Ms. Buttson - 8th Grade ELA 

Ms. Andrea Buttson graduated from Allen Park High School in 1995. After graduation, she attended Western Michigan University and obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Secondary Education in December of 1999.

Shortly after graduation, Ms. Buttson was offered a substitute teaching position at Grosse Ile High School which became a full time position in early 2000. There she taught English Literature, Creative Writing, Lit/Comp 9, and advised the high school yearbook, The Islander, for one year. She obtained her Master of Arts in Education in December of 2004 from The University of Michigan - Dearborn, and her Education Specialist Degree in K-12 and Central Office Administration in December 2011 from Oakland University.

Ms. Buttson elected to transfer to the middle school in 2001, and has taught English 7, English 8, Basic Skills 8, Geography 6 and English 6 during her tenure. This has given her abundant opportunities to work with learners of all three middle level grades.

She has been involved in various activities over the course of her career in the Grosse Ile Township Schools including chaperoning seven Washington, D.C. trips, advising the Grosse Ile Middle School yearbook, serving on the school improvement team and curriculum planning council, District School Improvement Team, K-12 English Language Arts Committee, and served as the Secondary English Language Arts Department Co-Chair for three years.

She looks forward to many more years enriching the minds of Grosse Ile Middle School students!

English 8 Information

Ms. Buttson and her colleagues in the 6-8 ELA department have worked to develop Power Standards and I Can statements that target and focus student learning objectives along with the Common Core Standards for English Lanuage Arts. 

Students will continuously read, write, and think about both literature and informational text to strengthen their literacy skills,

The 6-8 ELA department works to help the students become better writers in all subject areas, guiding the students through a step-by-step instruction process that includes prewriting, drafting, revising, and presenting. The students learn how to apply the writing process to different written models such as descriptions, narratives, explanations, persuasive pieces, and reports.

These writing skills are stressed in an effort to prepare students for the QUALITY of writing that will be expected of them at the high school level, as well as writing skills that are expected in everyday life.

While in D.C., students will be collecting visuals that can be used to create a "Washington D.C. Scrapbook." Upon their return, students will put the scrapbooks together to share with their families, friends, classmates, and teachers. Each page has an art and writing component. An alternate assignment will be given to those not attending the D.C. trip.