7th Grade Connections
Mrs. Reyes
2012-2013
Room 2005
1. District 123 Vision for Learning:
“Making Learning Irresistible”
2. District 123 Mission
“Learning Today for a Successful Tomorrow”
The mission of Oak Lawn-Hometown School District 123, as a district striving for excellence, is
to ensure that each student learns the skills, acquires the knowledge, and develops the
behaviors and attitude necessary to succeed in the future as a caring, responsible, and
productive citizen; this mission accomplished through a challenging instructional program that
is consistent with the state and local goals is provided by a caring and talented staff within a
safe and healthy environment in partnership with the entire community.
3. OLHMS Core Values
At Oak Lawn-Hometown Middle School, we are committed to SUCCESS by providing an
educational experience for each of our students that promotes CONTINUAL IMPROVEMENT
and PROGRESS toward our three “Mustang Musts.”
Be Respectful refers to your ability to treat others the way you expect to be treated.
OLHMS students exhibit respect by…
- being polite and courteous
- following classroom expectations
- accepting teachers’ decisions
- cooperating and encouraging others
Be Responsible refers to your ability to take ownership of your actions. OLHMS students
exhibit responsibility by…
- being prepared for class
- following directions the first time they are given
- completing tasks
- using equipment properly
Be Safe refers to the role you play in maintaining a safe learning environment. OLHMS
students exhibit safety choices by…
- wearing school ID at all times
- avoiding harmful situations
- honoring personal space and materials
- entering and exiting the learning environment in an orderly fashion
4. Rationale
This class is designed to help you understand how the topics you learn in school relate to the
“real world.” Through various thematic units that correspond to the core curriculum, we will teach
you how to make this connection and become a better a problem solver and independent thinker.
Connections class also allows students to articulate school and life goals within the content of the
class and is in alignment with state and local standards. Students will demonstrate the core
values of respect, responsibility, and safety by being polite and following classroom expectations,
following directions and practicing safety measures on a daily basis.
5. Objectives (3-5 BIG IDEAS)
By the end of this course, students will be able to…
 Make valuable connections between content knowledge and practical application.
 Know the importance of using higher level thinking skills in managing real world
experiences.
 Understand the benefits of using effective research strategies to help solve problems,
explain positions, or investigate a topic.
 Apply real world problem solving strategies.
 Understand technology’s role in making useful connections to the real world.
6. Daily Procedures
1. Enter the room quietly, have all materials out on your desk. Read and complete the “jumpstart”
activity.
2. Lesson/instruction
3. Activity/assignment
4. Closing/reflection
7. Expectations of Student
Students are expected to follow the “Mustang Musts” (Be Responsible, Be Respectful, Be Safe).
 Work cooperatively with others
 Attend class on time and as often as possible
 Make connections from our class to real world experiences
8. Expectations of Teacher
Teachers will foster a positive learning environment while modeling the “Mustang Musts” and
promote citizenship through lesson planning and daily activities.
9. Assessment Criteria
Students will demonstrate their understanding by…
 Classroom discussion and participation
 Student Portfolios
 Participating in thematic units of study
 Student Reflections
 Peer Interactions
 Produce logical products, based on higher level thinking skills and various learning modalities
 Individual cooperation, preparation, and daily effort
10. Materials
Students must bring the following items to class daily:
 Pen/pencil
 Notebook
 Highlighter
Other materials include
 Calculator
 Colored pencils
 Glue
 Ruler
 Markers
 Classroom materials vary by lesson
11. Instruction and Directions for Help?
Students are free to e-mail me at my district e-mail account with questions regarding course
content at rreyes@d123.org. For more information about me, please visit OLHMS’s teacher
pages at http://www.d123.org/