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Welcome Ms. Schmitz’s Honors English III class! Let’s make 2014-2015 the best year possible.
The goals for this school year are as follows:
By the end of the school year, students will be able to ---
1) Recognize the major literary periods prevalent in American literature and give the characteristics of each period.
2) Analyze works of literature and recognize major elements of writing such as theme, style, point-of-view, tone, etc.
3) Identify authors’ purposes, their intended audiences, and the strategies they use to achieve those purposes as well as the unintended effects.
4) Respond objectively and accurately to critical thinking questions both in class and on assessments. “I don’t know” is not a valid response in this classroom. In the event you do not have a response when called on, don’t worry. Either we will work together to come up with a valid answer or I will have another question for you.
5) Write well-developed papers and essay responses. Types of writing include but are not limited to journals, expository writing, typed essays analyzing a work based on the specific criteria, and timed essays.
6) Develop competency and confidence in oral expression.
7) Review rules of grammar and usage, with particular concentration on punctuation and usage.
8) Recognize a broad scope of vocabulary words, many of which will be found on the SAT.
9) Respect the beauty, versatility and range of our country’s literature.
In order to achieve the above goals, students must:
1) Complete the homework assignments correctly and on time.
- It is the students’ responsibility to complete all work on time and keep track of their assignments. Reading does count as homework and will be checked accordingly.
- Homework assignments will be written on my website. Due to the fluid nature of the classroom, assignments written in advance may occasionally change so please check the website every day.
- Students will be reading approximately 20-25 pages an evening and will occasionally have additional writing/homework assignments. Homework should take approximately 25-30 minutes an evening.
- All homework (that is not reading) should be written out on a separate sheet of paper unless specifically instructed otherwise. All typed homework must be spellchecked and proofread.
- Some assignments will take longer than others and may require advance work as they cannot be completed in one night; in this case, students should be prepared to work on these assignments in stages. Students will be informed of papers or larger assignments well in advance in order to help them budget their time.
- Unless otherwise indicated, all papers should be typed in Times New Roman, 12-point font, should be double-spaced with 1” margins, andshould be in MLA format with quotations integrated correctly; papers that do not adhere to the basic guidelines outlined above and the length specified for each individual assignment will be penalized or not accepted.
- All papers will be turned in both electronically and in hard copy. Papers should be turned in to turnitin.com by the beginning of your class, the same time your hard copy is due.
- Completed assignments are due the beginning of class, and anything not finished, or turned in after that point will be considered late.
- Late homework will automatically receive half credit; larger assignments will drop 5 points a day from where the assignment started. For example, if a student turned in a paper with a 90% score a day late, that paper would receive an 85%. Once the paper score hits 50%, that will be the grade earned when an assignment is turned in. At the end of each grading period, all late or missing assignments for that grading period will go to zero permanently.
- Students who turn in late assignments are required to get a parent/guardian signature on the standard English department late form, which is located on the department website or in hard copy in my classroom. Late assignments must be put in my late box located in my classroom; if late assignments are not put in the late box with a signed late form, they will not be accepted. The form needs to be filled out in ink completely before getting the parent/guardian signature.
- Assignments that do not fulfill the requirements/standards will not be accepted and will be returned to you for further revision (with an automatic late penalty). Missing assignments will be given a zero.Students must make an honest attempt to complete quality homework assignments.
2) Participate in all classroom activities and discussions. The more involved you are, the better you will remember and the more you will understand.Help us create our knowledge together and add to the community!No iPods or devices of that type should be used during class at any time.
The Social Contract
- Once we enter this classroom, we understand we become a community of scholars. Our participation in this community extends certain benefits to us and confers certain responsibilities on us. For example, one benefit that comes from our community is that each individual is seen as valuable, with a unique point of view and contribution to make to the class which will enrich everybody; each individual’s progress is of concern and interest to the whole group, enabling us to work together for the good of all; therefore, we have a responsibility to participate fully in class work and class discussions.
- Because our community cares about everyone’s ability to learn, we understand that it is disruptive to come late to class, to engage in private talk during class, to work on outside work or other homework during class, or to exhibit other distracting behaviors, and we refrain from them whenever possible.
