Week of October 3 - 8, 2016

Welcome to another week at Ac2E Middle School.  October is here and so is the start of the second six weeks.  I hope all 7th graders do just as well in this six weeks as they did in the first six weeks.  This week will be a busy week for all 7th graders.  We will be going to HESTEC at UTRGV on Thursday! In 7th grade reading we will be reviewing and taking the final novel exam for 'The Outsiders'.  I hope you all enjoyed the novel as much as I did!

Reminders:

• HESTEC on Thursday
• Buy your copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
• Novel final exam is on Friday
• Thursday is college shirt day
• Friday is spirit shirt day    

Let's have a Great Week!!!

Week of September 26 - 30, 2016

Welcome to another marvelous week at Ac2E Middle School. This is the last week of the 1st six weeks. I hope all of my 7th graders have prepared themselves for test week. In 7th grade reading we will be taking our six weeks exam on Thursday. I am more than sure that all of you will do great on this exam. We will also be continuing with our novel 'The Outsiders' by S. E. Hinton. Remember you have homework Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday! If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask me! Let's have a fabulous week!!!!

Week of September 19 - 23, 2016

Welcome to another marvelous week at Ac2E Middle School.  This week in 7th grade reading we will continue to read the novel 'The Outsiders' by S.E. Hinton.  We are half way down with the novel, what do you think so far? Just wait it gets even better..........
Here is the schedule for the week:

MONDAY:

• Story Devices foldable activity in interactive notebook
• Plot techniques foldable activity in interactive notebook
• HOMEWORK:
• Read chapter 7 and answer questions

TUESDAY:

• 'Allure of Gangs' article (expository text)
• HOMEWORK:
• Read chapter 8 and answer questions

WEDNESDAY:

• 'Dealing with loss' article (expository text)
• Character types handout
• HOMEWORK:
• Read chapter 9 and answer questions

THURSDAY:

• The Outsiders Ch. 7-9 Vocabulary

FRIDAY:

• The Outsiders Ch. 7-9 QUIZ

LET'S HAVE A FANTASTIC WEEK!!!!!

REMINDERS:

• Project is due September 28th!
• $8.00 for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by September 27th!
• Thursday is College Shirt day
• Friday is Spirit Shirt day
• $5.00 for HESTEC field trip by September 30th!
  

Week of September 12 - 16, 2016

Welcome to another GREAT week at Ac2E Middle School.  Time is zooming by and it is already the fourth week of school.  I hope all of you are enjoying your first weeks as 7th graders, I know I am enjoying having each and every one of you in my classroom everyday! I also hope you all are loving our new novel 'The Outsiders', we will continue reading and working on it in 7th grade reading class.
Here is the schedule for the week:

MONDAY:

• Types of Characters foldable activity in interactive notebook
• Flat, Round, Dynamic, Static, Sympathetic
• Protagonist and Antagonist
• HOMEOWORK
• Read Chapter 4 and answer questions

TUESDAY:

• Continuation of Types of Characters foldable activity in interactive notebook
• Flat, Round Dynamic, Static, Sympathetic 
• Protagonist and Antagonist
• HOMEWORK:
• Read Chapter 5 and answer questions

WEDNESDAY:

• Types of Characters activity with the characters from 'The Outsiders'
• HOMEWORK:
• Read Chapter 6 and answer questions

THURSDAY:

• Story Devices foldable activity in interactive notebook
• Flashback, Foreshadowing, Suspense, Cliffhanger
• NO HOMEWORK

FRIDAY:

• Chapters 4-6 Vocabulary 'The Outsiders'
• NO HOMEWORK

Week of September 5 - 9, 2016

Welcome to another sensational week at Ac2E Middle School.  This week in 7th grade reading we will be finishing with the novel 'Wonder' by RJ Palacio on Monday and we will begin our new novel 'The Outsiders' by SE Hinton on Tuesday.  7th graders will also begin to have reading homework every night. Here is the schedule for the upcoming week:

