Welcome to

The Kelly Miller Middle School Academy

ELA 6th, 7th, 8th Grade Classes
Ms. Tolisha Simmonds
Room: A107
Tolisha.Simmonds@dc.gov
MsSimmondsClassroom.weebly.com
202-388-6870 ext.1222505 (Classroom) 240-360-0816(Google voice)

Course Objective:
The goal of the Academy English Language Arts course is to challenge and equip our scholars to grapple with advance text and to grow
exponentially as thought provoking and intellectual writers. Students will accelerate through a compacted curriculum exploring the content
of their grade level and advancing to the next grade level within the same year. Students will leave the academy having had extensive
experience with reading, writing, and testing on an advanced level.

Course Requirements:
Students must complete all course work and turn in class work, homework, essays, and projects on time.
Students will complete one major project for each of the 4 units that must be turned in before the end of the marking period.
Students are required to conduct independent reading in and out of school and submit book reports with parent/teacher signatures
in order to receive credit.
Students are expected to show a minimum of 10% growth on each interim assessment. Interim assessments will count as a grade.
Students must come to class prepared with materials daily.

Classroom Structure:

Children must be taught how to think, not what to think!

Page 1

6th Gold Units at a Glance

Unit
1-Growing Up?
2-Heros, Gods and
Monsters
3-Perserverance
4-Humor and
Despair

Texts

Focus

Contemporary Fiction
Biographies
Informational Text
Myths, Legends, Folktales
Informational Text

Students will compare and contrast how different texts

explore the theme of growing up.

Poetry
Informational Text
Literature
Literature (Traditional)
Literary-Nonfiction
Informational Text

Students will explore external and internal conflicts among

people who succeed.

Students will go back in time to experience heroes, gods,

and monsters from around the world.

Students will evaluate the human condition by examining

humor and despair in literature.

7th Gold Units at a Glance

Unit
1- Perseverance
2- Humor and
Despair
3-Looking Back at
the Past
4-Dramatically
Speaking

Texts
Poetry
Informational Text
Literature
Literature (Traditional)
Literary-Nonfiction
Informational Text
Poetry, Fiction, Art, Maps,
Audio
Informational Text
Shakespeare
Informational Text

Focus
Students will explore external and internal conflicts among
people who succeed.
Students will evaluate the human condition by examining
humor and despair in literature.
Students will examine primary sources and revisit our
nations revolutionary roots.
Students will analyze lines of dialogue, scenes, and words
from plays, speeches and poetry they read, recite and
perform.

8th Gold Units at a Glance

Unit
1-Looking Back at
the Past
2-Love or Madness

Texts
Poetry, Fiction, Art, Maps,
Audio
Informational Text
Shakespeare
Informational Text

3-Tension in
Society

Literature
Informational Text

4-The Good, the

Truth, and the
Beautiful

Literature
Informational Text

Focus
Students will examine primary sources and revisit our
nations revolutionary roots.
Students will explore love in literature and in life, reading
essays, poetry, fiction and fact about the human need for
love.
Using Tension as a lens, students explore how various
authors create mystery, tension and surprise in engaging
literature.
Students will examine the role of figurative language an
literal language to evoke emotion, create imagery, and
deepen comprehension.

Children must be taught how to think, not what to think!

Page 2

8th Maroon Units at a Glance

Unit

Texts

Focus
Students will examine primary sources and revisit our nations
revolutionary roots.

2- Dramatically
Speaking

Poetry, Fiction, Art,

Maps, Audio
Informational Text
Shakespeare
Informational Text

3-The Road Not

Taken
4-Artist Who
Move Us

Poetry
Informational
Traditional Literature
Informational

Students will grapple with the tension between conformity and

individuality.
Students will examine the aesthetics of literature and art,
reading about artists and authors whose work has a social or
political message.

1-Looking Back at
the Past

Grade Scale
A 100%-93%
A- 92%-90%
B+ 89%-87%
B 86%-83%
B- 82%-80%
C+ 79%-77%
C 76%-73%
C- 72%-70%
D+ 69%-67%
D 66%-64%
F 63%-Below

Assignment Weights
Participation= 10%
Student Work=50%
Assessment=20%
Projects=20%

Students will analyze lines of dialogue, scenes, and words from

plays, speeches and poetry they read, recite and perform.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Daily Required Materials

Composition Books (2)
Pen or Pencil and Sharpener (2 daily)
2 Folders (1-Black and 1-Orange)
Markers-1 pack
Highlighters-1 pack
Index Cards- 2 packs
(To Donate) 1 box of tissue, 1 plain air freshener spray, 1
container of Clorox wipes, 1 hand sanitizer
Resource Books/Agenda/ Calendar

*Homework sheets are provided weekly on the first day of the week and are expected to be turned on Friday or
the last day of the week. If the student is absent, it can be turned in the following day, outside of absence
there is no excuse for late homework and it will not be accepted. Each homework sheet is worth 20 points.
Additional copies of the weekly HW sheet can be found on www.MsSimmondsClassroom.weebly.com .

