1. Welcome! Mr. Barham, Ms. George, Mrs. Laugisch, and Mrs. Martin English 8

2. Units of Study 1 st Quarter * Focus on Short Stories and Fictional Elements * Reading and Writing Workshop start-up * Fundamentals of writing * Personal narrative based on the author’s experiences 2 nd Quarter * Focus on Nonfiction Literature – informational reading * Research skills and product * In-depth Reading and Writing Workshop Yearlong Vocabulary study of Latin prefixes and roots Independent reading, Writing Notebook activities/creation of a Writing Portfolio

3. Units of Study 3 rd Quarter * Persuasive Writing * Reading focus – texts with social issues 4 th Quarter * Literary Analysis Paper – using two or more sources to provide evidence for a thesis * Reading focus – Preparing for high school (applying reading strategies to challenging texts) * SOL Tests Yearlong Vocabulary study of Latin prefixes, roots, and suffixes Independent reading, Writing Notebook activities/creation of a Writing Portfolio

4. Homework Policy Your child should be reading a novel or some other text for pleasure reading at all times. Please be sure your child has access to texts. Other homework includes finishing class activities, reviewing and studying for tests and quizzes, and the occasional writing task.

5. Student Expectations Students should write in complete sentences. Students should always have an independent reading book on hand. Arrive on time with all materials – composition notebook, agenda, binder, and writing instrument. Work should be submitted on time!

6. Frequently Asked Questions There are two different SOL tests – Writing in early/mid March and Reading in mid/late May or early June. Your child should be doing homework EVERY night – reading is homework!

7. Our e-mail addresses: steven.barham@lcps.org laura.george@lcps.org claudia.laugisch@lcps.org fredrica.martin@lcps.org SRMS phone: (571) 434 - 4420 Planning periods: Our common planning period is 5th Block. After school help is available by pre-scheduled appointment