Mrs. Battle

1. Mrs. Battle 7th Grade English Language Arts and Reading

2. Rule #1 • No talking during announcements!

3. All About Me • Born in Beaumont • My birthday is August 14 • Graduate of Silsbee High School • Bachelor’s Degree from Lamar University • I have 3 children Rylee (7), Reese Anne (5), and Reid (2) • This will be my 2ndyear to teach and my 1st year at Henderson. • My favorite movie isTwilght. • My favorite book is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. • My favorite children’s book is Guess how much I Love You. • In my spare time I like to spend time with my children, play outside, and read.

4. Be Professional • Be on time • Be in dress code • Use professional language • Be prepared with your supplies • Be on task at all times • Look and be attentive, sit up straight • Keep your hands to yourself

5. My Pet Peeves • Grooming while in class (brushing your hair or putting on make-up) • Having food or drinks in the classroom • Behavior that is not gentleman-like or lady-like • Sleeping or having your head down • I simply DO NOT tolerate sleeping. Students who sleep will stand by their desk. • If you don’t feel well, go to the nurse. • If your boyfriend/girlfriend just broke up with you or you are having family issues, talk to me about it.

6. Cell Phone/Electronic Device Policy • Cell Phones are not allowed to be used in the classroom. • Definitions of cell phone use: • Texting (anyone, including your mom) • Talking • Ringing • Vibrating • “Looking at the time” • Playing games -During certain projects I will allow RESEARCHING on smart phones, but you must always ASK! -iPads are allowed in my classroom at all times except when you lose your privilege by using it to do something not pertaining to class.

7. Cell Phone Policy cont… • Simply turn it OFF before you enter my room. Exceptions: - We are in a crisis situation. Examples of what IS a crisis: Your life is in danger or, maybe, you accidently left your curling iron on this morning before you got on the bus and your whole house could burn down. ASK before use! Examples of what is NOT a crisis: Your girlfriend/boyfriend just broke up with you via text message and your life is forever ruined; Obviously, they weren't “The One” since they didn’t even have the dignity to do this face-to-face and not worth anymore of your time texting him or her, your mom, or your BFF about it. Prove yourself better than your ex and confront them about it BETWEEN CLASSES or, better yet, AFTER SCHOOL. Another common example of what is NOT a crisis is when your mom is texting you about what shade of eye shadow looks best on her or even who is picking you up from school that day. Handle these matters at lunch or between classes. I’ll be more than happy to tell her this as well. Class time belongs to ME and your fellow classmates; not your mom, dad, BFF, ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend, or anyone else for that matter.

8. Cell Phone Policy cont… • 1st offense- hand over cell phone to me sweetly and you can pick it up from me after class. * If you refuse to hand it to me, then it becomes an office issue, as you are being insubordinate, and you can suffer the consequences. • 2nd offense-hand over cell phone to me sweetly and you can pick it up from me after school. • 3rd offense- hand over cell phone to me sweetly and you can pick it up after you spend 15 minutes in tutorials. Time is added to this after each following offense.

9. Procedures and Expectations • A general day in Mrs. Battle’s classroom: • Warm-up / Vocabulary(5-8 minutes) • Lesson (30-45 minutes) • Student Activity (Around 45 minutes) • Clean Up (1-2 minutes)

10. Content Covered Better Reading Comprehension, Fluency, and Analysis with: • Poetry • Short Fiction and Flash Fiction • Nonfiction • Novel (The Hobbit by J.R. Tolkien) • Drama • Informational Texts • Persuasive Texts and Media Interpretation • AR Better Critical Thinking Skills with: • Formulating Connections Across Literary Texts (Open-Ended Response) • Research and Synthesis (Gathering information from several sources and then processing that information into their own thesis statements) • Inferencing (Drawing conclusions based on evidentiary support or reading beyond the black and white) Better Writing Skills with: • Personal Narrative Writing • Expository Writing • Grammar and Usage Practice within their own writing Better Written and Oral Communication with: • Vocabulary (Sadlier-Oxford) • STAAR Vocabulary (Content Vocabulary)

11. Accelerated Reader (AR) and ZAPP • You need 15 points to make a 100 for AR, which is a major grade every 9 weeks. I will enter this major grade the last Tuesday of every 9 weeks. • If you have zeros for daily grades, you must have over 15 points to be allowed to make up the zeros. Note that going over 15 points does not grant you extra credit; It grants you the opportunity to make-up ZEROS that could be causing you to fail. • This district has adopted a ZERO tolerance for ZEROS and excuses! • You will not be eligible to make-up a zero unless you have met the 15 pt requirement for AR.

12. AR and ZAPP (continued) • If you had an excused absence and you turned in your make-up work in the allotted number of days, then this policy does not apply to you. If you chose not to do an assignment and it was not turned in on time, then this policy applies to you. When something is not turned in ON TIME it becomes a ZERO automatically. • If you have met the 15 pt. requirement for AR, you may go back in time on the Wiki space, print out the assignment or assignments that you have zeros for, and make them up. I will be able to assist with anything you don’t understand in tutorials. Again, I DO NOT discuss make-up work during class. All make-up work is due 3 full school days before the last day of the 9 weeks. • Also, this policy applies to those of you who have ZEROS because your absence was unexcused. You may make-up work for unexcused absences if you have gone over the 15 pt requirement for AR. • This is the specific adopted policy of the ELAR department for ZAPP. The general policy for Henderson Middle School for ZAPP also apply at the teacher’s discretion.

13. Coming in and getting started • Look at your daily supplies list posted above student supply area. • Please come in and gather the supplies listed. • Sit down in your assigned seat. • Look on the board and there will be a warm-up or a vocabulary activity for you to do. You will only have about 5-8 minutes for the assignment. When the timer goes off, it is due. • Usually the warm-up will be a brief writing assignment • Always put a date and title on your warm-up

14. Restroom • Ask me • As long as I am not lecturing and you have been on task, I will most likely say YES. • However, I only allow one student out of the classroom at a time. So, if you see the RR pass gone, you may not go at that time. • It is possible to lose RR privileges: • Being on your cell phone during class time • Being gone way too long • Finding out you were doing something else while out • Failing my class • Being regularly off task in my class • Having a record of being truant or just simply having a record • Coming back with evidence from the vending machines

15. Absences • When you are absent and it was an excused absence, you are eligible to make up the work. In the nest week I will have a website up for you to view what we have done in class. I will not discuss make-up work during class. If you do not have internet access at home, I will expect to see you in tutorials the day after you have been absent. • This is your job, not mine. I will not hunt you down with make-up work. • If you missed one day, your make-up work will be due one day after you get back. Missed 2 days, then 2 days after you get back. Place all make-up work in the “IN” box on my desk or you can email it to me a sbattle@hjisd.net. • Warning: If you did not turn a legitimate excuse in to the office, this means you were truant (an unexcused absence). You may not make up work for truancy; Either get your note turned in or get a ZERO.

16. The end of class • If I remember, I will give you about 2 minutes to put your supplies away and clean up your work area. • When putting your supplies away, make sure all books, texts, and envelopes are placed neatly in your assigned area. Please place class supplies in the drawers they actually belong in. • Look around your work area. Is there trash on the floor? Clean it up. Can you help anyone else in your area clean up? Be a good citizen. • No one leaves until my room is clean. • I dismiss you, not the bell!

17. Supplies Needed for my Class • 1. 1 package of multi-colored highlighters • 2. Blue or black pens • 3. Pencils • 4. Loose-leaf, wide-ruled filler paper • 5. 1 pocket portfolio (folder) • 6. 2 Wide-Ruled Composition Notebooks • 7. 1 package of 3x3 (400ct) sticky notes (do not get the "Super-Sticky" kind, off-brand is great!) • 8. Some multi-colored pens OR a single multi-colored pen • 9. 1 book ring (1 1/2" - 2") and 1 package of 3x5 lined index cards OR 1 pre-ringed, lined index card set. Please do not get spirally bound index cards. Cards will need to be added to the ring throughout the year. If you are unsuccessful in finding one of these, just get a package of lined index cards and we will figure something out with a large paperclip. • 10. You will be receiving an Sadlier-Oxford Vocabulary Workbook. If you would like to write in your workbook, please bring $14.45 to pay for the book. Otherwise, you can use notebook paper to record your answers.

18. H.A.W.K.S • Honest • Accountable • Willing • Kind • Safe

20. Today: • 1. Practice getting supplies • 2. Write name and class period on envelopes, decorate envelopes • 3. Questionnaire