“Treat people as if they were what they ought to be and you help them become what they are capable of being.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Miss Logsdon’s English I Survival Guide
AKA: English I Syllabus
Your Mission, should you choose to accept it:
Believe in Yourself, Grow as a Learner and an Individual, and Succeed in this Class!!!
Contact Information
Room 305 – Open Door Policy: I’ll be in the room by 7:45 in the morning and will stay until 3:45pm. Need to see me at another time? Please make an appointment!
Email:Class Wiki:
*Please note: Due to the updated media policy, it is necessary that a parent/guardian be copied on all communication with the student. Therefore, parent emails need to be included in the To: or CC: line in order for me to respond to a student. It is also necessary for parents to enter the Edmodo parent code!
Grading Scale
A+ 99-100 B+ 90-91 C+ 81-82 D+ 72-73 F 64 and below
A 94-98 B 85-89 C 76-80 D 67-71
A- 92-93 B- 83-84 C- 74-75 D- 65-66
Point System: Total Points of Assignments and Exams are worth 90% for the semester;
Semester Final is worth 10%
General Course Summary: The purpose of this course is to enrich the minds of young readers and writers through a variety of texts and compositions (including but not limited to: poetry, drama, novels, short stories, non-fiction, grammar, vocabulary, creative writing, formal writing, literary analysis, and expository writing). By exploring our world through written and oral language, students will hopefully come to a greater understanding of themselves and the world around them.
Required Resources:
* Student must set up an Edmodo account (for journals)
*Pencil AND Blue/Black Ink Pen; Red Pen; Highlighter
*Loose-Leaf College Rule Notebook Paper - I will not accept assignments with fringes!!!
* 1 Package 3x3 Post-Its and 1 Package Lined Notecards
* Flashdrive
*Binder– You need a 3-ring binder (1 inch thick) with dividers. The dividers should read as follows:
1) Assignments
2) Class Handouts (syllabus/procedures, paper/project assignments, graphic organizers, etc.)
3) Vocabulary/Grammar
4) Bell Work
5) Notes
*Portfolio Folder- You must bring a pocket folder of your assigned class color by the given due date. You will keep all completed and graded work in your portfolio folders, in the classroom, ALL year.
Folder Colors by Hour:(2nd-Red, 3rd-Purple, 4th- Green, 5th-Yellow, 6th-Blue, 7th- Orange)
*Texts- Holt McDougal Literature Grade 9 Common Core Edition (contains The Odyssey and Romeo and Juliet), and Grammar for Writing– You will receive these through the book rental program.
*Additional Books – The student will be loaned copies of Oedipus Rex and Night. The student will be required to individually purchase Epic, Of Mice and Men, and a mystery novel TBD. Electronic copies are acceptable as long as they may be brought to school on a device other than a phone. Failure to have your own copy of the book by the due date may result in loss of points, demerits or a call home.
~The student will be responsible for reading one book per semester outside the standard curriculum– details on this assignment will be received at a later date. This book may be borrowed or purchased.
*Note – There may be additional material that needs purchased for special projects/presentations.
Academic Integrity: Sharing your work or copying the work of another individual, whether on an exam, an assignment, or in a paper (plagiarism), will not be tolerated. Such behavior fails to give the due respect to the work and intelligence of both parties involved. Cheating and plagiarism may result in a zero on the assignment, project, paper, or exam, as well as other disciplinary action.
Homework/Assignments: All homework assignments, formal papers, and projects will be completed before the beginning of class or they will be counted late. If retrieved with a hall pass, they will be counted late. They will be passed forward as a class.
Late Homework: If it is turned in the same day it was due, but after the beginning of the class period, only 10% will be deducted. All other late work may be turned in for 50% credit until two weeks prior to the end of the quarter. The late work due date will be on the unit calendar.
Absences: If you are absent, it is your responsibility to get assignments, notes, and schedule make-up tests before or after class. It is NOT my responsibility to see you about work you did not receive or did not turn in due to an absence.(Please do not interrupt class. For absent assignments, write the date of absence on top and hand to me personally. See the Absentee Box for handouts.) Work assigned before your absence must be turned in the day you return (if collected while you were gone) or the day it is due. You have 3 days (starting with your 1st day back to school) to complete work assigned during your absence. You do not get extended time on work assigned before the absence and which you knew (via unit calendar) was due on a specific day. Example: If a project is due or a test will be given on the date you return and you knew about it before the absence, you are still responsible for turning in the project or taking the test that day! See me if your absence was longer than one week. If you know you are going to be gone for a school activity, you are responsible for getting your work 2 days in advance, and it will still be due on the assigned day.
