1. Welcome to English! Do Now On the sheet provided, please write a quick letter to your student. In the letter please include what you wish for your child to accomplish in 7 th grade English this year! If you could please put your child’s first and last name on the back of the letter, that would be much appreciated! The students will keep these letters in their writing portfolios!

2. Welcome to Back to School Night Ms. Mangino 7th Grade English 2013-2014

3. Contact Information E-mail: emangino@bernardsboe.com Phone: 908-204-2610 x 234 My website can be found from the William Annin page under "Directory" on the left hand side and by then clicking “Team Directory 7”. As you know we are the GOLD Team! E-mail is usually the most efficient way to get in touch with me, but I will call you if you’d like to speak on the phone.

4. Website Information that can be found on my website includes: o Homework assignments o General class reminders o English/Language Arts related websites to reinforce the skill we are learning in school o Links to school websites [Media Center, William Annin, HAC, etc.]

5. My Homepage

6.  Nightly homework and ongoing projects can be accessed on my web page.  Grades will be updated on the Home Access Center Site throughout the marking period. Please contact me if there are questions or discrepancies.  If a student is absent, they know to check the absent area for the work they missed. Work will also be posted online. Need to know

7. Extra Help  Students are always able to obtain extra help from me. I can meet students before school or after school. They can download passes from my website.  If students need additional help with an assignment, they must make an appointment with me.

8. Each Day…  Students write down the homework from the board in their assignment pad and take out last night’s homework [if any].  A “Do Now”, on the front board, will start each class.  Then we participate in the lesson.  Direct instruction, group/pair work, and independent work  Finally, we review the lesson and the homework in our closure.

9.  Recognition of Self……………………………………… Sept.-October  Changes and Transformations……………………… Nov. - December  Perspective and Point of View ……………………… January  WWII Historical Fiction & Discrimination …… February - March  Prejudice and Discrimination………………….….... March - April  Choices and Consequences…………………………….May- June Thematic Units of Study

10. What will my child read this year? 1.Poems 2.Short Stories 3.Novels -Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick -Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech -Whirligig by Paul Fleischman or The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton -Choice from a variety of novels for the WWII/Holocaust Unit 4.Plays -Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens -Monsters Are Due on Maple Street by Rod Serling

11. What types of activities will my child complete? Reading Comprehension –Reading checks –Individual, paired, and group activities to assess and extend reading comprehension –Open-ended Questions and Responding to Literature Grammar Instruction –Direct grammar instruction – Integrate grammar rules throughout readings and writing pieces –Variety of sentence structure, common word usage problems, interjections, adjectival and adverbial clauses, dangling modifiers, subject-verb agreement, verb tenses, correct usage of commas (comma rules) Writing –Personal Narrative –Persuasive and Explanatory Essay –Research Projects: A Christmas Carol and WWII Unit –Writing Journals – weekly journal prompts and brainstorming and application of mini-lessons such as: incorporating sensory language, transitions, grammar concepts, organization of ideas, strong reasons and evidence for persuasive, etc.

12. I am looking forward to a great year helping your child find success at William Annin! If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please email me and I will get back to you as soon as I can!

13. I enjoy teaching middle school because every day brings new surprises. I have learned to always expect the unexpected. The students are old enough to make decisions about who they really are but young enough to still dream about endless possibilities for their futures. I decided to teach middle school because I like to be challenged! My favorite thing to teach in middle school is narrative writing. It gives the students an opportunity to show their own unique voice and style. Not to mention their stories can be quite interesting!