The Procedures Ballad

Here's a compilation of the ballad made up of some verses from each of this year's classes and a couple from last year's classes because they were so, well, classic. Use these to study for your procedures quiz on Thursday/Friday.

It’s time for eighth grade Language Arts.
I’m here to learn the rules.
They’ll help me be successful
To do my best in school!

When you’re entering the room,
So many things to do
Gum is not allowed in here
Get the sourcebooks, too.

And after you’ve completed that
Just look up on the board
To find the warm-ups written there
And have the rules explored.

Now what is that noise I hear,
Coming from above?
Please refrain from speaking now,
And show the speaker love.

Attention Signal
If the teacher’s hand goes up,
Quiet we should be,
Raise our hands attentively
And turn our heads to see.

Wait until she calls the table,
Then we will line up,
Push in our chairs, then we go to,
The blue wall where we stop.

In our “L” shape we will stand,
Quiet one and all
The leader has to stop on cue
While we’re in the hall.

The bell rings, it’s a fire drill,
We line up near the wall,
We walk out really quietly,
Then we go down the hall.

The teacher tells us where to stop,
We follow her command.
Out the door, left to the fence,
In a straight line we should stand.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T
-other’s property
If someone calls on the intercom
Listen silently

I know you love to scribble,
On the desks, but when
Your hand begins to get the itch
Just halt that anxious pen.

In this class we don’t insult
We do not criticize
We do not make rude gestures
Or roll around our eyes

Don’t say up-shut or be too loud,
You know it isn’t cool,
You will be sent into timeout,
Cause that’s Ms. Izzo’s/Ms. Jackson’s rule.

Stack the sourcebooks uprightly,
And put them in the bin,
And when the teacher lets you out,
Push your chair back in.

If you have your folders out
Put them all away
Trash is not acceptable
Please don’t let it stay

But when you hear the bell ring,
That does not mean stampede!
You’ve gotta wait, Ms. Izzo /Ms. Jackson says
You have not yet been freed.

If by chance you miss a day
There are five things you should do
Ask your group and copy notes
That should get you through

Check the class assignment board
School notes can help too
Always ask a classmate
Which handouts you should do

If you miss too many days
You should stay after school
But with all these helpful rules
It will still be cool!

If you miss a class handout
Find the hanging file
Turn in an assignment late
By the turtle tile

It’s time for eighth grade Language Arts.
I’m here to learn the rules.
They’ll help me be successful
To do my best in school!

First week assignments

We started off the week with some singing, clapping, and ballad writing. The procedures you wrote to explain the class procedures will help you do well on the procedure quiz next week. Soon, you will decorate book pockets, participate in a book pass and have your first reading day. While we continue these first week activities, don't forget you have the following assignments to think about:

-Purchase your supplies We'll use the composition books this week.

-Get your Bradbury permission form signed and turned in by August 30 (A) & August 31 (B)

-Finish your summer reading summaries by August 30 (A) & August 31 (B) (See May, 29 Post)

Welcome, Mrs. Izzo!

It's time to welcome a new author, collaborator, and fellow teacher to the blog. Sometimes I will post updates and entries and sometimes she will do so. We plan our lessons together, grade papers together, and even teach one class a day together. We'll be sure to mention any exceptions or differences between classes and assignments here. Our supply list is exactly the same. If you're wondering who she is, you might know her by her maiden name: Turner. If your schedule says Turner, then congratulations, you actually have Mrs. Izzo. Anyway, welcome to the blog, Mrs. Izzo.

Back to School Supplies

If you've been in a store lately, you've probably noticed that all the "back to school" stuff is out there. In case you want to get an early start on your supply purchases for Language Arts, here's what you'll need to buy:

Lots of 3x3 sticky notes,

a composition book with lined paper (not spiral bound),

a folder for assignments to take home,

pens and pencils,

notebook paper (and paper for your printer at home),

a dictionary to keep at home.

And one STRONGLY SUGGESTED item: A thumb or “jump” drive. It holds the equivalent of over 100 floppy disks and is more reliable for saving papers and Powerpoints in progress. These can be purchased for as little as ten dollars and will be useful in all your academic classes at LaVilla.