I am so excited to be your child's language arts teacher for the 2021-2022 school year!   Here is a little information about myself. I am looking forward to beginning my fifteenth year teaching in Alexandria Township.  Prior to having my children, I taught at Cedar Hill Elementary School located in Basking Ridge, New Jersey.  My husband and I live in Bethlehem Township and have two wonderful children. My daughter Caroline is a senior at The College of New Jersey, and my son Mikey attends North Hunterdon High School.  My family and I also have a dog named Pepper (see photo above!)  In my spare time, I enjoy running, coaching, and reading.    

LANGUAGE ARTS- Models of Instruction:

This year in language arts, we will be following the Reader's Workshop and Writer's Workshop models of instruction.  A typical class period will include the following components: a warm-up message consisting of a "Do Now" activity, a mini-lesson (usually including a mentor text), independent practice &/or small group instruction, and a reflection (closure) activity.  

  7th Grade Language Arts Programs:

Reading~

For this upcoming school year, the 7th and 8th grade teams will be utilizing a variety of programs to foster each student’s literacy skills.  For reading instruction, we will be using components of the Collaborative Literacy program. The Collaborative Literacy lessons will help our classes become a community of learners as they foster both social and academic development. The “Making Meaning” component of the program will help students build their reading comprehension by analyzing engaging read alouds which will serve as mentor texts.  Students will learn key comprehension strategies including analyzing text structure, making inferences, determining important ideas and summarizing, and synthesizing.  In addition, students will have the opportunity to apply the strategies learned through Individualized Daily Reading (IDR).  Students will also participate in book clubs in which they will analyze and discuss a text with their peers. 

Writing~

Students will also build upon their writing skills by hearing and discussing examples of strong writing in a variety of genres.  A Writer’s Notebook will be used as a tool for brainstorming ideas as well as experimenting with language.  During Writer’s Workshop, students will follow the steps of the writing process to take an idea from a first draft to a final published piece. Furthermore, students will utilize the No Red Ink program to participate in interactive mini-lessons to improve their grammar, usage, and mechanics skills.  For more information regarding these programs, please visit the following websites:Collaborative Literacy Program and No Red Ink.

Vocabulary~

Students will also utilize the Membean program to expand their vocabularies. Vocabulary development is an essential skill for both reading comprehension and effective writing.  The Membean program is individualized and allows students to explore the meanings of new words in a variety of ways at their assigned level.  For more information regarding the Membean program, please visit the following website:Membean

CLASSROOM PROCEDURES: 

• Student Expectations- Students are expected to behave in a respectful manner and to actively contribute to his/her team's learning community.   For serious cases of misbehavior, a district disciplinary form will be completed and sent to the main office for the principal's review.  In addition, the student's family will be notified of the misbehavior. 

•  Independence/Organization/Responsibility- During the course of the year, students will learn to become more independent and responsible learners. This includes becoming accountable for actions, setting goals, and seeking answers to questions. In addition, students will be guided to keep materials/assignments organized.  Students will also be encouraged to take the initiative to receive extra help if the need should arise. All homework assignments will be posted on the 7th grade calendar. Students will be given one day to make-up missing or incomplete assignments. 

• Communication- Communication between teachers and families is key. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns you may have. The best way to contact me is via email (I check my email frequently, both day and night!) My email address is: petrie@alexandriaschools.org. If you would like to speak with me, please call my extension. I will be sure to return your call as soon as possible. If you need to leave a time sensitive message such as your child's after school arrangements, please contact the main office.

GRADING:

Tests: 30%

Quizzes: 25%

Writing Assignments: 30%

Classwork & Participation: 5% 

Homework: 10%

Classroom Supplies: