Respond to the following question for the next 5-10 minutes. Be prepared to discuss:  Last year I _____________, but this year I plan to _________.  What would you like to do differently this school year compared to past years?

Welcome to 8 th Grade Language Arts!

Summer Reading  Due Today  May hand in tomorrow, 9/3 for full credit  *No summer reading assignments will be accepted after Friday, 9/4

Late Policy  1 day late = 10 points off  2 or more days late = automatic 50 (if the assignment is complete and well done)  1 week or more late = work will NOT be accepted / automatic zero

How to Use SchoolWires

Supplies  1 binder  1 pack of loose leaf paper (with 3 holes punched)  dividers for binder (at least 3)  1 pack of index cards (any size is fine)  pens and/or pencils (any color is fine as long as I can read it)  *OBTAIN THESE SUPPLIES BY TUES, SEP 8 TH *

Binder Sections  Vocabulary, Grammar, Reading, Writing  Index cards for vocabulary (keep these in your binder!)

Grading Policy  What is a bell curve?  Performance significantly above curriculum standard  Performance above curriculum standard  Performance at curriculum standard  Performance below curriculum standard  64 or below Performance significantly below curriculum standard (failure)

Numerical Grades  A+ =  A =  A- =  B+ =  B =  B- =  C+ =  C =  C- =  D+ =  D =  D- =  F = 64 and Below

Plagiarism and Cheating  First offense: meeting with student, teacher, and guidance counselor. Parent/guardian is notified. Assignment is re-done for a 74 (at best).  Subsequent offenses: meeting with parent/guardian. Zero on the assignment.  Cheating results in an automatic zero.

Do Now Schedule  Monday: Vocabulary  Tuesday: Current Events  Wednesday: Grammar  Thursday: Reading  Friday: Poetry

Class Units  Novel-based  Short Story  Argument  Literary Analysis  Drama  Memoir/Poetry

First Day Survey  Answer all questions (either on the handout itself or on a separate piece of loose-leaf paper)  After you have answered all questions completely and thoroughly, tell me one additional thing about yourself.  Are you allergic to something? Do you have a unique situation at home? Do you have any previous issues with one of your classmates? Do you have any fears/anxieties that might interfere with class?  Or, just tell me something fun about yourself, your hobbies, or anything else you’re willing to share!