English 9 AB

Architectural and Digital Arts Magnet

John F. Kennedy High School

2017 - 2018

Teacher: Ms. SerranoRoom: B-200

School Phone: (818) 271 - 2900Email:

Text:myPerspectives, English Language Arts

Required Materials:pen (black or blue ink only), filler paper (100 sheets) , binder(at least 1 inch with side pockets), dividers (5 tab), highlighter, wite out (tape), one folder

You are expected to replenish your supplies as needed

Course Description:

The objectives of your English 9 class will be:

  1. Read both literary and informational texts, determining central ideas with textual evidence.
  2. Analyze nuances in plot development, literary devices, and vocabulary.
  3. Write various essays (i.e. argumentative, informative, narrative, literary analysis).
  4. Use technology to further your writing.

Grading:

-Final grades are based on weighted points earned for the semester from class work, homework, class participation / behavior, quizzes, exams, essays, and projects.

  • Final Exam - 25%
  • Quiz, Essay, Project - 35%
  • Class work - 15%
  • Homework - 10%
  • Class Participation / Behavior - 15%

You earn points daily for this, so a missing material, a tardy to class, or even talking out of turn will decrease your points value for the week.

-Extra Credit is available only once a semester. (Smaller extra credit points are available for excellent behavior for a substitute.)

-Work Habit Marks: One missing work will result in an “S” in the report card. More than one missing assignment results in a “U”. If you miss multiple assignments, lunch detention will be given.

-Cooperation Marks are based on the following criteria:

  • Attendance
  • Tardiness
  • Behavior
  • Lack of Materials
  • Class Participatio

Late Work:

-All late work will be accepted the NEXT day for only half the overall grade.

-Absent students have an extra day to complete the assignment for a full grade, excepton projects. Uncleared absences or truancies will result in the loss of points.

-You are responsible to get all the work and notes you missed when absent.

Binder:Binder unit notes receive a quiz grade of 50 points. A one-week warning will be given before they are collected. The unit notes must be entirely complete. One incomplete page will result in a “B”, with subsequent incomplete pages moving one grade lower. Remember, you will have a one-week warning to fill in any pages you missed.

Binders must be kept neat, free of tagging, stickers, or pictures.

Do not use this binder for any class other than English.

Calls Home:There will be phone calls made to your home if one of these conditions exists:

  • Absence
  • Incomplete homework
  • No homework turned in
  • Low grade on a test
  • Missing project
  • Behavior

School Policies:You are expected to follow all school rules, especially those pertaining to food and drink in the classroom. No caps inside the classroom, and no visiblemp3 players or headphones (they must be secured in your backpack). Cellular phones must also be turned off during class time.

Failure to comply will result in a lunch detention.

Electronics / hats will be confiscated.

Class Policies:

  1. Everyone will be treated with respect in this classroom. No put downs of any kind will be tolerated. This is a “safe” class so that you can express your ideas, be able to consider others’ opinions, and learn together as a group.

Inappropriate comments = public apology

Multiple inappropriate comments = loss of points in your overall grade for the class, parent meeting

  1. Raise your hand and wait to be called upon. Be patient, I will call on you.
  2. Be on time and ready to start as soon as the final bell rings. If you are not in your seat with materials ready by the final bell, it will be considered as a tardy.

Three tardies = lunch detention

  1. Have your materials with you at all times. All your work must be completed with a pen, neverin pencil.
  2. If you make a mistake on your paper, you must use wite out to correct it. I will not accept messy work for a full grade.

Levels of Discipline:

1st = student / teacher conference

2nd = detention / parent call

3rd = detention / parent conference with the teacher and the magnet coordinator

4th = parent visit to the classroom

5th = suspension

Website:You may access your homework for the day on the school's website after 4pm. http: Under ACADEMICS / CLASSES & HOMEWORK / ENGLISH / SERRANO

Extra Help:I will always be available for help at lunch, except on days where Magnet meetings are held.

Portfolio:You will be asked to create a portfolio of your work at the end of the semester. To prepare for this, you will be asked to keep ALL your graded work in your folder until we do the portfolio assignment (which is done on the last week of fall semester.) If you lose any graded papers before this, you will be deducted points from the project grade.