Welcome!

1. Welcome!

2. My entire name is an alliteration. • I graduated from Mississippi State. • I really like balloons and wish to travel in a hot air balloon one day. • One of my favorite television shows is Once Upon a Time. • Birds are my favorite animal. • I have been to China, Wales, Ireland, and England. A little About me : )

3. Required Reading • You will need to have read your summer reading book read by August 15. • We will be working on assessments that relate to this book. • You will need to purchase Messenger by Lois Lowry by August 26th.

4. The Brain • The Brain is your notebook • You are to have 5 dividers labeled: • Agenda • Resources (Classroom Expectations, Bathroom Passes, Letter Format, Remind code, Literature book code, Library passwords, etc.) • Reading • Vocabulary • Grammar

5. Agenda • After you have gone to the restroom (before the tardy bell, of course), you will need to write the daily agenda in your notebook under the “Agenda” tab. • Why you ask? Oh that’s easy: so you know what you did that day in class in case you may need to go back to see, or another student needs to know.

6. Make-up work is your responsibility. If you miss class, you MUST go to my website and see what you missed for the day. I expect you to have your work in class. If a document is not on the website, it will be in class the following day. Make-up work

7. Hall Passes • Each 9 weeks, you will be allotted 5 bathroom passes. • You may use your pass any time during the 9 weeks. • All I will need to do is sign the pass to signify it has been used. • Disclosure: If I find out you have abused your hall pass privilege, your passes will be revoked, and you may or make not get detention.

8. My Website • Write down my address in your resource tab: • http://rankin.schoolwires.net//Domain/3819 • All information for class will be posted onto the website • Website will be updated daily • If you miss class, check the website FIRST before asking me.

9. www.remind.com • Get your cellular phone out. • Text your class code to 6015190806 • 1st/5th - @1st5thbloc • 2nd/6th - @2nd6thbl • 4th/8th - @4th8thbl • This is a one way communication. You will not be allowed to reply to this message nor will I be able to know your number

10. Every day that an assignment is late, 15 points will be deducted after your assignment has been graded. If you do not turn the assignment within two days it is late, you will receive a detention for the next day to come to my room to complete the assignment. Late Assignments

11. Morning remediation will be offered Tuesday – Friday mornings at 7:30. You will get a pass from either the gymnasium or the cafeteria, depending on how you arrive to school. Then you will go to the assigned classroom. Need Extra help? Morning Remediation

12. Classroom Rules

13. Be Prompt To be prompt means to do something without delay • Synonyms • Alert On Time Punctual Responsible Instant Eager Immediate What prompt looks like: • Do NOT be tardy. • If you have to go to the bathroom, go BEFORE class. • You will only be given five passes per nine weeks. • I expect you to come to class, sit down, and copy the agenda before the final tardy bell rings. • Failure to do so will result in a tardy.

14. Tardy Policy Tardy • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 Consequences • Parent contact • 1 - Before School Detention • 2 - Before School Detention • 2 - Days Before School Detention • 1 - Day In school Suspension • 3 - Days In School Suspension

15. Be Prepared • Preparation is key. Not only this class but in life. You must be prepared in order to grow and mature. • This means: • Have ALL your materials everyday for class: pencil/pen, binder, paper, highlighters, and another supply required for class. • Have your assignments completed and turn them in on time. • Study! This does not mean right before a test. A prepared person understands the importance or gradually learning information when learned.

16. Be Polite “One of the greatest victories you can gain over someone is to beat him at politeness.” – Josh Billings • One of the hardest attributes to accomplish in life is to be polite to a person; even when that person is not being very polite to you. • In my class, you will demonstrate this attribute. • I will not tolerate • Disrespecting other classmates • Disrespecting other teachers • Disrespecting me

17. Letters of Apology • If you are told to write a LoA, this will be your first offense at discipline. • You will write a LoA to me stating what you were corrected for. • The letter must be written CORRECTLY: spelling, grammar, etc. Otherwise you will have to rewrite it. • After this letter, you will be given a detention.

18. Be Productive • Who do you want to be at the end of your 8th grade year? • What impact do you want to make within yourself and how others perceive you? • The result of your work should always produce a satisfying product. If you are not satisfied with the outcome, you have not fulfilled your full potential. And that is a pity indeed.  • Even though work requires careful attention and time, you will never be disappointed at the end of day when you have given it all you have got. • So, DO YOUR BEST. You can and will grow if you strive to achieve your goals!

19. Dead Words Direct your attention to the board labeled “Dead Words”. We are saying goodbye to these over-used words. You will get more information about this soon.

20. Latin Roots and Affixes • This year you will learn to break words apart and decipher their meanings. • This will help you analyze and understand words as you read them. • We will do this often throughout the year.

21. “I Can” Statements – Because you can! • I can statements are statements taken from our objectives and made into…you guessed it…I CAN STATEMENTS! • I can statements will be our guideline to learning our lessons.

22. Letters of Complaint • I will NOT argue with you. If you have a complaint or do not agree with something during class, you may write me a formal letter explaining what you have a disagreement with. • I will NOT tolerate you disrupting my class. Part of maturing is knowing when the appropriate time to discuss an issue on which you disagree. • If you do not like this policy, you know where the door is. 

23. Other Important Rules • Raise your hand if you wish to speak or get out of your seat. • No chewing gum. • This is a school policy • No eating or drinking in class. • This is a school policy

24. Cell Phones • If I see your phone, it will be taken up and given to the office. • You will have to have a parent or guardian to come get your phone. He or she can either pay for the phone to be released or it will stay in the office the pre-selected number of days.

25. Library check out • You are more than welcome to check out any of the books in my room. • Get a piece of paper in the MSU box by the books • Put your name, the date you are checking it out, and the name of the book

26. Recommended Reads • Read a good book lately? • Put it on the wall under the appropriate genre labeled “Recommended Reads”. • This helps generate others’ interest in the books you have read.

27. We Love Our Bulldogs • I am now going to pass out a paw print to you. • I want you to put your name and sport number (if you have one) on the paw print. You can take it home if you need to to decorate it. • We are going to post your paw print on the wall under the appropriate sport or club (if you are involved in multiple sports or clubs, put that on your paw print as well).