READING
EXPECTATIONS AND PROCEDURES
2008 – 2009
In order to bring your child to his/her fullest potential, we feel that an optimal learning environment must be created. This learning environment MUST include rules for behavior. We believe that every student wants to behave appropriately in class. We will not tolerate any student interfering with teaching or another student’s learning.
EXPECTATIONS:
1. Respect YOURSELF, EACH OTHER, and OUR CAMPUS.
2. Be in assigned seat with all necessary materials when the tardy bell rings.
3. No food/gum/candy in class.
4. Follow all teacher directions.
CONSEQUENCES:
--Minor Offenses…
1. Warning
2. Teacher consequence (ex. lunch detention)
3. Parent contact
4. Office Referral
--Major Offenses…
Immediate Office Referral
TARDINESS:
Tardiness will result in disciplinary action as outlined in the 2008 – 2009 Student/Parent Handbook.
CHEATING: (acquiring answers or providing answers)
Cheating will result in disciplinary action as outlined in the 2008 – 2009 Student/Parent Handbook.
MATERIALS NEEDED:
Students will need their binder, agenda, #2 pencils, black or blue pens, map pencils, wide-ruled notebook paper, highlighters, a folder, a spiral, and I.D. card. Parents, please check periodically with your child to see if they are in need of any of these supplies throughout the year.
AGENDA:
Each student is issued a Student Agenda for recording the daily class assignments and listing any homework they may have. It MUST be brought to school daily. Parents are encouraged to review the Agenda with their child.
ABSENCES/MAKE-UP WORK:
It is the student’s responsibility to ask for make-up work when he/she returns to school. The number of days allowed for make-up is equal to the number of days absent. After that time, points will be deducted for lateness. If a student knows in advance that he/she will be absent from school, he/she should inform the teacher so that the work could possibly be sent home ahead of time.
HOMEWORK:
Homework is an important part of reinforcing lessons and teaching responsibility. For full credit, it must be turned in at the beginning of the period (or as soon as the teacher asks for it). Students will often have on-going projects, vocabulary lessons, and independent reading assignments that may become homework. Please check your child’s agenda for daily assignments and/or homework. Assignments should be complete, neat, legible, in black or blue ink (unless otherwise requested), and on time.
GRADING POLICY:
Daily Work 61%
Tests/Projects 25%
Nine Weeks Checkpoints 14%
Late Work: (A) If an assignment is not turned in on the date it is due, then late points will be
deducted as follows: 1st day = 10 pts., 2nd day = 20 pts., 3rd day = 30 pts., and
on the 4th day a ZERO will be recorded. Parent contact will be made if your
child displays a habit of not turning in work.
(B) Exceptions are made if a student’s IEP states otherwise.
FOLDERS:
Graded papers will be returned regularly and placed in the student’s class folder, which will be kept in the classroom.
Work will be sent home at the end of each nine weeks period.
TEXTBOOKS:
State-approved textbooks are provided for each subject for student use during class. Textbooks may be issued to parents upon request for student home use. Parents will be responsible for payment of any lost/damaged textbooks.
LIBRARY EXPECTATIONS:
Students are required to have a book in class every day as part of their book check grade (see below). Students are responsible for turning in library books on time and taking care of fines for overdue books. Students are not allowed to check out a new book if they owe a fine, have an overdue book, or do not have an I.D. card.
DAILY READING:
Because reading is a part of everyday life, we’d like to encourage as much practice as possible - at school and at
home- so that your child will feel more confident about his or her ability to read. Listed below are three of the grades
we will be recording every nine weeks. We feel that these three components of our reading program are good for
individualized reading practice and it is this practice that can help build the students’ confidence as readers.
1. BOOK CHECKS - At school, we will have “book checks” to make sure your child is prepared to read whenever it is required. These “book checks” will be conducted in your child’s Reading class. Everyone will start off with a “book check” daily grade of 100. Students will lose points for each day they do not have a book with them. The overall daily grade will not be entered into the grading program until the end of the nine weeks because it is an on-going grade. For the “book check”, they may have a book from home, a book from the library, or an AR book – NO magazines.
2. READING LOGS - Students will also be expected to read for a minimum of 20 minutes at home every school day, or 100 minutes a week. They may read to siblings, to you, or they may read independently. We recommend they read their AR book, but if they have a favorite magazine, or other books they enjoy, then that is fine too. We just want the students to read! J We will be recording one daily grade each nine weeks based on their at home reading minutes. If they go beyond 100 minutes in the week, the extra minutes could be used toward extra credit. The overall daily grade however, will not be entered into the grading program until the end of the nine weeks because it is an on-going grade. Below you will find an example of the form that we will pass out to students on Mondays. This form will be used all week and won’t be due until the following Monday. You will need to sign IN INK where it is indicated and please remind your child to get it turned in each Monday before getting a new form so that their minutes/points can be calculated. If the Reading Log is not signed by the parent/guardian, we do NOT accept it. If students choose not to read and/or not to turn in reading logs, then a ZERO will be recorded as a daily grade.
______nine weeks Reading Log pg. 1 of 2 ______ period
Student’s Name: ________________________________________________
Students should work to achieve twenty minutes of daily reading for a total of 100 minutes a week. Parents please sign (not initial) weekly as well as record the total # of minutes read that week. I will initial each week to keep track of completed weekly forms. Please write in PEN ONLY!! If this copy is lost, students will NOT get another one. Their time will have to be kept on their own notebook paper following these same guidelines.
Week # 1 of 5 from ____________ to ___________ Turn in on: __________Teacher initial: _____ Date: ______
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Day |
Selection Read |
Total minutes read |
Did NOT read today (initial) |
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Monday |
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Tuesday |
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Wednesday |
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Thursday |
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Friday |
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Saturday |
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Sunday |
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I, ___________________________________, verify that my child read a total of ______________minutes this week.
3. AR TESTS - Students will be required to take a minimum number of A/R tests throughout the course of the
school year. These tests are based on books (specific to their reading level) that they have checked out from the library. Each test WILL be recorded as a daily grade – not a test grade. If they choose not to read and not to test, then a ZERO will be recorded as their daily grade. By having this AR book with them at all times (home and school), then the “book checks” should be an easy 100 and the “reading logs” should be extremely easy to keep up with as well. Below lists the number of AR tests required each nine week grading period:
First quarter – one A/R test
Second quarter – two A/R tests
Third quarter – two A/R tests
Fourth quarter – one A/R test
These three requirements mentioned above are intended to increase the reading time of our students, therefore making them better readers. As Dr. Seuss said, “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you
learn, the more places you’ll go.” Thank you in advance for your help and support with this reading program.