Mrs. Terista's 7th Grade Language Arts
(609) 407-4008
September 2023
Dear students and parents,
Welcome to a new school year!
My name is Mrs. Terista, and I will be your child’s seventh grade ELA teacher this year. We are so lucky that NCS is filled with hard-working educational professionals, dedicated to the success of your child, and we are all looking forward to an exciting, productive year together!
Attached to this letter is my classroom guidelines. Please read this carefully. It explains expectations for students in this class as well as information on classroom procedures. Our goal is to make sure your child’s transition into 7th grade is informed and comfortable, as we make significant strides in reaching their academic potential.
If you have any questions regarding this letter, I can be contacted at school, [email protected], or (609) 407-4008. Please know that your communication is always welcome, at anytime during the school year and all inquiries will be answered in a timely manner. We will also make every effort to keep in touch with you on a regular basis.
Together as a team, we’ll make sure your child receives the best education possible!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Terista
7th Grade ELA Teacher, Northfield Community School
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Classroom expectations/general information
1) Classroom rules for behavior will be discussed with students the first day of school. We’re keeping it simple with the three R’s (Ready – Respectful – Responsible).
2) Schedule: Handout Back to School Night.
3) What to expect in reading and writing:
Reading and written expression: 7th grade takes part in the Collections reading and EB Academics writing program. We will begin the year with an introduction to the writing process (prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, publishing), then move on to the following categories of written expression: Personal narrative, Argument, Informative/Explanatory. These programs are a systematic way to implement reading and writing that reflects New Jersey Student Learning Standards as well as teach students to write well no matter where life ultimately takes them. We’re excited to begin this journey with you!
In addition, novel studies will utilize literature circles as a means of inquiry and investigation. Literature circles are comprised of roles: discussion directors, word wizards, story summarizers, and story connectors (test to text; text to world; text to self connections). The first week of school is dedicated to the discussion director role and Bloom’s taxonomy and how the two work together to create thought-provoking questions that will allow students to get the most from their reading and group work. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, students take part in rigorous centers that connect to their reading and writing studies, and offer enrichment with other New Jersey Student Learning Standards activities (such as Wordly Wise vocabulary). Students also take part in a Do-Now, which is a daily grammar warm-up activity.
4) Assessments: Assessments are a comprehensive view of your child’s progress each marking period. Sometimes an assessment will be teacher-planned (i.e. quiz), other times your child will have the opportunity to choose how they would like to demonstrate understanding of a concept learned (i.e. written report, PP presentation, movie trailer, video game, etc.). Again, each marking period will include an assortment so that no one child is locked into any one measure of their progress. Homework, participation, quizzes, projects, and tests are all weighed in the overall grade.
Thank you! If you should have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out. Looking forward to a wonderful year together!
Mrs. Terista
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General reminder: Students should be prepared everyday in class with charged computers. Charging should take place at home each evening. They should also have a personal charger in case the computer needs additional charging during the school day. Thank you!