Welcome Back - Grady Middle School
English 8
2012 - 2013
Greetings Parents & Guardians,
Happy 1st Week of School! This school year is off to an amazing start. The students are good spirits and prepared to learn. I believe my 8th grade teammates would agree that this is one of the best starts to a school year, and the students are the reason why!
I am sure many of you have questions and/or concerns about the course as well as the transitions that will occur soon. I will do my best to address them here. However, should you have questions, please feel free to contact me via email -
kstreams@houstonisd.org.
Maternity Leave
My little family is expanding, and I could not be any happier! Next Tuesday, September 4th, we will welcome our second child into the world. This is an amazing blessing. However, leaving my students will be difficult as I have waited three years to work them. I knew they were an amazing bunch when they arrived on campus three years ago as sixth graders. After preparing them for my leave, their discussions and mature attitudes let me know they will be fine. I have let them know how much I trust them to behave and respect the substitute as if she were me. They have truly relieved my anxiety. I will return to campus the week of October 29th.
Substitute
In my absence, Mrs. Attwood will work with them. She will move them through the lessons and activities that I have planned. Rest assured, Mrs. Attwood is a qualified substitute teacher with over 8 year of experience working with the students and teachers at
Lamar High School. Please feel free to communicate with her. However, know that I am still available via email with a 24 - 48 hour response turn around.
Mandatory Supplies
My supply list has been revised, so that students can be efficiently organized in my absence. Once I return, I will begin to ask for the other items listed on the course syllabus. However, for now, students are required to bring to class each day: one 1 inch binder - The binder should be divided into three sections, and filled with a substantial amount of college rule notebook paper; several blue or black pens. This binder should not be paired/shared with any other course.
Upcoming Course Instruction
The students have begun working within Unit 1 of the course. Unit 1 works with fictional text with an emphasis on short stories and poetry as well as author’s purpose. We are working with the summer reading text,
Whirligig by Paul Fleischman – discussing, annotating, and understanding the structure of text. There will be a short assessment this week. The assessment will cover the basic details of the book. Upon my return, we will briefly revisit the book with a short analytical activity.
Mrs. Attwood will work with the students to cover various short stories and poems. The students will complete the following activities in rotation: response to literature – open ended responses; vocabulary; understanding plot structure; writing short essays; independent reading.
Please be mindful – homework will be given a regular basis as it listed in my lesson plans. Once I return, homework will be given EVERYDAY!
Tutorials - Contact Ms. Streams
Should your student become overwhelmed with the assignments or have any misunderstanding, please feel free to email me,
kstreams@houstonisd.org. The email should include their first and last name, class period, assignment details, specific questions, and a telephone number for me to contact them.
I will get to them as soon as possible, and also, communicate with Mrs. Attwood any modifications I have made for the student.
Thank you so much for an awesome year as well as your cooperation in my absence.
All the best this school year,
Ms. Kelly Streams
English 8 – PreAp & Academic
