WELCOME TO 7 th GRADE READING Mrs. Holzem Room B102 “The more you read the more things you will know. The more you learn, the more places you’ll go.” – Dr. Seuss

About Myself  This is my seventh year teaching 7 th grade at Greenville Middle School and sixth year coaching cross- country in the district.  *Please take time to view my introductory video on my webpage.

Trivia  Can you name at least one of the “Top 10 Most Read Books” in the last 50 years?

Results from a study by James Chapman  #10: Diary of Anne Frank ( 27 million copies )  #9: Think and Grow Rich ( 30 million copies )  #8: Gone With the Wind ( 33 million copies )  #7: Twilight ( 43 million copies )  #6: The Da Vinci Code ( 57 million copies )  #5: The Alchemist ( 65 million copies )  #4: Lord of the Rings ( 103 million copies )  #3: Harry Potter ( 400 million copies )  #2: Quotations from the Works of Mao Tse-tung ( 820 million copies )  #1: The Bible ( 3.9 billion copies )

Goals  My goals as your child’s reading teacher are to...  Instill / enhance an enjoyment of reading  Help them grow as strategic readers  Help them grow as “thinkers”

Units  Our units this year include...  Short Stories  Autobiography – Biography – Memoir (novels)  Media Literacy  Cultural Diversity – Historical Fiction (novels)  Epics – Greek Mythology (novels)  Note: Many of our units and activities are integrated with Language Arts

Other Components  Other components of seventh grade reading include:  Reading-Aloud  Interactive Notebooks ~ Writing and conversing about reading  Book Talks  Blogging ( ) ~ Note that blogging will begin Quarter 2www.turnitin.com

Grading  Overall class grade breakdown:  Assessments 45%  Projects 30%  Daily Work 20%  Work Skills 5% (100 points – loss of 5 points per late assignment)  * Always turn-in QUALITY work - on time. Place completed assignments into the “Hand-In Basket” by the start of class!  Sometimes “Less is More”: The reader who reads the MOST books during the quarter is not necessarily the BETTER reader. In seventh grade, we are looking for students to focus on thinking more critically about their reading and getting the most out of each book they explore.

Classroom Management: PBIS  New to Greenville Middle School – Replacing the HLD Program:  Positive Behavior Intervention and Support will be utilized as the means of school- wide behavior management. 

Materials  Reading students will need the following supplies for reading class, as were listed on the “Supply List”:  2 wide-lined composition notebooks  Folder with prongs  3x3 Post-it notes  Reading material  Assignment planner  Pens / pencils.

Communication  I encourage you to visit my webpage and Skyward often. Please watch for important Skyward alerts. I hope that you will or call with questions or concerns. The best times to reach me are before school, between 1:00 & 2:00 daily, and after school.   Phone: ext

 I look forward to working together as a team and to the many possibilities this year has in store for us! ~ Mrs. Holzem