Welcome to 7th Grade Social Studies Elizabeth Honn 425-837-5941 honne@issaquah.wednet.edu Website http://connect.issaquah.wednet.edu/middle/pacificcascade/staff/ms_honns_site/ It is a pleasure to work with your student each day to help them become stronger readers, writers, and historians. As this evening is a group meeting, please send me an email or call anytime you have questions, concerns, or if you’d like to set up a meeting to talk about your student.

Nuts and Bolts What is the best way to contact me? Email: honne@issaquah.wednet.edu What if a student is absent? It is the student’s responsibility to get the work he/she missed or to schedule a time to make something up. They need to check my website for what they missed. A student has one extra day per excused absence. How often is Family Access updated? As soon as possible after an assignment is graded

My Teaching Philosophy Learning should be engaging, challenging, and is not optional. High standards are for everyone (including myself). Basic fundamentals, educational & social, are extremely important for success and happiness. Reading and writing are life skills. History is a story that needs to be told from various perspectives, and history is necessary to understand the present. Skills developed in the humanities will apply in all disciplines and in all careers. Grades should reflect ability, not behavior. Behavior sometimes impedes skills.

Love and Logic Discipline School & classroom expectations The Love and Logic principles will guide how opportunities for learning and making mistakes are handled. Students will be asked to step back and think about behaviors that do not adhere to classroom norms or expectations. Students may be required to complete further reflection in an attempt to allow each child to grow and learn from her/his actions. Each situation will be responded to on an individual basis.

Late Work Policy I do not take points off for late work, but do make a note of it to track work habits. If a student regularly turns in late work, the following interventions will be applied: student conference with the teacher email or phone call home and/or parent/student conference student may be assigned lunch detention and/or 7th period All unit assignments must be turned in before the end of the unit in order to receive credit.

Assessment Policy I give pre-assessments before the unit test. If students meet the standard on the pre-assessment, they do not have to take the final assessment. The pre-assessment and final assessment measure the same learning standard, but are different tests. Learning is not an option so I will insist on retakes until the student has met the learning target. This may require after school support. Students can earn up to 100% on a retake and all students are welcome to retake an assessment if they choose to.

Understanding Grades on Family Access Academics Success Indicators Assignments 0% Assessments 100% Tests Projects Summative work where learning standards are being measured Work Habits 0% Initiative 0% Collaboration 0% Citizenship 0%

Social Studies – The Medieval Period Textbook Trimesters 1 and 2 Europe World Religions Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism Islam Imperial China Japan ClassLink

Social Studies – Trimester 3 Washington State mid-1700s to modern times Geography History Economics Government This course is a high school requirement. If a student does not pass the course in 7th grade, they will be required to take it again in high school.

What can parents do to help? Make sure students have a homework routine for after school Make sure students are reading & writing regularly, hopefully for enjoyment too Have discussions with your kids about what they are learning in the classroom Check Family Access often with your student Be sure students are using their planners Sign up for my Remind messages Check teacher websites regularly Communicate with teachers about concerns Encourage/require your student to attend 7th period or peer tutoring if they need or want extra help

The beginning is often the roughest time. Questions?

Thank you for being here!