I would like to welcome you back to school!  I am so looking forward to getting to know each of you as we embark on this new school year together. I am hopeful Learning Lab will be a helpful and welcoming place for you to grow as a student. Below is an outline of policies and requirements that need to be met to make this a successful year.

Course Description

In this course you will…

• Work on any missing classwork or homework from other classes.
• Come in with any questions you may have in your classes.
• Develop organizational skills to help you succeed throughout the school year.

Class Expectations

Each time we meet, you will use the first few minutes of class to check the student portal on eSchool for any missing assignments and to review your grades. If you were absent any day for any reason (you weren’t absent the entire day but spent what would have been your English class at the nurse), then you need to find out what you missed. This is a good work habit to establish.

After you check your portal, please go to our Teams and briefly let me know the work you will be addressing during Learning Lab by writing a brief post to the General Channel on Teams. This will serve as a digital log so students can reflect on how they are spending their class time.

PREPAREDNESS

Come to class thoroughly prepared. This means you have all the material you would have for your classes and a fully charged device. Know your passwords.

This is not a free period. This is a support class built into your schedule to complete your assignments and perhaps get some assistance with them. Cell phones are prohibited. You are to use your devices to conduct any research.

Contact me!

Please feel free to email us with any questions or concerns.

                                           Welcome to Writing Workshop!

                                                   A Course Overview

What is Writing Workshop?

Writing Workshop is a course designed to teach both the foundations of writing and the craft of writing in a most engaging way. The year will begin by exploring how the parts of speech function within a sentence and how writers can use them as a tool for creating a writing style.  Syntax will also be explored and considered for both sentence combination and a more sophisticated level of writing. In addition, the class will focus on how words relate to one another in a sentence.

Lessons are scaffolded, in which instruction is modeled. Students will have ongoing opportunities to meet with me and work collaboratively presenting writing in groups and ultimately, to the class. Writing Workshop is a class that fosters a community of writers as well as listeners, as listening is a skill that is often overlooked but quite essential. Student progress will be assessed by quizzes and classwork assignments. Students are not assigned homework in this class; it is strictly a workshop. Please note that this is a Pass/Fail class.  A student will receive a P or F for the marking period based on the grades recorded in the gradebook.

My hope is for your child to have a most enriching experience as a student in this class and to grow more confidently as student writers who can appreciate the craft. After this course, students may never read a book the same way again; what hones reading skills is the ability to think like a writer. The two are entwined. Our writing journey will begin with enthusiasm, respect, and discipline.

Materials:

Students are expected to come to class prepared with a positive attitude, a fully charged device, a folder, and a notebook that is used just for this class. At times, we will also be using Microsoft Teams.

Please note that cell phone use is NOT permitted in class.

Kindly sign below to acknowledge that you have read the course overview for your child to submit to me. Thank you. Let’s have a great school year!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Teresa Collins

Director of ELA