8th Grade English Language Arts (ELA)

Elite Scholars Academy

Teacher: Ms. Montrella
Email: omontrella@gmail.com
Website:
http://msmontrellaesa.weebly.com/
Room Number: #7
Phone Number: (814)-215-2238
Semester: 2016-2017
Please email for appointment time.
Textbook: Georgia Collections 8
Personal Philosophy: When students believe success is possible, they will try. If
they dont believe they can succeed, it doesnt matter the material or how smart the
studentsthey will fail. Therefore, my primary goal is to convince my students
that success is possible and then to help them succeed in my class.
Departmental Philosophy: Clayton County Public Schools believes that literacy
is an essential skill for every child to be successful in school, work, and life. Every
child can learn to read for enjoyment and information when they are equipped
with the appropriate knowledge, skill set and required to demonstrate higher levels
of thinking through reading, writing, and speaking & listening. The key ingredient
to a students success is an educator who is prepared with the appropriate
resources, knowledge, and a belief that our students can excel beyond measure!
Course Description: The 8th Grade Georgia Standards of Excellence define what
students should understand and be able to do by the end of the school year.
Reading: Throughout the school year we will read, analyze, and discuss
complex texts both required by the state of Georgia and selected by the
teacher.
Writing: As a class, we will be keeping and strengthening Writers
Notebooks, writing informative, argumentative, and narrative works.
Speaking: Performance tasks are mandatory throughout the semester.
Conferences: Many times over the course of the school year the teacher will
hold one-on-one conferences to discuss student writing, upcoming projects,
and provide feedback for classwork.
* The teacher reserves the right to alter or change any part of this course syllabus to better
suit the need of the students.

Course Evaluation Categories:

Grading Policy
Classwork 20%
Homework 15%
Tests 25%
Projects 25%
Final 15%
Required Materials: one composition notebook, one writing folder, pencils, pens,
3-pack of multi-colored highlighters, Youre Smarter Than You Think:A Kids
Guide to Multiple Intelligences by Thomas Armstrong (1st Edition available on
Amazon for $0.01), Bomb: The Race to Buildand Stealthe World's Most
Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin.
County policy states that every student must receive a textbook, but you may also
access it online by going to https://my.hrw.com. Enter the username and password
that I will provide for you. Typically, this is the first initial of your first and last
name followed by your student number. The password is STUDENT.
Late Assignments: Each student is expected to complete all assignments in the
allotted time. Late assignments are penalized and to be handed in to the teacher
directly:
Points Deducted Per Day Late:
Homework 50%
Rough Drafts (Project) 10%
Final Draft 10%
Project 10%
Make-up Policy: IT IS THE STUDENTS RESPONSIBILITY TO OBTAIN AND
COMPLETE MAKE-UP WORK. If you have an excused absence, you will be
allowed the same number of days as your absence in order to make up missed
work. Make-up work should be completed before or after school, NOT during
valuable class time.

Re-do Policy: If a student turns in an assignment that receives a failing mark (not a
late assignment) the student has the opportunity to redo the assignment. The
following exclusions apply: test and other assignments as decided at the discretion
of the teacher. The student must hold a one-on-one conference with the teacher
within one week of receiving the assignment (after grading has been completed).
After the conference, the student will receive the assignment to redo. The
assignment must be completed and returned within one week after the conference.
Once completed and corrected, it will be averaged with the original grade. It is the
students responsibility to take advantage of the redo policy. At the end of the 2nd
marking period students will no longer have the option to redo assignments.
Acknowledgment of Receipt: By signing below, the student and parent/guardian
acknowledge that they have read and understood the contents in the 2016-2017 8th
Grade English Language Arts (ELA) syllabus.
*PLEASE SIGN & RETURN TO TEACHER
Student Name (Print):

Date:

Student Signature:

Date:

Student Email:
Parent Name (Print):

Date:

Parent Signature:

Date:

Parent Email:
Parent Contact Number: