Back to School Night

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Back to School Night

• Welcome!
• Ms. Kavalek, English
• Team Quest

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Homeroom RA
Homeroom 805-812 Resource/Activity Period
815-845 ?
designated days are for review clinics ex.
English Tuesday RA

• Possible activities
• Band/chorus
• Art club
• Sewing Club
• Yearbook
• Ecology Club
• Intramurals
• L-Tag
• Student Council
• SADD

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Classrooms
trailers (language) ...out my door, down the
steps, and outside through the doors.numbers
are 00_ (ex. 005) math social studies (rooms
12, 14, and 15) out my door, down the steps,
and into the lower level Mr. Gibson
(math)15 Mr. Hansberry (social
studies)..12 Mr. Benson (social
studies)..14 scienceroom 156 (Ms. Lutton).out
my door, turn right at the end of the hallway,
and then turn left into the last classroom before
the t intersection arts/ health/ PEauditorium
(all ARTS teachers will be there)out my door,
turn right, and go left into the auditorium
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Welcome! Ms. Kavalek 8th English
Quest
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Educational Background

• B.A. in Secondary Education English from
• Juniata College
• M.A. in English from Arcadia University
• 27 graduate credits beyond my M.A.
• start of my 11th year of teaching
• NMS (start of my 9th year here)
• CR North RMS

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Courses

• Academic English 8
• Honors English 8

Both courses address the same skills in the
areas of reading, writing, grammar, and research
in addition, both courses address speaking and
listening skills. The rigor of Honors English 8
sets it apart. Students in this course must be
able to read and analyze challenging texts very
well, critically write about and discuss those
texts, and quickly grasp grammatical and research
concepts. The pacing is significantly more
rigorous, as is the amount of work assigned.
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ELA Program

• Council Rocks English/ Language Arts program
  addresses reading informational text and
  literature, writing, speaking, listening,
  researching, and word study. This class exposes
  students to forms of literature (short stories,
  plays, novels, and poetry), literary themes and
  elements, active reading strategies, and analysis
  skills.
• Because reading and writing are intertwined,
  students will make observations about the role of
  the reader and the role of the writer. Students
  will do responsive, persuasive, expository, and
  creative writing. In addition, they will conduct
  research and master the fundamental concepts of
  grammar.
• With speaking and listening, students will work
  in small groups and engage in whole class
  discussions.

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Active ReadingBoosts ComprehensionPost-it
Strategies (required) Clarify, Predict,
Question, Connect, Talk to Text, Summarize
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Literature Selections good title to purchase
for active reading on the text

• Honors
• -short stories from Glencoe
• -short stories from Currents in Fiction
• -poetry packet
• -Night by Elie Wiesel
• -Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury
• -Chasing Lincolns Killer by James L. Swanson
• -Midsummer Nights Dream by Shakespeare
• All classes? Reading Goal 25 books

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Literature Selections good title to purchase
for active reading on the text

• Academic
• -short stories from Glencoe
• -Chasing Lincolns Killer by James L. Swanson
• -Inherit the Wind by Jerome Lawrence and Robert
  E. Lee
• -poetry
• -Night by Elie Wiesel
• Possibly
• Blizzards Wake by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
• All classes? Reading Goal 25 books

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Writing

• Responsive, persuasive, expository, and creative
  writing
• Food for Thought
• ?Strong writers spend approx. 2/3 of their time
  planning and drafting they cut material, move
  ideas, and expand ideas to develop content well.
• ?Good writers read their work aloud, not from the
  computer, but a printed page. They talk to the
  text while editing.

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Grammar language of writing!
Research end of 2nd marking period into 3rd
m.p. -packet will come home -step by step
process -research work is major portion of
3rd marking period grade!

• building blocks
• sequential units
• practice tests (always formatted as actual tests)

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Daily Routine

• Daily Routine
• ?warm-Up (always)
• may include..
• whole class instruction
• partner work
• group work
• individual work
• review activities/ games
• reading together
• reading analysis
• discussion
• writing
• ?recording homework (always)

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Sample Warm-up Activity
line read line
run sentence
get it all
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Expectations and Policies

• Homework stamp sheet/grade sheet students
  responsibility
• -at front of binder- you can ask to
• see it at any time
• ?Respect
• ?Adherence to dress code
• ?Assignment book daily
• ?No late homework
• Responsible use of homework website
• Preparation/ participation log
• ?Behavior warning
• detention
• phone call home
• referral to principal

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Policies (continued)

• Make-up Work students responsibility
• ? check homework website
• (homework descriptions will be listed there.
• Sometimes resources are posted).
• ? Go to NMS website and click 8A Quest
  www.crs.org
• ? Click on Ms. Kavalek link and go to
  homework page
• ?call classmate to get more information
• ?see me upon return to school and schedule time
  to complete missing work

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Opportunities to Get Help ?Tuesday during RA
(815 to 845am) ?Thursday after school
(305 to 345pm) ? special clinics
(announced in class)

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Recipe for Success Thank You!

• My Contact Information
• email tkavalek_at_crsd.org
• school phone number 215-944-2600
• Thank you for being here tonight. As always,
  thanks for your time and constant support.
  Together, we can ensure that your child has a
  successful eighth grade year. ?