Ms.

Brands 8th Grade Language Arts

Syllabus
cebrand1@asu.edu
Materials (REQUIRED)
You must bring these necessary course materials DAILY
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Composition or spiral notebook solely for English class

Four (4) highlighters of assorted colors
A supply of #2 pencils
One (1) folder or binder section designated for English
A supply of loose leaf paper for the binder
Black and red ballpoint pens

Teacher Wish list (NOT REQUIRED)

1. Hand sanitizer
2. Tissue
3. Art supplies (construction paper, glue, colored pencils, etc)
Grading
There are many ways to earn grades in class. All assignments are given weight in points.

Daily journal entries are worth 5 points each

o Notebooks will be collected from underneath your desk at the end of each month
and returned the following Monday
Homework is worth up to 20 points
Essays, projects, and assessments may be worth up to 100 points
Students are required to keep an updated agenda book (given out at the beginning of the
year). I will post the weeks assignments on Monday and you are in charge of
documenting them in your agenda book. This a weekly grade of 5 points.
You have the opportunity to retake each major exam once within 5 days of receiving your
score of the first exam. I will take the score of the second exam as your final score for the
exam, so be sure to study before you retake the exam. If you receive a lower score on the
retake exam, that is going to be the score recorded in the grade book.

You may check your grades online on the school access site. Grades will be updated weekly on
the school website

*** Parents: be sure to check your childs grade on a regular basis, you can obtain a parent
access login from the front office.
Grade scale:
A = 90% - 100%
B = 80% - 89%
C = 70% - 79%
D = 60% - 69%
F = 59% or below

Absences/Late work:

Students are to write down the agenda each week, thus you are in charge of your absent
work or contacting another student in the class to get the assignment.
Students are responsible for checking the Absent binder for handouts from the previous
day.
Students will have as many days as they missed from school to make up their absent
work. They must write absent on the top of their work or else it will be counted as late
work.
Students can turn late work in for up to five school days after the assigned due date with a
penalty of 10%. No late work will be accepted after the five day mark.

Class Work:
Students are expected to come to class with all necessary materials, and to interact in a positive
manner during class activities and discussions. Maintaining your English notebook is required
and will be graded as class participation. This must be brought to class every day. All work
(homework, class work, handouts, etc.) must be kept in your English folder or binder for daily
student reference. We will clean out our notebooks, folders, and binders periodically. Do not
throw anything away unless you are told to do so.
Classroom Rules:

Students must
o Be positive
o Be respectful
o Come to class on time
o Sit in his/her assigned seat
o Keep your phones OFF and in your backpack
o Follow school rules according to the Student Handbook
o Bring the required materials to class with them every day

Need to go to the bathroom?

Students will be given eight bathroom tickets at the beginning of each quarter
If a student needs to use the restroom, they will sign one of their bathroom tickets and
turn it in to the teacher (Me!!!)
If students have left over tickets at the end of the quarter/semester/trimester they will be
able to put them in a raffle to win a prize
o Possible prizes
Sit by a friend
Snack
Late Homework Pass (Students may turn in homework up to two days late
without penalty).

Communication with parents

Each parent should have access to their students grade and they should check it before
contacting me
Parents may email me, I will get back to them when I am not teaching
If a parent wants to conference with me about their student, we can set up a phone
meeting or a meeting before or after school
I will not be available on the weekends

Rewards/ Consequences
Rewards: students who do not move past step 1 of the consequences will receive a reward at the
end of each week
Consequences: Student will receive consequences for inappropriate behavior based on the
following steps
Step 1: Each day students will get 1 warning before they proceed to another step
Step 2: Students will be relocated to a new seat where the teacher believes the student can
be more successful.
Step 3: Student will write a letter home explaining their behavior in class and what they
plan to do in order to become more successful. Teacher will also call or email parents to
ensure that they receive the letter and that they sign it for the student to bring back.
Step 4: Student will be sent to a buddy classroom to allow other students to be more
successful.
Step 5: Student will receive a lunch detention in the teachers classroom where they will
conference with the teacher about their behavior.
Step 6: Student will receive an office referral.