Student Expectations:

Students should be present, on-time, and prepared with the recommended supplies. (No Cell Phones)
Students should contact the teacher immediately with issues, concerns, and conflicts.
Eating, drinking, and chewing gum are not allowed in class.
Students should follow all rules set forth by Kelly Miller Middle School. (Listed in Student Handbook)

Reading Goals/Quarterly Grade Association

Number of Books Read
for the Year

Quarterly Breakdown

Grade Given Per Quarter

Book Completion Report

Quarterly

31-40
21-30
11-20
4-10
0

8-10
5-7
3-5
1-3
0

A
B
C
Low C
F

8-10
5-7
3-5
1-3
0

Children must be taught how to think, not what to think!

Page 3

10 Habits of Successful Students

1. Get Organized. Making a plan for what you're going to do and when you're going to do it will make sure you're
always ahead of the curve - literally.
2. Don't multitask. Studies have shown that multitasking is physically impossible.
3. Divide it up. Studying isn't fun to begin with, and forcing yourself through a study marathon will only make it worse.
Dividing your work into manageable chunks and rewarding yourself when you finish each chunk will make studying
(more) fun.
4. Sleep. Don't underestimate the importance of those eight hours of zzz's every night! Getting a good night's rest will
sharpen your focus and improve your working memory.
5. Set a schedule. Do you work better right after school or after you've eaten dinner? Are you more productive in 90minute blocks or half-hour spurts? Find a schedule that works for you, and stick to it.
6. Take notes. Taking notes will not only keep you more engaged during class, but will also help you narrow down what
you need to study when exam time rolls around. It's much easier to reread your notes than to reread your entire
textbook!
7. Study. This one might be obvious, but did you know that there's a right and a wrong way to study? Review your
material several days ahead of time, in small chunks, and in different manners (for example, write flashcards one day
and take practice tests the next). In other words, don't cram.
8. Manage your study space. Find a place that will maximize your productivity. Look for places away from the
television and other distractions. Whether it's your local library or just the desk in your bedroom, set aside a study
space that you'll want to spend time in.
9. Find a study group. Sitting down with a group of people who are learning the same things as you is a great way to
go over confusing class material or prepare for a big test. You can quiz each other, reteach material, and make sure
that everyone is on the same page. After all, teaching someone else is the best way to learn.
10. Ask questions. You're in school to learn, so don't be afraid to do just that! Asking for help - from a teacher, a tutor
or your friends - is a surefire way to make sure you truly understand the material.

Helpful Websites:
Website

Purpose

www.engradepro.com
Check Grades/Communicate with Teachers
www.newsela.com
Extra Credit/Skill Development/Test Prep
www.mssimmondsclassroom.weebly.com Contacting Ms. Simmonds/ Keeping up with
classroom activities/ Printing important Documents
http://www.parcconline.org/aboutInformation about the standards used in the
parcc
classroom and the summative assessment taken at the
www.corestandards.org
end of the year
http://www.teenreads.com/
Purchasing Books
http://www.scholastic.com/
Checking out new releases in Teen Novels
http://www.npr.org/
Finding Book Clubs
Ordering Teen Magazines
Children must be taught how to think, not what to think!

Page 4

A message from Ms. Simmonds

Dear Parent/Guardian,
Today we embark on the next phase of this your scholars academic career. Today we face new challenges,
obstacles and diversions. If we face the difficulties individually, then we are likely to fail, but if we work
together as a unified force, we can rise as champions in this fight for your childs future. Today, I ask you to
join me as an active, engaged participant your childs daily learning process. How can you support your child
you ask? First, inquire about their learning daily! Ask, how was your day? What did you learn? Did you
understand the lesson? Are you having struggles? Parents you can even ask to see the evidence of their
learning by review completed work. Simple questions to remind your child that you care about their education
and that you are concerned about their work. Be sure to check your childs work for completion before they
hand it in. Go beyond asking if homework is finished and ask your child to see the actual work.
Throughout the year there are several opportunities to meet with teachers and get helpful information about
your scholars progress. I look forward to seeing you at parent teacher meetings, school events, back to school
night, sporting events, and field trips if possible. These opportunities will enable us to foster a strong circle of
support around your scholar.
I encourage you to communication with me if you have concerns about your childs work. I am here to ensure
your childs success. I am always available to meet and strategize ways to effectively reach and educate your
child. This will be a year of growth, hard work, overcoming challenges, and achieving success.
Sincerely,
Ms. T. Simmonds

(Return this Portion of the Page to Ms. Simmonds on Friday, August 28th, 2015)
Students Name: ___________________________________________________________________________________
Student Signature: ________________________________________ Date:___________________________________
Parents Name: ____________________________________________________________________________________
Parent Signature: ________________________________________ Date:____________________________________
Parent Cell:__________________________________ Parent Email:_________________________________________
Parent Work Phone: ________________________________
Emergency Contact 1:_____________________________________________________________________________
Emergency Contact 2:_____________________________________________________________________________

Children must be taught how to think, not what to think!

Page 5