Mrs. O'Keefe

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Happy  Thanksgiving Week to All,

Please don't forget...tomorrow is mass dress!

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving celebrating with family and 
friends.  I count St. Norbert Parish School and especially the gift of your 
children among my most precious blessings.  Thank you for allowing me the 
privilege of being a stepping stone on your child's journey.

Another thank you to all the parents who came ot help with the Thanksgiving 
Feast, and all of those who prepared  goodies in the kitchen last night!  We 
had a great day!

Information regarding next week's conferences went home in Friday Folders.  
Due to the success of Gradelink, conferences are optional, unless a teacher 
has specifically requested a conference. We always welcome the chance to meet 
with parents and discuss how we can work as a team to ensure your child's 
best success. All junior high teachers will be available in the Youth Center 
for individual conferences on a first come/first serve basis.

Conference Hours: December 10th 1:30-8:00pm
                  December 11th 8am-12pm

Look for Christmas dance permission slips in Friday Folders as well.

I have had several questions on "Shadowing" art the various 
high schools.  Please note that "Shadowing" must be set up by the parent. To 
set up a shadow day, call the high school that your child is interested in 
visiting, and if you would like a certain student to guide your child for the 
day, make the request.  Most high schools are very accommodating.

Gentle Reminder...the 3rd installment/deposit for our Washington DC was due 
November 2, 2009.

God Bless,

Mrs. O’

PS....  For more news and Mr. Loffer’s weekly letter, please log 
on to Hawk headlines.

Congratulations to our Top Readers 
Week of November 30th
1.Olivia 
2. Mary 
3. Kelsey 
4. Sara 
5. Kathrine
6. Daniel
7. Andrew 
8. Christina
9.  Eric
10. Zachary

Mrs. O’Keefe – Junior High
Classroom Policies and Procedures
2009 - 2010

Classroom Expectations

•	Be respectful to yourself and to others
•	Be prepared and on time
•	Ask questions in order to learn
•	Do your best and a little bit more!

Grading Policy
In accordance with the grading policy at Saint Norbert School, the grade 
scale for 7th and 8th graders is as follows:

A	95-100				C+	77-79
	A-	90-94				C	73-76
	B+	87-89				C-	70-72
	B	83-86				D	60-69
	B-	80-82				F	59 and below

Homework
Homework is an extension of material that has been covered in class during 
lecture and/or individual reading.  I expect all homework assignments to be 
completed and turned in on time.  Homework should be done to the best of the 
student’s ability.  Questions about assignments or specific problems on 
homework should be addressed before the assignment is to be turned in. No 
late homework assignments will be accepted.  Any late projects or term papers 
will lose an entire letter grade for each day that they are late!

Make-Up Work
#1 Rule....Try your best to be here evvery day!  If you are out, it is your 
responsibility to get any and all work that you missed, including classwork 
and homework.  You must reschedule any tests or quizzes that you missed.  
Homework is always posted on my website. Find someone in your class who takes 
pride in their school work, and double check with them to to make sure that 
you have everything you need.

English
The language arts curriculum for the eighth grade students is largely 
focused on teaching and reinforcing basic grammar skills, mechanics, and 
structure.  At all grade levels, grammar skills are taught and assessed 
based upon each individual level. The eight parts of speech are the primary 
focus of the first trimester in order to provide a solid foundation for the 
rest of the year. Following the eight parts of speech, basic sentence 
structure and parts of the sentence are taught.

Literature
Literature will consist of reading grade-level literary selections both in 
and out of the classroom.  We will focus largely on the four main elements 
of literature – character, conflict, plot, and setting.  In addition to the 
reading selections from the textbook, we will also be reading one novel per 
trimester.  Key literary/poetry terms and concepts will be covered as well.  
In addition, students will be expected to read 180 minutes (3 hours) on a 
weekly basis.  Generally, the students will be given 30 minutes of silent 
reading in class each week, but they will be responsible to complete the 
rest of the reading outside of school.  All students are also expected to 
complete their Accelerated Reader points before the end of each trimester as 
they, coupled with the weekly reading logs, comprise 30% of the literature 
grade.

Vocabulary
Since vocabulary has been incorporated into the curriculum to expand student 
vocabulary knowledge and usage, we will generally cover one chapter in the 
vocabulary book each week (Mondays and Fridays).  We will begin by studying 
word parts, prefixes, suffixes and root words.  The denotation and 
connotation of words will be discussed and studied.  Most chapters will be 
divided into a two week block of study.  Week one will consist only of basic 
vocabulary words, spelling, and part of speech. Building upon week one, 
during week two of study students will be expected to know the definition of 
the words and be able to use them correctly in a sentence.   Spending time 
studying and drilling both inside and outside of class should allow students 
sufficient time to become familiar with the vocabulary words.  The students 
are expected to make an effort to recognize the words in the written/oral 
context and should try to incorporate the words into their personal 
vocabulary.

History
History will consist of class lectures, collaborative learning assignments, 
and research.  We will study the events from colonization through the Civil 
War and Reconstruction, with special emphasis on the Constitution of the 
United States.  Focus will be placed on the challenges that faced the new 
nation, as well as the causes, course and consequences of the Civil War.  
Students will travel to Washington D.C., Boston, and New York City to 
reinforce what has been discussed and taught in the classroom.

English Grammar 8
The language arts curriculum for the seventh grade students is largely 
focused on teaching and reinforcing basic grammar skills, mechanics, and 
structure.  At all grade levels, grammar skills are taught and assessed based 
upon each individual level. The eight parts of speech are the primary focus 
of the first trimester in order to provide a solid foundation for the rest of 
the year. Following the eight parts of speech, basic sentence structure, 
diagramming,  and parts of the sentence are taught.

History 7
History will consist of class lectures, collaborative learning assignments, 
and research.  We will study world history using the book Across the 
Centuries. The focus will be: 
•	empires in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North and South America, and 
the 
effect of geography, religion, leadership, and military strength on their 
development; 
•	comparison of the lives of peasants, warriors, and nobles across the 
centuries; 
•	the similarities of empires in different places and different times; 
•	how the growth of cities changed how people thought.

Discipline

Strike/ Calendar Behavior System

A “Strike System” is used in the seventh and eighth grades by all faculty 
and staff.  Students are given strikes for reasons listed but not limited to 
those cited in the St. Norbert Parish School Handbook pages 22 and 23. The 
faculty will monitor student strikes given each week; students whose choices 
and behavior have warranted three or more strikes in a given week will be 
issued an after school detention.

Students must carry their student planners with them at all times, and 
strikes will be tracked in the calendar section of their planners.

Behavior grades will be calculated in the following way:

No strikes in a day…………………………..4 Points (A)
	1 Strike in a day……………………………..2 Points   (B)
	2+ Strikes in a given day…………………….0 Points (F)

Consequences:

3 strikes/ teacher signatures in a week….students will receive a 45 minute 
after school 					detention.
3 detentions in a trimester….  a conference will be scheduled with the 
student, teachers, 				Principal, and parents, 
and 
a contract will be written.
4 detentions within a trimester…student will receive an in school suspension 
for one 					day.
5 detentions in a trimester…. Student will receive an out of school 
suspension for one 					day.
6 Detentions in a trimester….Student will be asked to leave Saint Norbert 
Parish 					School.

***The school wide discipline plan is strictly enforced throughout the 
junior high program. (P.23-24 Saint Norbert Parish School Handbook.)

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Mrs. O'Keefe

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