TESTS AND QUIZZES
This section will update you on upcoming long term assignments including long term homework assignments, book reports, projects, and writing assignments. Each student needs to keep an up-to-date student planner, but you and your child may refer to these academic areas for clarification on dates and the core of the assignments.
Please make sure your child is doing his/her own work so I may assess the progress of the children accurately.
Here is an explanation of how I handle missing assignments. If a student does not do a graded assignment, one reminder will be given to him/her. It is expected that the assignment will be made up in GOTCHA, if it was given, or on the student's own time. Once grades have been entered into PowerSchool, if the grade is missing, you will most likely see an NHI. This code means the assignment was not handed in. This is computed in the total points as a zero which can significantly affect a grade. If the student hands in the assignment, the grade will be eventually entered.
In addition, if the assignment was not done or is not with the student when it is checked in class, the student may receive a notification from me that will need to be signed by a parent. If one of these is given, it means that there is no real reason for a GOTCHA to be given, but a parent does need to know that the work was not done, was done poorly, or was not in class. It also signifies that the student has lost out on a learning experience.
If a student is absent, sufficient time will be given for assignments to be made up. The missing assignments during an absence may be marked as Absent in PowerSchool. Those assignments need to be made up so they do not become NHI (which is interpreted as 0 by the grading program). Please make sure your child sees me at recess on the day that he/she returns from being absent so I can work with him/her to get on track for assignments and assessments.
Three separate notebooks will be used for Language Arts.
The Language Arts subjects include:
Vocabulary We will work on completing the rest of the book for the weeks we have left. The review units pages will be completed in class as a way to review what was learned this year..
Literature We are reading the novel The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle as a way to enjoy a book as a class and to discuss various literary elements.
Grammar The literature textbook, the English textbook, and many other resources will be used for notes, skills, and concepts related to grammar topics.
We will review various concepts that could use some reinforcement as was indicated on the exam.
We will review the exam itself this week; if you wish to see the exam I will send it home at a parent's request.
Writing We will review what was written in the journals and use one of the ideas as an independent writing assignment. This assignment and other writings from T3 will be placed in the student portfolio; each student will evaluate his/her own writing and ascertain the strengths and weaknesses for the year.
Every few days or so the students are required to write in a notebook as a LA journal. They will be asked to respond to various questions, artwork, or words, state their opinions about different topics, make lists of likes and dislikes, etc. Journal writing is a good way for them to express their ideas without being held accountable for using correct grammar, punctuation, or spelling. The journal is collected periodically and graded based solely on completing entries thoroughly, organizing, and being up-to-date. Once the students have expressed themselves in writing they may use the rest of the time given for journaling to draw or to write about a topic of their own.
Journals have been completed for T3.
Please make sure that you have a computer at home that your child can use to type writing assignments. The optimal use of this is to type a draft and save it as well as print it. Once we have proofread and edited it in school, each student will be required to type a good copy at home. This means you will need to have a printer that works effectively. If you do not have access to a computer with a printer, your child can e-mail his/ her writing assignment to me as an attachment or bring it to school on a pen drive so it can be printed out in the classroom.
