Mrs.

Aounallahs Class

Bear Branch Junior High

2015-2016 School Year

LANGUAGE ARTS

Literature is no ones private ground, literature is common ground; let us trespass freely and fearlessly and find our own
way for ourselves. - Virginia Woolf

Guiding Rules
Be prompt.
Be prepared.
Be equipped with
supplies for
classroom activities.
Demonstrate
courtesy and respect
to faculty and peers.
Strive for intellectual
growth.
*Special Rule*: This is a NO
whining zone. Everything I do is for
your best interest. Please respect
that.

Class Expectations
1.Be in seat when tardy bell rings.
2.Put proper heading on all papers.
3.Do not use electronic devices in class
without teacher permission.
4.Use restroom during passing breaks
or restroom pass wisely.
5.Maintain a clean and orderly work
area. Take all of your belongings, pick
up any scrap papers around you, and
put your desk back in line before you
leave each day.
6.Bring all of your supplies to class
daily.
7.Complete all of your work and turn it
in on time.
8. Do not cheat, plagiarize, or copy
work.
9. No food or drink, except water
unless you have a doctors note.
10. Never line up at the door before
dismissal.
11. Use polite and appropriate
language. Offensive, derogatory, and
profane terms are not tolerated.
12.All BBJH rules and policies shall be
observed within the classroom.

Course Description
Welcome to 7th grade Language Arts!
Our focus this school year will be
learning and developing our skills as
critical thinkers, readers, writers,
speakers, and listeners. The
development and mastery of these
important literary skills not only is
important to achieving success in the
Language Arts classroom, it is a
critical component of achieving
success in other school subjects,
building strong relationships with
others, and attaining a flourishing
career as an adult. Basically, the
quality of life you experience now
thorough adulthood will depend a lot
on how well you read, write, and
What
do I get if I follow class rules?
communicate with others.
Your appropriate behavior in class assures everyone of an
environment conducive to learning. Some possible rewards for
continuous appropriate behavior are: intrinsic value (satisfaction
of learning), improved skills, verbal praise, positive note to
parents, tangible trinkets, and special class activities /
privileges.

What are the consequences if I dont follow

class rules?

1. Warning: the teacher provides a verbal reprimand/reminder to

student.
2. Lunch Detention: short time spent during lunch to contemplate
conduct.
3. Call Home: a mark recorded for poor conduct. Parent will be
contacted.
4. Referral
to Administration:
a student
immediately referred to
What
happens
if I turn
inwill
anbeassignment
administration
for
severe
behavior
problems.
Work not completed and turned in by the assigned date is

late?

considered late. If a student is absent on the date work is due, the

assignment is due the first day the student returns to school.
Students who submit late work one day past the due date will be
given a grade that reflects level of mastery, with a 15 point penalty
for lateness. Students who submit late work two or more days past
the due date will be given a grade that reflects level of mastery, with
a 30 point penalty for lateness. Assignments not submitted will be
entered as missing which will calculate as a zero.

daounallah@magnoliaisd.org

School Telephone: 281-356-6088

Mrs. Aounallahs Class

Grading Scale

On-Level Classes
Formative
Summative
District Common Assessment

34%
51%
15%

Formative
Summative
District Common Assessment

25%
60%
15%

Pre-AP Classes

Re-Test Policy
Teachers have the discretion to provide
retesting opportunities for summative
assessments for all students who are
willing to complete or redo practice
assignments and/or attend tutorial
sessions to enhance learning. Students
must fill out a retest form. Only one
retest is allowed per assessment and it
may be a different version of the original
assessment. The retest grade will only be
used if it is higher than the original grade
on the previous assessment. Students
are not permitted to take a retest on 9
week tests, released STAAR tests, or
major projects.

Supplies

Two composition books

1 pocket folder with brads
Pen and Pencil

Suggested Supplies
One handheld pencil sharpener
One set of four or more highlighters
Glue or tape
Colored Pencils or markers

Bear Branch Junior High

2015-2016 School Year

What do I do if I am absent?
Always check the class website site for agendas, handouts, and
assignment due dates. A student has one extra day to turn in
any work assigned on a day a student was absent. If a quiz
was administered on a day a student was absent, the quiz must
be made up on the first day the student returns. If previously
assigned work was due on the day of the absence, the work is
due on the first day the student returns otherwise it is
considered late. UNEXCUSED absences on the day of an
assignment, test, quiz, project, presentation, paper, etc. will
result in a zero.
*Students missing more than 10 minutes of any given class
Do
I have
to read
of -class?
period
beginning
or endoutside
of the period
will be counted absent
for
that
period.
All students will be expected to read independently on a daily
basis. Students must bring a reading book to school so they are
prepared for independent reading during Reading Workshop.
*A book talk will be due every quarter and must be completed
on an independently read book the student finished that
quarter.*
What types of writing will I do this year?
Process Pieces refer to essays that students will complete on
their Google Drive account. Numerous process pieces will be
completed throughout the year (at least one per quarter). Even
though the process pieces will be worked on and stored in the
students Google Drive, the completed piece must be printed off
and turned in to the teacher on the DUE DATE.

What is an Interactive Student Notebook?