Late/Absent Work Note: Any work not turned in with the class MUST be handed to me personally. It should NOT be placed individually on my desk or given to a sub.
Assessment: Students will be assessed in a variety of formats, including but not limited to: Exams (essay, short answer, true/false, multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank), Papers (essay, research, creative), Bell Work, Oral Presentations, Group Work, Independent Reading Projects, Reading Strategy Use, Portfolios, Etc. I will NOT offer test retakes.
Grammar and Vocabulary: Students will complete workbook review pages. Students will take a major grammar exam once per semester for a pass/fail grade. If they do not pass, they will have until a specific date to complete remediation and retake the exam outside of class time. Failure to do so will result in a zero on the exam. Students will be assessed on weekly root words, in addition to unit-specific vocabulary throughout the year.
Extra Credit: There will be various opportunities for extra credit throughout the year. See Wiki.
General Conduct: You are expected to practice Christian virtues and abide by all expectations outlined in the student handbook. As a faith-based learning community, it is important to respectfully share ideas and opinions as we grow together as individuals, learners, and Christians. We each have a responsibility, through our words and actions, to respect the God-given dignity of every individual who enters the classroom.
"Men go abroad to wonder at the heights of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motions of the stars, and they pass by themselves without wondering." ~ St. Augustine
Please acknowledge on the parent signature sheet that you have read this syllabus.
CLASSROOM PROCEDURES: ENGLISH I
Getting Down to the Nitty-Gritty
Golden Rule: Respect your teacher, your peers, and yourself with the dignity God has given all of us. Following this rule will allow for a joyful and productive learning environment.
Beginning of Class: You must be in your seat by the time the bell begins ringing or you are tardy. You should have your materials out and begin quietly working on the bell work or read until I begin class. You should always have a novel to read! If you enter the room late, put your demerit card on my desk and get to work.
Bell Work: Students will receive bell work packets (sometimes short writing assignments from the board) which should be worked on after the bell rings until I begin class. Bell work should be kept in the appropriate section of your binder and will be turned in towards the end of the semester for a grade.
Appointments: If you are leaving early for an appointment, I must sign your pass before class starts.
End of Class: Desks need moved back to their original positions, any borrowed materials should be returned, and trash should be thrown away. You will keep your study materials out until I tell you to put them away. (I will try to give you plenty of time for this.) You will remain in your seats until I dismiss you – NOT the bell! All graded assignments should be placed in your personal folders in the back of the room.
Make-up Tests: It is the student’s responsibility to make arrangements to make up missed tests or quizzes. If you miss a quiz or test due to an absence, see me immediately upon return to schedule a make-up. If you knew about the quiz/test prior to your absence, you must be ready to take it immediately upon return. You must take the quiz/test within three days of your return for full credit. (Possible Exception: absence longer than one week)
Leaving during Class: You must get your agenda signed, as well as your hall pass signed. (See Hall Pass Handout for details.) You are only allowed to leave the classroom for personal reasons (restroom, drink, locker, etc) during non-instructional time, but please tell me if it’s an emergency!
Leaving your Desk: If you need to sharpen your pencil, throw something way, etc., do so during non-instructional time. You do not need to raise your hand, but should not disturb the class.
Materials: You must bring all required materials to class daily (homework, pen/pencil, novel, binder, notebook paper, student agenda). I will tell you when you need your textbooks. If you need to return to your locker to retrieve your book or binder, it will count as a tardy. I may perform random binder checks for points. I will have a few pens/pencils on the back table that may be borrowed. Everything on or behind my desk is off limits. DO NOT GET OUT ANY WORK FROM OTHER CLASSES. IT WILL BE TAKEN IF I SEE IT. If we finish early, you may work ahead for this class or read silently.
Behavior: It is my hope that, as young adults, you will all be respectful and behave properly in class. You are responsible for your own behavior.
Discipline: If your behavior is disruptive to the learning environment, the following steps will be taken. One or more of these steps may be skipped based on the severity of the behavior. I also reserve the right to send you to another teacher’s room or the office at any time.
3 Strikes and You’re Out: Name on the Board (= Time after Bell); Demerit + Time after Bell; Detention with Me (Lunch or After School – my choice); Office and Official School Detention
Automatic Demerits: Tardies, Inappropriate Language or Gestures, Blatant Disrespect
Gum, Food, and Drinks: You are allowed to have gum in class, but if you are passing gum after class has started, blowing bubbles, or making noises, you will lose it for the rest of class. If I find gum or wrappers on the floor, ALL classes will lose gum privileges. You may have clear water bottles, but absolutely no other drinks, food, or candy.
