Portland Public Schools
Portland, Oregon

Access LogoACCESS Academy Alternative Program

An Accelerated Program
for Highly Gifted Students

4013 NE 18th Ave | Portland, OR 97212
Phone: (503) 916-6482 | Fax: (503) 916-2547

Newsletter

Ms. Montano – 7th and 8th Grade
Language Arts/Social Studies, Portable 5
imontano@pps.net
503-916-6482

The seventh and eighth grade years are important because it is a time to get ready for high school. Our goals this year are geared to meet that next challenge: develop a strong work ethic, get organized, produce quality work, meet deadlines, accept responsibility, and practice critical thinking.

Communication

This website will help you access information about what we are doing in the classroom, due dates, and other information pertinent to my classroom  It will be the responsibility of parents and students to frequently refer to this site. Feel free to email me if you have any questions or concerns. I check my emails daily and almost always respond that same day.

I also send out a monthly printout of student grades, at the end of each month. That way you can keep track of your student’s accomplishments or areas where we need to further assist. I ask that these progress reports come back to me signed the next day and feel free to add comments. The responsibility to make sure parents get this progress report lies with the student. Of course, if you would like one sooner, just email me and I will send one home.

Supply List

Must have:

  1. scissors (very important, I incorporate a lot of art with our studies, so each student must have their own scissors – please label.)
  2. glue sticks (need to periodically replenish during the year – they go quickly!
  3. pencil/pen supply
  4. highlighters (4-5 colors for editing in lang. Arts)
  5. lined paper (college rule)
  6. 2 – one subject spiral notebooks (not multi-subject) 10.5” x 8”. One for lang. arts and one for soc. studies.
  7. Binder with tabs for each subject including math, science, Spanish, etc.
  8. White Out
  9. Pocket dictionary and thesaurus – very important! These can also be used through high school. We will be using them constantly in language arts.
  10. One box of tissues (for class use during the year)
  11. One ream of computer paper (for school use, we have a small supply budget)
Optional: colored pencils, colored pens, or sharpies

Backpacks

Students should take only those materials they need for each class.  Keep the rest in lockers.  Classrooms get too crowded with huge backpacks on the floor. 

Discipline Policy

  1. One non-verbal warning
  2. Call or email home
  3. Referral and phone call home
  4. Possible meeting with parents/guardians and principal

Electronics:  are banned from use during the school day (even lunch and recess).  If a student violates this school rule in my classroom, I will take the electronic item away from the student, give it to the principal and a parent will have to pick it up.

Late Work Policy

If your student needs a deadline extension on any assignment, I need a parent note to avoid a late work penalty. If absent, the student must check in with me about work missed – this is one way of demonstrating responsibility. ALL WORK MUST BE COMPLETED to get a successful grade. Chronic absenteeism can create stress for the student, and reflect in a grade not desired.

Parent Volunteers

Parents who would like to volunteer in classrooms or field trips, must be finger printed and attend a training class. See Trish in the office for more information.

School Policies

  1. Tardies – School starts at 8:30 am, and a student is marked 'absent' after that time. Late students must sign in at the office. The school secretary will make attendance corrections if needed. If you know your student will be out of school for a long period of time, please contact me and the office.
  2. Outside supervision starts at 8:15 am.

Language Arts

8th Grade: Students will be able to get high school credit for language arts if they maintain a “C” average and produce a portfolio of their writing reflecting growth and mastery. I am following the 9th grade curriculum that Grant High School requires. (See curriculum map and syllabus at the ACCESS website.)

All writing should be typed: double spaced, 12 pt. font only, black ink.

Independent Reading: Each month students will read a book at home (I choose the genre or topic) a culminating activity will be due the first of tne next month that reflects the student's knowledge of content. This promotes analysis, synthesis and evaluation – all critical thinking skills.

7th Grade: will proceed to a higher skill level with an emphasis on descriptive language, analytical essays, conventions mastery, research skills including citations and bibliography.   Reading:  We will also be using the 8th grade book of anthologies, as well as grade level novels.  All work should be typed: double spaced, 12 pt. font only, black ink.

Independent Reading: Each month students will read a book at home (I choose the genre or topic) a culminating activity will be due the first of tne next month that reflects the student's knowledge of content. This promotes analysis, synthesis and evaluation – all critical thinking skills.

All this will be conducted with the spirit of having fun with reading and writing.

Rewrite Policy

When I return a graded piece of writing back to a student, that student may rewrite as many times as she/he needs to in order to get a final grade that they like. These rewrites could make a difference between an “A” or a “B.” When you receive the “Classroom Status Report” and see a grade that is lower than your expectations, please encourage your student to rewrite. They have all trimester to turn in a rewrite, however, I would not wait to long to turn in, because I need time to read and assess. Students get overwhelmed if they do it at the last minute in addition to completing current writing assignments. With my method of correcting, students learn by writing and rewriting – finding their own mistakes and perfecting their style.

I also encourage you to read your student’s work before she/he turns it in to me. I emphasize the editing phase and they have a check-off sheet they are to go through every time they self-edit.

Socratic Seminars

My goal this year is for students to develop more critical, complex thinking skills; to avoid superficial and “shallow” answers. TAG students seem to like to rush through their work and turn it in without meaningful, original thinking. Socrates believed that enabling students to think for themselves was more important than filling their heads with “right” answers.

In a Socratic seminar, participants seek deeper understanding of complex ideas through rigorously thoughtful dialog, rather than by memorizing bits of information. Students will gain experience in synthesis and evaluation, and because seminars require reasoning, predicting, projecting, and imagining, students must gather and analyze information before they can construct ideas.

Through the process of active learning and cooperation, Socratic seminars also help build self-esteem by the ability to independently construct meaning and arrive at thoughtful ideas ,and to be validated for this by others.

Socratic seminars can be conducted in language arts or social studies using parts of poems, quotes, political cartoons, art and music. The dynamics of a stimulating seminar is exciting and I believe our students will truly enjoy this venue.

Never hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. - Ms. Montano