About Me

         It is my pleasure to welcome your child to NL Dillard Middle School. My name is Ms. Johnson, I am your child’s 6th grade ELA teacher. I am extremely excited to have your child in my class this year. I will let you know a little about myself. I am the mother of a son and we are natives of Caswell County. I attended NL Dillard Middle and graduated from Bartlett Yancey High. I graduated with honors from Piedmont Community College with my Associates Degree and a Criminal Justice Certificate. I graduated with honors from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University with a B.A in English and a minor in Criminal Justice. I also graduated from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro and received my masters in Health and Human Sciences.  I'm also currently attending ECU. I am certified to teach AIG (gifted students) and I have taken a host of classes geared toward teaching Exceptional (EC) students. This will be my fifth year teaching. I am thankful for the opportunity to teach and give back to the community who has given me so much. My goals are to increase student achievement, help all students reach mastery, make a positive difference within our school and our community. I'm here to stay. 

 About Our Class

         I look forward to this upcoming school year. During this school year you can find daily lessons and activities on Canvas. Throughout the year we will use a mixture of paper copy and virtual assignments. My goal is for all students to receive the best education possible. I want all of my students to reach their full potential and to do their very best. In order for this to happen, I expect each of my students to work hard, stay focused and to complete all assignments and turn them in on time. In addition, my goal is to prepare my students for the End-Of-Grade test and 7th grade. This year our class will be diving into different novels, which include The Lightning Thief, Bud Not Buddy, and more. In addition to our novels, we will also read a variety of short stories. I use Engage NY, the North Carolina State Standards and a variety of materials to teach my students.
 

Communication

         Communication between the home and our school environment is critical in creating a successful learning environment for students. It is advantageous to students when parents, teachers, and students are all collaborating for the common goal of helping them to succeed and excel in life. Therefore, should you need to contact or meet with me, I will do my best to make myself available to you. The preferred method of contacting me is through email at lanita.johnson@caswell.k12.nc.us or through the Remind app. My contact information is also listed above. If you are contacting me by phone, the best time to reach me is during my office hours, which are Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays between 12-1pm. You can also reach me ANYTIME by my email at lanita.johnson@caswell.k12.nc.us. 

Attendance

Students should be in class every day and on time. However, I do understand that there will be circumstances that will require students to miss school. When these events occur, it is the responsibility of the student to get and complete all the make-up work. In the event that a test is missed, the student will need to reschedule a time to retake the test. I want parents to understand that I am very empathic and understanding.

Unit Tests

Tests in this class will make up 50% of a 9-week grade. It is critical that students be present each day, take notes, complete all assignments, and study.

Classwork

Classwork will be given daily. Classwork can be made up within the week that it’s due if there is an approved excuse.

Homework

Homework will be given periodically. Homework can be made up within the week that it’s due if there is an approved excuse.

Quizzes

Quizzes in class will make up 30% of a 9-week grade. The questions on quizzes will come from past tests, our current reading text, daily lessons and our weekly vocabulary assignments. 

Course Materials

·         Composition notebook (just for ELA)

·         3-Ring Binder and dividers (just for ELA)

·         Pencils/pens/highlighters 

Grading Scale

Classwork/Homework 20%

Quizzes 30%

Tests/Projects 50%

For updates on assignments, students should view Canvas DAILY. Only "students" have access to Canvas. Parents can access Canvas through their child (having the student to log in on their chromebook) or can be added as a viewer by contacting the teacher.