The Interactive Student Notebook (ISN) is a portfolio of
student work. The notebook is organized in a left-side and rightside format. Every right-side of the notebook will house teacher
directed notes / activities, while left-side assignments will
showcase student understanding of right-side material in a
creative and unique manner.
A college-ruled composition book will be used for the ISN. The
ISN will be graded as a summative grade (51%). The majority of
classwork, notes, study guides, AND vocabulary, will be
completed in the ISN, so it is imperative that it be complete and
up to date.
Edlio and mrsaounallahs.weebly.com are our class
websites. This site will house the weekly agendas,
assignment due dates, PDF copies of class handouts,
important announcements, and more.
Please bookmark the following site and check it daily:
mrsaounallahs.weebly.com
Website:
Google Classroom is where many class assignments,
discussions, and projects will be posted and turned in.
Class code:

daounallah@magnoliaisd.org

School Telephone: 281-356-6088

Mrs. Aounallahs Class

Restroom

You will be given a restroom pass each

9 weeks. The pass will grant you 6
restroom breaks. Please use them
wisely, for you will not be given another
pass until the start if the following 9
weeks. Lost or misplaced passes will
not be replaced. It Is your responsibility
to keep your pass in a safe place.

Remind 101
On Level Classes
To receive messages via text,
text
@levelen to 81010. You can
opt-out
of messages at anytime by
replying,
'unsubscribe @levelen'.
Pre-AP Classes
To receive messages via text,
text
@daoun to 81010. You can
opt-out
of messages at anytime by
replying,
'unsubscribe @daoun'.

Bear Branch Junior High

2015-2016 School Year

How do I turn in work?

Work is due at the beginning of the hour when you come to
class. I will not accept work completed once class begins. Turn
in your work/homework to the alpha sorter. Turn absent/late
work into the absent/late work bin. I reserve the right to not
accept late work without a coupon, but you should turn it in
anyway.
What do I do if I am tardy?
If you are tardy, I follow the tardy policy outlined in your student
handbook. You are expected to sign in if you arrive to class after
the bell has rung and sign out if you leave class before the end
of the hour. Be sure to note on the sign in sheet whether you
have a pass. If you do, leave it in the tardy pass box.
*Excessive tardiness will affect your learning readiness grade
and have other consequences, such as detentions, etc.

What is Plagiarism?

Any act of plagiarism will not be tolerated at any level. Joseph Gibaldi in MLA
Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing states, Forms of plagiarism
include the failure to give appropriate acknowledgement when repeating
anothers wording or particularly apt phrase, paraphrasing anothers
argument, and representing anothers line of thinking. You may certainly use
another persons words and thoughts, but the borrowed material must not
appear to be your own creation. In writing, then, you must document
everything you borrow; not only direct quotations and paraphrases, but also
information and ideas (34). Any student who commits plagiarism will be
facing one or all of the punishments as outlined in the BBJH Student
Handbook.
*Repeat offenders will be dealt with even more severely (35).

What if I am done early?

Double-check your work. Make sure all answers are correct and
complete, the heading is correct and there is a title at the top of
the page when appropriate.
Work on missing or incomplete English work
Review vocabulary words
Complete extra-credit assignments when available
Read choice novel

Methods of Communication
School Phone: 281-356-6088
Email:
daounallah@magnoliaisd.org
Planning Period: 4th
Conference Period: 7th
Tutorials: Tuesdays 6:50- 7:20 or
by appointment.
daounallah@magnoliaisd.org

School Telephone: 281-356-6088

Mrs. Aounallahs Class

Bear Branch Junior High

2015-2016 School Year

PLEASE READ THE COURSE INFORMATION, SIGN, AND

RETURN THIS SHEET TO MRS. AOUNALLAH
Students:
Please sign below to signify that you have read the course sheet for Mrs. Aounallahs
class, will keep it in your folder, and will be responsible for the information throughout the
year, and will check Parent Portal at least twice per week at school or at home.

_______________________________
_____________________________________________
Student printed name
Student signature

Parents/Guardians:
Check all the statements that apply to how you would like to communicate with Mrs.
Aounallah about your students progress. I will, of course, call for major concerns or
accomplishments, but with approximately 130 students, I like to know how youd prefer to
communicate.
_____ I/We have internet access at home, so we will check Parent Portal at least twice per
week to check on my/our students progress. I/We will contact Mrs. Aounallah about any
concerns we have.
_____ I/We plan to email Mrs. Aounallah weekly or monthly for an update.
_____ I/We do not have internet access at home, but I/we would like to have regular
contact with Mrs. Aounallah. I/we will call for an update on a regular basis.
_____
Other:_______________________________________________________________________________
Please sign below to indicate that you have read the course sheet for Mrs. Aounallahs
class and that you will help your student be accountable for the information. If you have
questions about the course or your
students work, please do not hesitate to contact me; email is the best way to reach
me quickly. See the front of this sheet for my email address.

_______________________________
_____________________________________________
Parent/Guardian printed name
Parent/Guardian signature

_______________________________
______________________________________________
Parent/Guardian e-mail
Parent/Guardian daytime phone number
(please print)

Parents and guardians, please CIRCLE the best way for me to contact you:
e-mail
phone
daounallah@magnoliaisd.org

School Telephone: 281-356-6088