7th Grade ELA Welcome Letter/Syllabus

Dear Students and Families,

Welcome to 7th grade ELA! My name is Mrs. McDonald and I will be your ELA teacher for the 2025-2026 school year. In this letter, you will find information about what we will be doing in class this year. I hope you are as excited as I am!

Our target texts for the year will be:

Quarter 1: A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park

Quarter 2: Lyddie by Katherine Paterson

Quarter 3: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave by Frederick Douglass

Quarter 4: Various informational texts about the development of the teen brain

Be prepared to read daily and complete aligning assignments. Our main areas of focus will be vocabulary, literary comprehension, literary analysis, and writing. Essays will be assigned at the end of quarters 1, 2, and 3. A project will be assigned at the end of quarter 4.

Our classroom is a team and community! Here, we will work together to learn effectively and grow as individuals. You will be expected to work hard, believe in yourself, respect others, and have fun! I am very eager to see the great potential and skills that you will bring to our classroom team.

Class Dojo

Dojo is an e-classroom tool that will be utilized throughout the entire course. This platform allows teachers to award students points to encourage positive behavior. All students have been invited to their online Dojo class prior to the first day of school. Any parent not attached to Dojo yet should do so ASAP. Mrs. McCall can assist with this if needed.

Schoology

Schoology is an e-classroom tool that will be utilized throughout the entire course. All students have a district established Schoology account where they can access assignments. Students absent from class should check the website for missed assignments. Students absent from school for extended periods of time will be expected to find and complete all required coursework through the Schoology website.

Students can use Schoology to send messages to the teacher regarding assignments. If the student does not know their Schoology login, let me know and I can provide it.

Attendance Policy

Attendance is a VERY important part of all students’ successful education. If a student misses class, it is their responsibility to ask for missed work upon their return. Assignments will be posted in Schoology. If a test/quiz was administered during an absence, the make-up will be given upon return.

NOTE: If a student knows ahead of time that they are going to be absent for a prolonged period or will be unable to submit their assignment by the due date, it is crucial that the student lets me know as soon as possible.

Student Expectations

Students should always follow three core expectations: be respectful, be responsible, and be safe.

Be respectful: Treat all students and adults in the building with respect. Be kind and treat others how you would like to be treated. Students should also be respectful of the school environment. Be respectful of school property as well as peers’ property.
Be responsible: Complete and submit all assignments for each class in a timely manner. Carry your belongings with you; don’t forget them in other classes or in the cafeteria. Be on time for each class. Take ownership of your words and actions.
Be safe: Always remain in your assigned classroom unless you are given permission to leave by your teacher. If you leave your assigned classroom, get a written pass from your teacher. Always keep your hands and feet to yourself. Inappropriately touching or hitting other students will not be tolerated and will result in an immediate call home.

Grading

Assignments are weighted according to the following categories:

Classwork 50%

Assessments 40%

Participation 5%

Homework 5%
All work is expected to be the student’s own work and submitted by the required deadline. Students absent from class are expected to make up all missed work.
Late assignments will be accepted within a reasonable timeframe depending on circumstances.
Grades will not be changed once a marking period has closed.
Appointments can be made with the teacher to make up work or receive assistance.

Ultimately, students are responsible for their own success and must make every effort to complete all assignments/projects/homework. Success is dependent upon the student and the parent/guardian making sure expectations are met and discussing school activity on a regular basis. This will help build student independence.

Routines

The routines and activities in which we will engage during class are designed to prepare you for the rest of your student career and beyond. You can expect to routinely engage in activities requiring your participation as a member of a small group or whole group. There will also be times to work independently. Regardless of the current unit we are working in, you can expect to do the following daily: bell work and/or exit ticket, reading, classwork, and homework.

Lockers

Each student will be assigned a locker. They are to bring a combination lock to school (no key locks). Locker checks will be performed on a regular basis. Students are expected to keep their lockers clean and organized.

Homework

Homework will be assigned daily. Most homework will include reading a chapter of the current book as well as a short written assignment. Written assignments mostly include note taking or a paragraph response.

Substitutes

When the teacher is absent from class, an assignment WILL BE GIVEN and expected to be completed and submitted by the end of the class period that day. ALL assignments will be graded and CANNOT be made up unless the student is legitimately absent from school that day.

It is the expectation that students follow the classroom procedures regardless of the adult in the room.

If there are any questions or concerns, please contact me via:

Dojo message
Phone: 716-816-3440
Email: ajmcdonald@buffaloschools.org

Parents and guardians are welcome to schedule a conference with me at any time. Students may also contact me with concerns about classwork.

On the last page of this packet, there is some information to be filled out with your parent/guardian. Please detach and return the signed sheet to Mrs. McDonald by Monday, September 8th. This will be entered as the first grade worth 5 points.

Once again, welcome to 7th grade ELA! Let’s have a great year!

Sincerely,

Mrs. McDonald

For Parents/Guardians:

Student name: ________________________________________________________________

Parent/Guardian Contact Information

Name: _______________________________________________________________________

Relationship to student: _________________________________________________________

Phone number: ( ____________ ) - _______________ - _______________

Language(s) other than English spoken at home: ____________________________________

We (the student and parent/guardian) have reviewed and discussed this course outline in its entirety. We understand that the student is responsible for their own work, including make-up work when the student is absent. We understand that assignments, missing work, and grades can be found online, and that we are responsible for discussing and reviewing the student’s progress on a regular basis.

Student Signature: _____________________________________________________________

Parent/Guardian Signature: ____________________________________________________

PS 050 North Park Community School

Alyssa McDonald

Grade 7 English Teacher

Meet the Teacher

All About Mrs. McDonald

Student Schedules

7.1 Schedule

7.2 Schedule

7.3 Schedule

Course Information

Syllabus

Supply List

Technology/Links