Tuesday Mass Periods: If you are in 2nd hour, plan on attending Mass every other week. If we went to Mass the previous week, make sure to bring something to work on, because you will not be allowed to go to your locker. On optional study hall days, you must work silently in the room or attend Mass. If study halls are abused, the privilege will be lost.
Teacher Presentations: Out of respect, you should be quiet and attentive when I am speaking. Raise your hand if you have a question. (I LOVE QUESTIONS THAT RELATE TO WHAT WE ARE COVERING IN CLASS.) I will use a 5-4-3-2-1 countdown if I need quiet. You should quiet down immediately when you hear 5, but by the time I reach 1 it must be silent. I will let you know when you should take notes.
Peer/Visitor Presentations: You should be very respectful whenever anyone is giving a presentation. You should have all work put away, listen attentively, have eyes on the speaker, and clap at the end of the presentation to show appreciation.
Group Work: The purpose of language is communication; therefore, we will often work in groups to practice communication and cooperation skills. Sometimes you will be allowed to choose your group, and other times they will be chosen for you. You are expected to remain on task, complete the assigned work/goals, and fill out evaluations of your team and individual work.
Personal Folder: Each student will have a personal folder kept in a file cabinet in the classroom. This folder will hold ALL graded assignments. At the end of the semester/year, you will need these assignments to study for your final. You may ask to see your folder and work at any time!
Surf the Board: Check the board for weekly homework, weekly quote, and vocabulary. Homework will also be listed on your unit calendar, which will be posted on the class wiki.
Questions: If you have a question about faith, something covered in class, or something going on in the world, please feel free to see me outside of class.
Quote Recognition: There will be a weekly quote written on the board. On unit exams, I will ask questions about these quotes for extra credit.
Supplies: I will be offering extra credit within the first full week of school to anyone who brings classroom supplies from the following list. There will be a set amount of extra credit, so it is not necessary to bring more than one item unless you want to. Items: blue/black/red pens, pencils, large colored dry erase markers, colored highlighters, glue sticks, markers, construction paper, Kleenex.
Electronic Devices: Students are allowed to use approved electronic devices at appropriate times for research or reading. They may not use their phones for any reason. Please see school policy.
EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT!
EXTRA CREDIT OPPORTUNITIES
Supplies (1st Full Week): I will be offering extra credit within the first full week of school to anyone who brings classroom supplies from the following list. There will be a set amount of extra credit, so it is not necessary to bring more than one item unless you want to. Items: blue/black/red pens, pencils, large colored dry erase markers, colored highlighters, glue sticks, markers, construction paper, Kleenex.
Quote Recognition: There will be a weekly quote written on the board. On unit exams, I will ask questions about these quotes for extra credit. I encourage students to record quotes in their agenda, along with homework on Mondays.
Bible Passage Connection: Students may write a bible passage on one side of a notecard and a brief explanation on the back of the notecard explaining how it connects to the unit theme. The passage must clearly support the theme and be turned in by the final week of that unit.
Thematic Unit Soundtrack: Students may complete a thematic soundtrack to match our units for extra credit. The soundtrack must use music obtained legally and should be accompanied by a list of songs and artists, as well as lyrics – 5 song minimum. The student must write a brief explanation on how each song connects to the theme. The music must be school appropriate, clearly support the theme, and be turned in by the final week of that unit. This may only count for extra credit once a semester.
Character Theme Wrap-Up: Students may volunteer to dress as a character who embodies the thematic unit we have completed. They should develop a script which captures, summarizes, and portrays the primary lessons learned during that unit. They will portray their character and script in a 5 minute performance in front of the class at the end of the unit. They must sign up in advance – this will be first come, first serve. This may only count for extra credit once a semester.
Movie Review: Watch a movie (No Rated R Movies!) that incorporates the topic of our thematic unit as a primary theme. Type a proper 5 paragraph essay addressing how that theme is portrayed in the movie. (1st semester – this will not be graded for structure, since you have not learned 5 paragraph essays yet.) The essay must also compare the theme in the movie to the literature read for that unit. You must have a parent signature on the reflection, verifying that you watched the movie. (If you’ve already seen the movie in the past, you must watch it AGAIN!) This may only count for extra credit once a semester. It is due within two weeks after finishing that unit, but may be turned in earlier.
Social Poetry and Theater: Students may attend pre-approved live poetry or dramatic events in the Wichita area and complete a required reflection for extra credit points. Students should see me for the reflection instructions. Students need to bring information about events to me for approval in advance. Use these sites for ideas and events. This may only count for extra credit once a semester.