Ms. Elease Martin Email: elease_martin@hcpss.org Website: http://elmsmartin.weebly.com/ 7085 Montgomery Road Elkridge, MD 21075-5414 (410) 313-5040

8th Grade English EnglEnglish “The English language is nobody's special property. It is the property of the

imagination: it is the property of the language itself. -Derek Walcott

Homework Policy All students at ELMS are required to be responsible and prepared. In an effort to help the eighth grade students meet these expectations and prepare for high school, homework is not accepted late. If there is an emergency that prevents your child from completing his/her homework on time, then please provide a note with an explanation. In the note please provide a contact number. *You can always check your child’s progress on Aspen. I would recommend that you check Aspen bimonthly. *If your child missed an assignment due to a legal absence, then it is your child’s responsibility to:

1. Check the daily English agenda posted on Edmodo. The homework will be posted with the objective and drill.

2. You child is expected to show me the missed assignment the following class session or schedule an appointment to see me during his/her lunch period.

3. Download any worksheets from Edmodo or collect any missed class work and homework sheet(s) upon returning to class.

4. If we are reading a play or novel in class, please check the Edmodo post and have your student read whatever chapters he/she missed that day.

“One of life's most painful moments comes when we must admit that we didn't do our homework, that we are not prepared.” -Merlin Olsen

Website Please visit the website for additional resources. http://elmsmartin.weebly.com/

Photos Occasionally, I will take photos to record and share our progress or process. Many times photos are posted on the classroom website or publications for students and families to view. If you would prefer that your child’s photo not be taken or/and posted on the class website or class publications, please let me know in writing.

I look forward to partnering with you for a successful year.

Grading Policy Homework 10%

Classwork 20% Readers Response (exams, quizzes, short responses, etc) 35% Composition/Special Projects/Writing Process/Literary Analysis 35%

Pieces your child will produce this year may include but are not limited to: Poetry *Shakespearean Sonnets, Where I Am From poems *Character’s perspective/ Summative poems Argumentative Writing Narratives Explanatory writing Reader Responses Literary Analysis: Short Responses/Essays iPads,Edmodo, and Google Drive- We will continue to implement technology into the classroom this year through the use of personal iPads. Students are required to log into Edmodo daily in order to view the agenda, complete the drill, and copy the homework in regards to that day’s lesson. Your child will record any modifications to the homework in his/her agenda book. Your child, at times, may be given a homework assignment that must be completed using Edmodo. Your child’s Edmodo class code is: ____________________ *An ipad is not required in order to access Edmodo. It can be accessed using any computer or mobile device that can connect to the Internet. Your child will be required create an English Google Drive folder and share it with me. Students will create and store a digital copy of their English writing assignments in this folder.

It is my pleasure to be your child’s English teacher for the 2014 -2015 academic year. This year we will explore our roles as readers and writers. We will interact with various texts, study the craft of many writers, and create our own pieces of writing. In order to facilitate our work in English, students will need the following tools:

1. One single subject binder with looseleaf OR an English section in your larger binder.

2. 1 - two pocket pronged folder (this will be collected). 3. Post Its or adhesive pads- students will be using these

consistently throughout the year. 4. 2 highlighters (should have at least one at all times) 5. Your child should have an ongoing supply of dark blue

or black ink pens, and he/she should have at least one red or dark green pen.

6. Students will be given an independent reading book for our science fiction unit (should be with students at all times).

I would appreciate if all students have these items by September 8, 2014. Donations of the following items would be greatly appreciated.

Tissues Post It notes Hand Sanitizer

Tools Your child will be exposed to various pieces of work that reflect themes of Love and Friendship, Exploring the Unknown, and Freedom. He/she will read works that may include, but not limited to, the ones on the list below. √Flowers for Algernon √Romeo and Juliet √Frankenstein (GT) √House of the Scorpion √Various Short Stories √Famous American Speeches

Readings

The tools are not the thing itself. The best writing has at its heart a spark of individual creativity. -Sarrah Harrison

A good book should leave you... slightly exhausted at the end. You live several lives while reading it. ---William Styron, interview, Writers at Work, 1958

If there's a book you really want to read but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it. ~Toni Morrison

Writing