Phone: (716) 557-2227 ext. 261
8th Grade Advisor
Varsity Girls' Volleyball Coach
Ms. Dani Newman
ELA 8, 11, and JCC ENG1510 and ENG1530
FACS 8 (Semester 1), Library 8 (Semester 2)
About Me
BA in Broadcast Communications
MSEd in Secondary Education in English
MLIS in School Librarianship
Schedule
Per. 1 ELA 11
Per. 2 Study Hall
Per. 3 ELA 8
Per. 4 AIS
Per. 5 ELA 8
Per. 6 Lunch
Per. 7 Prep
Per. 8 Library Skills 8 (B&W)
Per. 9 JCC ENG1530
Office Hours
March
Tue. March 3
Wed. March 18
Tue. March 24
April
Wed. April 1
Wed. April 22
Wed. April 29
Prep Points
Each day for 8th grade ELA class, students will receive points based on their preparedness. If you see your student is losing points in this area, they are not coming to class properly prepared to learn. This is part of their participation grade.
ELA 8-(6 points) Binder, pencil/pen, computer/charger, agenda, Class novel, and "What do I need today?" items.
On Fridays, students do not need their computer/charger. Instead, they should bring their Independent Reading book.
Documents & Forms
Independent Reading (ELA 8)
All students in ELA 8 have an Independent Reading Project due each quarter. 8th grade students are given some time in class to read each week, but the majority of their reading should be completed outside of class. Their project is due prior to the end of each quarter. You can find each quarter's project sheet below. The Choice Board remains the same, but students must choose a different project from any they have previously submitted. Please encourage your child to read and work on their project as early as possible. This is a significant part of their grade each quarter.
ELA 8 Q3 Project Choice Board
Quarter 3 Independent Reading Projects are due Friday, April 17, 2026
Current Events in Class
ELA 11
Students are reading In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. In this unit, they will learn about the writing of the first non-fiction novel, literary journalism, and the psychology of true crime.
ELA 8
Students are reading Fever 1793, a realistic fiction book about the events that occurred in Philadelphia when the Yellow Fever outbreak decimated the city. Students are working on conflict, point-of-view, mood and tone, and how all those literary devices build a story.
Library 8
Students are learning how to use the library databases and find reliable sources. Students will begin writing a research paper about epidemics.