Hamilton High School
Honors English 92016-2017
Hilary Johannes
Welcome to Hamilton High School. Please check the Hamilton website for helpful links, the agenda, and specific assignments throughout the school year.
Course Description
This class is a rigorous course designed to make students become better readers, writers and thinkers. College and Career Readiness standards and AP strategies will be used to elevate students’ current skill levels. We will be analyzing and working with a variety of poetry, non-fiction choices, novels, art, and persuasive materials. We will have at least two major writing assignments per quarter, including literary analysis, research, personal narrative, poetry analysis, and more.
This class will also be driven by a focus on an overarching Essential Question:What is the purpose of writing? Consider this from the writer’s point of view and the audience’s point of view.
Because we use one guiding Essential Question to guide our studies, each student will complete and present a project at the end of the year which is a synthesis of everything that has been read, analyzed, and discussed over the course of the entire academic year.
Readings for the year include, but are not limited to:
· The Boys in the Boat
· To Kill a Mockingbird
· The Odyssey
· Romeo and Juliet
· Anthem
· Persuasive and non-fiction pieces
· Poetry selections
· 1984
· Martin Luther King’s I have a Dream Speech
Methods of Instruction
These are just a sampling of what your student can expect in my classroom over the course of the year
*Vocabulary enrichment *Use of technology *Socratic Seminar
*Student conferences *Analysis of literature and art *Speech projects
Expectations Regarding Writing
This course requires you to write formally and informally. Formally, you will write for a variety of purposes and a variety of audiences. Informally, you will write to reflect on your choices as a writer as well as to process information and to deepen your understanding of important concepts.
Supplies
A three-ring binder or section of a large notebook dedicated to this class.
A supply of clean notebook paper
Blue or Black ink pens
Pencils
Highlighter pens in yellow, green, and pink.
Red ink pen
A white board marker
*You will be expected to maintain these supplies for everyday use in the classroom and to assist you in your homework.
Most final draft assignments must be typed and submitted to turnitin.com.
Students must keep all handouts and returned assignments.
Homework Policy
TAKE HOME ASSIGNMENTS ARE DUE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PERIOD. Those assignments not turned in properly will lose 10% of the grade during 1st quarter. In the 2nd and 3rd quarters any late work will automatically receive a score of 50%. In the 4th quarter no late homework will be accepted.
The only exception to this is regarding Vocabulary. If a student does not have the complete vocabulary assignment finished the day it is due, he or she loses the opportunity to earn credit for the assignment. I am available to help a student who may have questions or need clarification, but the assignment must be done before the bell to start class begins.
Printing
Sometimes, and for a variety of reasons, a student may encounter problems printing out a hard copy of an assignment that is due. If this happens a student can e mail me the document, and I will print it out for him or her. This option is available for any student two times per quarter. However, I expect the student to take responsibility for the assignment, first to see that I received the e mail document, and secondly to have it printed before the school day starts. If I receive an e mailed paper, but the student does not come to see me before school, I will not print out the assignment, and it will receive a late score.
Another option is to go to the library before school and print there.
Revision
Major writing assignments may be revised once for consideration of a higher grade (these are not automatically awarded an A). You must have a conference with me regarding your revision before revisions will be accepted.
Absences
You are responsible for any material covered during an absence. That means that you check the on line agenda posted on the Hamilton Website to see what you missed, and when you return to class, you have completed as much of the missed work as possible, so you don’t fall behind. You are also encouraged to e mail with questions as needed.
If you miss an in-class assignment due to an excused absence or school event, per school policy you have the number of days you were absent to make up the missing assignment. However, if you know ahead of time when you are going to be absent it would benefit you to complete any missing assignments early, so that you will not fall behind.
