Ninth Grade English I
Mrs. Reyes, Room 857
E-Mail: /754-323-0350, ext. 3249 reyeseng.org Extra Help: 4th Hour; 5th Lunch; After school

Course Description:
Ninth Grade will introduce the student to a variety of genres of writing from around the world and develop a variety of methods of communication. Students will develop their reading skills by reading increasingly difficult works of literature throughout the year, each supported by relevant reading and vocabulary instruction. By the end of grade 9, read and comprehend literature [informational texts, history/social studies texts, science/technical texts] in the grades 9-10 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. Students will also learn to conduct research to support their writing.

What are you learning in this class? At the end of this class, you will be able to:

  1. Read and understand a wide variety of literature from around the world.
  2. Identify examples of different literary devices and genres.
  3. Write for a variety of purposes in several formats: letters, essays, technical documents, persuasive arguments
  4. Use your increased vocabulary to effectively communicate ideas.
  5. Conduct research to support arguments you make in your writing.
  6. Better understand your own reading preferences.
  7. Succeed on the 9th grade End Of Course Test (EOC)

Course Materials:

  • A composition notebook, to serve as your journal
  • A three-ring BINDER, with paper and five dividing tabs
  • Your Cypress Bay Agenda
  • Pens or pencils
  • Textbook: Collections by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and various novels

Course Evaluation:
During each unit, students will complete classwork, homework, writing, and projects. Each of these assignments will be given a value which will be used to determine the unit grade. The unit grades will be combined to form the final grade. This system is more complex, but helps ensure that a student does not fail due to poor performance in only one unit.

Major Writing Assignments / 25% / Unit 1 / 20%
Major Projects/tests: / 25% / Unit 2 / 20%
Class projects/quizzes / 20% / Unit 3 / 20%
Journal: / 10% / Unit 4 / 20%
Homework: / 5% / Final Exam: / 20%
Final Exam: / 15%

Absences and Make-up Work:
To prevent students from falling behind in the case of illness, there is ample opportunity to completely make up for missed classes. All make-up work, however, including notes, classwork, assignments, and assessments is the responsibility of the absent student. Please follow the Code of Student Conduct (SCoC).

If you are absent, you should:

  • Get all notes and assignments (including journal topic) from a classmate
  • Any missed quizzes or test must be arranged with Mrs. Reyes to make up within one week.
  • Be prepared to take any quizzes or tests, and/or turn in any work that was scheduled for the date of return (being absent the day before a test or due date does not excuse you as previously assigned work is due upon return (SCoC)from completing the assessment on the day you return).
  • Check the absentee binder for handouts and announcements from the classes you missed.

Excused Absences:

  • Missed work due to an Excused Absence may be turned in within one week for full credit.
  • Excused absences are granted according to the school policy outlined in your student handbook.

Late Work:
Students are expected to submit their work on time. If a major paper or project is turned in late, twenty percentage points will be deducted from the final grade.As mentioned above, papers and projects due on a day that a student is absent will be accepted the following day for full credit.
All other work (homework, class assignments, etc.) may be turned in with a loss of 10% of your score for each day missed until the end of the unit.
Extensions will be granted according to the school policy outlined in your student handbook. Please note that computer problems are not valid reasons for granting extensions—if you are using an unreliable computer or printer, please print your materials ahead of schedule.
Academic Honesty:
It is essential that beginning high school students understand the importance of refraining from plagiarism and other forms of cheating, as these issues are increasingly clouded with changing attitudes toward file-sharing. Students who plagiarize all or parts of a given assignment will receive a failing grade for the assignment. This includes failure to cite research sources. Avoiding plagiarism and ensuring proper citation will be a prominent topic during the course.
Extra Help:
It is the students' responsibility to seek extra help from the teacher if he or she feels that they are having difficulties. I am available for extra help in either the mornings or afternoons--these times will be determined based on my responsibilities with the cross country team, so please see the "Tutorial" section of the board for dates and times. Also, I will be available during 5th lunch, but as this is my first year at North Springs, I will probably be on hall duty a lot, so please check in advance.
Classroom Guidelines and Expectations:
The complete set of student expectations is stated in the student handbook. Those rules are the ones that will be enforced on a daily basis. Here’s some specific information helpful for this class:
Punctuality:
Class starts when the bell stops. A Warm-Up will be on the board when you walk in. With only 50 minutes per class, it's essential that we make the most of our class time.
Responsibility:
Being a high school student allows for more independence, but with that independence comes responsibility. Always be prepared for class, with all materials, books, and assignments as required. It is essential that students respect their teacher and each another, support one another in their learning process, and use safe and responsible conduct at all times.