Choteau Public Schools  
 

 
Welcome

I want to welcome you to Choteau Junior High School and to my classroom. I am Mrs. Birnel, your 7th and 8th grade Language Arts teacher.  I will be teaching reading strategies and writing processes.  I look forward to getting to know you and to getting acquainted with your parents.

Classroom Expectations

  • Be on time to class (in your seat when the bell rings).
  • Come to class everyday with your textbook(s), notebook, paper, pens, pencils, highlighters, sticky notes, reading book and any other materials needed for class. PLEASE, remember your BRAIN.
  • Keep your hands, feet, and objects to yourself.
  • Use positive language – Do not ridicule others, do not swear.
  • Raise your hand to speak in class.  Do not talk to friends and neighbors without permission.
Supplies for Class

In this class you will need the basic supplies, plus one or two extras.

  • Pens
  • Pencils
  • Notebook paper
  • Highlighters - pink, yellow, green
  • Sticky notes
  • Journal for rough drafts and writing ideas
  • Folder for important papers
  • Book cover for one smaller text book
  • A thumb drive is very handy to store documents that you may want to work on at home and at school.  Floppy disks corrupt easily and often fail.
Textbooks
  • World of Language - this book you will have daily assignments out of and will need to bring to class everyday. Put a book cover on this book.
  • Elements of Literature - this book we will occasionally in class.
  • Reader's Handbook - this book we will occasionally in class.
  • Write Source - this book we will occasionally in class.

8th Grade Magazine

The Rocky Times

Every month 8th graders will work on a new article for this publication.  Because our publication cannot exceed 44 pages not all students will get published each month, but every student will get graded on their articles and on the revision of articles.  Magazine articles can be about a variety of topics, as long as they have an appeal to a wider audience.  Please check out our latest publication by clicking on this link. 

The Rocky Times 8th grade magazine
Independent Reading

Each quarter I will ask you to set a reading goal for yourself.  Goals are based on the Accelerator Reading points assigned to books. Every book has a point level based on length and complexity of the book.  For Example, Hatchet by Gary Paulson is worth 7 points, while The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien is worth 16 points.  You will need to determine how many points you can read in a nine week period.  We will set new goals for each quarter of school.

This is one of your major homework assignments in my class.  I give very little in-class reading time.  I expect you to read on your own time and I recommend setting aside a half hour a day for reading.  I also recommend that you take your reading book to every class and if you finish a class or an assignment early, use the extra time for reading.  I require reading material to accompany you to class every day in my room.  This is a challenging assignment for some students and if you are typically not a reader you will need to plan ahead.  This is not an assignment you can put off to the last minute.  It requires regular reading, preferably daily, to keep up and make the grade.

 

Writing Assignments

Writing assignments will vary greatly to give each student an opportunity to practice writing in all modes.   I believe that writing is an extremely important skill and I will require multiple revisions of the papers the student’s write so that they have an opportunity to learn from their own mistakes.   I will attempt to make the assignments reflect the types of writing adults do on a regular basis.  There will be opportunities for the students to publish their work and to enter writing contests.