Grading
Grades are based on a percentage of accumulated points. However, all assignments do not receive the same weight. The following is a list of the four categories used in class, and the percentage of the overall grade they represent.Portfolio 35%
Assessment 35%
Quizzes 20%
Homework 10%
As you can see 70% of the student’s overall quarter grade is made up of portfolio (writing) and assessment (final tests)
90%—100% A
80%—89% B
70%—79% C
60%—69% D
59% or below F
Semester grades are calculated on a 40/40/20 system. Grades start fresh each quarter. Because this is a weighted class students must earn at least a 70% in order to earn the extra point toward the GPA.
General Rules:
1. Be respectful of others and their property.
a. Treat everyone in the class with respect. This includes other students, substitute teachers, visitors, and me.
b. There is to be no cursing, name-calling, talking out of turn, displaying rude gestures, or making remarks about another individual.
c. Do not touch anything that does not belong to you without the permission of the owner. This includes your classmates’ belongings as well as mine.
2. Come to class prepared.
a. You should bring your assignment and all required supplies for each class.
b. Keep all handouts and returned assignments for the entire semester in a folder in your binder.
3. Be on time and seated when the bell rings and begin working.
4. Follow directions the first time they are given.
5. Participate positively.
6. Attendance Policy: After 10 absences a student may be dropped from the class.
7. Diversity statement: All individuals have a right to an educational environment free from bias, prejudice and bigotry. As members of Hamilton High School educational community, students are expected to refrain from participation in acts of harassment that are designed to demean another student’s race, gender, ethnicity, religious preference, disability or sexual orientation.
8. In addition, all school rules as outlined in the Hamilton High School Handbook will be enforced.
Consequences:
If you choose to break a rule, you must face the consequences of that infraction. Depending upon the severity of the infraction and the frequency of problems, one or more of the following consequences will be issued: warning, time-out, conference with teacher, phone call home, ASD, or a referral.
Classroom Procedures:
1. I dismiss the class, not the bell.
2. Anyone not in his/her seat when the bell rings is tardy. Repeated, unexcused tardiness will result in attending ASD.
3. J Bills
You will receive eight (8) J Bills per quarter. They are yours to keep and spend in the ways listed below. Bills from first semester cannot be carried over to second semester. I highly recommend that you put your name on each of your “Bills” and treat them as you would your money, as they are valuable to you in this class. These are not free homework passes and cannot be used as such.
WAYS YOU MAY USE YOUR BILLS:
1. To offset a tardy. You will be considered tardy if you are not in your desk before the last bell rings. 2 Bills
2. To omit test questions. 4 Bills each
THINGS THAT WILL COST YOU BILLS:
1. Missing any of the required supplies needed for this class such as books, highlighters, red pens, lost handouts/rubrics etc. You will be given a book to borrow for the class period and you will be able to keep the highlighter/ red pen/ handout/ rubric. 2 Bills
4. Any student caught cheating (giving or receiving answers/work) will receive a zero on the assignment or test. Parents/ guardians will be notified. If it happens twice, administration will become involved.
5. If your writing is not legible, I cannot grade your paper. You will be given the opportunity to rewrite the assignment and turn it in the next class meeting to receive partial credit. All papers must have a proper heading in the upper left-hand corner of the paper:
Your name
Johannes Zero Hour
Honors English 9
Date (day month year)
1. Phones, tablets, computers, and I-pods are not to be out in my classroom without my express permission and only if the Accepted Use Policy Form has been signed and returned. If they are being used inappropriately or without permission, they will be confiscated.
Infinite Campus
Hamilton uses a grade book system that is available for parents and students to view at home. Please use this valuable tool to keep updated on current quarter grades, and view any missing assignments. I record grades in the grade book regularly. A 00 entry means that the student was absent either when the assignment was given or due and has the opportunity to make up the grade for full credit. A 0 in the grade book means that the student did not turn in the assignment when due, or did not complete the assignment correctly enough to earn any credit.
Signatures
I have read the syllabus for Mrs. Johannes’s Honors English 9 class, and I am aware of the policies and requirements for the class.
Parent/Guardian Signature______date______
Student Signature______date______
Once student and Parent/Guardian signatures are collected, students must keep this in their binder for reference throughout the year.