Welcome Back

Hello 8th graders, and welcome back to SMMS.  This year we will be studying the birth of the United States, and how the US laid the foundation for many of the issues we deal with today in politics.  Before we get going too far, I have some class expectations you should know about, so if you were absent the first day of school, have a hard time reading the bulletin board in class, or just kinda spaced your way through the first day, follow the link to see the presentation we did in class:

• Class Expectations Presentation for 8th Grade

A Quick Word About Class Work

Hey everyone, just a quick work about a few things people were asking during our back to school night.  First off, parents were really interested to know how much homework to expect.  My response to that is that most students who are engaged and on-task in the classroom won't have any homework.  With that said, this website will provide plenty of opportunity for review if I was moving too fast in class, or to keep up while your student is absent.

If you're worried about what your student has or hasn't turned in, check StudentVUE and see what it says.  I do a pretty good job of keeping things up to date, but if things don't make sense feel free to send me an email.

A quick word about ear buds and technology @ SMMS

Just want to make sure everyone is aware that despite the new technology rules at SMMS, there are plenty of times when it's educationally appropriate to have a pair of earbuds at school.  Many teachers use Chromebooks throughout the year, and in my class students will need to listen to something they've crated for my class.  I recommend getting a cheap pair of earbuds for students to leave in their pencil pouch for just such situations.  It's important to remember that if students have them out in the halls or at inappropriate times during class they will be taken away.