Welcome to Mr. Chester's Class

This is my dog, Clovis

Welcome to what will be a great 2017-2018 school year! My name is James Chester and I am your student’s Language Arts and/or History teacher.  I am confident we will have an outstanding year and am looking forward to developing deeper relationship with each of my students.

Class Objectives (from the State Standards)

Students will demonstrate proficiency in reading, writing, listening and speaking while exploring various fiction and non-fiction genres.  In addition, students in history will have proficiency in European history from the Roman Empire through the Enlightenment, Medieval China and Japan, Mesoamerica, the Middle East, and West Africa.

Texts

Language Arts: The Language of Literature by McDougall Littell, Novels, Supplementary Materials.

Social Science: History Alive: The Medieval World and Beyond, TCI, Supplementary Materials

Grades

Assignments are given letter grades to help approximate equal interval grading.  The Aeries app on your phone converts these to percentages.  Student grades should be checked regularly on a computer for more accurate grades.  Incomplete assignments are marked “I”.

Homework

All homework must be completed on time to earn full credit.  Worked turned in up to one week late will be marked down one grade.  Work over one week late may not be accepted. Late work deadlines are listed in Aeries whenever possible.  Students are expected to read a book of their choice as part of the regular homework.  Therefore, they have homework every night.

Behavior/Consequences

All students at SJMS are expected to be Responsible and Respectful. For a more detailed description of school behavioral expectations and consequences, please review the parent handbook or student planner.

Classroom Tardies/Consequences

All students at SJMS are expected to be seated and working on the Do Now! before the bell rings.  I am very strict about this rule.  If the Do Now! refers to homework a student has not completed on time, that student may be marked tardy as a result.

To receive regular homework updates, please send me a request at jchester@nusd.org  You may list as many addresses as you like.  Updates will start sometime next week.

Thank you.

P.S. If you scroll down you can see some of the assignments we have done in previous years.  We'll be doing some of them again this year, too.