Littleton Middle School
Back to School Night
Welcome!
September 24, 2012
Advisory

Monday, Wednesday, Friday:
--Reading (book of choice) and summarizing
(using
Reading Log)

Tuesday and Thursday:
--Student reports on Current Events; curriculum
enhancement & practice; test-taking skills;
MCAS prep
Seventh Grade

Responsible,

Independent,

Organized,

Successful students
Tools

Accordion folder—Each subject is labeled; going
home every night for “To be completed” & “Completed”
assignments

Agenda/Planner—going home every night; daily
and/or weekly assignments recorded

On-line homework postings—access
through LMS Home Page and click on teacher’s name;
assignments may change last minute—check planner
first

Teacherease.com—check progress of student
After School Help

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Mondays=Mrs. Pistorino and Mrs. Stanton
Tuesdays=Mrs. Ingemie and Mrs.
Stephenson
Thursdays=Ms. Orcione and Mr. Giabbai
*Late busses start in October
7th grade English/Language Arts
Ms. Janel Orcione
Littleton Middle School
Writing
 Currently---Structure

& types of paragraphs
October---Six Traits of Good Writing
(Ideas, Organization, Voice, Word Choice, Sentence Fluency, Conventions)


Late November---Long
compositions (five plus paragraphs) with
thesis statements and strategies to develop the
topic
April---Mini research papers with correct MLA
documentation and citations.
**Assessed writing assignments usually count as a quiz or test grade. These assignments
are placed in the student’s writing folder, which is kept in the classroom for reflection
purposes.
MCAS
Late March —MCAS Long Composition
Early April —ELA (English/Language Arts) MCAS
Grammar
 Every other week a new grammar skill is
covered
 Writer’s Craft book is used for grammar
assignments along with grammar worksheets
 Grammar quizzes are given about once a month
Vocabulary
Wordly Wise book for vocabulary
New lesson every other week--two weeks
on each lesson
Each week vocabulary homework is
assigned on Mondays and due on
Wednesdays.
Vocabulary tests are every other Friday.
Reading and Literature
 Currently---The
Westing Game
 October--- Star
Girl (Planned to be tied in to advisory reading and
(Along with class discussions,
Active Reader handouts, chapter questions, open-responses, and tests will be
assigned for this book.)
discussions)
 December--- Short
stories from class anthology and
Jr. Great Books (Along with class discussions, Reader’s Notes handouts
and open-responses will be assigned for these short stories.)
 April--- Poetry (mini research paper ties in to the poetry unit)
 May--- The
Giver (Along with class discussions, Active Reader handouts,
chapter questions, open-responses, and questions on the final will be assigned for
this book.)
 Literary terms
Notebook
English notebook is the student’s on-going
portfolio.
All classwork and homework in notebook
All work should be complete and neat.
Sample notebook available to check
Notebook checks (two or three test grades) near the end
of each semester
Evaluation
 Tests=50%
 Quizzes=30%
 Homework=15%
 Participation=5%
Learning Center
7th Grade
Room 212
Jessica Stanton
Role

Support curriculum development

Develop correlating activities to reinforce
concepts

Guide students towards personal independence

After school help day: Monday
Ancient History
Mr. Giabbai
Curriculum
Aligned with the Massachusetts History and Social Sciences
Curriculum Frameworks, the National Standards in History, and the
Common Core State Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies
 Historical Sources & Archaeology
 Ancient Mesopotamia
 Ancient Egypt
 Ancient India
 Greek Mythology
 Ancient Greece
 Ancient Rome
Goals for Students
 Building tolerance by learning about other cultures and the


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similarities and differences between peoples
Understanding cause and effect and how the actions of
individuals and groups can change societies
Analyzing artifacts and primary sources to determine what they
reveal about the people who made them
Using evidence to support a thesis
Practicing reading comprehension, expository writing, oral
presentation, and critical thinking skills
Utilizing 21st century learning skills via the Moodle online
learning platform
Grading
 Grading is done on a points-based system. Each assignment or
assessment will be worth a certain number of points.
 These points add up to calculate the student’s grade.
Examples:
Homework Quiz
Homework Assignment
Regular Quiz
Test
Binder Check
Project
10 points
10 points
150 points
200 points
200 points
50 points
Homework Quizzes
 Students use their own homework to answer the
questions
 All questions come directly from the homework
 Low grades are an indication that the student did
not do the homework or did not do it completely
Regular Quizzes & Tests
 Study guides are provided
 All questions are based on the study guide
 Students may not use study guides or
homework outlines – only their brains
 May consist of multiple choice, matching, fillin-the-blank, short answer, picture
identification, and open response questions
Projects
 Projects may include traditional paper-based
projects, online projects, and oral
presentations
 Projects are done in class and may have to
be finished up at home
 Directions are always provided for projects
Binder Check
 Binder checks will usually be held at the end of each unit of




