Mater Lakes Academy Middle/High School A Miami Dade County Public Charter School 17300 NW 87 th Avenue Home of the Bears Miami, FL 33018 (305) 512-3917 Dear Parents and Students, Ms. Ana Perez 6th Grade Language Arts 1 Portable 6 Welcome to Mater Lakes Academy! My name is Ana Perez and I am extremely excited to be your child s 6th grade Language Arts teacher. I have always loved reading, writing and the English language, and I cannot wait to help your child find success in this subject. I have had a passion for helping people, especially kids, my entire life. I can honestly say that to me being in front of a group of students, guiding them, facilitating learning and helping them grow is the most fulfilling feeling. School changed my life and there is nothing I want to do more than help other students in their scholastic journeys. I think education is the most important component in life and to me school is not solely about academics, but about the opportunity to be a positive influence in a child s life and keep them on the right track. My goal as an educator is to motivate, engage, and increase your child s interest and knowledge in reading and writing. Literacy is the key to success for our children s futures in any job field. It is important for parents and students to sit down together and read and discuss the information provided in this document. Please sign and date the attached form and return it back to me as soon as possible. GENERAL PROCEDURES In order to succeed in this class, each student should know what is expected of them. The following are responsibilities that will guarantee a great year. In my class, the golden rule is CARE: Courteous Mind your manners Remember please and thank you Please be polite to everyone Always Prepared If you fail to prepare, prepare to fail Be present and on time (50% of success depends on just showing up) at all times Have all your materials at all times Come ready and eager to learn Ask questions Complete your home learning assignments and study Respect
Yourself Others (teachers/students/staff) School Property ABSOLUTELY NO FORM OF BULLYING WILL BE TOLERATED Effort 110% effort 100% of the time Don t be afraid to go the extra mile, it is never crowded TARDIES Bonus: Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible. Dalai Lama Tardies will result in a lower conduct/academic grade. If students are tardy to my class, it is their responsibility to speak with me to obtain any missed assignments or notes. After an excessive amount of tardies in my class, there will be a call home, or if applicable, a detention will be assigned. ABSENCES All assignments are expected to be handed in and completed ON TIME. However, if you miss school for an excused reason, you must obtain a pass from the main office and make sure that all your teachers sign it in the designated area. Once that official pass is received, you will be expected to catch up on all assignments missed while you were out. Make-up work should be completed no later than a week after the absence occurred. A Z or an F will appear on the grade book until I have received the assignment. Students have 48 hours from the time they return to school from their absence to excuse their absence with the main office. Failure to do so will result in an unexcused absence and in this case, students are not allowed to make up the work. It is imperative you understand the importance in being present in class at all time, because as noted, it directly affects your grade not only in my class, but in all other courses as well. *Please look to the Parent Contract for information on the school s policies regarding excused and unexcused absences and tardies, along with any additional rules or details that may be of interest to you. UNEXCUSED LATE WORK As a result of the transition students are making from elementary to middle school, I am aware that some students may take a while to adapt to this new environment. I have made the exception, in this case, to accept late work for only the first quarter of the academic year. Students who forget to submit an assignment on the specified due date are allowed to turn it in on a later date, but only for the first nine weeks. Students will be notified on the last day late work is going to be accepted in order for grades to be finalized in the grade book. At the beginning of the second nine weeks (2 nd quarter), no more late work will be allowed up until the ending of the academic year. Students will receive an F in the grade book for every missed assignment in my class.
