Back to School Night

Welcome!

Ms. Kavalek, English

Team Quest

Homeroom & RA

Possible activities:•Band/chorus•Art club •Sewing Club•Yearbook•Ecology Club•Intramurals•L-Tag•Student Council•SADD

Homeroom= 8:05-8:12Resource/Activity Period= 8:15-8:45 designated days are for review clinics ex. English= Tuesday RA

Classrooms:trailers (language) ...out my door, down the steps, and outside through the doors….numbers are 00_ (ex. 005)

math & social studies (rooms 12, 14, and 15)… out my door, down the steps, and into the lower level

Mr. Gibson (math)……15Mr. Hansberry (social studies)…..12Mr. Benson (social studies)…..14

science…room 156 (Ms. Lutton)….out my door, turn right at the end of the hallway, and then turn left into the last classroom before the t intersection

arts/ health/ PE…auditorium (all ARTS teachers will be there)…out my door, turn right, and go left into the auditorium

• B.A. in Secondary Education English from

Juniata College

• M.A. in English from Arcadia University

• 27 graduate credits beyond my M.A.

• start of my 11th year of teaching– NMS (start of my 9th year here) – CR North & RMS

• Academic English 8

• Honors English 8*Both courses address the same skills in the areas of reading, writing, grammar, and research; in addition, both courses address speaking and listening skills.

The rigor of Honors English 8 sets it apart. Students in this course must be able to read and analyze challenging texts very well, critically write about and discuss those texts, and quickly grasp grammatical and research concepts. The pacing is significantly more rigorous, as is the amount of work assigned.

ELA Program:

Council Rock’s English/ Language Arts program addresses reading informational text and literature, writing, speaking, listening, researching, and word study. This class exposes students to forms of literature (short stories, plays, novels, and poetry), literary themes and elements, active reading strategies, and analysis skills.

Because reading and writing are intertwined, students will make observations about the role of the reader and the role of the writer. Students will do responsive, persuasive, expository, and creative writing. In addition, they will conduct research and master the fundamental concepts of grammar.

With speaking and listening, students will work in small groups and engage in whole class discussions.

Active ReadingBoosts Comprehension

Post-it Strategies (required)= Clarify, Predict, Question, Connect,

Talk to Text, Summarize

Honors=

-short stories from Glencoe

-short stories from Currents in Fiction*

-poetry packet

-Night* by Elie Wiesel

-Dandelion Wine* by Ray Bradbury

-Chasing Lincoln’s Killer* by James L. Swanson

-Midsummer Night’s Dream* by Shakespeare

All classes Reading Goal= 25 books

Literature Selections:*= good title to purchase

for active reading on the text

Academic=

-short stories from Glencoe

-Chasing Lincoln’s Killer* by James L. Swanson

-Inherit the Wind* by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee

-poetry

-Night* by Elie Wiesel

Possibly…

Blizzard’s Wake by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

All classes Reading Goal= 25 books

Literature Selections:*= good title to purchase

for active reading on the text

Writing:Responsive, persuasive, expository*, and creative writing

Food for Thought:Strong writers spend approx. 2/3 of their time planning and drafting; they cut material, move ideas, and expand ideas to develop content well.

Good writers read their work aloud, not from the computer, but a printed page. They “talk to the text” while editing.

Grammar= language of

writing!

• building blocks• sequential units• practice tests (always

formatted as actual tests)

Research=end of 2nd marking period into 3rd m.p.-packet will come home-step by step process

-research work is major portion of 3rd marking period grade!

Daily Routine:Daily Routine

warm-Up (always)

may include…..

whole class instruction

partner work

group work

individual work

review activities/ games

reading together

reading analysis

discussion

writing

recording homework (always)

Sample Warm-up Activity:

run

sentence

get it all

line read line

Homework stamp sheet/grade sheet= student’s responsibility

-at front of binder- you can ask to

see it at any timeRespectAdherence to dress codeAssignment book dailyNo late homeworkResponsible use of homework website Preparation/ participation logBehavior= warning

detentionphone call homereferral to principal

Make-up Work= student’s responsibility

check homework website (homework descriptions will be listed there. Sometimes resources are posted).

Go to NMS website and click 8A: Quest www.crs.org Click on Ms. Kavalek link and go to homework page

call classmate to get more informationsee me upon return to school and schedule time to complete missing work

Opportunities to Get Help:

Tuesday during RA (8:15 to 8:45am)

Thursday after school (3:05 to 3:45pm)

special clinics (announced in class)

My Contact Information:email: tkavalek@crsd.orgschool phone number: 215-944-2600

Thank you for being here tonight. As always, thanks for your time and constant support. Together, we can ensure that your child has a successful eighth grade year.

Recipe for Success & Thank You!