Wednesday, August 31, 2016

A Letter for Parents

You are a valued partner in your child's reading and writing life. Read more about how you can support your reader and writer in a letter from us to you by clicking here!

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

What is middle school language arts?

A balanced literacy instructional approach is continued in Middle School at Trinity through reading and writing units of study. In language arts, students are intentionally taught to read, write, solve, and think in authentic genres for real purposes and audiences. In reading, students study reading skills & strategies and genre conventions through individual and shared reading. In writing, students focus on narrative, informational, and argumentative writing and investigate grammar and mechanics in the context of language in order to be able to communicate effectively in the world. Written assignments and grammar assessments are given regularly.



Thursday, August 25, 2016

What is a Reader's Notebook?

The Reader's Notebook is at the core of the work of middle school language arts. It is a place for kids to risk, to think, and to wonder about their reading and the world around them; it also gives children a place to practice the hard work of reading and writing in a personalized manner.  Inside a notebook, you will find lists of books to read, lists of completed books, daily reading logs, personal vocabulary inquiry, and responses to reading.

The notebook serves as an essential artifact of reading growth and a place for the teacher to better understand a student's strengths, challenges, how to push and better support them.  Due dates and expectations for the RNBk can be found on the toolbar to the right of this post.


Saturday, August 29, 2015

MS LA Grading Scale and Grading Policies

Grade Categories:
35% Papers
25% Tests/Projects
25% Reading Notebook
15% Quizzes

Homework:
All students are expected to maintain and document an independent reading life outside of school.  Occasional additional homework will be assigned in grammar and writing. All homework is checked for completion and assessed through Scholarly Habits
on the report card.


Reading Notebook:
All students are required to keep a reading notebook to act as evidence of their growing reading life.  Notebooks will be checked bimonthly. Requirements for these assessments are housed inside each students' reading notebook.

The Assessment of Writing:
All formal writing in language arts is graded according to the four qualities of writing (content, organization/structure, craft, and mechanics). Students will have project sheets and rubrics before each piece to help them in the creation of their work.

Extra Credit:
The only regular extra credit given in language arts comes from “Grammar Police.”
If students identify errors in published writing and can provide a correction,

they will earn +1/error on weekly quizzes up to +10 points.

Monday, August 24, 2015

Scholarly & Community Habits in the LA Classroom


Scholarly Habits of a Trinity Episcopal School Student


Comes prepared with materials and assignments
Shows respect for own learning and the learning of others
Exhibits curiosity: asks questions and seeks answers
Works independently: sustains attention and focus
Demonstrates effort and perseverance with difficult tasks or situations
Communicates effectively: listens actively and speaks efficiently
Demonstrates critical and creative problem-solving skills
Shows academic humility: understands that no matter how much we know, there is always more to learn

Trinity Episcopal School Honor Code


Comes prepared with materials and assignments
Shows respect for own learning and the learning of others
Exhibits curiosity: asks questions and seeks answers
Works independently: sustains attention and focus
Demonstrates effort and perseverance with difficult tasks or situations
Communicates effectively: listens actively and speaks efficiently
Demonstrates critical and creative problem-solving skills
Shows academic humility: understands that no matter how much we know, there is always more to learn