Welcome to ELA 7 & 8 with Mrs. Keyser!

ELA class will explore the theme of "Self-Awareness" with the use
of an array of literary forms: journals, short stories, novels, drama,
poetry, letters, and essays to investigate this theme. Overall, the
emphasis will be placed on understanding Who Am I What !o I
"elie#e a"o$t myself% &eo&le% an! the worl! aro$n! me
Additionally, an important part of your reading will be in your oral and
written responses. riting responsively about literature allows you to
compare your insights, perceptions, attitudes, and even problems about
what you read with others. !our openness and participation is not only
encouraged, but also expected and considered a necessary part of a
successful classroom environment. "tudents will be active learners and
in charge of their learning# student based centers, literature circles,
group wor$, and independent on demand activities. %here will be a
serious emphasis on preparation and practice for the &!" ELA 'ommon
'ore exam in April. %o be successful you will need to read and write
both at home and in class. ( have all the confidence in the world that
you will )hit a home run* if you ta$e my advice and allow me to guide you
+trust me this isn,t my first rodeo-..
Who is Mrs. Keyser
( have been teaching ELA for over /0 years and have loved every
minute- ( am happily married to a sports fanatic and love our siamese
cat 'leo. ( am an avid reader +of course. and a fre1uent window
shopper +( love fashion.. (n addition to that, ( appreciate honesty and
believe animals need to be protected +long live the manatees-.. hen (
can, ( travel and ( find happiness in new experiences. Lastly, ( am a 2
year breast cancer survivor and am than$ful everyday for the
opportunities ( have been given +life is truly a gift..
'ra!in( )olicy
*lasswor+, -./
0omewor+, -./
1$i22es,-3/
4ests5Writin(5)ro6ects,73/
0omewor+ )olicy
3(t is your responsibility to hand wor$ in promptly whether you have a
music lesson, come in late or leave early. !ou will have one wee$ from
the day an assignment is due to turn it in but will have points deducted-
"tay organi4ed, use your study hall to be productive, or stay after for
help-
8ea!in(5Writin( )olicy
%here will be many independent )on demand* reading5writing tas$s this
year paired with informative texts and fiction. All short and extended
responses should:
36se the 1uestion in your answer
3(nclude at least two specific details from the text +cite evidence.
3rite a concluding sentence
37roofread carefully, especially for capitali4ation, spelling and
sentence structure.
4ools to s$ccess
7encils57ens, binder with dividers, index cards for vocabulary, post8it
tabs for close reading activities, loose8leaf paper and a positive
attitude-
What to e9&ect
/. 9aily bell ringers
:. ;aluable lessons
<. "tudent centered learning
=. >etting the )gist*
2. 'atching vocabulary words
?. 'lose reading strategies
0. Exit tic$ets
@. Aoutine and rewards
Literat$re
7
th
(ra!e
oods Aunner by >ary 7aulson +summer reading review.
A long al$ to ater by Linda "ue 7ar$
"hort stories by Edgar Allan 7oe
A 'hristmas 'arol by 'harles 9ic$ens
al$ %wo Boons by "haron 'reech
Crederic$ 9ouglas the Life of a "lave
7oetry
8
th
grade
%ouching "pirit Dear +summer reading review.
"E Einton %he Outsiders
%he 9iary of Anne Cran$
Lyddie by Fatherine 7atterson
7oetry
:isci&line )olicy
/. A verbal warning.
:. A phone call or email home followed by a possible detention.
<. A referral to the principal5dean with further conse1uences.
*omm$nication
++eyser;"+wcs!.+<-.ny.$s
7lease chec$ the parent portal on the wee$ends for grades and your
email for important messages. %eacher 7age is coming-
ELA Sylla"$s *ontract for &arents an! st$!ents
=I ha#e rea! the class e9&ectations for o$t ELA class an!
$n!erstan! them.
St$!ent )rint >ame, ?????????????????????????????
St$!ent Si(nat$re, ??????????????????????????????
)arent5'$ar!ian )rinte! >ame ,?????????????????????
)arent5'$ar!ian Si(nat$re ,????????????????????????
:ate, ???????????????
*omm$nication, )lease &arent5($ar!ian &ro#i!e ways to
contact yo$ @email is the most eAcient an! B$ic+est
formatC
Email, ??????????????????????????????????????
)hone, ??????????????????????????????????????
*omments5*oncerns,