A little about me...

IMPORTANT TO ME

• God
• Family
• Ministry – Teaching
• 5:17 Ministries & Valor House
• The House That Mercy Built
• True Purpose Ministries

STATS

• 52 years old
• 1 husband – Willie Leonard
• 4 kids, Andrew, Bryan, Anna, and Alyssa
• 4 grandkids - Piper Ann, Diana Zelda-Lynn, Finn James, and Rebi Jemma Hope
• 3 degrees

üAssociates from Hiwassee College

üBachelors from TN Wesleyan College

üMasters from Walden University

• 18 years teaching experience

SUPPLIES NEEDED

$20.00 class fees for various consumable resources (please give to your homeroom teacher)

ELA

1 – sturdy composition book (not spiral bound)

1 – plastic folder with pockets

SOCIAL STUDIES

1 – yellow sturdy plastic folder to keep in binder

1 - pack of sheet protectors
1 - pack of lined writing paper

BOTH

1 – Pencil pouch tool kit (glue sticks, pencils & sharpener, colored pencils, red pen, 4 highlighters of different colors, scissors, ear buds, and flash drive)

CLASSROOM RULES

1)  Truth – Tell the truth. Lying always makes things worse.

2)  Trust – I trust you to do the right thing, and you can trust me to do the same.

3)  Respect – I already respect you because you are breathing. Please return the favor. Keeping respect is way easier than earning it back.

4)  Personal Space – We all have a right to personal space. Please always honor others’ personal space.

5)  Personal Best – No matter what you are doing, always do your best – even if you make a mistake!

Both ELA and social studies have workbook textbooks. It is very important that you bring it and other required materials every day. Your book is your Bible for class. If you show up without your supplies, you will be considered unprepared for class.  If this becomes a problem, consequences will occur. Please make sure come to class prepared every single day.

GRADING

• Our district is working hard to make sure that report card grades are a true reflection of student ability. This means that they should more closely align with T-Cap scores. For example, if your child scores “Approaching Expectations” on T-Caps, then s/he will probably not be getting straight “A”s in that subject.
• Mid-term grades are not modified in my class. They reflect a student’s actual performance in class before accommodations are made for IEP’s, 504’s, or otherwise.
• Papers marked with an “MA” next to the grade indicate that it was a “Modified Assignment”.
• Papers marked with an “MG” next to the grade indicate that it was a “Modified Grade”.
• Grades with a “C” next to the grade indicate an assignment that was graded for completion only.
• Late work and very late work greatly affects grades.
• Graded papers are returned to students at mid-term and at the end of each quarter to minimize sharing of work.

MMS 8^th Grade Social Studies & ELA

Mrs. Leonard – Grading Policy

Hello.  I’m your child’s ELA and/or social studies teacher this year, and I have been teaching in Monroe County Schools for 18 years.  I have a Bachelor's Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with an emphasis in History and English and a Master's Degree in Reading & Literacy.

Our curriculums provides each student with a consumable textbook. This curriculum is wonderful and has everything needed to provide your child with a quality, rigorous program of study designed to help prepare him/her for their future education.

• AN IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT SOCIAL STUDIES: Your child receives 45 minutes of social studies instruction per day, 5 days a week. This is not a lot of time to cover everything the State of Tennessee requires. Because of that, there is homework given on a regular basis. Students are encouraged to work on their workbooks and any additional homework or missing assignments during free time in other classes if time allows or at home as needed, to stay caught up.  The Monroe County Schools district uses pacing guides to guide instruction throughout the year, and these pacing guides predetermine what is tested when we take regularly scheduled Benchmark Tests.  If I don’t teach everything I am required to teach during the week, then students are unprepared for those tests.  ELA and math classes are twice as long as science and social studies classes, so students seldom have homework in them.  Please visit my page on the school website to see the pacing guide for social studies.

Parents, please discuss with your child, the importance of completing their homework and turning it in on time. I have included my updated grading policy to help facilitate a conversation with your child.

Grading Policy

• Workbook chapters are expected to be completed as we cover the content. For example, if we cover textbook pages 84-86 in class, then students are expected to finish any tasks on those pages that day, either in class or at home for homework.
• Unit tests are given online upon the completion of units. The completed workbook pages and interactive study guide found in their Resource Folders will prepare them for those tests if studied. If students do well completing their workbook pages and unit study guide, they should do well on the tests
• Mid-term grades are not modified. They reflect a student’s actual performance in class before accommodations are made for IEP’s or otherwise.
• GRADED PAPERS are returned to students at mid-term and at the end of each quarter to minimize sharing of work.
• MISSING / LATE WORK - Missing three or more grades in the gradebook result in disciplinary action. Points are deducted for late (60) / very late (50) work. Late work is better than missing work (0).
• PROJECTS - From time to time, projects will be assigned. If extra help or supplies are needed, please ask. These projects are designed with a zero-dollar budget in mind and come with detailed instructions and a rubric.
• SKYWARD – Students are expected to keep up with their assigned and graded work by checking Skyward often. This helps them recognize when they are missing something and helps them keep up with their grades.  Skyward generates an easy-to-access missing assignments report for students.
• RE-TESTING – Students can only re-test if they receive a failing grade on a test or quiz. Students are required to spend at least 60 minutes studying for a re-test beforehand.  In accordance with the Monroe County Schools district policy, half the difference of a re-test will be added to the original grade.  For example, if Susie scored a 50 on her first attempt and an 80 on her second attempt, then her grade will be adjusted to a 65, making her grade a D instead of an F.

Middle school social studies is a lot different than previous grades.  The content is more challenging, and more is expected from students.  I understand that this transition is difficult, but with proper encouragement from home, students will be successful and leave my class ready for their high school history classes.

Re-testing / Re-do Policy

The Monroe County Board of Education Policy 4.600 concerning Re-do’s states the following:

Because mastery of the standards and material is our main goal, students who have received a “D or F” may have the opportunity to redo an assignment, quiz, or test within three (3) school days of receiving back the graded assignment, quiz, or test. The maximum a student can earn on a “redo” is ½ point per corrected item.

If a student wishes to re-do any assignment, quiz, or test in my class, s/he has three (3) days from the day grades are posted in Skyward to request that opportunity.

MRS. LEONARD’s Re-DO PROCEDURE

Students must make arrangements to attend after-school tutoring in Mrs. Leonard’s classroom within three (3) days of posting in Skyward to take advantage of this opportunity. Students are strongly encouraged to check grades in Skyward daily.

If a student wishes to take a re-test or re-quiz, s/he must spend 30 minutes studying independently at tutoring beforehand, then the re-do will be given.

Any re-do’s for classwork or projects must be completed while in tutoring; no work completed outside of tutoring will be accepted.

Re-do work does not replace a poor grade. Only ½ the improved grade will be added to a poor grade. For example:

Sally failed the 13 Colonies Test on Friday, scoring a 59%. She decides to attend tutoring on Wednesday after checking her score in Skyward over the weekend. At tutoring, she studies for 30 minutes before taking the re-test and scores an 81%. This is a 22-point improvement over her original grade, so ½ that will be added to her first grade of 59%. Sally’s revised grade on the 13 Colonies Test will be a 70%.