HOME LEARNING Homework will be given on a regular basis and it is expected to be completed and brought to class on the assigned due date, which is usually the next time the class meets. I assign every student a number at the beginning of the year that they MUST WRITE AT THE TOP OF EVERY HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT BEFORE TURNING IT IN, as a part of the required page heading. Homework is always thoroughly explained and clearly written on the Home Learning board by the classroom door. Students are encouraged to write down their homework in an agenda, but if they fail to do so, they can always view the homework on our website: www.materlakes.org. Homework is updated on a daily basis and at times, students will be required to print out certain handouts from the site in order to complete an assignment. Class or school announcements along with important parent/student information will also be posted on the website. I encourage parents and students to access the website routinely, as it is a great tool to use. Remind 101 I understand that sometimes it is natural to be overwhelmed with the many classes and assignments that you all have, and at times easy for things to slip our minds. To help students stay on track, I will use an automated phone number to text reminders about important assignments/tests to students and parents for each of my classes. It is mandatory for every student and/or their parent to sign up for this service. THIS IS NOT MY PERSONAL PHONE NUMBER. PLEASE DO NOT TRY TO TEXT BACK. To sign up for my class reminders, follow the following steps: 1. Find your class below and text the matching code to (406) 203-5098: Period 2 - @mspspe Period 4 - @msps4t Period 5 & 7 - @mspsper 2. When you receive a text back, reply with your full name (first and last). This will subscribe you to my class reminders. SPRINGBOARD CURRICULUM/TEXTBOOK Mater Lakes Academy is continuing our commitment to college and career readiness through a partnership with the CollegeBoard. As a component of this partnership, students will be using the Official Pre-AP Program known as SpringBoard in their Language Arts classroom. SpringBoard offers engaging and relevant lessons that teach students proven learning strategies that emphasize higher-order thinking skills, challenging them to aim higher and achieve more. At the beginning of the academic year, Springboard books will be distributed to students during class time. Upon distribution, students will be asked to sign a sheet verifying that they received their book and their names will be clearly written on the margin of the book. The books will be kept in the classroom and students are NEVER to take these books home. The books are consumable, so students are allowed to write in them and keep them at the end of the year. If the student s book is lost/stolen, they must see me and I will provide them with a financial obligation form. That form indicates that the student lost or misplaced a school resource and I am authorizing them to purchase another one. They must purchase a new Springboard book at the
school library for $15.00. Failure to purchase a new book will impact their academic performance in my class. ASSESSMENTS There will be a variety of assessment tools that will be used throughout the year, which include teacher observations, conferencing, projects, essays, quizzes, and tests. Essays, quizzes, and tests are important to use in the classroom setting because it allows me as the teacher to see what are my students strengths and weaknesses. These forms of assessments will be assigned on a regular basis and students will be given ample time to prepare. At times, however, I may assign students a pop quiz to ensure that they have understood the material and are well prepared for class. Announcements concerning projects, essays, quizzes, or tests will be available on our homework board and on our website. CLASSROOM RULES 1. Enter class in appropriate and complete uniform. 2. Be seated and ready to work when the bell rings. 3. Raise your hand and be acknowledged prior to speaking. 4. Bring all supplies daily. 5. Treat teacher and fellow students with respect. 6. Cell phones are to be turned off and stored away at all times (OR IT WILL BE CONFISCATED AND A PARENT MUST COME TO RETRIEVE IT). 7. No gum, food, or drinks are allowed in classroom, except for water, and snacks when I provide them as a class reward. CONSEQUENCES FOR BREAKING CLASSROOM RULES 1. Verbal Warning 2. Teacher-student conference 3. Parent contact 4. Detention 5. Referral 6. Indoor/outdoor suspension CATEGORIES FOR GRADES Homework: 25% Classwork: 15% Journal (Bell Ringers and EQs): 25% Tests: 20% Quizzes: 15%
ACADEMIC GRADING SCALE A: 90%-100% 4 B: 80%-89% 3 C: 70%-79% 2 D: 60%-69% 1 F: 59%-0% 0 CONDUCT GRADING SCALE A: 0-2 warnings B: 3-5 warnings C: 6 warnings D: 7-9 warnings F: 10 or more warnings EFFORT GRADING SCALE 1: Outstanding Effort 2: Satisfactory Effort 3: Insufficient Effort MATERIALS REQUIRED (1) 1 inch binder (any color) (1) Pack of 3 dividers (any color) : Grammar, Vocabulary, Writing Practice (1) Composition Notebook (any color) (2) Green pens (3) Blue/ Black pens (NO PENCILS) (3) Highlighters (different colors) Loose Leaf Paper College Ruled *Honors students should expect the same texts with an increased level of difficulty in the assignments. I encourage you to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. Feel free to call our main office at 305-512-3917 or you can also use e-mail, which is the most effective way to get in contact with me. My e-mail address is apere007@fiu.edu. I am looking forward to working with you and your child, and I believe in his/her ability to do amazing things. Remember, communication is the key to a great parent-teacher relationship. Sincerely, Ms. Ana Perez Ms. Ana Perez
*REMEMBER* Please sign the attached form, stating that you have read and understand the terms of this letter/contract. THANK YOU I have read and understand the terms of this Welcome Letter/Student Contract. I accept the responsibilities stated in this document. Student s Name (PRINT) Student s Signature Date ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I have read and understand the terms of this Welcome Letter. I am aware of my child s responsibilities, which are stated in this document. Parent/Guardian s Name (PRINT) Parent/Guardian s Signature Child s Name (PRINT) Date