Mr. Lacey’s Advanced Eighth Grade Language Arts Class
Dear students and parents,
Welcome to Mr. Ben Lacey’s advanced eighth grade language arts class! I am looking forward to an educational and successful year for all of us. The following writing should provide you with information about me and my goals as an educator, as well as some of the activities, novels, and policies for this class.
This will be my seventh year teaching eighth grade language arts at Powell Middle School. Before I came to Powell, I taught English at Triumph High School in Cheyenne, Wyoming, for two years and one year of ninth grade English at Bartlesville High School in Oklahoma. I received a graduate degree in education with an emphasis in technology integration from Walden University in January, 2006. While teaching English is one of my passions, I also enjoy most sports and outdoor activities, especially soccer and skiing.
My mission as an educator is to encourage my students to learn to the best of their ability. I believe that all students can learn the value of thinking for themselves, asking questions, and never being satisfied with mediocre work. I want my students to understand that there is nothing easy about being the best person and student they can be, but that nothing worth anything ever comes easily. The rewards for hard work may not always be immediate, but completing work well should always feel rewarding. I want to build positive relationships with all of the children I teach so that they enter and leave my classroom feeling valued, respected, and cared for. Most of all, my mission is to be a positive model of all that I want for them: a person who actively engages in learning, treats others with dignity and respect, realizes that questions are just as important as answers, and recognizes the importance of reaching his potential.
During the year, students will be expected to write on a daily basis, read in and out of class, increase their vocabulary skills, participate in class lessons and literary discussions, speak and listen effectively, and complete various assignments to the best of their ability. We will read several novels, short stories, dramas, and poems, as well as nonfiction works. These readings will support the eighth grade language arts curriculum, but we will also make connections to social studies, math, and science when possible. I believe that the more students recognize the relationships between the various areas of their education, the better they will perform in all of their classes.
While the following information does not encompass all rules and expectations for this class, it does cover some specific and important pieces to be aware of as the year begins.
ADDITIONAL SUPPLIES NEEDED: one package of 3x5 inch lined note cards, one 28x22 inch standard poster board.
LATE WORK: If work is assigned, it is worth doing regardless if it is submitted on time or not. Work is considered late if it is not ready to turn in at the time of collection. My new class policy for late work is as follows: Students begin each semester with 100 points in the student responsibility category of the grade book (approximately 10% of their semester grade average). When an assignment is turned in late, students will lose 1 point from this category for each day the assignment is late. Students must submit all late work directly to me in order to ensure accurate credit and deductions for the assignment.
PUNCTUALITY: Students are expected to arrive on time. Students are tardy if they are not in their seats by the time the bell finishes ringing. I will follow Powell’s escalating tardy policy regarding detentions and referrals.
PREPARATION: Students are expected to come to class with whatever materials they need for class, including paper, writing utensils, a grading pen or pencil, notebooks, novels, homework, et cetera. Repeated failure to bring any necessary materials to class may result in detention.
BEHAVIOR: Students are expected to treat others with courtesy, dignity, and respect. Behavior that proves otherwise or inhibits the learning of others is unacceptable and will not be allowed. I will follow the behavior correction policies set forth in the student handbook.
GRADES: Grades will be posted through our student management software, Infinite Campus. If you are new to the district, directions on how to access grades should be available during Back to School Night.
A NOTE TO PARENTS REGARDING CLASS NOVELS AND FILMS We will read at least six novels this year, four as class units and two as self-selected book report assignments. Although there may be additions or substitutions to accommodate individual reading levels or interest, descriptions of the four novels I plan to read as a class are below. I believe each novel is excellent and acceptable for eighth grade study. If you have questions about any of these books, I encourage you to preview them. I have carefully chosen them for their literary merit, appeal, and cross-curricular validity. If you already know for certain that you do not want your child to read one of the novels listed below, please indicate so in the Comments section at the end of this letter. In such cases, students will be required to read an alternative novel and complete various assignments connected to it.
Regarding the use of films in this class, we plan to view both Johnny Tremain and To Kill a Mockingbird after we finish reading them. Viewing these films provides students an opportunity to enjoy a visual representation of literature they have read, address our language arts viewing and listening targets, compare and contrast the different mediums of literature, and write critical responses related to their viewing. I will also occasionally use short films to vary and complement our lessons in literature, grammar, and writing.
Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes- This Newberry Award winning historical fiction novel is set in Boston, Massachusetts before the start of the American Revolution. Johnny, a talented silversmith’s apprentice, is forced to start a new life after an accident ends his hopes of becoming a master silversmith. He quickly finds himself among the Sons of Liberty and witness to the start of the Revolutionary War.
The Giver by Lois Lowery- This Newberry Award winning novel is set in the future in a perfectly planned community. Everything is controlled, and everyone has a useful function in the community. There is no war or fear or real pain. Jonas, the main character, is selected to receive the true memories of the past from the Giver. The truth forever changes Jonas and his view of the community.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee- This classic American novel won the Pulitzer Prize for literature in 1961. It is set in Maycomb, Alabama, during the time of the Great Depression and rampant Southern racism. It includes racial slurs and a court case based on a poor, white, nineteen-year-old young woman’s false accusation of rape against a disabled black man. Scout Finch, the young female narrator, changes through her experiences with racism, illusion versus reality, criminal justice, and caring for others.
The Call of the Wild by Jack London- Buck, the main character of this novel, is a stout dog stolen from his home in Santa Clara, California, and forced to pull a sled across the frozen tundra of the Yukon Territory. Buck’s rapid devolution to a more primitive existence and ability to adapt to the harsh realities of the North allow him to excel in his new life. This book includes some descriptions of fighting between dogs and men.
Please sign in the blank provided below so that I know you are aware of the above policies and novel selections. I would appreciate your student returning the signature section of this letter to me by Monday, August 25.
Sincerely,
Email: blacey@lps.k12.co.us
Ben Lacey Voicemail: 303-734-6350
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