On Reading:"The more that you read, the more things you’ll know. The more you learn, the more places you'll go." ~ Dr. Seuss ~
On Writing: “Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.”
~William Wordsworth~
English 12
Fall 2013 Mrs. Karen Rowland-Johnson Room 463
Phone: (253) 566-5710 (Ext. 2463) Email:
Course Goals:
1.) Improve reading comprehension and analysis (verbal and written).
2.) Strengthen college preparatory writing skills; assignments to include a variety of essays.
3.) Increase awareness of selected British authors and their original styles.
4.) Refine stylistic writing techniques.
Course Guidelines / Rules: Rules are designed to encourage success for ALL students.
1.)Attendance and promptness are crucial in school. Students must attend class regularly. It is important to be in class, as it is difficult to make up in-class work, such as group work and class discussions. All absences, whether excused or unexcused, will be recorded. If more than four classes are missed, students will be referred to an administrator and put on an attendance contract. After three tardies, students will receive a call home from Mrs. Johnson. There will be times when students will not be able to make up assignments because of the nature of the activity (group work, discussions, guest speakers, etc).
2.)Absent students may inquire about make-up work, via email, by using the contact information above. This is highly recommended. Otherwise, students should approach me regarding missed workimmediately upon return from an absence. Students must turn in minor assignments that were due on the day of his/her absence when he/she returns (for major assignments please see note below). Make up work must be completed and turned in within one week of the absence (this includes tests). All work that is not made up during this time will result in a score of zero. Remember, make up work will only be accepted if the absence is EXCUSED.
3.)Complete all assignments on time. Late work will not be accepted. Mrs. Johnson will check online via Skyward to verify whether or not absences are excused, so it is imperative that parent(s)/guardian(s) take the appropriate steps within the allotted 24 hours.
4.)Unless otherwise instructed, all assignments must be typed. If a student does not have access to a computer, he/she should take advantage of the school computer labs.Any other concerns about typing may be discussed in a private conversation with Mrs. Johnson.
5.)To keep our brand newtextbooks in good condition, they must be covered at all times. Fines WILL be assessed for damaged books. The replacement value of your lit. Book is $130. Take good care of it!
Code of Student Conduct
It is important that our classroom environment be a safe and productive place for all to learn. No one can learn in a chaotic environment, therefore the following regulations and procedures will be enforced for your benefit. Please make sure you review the expectations regularly to ensure you know them.
1.Respect
Respect is very important among groups of people. Students must be sure to show respect toward everyone in this class. Put downs and inappropriate language will NOT be tolerated.
2.Entering the Classroom
Please arrive to class on time with all appropriate materials. This includes books, paper, pen/pencil, class binder, and any other materials necessary for class. Once you enter the classroom, find your seat and prepare for class. You need to be in your seat before the bells rings. Simply put, class starts when you enter the classroom. Socializing is for the hallways.
3.Entering Late
If you enter the classroom late, put your late slip (If you have one) on Mrs. Johnson’s desk. If you do not have a late slip, you are assumed UNEXCUSED and will be marked tardy. After 10 minutes late, you are considered ABSENT. Do not further disrupt the teacher or other students when entering late; simply take your seat quietly.
4.Attention Signal
When Mrs. Johnson requires your undivided attention she will say, “Listen please” and ring the Quiet Bell. When you hear these words/bell, please stop whatever it is you are doing, look up and remain quiet.
5.Turning in Work and Paper Heading
Turn in all work to the appropriate bin, on the front table, unless instructed otherwise. If your assignment is multiple pages, it must be stapled. Please use the stapler located next to the turn in bin. Always make sure you have included a proper heading. Your paper should have the following information in the upper right hand corner:
Info in this order:Example
First and last nameJohn Thompson
Date, including year9/10/2011
Course title/teacher nameEnglish 12 ~ Mrs. Johnson
Page/ question numberPg. 94, Q’s1, 2, 5
If you are turning in makeup/absent work: please hand it directly to Mrs. Johnson with the words “ABSENT” written at the top. Do NOT turn absent work into the bin or lay it on Mrs. Johnson’s desk, without her knowledge.
6.Tests and Quizzes
Do not talk, or partake in any form of communication during tests and/or quizzes. Doing so will result in a failing score and a detention. Because academic honesty is a high priority, all students caught communicating during a quiz/exam will be referred to an administrator.
