Welcome to Back to School Night 2012 - 2013

CSUF Graduate – Theatre Arts/English Secondary Single Subjects Credential

and Multiple Subjects Elementary Credential

4 years “Junior High” 7 & 8 English in Whittier, CA

9 years San Marcos High – English, Reading Development, Yearbook, ELL, Drama

14 years Elementary – Richland grades 1,3,4,5

Four Years– SEMS – 8th grade Language Arts

I think my greatest challenge yet my greatest joy is to create positive citizens of tomorrow. I strive to teach “the whole child”, taking each student from where he is NOW and help each student:

• develop better thinking, reasoning, problem solving skills through deeper reading

• develop more defined communication skills through writing and speaking

• develop a high work ethic to ensure an easier transition to high school rigor

Each student must have/use/do the following to be successful in my class:

• Planner/Agenda – written in daily – primary source for homework information

• Regular use of my website – calendar, contents list, documents page, links, etc.

• Regular use Synergy grade book by logging on with parent or independently to keep informed about current progress

• Come to class prepared with materials, assignments, and attitude - ready to learn!

In addition, honors students are expected to perform at a higher level because they are taking part in higher level discussions, reading selections, and writing opportunities. A rigorous honors program is not necessarily MORE work, but honors students are asked to probe more deeply into the content, analyzing, synthesizing and evaluating it. Sometimes this does take more time, but it isn’t just MORE of the same.

I feel strongly that I need to prepare them for the rigors of high school and beyond.

Students are encouraged to use my website to get assignments, power points, due dates, documents, and other valuable links.

If your child is absent and needs work, he can get most anything he needs through my website.

I encourage students to check the daily calendar to stay current with assignments during or right after an absence.

You can access the Synergy grade book through the school’s website to view your student’s grade via “Parent View”, the parent portal. I also have a link on my website under “Login Central”. I highly recommend you and your student log on together on a regular basis to discuss assignments and his/her progress.

Go to www.sanelijomiddle.org Click on Faculty/Janine Burton.

By checking regularly on my website assignment calendar, students and their parents can access information about current assignments, future due dates, and daily expectations. By clicking on any particular day, students can often download assignments, templates, power points, etc., that they might need.

One place to log into many important links!

• Planner – Write down homework• Warm up – Activity to focus students

quietly This may be SSR, journal, set up a paper,

compare notes, etc. • Discuss objective of the day• Formal lesson• Guided Practice/Independent Practice• Closing Focus – Recap what we’ve learned• Reminders about homework, what is

expectedI run a tight ship! No time for

nonsense!

Depending on the class and how prepared they are, we often will do discussions, dramatizations, Socratic Seminars, and other “hands-on” activities that get students up, moving, and critically thinking about the standards we are covering – in a FUN way. This happens mostly when students are prepared and ready to apply their learning to new situations – a deeper thinking skill!

Instructional Calendar SMUSD Benchmarks Purposeful Instruction that supports

State Standards and District Curriculum Includes reading, literature and non-

fiction text analysis, vocabulary development, writing strategies, conventions, formal essays, informal responses, listening and speaking development

CST test preparation

Literature and Language Arts, Second Course, by Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Publishers.

This book is accessible online. Please see my Login Central to gain

access to the online textbook. Although we use many other

resources, this text is filled with great online resources and help!

My grade book is divided into category weights, so points in some categories are worth more or less than in other categories. The category weights are:

Assignments – 40% Tests/Essays/Projects – 40% SSR – 20%

Citizenship is evaluated differently than academic progress. It involves a student’s actions in upholding the school’s responsibility and accountability standards, positive involvement in their learning and living communities, and attitude.

Citizenship assesses student participation, leadership / cooperation, willingness to assist others and following school and classroom rules. These rules include but are not limited to just behavior, cell phone violations, excessive gum chewing issues, continually talking in class and/or dress code issues.

Additional factors for consideration are:

Student goes above and beyond class expectations by:•Actively listening and/or participating as necessary in classroom discussions/activities•Providing leadership (exemplifying school motto) within the classroom activities and assisting others •Ensuring that workspace is neat and tidy after use and assisting others•Continually choosing to follow the rules and guidelines of the school / classroom

Student performs basic requirements as part of the classroom by:•Participating in classroom discussions through listening and sharing information •Occasionally offering to assist with set up and clean up of classroom activities •Choosing to follow school / classroom rules and guidelines most of the time

Student does less than the basic classroom requirements by: •Infrequently listening or participating in classroom activities. •Infrequently participating in cooperative learning activities such as group/team projects•Choosing not to follow school / classroom rules and guidelines some of the time

Student fails to do the basic requirements as part of the classroom by:•Not listening or making inappropriate comments during class discussion and/or activities•Being disruptive in class •Bullying•Continually choosing not to follow school / classroom rules and guidelines

A student’s job is to not only behave appropriately in class, following all guidelines.

A student’s job is to also to follow expectations for work habits.

If a student is missing assignments, it will affect his citizenship grade because that student is not following the academic guidelines and due dates.

SSR – Double Entry Journals to fill out WHILE student is reading the book. Grade based on completion of journals and page count of book. Details have been given to students and are available online.

Journals (composition book) 10 full-page journals due about every three weeks. Some given in class/others free choice topic journals at home. Due dates are posted ahead of time.

Although our school motto for students is“I am responsible for myself”,

as a parent, you can be a major part of your child’s success by doing these things:

• Provide a quiet, structured place for study.• Discuss your student’s goals with him.• Make attendance and work ethic a priority.• Allow your child to take responsibility for

himself, even if he makes mistakes. Consequences can be powerful learning experiences!

• Keep in contact with me via email or by phone.

***copy paper (white)

*colored copy paper, any color

*Sharpee pens black or colored

*pencils colored

construction paper

cardstock index cards *post it notes ***kleenex "wet" wipes

(like Huggies, Pampers, etc.)

poster paper highlighters

Communication is a valuable tool to help your child. Please contact me if there is a problem we can work out together or if you just have a question! Email is preferred:

janine.burton@smusd.org – best way to reach me!

Phone: 760 290 2800 ext 3303

Questions?