NCMS 8th grade ELA Mr. John Griffin, Master Education Master School Administration Aug. 2016- June 2017

WELCOME! EOG Reading Level 3,4 or 5 !

Who Is Mr. Griffin? I have taught 34 years, I taught in Tennessee and West Virginia before moving to NC in 1989. I taught at Conover School and transferred to NCMS in 1995. This is my 22nd year at NCMS. I am a husband, a father, a father-in-law and a grandfather. My wife is an assistant principal at Rock Springs Elementary. My daughter-in-law teachers Seventh grade Science and Social Studies here at NCMS.

Interest I attend Trinity Baptist Church in Newton Interest I attend Trinity Baptist Church in Newton. I follow UNC-Tar Heel basketball, Atlanta Braves baseball and love to read! Major Braves fan! Tyler Flowers, a catcher is my favorite player until they trade him! heehee I am a line judge for NCMS volleyball. Every game! Right now I am reading Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger. Have you read Paper Towns by John Green? It’s my favorite John Green book and the movie is really good!

Supporter of N-C sports!

Family

Dogs are family too!

Be on time and be prepared! I will begin with a bell ringer everyday with a writing task. Bring 2 pencils to class daily. (Bell ringer journal) I prefer mechanical pencils. Once you are seated you will not get up and sharpen pencils. We will do three task each day. You will read everyday in class at some point. Bathroom, locker, other issues. During your breaks! No phones in classrooms. Enough said!

What you need to know: Expectations… Vocabulary is a major emphasis in eighth grade. Organization is a must. If you are disorganized or your Trapper Keeper looks like an unmade bed then I feel sorry for you! Athletes. Be a leader in the classroom, in the hallway, and on campus in general. A reader today is a leader tomorrow! Class requirements. ** Buy you a flash drive! We will write three to four major papers this year. Bring 2 Mechanical pencils everyday to class. Bell ringer journal everyday. Writing journal every Tuesday. Lockers and bathroom breaks…..you have 3 minutes… take care of business and don’t be late!

We are Newton-Conover! It is my goal to prepare you for high school. You will hear me make this statement a great deal, “if you were in English I and the work and effort you are investing, would it be enough to earn credit towards graduation requirements?” Dr. Whisnant and staff are working together to instill our motto: Be Responsible, Be Respectful & Be Safe! It’s a new day at NCMS!

You are a leader! Red Devil Pride Code of conduct…. “show me your friends and I’ll show you your future” is one of my favorite statements. I have high expectations and when you transition to NCHS you will be prepared for English I if you work hard. What is your personal best? As 8th graders I expect you to present yourself as young ladies and young gentlemen. Ladies will ALWAYS leave first! If you are an athlete – I hold you to a higher standard if you are going to represent our school. Take pride in your actions, your language and be of good character!