WELCOME TO THE 8 th GRADE Keely Amos

WELCOME TO THE 8 th GRADE!! Keely Amos, Michael Cox, Teressa Garmon, Caryl Florentine, Nicki Harvey, Marcie Hughes, Beth Jarrett, Amanda Moore, Kristina Priest

Conferences: • If you would like to discuss your child with a particular teacher/group of teachers, please sign the purple pad at the front of the room. We will contact you and set up a time to meet. Our planning time is from 11: 45 – 1: 15 each day.

Dawson County Middle School 332 Highway 9 North Dawsonville, GA 30534 Phone (706)216 -5801 Fax (706) 265 -7252 www. dawsoncountyschools. org

Administration: • Principal - Dr. Mark Merges • Assistant Principal - Nicole Le. Cave • Graduation Coach - Steven Gerrells • Counselor - Becca Wilson

What does my child have to learn this year? • Check it out: – www. georgiastandards. org ***Find the answers you’re looking for in all of the academic classes, for all grade levels!

Textbooks: • At DCMS, we use a multitude of resources to teach all of our content areas. However, we DO have plenty of textbooks! • If you or your child want to check out a book (for any subject area) to keep at home, we are happy to do so. Contact your teacher to make those arrangements.

Mrs. Moore *Matter *Energy Scientific View of Nature; Atoms & Molecules; Periodic Table; Properties of Matter; Changes in Matter Forms & Transformation of Energy; Gravity, Electricity, Magnetism, Forces of Nature *Light & Sound *Motion & Work Wave Nature of Sound & Electromagnetic Radiation Relationship b/t Force, Mass, Motion & Gravity; Simple Machines & Work

Mrs. Priest

Mrs. Harvey Georgia Studies: -Georgia’s Geography -Native Americans -Georgia in Colonial Era -American Revolution -Antebellum Period -Civil War; Civil Rights -The New South -Ga in the 21 st Century -America & Ga during WWI & WWII

8 th Grade Fall Adventure!!! • Friday, October 12, 2012 - leave at 7: 45 • Field Trip to Stone Mountain for participation in “The Rock Line” Railroad program • Price: $20. 00 for admission and bus ride • Students will need to bring a sack lunch – these can be purchased through DCMS at your regular daily rate. • September 14 th is the last day to turn in money • Parents ARE encouraged to attend at the same cost as students

Mrs. Amos & Mrs. Florentine • LANGUAGE ARTS: – COMPOSITION – RESOURCES, RESEARCH, AND SKILLS – GRAMMAR, USAGE, AND MECHANICS – SPELLING & VOCABULARY – POETRY – BOOK REPORTS – CREATIVE WRITING

Mrs. Hughes READING – LITERARY GENRE – ELEMENTS OF FICTION – BOOK REPORTS – NOVEL READINGS – READING FOR PLEASURE! – COMPREHENSION – UNDERSTANDING LITERATURE THROUGH DRAMA – CREATIVE EXPRESSION IN POETRY – JOURNAL WRITING

Reading Logs: • DCMS is approaching the reading logs a bit differently this year. We will do novel studies in Reading class, but reading logs will be monitored through the library as an incentive program rather than for a grade.

Spring Atlanta Adventure!!! • Wednesday, May 22 is the TENTATIVE date • Chartered buses to the Margaret Mitchell House, Turner Field, the CNN Center, and lunch at Mary Mac’s Tea Room • Cost is $95 - may fluctuate slightly • We will need chaperones to go at the same price as the student • Extended day field trip, will return home around 6: 00 • Payments will begin in January

School. Notes. com www. dawsoncountyschools. org • We pride ourselves on our parent-teacher communication. We all have pages on School. Notes. com to facilitate this. Updated weekly with assignments, calendar information, test dates, volunteer positions, and much more. • Go to our school website. On the Faculty page, you will find School. Notes links to all DCMS faculty members. You can even email us through this site!

Power School: • Every child has a specific username and password so that YOU can access student information from home. You can receive a personalized ID letter in the front office - see Mrs. Lisa Miller or call her at (706) 216 -5801 ext. 1813 • Check: – – – Grades Specific assignments Behavior Attendance Tardies Absences

Attendance: • Visit: – www. dawsoncountyschools. org – There ARE consequences for absences, tardies, and early checkouts. Check the agenda book for clarification. – Make sure to get those doctor notes!

DCMS Behavior Management Cards: • 1) 2) 3) Expectations: Follow Directions Be Prepared Respect The Rights of Others 4) Respect The Property of The School & Others 5) Keep Hands/Feet To Yourself 6) Promote Emotional & Physical Well Being • Consequences: 94 - Silent/Working Lunch 90 - In-Team Time Out 86 - Parent Contact 82 - After School/Morning Detention 80 - Parent Conference 78 - Saturday School 74 - Office Referral 70 - Office Referral

REMEMBER…. • EACH STUDENT WILL HAVE THEIR LIBRARY CHECK-OUT LABEL IN THE FRONT OF THEIR AGENDA BOOKS. • IF A STUDENT DOES NOT BRING THEIR AGENDA BOOK TO SCHOOL, THEY CAN RECEIVE DETENTION. • IF AN AGENDA IS LOST, STUDENTS WILL GET DETENTION AND MUST PURCHASE A NEW ONE FOR $5. 00

~Reward Day~ • Our first Reward • At the end of each Day will be on Quarter, there will October 18 th from be a reward day for 1: 15 and last until students that do NOT 2: 10. We will be out lose more than TEN on the football field of their points from more details will the Behavior Card. follow. Stay tuned to School. Notes for more information.

**GRADING POLICY: • Summative (50%) – Ex: Tests, final drafts/attempts, projects, performance. • Formative (35%) – Ex: Quizzes, rough drafts, mini presentations, class work • Exam (15%)

DCMS Retake Policy: 1. It is up to the student to ask for the opportunity to retake a summative assessment. 2. The retake must be within 5 days of the date that the original grade was posted in Power School. 3. Must have a parent signature. 4. Student must attend one session of school tutoring for remediation. 5. The assessment must be returned with both the parent and remediation teacher signature in order to schedule a make-up time.

GRADING PROCEDURES: • DCMS defines a passing score and mastery of content at or above 70% • Students will not receive a grade of 69% at the end of any grading period.

What is Tutorial? The Road to Success… • Tiger Time is a time to enrich and remediate all students on the CCGPS. • What did you do well on? • What did you do poorly on? • What do we need to clarify to take you to the next level?

ON SALE NOW… • Stop by the cafeteria and see Caryl Florentine tonight to reserve your copy of the fifth annual DCMS Yearbook! This year promises to be bigger and better, you don’t want to miss it! The current cost is $30. This cost will increase as the year (and the printing date) progresses.

**E-MAIL ADDRESSES** ü Keely Amos: kamos@dawson. k 12. ga. us ü Michael Cox: mcox@dawson. k 12. ga. us ü Caryl Florentine: cflorentine@dawson. k 12. ga. us ü Teresa Garmon: tgarmon@dawson. k 12. ga. us ü Nicki Harvey: nharvey@dawson. k 12. ga. us ü Marcie Hughes: mhughes@dawson. k 12. ga. us ü Beth Jarrett: bjarrett@dawson. k 12. ga. us ü Amanda Moore: amoore@dawson. k 12. ga. us ü Kristina Priest: kpriest@dawson. k 12. ga. us

THANK YOU!! • FEEL FREE TO CONTACT US WHENEVER YOU HAVE A QUESTION! (706) 216 - 5801