1. Journal Requirements 2010-2011

2. Why do we have to write journals? Journals are a very important part of becoming an effective writer. They are a safe place for you to practice the writing skills we are working on in class without me coming behind you with a red pen.

3. What should we write about in our journals? You can write about anything you want. The journal topic sheets available on the wall are only suggestions and while I’d like to see you try out some of the topics, you are free to come up with topics of your own.

4. Should my journals be fiction or nonfiction? They can be either. There will probably be days that you choose to be creative and write a story, while at other times, you may choose to write about something going on in your life that you are excited about or maybe even stressed about.

5. Is Mrs. Burchette going to read my journals? Some of them. At the end of each nine weeks, you will be given the chance to pick which journals you want me to read. You will also have the chance to tell me if there are specific entries that you do not want me to read.

6. Do I have to read any of my journals out loud to the class? We will have days that we participate in something called “Author’s Chair.” This will be a time that students can volunteer to read something they’ve written. You are required to take a place in the “Author’s Chair” at least once this nine weeks.

7. So, how many journals entries do I have to write? It depends on how long each entry is. You must fill 18 pages (or 9 pages front and back) each nine weeks.

8. Will I get class time to work on my journals? Yes. One of your choices on “You Choose” days is to journal.

9. Will Mrs. Burchette ever assign journal topics? Yes. We will “quick writes” most Fridays during which I will place a given topic on the board and you will write on that topic for 10 minutes. This is to help prepare you for writing tests when you have to write on assigned topics.

10. Should I skip lines when I write in my journal? You do not have to. If you want to skip lines, each side of a page only counts as ½ a page.

11. Where should I keep my journal entries? Once you have completed a full page, you should file it in your ‘Reading and Journal’ folder so you don’t risk it getting lost.

12. Can I use a composition notebook for my journals? Yes, but since they are smaller than standard notebook paper size, each side of the paper will only count for ½ a page. You would need to write on front and back to count as a full page. When you turn in your journals at the end of the nine weeks, you would need to tear the pages out.

13. If I can’t take my folder home, how will my parents know if I am on track with my reading? One Friday a month, your parents may schedule an appointment to come in before school (during Friday Morning Writers’ Club) to review your journal materials. Meetings and/or previous engagements could cause changes to this schedule. Make sure to check the blog for any updates. You or your parents should submit appointment cards prior to attending FMWC so I can be prepared with all of your journal materials. »1 st Period– 1 st Friday »2 nd Period– 2 nd Friday »3 rd Period– 3 rd Friday »4 th Period– 4 th Friday

14. How else will my parents know if I am on track with my journals? Every other Friday, I will send home reading progress reports with each student that will show where you are in your journal progress. These progress reports will show what your current ‘Journal’ grade is and how it would effect your class average if that were all you turned in. These update slips are to be signed and returned the following Monday.

15. Can I type my journals? Unfortunately, no. To be perfectly honest, I’ve had too many students in previous years who have been dishonest when typing journal entries. I don’t typically punish current students for the acts of previous students, but this is one area that has consistently caused concerns; therefore, all journals must be handwritten by you.

16. What other questions do you have? If you happen to think of a question later, make sure you fill out a question card and place it in the question box so that I can make sure to address it as soon as possible!

17. When are our pages due? 1 st Nine Weeks—18 pages DUE OCTOBER 1, 2010– WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED AFTER OCTOBER 8!

18. When are our pages due? 2 nd Nine Weeks—9 pages Optional– can turn in for bonus points by November 10--- CANNOT BE TURNED IN LATE! 2 nd Nine Weeks—18 pages DUE DECEMBER 10, 2010– WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED AFTER DECEMBER 17!

19. When are our pages due? 3 rd Nine Weeks—9 pages Optional– can turn in for bonus points by February 4--- CANNOT BE TURNED IN LATE! 3 rd Nine Weeks—18 pages DUE MARCH 11, 2011– WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED AFTER MARCH 17!

20. When are our pages due? 4 th Nine Weeks—9 pages Optional– can turn in for bonus points by April 26--- CANNOT BE TURNED IN LATE! 4 th Nine Weeks—18 pages DUE MAY 18, 2011– WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED AFTER MAY 25!