8th Grade ELA Contract

Ms. Ozuna
Email: nozuna@owncs.org

Welcome to 8th Grade ELA! Sections 801 & 804

The following are rules that you will promise yourself to abide by in the classroom:

1) I will be respectful to myself, to my classmates, and to Ms. Ozuna at all times.

2) I will get to class on time every day, and form the line in an orderly fashion.
3) I will enter the room quietly, copy the homework on my planner, and proceed to work
on the Do now right away.
4) I will be responsible, and submit all of my work on time.
5) I will raise my hand when I have a question or a comment to make.
6) I will listen attentively to what my peers and Ms. Ozuna have to say.
7) I will come to class prepared, with my binder, my pen, my planner, and my book every
day.
8) Above all, I will come to class enthusiastic, and ready to learn the day’s lesson.

In addition, the following are PROHIBITED in the classroom: PHONES, HATS, GUM,
ELECTRONICS.

Consequences:

1) Verbal Warning
2) Conference with teacher(s)
3) Phone call home
4) After School Detention or Study Hall
5) Dean intervention
 8th Class Syllabus
Class Description:
8th Grade English Language Arts is a reading/writing workshop that focuses on using
strategies to become better readers and writers. Each student will have an independent
reading book, a reading log, a reading notebook, and a writing notebook. The bulk of the
work in class will be done within these notebooks. The 8th grade ELA units will be based on
both fiction and nonfiction reading, and argumentative and analytical writing. Our first
reading unit will explore how we read closely and analytically texts from all genres. The
strategies discussed and employed will strengthen the students reading and writing skills
as we work towards taking the 8th grade ELA NYS exam. The NYS exam is scheduled for,
4/2/19-4/4/19. After the state exam, we will explore poetry, creative writing and begin
preparing for high school reading and writing and the 8th grade ELA exit project. This
project gives students the opportunity to demonstrate the growth of their reading and
writing skills.

**Parents and students are encouraged to consistently visit Power School to keep track of
upcoming quizzes, test, assignments and project due dates. **

Class Structure
A typical class looks like:
 Aim/ DO NOW
 Mini Lesson
 Read Aloud
 Independent and / or Group Work
 Share
Students will be in the ELA room for 2 periods. There will be one period of writing (45
minutes) and then one period of reading (45 minutes).

Assessments
Class work:
Class work will mostly be reading and writing independently. Every day you will receive a
grade/ credit for your class work. Class work must be completed to the best of your ability!
As stated earlier, this work will mostly be done on post its or within your reading or
writing notebook.
Homework:
STUDENTS WILL ALWAYS HAVE THE FOLLOWING HOMEWORK FOR ELA:

*45 minutes of reading each night that is recorded in the reading log

*3 Reading Reflections (RR) entries per week (due Monday, Wednesday, and Friday). The
entries may be based off the current reading unit, or the student’s independent reading
book.

Students may also have the following homework -

*Writing entries

*Grammar worksheets/review, Vocabulary worksheets or activities

If homework is late, the student will have an opportunity to make up the homework, but
points will be deducted for each day that it is late.

Heading:
All loose-leaf, assignments and notebook pages must be arranged as follows:

Student Name: Date

ELA Section Ms. Ozuna

Major Projects and Assessments:

Student notebooks will be graded as projects. At the end of every writing unit, a final
writing project must be handed in. There will be midterm and final assessments.
Students will also be given quizzes and tests on books read in class, or on the strategies
they have learned in a unit. They will be assessed on their grammar skills, and will be given
grammar quizzes/tests.
 Breakdown of 8th Grade English Language Arts Grade:

Classwork…………………………………………….5%
Homework……………………………………………10%
Portfolio………………………………………………..5%
Quizzes…………………………………………………20%
Projects………………………………………………...30%
Tests……………………………………………………..30%

Class Motto: ALWAYS TRY YOUR BEST!

 Use only kind words when talking about, or correcting someone.

 Any attempt to embarrass, humiliate, or put down another classmate will have
consequences: for every put down, the offender will have to write two put ups
(positive traits) of the victim.

Do things that will make yourself, your family, your school and

your community proud!

******************************************************************************
Please sign below and return it to Ms. Ozuna no later than September 4thth.

I, (Insert name)___________ have read and understood the 8th grade ELA classroom
policies. I promise to abide by these rules at all times.

Student Signature: __________________

Parent Signature: ____________________ Date: _____________