Paragraph a Week
Dear Parents,

For Language Arts, each student will have a writing assignment given on Monday and due on Friday.  The students will bring home an assignment sheet with the specific writing instructions for the paragraph(s) that week.  It usually will be a composition paper covering various writing skills that we are studying in class.

This is a weekly Language Arts grade.  The student is to keep the original assignment sheet, a rough draft [signed by a parent who proof read the paragraph(s) with the student] and a final copy.  This assignment may not be turned in early as this is also a responsibility assignment.  I am looking for evidence of editing on the rough draft.  In addition, students should use a dictionary to look up all words he or she is unsure of the spelling.  Correct grammar and punctuation should also be utilized for these assignments.  These writing assignments are intended to prepare them for their state writing assessment in February in addition to  meeting the middle school expectations for incoming sixth graders.  

The first assignment will not be sent home until 8-15-11 and due on 8-19-11. 

These are the qualities each paper will be graded for:
1. Heading-Name, date, English [placed at top right hand corner of paper]
2. Five elements of good writing:  PURPOSE, DIRECTION, IDEAS, STYLE, PRESENTATION
3. Topic sentence
4. Supporting sentences 
5. Concluding sentence
6. All paragraphs should be a minimum of 8 sentences. 
7. Indent paragraph [5 points for no indention]
8. Neatness [5 points taken off if paper is not neat]
9. Spelling [2 points per error]
10. Capitalization, Grammar and Punctuation [2 points per error]
Total Points Possible=100