Welcome to Miss Gates Classroom

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Welcome to Miss Gates Classroom

• Back to School Night 2005

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A Little Bit About Me
I graduated from Vernon Township High School in
2000
I attended Sussex County Community College where
I received my Associates Degree in Liberal Arts
My first semester at Fairleigh Dickinson
University was spent abroad at Wroxton College in
Oxfordshire, England in the United Kingdom.
I graduated from Fairleigh Dickinson University
in May 2005 with my BA in Literature and a minor
in Humanities. I continued on to obtain my MAT
in Education and graduated in May 2006.
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A Bit About My Classroom
The first thing my students know is that there
are no set rules
The one golden rule we will all follow, is that
there WILL be absolute respect towards myself and
one another both in and out of the classroom
They will learn to understand that we are all
adults here and the will be held accountable for
their work responsibilities.
I am understanding and will work with my students
to be sure they are getting their work done in a
timely manner. I understand things come up, as
we are all busy. However, repetitive excuses
will not be tolerated!
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Miss Gates Homework Policy
My homework policy is quite simple!
Homework will be due depending on the length of
the assignment.
The reading assignments will be up to the student
to complete note use of sparknotes are
for supplemental use ONLY!!!
Writing assignments will include chapter
summaries, two creative writing papers each term,
and two research papers throughout the year.
(Students will be given guidelines in advance)
If for any reason the student cannot complete the
assignment by the given due date, it is THEIR
responsibility to see me to make other
arrangements!
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READING ASSIGNMENTS
We will be covering a wide range of novels
throughout the year
Depending on the length of the book, I will
divide the book up into sections each section
will have a certain amount of chapters. The
student will be given the timeline when the book
is handed out. It is there responsibility to
adhere to this timeline.
They will have to write a chapter summary on the
material they have read. It should be in-depth
and include as many details as possible.
Following the summary, the students will be given
a small quiz on the section they read
However, if the student did a thorough job on
their summary, they may have the opportunity of
being excused from the quiz for a job well done!
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CREATIVE WRITING ASSIGNMENTS
Creative Writing is an imperative part of any
students learning!
Each term, they will be given a different
creative writing assignment
This can vary from poetry, stories, journals,
editorials, etc.
The students will be graded on the process as
opposed to the content
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The Creative Writing Process
Students will be assessed on the creative writing
process which includes
Brainstorming, Free writing, Webbing, Clusters,
etc.
The First Draft
Editing
Revising
THE FINAL COPY!
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RESEARCH ASSIGNMENTS
There will be two research papers given this year
The first topic will be of the students choice
and can be on anything
The second topic will be based on an author,
literary theme, novel, etc.
There will be specific guidelines set for the
students to follow
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RESEARCH GUIDELINES
The first paper will be from 6-8 pages with a
minimum of five sources
The second paper will be from 8-10 pages with a
minimum of eight sources
The paper will be partially graded on the writing
and research process
It will also be partially graded on citation use,
proper bibliography and content.
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Whats with all of the WRITING?
Keep in mind that all of these writing
assignments your child will be doing this year is
to his or her benefit!!!
Writing is an acquired skill that takes time and
practice. By showing my students the writing
process, it will become less and less tedious
while becoming easier and more natural to do.
Good writing skills will aide and benefit your
child in every aspect of their lives, regardless
of what field they decide to go into!
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Get to Know One Another
In addition to getting to know me, get to know
one another through each others children!
Using these sheets I am about to hand out, take a
few minutes to walk around the room and ask other
parents the questions on the sheet!
Your objective is to find one child who does each
of the things on the list. If you can find more
than one, then thats even better!!!
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A Very Important Note
One of the most important things that I strongly
uphold in my classroom, has nothing to do with
homework or class work.
I have and enforce a STRICT no bullying policy in
my classroom
Each and every student has the right to be
treated with respect both inside and outside of
my classroom. Any student who does not do so
will be dealt with accordingly.
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ANY QUESTIONS???
If you have any questions, please ask them at
this time
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In Closing
It was great to meet each and every one of you
If there are any questions or concerns, please
feel free to contact me whenever necessary. I
will hand out my contact information for your use.
I look forward to speaking with you in the future!