- Because we know that our goal is for each student to learn to the best of his or her ability, no student need ever feel embarrassed to ask questions, to ask for additional time, or for extra help of the teacher or from another student.
- Because the vitality of our class discussions rests on our coming prepared to class, we understand that it is our responsibility to keep up with our reading and to complete our homework to the best of our ability. We understand that reading and writing well are the worthy goals of this course and we agree to spend an appropriate amount of time and energy inside and outside of the classroom to achieve them.
- We understand that it is our right to be treated fairly and respectfully by our teacher and by our peers. We, therefore, refrain from making hurtful or intolerant statements at our school.
- RCHS Honor Code: Membership in a community carries responsibilities and rights and the Honor Code serves to protect the rights of all by requiring standards of academic integrity. As a citizen of the RaleighCharterHigh School community, I understand that engaging in academic dishonesty, no matter the degree or form, undermines my character and that of the school at large. I will uphold the standard of academic integrity through my attitudesand actions.
3) Seek out help when you are getting lost or behind. The day before the test or after you have already failed is too late. Parents may also become involved as soon as a student’s performance begins to suffer.
4) Please bring the needed supplies to class every day. This includes daily homework assignments, the current reading selection, a notebook for your class notes, and at least onewriting utensil.
5) Makeup any missed work due to an absence as soon as possible. Students are responsible for finding out the assignments, collecting notes from other classmates, and making up in-class work. Students will have two days to complete this work -- after then, the late homework policy goes into effect.If the absence is preplanned or the project has been assigned for an extended period of time, the work should be turned in the first day the student returns to the class. In addition, the website can help you keep track of what you may have missed.
6) Talk to me about issues or concerns you may have. If you have extenuating circumstances that affect your performance or participation, I will work with you to achieve a workable solution to your individual situation.
Grade Breakdown
Tests and Quizzes 30%Projects/Papers 30%Homework 30%Citizenship 10%
Current Book List For 2014-2015
In addition to various short stories, essays, and poems, throughout the school year, we will read the following works. I have found it is rather difficult for students who have different copies of the works than the rest of the class to follow along and get the same level of information. They cannot follow the class discussion as well and often comment on how they wish they had the same copy. As the page numbers are different, discussion of passages becomes very difficult for them. Be careful when choosing your books for this reason and please follow the ISBN numbers below for the minimum amount of confusion for your student.
- The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne (Dover 9780486280486)
- Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller (Penguin 0140481346)
- Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton (Dover 978-0486266909)
- The Tempest by William Shakespeare(Simon and Schuster 9780743482837)
- Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston(Harper Perennial Modern Classics9780061120060)
- One Book of Choice (with parental permission) will be read second semester. Students will read one work of their choosing from a list that will be provided by me as we get into second semester. This list may be amended by me closer to the assignment time so please do not purchase the books until students receive the official list.Please make sure your student chooses their work carefully as some of the issues these novels raise can be sensitive in nature. Possible choices may include the following:
Hunger of Memory by Richard Rodriguez / The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman
Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer / In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan
The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien / Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
Parent/Guardian,
Please send me an email telling one thing you would like me to know about your child as we start the school year as well as the best way to contact you throughout the year. My email address is and I look forward to hearing from you.
Throughout the year, it is a good idea to check with your student periodically about their progress in their English class. While I welcome parent involvement and communication, ultimately, it is your child’s responsibility to balance their classes and turn their assignments in on time. If you have questions or concerns after speaking with your child, do not hesitate to contact me. Please help me create a fair and reasonable environment for everyone. I expect my students to take responsibility for their actions and I hope for your support in this expectation.
Thanks,
Ms. Schmitz
Detach here and keep the above for your records
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Detach here and return the below to Ms. Schmitz
I have read and discussed the above policy information with Ms. Schmitz and my parents. I understand and agree with the principles outlined above, and will, to the best of my ability, endeavor to comply with them.
Student Printed Name:______Student Signature:______Date:______
Parent/Guardian Signature: ______Date: ______Email:______