8th Grade Reading Syllabus (8-1)
Mia Evans, M.S.
aevans@dentonisd.org
Follow me on Twitter: @MrsEvans_BMMS
Parent Conferences:
Please call front desk or email me directly at aevans@dentonisd.org to set an appointment.
My set hours are from 8:05 am-4:00 pm, unless an appointment is made. Parent
conference requests must be made at least 48 hours in advance to the requested time. All
phone calls and emails will be returned within 24 hours.
Tutoring:
Tutoring times will be offered in my room every Tuesday and Wednesday morning from
7:45-8:15 am and afterschool on Tuesday by appointment only. When scheduling after
school tutoring, please request an appointment time at least 24 hours in advance. Also, if
attending after school tutoring with the teacher, transportation arrangements must
be made by the student in advance.
Grading Policy:
Students will be expected to complete all work. This year, our district has implemented a
new grading policy. These grading and assessment practices are as follows:
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All assignments and assessments will be referenced to the standards.
All student grades will be reflective of their learning.
Expectations for student learning will not be compromised for failure to meet
deadlines. If a student misses a deadline, the student will still be expected to
master the content by completing the assignment.
Students will be expected to complete all assignments on time and in their
entirety. A zero will not be recorded in the teacher gradebook for a missing
assignment. A zero will only be recorded when a student has not demonstrated
mastery of the content.
All students will be given the opportunity for reassessment of all summative
assessments, excluding semester exams.
Grading Categories:
Major Summative 60%
Minor Summative 40%
Major Summative examples (examples only, not an exhaustive list): Unit Tests,
Projects, Research papers, Final drafts, Essays, Presentations, Common assessments, Lab
practical, Written response, Performance tasks, Portfolios
Minor Summative examples (examples only, not an exhaustive list): Quizzes, Graphic
organizers, Rough drafts, Short pieces of writing, Oral questions in class, Exit tickets,
Learning logs, journal entries, Performance tasks, Laboratory write-ups.
**When students need additional assistance in completing assignments that are
missing or low performing, they will either be assigned to tutoring with the teacher
during tutoring times, or they will be assigned to Titan Time on Wednesday from
3:20-4:30pm.
Class Materials:
To Be Kept With Student:
 Agenda
 1 3-inch Binder to be used in Reading
 1 Package of Dividers for Binder
 Pens, blue or black ink ONLY
 Pencils
 Colored Pencils
 Highlighters
 Glue Sticks
 Loose-leaf notebook paper
**Please make sure you are prepared for class. You will not be allowed to leave the
classroom for materials or supplies!
Discipline:
Tardies and dress code violations will be handled as set by school policy. Students will be
expected to be in their seats and working when the bell rings. If students are late to class, I
will mark them tardy. Accumulated tardies will result in detention and parent contact.
Consistent tardies WILL NOT BE TOLERATED AND WILL BE REPORTED.
--When classroom expectations are not met, the following steps will occur:
 Warning
 2nd warning-student/teacher conference
 Teacher Detention—slip sent home to be signed by parent
 Parent Conference (in person or phone)
 Office Referral (with potential for In-School Suspension)
**Some infractions may result in automatic office referral
ID badges are expected to be worn at all times. If students lose their badges, they will need
to replace them before school in the library. The ID replacement cost is $3.
Classroom Rules:
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My actions will allow my teacher to teach.
My actions will allow other students to learn.
I will follow all school rules and be responsible for my actions.
I will come to class prepared by bringing my supplies and assignments.
I will work the entire class period at my maximum level.
So, what’s the deal??????
The primary goal in English and reading is to strengthen reading comprehension
skills, to expose students to the world of literature, and to provide them a greater
understanding of written text and its relationship with the reader. By doing this, students
will become stronger readers, writers and written communicators. In middle school, we are
no longer learning to read, but instead, reading to learn. We are proud ‘book nerds,’ and
believe that if you think you don’t like to read….well, you just haven’t met the right book
yet! It is one of my greatest joys to share my love of the written word—what I believe is one
of the most powerful and influential tools mankind has to change the world.
One aspect of working with 7th graders will be me playing an integral part of the
transition from being ‘kids’ to ‘young adults.’ I’ll never know what to expect, and I LOVE
that!! I look forward to sharing my love of literature and reading with you.
I want you to know a few things that you can expect from me. First, know that I respect my
students as unique and special people. I care about your success, and I believe in you. I
will take the responsibility of teaching you very seriously. Because of that, I want you to
know that I will spend countless hours outside of school making sure that I am prepared
each day. I am constantly striving to learn more, to teach better, and to inspire and
encourage my students. I promise you that I will always work hard and give you the best
that I have every day. You, as students, deserve that.
As I promise to give you my best, I expect the same from you. I expect that you
will always try hard, work hard, and care about the work product that you present to me
and your classmates. I expect you to take pride in the work you do and the way you
present yourself to the world. I expect you to work well within your team—in my case, your
classmates—and act in a way that allows others to succeed. I expect you to build your
classmates up, as they will build you up—encouraging you to learn more and to grow as a
student every day. I expect you to take responsibility for mistakes, so that you can learn
from them and do better the next time. Your actions should allow me to teach you, allow
your classmates to learn, and allow you to learn. The ability to receive a free education
is a gift, and I expect you to value it.
Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns!
Thanks,
Mrs. Evans