Mrs. Keefe
11th Grade English
Syllabus
email:
BE SURE TO VISIT MY TEACHER PAGE DAILY FOR ACCESS TO HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT REMINDERS, UNIT MATERIALS AND SUPPLEMENTS, AND HELPFUL LINKS AND INFORMATION FOR YOUR SUCCESS THIS YEAR
CLASSROOM RULES, PROCEDURES, CONSEQUENCES, & GRADING
Introduction
Rules and procedures are fundamental in life. We follow rules and procedures in our daily lives for things like approaching a traffic light, starting a car and driving, and following a recipe.
There are also rules and procedures in this classroom. These rules and procedures ensure a positive atmosphere in the classroom. They contribute to a controlled and learning environment for everyone.
DELL LATITUDE: INDIVIDUAL STUDENT LAPTOP DEVICE
ALL students will be receiving a DELL LATITUDE LAPTOP for the 2016-2017 academic school year. These devices will be used extensively and daily in my ELA class. Examples of what students will be doing with these devices include, but will not be limited to: Completing online tests and quizzes; completing weekly WIKI assignments; reading various pieces of literature and texts; performing various vocabulary tasks; completing their research paper. As you can see, it is essential for students to bring these devices to class each day.
Procedures for Entering the Classroom
1. Enter the classroom quietly, without pushing or shoving, find your seat, and begin your bell work.
2. You are not to stand or wait around in the hallway, UNLESS we are not in the room.
3. Make sure you have your Dell Latitude with you so you can begin the bell work promptly.
4. Cell phones/iPods/Earbuds should be in lockers. NO EXCEPTIONS. THESE ITEMS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED IN CLASS.
5. Copy the homework assignments from the board in to your calendar on your Dell Latitude
6. Work quietly and by yourself.
If You Are Late
1. Walk in quietly making as little noise as possible.
2. Take your assigned seat.
3. Join the activity in progress.
4. There will be activities and educational information presented the entire class period. That means if you are even one minute late, you could miss important announcements or information in the lesson. It will be your responsibility to get the information you missed from a classmate or by meeting with me
***********************See consequences for tardiness*************************
If You Are Absent
There will always be assignments and activities in class. When you are absent, you WILL BE MISSING WORK. It is your responsibility to make-up any assignments, tests, quizzes, etc. in a timely manner when you return from an absence. YOU WILL BE GIVEN A CALENDAR EACH MONTH DETAILING WHAT WORK WILL BE DONE EACH DAY AND WEEK. Unit calendars can also be accessed from my teacher website as well as from the share folder, which we will cover shortly. If you need to make-up a test, quiz, assignment, or activity, it is your responsibility to make arrangements with me IMMEDIATELY. You will always know what work you have to do.
You may e-mail me and ask for missing work. You can also
e-mail work to me. I will be sending daily emails to students and parents. Communication is essential. You should get into the habit of checking your emails each morning---I might make sudden changes in class instruction or expected activities. If I am going to be out unexpectedly, I will also email you to inform you of the changes and give you instructions on what to do in my absence. You not checking your email is not an excuse for not completing the work. You have now been told it is your responsibility to check your email each day.
Turning in/ Collecting Assignments
Depending on whether the assignment is electronic or not depends on where you will turn in your assignment. You will be given instruction on this throughout the first month of school and will learn the various methods of turning in work rather quickly.
ALWAYS READ THE COMMENTS ON YOUR WORK AS SOMETIMES ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE RETURNED WITHOUT GRADES IF ADDITIONAL WORK OR INFORMATION IS NEEDED.
Procedure During Class, End of Class, and Class Dismissal
Moving Around the Room: If you need to move around the room, please raise your hand and wait to be called upon. Please do not interrupt in the middle of an explanation, lesson, or activity unless it is an emergency.
End of Class and Dismissal: Right before the bell rings everyone should be in his or her assigned seat, be quiet, and have all materials packed up and ready to go. I WILL DISMISS THE CLASS, NOT THE BELL.
When We Have a Visitor
When we have someone come into our classroom whom is not part of our class (teachers, administrator, student, parent) you are expected to follow the same classroom rules and procedures. You are expected to be polite to the visitor. Do not talk to the visitor unless he/she is talking to you directly. Continue working on your assignment as usual. If the visitor needs to speak to me privately, I expect you to remain in your seat without talking until I finish speaking with the visitor.
When You Finish Classwork Early
If you finish all of your assigned work early you may a) read independently; b) work on an assignment for another class; c) write; d) draw; e) work on extra credit. DO NOT TALK OR DISTURB OTHERS.
Share Folder
A share folder will be created that all 11th grade ELA students can access from their Latitudes. This folder is accessible anywhere you have internet access. If you do not have internet access, it is important to save documents from the folder to your Dell Latitude prior to leaving the school. If you know you do not have internet access at home, IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO SAVE THE DOCUMENTS TO YOUR LATITUDE or get the documents in hardcopy AHEAD OF TIME. Not having internet access is not an excuse to not complete assigned work.
Classroom Rules
1. Respect me and your classmates. (You respect the teachers when you do what he or she says, don’t talk back, do not touch other people’s property without permission, and follow all school and classroom rules and procedures. You respect your classmates when you follow all school and classroom rules and procedures). ALL SCHOOL RULES ALSO APPLY IN THIS CLASSROOM.