7.Teacher Work Stations
Please show respect for Mrs. Johnson’s personal belongings and teacher space. My desk/computer area is only meant for the teacher. It is important that all students follow these rules to ensure student confidentiality.
8. Student Desks
PLEASE refrain from making any marks on the student desks/tables. Any student caught writing on desks must clean each desk during lunch or after school. Only materials that Mrs. Johnsonhas asked you to get out should be on your desk during class time. No other items (extra binders, backpacks, make-up, purses, assignments/books for other classes, etc) should be out unless Mrs. Johnsonhas authorized them. Please store these under the table.
9.No Heads Down
Your head must be fully up during the entire class period. Sleeping or anything that resembles sleeping is not acceptable. You are here to learn…sleep at home.
10.Use of Cell Phones, PDAs, Portable Game Players, or Any Music Player
All electronic devices are to be turned off and essentially invisible during class. This means we should never hear any cell phone related noises. If your cell phone rings/beeps/vibrates during class time, please silence it immediately. If you use any electronic device during class time, Mrs. Johnsonwill take it away from you. You may pick up your device after school if it is your first offense. For further details on this school rule, please refer to the CHS handbook.
11.Presentations, Lectures, Films, Guest Speakers
When someone is addressing the whole class, your full attention is required. Talking or working on other assignments/tasks is not allowed, unless you are instructed otherwise.
12.Food & Drink
This classroom is not the place to eat your breakfast or lunch. Please DO NOT bring food or drinks into the classroom. Bottled water is the only exception to this rule.
13.Leaving the Classroom
If you need to go to the restroom or the nurse, you will always need a bathroom pass (unless dismissed by the office). Bring your pass to Mrs. Johnson during down time and she will initial it (if it is an appropriate time). Whenever you must leave, please write legibly on the “SIGN OUT” clip board when you leave. The clip board is located by the door.
14.Getting up During Class Time
If you need to get up during class time (blow nose, throw trash away, or sharpen your pencil) make sure you do so in a timely, quiet manner. It is never appropriate to get up for the aforementioned tasks if someone (teacher, counselor, administrator, guest speaker, or student) is addressing the class. Sharpen pencils BEFORE class.
15.Discussion of Grades
All discussions about grades, make-up work and/or missed tests and quizzes must take place before or after class.
16.End of Class
Please, do not pack up early. Mrs. Johnson will let you know when you may pack up your belongings. When you are finished packing up, remain in your assigned seat. No lining up by the door! :/ Mrs. Johnson will let you know when you are dismissed. For this to happen, all materials must be neatly put away (including any you have borrowed), desks must be straightened, and the room must be quiet.
Cheating Policy: “Cheaters never prosper”
Cheating of any kind will not be tolerated! Cheating includes studying an illegally obtained copy of a test or quiz, using “cheat sheets”, copying from another student’s test, quiz, or homework assignment and plagiarizing from a source or person.
* The 1st offense results in a zero on the assignment, referral to an administrator,
and parent/guardian contact.
* The 2nd violation results in the student’s long-term suspension from the course and an F in the class, even if the 1st violation was in a different class.
Plagiarism includes:
1.Duplicate assignments.
For example:
Cindy and Bob spent too much time playing the latest Xbox game and forgot about their homework. They decided to work together on the assignment although the teacher told the class to work alone.
2.Copying another student’s work with or without his/her knowledge.
For example:
Jane worked late and did not have time to complete her homework. At lunch she got a hold of Suzie’s English assignment to copy and turn in.
3.Copying any piece of Internet or print material without giving it proper documentation and/or when it is inappropriate to do so.
For example:
Joe had an away game and got home late. He didn’t have the time or the energy to complete his study questions and write his commentary, so he decided to cut and paste random information from Pinkmonkey.com, Monarchnotes.com, Sparknotes.com, Cliff Notes, etc. and put his name on the top of the assignment.
4.Passing parent/guardian/adult/sibling work off as your own.
For example:
Although he had good ideas, Marty struggled with writing an essay. He asked his mom for help. With him, she wrote his paper using his ideas.
Course Writing:
This class is focused on writing as a process. Be prepared to write often. Aside from general weekly writing, you will be assigned several, formal, multi-paragraph essays. Some will be written in-class and others taken home. All will be submitted via turnitin.com.