MONDAY:

• 1st Six Weeks Mini Assessment
• Wonder by RJ Palacio

TUESDAY:

• The Outsiders by SE Hinton
• Getting to know the author pre-reading activity

WEDNESDAY:

• Characterization foldable activity in interactive notebook

THURSDAY:

• Continue with Characterization in interactive notebook

FRIDAY:

• The Outsiders by SE Hinton
• Chapters 1-3 vocabulary

REMINDERS:

• University t-shirt $$$ is due this week
• Parent meeting on Wednesday in the Paco Zatarate Auditorium @ 5:00 PM
• Thursday is college shirt day
• Friday is spirit shirt day

LETS HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!!!!!

Week of August 29 - September 2, 2016

Welcome to another fascinating week at Ac2E Middle School.  I am extremely happy and proud of all of my 7th grade students on how prepared and on task they were the first week of school.  I hope this is exactly how the rest of the school year is going to go for us!!!! Here is the tentative schedule for the week.

• Monday:
• Turn in Plot diagram homework
• Group activity
• plot diagram  'Wonder' 
• Introduce Conflict
• Internal and external conflict foldable activity in interactive notebook
• Student Council Representative elections (homeroom)
• Tuesday:
• Continue conflict
• Different types of conflict activity in interactive notebook
• Man vs. Man
• Man vs. Self
• Man. vs. Nature
• Man vs. Society
• Wednesday
• Introduce character traits
• different character traits activity in interactive notebook
• discuss different character traits in the novel 'Wonder'
• Thursday
• Continue with character traits
• interactive notebook activity
• Friday
• Character Analysis activity
• partner activity
• character analysis on one character from the novel 'Wonder'

REMINDERS:

• Bring $7.00 by Wednesday, August 31, 2016 for 'The Outsiders'
• College Shirt on Thursdays only
• Spirit Shirt on Fridays only
• Monday is Student Council representative election in 2nd period
• Friday is Student Council officer elections

Let's have a fabulous week!!!

Welcome Back Falcons!!!!!

Mrs. J. Barrera

7th Grade Reading

Syllabus

Grading Policy:

Class work, homework, class participation, quizzes, projects shall have the value of 75 % of the six-week grade.

Six Weeks or Novel Final Exam shall have the value of 25%.

A minimum of 3 grades per week will be given.

The semester grade will be the average of the three six-week grades.

Materials Needed:

One 3 Subject Spiral Notebook

One Composition Notebook

One package of Colored paper

One pair of scissors

Two bottles of glue

(*Students are required to have a pen or pencil to write with. Students will have projects to do throughout the school year and will need materials such as colors, markers, scissors, and glue, but I will let students know ahead of time when they need to bring them to class*

Expectations:

Throughout the course of the class you will be presented with various genres of literature. The material is designed to make you a more confident reader. Throughout the school year, you will gain the necessary skills and knowledge to excel, not only in middle school, but in high school and college as well. The class is designed to discussion based student participation is a priority. 

Assignments:

Students will be required to read a different novel every six weeks. The students will read one chapter to two chapters a night and be required to answer discussion questions for each chapter. Discussion questions need to be completed every night and brought back the next day for a daily homework grade.  Ten points will be deducted everyday the assignment is turned in late.  Teacher will not accept assignment after 5 days! 

   

Projects:

There will be several projects throughout the six weeks based on the novels we are reading. Students should be prepared to work on their own or in groups. Projects will consist of classroom activities as well as project that will be assigned to done at home. The students will be given the information for the projects ahead of time and will be given plenty of time to complete them.

Late Assignments:

Being present in class every day is important. Every day will build on skills needed for completing assignments. Students are responsible for missed assignments/topics when they are absent. They may ask one of their classmates, or myself, for missed assignments. Missed assignments must be turned in within five days of the absence. 

