CLASS SYLLABUS

English 9 Honors--Mrs. Vacca

“Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire”

—William Butler Yeats

COURSE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES:

Grades

You can and will succeed if you complete required assignments, pay attention, participate, engage in the writing process, and study for tests and quizzes. However, knowledge cannot just been given to you. You have to have the desire and the ambition that is necessary to truly learn (see above quote). Points will be rewarded for in-class assignments (presentations, projects, informal writing assignments, etc.), formal writing assignments, and tests/quizzes. I reserve the right to not accept late work. Opportunities will be given throughout each nine weeks to allow students to make up for lost points.

You are required to keep track of your own grade. You can choose to fill in a grade sheet so that you can average it yourself or you can access your infinite campus account on your own time. Either way you should not ask Mrs. Vacca “What’s my grade?” during class time. You can approach her before or after class if you have specific questions or concerns about your grade

Required Materials

Pen or pencil

Loose-leaf paper

Three-ring binder with dividers or a folder*

Textbook/novel as needed

*I recommend using a binder because it will keep you more organized.

Extra Help

Extra help will be available to you. All you need to do is confer with Mrs. Vacca to decide on a time.

Restroom Policy

Students will be permitted four restroom passes per quarter.

Behavioral Expectations

You are expected to adhere to the three P’s:

  • Be Prepared.

Ex.--bring appropriate materials, have work completed or readings done, etc.

  • Be Polite.

Ex.—speak at appropriate times, pay attention in class, only work on English 9 Honors assignments, keep cell phones and musical devices off and out of sight, etc.

  • Be a Participant.

Ex.—volunteer to answer questions, complete in-class assignments, be actively involved in group projects and discussions, etc.

For not following the Behavioral Expectations:

One or more of the following consequences will occur:

Conference between student and teacher

Seat change

Loss of privilege to work in pairs or groups

Lunch detention

Phone call to parent or guardian to discuss behavior

Office referral

For not following the Punctuality Expectations:

First three times=warning

Fourth and fifth times=after school detention (one hour)

Sixth time and on=after school detention (two hours)

COURSE OUTLINE:

The goal of this course is not only to make you a better reader, writer, and speaker, but also a better thinker. Through use of the textbook and other materials, we will continue strengthening your skills in analyzing and responding to literature, writing formally and informally, and thinking critically. You will constantly be forced to come up with your own opinions and defend them using evidence from your life, research, and/or the required readings. Course instruction will vary to ensure the success of everyone, and assessments will occur in various forms. You are expected to cooperate, respect others, master the content, complete all assignments, and participate in class. The material to be covered is as follows: poetry, short fiction, novels, research, essay writing, speech and nonfiction. Because this is an honors course, get ready to be challenged.