Online Textbook Math, English, Reading We are excited to inform you that there are multiple features with the Holt Textbooks this year in order to help your child in their learning. One important feature is Holt Learning Online. This online resource offers the complete book online (students can log into the website and view all pages of their actual textbook this will save from students having to take their math textbook home each night to complete homework because they can view the pages from the computer). Other features of Holt Leaning Online include videos of examples in each lesson, interactive activities, and additional practice problems for each lesson, and parent resources. This online book gives you a chance to review stories, have them read allowed to you, and extra comprehension practice. Holt Learning Online is a great resource to utilize to help your child be successful in each chapter of the textbook. Specific computer requirements, internet connection requirements, and browser requirements are discussed below. If you have questions regarding the website and/or the requirements previously listed, please contact Technical Support Information at (800) from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., Mon-Fri CT or Web Support at Here are the websites to access Holt Learning Online: (Access the online version of the textbook, videos of examples in each lesson, interactive activities, additional practice problems for each lesson, and much more!) (Access homework help and parent resources (codes are at the top of Exercises pages in each lesson of the textbook), videos, games, Web Extra! and much more!) Remember: These websites can be accessed from your home computer (as long as it meets the system requirements listed below), the public library, or at school. Logging In Your teacher will provide you with a User Name and Password. If you have that information, you can log in now at After you have acquired a User Name and Password, follow these simple login directions to access your personalized Holt Online Learning home page. 1. Go to the Holt Online Learning Web site at 2. Type your User Name and Password. 3. Click the Log In button. Your personalized Holt Online Learning home page will display a picture of your math textbook. 4. Click on go to the online textbook below the picture of your math textbook. 5. Select a chapter, lesson, page number, video, or activity to view or complete. 4

5 After reviewing the Team 8 Literature Policy with your child, please sign and return the following sheet, which states that you have read and understand the rules and policies of the eighth grade team. Student s Name/Date Student s Signature/Date Parent/Guardian s Name/Date Parent/Guardian s Signature/Date Parent/Guardian Contact Phone Number Parent/Guardian Contact Potential Interests/Activities we can help your child get involved in: What should we know about your child? Thank you for your continued support and communication throughout this school year! 5