Ms. VonDell's 7th Grade Webpage

Ms. Von Dell
7th Grade Special Education
KMS
320 7th Ave
Troy, NY 12182
518-233-6811
[email protected]

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KID FUNNY:

Finding one of her students making faces at others on the playground, Ms. Smith stopped to gently reprove the child. 

Smiling sweetly, the Sunday School teacher said, "Bobby, when I was a child, I was told if that I made ugly faces, it would freeze and I would stay like that."

Bobby looked up and replied, "Well, Ms Smith, you can't say you weren't warned."

Ms. Von Dell's guide to 7th grade

Dear Students,          
    Welcome back to KMS and to 7th grade.  I am excited to be with all of you again this year.  We will be working on many projects and interesting activities.  We will have the use of computers in our classroom this year!  These computers are ours and will be in the room everyday!  We will create slideshows, use them to play fun educational games, research information, blog books that we will read, and use them as a method of presentation of our learning.  
I hope you are as excited to return to school as I am!  This is definitely going to be another great year!

While I have your attention, check out the blog page!  Let me know what you think.  Enjoy the rest of your summer and I will see you on September 8th. 

Ms. Von Dell's Daily Schedule

Period 1: Room 222 with Mrs. Bronson for ELA
Period 2: Conference in Room 224B
Period 3: Team Planning (We are the Green Team )
Period 4: Resource #1 in Room 213 on A & C days, Room 224B on B & D days
Period 5/6: Room 220 with Mr. Classen for Math
Period 7/8: Room 216 for Study Hall
Period 9: My lunch period
Period 10: Resource #2 in Room 217
Period 11: Resource #3 in Room 217

Classroom Expectations

Welcome to Ms. VonDell’s Resource Room
What are we going to do this year in class?

• group reading of one whole group novel at a time
• review of class lessons
• pre-teaching of class lessons before they are taught
• practice on our goals
• projects
• work on the computers
• blogs
• book talks
• if there is time, we may do homework, however, we will not dedicate full classes to homework.

What we are going to do first?:

• Welcome back 
• information cards
• expectations
• goals
• activities
• introduction to the new year

Our first book:

         The Hunger Games

Expectations:

• We will respect each other

• This is demonstrated by keeping our hands, feet and body to ourselves 
• Allowing each member of our community their personal space
• Only speaking when kind words can leave our mouths (If it is not nice, don’t say it!)
• Only using language appropriate for school (profanity leaves)
• Allowing each student the opportunity to learn.  

• We will work to the best of our ability

• This is demonstrated by taking breaks before we get frustrated
• Asking for help
• Going to another task to redirect yourself
• Using our time wisely
• Asking for a time-out when needed

• We will arrive to class on time

• This is demonstrated by walking into the classroom before the bell; seated at your desk; ready to work.

• We will be prepared to work

• This is demonstrated by having all of your materials ready at the begining of class.  Books, notebooks, and something with which to write.  If you arrive to class without a pencil or paper retrieve a pencil/pen/paper from the bin prior to sitting down.
• Return all borrowed materials to the bin prior to your departure at the end of class.
• The class is dismissed by the adult; the bell does not dismiss the class

Behaviors:
At times, we all have a bad day.  However, “life is 10% of what happens to you and 90% of how you react to it!”  We have the ability to control our behavior!  Here are some ways to control our behavior when we feel that we cannot produce quailty work.

• Walk in and fill out a “How do I feel today?” sheet to let me know what is going on- this way we don’t have to spend a lot of time talking, we can catch up on a conference of mine, before or after school, or during a study hall or lunch period

(Please note that if this is abused and an “I feel like poo sheet” is filled out daily, we will have to have a conversation)

• Take a time out
• Take a deep breath
• Raise your hand and ask to get up and walk around
• Change the position of yourself (different seat, stand up or sit down, sit on your desk, stretch)
• ASK FOR HELP!

What happens if I just CAN’T control myself?: 

• Automatic removal from computer
• Sometimes it is hard to control our behavior, however, we are NOT going to use school technology if we cannot control our actions.
• Conference with Ms.Von Dell
• Phone call home
• Time lost made up during lunch or after school
• If you do not attend the make -up session
• call home
• referral for detention
• If behaviors continue after the above:
• Another call home
• Referral 

Grading Policy

While in your content area classes grades will be determined by your content area teacher and myself based on your performance in class.  Please refer to each class grading policy.
For Resource Class ONLY, Grades are determined as follows:
(Resource establishes grades using S (Satisfactory), U (Unsatisfactory)

• Participation:  Your participation is crucial to your success in 7th grade.  In Resource, we will work on your goals, review content material, and work on resource assigned work.  If you do not participate, your grade will be reflected by this.
• Behavior:  We all make choices.  Let's make sure we try to make every day the best we can.  With computers in our room, we must make sure that our behavior is in check and we have a safe and productive school year.  We need the best behavior choices that we can make in order to use the new technology offered to us.

Parents and Students-Questions/Comments/Infomation