2. Follow directions. This should be self-explanatory at this level.
3. No food or drink in the classroom. This is self-explanatory.
4. Keep hands, feet, and objects to yourself. (This means you do not throw things, kick things, push people, hit people, etc.)
5. No swearing, teasing, or name-calling. There will be no tolerance for any of these offensive behaviors.
6. Be in the classroom when the bell rings. Teaching will start as soon as the bell rings. When you are late, you WILL miss important information.
7. Severe: No fighting, threats, or verbal abuse. (It is extremely inappropriate for you to fight with another classmate, threaten anyone, or verbally abuse anyone by making insults).
8. Under no circumstances are you to use your school issued Latitude for inappropriate uses. Doing so will result in you losing your electronic privileges. You will still be responsible to complete your assignments.
Consequences
Everything we do in life has consequences. If you choose to run a red light, you must accept the consequences that come with it (traffic ticket, taking someone’s life, crashing your car, etc.). Consequences are the things that happen to you when you choose not to obey a rule. Negative consequences are what result when a person chooses to break a rule OR procedure. Depending on the nature, severity, and recurrence of the behavior, Mrs. Keefe and administration will choose one or more of the following consequences, including but NOT limited to detention, GAP referral, Academic Referral, working lunch, removal or denial for a field trip, or a different consequence all together based on the negative choice.
A. TARDY TO CLASS: If you are late to class more than 3 times without a pass, you will automatically receive a consequence. You will be notified by the SWEEP TEAM of the consequences on your first tardy. You will also be writing a note explaining why you were late---this note will get mailed to your parents.
B. CELL PHONES: Keep them in your locker, do not check on them during breaks, and do not sneak them in to class. You will not need them. If there is an emergency, you can use the phone in the office. If someone needs to reach you, they know where you are, and they will call the school looking for you. You will be OKAY without your cell phone, trust me…..people went without cell phones for hundreds of years, and somehow they managed just fine J
Teacher Website, WIKI, McGraw-Hill Online Textbook
Most classroom activities and website links will be posted to our websites, which are accessible from the Salamanca School Website. Please look on Mrs. Keefe's school websites for helpful information for every unit we work on this year. ALSO, we will be using a class Wiki. You will receive another handout on the Wikis which will describe their use and purpose as well as a class period where you will have hands on learning. ALWAYS BRING YOUR DELL LATITUDE!
Grading
30% Essays
30% Tests & Projects
10% Quizzes
10% Class Work & Homework (Including WIKI assignments)
20% Attendance, Participation, Effort, and Preparedness
Research Paper: 20% of your grade in the marking period in which it is completed
Mid-Term: 10% of the final overall average
Regents Exam: You will be taking the ELA Common Core Regents in June 2017. You MUST pass the Regents to graduate. Your ELA Regents will count as 15% of your final overall average.
In addition, you will receive various homework grades while completing your research paper that will count in the marking period you do your paper. In addition to a final research paper grade, you will receive a Process Grade, which reviews all of the major pieces of your paper. Your Process Grade will count as a “Project” during the marking period in which you complete your paper and will also count as 30% of your grade in the marking period in which it is completed.
.
Required Materials
1. School Issued Dell Latitude—you must have this to use in the classroom. These will be used daily. Please complete all of the paperwork required for a school issued Latitude, as well as the insurance paperwork and technology paperwork, and return it to the business office as soon as possible.
2. Internet access—you will need to use the internet each day for homework and Wiki Posts. If you do not have internet access at home, then you can bring your Latitude to one of these locations to access the FREE WI-FI provided. McDonald's, Tim Horton, Salamanca Public Library, Salamanca Youth Center (Jefferson Street School Building)
3. One 3 inch, 3-ring binder
4. 10 dividers
5. Pens, Pencils, Paper
UNITS FOR THE 2016-2017 SCHOOL YEAR
This year, we will be tackling the following units. Additional units and activities will be added throughout the year as well. Timeframes are not precise and units will probably be extended based on variables that will occur throughout the school days and weeks. The order presented below is not necessarily the precise order in which the units will be completed.
Students should expect a variety of intense reading and writing assignments throughout the year. They will also be reading poetry and will be participating in a variety of large and small group activities.
“The Crucible” and The Scarlett Letter--- 12 weeks
The Color of Water--- 6 weeks
The Great Gatsby---6 weeks
Short Story Unit on Personal Identity--- 5 weeks
Research Paper---Students will write an argument based research paper of five pages--- 5 weeks
Regents Review--- 2 weeks at the end of the year
Student/Parent
Contract
Both the student and the parents or guardians have read the packet and know to keep it to refer to throughout the year if the need arises. The parent or guardian MUST provide an email address in order to receive Mrs. Keefe’s daily emails, which will detail work being done that day as well as throughout the week. This will also allow the parent or guardian to receive copies of student grades each week. If there are questions or concerns at any time, parent or guardians may email Mrs. Keefe and expect a response within 24 hours.
Print and Sign Student Name Date
______
Signature of Parent/Guardian Date
______
PARENT CONTACT INFORMATION REQUIRED:
______
Cell Phone Number
______
**Returning this form is the first quiz grade of the year! Such an easy assignment!**
RETURN BY:
______