Century High School 2011-2012
Mr. Nathan Goodrich– English 10 Honors
Syllabus
Email:
Class Web Site:
Conference period: 4
Dear Students and Families,
Welcome! We are a talented team and community of thinkers about to embark on a wonderful journey through language and literature. Whenever we study literature, we study that which unites us all as human. We study what it means to belong to the human community. Communityin my classroom means the three R’s: Respect for oneself and others (the Golden Rule), Responsibility (take ownership of your education and your future), and Reflection (challenge yourself to see and hear different perspectives).
During the spring semester, students have their first opportunity to take the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) and satisfy graduation requirements.
It is important to develop good organizational skills for academic success. Please visit our class website daily to check all homework and learning objectives as well as other due dates. Either copy it into your weekly planner, or print it out from the web page for your binder.
Submitting essays: The majority of major assignments will be word-processedat home. Occasionally, parts of these assignments will need to be done in class. (FINAL DRAFTS must be typed and double spaced, and include a standard titled cover page with student’s name, the due date, and class period, except for selected in-class writing, or essay exams in class). Whenever you submit a final draft, you must also submit the rubric you were given, the assignment sheet/writing prompt, brainstorming sheets and edited rough drafts. Essays submitted without edited rough drafts lose 25 points automatically. Essays submitted without all of these components will be returned for proper assembly and then re-submitted.
Classroom Expectations (In addition to the Three R’s listed above)
- All students in my class are honest and people of integrity.
- All students in my class are in their seats before the bell rings.
- All students in my class come prepared each day with their own supplies.Students observed borrowing materials from other students will lose participation points for not being prepared.
- All students in my class observe the no food/drinks policy. Only bottled water is okay for class. Anything else will be thrown away in the trash can upon entry.
- All students in my class know not to have a cell phone out unless it has been okayed by me. If I see it (even if you are checking the time) it goes directly to Student Services. NO EXCEPTIONS. This is your warning.
Consequences for not meeting classroom expectations
Verbal warning and loss of daily participation points
Should issues persist, then the following will apply: parents will be contacted, student/parent conference; detention or referral to administration
Consequences for meeting classroom expectations
Positive reinforcement in the form of me telling you that I am pleased and/or a positive letter home or phone call home
CLASSROOM PROCEDURES:
Label all student work with your first and last name, date, and class period in the upper right corner.
Hall/restroom passes will be given to each student (maximum of three hall passes for the semester). If unused, the student receives 15extra credit points. Students may not leave the room for any reason without acknowledgement and permission from the teacher.
MATERIALS USED: Holt Literature and Language Arts: Fourth Course (textbook) and supplemental readings, including A Misdummer Night’s Dream and To Kill a Mockingbird
STUDENT SUPPLIES:**Students needloose leaf binder paper, pens (blue, purple, green, or black ink only for class assignments), at least three different colored high lighters (green, blue, yellow), and a three-ring binder with tabs. For example, binder sections should include: Syllabus/hall pass, Important Handouts, Current Assignments/Projects, Graded Work, etc.
CLASS WORK/HOMEWORK:This is an Honors class. There will be homework and outside reading.Late homework automatically receives 2/3 credit.
ESSAYS: If you cannot attend class the day a paper is due, then it must be submitted prior to your absence, dropped off in my mailbox, or emailedto me by 3:30 p.m. Computer-related excuses will not be honored and the essay will be viewed as late.
Each student is responsible for submitting all required materials with their final essay, including the rubric, assignment sheet, and rough drafts. Late essays automatically receive a 76%, or C.Essays submitted after the 3rd day will receive a 65%, or D.
GRADING: Grades are based on accumulated points for completed assignments, exams/quizzes and class participation/citizenship. At the end of the grading period, the points will be totaled and converted to a percentage. Grade scale:
A+ = 97%-99%A = 94%-96%A- = 90%-93%B+ = 87%-89%B = 84%-86%
B- = 80%-83%C+ = 77%-79%C = 74%-76%C- = 70%-73%D = 64%-69%
D- =60%-63%F = 59% and below
Grades are categorized as follows: Major Assessments such as tests/quizzes/projects/essays/group or oral presentation = 30%, Class/Homework Assignments = 35%, Effort/Attitude/Participation = 20%, Semester Final Exam = 15%
Outside Reading Requirement: This class has an outside reading element that is required. There will be an additional handout for this assignment that will be handed out and sent home for a parent signature in the near future. (This does not include reading that you will be assigned for homework. This will be a separate weekly assignment.)
*Tardy policy: Attendance is taken immediately after the bell rings. I follow Century High School’s Tardy Policy.
*Dress code: You know the dress code, and I know the dress code. I enforce it. If you are unsure about any part of the dress code, please ask me for clarification.
*Absences: Unexcused absence =2/3 credit toward class work or homework (EXCEPTIONS: excused absences, AVID, athletics, school-related extracurricular activities. Such students will be expected to submit homework upon their return, or before their event.). Students will be expected to complete any class workthat they missed during the absence. Only students with excused absences will receive full credit for work submitted. If you miss one day, you have one day to complete the work and so on (unless it is an essay or project; you must submit essays electronically or ahead of time not to be penalized). For illnesses lasting more than two days, students will not lose participation points.
*When submitting papers following an absence, write ABSENT with the dates missed at the top of your paper. Otherwise, I’ll assume it is late.
2010-2011 Course Outline
The information in the parentheses refers to specific California Language Arts standards that will be covered during that particular lesson. Please note that usually more than the stated standards will be covered. Standards are posted in each classroom. For a copy of the standards, please visit theState Department of Education web site at
First Semester: Vocabulary Development (Reading 1.1-1.3);Read Short Stories and Poetry (Reading 3.2-3.9); Autobiographical Narratives (Writing 1.2, 1.9, 2.1); Grammar and Mechanics Review (WOC 1.1-1.4); Persuasive Essays (Writing 1.1, 1.4, 1.9, 2.4);Reading Informational Materials (Reading 2.1-2.8); Response to Literature (Writing 1.6, 1.9, 2.2); Comparing Media (Listening and Speaking 1.2)
Second Semester:Business Letters (Writing 2.5)CAHSEE and CST preparation (TROUGHOUT THE YEAR AS WELL); Vocabulary Development (Reading 1.1-1.3);Grammar and Mechanics Review (WOC 1.1-1.5); Expository Research Report (Writing 1.3, 1.5, 1.7, 2.3) Reading Drama: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Reading 3.1, 3.4, 3.10-3.12) Analyzing Speeches (Listening and Speaking 1.14); Reading Informational Materials ( 2.1-2.8); Standards Review: To Kill a Mockingbird; Comparing a Play/Book to a Film (Writing 2.2); Final Formal Speech (Listening and Speaking 1.0)
Date 8/24/11 Student Parent/Guardian
Name______Signature______Name______Signature______