Course Syllabus - English 3/4
Mrs. Jessica Juriaan
Room R4
Voice mail: 328-8426
Email: jjuriaan@washoe.k12.nv.us Website: http://www.jjuriaan.com
Course Description
Welcome to
English 3/4! This
one-year course will continue to develop skills in reading, writing, speaking
and listening, and research. Students
will be given the opportunity to experiment using various types of writing,
including reflective writing, journals, persuasive writing, poetry, and
expository writing. While reading and
writing will be the primary mode of instruction, students will often be
required to express themselves through speeches, multi-media projects, and
class presentations.
Throughout
the course, students will be exposed to increasingly difficult texts, both
fiction and non-fiction. These texts
include Of Mice and Men, A Separate Peace, Our Town, Julius Caesar, The
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and Fahrenheit
451. There will also be a poetry,
short story, and research component in the course. We will be using a variety of learning
techniques, including direct instruction, group work, and research, to gain
entry into these great pieces of literature.
This
course will challenge and encourage students to use their creativity along with
their reading and writing skills.
Artwork, music, and film will be incorporated into the standard
Sophomore English texts, working to broaden the student's knowledge and perhaps
cultivate an appreciation for both literature and the arts. Students will almost always have the option
of "going the extra mile" with their creativity, and this type of
work will receive extra consideration.
Grades
Grades are a combination of homework/class work, tests and
quizzes, writing assignments, and participation. Each Monday, grades will be posted both in
class and on Edline. In this way, you
can keep track of your grade from week to week.
Be sure to keep all graded and returned work in your binder. I will use the following grading scale:
100%-94% =
A 93%-90% = A- 89%-84% = B
83%-80% =
B- 79%-74% = C 73%-70% = C-
69%-64% = D 63%-60% = D- 59%-0% = F
Your grade will be broken down in the following manner:
Participation – 15% Quizzes
– 15% AR points – 10%
Vocabulary – 10% Tests
– 15%
Writing/Projects – 20% Final
– 15% Total = 100%
As you can see, no one thing will ultimately ruin your
grade. However, attention must be paid
to each category in order pass.
Homework
You can count on having homework every night. Homework may include reading assignments,
writing assignments, or simply studying for a test or quiz. You are encouraged to keep track of due dates
using a daily planner or your provided calendar. Whatever the assignment is, make sure you are
coming to class prepared!
Late Work
Late work will not be accepted. This includes long term assignments that have
a given due date. Illness or
school-related activities do not excuse you from turning these assignments on
time. Routine assignments will be due
the first day back from your absence.
Quizzes
We will have quizzes almost daily. Quizzes will be based on reading assignments,
vocabulary, and class discussions.
Tests
Tests will be based on large units, such as whole novels. You will be given plenty of notice prior to a
test, and will often be given extensive study guides. Test materials will include both objective
and essay components. You are encouraged
to form study groups to help you prepare for tests. It would be a good idea to exchange phone
numbers, emails, screen names, etc. with other students in your class.
Writing Assignments
We will have several types of writing assignments throughout
the year. Some will be informal, and
some will be formal essays. All formal writing assignments must be
typed. If you do not have access to a
computer, you may use one in the RHS computer labs.
Participation
Much of what we learn in English comes from class discussion
and interactions with those around us.
You will find that many new ideas and inspirations for your writings
will come from our class discussions.
Not only is your participation in class in class invited and encouraged,
but it is also part of your grade.
Students will start out with 25 points each week (5 points a day). If you actively participate during the school
day, you will keep your five points.
However, if you choose not to participate (doing other class work,
sleeping, being disruptive), you will lose some or all of those points. Your participation points will also help to
determine your citizenship grade. As you
are reading the required novels, plays, or poems, be thinking of comments or
questions that you can bring to class.
Supplies
-
A separate binder for this course is not required,
but is highly recommended. It should be
divided into five sections: writing, homework, vocabulary, study guides, and
tests and quizzes. Be sure to keep your
binder organized. Good organization is
key to your success.
-
A spiral bound or composition notebook for journal
writing is also required. These will be
collected and checked on a regular basis.
-
Students must come with paper and a writing implement
everyday. Failure to do so will result
in the loss of citizenship points. Pens
and pencils will not be given out to students who forget theirs. Ragged-edged notebook paper is not acceptable.
-
Students are highly encouraged to buy their
own copies of the novels we will be reading this year. Part of this course is learning how to study
plays and novels. This job is made
easier if students can highlight lines in their books and write notes or
questions in the margins. While
school-issued books will be available to students who do not purchase their
own, they will not be able to write in them.
-
Standard art supplies will also be helpful, as many
projects encourage students to express their creative side. While I will have some supplies in the
classroom, some students prefer to use their own.
-
Other helpful, but not required, supplies include a mini-stapler, post-its, highlighter
pens, and a mini-dictionary.
