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Mrs. Perrone

Room 2209

Pre-AP English Syllabus (2014-2015)

Welcome to 10th Grade Pre-Advanced Placement English! I am pleased that you have chosen to enroll in a Pre-AP class; however, I want all parents and students to completely understand the rigor of the class and the commitment required by the student. This class requires more effort, attention, and skill than on-level classes. For this reason, I require that the student and his/her parents/guardians read and sign this agreement. A student who does not fulfill his commitment to the agreement requirements or who has problems with the level of work may be counseled by his teacher to transfer to an on-level class at any time during the year. However, students who sign this agreement are committing to at least a semester of Pre-AP.

Please read the following information carefully. If you wish to enroll in the Pre-AP class for 2014-15, sign the agreement and return it to me by August 29th, 2014. If you do not return this form, you will be placed in an on-level English class.

Homework:

The daily average for homework will be 30-45 minutes. Students are often assigned reading or long-term projects that require them to plan their time carefully so that they are not overwhelmed by deadlines. Developing self-discipline in the areas of time management is a goal of all Pre-AP classes

Reading:

Students will need to purchase eight books for this course. They can be easily obtained through Amazon, Half-Price Books or Barnes and Noble. Students are required to purchase their own copies of books so that they may annotate as they read. If you cannot find the books in print, and have ready access to a Kindle, Nook or IPad, you may purchase the texts electronically; however, students may not use their IPhones to read the books. You will still be expected to provide annotations. If the e-reader does not allow for annotation, you may not use an electronic text.

Books to purchase:1984by George Orwell, A Tale of Two Citiesby Charles Dickens,The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, The Grapes of Wrathby John Steinbeck,The Importance of Being Ernestby OscarWilde,Antigone by Sophocles, and The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls.

Reading Expectations:

a. Assigned reading is done outside of class most of the time. Students may also be asked to read during holidays.

b. Annotations will be made and assignments completed for the required reading.

c. Students may be reading one book or play in class and a different book outside of class.

d. STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO READ THE BOOKS– DO NOT DEPEND ON CLIFF’S NOTES OR CLASS .

DISCUSSION FOR UNDERSTANDING

Material Content:

Great literature is great because it allows readers to contemplate and discuss all aspects of human experience; unfortunately, some experiences can be less palatable than others. As this class is structured to prepare students for College Level testing, some of the texts we will read deal with mature college level themes. Parents should know we do not choose the texts randomly. They all come from a pre-approved Advanced Placement College Board reading list, and none of the works we will be reading deal with anything worse than what a child can hear on the radio or see on television. Still, I will do my best to alert parents and guardians to any particularly explicit themes before we begin a novel. If the parent or guardian feels uncomfortable, I will do my best to accommodate the student with another text.

Essays:

Writing is an integral part of every Pre-AP class. Students will be required to write process papers of varying lengths throughout the year. In-classtimed essays will be assigned weekly. Papers written outside of class must be typed. Students are, of course, expected to turn in original work. Plagiarism, like other types of cheating, results in a 0 for the assignment. Plagiarism, in its simplest terms, means presenting as one’s own ideas any or all portions of someone else’s work, including papers found on the Internet.

Grading:

Grading percentages are divided into the following categories:

60% Major

30% Minor

10% Daily

Tutorials:

All students should attend tutorials when they need help with assignments. I am available from 8-8:45 every morning and from 3:45-4:15 after school. If a student makes a poor grade on an essay, they are encouraged to come in for a tutorial and correct their mistake. After attending the tutorial and correcting the mistake, students will receive half of the points back.

Expectations and Procedures

My classroom expectations follow the normal rules of any classroom that you have been in. At this point, you are all young adults and I expect you to behave accordingly. However, there are five main rules that you should pay careful attention to:

  • Upon arrival, you are to go immediately to your assigned seat and begin the warm-up exercise.
  • All school policies and guidelines outlined in The Student Handbook must be obeyed (including food/drink, student ID, attire, tardiness, etc.).
  • You cannot hinder the safety/order of the classroom (including bullying, inappropriate behavior/comments, etc.).
  • Stay in your seat until the bell rings. DO NOT line up at the end of class.
  • Respect all teachers, classmates and the classroom.
  • Unless I have specifically announced a Bring Your Own Technology (BYOT) day, cell phones are not allowed and will be confiscated.
  • Students are expected to have supplies and books every day.

If any of these rules are broken, the disciplinary measures outlined in the student handbook will take effect.

Supplies

You should come ready to write and take notes at the beginning of every class. To do this effectively you need:

  1. Internet Access (if you don’t have internet at home, you need to devise a plan or a schedule that will allow you to be somewhere that offers internet access)
  2. Pens/Pencils/Colored Pencils
  3. Sticky Notes
  4. Notebook paper
  5. 3 Ring Binder with dividers
  6. Stapler (All multiple page work must be stapled before it is turned in.)

Absences/Late Work

  • A grade of 70 will be given for any assignment not turned in the day it is due. After a one day grace period, the assignment will no longer be accepted.
  • If the absence is an extracurricular event/field trip related absence, the student must make arrangements for the assignment to be brought to the teacher the day the assignment is due.
  • In case of an unplanned absence (extended illness, family emergency, etc.), students will receive a two day grace period. After the two days, no credit for assignments will be given.
  • You are responsible for coming to class before school (8:00 a.m. – 8:45 a.m.) or after school (3:45 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.) to receive instruction missed during the absence. It is inappropriate to ask for missed work during class because it takes time from current class instruction. Missed work will be placed in the folder for that day with your name on the assignment. You are responsible for making sure you have your assignments.

Extra Credit

An extra credit assignment will be posted on my web site each six weeks. This assignment does not take the place of missing assignments. The purpose of an extra credit assignment is to enrich the major learning objectives for the six weeks with an additional assignment. These assignments are due one week prior to the last week of instruction for the six weeks.

STAAR End of Course Assessment (EOC):

There will also be an End of Course examination or STAAR (State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness). This test gauges student proficiency in the TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills). Pre-AP English II is structured to prepare students for both the EOC exam and AP Language and Composition coursework.

I am very excited about the plans for this year. Please don’t hesitate to ask questions or come in for help. Together, we can make this an awesome year!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Perrone

Pre-AP English II

PLEASE DETATCH AND RETURN THIS SHEET BY AUGUST 29, 2014. Your syllabus should be kept in your notebook for easy access.

My child and I have read the agreement and my child would like to remain enrolled in Pre-AP for the 2013-2014 school year. We understand the level of work required and the policies explained on the previous pages. We are prepared to fulfill these requirements.

Student Name(please PRINT)______Class Period: ______

ID Number______

Student Signature______

Parent Signature______

Date______