Grades and Blog Letter

I. Jupiter Grades and Parent-Teacher Communication

Dear Parents,

It is a pleasure to be working with you. In order create open communication regarding your child’s progress in 8th Grade ELA, please correspond through email (see below) or a note sent through your child. Also, you will need to create a Jupiter Grades account in order to view your child’s work throughout the year.

Step 1: Email me at denise.galang@gmail.com with your preferred email address. Include the name and homeroom of your child.

Step 2: I will set up your account on jupitergrades.com.

Step 3: You will receive an email confirmation; make sure to follow the directions and create a password; both parents and children can have their own passwords. You do not have to sign up for weekly updates.

Step 4: Log on to your account.

Notes about grades in general:

• Late work is not accepted; if there are grave circumstances, please email me requesting an extension.
• Grade percentages (weight) are based on the school-wide policy; see the agenda book.
• The overall average will usually fluctuate, often times dramatically, throughout the school year. 1 zero on an assignment will drop the average around 20 points, depending on the assignment. Use the grades to assess your child’s strengths and difficulties.
• Your child may have a 100 average at first; this may change when more assignments, tests, projects, or participation grades are added.
• Email me and/or have your child speak to me if there is a question or problem. I do make mistakes, therefore it is best that your child holds on to graded work to use as evidence.

II. Setting Up A Blog

Another mandatory part of the class is the reading and writing blog. Your child will create a blog which will be used to record reading responses and other writing assignments.

Here are the steps that your child must follow to create a blog.

1. Go to www.blogger.com and click on the “Create a Blog” button.
2. Blogger is a part of Gmail and you will need a gmail account if you don’t already have one.  If you already have a gmail email address, simply type it in.  If you don’t, you can create one, using some combination of your first and last name if possible.  Don’t forget your password! Write your address and password in a safe place.  You can now also use this account for email, or use it just for your blogger account.
3. Follow the directions to title/name your blog and create its URL.  The name and URL do not necessarily have to match. (For example, my blog is called “Reading and Writing to Expand our Universe,” but my URL is www.msgalangenglish.blogspot.com.) Be creative about your title and make sure that it suits the purpose of the blog. For the URL, keep it short and easy to spell and remember; for safety, avoid using your full name.
4. Follow the directions to pick a template, and your blog is ready to go!  Feel free to adjust the design if you want.

Privacy Settings and Options

1. It is important to first adjust the privacy settings.  Click on the blogger icon and then your blog’s name or just go to the “Design” link at the top right hand corner of your blog’s page. You will see a list come up on the side.  Click on “basic” to get to the privacy settings and click on “edit.” Answer “no” to both questions so that it won’t come up in a search.  Click on the “save changes” button.
2. Go down to blog readers and click on “edit.” If you want to limit who is able to read your blog, add those email addresses here. If you are uncomfortable for any with having your blog open to everyone, you can choose who your readers will be and enter them in this section.  Those users will have to go to your blog, request permission to see it and then be verified by you.
3. Click on “posts and comments.” Change it to “user with google account.”

Adding Gadgets

Click on “design” at the top right hand corner again.  Click on “layout” on the left hand side.  Click on “add gadget”.  When you find one you want, click on the “+” sign.  Be sure to save changes! As you customize your blogs, feel free to utilize all the tools available to you on blogger. The following are required:

Labels: Label each post according to your focus (for example, “character change” or “theme”).  You can also label posts according to topic (“friendship” or “sports”) or title (“Hunger Games”).  

Blogroll: you can create a list of blogs you are reading on the sidebar. Everyone will be responsible for commenting on a handful of other blogs, so this is a great place to put the blogs you plan on keeping up with.  Each time an author posts something new, it automatically moves that blog to the top of your list. You can add in the blogs once I add them to our home base blog, www.msgalangenglish.blogspot.com.

List: this is an online “Finished Book List.” As you finish a book, add it here.

Additional Guidelines

1. Consider your audience: myself, your peers, and everyone else part of the MS51 community.  Therefore, all content on your blog must be related to the class.  Please do not use this blog as an online journal.
2. My expectation is that we are a community of readers and writers.  I will be monitoring all blogs and trusting that your words that appear online will come from a place of respect for your fellow classmates as well with a tone that is appropriate for school.
3. Do not plagiarize (see agenda book for more information). This will result in a 0 for the assignment, contact with parents, and possibly detention.
4. For my own sanity, do not add any kind of distracting gadgets to your blog.  Also, please type in readable colors (no pink or yellow) and fonts (avoid ones that are cursive or all caps, especially).

o      Once you have set up your blog, please email me your URL (check to see that you wrote it down correctly); be sure to include your name and homeroom in the email.

o      The first blog post is a reading response based on a summer reading book due on _________________________. I will be assessing your abilities to read critically and write about reading. Apply what you’ve learned in middle school so far.

Some suggestions for blogging:

• Draft your post in your notebook first.
• Write the post in a Word document first, then save it. Copy and paste onto blog post afterward. This way, you decrease the risk of losing the document.
• Not having Internet is not an excuse for not doing your blog post! If this is the case, you must type and print out the assignment.

III. Signature and URL

Name:________________________________________________Class:_____________

My URL:_____________________________________________@blogspot.com

I have read and understand that my child will be creating an online blog for ELA this year and have reviewed with him or her guidelines for internet safety and guidelines for appropriate internet behavior, especially for a school-related online project.

Signature of Parent/Guardian_________________________________________________________

I understand that this blog is to help me become a better reader and writer.  I understand that this is a school project and all postings and comments will be related to our reading and writing community.

Student Signature________________________________________________________