Mrs.

Hales 8th
Grade ELA Class
Syllabus

Contact Information:
Instructor: Hanna Hale
Email: hannahale@sevier.org or
hannahale@sevierclassrooms.org
Class Website: www.hhaleela@weebly.com

Welcome and Introduction:

Welcome to 8th grade English Language Arts! My name is Mrs. Hale, and I will be your ELA
instructor for the 2017-2018 school year. I am so excited to meet each of you. We are going to
have an incredible year! In the following pages I have outlined some of our content, as well as
the rules and procedures that take place in my class.

In my class we cover three subjects:

Literature: Reading, analyzing, and interpreting various works of literature (including

genres such as novels, short stories, plays, and poetry) written by a variety of authors.
English: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and
usage when writing (composition) or speaking.
Spelling: Demonstrate command of the English language through vocabulary usage and
spelling ability.

Required Materials
In order to best prepare for a great semester there are a few required materials needed for class:

A Sturdy 3-ring Binder (with pockets)

Loose-leaf Notebook Paper
4 Divider tabs/sections
A Composition Notebook (BOUND, not spiralled!)
Pencils
Highlighters

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Suggested Classroom Resource Material
1. Tissues
2. Hand Sanitizer
3. Dry Erase Markers

Class Behavioral Expectations:

1. Come to class on time
2. Respect others property and personal space
3. Be an active participant in your education (apathy is not an option).
4. No Visible Electronics
5. Honor your classmates, your instructor, and yourself in your behavior.

Class Procedures

Entering Class You will enter the classroom quietly and find your seat. Once you are
seated you will begin the bellringer assignment on the board.

Class Discussions You will participate in class discussions in a thoughtful and respectful
manner remembering that everyones thoughts are valuable.

Group Work You will be grouped in a variety of ways throughout the school year, but
in each group setting the class rules apply (please see above). If a social
conflict arises, please see Mrs. Hale promptly.

Silent work (tests, When we complete a silent activity, students will remain quiet for the
writing duration of the allotted time. If another activity has been assigned,
assignments, students should begin it immediately.
quizzes)

Bathroom The class will adhere to 8th grade bathroom policy.

Creative Work On some occasions time will be given to students to work on projects and
Time papers individually. During this time Mrs. Hale may play wordless music,
but loud talking and distractions must be avoided in order to respect
others time and space.

Computer Days We will be working with electronic devices in class often. On these
occasions, please follow cyber security protocols at all times. Use devices
for research/writing purposes only. If student is found misusing the

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 device, points will be deduced and Mrs. Hale will create an alternate
assignment for the student. Using a chromebook is a privilege, and can be
revoked if protocols are not followed.

Classwork / Homework:
This year we are starting off with various informational texts, short stories, and a novel. While
we will do some reading in class, there will also be assigned reading that is to be completed for
homework. Each novel read in this class will have a set of comprehension questions, reading
quizzes, composition/journal assignments, research projects, and group projects. Many other
assignments may come from the literature, spelling, or grammar textbooks. Other homework
assignments will include weekly vocabulary homework, studying for tests, working on projects,
and completing unfinished classwork.

Weekly Assignments
Daily Opportunities (bellringer/journal assignments)
Weekly writing assignments (reflections, essays, poetry assignments)
Literature Discussions (in class, small group, or individual settings).
Vocabulary homework (assigned each Monday)
Vocabulary Tests (Tests are every Friday unless we have a schedule change!)

Major Tests/Projects
Major Tests:
Unit Tests on Literature Book/Novels
Unit Tests on English/Grammar Book
Unit Tests on Spelling/Vocabulary Books
TN Ready State Testing

Major Projects:
Creative Writing Essay
Persuasive Essay
3-minute Speech
Poetry Portfolio

Plagiarism Policy:

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Plagiarism (a concept we will discuss in detail in our class) means to reproduce someone elses
words or ideas and presenting them as your own. Mrs. Hales class has a zero tolerance policy
for plagiarism. If you are caught plagiarizing, you will receive a zero for the assignment, your
parents will be notified, and Mrs. Hale may send you to ISS if the offense is repeated.

Make-Up and Late Work Policies:

In order to succeed in 8th grade ELA, attendance is key. If you are absent from class, it is your
responsibility to get the missed materials/notes as soon as possible. Our school policy is that
students have as many days to complete the assignment as they were absent from class unless
other arrangements are made with Mrs. Hale before the assignment is due. Do NOT wait till the
day the assignment is due to have this conversation. For each day after this, 10 points will be
deduced from the grade.
If you will be out, please follow these steps:
1. Stay in contact with Mrs. Hale and let her know you are sick (e-mail listed on page 1).
2. Check Google Classroom to see what you missed that day.
3. Once you are back, check in with your assigned peer buddy to get missing work.
4. Turn in ALL missed homework/projects as soon as possible

No Name Papers
Take pride in your work and put your name on EACH of your papers. Nameless papers go in the
No-Name folder for ONE week. After that, no-name papers are discarded and no credit will
be given. If no-name papers are claimed by students other than their owner/creator, a zero will be
given and a warning will be written in the class discipline binder.

Grading:

Category Percentage
Classwork / Homework 25%
Formative Assessment 25%
Tests/Projects 50%

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*Keep in mind that you will receive three final grades for each subject in ELA: Literature,
English, and Spelling. However, some grades will fall into multiple categories. For example,
if you do a novel-based research paper assignment for Mrs. Hale, you may receive a grade
for English grammar as well as Literature because both subjects are addressed in your
paper*

Parental Access
Because your education is so important, it is valuable for your parents to be able to check in on
your assignments and help you when necessary. Any unanswered questions can be asked
through e-mail at hannahale@sevier.org, or in person during my office hours. The grade card
dates are listed below under Grading Periods, and parents should expect student to bring home
grade cards on these specified dates. Parents should make sure to check Gradebook Wizard if
any grading questions arise.

State Test:
The state requires students to take a standardized test called the TCAP. This test counts as 15%
of each students final grade. Beginning this school year, students will be taking a new TCAP
test called TNReady. TNReady will measure student understanding of our current state
standards in English language arts and math, not the previous SPIs. To see what standards will
be addressed in each 6-week block, please see the Standards and Objectives Covered In Each 6
Week Increment section on the Northview Academy website. The types of items that will be on
the test this year have changed since last year; multiple choice, select-all-that-apply, short
answer, and essay questions will be the various forms of items that will be seen on the new
TNReady TCAP tests. The TCAP is scheduled to be given in two phases. Phase I will be
completed sometime in February and will consist of essay writing. Phase II will be given in May
and will consist of all question types. We will be preparing for this test throughout the year. See
the following website for more information:
http://www.tn.gov/education/assessment/TNReady.shtml

To view 8th Grade ELA State Standards, please got to

https://www.tn.gov/assets/entities/sbe/attachments/4-15-
16_V_B_English_Language_Arts_Standards_Attachment.pdf or view them on my
website at hhaleela@weebly.com

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 Statement of Understanding

After going over this syllabus in class and voicing all questions and concerns, please sign and
date this syllabus and turn in page 6 to Mrs. Hale. Please keep pages 1-5 in the front of your
three ring English Binder as a reference for important information about Mrs. Hale class.

Parent/ Guardian signature/ date Student signature/ date