Malone Middle School
15 Francis St.
Malone, NY 12953
ph: 518-483-7801
mspicer
Dear Students and Parents / Guardians,
My name is Mr. Spicer, and I will be working with you during English / Language Arts class this year. It is my hope that this year will prove to be both exciting and challenging.
The goal of ELA class is to provide opportunities for students to improve their reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills through a variety of activities, such as critical and creative writing, formal presentations, and literary analysis.
We will start off the academic year with a brief overview of study skills which will help the students to achieve success in ELA, a review of Target 3 Strategies, and an introduction to the Writing Workshop.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at the Middle School (483-7801). I look forward to working with you and your child as we all strive for success this year in English.
Sincerely,
Marc Spicer
New NYS Learning Standards?
The State Education Department is currently developing a new set of Learning Standards that are aligned with the Common Core Standards. All states are expected to adopt the Common Core Standards this summer, so a finalized draft of the new standards should be available soon. In the meantime, you can view the proposed NYS Learning Standards here.
More information about the proposed standards can be found at the New York State English Council's Web Site.
Important Updates on the
NYS State Exams
In June of 2010, the New York State Department of Education released a letter to District Superintendents which outlined the updates for next year's ELA and Mathematics Exams for Grades 3-8. These updates introduce new tasks and topics to the exam.
I highly recommend that all parents and students read the press release carefully. You can find a copy of it here.
I will do my best to keep you up to date at what promises to be an interesting time in education!
Important Dates
9/7/10 First Day of School
Every Day - Preparedness check
9/15/10 Green Student Data Sheet Due
9/16/10 Listening Activity (Worth 1 Quiz Grade)
9/17/10 Academic Goals Due
9/20/10 Welcome to ELA 7 / Communication Quiz
9/21/10 Binder Check (Worth 1 Quiz Grade)
9/24/10 "Seventh Grade" Short Response Due
9/25/10 ELA 7 Progress Reports Online Newsletter Due
9/29/10 "Question #6" Short Response Due
10/6/10 "Question #3" Short Response Due
10/18/10 Personal Narrative Due (Worth 2 Quiz Grades)
Note: Short Responses are worth one quiz grade each.
Hint: Don't wait until the last few days to prepare for an important date. Start preparing now!
Note: All dates are subject to change.
Contact Mr. Spicer
Parents / legal guardians are a child's most powerful asset in education, and Mr. Spicer loves to hear from them!
Please feel free to email Mr. Spicer at mspicer@malonecsd.org, call him during the school day at 518-483-7801, or call him at home (before 8 P.M.) at 483-9061.
The more involved parents / guardians remain in their child's learning, the more successful the child will be.
Did You Know?
Mr. Spicer has an open-door policy for parents / guardians. Set up a time when you would like to sit in on your child's class, and he will have a warm cup of coffee waiting for you!
Malone Middle School
15 Francis St.
Malone, NY 12953
ph: 518-483-7801
mspicer