Tutoring and Extra Help
I want nothing more than for you to have a successful school
year. That being said, I am available
for extra help both before school and during lunch. Please don't be afraid to ask for help. Come by to ask questions, discuss project
ideas, or just to say hello! You can also
contact me through email, phone, or Yahoo Groups. Your success may depend on your willingness
to speak up!
Honesty Policy
Cheating will never be tolerated in my classroom. Cheating and plagiarism takes many
forms. Plagiarism includes, but is not
limited to the following: copying a book word for word without any citation,
writing vocabulary words on your hands, having a cheat sheet, and copying
homework from another person (even from another class). If a student is caught cheating, he/she will
receive a zero for that assignment, and his/her citizenship grade will
automatically be lowered to an "F."
If this should occur again, the student will be sent to an administrator. The student may be removed from the class and
lose credit for the class. In addition,
students will often be required to submit papers to Turinitin.com. You will need an email account for this.
General Rules
Classroom Expectations
-
Show respect at all times, whether towards teachers,
administrators, or your classmates.
-
Make sure you are fully prepared before class begins. This includes using the bathroom, visiting
lockers, and sharpening pencils.
-
Enter class quietly and immediately begin working on
your Sponge activity. These will be
posted each day and will be recorded in your journals.
-
Do not leave until you have been excused. If you are packing up early, you will be the
last to leave.
-
Use dignified, educated language in class. Vulgarity and profanity will not be tolerated
(this goes along with showing respect).
-
Any visible (or noisy) electronic items (phones,
radios, pagers, etc.) will be confiscated and will only be returned to a
parent, so make sure they're off before class begins!
-
Take care of any grooming issues before class. Brushes, make-up, compacts, and other
grooming items will be confiscated and not returned until June.
-
Keep our classroom clean and free of clutter. This is our home. Let's keep it looking great!
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NO HATS. This
English Department rule includes sweatshirt hoods and applies to both men and
women.
-
All RHS Student Handbook Policies are followed in
this classroom. Please
read over and become familiar with these policies.
Discipline
If a problem occurs in class, I will attempt to resolve the
problem with the student in the following ways:
1.
Give the student a verbal warning regarding the
inappropriate behavior. The student's
participation points may be lowered at this point.
2.
Ask the student to step outside for a few minutes to
collect him/herself. I will speak to the
student about the inappropriate behavior and then invite him/her to return to
class. A call home must be necessary.
If the problem continues, I will:
1.
Call the parent/guardian of the student to discuss
the behavior and notify the parent/guardian of the consequences if the behavior
continues.
2.
Write a disciplinary referral and send the student to
the proper school authority.
Severely disruptive behavior or behavior which compromises
the safety of other students will result in the immediate referral of the
student to the proper school authority.
I hope by keeping the lines of communication open, we can resolve any
problems in class, and administrative or parent intervention will not be
necessary. I will not allow any
individual to continually disrupt the learning process or create a negative
atmosphere for the rest of the class.
Attendance and Make-ups
Your attendance is crucial to your success. If you are absent due to illness, it is your
responsibility to obtain the work missed that day. Make sure to ask at an appropriate time, such
as before or after school. You must get
any notes taken that day from one of your classmates. Most assignments are available to you online. You have two days per absence to turn in any
work that was assigned during your illness.
After that, your work is late and will not be accepted. Make-up work will only be given for excused absences.
Tardy Policy
If you are not in your seat by the time the bell rings, you
will be marked tardy and you will lose all participation points for the
day. On your third tardy, your citizen
will drop one letter grade and your parents will be notified. If you reach six tardies, your citizenship
will again drop one letter grade and you will receive a school detention. Being on time is important and can either
make or break your citizenship grade!
Detentions
Detentions in
Communication
If you need to contact the main office, please call
333-5050. If you wish to contact me
personally, email is always the best method.
Students! Another
line of communication will be available to you through Yahoo!Groups. Yahoo Groups is a fantastic resource that
allows users to communicate through email and chat. Once a member, you're linked up with both
your classmates and myself. To join,
please follow these instructions carefully:
-
Get online and go to http://groups.yahoo.com (Or follow the link
from www.jjuriaan.com).
-
Once there, sign up for a yahoo account (it's free!). If you are already a member, you make skip
this step. If not, please choose a
member name that includes all or part
of both your first name and your last name. This is how I will identify you as a member
of our class.
-
Once you have set up an account, access the group web
page by going to http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/rhs_sophomore_english
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Fill in all of the member information (name,
birthday, etc). Don't worry; this
information will only be available to me.
-
Once you have joined, you will have the ability to
post messages (which will be screened by me before posting) and participate in
group chats. Students have used these
features in the past to ask questions and conduct online study groups.
-
IMPORTANT
– Once signed up, follow the “Edit Membership” link and look under the section
titled “Email Address.” Make sure the
emails that come from this group are being sent to your primary email address.
If you're having any problems with this process, please come
and see me during lunch. I will be more
than happy to help you out! You must be
signed up on Yahoo!Groups by Friday.