1. Fall Open House Arcola Intermediate School 2015-2016

2. Educational Goal Encourage students to be lifelong readers, writers, and speakers Encourage students to be lifelong readers, writers, and speakers Encourage students to demonstrate good character Encourage students to demonstrate good character Foster the whole child Foster the whole child

3. Homework and Grading Homework is not posted online consistently. Homework is not posted online consistently. All graded assignments are posted on parent portal in a timely fashion. All graded assignments are posted on parent portal in a timely fashion. Writing assignments may take longer to grade. Writing assignments may take longer to grade.

4. Literary Units Includes short stories, poetry, and an in class novel Includes short stories, poetry, and an in class novel Will consist of group and individual assignments, supplemental exercises, writing activities, and quizzes Will consist of group and individual assignments, supplemental exercises, writing activities, and quizzes Will focus on analytical skills addressed in the new Common Core state standards Will focus on analytical skills addressed in the new Common Core state standards

5. Grammar Units Incorporates a mastery of sentence structure, punctuation, agreement, and capitalization Incorporates a mastery of sentence structure, punctuation, agreement, and capitalization Includes the study of gerunds, voice, verbals, and other such concepts Includes the study of gerunds, voice, verbals, and other such concepts Will consist of notes, supplemental exercises, group and individual assignments, and quizzes Will consist of notes, supplemental exercises, group and individual assignments, and quizzes Will focus on skills addressed in the Common Core state standards Will focus on skills addressed in the Common Core state standards

6. Vocabulary Units Will include literary terms and grammatical terminology Will include literary terms and grammatical terminology Will include vocabulary units taken from the Vocabulary Workshop text Will include vocabulary units taken from the Vocabulary Workshop text Will include vocabulary taken from the various short stories and novel Will include vocabulary taken from the various short stories and novel Will focus on terminology and vocabulary addressed in the Common Core state standards Will focus on terminology and vocabulary addressed in the Common Core state standards

7. Special Assignments Job Shadowing Job Shadowing Independent Reading Assignment each marking period Independent Reading Assignment each marking period Research Paper Research Paper

8. Study Skills are paramount!!!! Flashcards Flashcards Two column notes Two column notes Study guides Study guides www.vocabularyworkshop.com www.vocabularyworkshop.com www.vocabularyworkshop.com 8 th period help 8 th period help Students should never say that they don’t have any homework. Students should never say that they don’t have any homework. Students should be reviewing classwork for 20 minutes each night!!!!!! Students should be reviewing classwork for 20 minutes each night!!!!!!

9. Things you can do to help… Talk to your child Talk to your child Read the weekly emails Read the weekly emails Create a calendar of assignments/assessments and due dates Create a calendar of assignments/assessments and due dates Quiz your child Quiz your child Communicate with the teacher/team Communicate with the teacher/team