English 8

Welcome!

I hope you find this site informative and helpful because it was created just for you. 

If the information you are seeking is not here or you need to contact me directly, simply shoot me an email:

email: chris.thompson@nebo.edu                                                                        801-798-4075 ext.1504

Mrs. Thompson's English 8

Classroom Policies and Procedures Disclosure Document

Classroom Expectations

The Rule of 30: Ask yourself, if all thirty (plus) students were doing what I am doing, could effective learning take place? If the answer is no, please change your behavior. Teachers have the right to teach, and all students have the right to learn. Please commit to being a team player! All of us will need to work together to stay on task during our short time together in the classroom.

Please be mindful of others.

• • Stay in your seat, knees under your desk, feet on the floor.

  • Call out only when given permission, making sure your comments are kind and on topic.

  • Use a respectful tone with everyone.

  • Come to class prepared to read, write, and participate.

  • Place phones in your backpack/bag during class time and keep earbuds and interactive watches zipped in your backpack, out of sight.

In addition to "No Phones," I have a "Hats okay, but Hoods...no way!" policy in the classroom. That said, if hats are used to conceal headphones or AirPods, students will lose hat privileges as well. 

Tardy Policy

I have a bell-to-bell learning policy. Be in your seat working on the entry task before the tardy bell rings, or you will be marked tardy and forfeit a hall pass. 

 At the end of the period, please wait for me to dismiss you so we can make the most of our time together every day.

Extra Supplies Needed in Class Every Day

Supplies you will need to purchase/bring from home:

• • • 1 one-subject spiral notebook or composition book (no pages will be removed)

    • A whiteboard marker of your own. Black or blue preferred.

    • A reading book of your choice (you may check out from my library after school hours).

    • Your assigned Chromebook, fully charged and ready to use. 

Students who are on task and come to class with the supplies listed above will benefit from daily professionalism points.

Late Work

Late work will receive a 10% (for every day late) deduction, but I reserve the right to increase any score for quality work.

Late work that is not finished properly will not receive a grade and must be redone for credit.

Be Nice!

Name-calling, teasing, gossiping, shoving, tripping, pinching, back-talking, taking/hiding another's property, or gesturing that is aimed to embarrass, minimize, taunt or distract someone else–teachers and substitutes included–will be stopped immediately and will result in lost citizenship points or a principal referral. 

Bottom line...be nice! There are plenty of ways to get attention without acting like a pest. 

Some of the Reading Material for the Year

Read-aloud novel study: The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton  and  The Schwa Was Here

Short Stories: The Lie, The Clown, All Summer in a Day, The Tell-Tale Heart, The War of the Wall, A Christmas Carol, The Horned Toad.

In conjunction with Anne Frank (the drama)—The Hiding Place, Hitler Youth, The Diary of Anne Frank, Night, The Devil's Arithmetic, Resistance, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Yellow Star, The Book Thief, The Boy Who Dared...

In conjunction with Getting Away with Murder: The True Story of the Emmett Till Case—Mississippi Trial 1955, Watsons Go to Birmingham, Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry, Freedom Riders

A variety of poetry, informational articles, authentic documents, video clips, literature circles novels and speeches will also be used to supplement the readings above. We will also view The Outsiders and The Sandlot in class for academic purposes--plot analysis and literary device review.

 Home Reading

Students are challenged to read as many books as they can this year. Those who read 20 or more will be part of the Thompson Twenty Club—an elite group of students who are distinguished enough to have their picture placed on my Wall of Wonder for years to come. In 2015, one of my students read over 200 novels during the school year. Aim high, but don't make yourself (or your parents) crazy! 

• • Regardless of reading level, all students should read 1 book (approximately 250-300 pages) per month.

  • Monthly book talks and one-page Reading Portfolio Pieces will be used to document student accountability for reading.

  • I ask that caregivers help track the books a student reads throughout the year.  Book tracking sheets will be signed and collected monthly. Reading one book per month is the minimum requirement, and students should not expect guardians to sign their chart if no evidence of reading has been witnessed. I do have a library in my classroom, and students may check out books before or after school. I also recommend the Sora app:  https://www.overdrive.com/apps/sora/

  • Our classroom library is stocked with a wide variety of materials for various interests and levels. Please be advised that I have not read every book in our classroom library, and know that no book is right for every student. I invite parents to work with their students to find books that are appropriate and engaging.

Plagiarism/Cheating

Plagiarism is more than copying and pasting something from the internet (or other sources) and saying it is your work.  It also includes copying others' ideas and/or an assignment from a friend. Whether you were absent, just didn't finish the assignment, or forgot it was due, please accept responsibility and commit to do better next time. Cheating results in a loss of integrity and trust; it's never worth the consequence. 

Thanks to technology, plagiarism is extremely easy to detect. If students are caught cheating/copying, or if plagiarism is discovered via internet tools, a "0" will be assigned without an opportunity for making up the points lost.

The purpose of this class is to teach you how to interpret, produce, evaluate and revise a variety of texts. And, while there may be times we use AI throughout the writing process (in the form of brainstorming, editing, revising, etc.) any unauthorized use of Artificial Intelligence that attempts to pass off its writing or ideas as your own, is considered plagiarism and the district’s cheating policies will be enforced. You have wonderful ideas of your own! Let's put them to use.

Absence Policy

Students should check Canvas upon returning to class after an absence. If more information is needed, I will be happy to help reteach concepts or explain assignments after school by appointment or during intervention time on Mondays, the first twenty minutes of class. I have hall duty in between classes, so that is not an ideal time to ask about what was missed.

Two days for each absence will be given to complete the work missed. This is twice the time mandated by the district, so please take your time and do quality work.

Students who ask for work prior to an absence will be expected to turn in finished work upon their return. If a student will not have time to complete the work during an absence, please do not ask for the work in advance. Simply refer to Canvas in those cases. 

***Extended illnesses or emergencies are, of course, exceptions.

***Student attendance/participation/preparedness will account for 10% of a student's total grade.

See Nebo School District Policies (JDH sec. 5) for more information

Grade Scale

We will follow the school's unified grade scale.

Grade Percentage

A 92-100

A- 90-91

B+ 88-89

B 79-87

B- 77-78

C+ 75-76

C 67-74

C- 65-66

D+ 63-64

D 57-62

D- 55-56

F 0-54

Hall Passes

Students will be given three hall passes per term in English class. Unused passes may be turned in at the end of each term for extra credit. Please only use the hall pass when it is a necessity, and leave your phone in the classroom while using the pass. 

Students found abusing hall passes (congregating/loitering in the hallways or bathrooms during class) will forfeit all hall pass use for the year. 

Last year, our school introduced SmartPass as our new hall pass system. SmartPass is a digital platform designed to streamline and enhance the process of managing student movement throughout the school day. With SmartPass, students request and track their hall passes electronically, helping to ensure a more efficient and secure environment. This system will also allow teachers and staff to monitor hall pass usage in real-time, further supporting a safe and organized school experience. We appreciate your cooperation as we transition to this new system and encourage you to reach out to the administration with any questions or concerns. 

You are capable of amazing things! I look forward to reading your work and helping you develop reading skills and discover your own unique writing style.

English class is a great place to read, write, think, and connect! Thank you for being part of our team!