Mrs. Richardson’s Language Arts Class
Guidelines and expectations
8th grade Language Arts is developed to help you build confidence and proficiency in
your reading, writing, and speaking abilities. We will utilize literature, technology, small
group discussions, and whole group instruction that prepare you for high school and
beyond.
What to Expect:
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Weekly Quizzes: Students will take a quiz every Friday on the grammar topic for the week and the
week’s warm up definitions.
o Warm-ups: Students will have warm-ups at the beginning of each class that contain definitions
for EOG review words or common SAT words. The goal of these warm-ups is to prepare
students for the End of Grade test as well as building vocabulary for high school and beyond.
Students will be given the words Monday through Thursday, and they will take a quiz on them
every Friday (unless track out or holidays interfere). The words will be listed with their
definitions on my website in the event that a student is absent.
o Grammar: Students’ homework each week is to view my grammar video for the topic of the
week and to take notes. Weekly grammar quizzes and quarterly tests will be given in order to
prepare students for the grammar section on benchmarks and in order for them to become
better writers.

Articles of the Week: Every Tuesday, students will be given an article of the week, and students must
turn in their articles by the following Tuesday (unless track out or holidays interfere). The purpose of
these weekly articles is to give students engaging, non-fiction texts that relate to the units they are
studying. The articles allow and require them to personally connect and interact with the text. Students
will annotate, summarize, reflect, and create discussion questions on each article.

Independent Reading: Independent reading is a crucial aspect of students’ growth in Language Arts.
Independent reading requirements are as follows:
o Formative Reading Time: Each student is expected and required to read at least 30 minutes
nightly.
o
Summative Reading Responses: Students will need to fill out an online reading review the
books that they read. Students can review the books at home, during homeroom, or during
lunch by visiting: http://wcpss.net/Page/8339
Please note that late reviews will not be accepted, as these are due right before each grading
period ends. The grading for the quarterly online reviews are as follows:
A= 8-10 responses; B= 6-7 responses; C= 4-5 responses; D= 2-3 responses; F=0-1 responses
o
40 Book Challenge: This year, students at Durant, as well as across the county, are challenged
with the task of reading 40 books. Students will be required to read specific genres of books in
order to expose them to genres outside of their comfort zone. Incentives will be given on our
team and the 8th grade hallway to get students excited about competing in this challenge. Please
note that students are allowed to read up to 4 magazines as part of the Challenge for the year.

Writing: All essays will be done in class and are not to be completed at home. Students who need
additional time to work on essays will need to utilize time outside of class or on Friday mornings
during GEAR UP..

3-Ring Binders: will be an important resource for housing the following: Grammar worksheets, Flip
Notes, Literature handouts, Class Info, and Writing materials.
Missed Work Due to Absence and Late Work
It is a student’s responsibility to get any work that is missed due to an absence. Students who are absent should go to
the “Absent Work Folders” and find the work with his/ her name on it. Copies of Worksheets will be placed
there, as well as posted online. All PowerPoints, Notes, activities, etc. will be posted on my website each week.
Late work refers to work that a student has failed to complete. It is the responsibility of the student/parent to
be aware of missing assignments. Please check Home Base (PowerSchools) frequently so that you are aware of
your child’s progress. If a student needs an additional copy of an assignment, it can be found online.
Comments on Home Base and interim reports/report cards will be used extensively to give students and
parents detailed feedback about work-related behaviors such as homework completion and focus in class.
Grading Scale
Every Language Arts class in the 8th grade assesses students on a formative and summative scale. This grading
strategy is a sound, research based method that accurately measures what a student has learned. NOTE: Wake
County has moved to a 10 point Grading Scale this year.
Formative Grades – These grades do not count directly towards a student’s final grade, but they are very
important in helping students prepare for the summative grades. These grades, such as homework and class
work, are considered a part of the learning process. Feedback will be given to students to help them improve
and prepare for future summative grades.
Summative Grades – These grades do count directly towards a student’s final grade. These grades such as
quizzes, tests, and projects are the most accurate and fair way to assess a student. These assignments have
been designed to determine the student’s level of mastery at the end of a unit of study.
Essays, Unit and Grammar Tests, Projects, Reader’s Responses (out of 100 points)
Weekly Grammar and Vocabulary Quizzes (out of 20 points)
Articles of the Week (out of 20 points)
Cumulative Class work (out of 10 points)
Test Retakes
Parents and students will be given a comprehensive test retake policy handout within the first few
weeks of school. Please keep an eye out for more information coming pertaining to this particular topic.
* NOTE: This opportunity is not offered for projects, reports, quizzes, class work or reading responses.
Contact Information


Class website: http://wcpss.net//site/Default.aspx?PageID=8252
Email is the best way to reach me. Please feel free to email me with any questions or concerns at
lrichardson@wcpss.net
**Please sign and return the last page of this packet by tomorrow. Please keep this
page for your record**
Please keep the first page and sign and return this page to Mrs. Richardson.
I have read and agree to the rules and expectations for language arts this year.
(Print) Student Name: ______________________________________________
Student Signature: _______________________________ Date: _____________
Parent/Guardian Signature: __________________________ Date: __________