8th Grade Team 5- The Baylor Bears

Gulley - Language Arts

Holden - Social Studies

Brown - Science

Treat - Math

The following students have received top honors for outstanding citizenship:

Cynthia Martinez
Halee Pryor
Kelsey Powell
Devante Hunter
Taylor Christian
Jordan Burdick
Layla Gulley
Marcus Marquez
Brian Barham
Robert Stringer

The first six weeks of school was a challenge for teachers and students, but we know that we are on the right path and success is just around the corner. Our goal for the second six-weeks is that all Baylor Bears are passing all classes. With this in mind, parents please help us with the following:

Please check your student’s SAM Book. This is an important communication tool that helps you monitor what your student is responsible for each day in and out of class.

Students should be reading twenty minutes each day after school. Students will receive a log sheet that will be collected and graded in Language Arts every three weeks.

Please utilize tutoring. We are here for your student.

Call us if you see that your student is failing. Our number is 972-882-5750 and our team conference time is 2:45-3:30.

The Second Six-Weeks:

English
Reg. - In literary circles, students will read, discuss, and analyze, The Glory Field by Walter Dean Myers, develop vocabulary from SAT list.
AT – Read, discuss, and analyze The Tempest by William Shakespeare and The Giver by Lois Lowry.

History
This six weeks in history we'll be discovering the motives, actions and outcomes of the American Revolution.

Science
Our current unit. "Interactions Among Systems," uses activities that unit focus on the structure and function of Earth and the Universe. In the culminating assessment, the students will research the effects of ultraviolet light and create a graphic organizer summarizing their results. They will also design an experiment to determine the strength of various sunscreens.
The AT Science class will also be involved in the Engineering Design Challenge, "Packing for the moon." Working under my supervision, students design, build, test, re-design, and re-build models of a Lunar Plant Growth Chamber, that meets specified design criteria. Students employ the same analytical skills as engineers as they improve their designs. The design challenge culminates in the classroom with each student team preparing a poster that describes the process and results of their work. The Engineering Design Challenges Program connects students in their classrooms with the challenges faced by NASA engineers as they design the next generation of space vehicles, habitats and technology.

Math
8th. grade math will be exploring proportions and their relationships. We will also work with interest, central tendency, sequences, and scatterplots.
Algebra will be working with monomials, polynomials, and solving multiple step equations.

TEAM NOTES:

Tutoring: It will be the responsibility of each student to make arrangements prior to attending tutoring. Tutoring is mandatory if a student fails any core class.
Each team teacher’s tutoring times are as follows:
Brown – Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday – 3:30-4:00 PM
Gulley – Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday – 3:30-4:00 PM
Holden - Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday – 3:30-4:00 PM
Treat – Monday, Thursday – 3:30-4:00 PM and Tuesday – 7:30-8:00 AM

The Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test will be given during this school year. This test will evaluate a student’s skill and knowledge of core subjects. This year, eighth graders are required to pass the reading and math sections of this examination in order to pass to the ninth grade. Science and social studies TAKS examinations will be administered as well.

Substitute Behavior: Any violation of team expectations when a substitute is in the classroom will result in an automatic in team suspension day. This policy will be strictly enforced.

Severity Clause: In cases of severe misbehavior such as fighting, vandalism, showing disrespect to school personnel, disrupting class to the point where learning stops, etc., this behavior is considered “a critical” and student(s) will immediately be referred to the assistant principal for disciplinary action. No verbal or physical threats will be tolerated.

Locker Use: The following schedule must be followed daily.
Before 1st period – All students
After 1st period – Girls’ Athletics ONLY
Before/After 4th – All students
Before 8th period – Boys’ Athletics ONLY
After 8th period – All students

SAM (Student Assignment Manager): Student will receive a SAM book each six weeks. It is the responsibility of each student to fill out their SAM each day for each class. Parents should check SAM nightly to ensure assignments have been completed neatly and successfully. Other important information will be inside the SAM book including passes for restroom usage.

Tardies: Students should be on time each day to school and on time for each class everyday. Tardies are marked per/class, per/semester. If student is tardy, the following procedure will be followed:
1st tardy – Warning
2nd tardy – Detention and parent call
3rd tardy – Team detention
4th tardy – Office Detention
5th tardy – Saturday Detention
6th tardy – ISS
The front office will tract 1st period tardies and teachers will keep track of class tardies.
Conferencing with teachers: The Baylor Bears parent conference time begins each day at 2:45 PM. We invite any parent at any time that has a concern to please contact Ms. Gulley and schedule an appointment.
Dress Code violations will be kept by team leader. The following is a how documentation will be noted:
First Incident - Warning/Chance to Correct
Second Incident - Call Home/Chance to Correct
Third Incident - Disciplinary Action/Call Home
Fourth Incident and beyond - Disciplined as insubordination - work
through steps to office referrals. This will start over second semester.