Silent Reading:
Student may choose any novel that fits these specifications:
-It has not been made into a movie
-It is at the appropriate reading level and not offensive material
-It is a novel - not a compilation/anthology of stories
Each novel must be approved by Mrs. Johnson and registered in the SSR Notebook. Students will not receive credit for any pages that are read without approved and registered. The first 15-20 minutes of class each Tuesday and Thursday will be dedicated to reading these novels. On Tuesdays and Thursdays each student will come to class with his/her novel and immediately engage in silent reading.
Students will be graded on the number of pages they read throughout the semester:
A = 800 - 750 B = 749 – 700 C = 699 – 650 D = 649 – 600 F = Under 600
Mrs. Johnsonwill keep a log of the reading progress for each student throughout the semester. Pages will be recorded after students have passed a verbal reading quiz. Students should be reporting on pages at least once a month. When a student decides he/she is ready to take a reading quiz, he/she will need to make an appointment with Mrs. Johnson. Students may report on pages during silent reading time and occasionally after school. Quizzes generally take 5 minutes. Students must bring their novel to the quiz appointment. If the student does not pass the quiz, they may re-read and re-take it. Please keep in mind that students will also have to read outside of class to complete the 800 pages for the semester. Quiz appointments may be scheduled September 17th, 20013 through January 19th, 2014. Please keep in mind that waiting until the end of each quarter to try and schedule an appointment will most likely result in negative consequences, as there might not be any appointment times left. Students who choose to wait until the end must book their appointments at least three weeks before the end of each quarter. "Procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part."
Students will lose 15 pages each time they engage in any of the following:
- talking during silent reading time
- sleeping during silent reading time
- reading other books such as text books during silent reading time
- doing other homework during silent reading time
Please also note that students MAY NOT receive pages/credit for a novel they have already read in another class (either for Silent Reading or as part of the course curriculum). This is considered cheating, as the goal for silent reading is to expose students to new literature.
Daily Assignments:
Reading assignments will be given frequently. It is the student’s job to make sure he/she has completed the reading, as it will help him/her contribute to class discussions intelligently. Reading comprehension assignments will be given at Mrs. Johnson’s discretion. Previously unannounced quizzes may be given to test students on what they have read. It is the student’s responsibility to keep track of assignments given and completed throughout the entire semester. Do not lose or discard any assignments, as they provide proof that the assignment was turned in, graded and recorded.
Supplies:
Paper
Blue or black pen
Highlighter Pens for correcting
3-ring notebook (at least a 1.5” binder to house ALL PAPERS) Binder will be divided into three categories: Writing, Literature and Returned Papers
A one-subject spiral Notebook which will be used & Checked EVERY DAY in class!!
Grade Percentage Breakdown:
50% Writing Assignments
25% Tests/Quizzes/Projects
10% Silent Reading
15% Homework/Class Work
Skyward Family Access:
Please note: When checking your grades online, if an asterisks (*) appears in the assignment box, this indicates that the assignment HAS NOT YET BEEN ENTERED. However, if a zero (0) appears in the assignment box, this indicates that the student scored a zero, or that the assignment is indeed
MISSING.
Sounds like A LOT of hard work, huh??? And so… IF you tirelessly adhere to all of the aforementioned rules and regulations, be nice, work hard and give your very best effort every day in this class, the question is . . . Will you succeed?
“Yes indeed,
yes indeed!
Ninety-eight and three-quarters percent
Guaranteed!”
~ Dr. Seuss
Teacher Contact Information:
Please feel free to contact me at any time with your questions or concerns. I may be reached at
(253) 566- 5710 (Ext. 2463) or via email at .
I anticipate asuccessful & rewarding semester with you!GO VIKS!!
Karen Rowland- Johnson
I understand the goals, expectations, and rules of Mrs. Johnson's English 12 course.
Student Name (print):______Date: _____
(Sign):______
Parent/Guardian signature: ______
P/G email: ______
**Please return this slip with both signatures by ______.
I understand the goals, expectations, and rules of Mrs. Johnson's English 12 course.
Student Name (print):______Date: _____
(Sign):______
Parent/Guardian signature: ______
P/G email: ______
**Please return this slip with both signatures by ______.
I understand the goals, expectations, and rules of Mrs. Johnson's English 12 course.
Student Name (print):______Date: _____
(Sign):______
Parent/Guardian signature: ______
P/G email: ______
**Please return this slip with both signatures by ______.