College Prep English 9

Ms. Ruehlmann

Room: 105

Voicemail: 924.3719

Availability: I would be more than happy to meet with you during 7th period, before school, after school, or common time.

“That the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse…”

~John Keating in Dead Poet’s Society

WELCOME TO MS. RUEHLMANN’S ENGLISH CLASS!

I am very excited to have each and every one of you in my class this year! I believe that reading and writing are the two most important skills you will learn in school. They are skills that you will use every single day of your life. If you can master these skills, you can do anything. As such, this will be a difficult course. The work will be challenging, but I am here to work with you and help you master these skills. We have a lot of exciting topics to cover, and I am confident that this year is going to be a great one. Your success is important to me, and I want you to know that my door is always open should you have any questions or need help with assignments.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course is designed to help students develop their skills in reading, writing (including grammar and vocabulary), and speaking. Students will read a variety of selections including short stories, plays, novels, poems, and articles. Students will be expected to participate in classroom discussions and often write about the selections they have read, so it is crucial that reading assignments be completed on time. In CP English 9, students will also work on improving writing skills and learn how to develop a well-organized expository essay.

TENTATIVE COURSE OVERVIEW

 Short stories

 Literary terms/concepts

 Poetry study, terminology, and writing

 Grammar- types of sentences, parts of speech, phrases and clauses, verbals, comma usage and punctuation, effective sentence construction, agreement, quotes vs. underlining

 Essay writing--Compare and contrast, literature analysis, narratives

 Persuasive writing and speaking

 Vocabulary development

MATERIALS

Students must have the following supplies:

  1. 3 ring binder for handouts, notes, test/quizzes
  2. Loose leaf paper (paper torn out from a notebook will not be accepted)
  3. Composition notebook for our daily writing activity
  4. 150 index cards (10 needed every Monday)
  5. Index box for weekly vocabulary words

It is yourresponsibility to keep your work organized. I will not be responsible to replace lost worksheets, notes, or information.

ENGLISH BINDER

Students are required to keep a binder for this course and organize it as instructed during the beginning of the year. Keeping this binder helps students to stay organized throughout the year, and allows them to study for quizzes, tests, and exams more efficiently. Be sure to save ALL papers and file them accordingly!

CLASSROOM EXPECTATIONS

  1. Respect your peers, your teacher, the classroom, and the authors of the works we read! You are not required to like everything we do in class; you are, however, required to give it your respectful, thoughtful attention.
  2. Be in your seat working the writer’s notebook assignment when the bell rings. This means be prompt, be prepared, and be working. If you are late, you are expected to have a pass.
  3. Bring all necessary materials and completed assignments to class.
  4. No eating or drinking in the classroom.

HOMEWORK

Homework must be turned in on time. Late homework, projects, presentations, papers, and other major grades will lose one letter grade each day they are late. Homework turned in later than one day beyond the deadline will receive a maximum of a 50%.

*If you have a specific reason, or extenuating circumstances, why you will not have an assignment completed on time, see me at least one day before the assignment is due. The key is communication!

ABSENCES

I follow the school policy regarding make-up work following an absence. In the event of an absence, it is yourresponsibility to retrieve any missed assignments from the folder. It is wise to turn in absentee work as soon as possible. However, you will have two days from the day the assignment was given to turn in absentee work. If an assignment was given ahead of time, you will be expected to hand it in your first day back.

If you miss a test, you must schedule a time with me to make it up. I am not responsible for re-scheduling your test or make-up work.

TARDIES

As explained in “Classroom Expectations,” you are to be in your seat working on the daily bell-ringer activity when the bell rings. In order for our class to run effectively, you need to be prepared for class as you enter the room. Thus, each tardy in excess of one per quarter will result in a detention. Be on time and be prepared for class!

CHEATING AND PLAGAIRISM

Cheating is academic dishonesty. Please see the student handbook (page 27) for specific examples of cheating. Use of cell phones or any other electronic device during an assessment can and will be assumed to be cheating.

According to the student handbook, plagiarism is “taking and passing off the ideas and works of another as one’s own, using a created production without citing the source, or committing literary theft” (27-28). This can be done intentionally and unintentionally.If the idea you are using is not your original thought, cite it.The penalty for plagiarism, either intentional or unintentional, is zero credit and a Tuesday school.

Dear Parents,

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome your child to English 9. I expect an exciting year, and I pledge to do my best to make English accessible, interesting, and memorable.

This year, we will focus on important foundational skills: reading, writing, public speaking, research, grammar, and vocabulary. Effective writing, speaking, and reading competencies are life skills that are necessary to possess in present and future endeavors. My goal is to provide your student with the essentials needed to succeed now and for life beyond Madeira High School.

I look forward to communicating with you throughout the year and welcome you to contact me by phone or email with any questions or concerns. You may check your child’s grades using Progress Book. I will post grades for assignments in a reasonable amount of time for the particular task. I look forward to working with you in order to provide your student an exceptional educational experience. Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Stephanie Ruehlmann

924.3719

Please read the class syllabus and expectations with your child, sign the form below, and have your student return it to me by Friday, August 17.

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I have read and understand the syllabus.

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