study.
As long as students are completing their daily filing in class, they
should have no problem with the binder check.
Students are given time daily in class to file assignments into
their binder with the specific instructions provided and posted in
class.
No credit will be given for assignments that are not complete or
are not filed on the correct numbered page.
Students are encouraged to come in to check the sample binder
in class or online at the Moodle site.
Class Preparation Grade
 Students begin the term with class preparation grade of 100. If
a student has to go to his/her locker to retrieve any of the items
below, he/she loses 5 points off the class preparation grade for
the day.
 pen/pencil
 history binder
 homework
 textbook (if there is a large tri-fold board outside
the classroom that says “bring textbook”)
 The class preparation grade is averaged into the term grade
Online Classroom
 Students will often have to complete
homework using the online classroom on the
Moodle online learning platform
 Students will have a username and unique
password to access this site
 Individuals who are not 7th grade students are
not able to access the site
Spanish
Mrs. Ingemie
About the Class

Equivalent to the first half of Level 1 Spanish

Grade 8 is the second half

Students may be able to take Level 2 Spanish
in ninth grade

Textbook, activity books, and the evaluation
process are the same as in high school in order
to maintain consistency in the program
Class Content

Basics of Language Learning:
– Listening
– Speaking
– Reading
– Writing
– Culture

Class activities will include, but not be limited to:
– Group work
– Audio & video clips
– Instruction
– Written activities
Students are Required to Bring

Textbook

Writing Journal

Activity notebook

Homework Planner

Writing Utensil
Grading
Quizzes 35%
Projects 25%
Homework 20%
Class Work, Participation, Effort 20%
Mrs. Lynne Pistorino
mpistorino@littletonps.org
Math 7
Pre-Algebra
mpistorino@littleonps.org
• Grades 5-12 Mathematics License
• MCAS Grade 7 Assessment Development
Committee for DESE
• District Coordinator for the Mentor Program
• Mentor
Standards form the backbone of my
curriculum. What the students learn
and need to master is based on the
Massachusetts Frameworks which
incorporate the Common Core
Standards
Standards describe what to teach, not
how to teach it.
New Math Program
Math 7 Connected Math, course 2
or
Pre-Algebra
Glencoe McGraw Hill, 2012
Online Math Resources:
Textbook—students given redemption code
Homework: New.Schoolnotes.com
Email: mpistorino@littletonps.org
Practice, practice, practice…
Homework
New concepts are taught daily so…
….homework is assigned every day
(including weekends)
15 - 30 minutes
Full Credit: on time, attempt every
problem, show necessary work
Grading Policy
• Tests : 45%
• Quizzes: 45%
• Homework: 10%
Make Up Policy
Tests—retakes for a maximum average of 70%
• Within 1 week after the test has been
returned
• Redo all incorrect problems
• After school, Mondays
Quizzes—based on homework and classwork;
no retakes
Homework—one day, unless absent
Usually a quiz or test each week
Extra Help
• Mondays, after school
• Math Lab with Ms. Pisano
for MCAS prep
7th grade Science
Ms. Stephenson
Curriculum
• Term 1 – Human Body / Nature Journal
• Term 2 – Astronomy / Moon Journal
• Term 3 – Cells / Nature Journal
• Science Fair – November - April
Science Fair
• Mandatory in 7th & 8th grade
• Partners (2 or 3), solo
• Worth 2 tests, 2 quizzes, 100 hw
•
• Thursday - S Fair extra help day
Science Fair Timeline
• Nov. – Ideas, topics of interest
• Dec. – Research paper
• Jan. – Project proposal
• By mid-January, should begin experiment
• Feb. – Data collection
• March - Data analysis, Conclusion,
Display board
• April – Class presentation
• April 14 – Science Fair Open House
Hands On – Minds On
• Hands on activities and labs
• If students can see, touch,
‘taste’, build or take apart
content…………
• Inquiry
Grading Policy
• Homework/ Class Participation –
20%
• Quiz / Lab Sheets
- 30%
• Tests / Lab Reports
- 50%
Important Websites
• Homework
school website
• On-line Gradebook
www.teacherease.com
• Communication
BStephenson@littletonps.org