Welcome to 8th Grade Literacy

with Mrs. Jurczak & Mrs. Ewoldt

We are the

8A

Alphacats!

Changes This Year

• Students and Teachers placed on Teams

• New Building Schedules:

9 Periods/No Take 10/ Wildcat Days

• Skyward Report Card

• B.A. in American Studies from Dominican University with Concentration in Elem Ed.

• M.Ed. In Reading and Literacy from Benedictine University/Reading Specialist Certification-IL

12 years in South Berwyn District 100 teaching 7th/8th Grade Language Arts

1 year in Maywood District 89 teaching 7th/8th Grade Language Arts

Other Work History:Arthur Andersen, S.C.Sachs and Drake Fuji FilmFirst Chicago Bank

Education:

Teaching Experience

Education:

B.S. in Education at Illinois State UniversityM.S. in Curriculum and Instruction at National Louis UniversityType 75 Certificate from Aurora University

Teaching Experience:

Barrington School District 220Argo-Summit District 104East Aurora District 130

Units of Study• Read Alouds Formal Papers:

• Independent Reading Purpose of Public Education

• Problem Based Learning I-Search

• Class presentations Creative Writing

• Q or Q’s MLK/Children’s March

• Socratic Circle This I Believe

• Book talks/reviews Great American Teen Novel

• Annotation / Analysis of text Edgar Allen Poe

• Reflection /Self-assessments

• Vocabulary – Daily Formal Assessments:

• Grammar-Daily MAP

• E-Portfolios PARCC

Explore Test (GWHS)

Literacy Common Asmt

Weekly Vocab Quiz

Reading WorkshopIndependent Reading: To foster the love of

reading; to build their personal vocabulary; to develop the strategies to think critically; to strengthen their personal reading identity.

* Almost all of their independent reading will be choice; done outside of school (at home)

Guided Reading: • Strategies that will build comprehension

including making connections, synthesizing, repair strategies, determining what is important, making inferences, and questioning skills

• Teacher selected materials• Read Alouds

Reading Workshop

Teacher/student conferencing:• Student involvement in the

learning process by sharing goals based on MAP and ISAT data

• Practice reading aloud with fluency and expression

• Choral Reading• Book Reviews/Book Talks

Word Study

To build vocabulary through reading, speaking and direct vocabulary instruction of roots, suffixes and prefixes.

•Variety of resources: lexicon/quizlet/study guides/in class practice

•Academic vocabulary •Prefixes, suffixes, and root words•Strategies: substitution/context clues/ decoding

•Understand meaning•Parts of speech •Sadlier-Oxford (ISAT/PARCC vocabulary terms)

Writing Writing Process and Writing Products    

• Narrative

• Expository

• Argumentative

• Poetry

• Reflective • Six + 1 Traits:Voice, Ideas, Organization, Word Choice, Sentence

Fluency, and Presentation

• Self and Peer Editing• Multiple Drafts

Writing/Listening & Speaking• Q or Q’s: (Question or Quotation) To

analyze text for meaning; to actively listen to other points of view; to critically discuss ideas and understandings; to practice the process of rewriting for clarity.

• To learn and practice the

hierarchy of talk.

Speaking and Listening

During class, students are expected to speak in small and large group activities and in oral presentations. These are daily expectations.

Class Structure• Warm up/ Independent Reading time (5-10 mins)

• Vocabulary/Grammar practice (10-20 mins)

• Reading Workshop (20-25 mins)

• Writing Workshop (20-25 mins)

• Brain Breaks (usually 2 per class)

• Wrap Up/Review (make sure homework is recorded in assignment

notebook/shutting down and putting computers in cases)

HomeworkMrs. Jurczak’s Website:http://mrsjurczak.weebly.com

• 30 minutes of independent reading every night Mon-Thurs – and once over the weekend

• Q or Q• Vocabulary review• Any additional work for essay writing

Assessment2 Grades: Work Habits and Academic

All Gradebooks are on Skyward = Quarterly grades vs. Trimester

8th Grade Homework Policy:• (3) Three late or missing assignments = Homework Club• A “3” Work Habits = Turned in on time & good quality work

A “2” Work Habits = 1 day late but good quality work or not complete

A “1” Work Habits = 1 day late & poor quality or more than one day late

A “0” Work Habits = Assignment not turned in

Hadley Building Specialists• Literacy Specialist: Judy Heller• Math Specialist: Amy Irvin• PBL Coach: Hillary Shumate

The specialists support teachers in the development and implementation of District #41 curriculum. This includes co-planning and co-teaching in various classrooms throughout the building.

Please stop by the LMC tonight if you have any questions!

An opportunity for you…

• Thank you for joining me in what will be a wonderful journey of learning for your child in literacy.

• Before you leave, please fill out the “A Note From Me/Us” for your student and turn it in to me.

Thank You for coming this evening!