Syllabus

Here you will find a full copy of the Syllabus with the attached Parent/Student agreement page.

 

 

8th Grade English Syllabus

Teacher: Miss. Benning mbenning@harmonytx.org

 

Welcome to 8th Grade English! In this class, we will focus on developing our reading skills. We will practice learning new vocabulary, and learning reading comprehension strategies. We will also spend time learning how to write about what we read. The skills we develop in this class will help us in our English classes and when we take our STAAR exams. You will have  many writing assignments so please come ready to work hard. Much will be expected of you this year, let’s exceed our expectations.

 

How do I reach Miss. Benning:

  • Office hours are by appointment only*

  • Students and Parents: If you have any questions or concerns, you can always reach me via email: mbenning@harmonytx.org. I will try and respond within 24 hours. I do not reply to emails after 4:00pm.

 

How do I know what is happening in class?

  • Mrs. Benning has a website set up for both parents and students to use. She will upload major projects and calendars associated with due dates for assignments.

  • Please use the website to stay up to date on the going’s on in the classroom.

 

What will we focus on this year?

  • Reading- where students read and understand a wide variety of literacy and informational texts.

  • Writing - where students compose a variety of written texts with a clear main idea/thesis, coherent organization, and with sufficient detail.

  • Research - where students are expected to know how to locate a range of relevant sources and evaluate, synthesize, and present ideas and information.

  • Listening and Speaking - where students listen and respond to literature, the ideas of others while contributing their own ideas in conversations and groups.

  • Oral & Written Conversations - where students learn how to use the oral and written conventions of the English language in speaking and writing.

 

When I miss class, I...?

  • When students are absent from class it will be their responsibility to check the absent work bin upon returning to class to see what work they missed. Students can meet with me to get clarification about assignments that were missed. Students will have the equivalent amount of time to make up work as the time they were our of class (i.e. if absent 1 day then 1 day to make up work, if 3 days absent then 3 days to make up work.)

  • Please be aware that you have ONLY 5 school days to seek clarification on any assignments you have missed. If the student does not meet with me WITHIN THOSE 5 DAYS AND does NOT TURN IN the missing work, then they will receive a ZERO.

 

When I don’t do my work…?

  • If you are in class and do not have an assignment ready to be turned in when it is due, you will be given a Pink Slip to complete at that time and you will return it to me. The Pink Slip is a way for students to take responsibility for not completing an assignment and Miss. Benning will keep track of them. After a student receives 3 Pink Slips, parents will be notified and a Parent/Teacher Conference will be Scheduled.

 

Late Work:

  • If work is one day late, 10 points will be deducted from the final grade. If work is two days late, 20 points will be deducted from the final grade. If work is three days late, 30 points will be deducted from the final grade. If work is 4 or more days late, students will receive a zero. In the spirit of fairness and per ELA department guidelines, there will be NO EXCEPTIONS to this policy.

 

1 day: 90%

2 days: 80%

3 days: 70%

4 days: 0%

 

Grading: You will receive a grade based on:

 

Participation and Daily Work (20%)

Summative Assessment (40%)

Formative Assessment (40%)

100%-90% (A)

89%-80% (B)

79%-70% (C)

69% (F)

 

What is our classroom going to be like?

Everyday I expect:

  • For you to be SAFE- I want you to feel safe to share ideas, safe to take chances and not put your classmates in danger.

  • For you to be POSITIVE - We will respect one another, what each other has to say, and what we feel as individuals.

  • For you to be ENGAGED - this is a collaborative environment and we will work hard but have fun while doing it. The more YOU participate the better class will be.

Class Rules:

Now that you know how you are expected to behave in my class please understand that there are consequences to breaking those rules:

 

Raise your hand

Verbal Warning

Stay in your seat unless told otherwise

Relocate to Refocus

Follow directions immediately

DPS

Keep hands and feet to yourself

Parent Phone Call/Referral

 

All school rules and DPS rules will be followed as they are outlined in this year’s Student/Parent Handbook. This includes, but is not limited to: the dress code and the cell phone policy.

 

Leaving the classroom:  

You will receive a hall pass that must be taken with you each time you leave class to use the restroom, get water, or go to your locker. You may not leave my class more than five times each 9 weeks. After this,  you will not be allowed to leave class for any reason.

You will not be permitted to leave class during the first or last ten minutes of the period.


 

Tutorials:

I will be available before and after school for tutoring. Please do not hesitate to ask me for help! Tutorials will be after school on Thursdays from 3:17 - 4:00pm
















 

Student and Parent Acknowledgement and Information

 

I _________________________________________________ along with my parent(s)

  (please print student First and Last Name)

 

_______________________________________&_____________________________________(Mother/Female Guardian’s First&Last Name)      (Father/Male Guardian’s First&Last Name)

 

I have read all 3 pages of the syllabus for Miss. Benning’s English class and agree to follow all the policy and procedures for class.

 

___________________________________________________   _________________________ (Student Signature) Date

 

___________________________________________________   _________________________

(Mothers/Female Guardian’s Signature) Date

 

*Parents Please Complete the Below Information*

The following adult(s) may be contacted to discuss grades and behavioral issues in Miss. Benning’s class…

________________________________________ Relation to Student: _____________________ ________________________________________ Relation to Student: _____________________ ________________________________________ Relation to Student: _____________________

 

The Student lives in a …

________ Single Parent/Guardian Home _________ Two Parent/Guardian Home

 

________ Home with Shared Custody _________ Home with Restricted/Sole Custody

 

*If there is any Parent/Guardian or Adult who I CANNOT speak to, please tell me*

 

Languages Spoken at home: _________English    ________Spanish ________Other

Preferred Method of Contact: _______Email ______Phone

 

Emails: ___________________________________  ___________________________________

Mother/Female Guardian Father/Male Guardian

Phone:____________________________________  ___________________________________

           Mother/Female Guardian Father/Male Guardian