1. 7th grade English Language Arts Kyrene Akimel A-al Middle School
Curriculum Night
7th grade English Language Arts
Kyrene Akimel A-al Middle School

2. Your child’s schedule looks like this (very confusing!)
Here’s how you read it and where you will be going next…

3. About Miss Gorton Born and raised in Chandler, Arizona
Graduated from Arizona State University with BA in Elementary Education
First year teaching at Akimel A-Al and in the Kyrene District
Love sports, enjoy shopping, and spending time with friends and family
(best method):
Website: good for weekly agenda, resources, and homework

4. myPerspectives by Pearson
Newly adopted English Language Arts resource
Adopted to align with the new Arizona State College and Career Reading ELA Standards
Students will have a book that they CAN write in
This textbook will stay in the classroom and the binder will have portion of the book that we are working on so that it can go back and forth from school to home.
Students will have a username/password to access resources online or on their mobile device

5. myPerspectives Design
Broken up into 5 units. Each unit has an essential question that relates to all of the passages
Whole-Class Learning
Read 1-2 passages together as a whole class
Small-Group Learning
Students work together in a group of 3-4 to read passages and complete assignments
Students will also work on Performance Task with their group. This is usually a presentation of some kind
Independent Learning
Students are assigned 1-2 passages to read and complete assignments individually
Performance-Based Assessment
Students will individually produce a paper, presentation, or both.

6. 7th grade units and essential questions
Unit 5: How do we overcome obstacles?
Explanatory/Informative Essay
Unit 2: Should we make a home in space?
Argument Writing
Unit 3: What can cause a sudden change in someone’s life?
Unit 4: What effects do people have on the environment?
If time allows:
Unit 1: What can one generation learn from another?
Write a Nonfiction Narrative

7. Tradebooks A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park
Robot Dreams by Isaac Asmiov
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

8. Advanced ELA Tradebooks
A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park
Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury
The Cay by Theodore Taylor
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Additional novels may be included if there is time

9. Grades In 7th grade the students grades are weighted.
Grades will be posted on ParentVue regularly. Please check student grades there on a regular basis.
Found on Kyrene.org, Parents, ParentVue
In 7th grade the students grades are weighted.
80% of your child’s grade will be assessments, projects, and writing.
20% of your child’s grade will be practice work which is classwork and homework.
Rounding:
Students grades can be rounded up if they are .5% away from the next letter grade and they have NO missing assignments.

10. ZAP Wednesday afternoon program (Zeros Aren’t Permitted)
Assigned by teachers for missing assignments
Every Wednesday afterschool from 2:00-3:30 (students must stay the entire time, no early release)
Parents will be notified ahead of time & will need to pick up child promptly at 3:30

11. ELA & ALA Work at a glance
ELA/ALA students should expect the following type of work
Weekly vocabulary 5-10 words will be tested on through various ways
Reading from text on a daily basis, basic comprehension questions and text structure assignments 2-3 a week
End of Unit Performance Task
Two Mid Unit Performance Tasks
Literary Analysis for Trade book one per quarter
End of Selections tests for group and individual texts
Reading Log due every two weeks
Quarterly Spelling Tests
Book Reports will be assigned as long term assignments up to one each quarter
All assignments will be on the calendar and students will be responsible for being prepared and turning assignments in on time.

12. Materials Two-Pocket folder to keep assignments
1-1/2 in binder with one divider
Lined Paper
Composition Notebook (will stay at school)
Pencils (Replenish frequently, please!)
Post it notes
3x5 index cards
Highlighter
Reusable water bottle
Agenda

13. Classroom Wish List
#2 Pencils
Kleenex
Disinfecting Wipes

14. Discipline & Behavior Expectations
7th Grade Refocus Policy
A student who is disturbing class or not following class rules will be given a refocus.
A student can receive only one refocus per day. If a student has already been refocused and is disruptive in any more classes that day, the student will be sent to ISI for a time-out. Parents will be notified of the ISI visit.
A student can receive a maximum of two refocuses per week. The refocuses do not have to be from the same teacher. If a student is considered for a third refocus at any time that week, the student will be instead sent to ISI for a time-out. Parents will be notified of the ISI visit.
If a student has received 6 refocuses total at any point during the school year the student will have a conference with the teachers & administration, and from that point forward the student will go directly to ISI for a time-out instead of being refocused.
Once a student starts to receive ISI time-outs, Akimel A-al’s progressive behavior policy for ISI is as follows:
3 time-outs to ISI results in 1 full day of I.S.I. & meeting with parents, Academic Behavior Specialist, and School Counselor
6 time-outs to ISI results in 2 full days of I.S.I. & meeting with parents and District Behavior Intervention teacher to consider special education services for social/emotional needs
9 time-outs to ISI results in 3 full days of I.S.I.
12 time-outs to ISI results in a 1 day Off Campus Suspension

15. Live School – Positive Behavior Program
What is LiveSchool?
An easy-to-use app to track points,
demerits, and comments
A way to share information between teachers,
administrators, and parents
A token economy system for behavior rewards
that students purchase with their points!

16. Thank you for coming! Please fill out an index card provided on your desk with any questions or comments you may have as well as an and phone number I can reach you at. Please place them in the basket at the back of the room. Thank you 