Attendance:

It is imperative that you attend class on a daily basis, as failure to do so will result in you missing out on important information. *AFTER 3 ABSENCES, STUDENT WILL BE REFERRED TO AN ADMINISTRATOR*

Participation: 

Participation in all class activities is necessary to gain a better understanding of the material being covered. A grade will be issued for participation and on class discussions over topics and or chapter questions on novels.

Tardiness:

Be in (as opposed to near) your assigned seat when the bell rings and remain there until the teacher dismisses the class. In the event that another teacher or staff member detains you, a signed excuse should be brought to me as soon as possible.

Hall Privileges:

You will have adequate time to take care of business between classes. I will allow you to make restroom trips as you feel necessary UNTIL it becomes an abuse. I reserve the right to take away restroom privileges. If you have a medical condition that requires you to need to go to the bathroom frequently please bring me a medical excuse so that I can be aware of it.

School Wide Violations:

School wide rules are strictly enforced. Violators will receive a warning as a first offense, a call home will be the second offense, and a parent/teacher conference request would be the 3^rd offense. At this point, if you are not making an effort to correct the inappropriate behavior, a disciplinary referral will be issued. 

Cheating Policy:

Anyone who participates in cheating on a test, project or other assignments will receive a zero for that grade. There is no reason why cheating is ever excusable. If you did not understand an assignment, then let me know and I will explain it to you and grant you an extension. 

Class Rules:

•Be prepared to apply yourself

•Be respectful of yourself and others

•Be responsible for what you say and do

•Be Diligent with your time

•Be safe for yourself and others

Daily Arrival Procedures:

I expect you to abide by the following procedures without me having to call your attention before I make my way to the front of the room:

• Come in to the classroom. If the door is unlocked and I am not inside, please make a line outside the door and wait until I arrive. This prevents accidents from occurring inside the room while it is unsupervised.

• Grab your interactive notebook, journals from the appropriate shelf.

• Turn in any homework to the indicated folder. Make sure it has your name on it. No name = trash.

• Take a seat. 

• Have a pencil to write with. Not having a pencil is no excuse to not be ready for class. If you need a pencil, find one BEFORE I start teaching. 

•Everyday there will be a Do Now displayed on the board. Students walk in and start on the Do Now for that day.

When We Have a Visitor:

- When we have someone come into our classroom that is not part of our class (teacher, administrator, student, parent) you are expected to follow the same classroom rules and procedures. You are expected to be polite to the visitor. Do not talk to the visitor unless he/she is talking to you directly. Continue working on your assignment as usual.

- If the visitor needs to speak to me privately, I expect you to remain in your seat without talking until I finish speaking with the visitor.

Three minute dismissal checklist:

To have things run more smoothly, I expect you to do the following when I say “2 minutes” & you hear the appropriate alarm:

• Put your unfinished homework away; Turn in any completed assignments.

• Put away your binder and journal in the appropriate shelf, neatly.

• Gather all of your belongings; Throw away any trash around your table and chair.

• Stand by your desk and wait to be dismissed. This does not mean to crowd the classroom door waiting for dismissal.

Cluster Planning:

If you have any questions feel free to come in and see me during my 8^th and 9^th planning periods which are from 1:50p.m. to 3:35 p.m. You may call me at 352-6324.

Blog

This class will have a blog where I will be posting reminders, due dates, discussions questions, quotes to discussion, and other topics that pertain to the class. Sometimes it will be daily and sometimes it will be weekly depending on the information that needs to be given. Students should check the blog daily to make sure that no new information has been added. Students will be able to comment on blog and participate in discussions on blog. 

Tentative Schedule for 7^h Grade Reading:

Required Novels:

Summer Reading : Wonder by R.J. Palacio

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

I Am Malala * Young Readers Edition * by Malala Yousafzai 

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt (if time permits)

*Students are required to purchase their own novels. They may purchase novel on electronic device. However, they may NOT purchase audio version of novel *

(If you have any questions or concerns please let me know)

“Today a READER, Tomorrow a LEADER”