to

Mrs. Mary Lou Bettez's

English Language Arts Class!

Everything you need to know for English this year...

As you navigate through this site, you will find a newsletter, rubrics that you can print to help guide you with your work at home and other essential info. I will also from time to time post homework assignments. Due dates for assignments will be located on the Homework Page.
Just click on the Homework Button, and you will be on your way!

Welcome back Elements and welcome to all our new parents and students! Hopefully, this introductory letter will provide to you initial information that will help prepare you for the first few weeks of our new school year.

Elements English is designed as a reading and writing workshop. As such, students will be required to read books of their own selection through the year. This occurs both at home and in school.  To help parents better support their students I have enclosed a syllabus of anticipated assignments (both in class and homework) for you to post on your fridge.  The assignment timelines are approximate.  Timelines will be updated weekly.  You will note that I expect students to read 30 minutes nightly on the dates marked with an asterisk. This is their standard assignment.

Writing assignments will be ongoing, as well. Homework within this area of English is a natural extension of the student's class work. Writing pieces are begun in class and sometimes continued at home. Students will practice the writing process approach. This includes the pre-write, rough draft, self-revision, peer and/or adult edit, and final copy. Each of these completed steps must be stapled together prior to submission to me. Students will keep a writing folder in class of their writing. Hopefully, this will assist them in keeping their writing pieces safe from loss.

Several times during the year students will be required to complete a portfolio. It is imperative that students keep all their writing in order to accomplish required entries. PLEASE DO NOT THROW ANY WRITING WORK AWAY. After the portfolios are completed they are presented to parents during student-led conferencing. Parents are invited to assess their child's work through participation in this conference.  After the presentation I will facilitate a discussion among the three of us designed to assist your child in goal setting and an action plan designed to achieve his/her goals. It has been my experience that parents fully enjoy participating in this process, and the portfolios and conferences provide to parents a deeper insight into their child's learning experience. The parent's reflection provides to me further insight in guiding individual children to reach higher expectations. '

Grade Level Expectations & Statewide Testing

As many of you are aware our state in cooperation with New Hampshire and Vermont has developed Grade Level Expectations.  New Standards were written with grade spans (5-8).  Now we have standard expectations by grade.  In other words, the states have worked to describe what students need to know and be able to do for grades 2-8 and grade spans 9-10 and 11-12.  Mid-October all students in grades 3-8 will be assessed in reading and mathematics.  Students in grades 5 and 8 will take the writing assessment as well. 

You will need the following items daily: 

An Engaged Mind 

Get a good night's rest and eat a good breakfast:)

Participate-You must RISK being wrong in order to be right!