HONORS LANGUAGE ARTS 9 Ms. Marshall Auburn High School 2015-2016 Phone: (253) 931-4880, ext. 702220 E-mail: amarshall@auburn.wednet.edu COURSE DESCRIPTION Welcome to Honors Language Arts 9! I am looking forward to a successful year with you. One of my goals is to ensure you receive an outstanding education. We will be spending many hours together in the coming months, and in order for it to be an enjoyable and successful learning time for you, you should know what I expect. The purpose of Honors Language Arts 9 is to provide a more challenging approach to the regular Language Arts 9 curriculum for academically talented students. The curriculum in the honors class parallels the regular Language Arts 9 curriculum, but the materials used, as well as the teaching methods, emphasizes the students abilities to use higher level thinking skills: analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. Students are expected to read longer and more difficult selections and will be asked to answer more challenging questions. The emphasis in the teaching of literature will be interdisciplinary. Students will be expected to make connections in the areas of art, theater, and history. Students also will acquire skills in close reading by learning to observe specific critical details and analyze them for literary significance. Expectations in the area of writing include the ability to produce more detailed and extensive writing assignments than the regular ninth grade program. The focus will be on expository and analytical writing. In the area of communication, students will be expected to participate in thoughtful, intelligent discussions of literature, as well as communicate ideas through oral presentations and projects. I encourage open communication. If at any time you need help, have questions, need someone to talk to, or disagree with a grade or procedure, please see me as soon as possible. I am available before school, during first lunch, or after school. I am willing to listen to and help with any problem that may arise during the year. I want you to have an excellent freshman year, so let me know what I can do to help! Please look over these class expectations and procedures with your parents or guardians. There is a space on the last page of the packet for you to sign to indicate you have read the information. Your parents or guardians must also sign to show they have read the packet. Please return the signed form by.
STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS Budget your time. Do not wait until the last minute to complete assignments. Persist. Sometimes a literary passage may have to be read more than once before you understand it. Obtain help when needed. If you are having a problem or if something seems not quite right, please ask for a time to talk things through. I m here to help you be successful. Be organized. Keep a three-ring notebook with all notes, handouts, and assignments. Use your student planner daily, if not hourly. GRADING The A grade is not easily earned. Students should be prepared for the possibility that they may not earn as high a grade in English as they have earned in the past. Honors is a rigorous curriculum at the high school level. 93-100 A 83-86 B 73-76 C 60-66 D 90-92 A- 80-82 B- 70-72 C- 59 F 87-89 B+ 77-79 C+ 67-69 D+ Your grade will be determined by the following categories: Essays, tests, and projects 50% Quizzes 15% Assessment Book talks/supplemental reading 15% Daily assignments 20% Please do not ask about your grade during class time. HOMEWORK In this academic area, and at this level, homework (approximately thirty minutes per night) is assigned on a daily basis and may also be assigned on weekends and holidays. Homework is assigned carefully, and is meant both as practice to see if you understand a concept and as preparation for what we ll do in class the next day. If nothing is specifically assigned, the expectation is that you are reading your independent reading book, studying vocabulary, or reviewing material for a test/quiz. PROCEDURES Absences: Students have two days for each excused day absent to make up assignments. It is the students responsibility to find out what was missed (check folder, read calendar, ask peer, ask teacher) and make it up in the required time. Numerous absences will negatively impact your grade. Tardies will result in the administrative consequences following the school tardy policy. Numerous tardies will negatively affect your grade as you lose participation points as well as valuable instruction time.
Graded work needs to be saved for at least one quarter. As papers are handed back, please double check grades and make sure they match what was entered into the computer. If there is a discrepancy, see Ms. Marshall right away. Redo, retakes, and late work may be available, based on teacher discretion. As a general rule, any redos or retakes must be completed within the quarter in which they were assigned. Assignments must be completed on time, with the exception of excused absences on a due date. Long-term projects and assignments such as essays need to be turned in on the due date no matter what. Hall passes can be used for going to the restroom, locker, or to pick up a book from the library (maximum five minutes). Each student will receive two hall passes a semester. Once both hall passes have been used, the student may not leave class for any reason. A hall pass may not be used for a tardy. CLASSROOM EXPECTATIONS Beginning and end of class: 1. You are expected to be in your seat when the bell rings. Read the board for information regarding assignment information, learning targets, pertinent dates, and so on. 2. Before the final bell rings, return any borrowed materials and review homework expectations. College students do not pack up before the end of class, and you will be expected to refrain from doing so as well. During class: 1. Practice courtesy, tolerance, respect, and patience. 2. Contribute to class discussions. 3. Be willing to share your writing samples. DISCIPLINE POLICY FOR RULE VIOLATIONS The classroom policy will follow the discipline policy set forth by Auburn High School, which can be found in the student handbook. In general, if a student has difficulty following classroom rules, the teacher will warn the student, hold a conference with the student, call parents, and or/contact an administrator. ACADEMIC HONESTY The purpose of your high school classes is to foster academic excellence, which means that hard work and honesty on the part of each student will result in success. In order to make the most of your education, it is important that you do your own work. There is no excuse for plagiarizing and cheating, and the practice does a disservice to students, whose paramount goal should be to learn. Academic dishonesty occurs when a student copies the work of another student, claiming it is their own work; uses a cheat sheet on an assessment; or uses someone else s words without giving credit by citing their source. This type of dishonesty hurts students who
do not learn to do a task themselves or experience intellectual growth from putting their own ideas together. If I see evidence of cheating or plagiarism, the following consequences occur: 1. Students receive a 0 for the assignment. 2. They may choose to complete an alternate assignment to demonstrate mastery of the assessed skill. 3. Discipline points and consequences for behavior will be assigned during a meeting with the student s assistant principal. Many classes at Auburn High School, including this one, use the services of Turnitin.com to check for plagiarism. Before turning in any major essay, you will need to first submit your paper to Turnitin.com. The program will produce a summary sheet for you, which has to be turned in with the final draft of your essay. In order to use Turnitin.com, it is beneficial, though not necessary, for you to have an e-mail address. We will discuss the procedure for using Turnitin.com before your papers are due. LANGUAGE ARTS 9 POWER STANDARDS In this class, students will be learning and developing the following reading, writing, language, and speaking and listening skills. Reading The student builds vocabulary through wide reading The student demonstrates evidence of reading comprehension The student understands and applies knowledge of text components to comprehend text The student analyzes author s use of language, style, purpose, and perspective The student reads for a variety of purposes Writing The student prewrites to generate ideas and plan writing The student revises to improve text The student develops ideas and organizes writing The student knows and applies writing conventions appropriate for grade level Speaking and Listening The student uses skills and strategies to work collaboratively The student uses knowledge of topic/theme, audience, and purpose to plan presentation
HONORS LANGUAGE ARTS 9 CONTRACT FOR SUCCESS Please return this page by the end of the week for a grade. Keep the rest of the syllabus in your binder throughout the semester. My family and I have read all of the information regarding expectations for Honors Language Arts 9 and agree to the requirements of this class. Student s name: Period: Student s signature: Parent s name: Phone number: Parent s signature: Parent s e-mail address: Best method of contacting parent (circle one): Phone / E-mail