THEME PROGRAM FAQ’S
The NYS Core ELA Standards in education have been raised, and St. Andrew’s Theme program is
evolving to meet those changes. It is essential for our students to have good written
communication skills upon entering high school, as the writing demands will focus on preparation
for college and careers. The intent of the Theme program is to develop and improve writing skills
as outlined in the ELA core curriculum. The acquisition of strong writing skills is a powerful
indicator of academic success; research has shown that students who are taught and given time to
practice their writing skills perform higher in all of their content area subjects.
Q: What does the Theme Writing Program cover?
A: In the course of four years, each student will cover a wide variety of writing skills and write
from a range of genres, including:
Writing as a process—brainstorming, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing
Enhancing writing through the study of the six traits that comprise strong writing: ideas,
organization, voice, sentence fluency, word choice, and writing conventions
Creative writing: stories, narratives, journal entries, and poetry
Expository writing: writing that informs, explains, or persuades
Writing for authentic purposes, such as note-taking, communication, and
preparation for content area subjects and standardized tests
Q: What is expected of each theme paper?
A: Each paper submitted is expected to be:
Written on-task and free of any topics or language inappropriate for school.
Typed in black ink, using 12-point Times New Roman font, and double-spaced; however,
papers written neatly in the student’s best penmanship in blue or black ink will also be
accepted if there are temporary, unexpected computer issues.
The themes submitted are to be solely the work of the students. Any work that is
plagiarized (words taken directly from another source such as a book, magazine, or the
Internet without giving credit to the author) will be given a grade of zero and the student
will be obligated to serve a three-day detention.
Set up with a proper heading, containing one parent’s signature. All themes should have
the following heading:
St. Andrew’s
Due Date
Theme Assignment
Parent’s Signature
Student’s Full Name
Grade____ Team ___
Mrs. Biggie
Title (Not the topic)
Please use the chart below to determine how long the theme should be:
5th/6th grade
7th grade
8th grade
1 page typed
1 ½ - 2 pages typed
2 pages typed
Q: When and how are themes turned in?
A: At the beginning of each semester students will be given an outline of the
themes that will be due. Each assignment will be explained and modeled more thoroughly in class.
It is solely the responsibility of the student to know what the topic is, write the paper, and hand it
in on time. Themes are to be turned in on their due date in the morning during
homeroom.
Absences due to illness will be honored excuses.
In
1)
2)
3)
the event of technological difficulties, themes may be:
hand-written
submitted through email as an attachment and saved as a doc. file.
brought in on a thumb drive to print at school.
Q: What are the grading criteria?
A: To offer many opportunities for success, students’ grades will be comprised of more than just
their themes’ grades each semester. Students will be graded on the following:
Major Writing Projects (“Themes”)—100 points
Rough Drafts with evidence of revision for EVERY theme—50 points
Revision Projects—100 points
Class work, Homework, Group Work, Daily Participation, Prewriting, etc.—10 to 20 points
A rubric is used to assess writing. Students will be given opportunities to assess writing pieces
emphasizing the 6 traits as a class. This will sharpen their understanding of expectations and will
help them determine what they really do well with and what traits they could improve upon. The 6
traits +1 is used to show how a theme paper is graded. Certain traits will be the focus of each
theme:
IDEAS—On-task, well-planned, clear meaning, proper length
ORGANIZATION—Creative title, introduction/beginning hooks the reader, conclusion/ending touches back &
ends with a zinger, paragraphs with topic sentences & supporting details
PRESENTATION—Proper heading with parent signature, proper font & margins, neatness/typed
CONVENTIONS—Spelling, punctuation, capitalization, free from improper use of words, run-ons, fragments
WORD CHOICE---Use of everyday words well; rich colorful descriptive language
SENTENCE FLUENCY---Sentences varied in length, rhythmic, and easy to read
VOICE---Making a connection between reader and writer
Q: What is the policy for late work?
O 5 points will be deducted on the first day an assignment is late.
O An additional 10 points will be deducted the second day an assignment is late.
O On the third day an assignment is late, the parent will be contacted and a detention (during
lunch or after school at the discretion of the teacher) will be assigned.
Any late papers coming in after the due date MUST BE HANDED DIRECTLY TO MRS. BIGGIE, NOT
PLACED ON HER DESK OR IN HER MAILBOX. Remember, students do know their SEMESTER
assignments well in advance. They should avoid waiting until the last minute and should keep in
mind that there are several options if they run into legitimate computer trouble.
Q: What is a writing portfolio and how can students maintain it?
A: Students will maintain a writing portfolio by storing all returned themes and any
important paperwork in the theme section of their binders. Because some writing
projects may be entered in writing contests or used for revision projects, students should
save back-up copies of their work to a disk or thumb drive.
Q: What is the classroom behavior policy?
Consequences for Not Following Theme Procedures:
1st offense: Students will receive a verbal warning and a reminder of
classroom policy. They are expected to take responsibility for their actions
by accepting the consequences maturely.
2nd offense: Students will write a one-page reflection. A consequence
notification slip must be signed by a parent and attached to the essay. It
will be due the next day during homeroom
OR Students will serve either an after-school detention or a lunch
detention (at the discretion of the teacher). Parents will be notified by a
detention slip and should sign it.
3rd offense: Students will be given a disciplinary, which they will take to
an administrator. It will be documented and kept in the student’s
permanent record file.
Rewards for positive, ontask behavior:
Class participation during “Themesharing Days” will be rewarded with
popcorn parties or other treats.
Students who set a good student
example for the class may be given
individual reward tickets, which give
a special privilege.
Good class behavior will be
rewarded with time to work on
writing pieces during class.
Q: How can parents help their students with Theme?
A: In order for the feedback to have any value, the work must be the product of the student.
Perfect papers that are the result of the parents’ work are not nearly as useful as imperfect papers
from which the student learns.
Some suggestions to parents:
Ask your child often what they are working on in Theme. Writers often need to bounce their
ideas off of another person, and talking will help them to generate ideas as well as enthusiasm!
Be honest. Provide your child with constructive criticism on their writing.
If you are going to edit your child’s writing, please do not make the corrections for them.
Rather, circle a misspelled word, so that they can look up the proper spelling themselves. Also,
even if your child types slowly, allow them to practice their skills because it is the only way
they will become more efficient on the computer.
Encourage your child to read, and share your own writing with them. It doesn’t matter if you
share your grocery list or a letter to a family member—your child needs to
see how you, as an adult, use writing from day to day.
Q: How can parents stay informed?
A: I can be reached easily via email, [email protected]
Parents may also check up on what their writers are working on through
our class webpage, located on the school website http://www.standrewscds.net
Sincerely,
Mrs. Biggie
Student/Parent Theme Contract
Parents— Please keep the Theme Program FAQ Packet for your reference throughout the
school year.
I have read the information on the theme program for the 2013-2014 school year, and I
understand/support the aforementioned policies.
Parent signature__________________________________________________________
Parent e-mail address &/or day-time telephone number
_______________________________________________________________________
Students—Please sign and fill out the Theme Contract for a 10-point homework assignment.
Student name (printed)____________________________________________________
Student signature_________________________________________________________
1. Questions about the Theme policies and expectations…
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2. Select two areas of the Six Traits of Writing that you will focus on this year and describe
what your goal for improvement is in each area.
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
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3. Writing is a process, how will your rough draft look different from your final copy?
____________________________________________________________________________
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