Welcome to the 2009-2010 school year at Charles Carroll Middle School. I will be your child's Language Arts teacher. My name is Mr. Simpson. I will be located in Room T9 shortly, but for now, I am in the Auxillary Gymnasium. I look forward to working with you and your children throughout the duration of this school year. Please don't hesitate to contact me for any reason regarding your child's education. Email is the best form of contact for me.

All students were given a supply list of several items. They are due on Monday, September 1, 2009.

I would like to stress to all parents that your child should have a library card. We have a school media center and a classroom library. Your child will have constant grades for reading in class and at home. It is my preference (for the development of your child) that they utilize other sources for selecting books. The bigger the selection from which they choose, the better the chance of them finding books that will hold their interest. That should be our main goal until they reach the point mentally where they can tell themselves to stay focused regardless of the text at hand.



9-3-09



Students were all given an AT HOME READING LOG today along with instructions. They are required to read four nights per week for twenty minutes at a time. The form they took home has eight slots to be filled out and will be collected every two weeks. The first will be due on Monday, September 21, 2009. If the form is not signed by a parent or guardian, credit will not be given for the assignment. The signature verifies to me that they have been reading at home as they indicated on the form.



Textbooks will be issued tomorrow (Friday, September 4th) to all students. Those textbooks will have a white id-label on the inside front cover. They should remain at home at all times. I ask for students to bring in their books once to twice per year, just to check to make sure they have them and know where they are. Other than that, they should be home at all times, all year. We have an in-class set for school.



Our first story from the textbook is Flying, which can be found on page 119. The story is a memoir and will be used to teach memoirs, and "listening to your inner voice." Along with the inner voice are reading strategies: Connecting, Questioning, Predicting, and Visualizing (which are all explained clearly on page 21 of the textbook).



There will also be a trip to see the Broadway production of the Lion King for 8th grade Lang Arts students on October 28, 2009. The cost of the trip per child is $90. If your child is interested, he/she should see me for a permission slip. A minimum down payment of $25 is due at the time your permission slip is submitted (although you can pay for the entire trip up front if you prefer).