Student Expectations & Course Syllabus

Amanda Hernandez San Marino High School 2014-2015

Courses: English 1-2, English 7-8

Contact:

Office Hours: Wednesdays 12:30-1:00, 2:15-3:15, or by appointment

Course Expectations

These policies are in addition to those set forth in the TITANGUIDE.

The TITAN GUIDE is available online at under the “STUDENT” tab.

Class Work

  1. All class work must be completed in pen, on clean-edged binder paper, with proper MLA headings.
  2. Pencil should be used on scantrons and workbooks only.

2. Work that does not meet this standard will be returned for corrections. Points may be deducted if incomplete/no name/sub-standard work becomes habitual.

MLA HEADING- In Upper LEFT hand corner:

Your Full Name Last Name Page #

Hernandez

Course, Period

Day Month Year

Title of Assignment

------

Homework

Homework consists of reading, working on formal essays, long- term projects, studying vocabulary, or finishing class work. You will always have something on which to work. In many cases, I will have you watch a short video link, read supplemental online articles, listen to a podcast, respond to an online discussion question, or submit a written response online.

Late Work

  1. I do not accept late work due to forgetfulness, laziness, or technology issues.
  2. Communicate with me prior to the due date of the assignment if you suspect you will not be able to complete the assignment; I may be flexible with due dates depending on the circumstances.
  3. Students have access to the calendar and coursework due dates on the board in class, on paper, on the website, and via verbal reminders in class.

2. If you are absent (excused), you have the number of days you were absent to make up the work.

  1. It is your responsibility to obtain and complete make up work.
  2. Check the website, contact study partner, email teacher, attend office hours

5. If absent during a test, you are responsible for making an appointment to make up the test within the same time of absence.

A. For example, if you are absent on a Tuesday (the day of the test), then you are expected to take the test on Wednesday upon your return.

7. Turn in absent work to the box the day it is due. Write “ABSENT” at the top, along with the dates you were absent.

8. If you suspect technology issues may prevent you from turning in work, email me the assignment. This is your insurance. You then have 24 hours to print the assignment and turn it in. At the top write “EMAIL.” I cannot print the assignment for you.

Essays

1. Formal Essays- Typed in MLA format, size 12, double-spaced, Times New Roman Font, 1” margins (standard), parenthetical citations, and a works cited if other sources were used. Cover page is optional. All formal essays will be submitted to in addition to providing a hard copy. Students will write 8 formal essays per year.

2. In Class Essays- (if not on Alpha Smarts) Write in dark ink, double space, clean edge binder paper, skip lines, do NOT write on the back of each page.

3. Essays will be graded on rubrics provided.

4. General guidelines: MLA heading, creative title, no contractions, revise dead words, avoid personal pronouns, academic tone, sophisticated language, analysis>summary, write in active literary present, use the rubric and prompt as your guide.

5. Essays are worth at least 25% of student grades. They will be weighted gradually through the year as students move from proficiency to mastery.

Participation/Life Skills

1. Each semester you will be given 100 participation/life skills points.

2. These points will NOT be included in your academic grade; they are included in your citizenship grade.

3. Points will be deducted for tardies, outbursts, inappropriate comments, lack of materials, poor attitude, sleeping, restroom passes, or locker adventures. Points will be given/deducted at my discretion based on your participation in my class.

A. If you must leave for an emergency situation (rest room), you must leave your phone on my desk.

4. You may earn participation points for responding in class, helping your peers, and being a model citizen.

5. Use of cell phone (or other technology device) will result in an automatic drop to 70/100 in participation. A second incidence of inappropriate technology use will drop citizenship grade to 60/100. The drop in citizenship grade is in addition to the guidelines and consequences set forth in the Titan Guide.

a. There are many classroom activities that may be enhanced with technology; if students demonstrate responsible technology use, they will no be penalized.

b. If a student has an emergency and needs to utilize their electronic device during class, it is expected the student will communicate their situation with the teacher prior to use of device.

Grades

1. Citizenship grades are based on tardies & participation/life skills points.

2. The first two tardies will not change your grade; however, each subsequent tardy will lower your grade by one full letter grade.

3. I do not allow students to make-up tardies. The tardy policy in my classroom is set forth in the Titan Guide as San Marino High School policy.

4. Academic grades are given based on point values. I do not round grades, and grades will not be negotiated. I generally do not give extra credit: students should do the work assigned.

A 100-90%, B 89-80%, C 79-70%, D 69-60%, F below 59%

SSR: Sustained Silent Reading

At the beginning of fourth period every day, students are expected to participate in school wide SSR. I encourage students to read texts that are college prep/non-fiction and thematically relate to the unit for each quarter.

Finals

Finals will be both essay response and multiple-choice. Finals are given at the end of each quarter. Each final will test students’ understanding of the literature, supplemental materials, grammar, vocabulary, writing strategies, and Common Core Standards. Students will have online assessments similar to Smarter Balanced Test.

Technology

Technology is a critical part of educating 21st century students. As technology becomes an integral part of communication in our society, it is my responsibility to integrate appropriate technology into my instruction. I welcome student emails. Please include a relevant subject, an appropriate heading, an academically specific body, and a signature. I encourage students to establish an academic email address; younger students may consider a family email address for school use. Please write considerate and thoughtful emails. * I generally check email until about 4:30 pm on school days.

Technology used in this course includes:

email

Google docs

Class Rules

1. Be polite & kind (smile).

2. Begin the Bell Activity at (or before) the bell.

3. Keep your body in your own space.

4. Please do not use lotions or sprays that emit a strong scent.

5. If I see an electronic device out during in inappropriate time, I will confiscate it.

a. If you think it may be “on”- just raise your hand and communicate with me that you are taking your electronic device out to turn it off.

6. You may drink appropriate beverages, but you may NOT eat food or chew gum in class. *This rule has been amended for the 2014-2015 school year on a trial basis: students may eat as long as it isn’t smelly, loud, or disrupt instruction. Be discrete.

a. If you leave your beverage container behind, I will deduct 10 participation points.

b. If you are caught eating or chewing gum, you will be required to clean one desk at snack, lunch, or afterschool that day. Otherwise, I will deduct 20 participation points.

7. Use appropriate [PG] language

a. Do not use words that are hurtful to people. Think about the words you choose and the effect they will have on others.

b. If you use inappropriate and/or hurtful language, I will deduct 10 participation points. We may also need to have a conference depending on the circumstances.

8. Communicate with me in advance about absences, anticipated issues, or course concerns.

9. “I don’t know” is not an acceptable answer. Ever.

10. If you finish an assignment early, you may read, study vocabulary, work on an essay or long- term project for MY CLASS ONLY. Off task work will result in deduction of 5-10 participation points.

Strategies for Success

1. Follow directions carefully- read the rubrics and assignment sheets!

2. Listen and then ask questions.

3. Do reading homework early in the evening- sit at a table, have minimal distractions, and read actively/annotate the text.

4. Be accountable for your actions and choices.

5. Attend office hours.

6. Actively participate in class discussions and activities.

7. Engage in teacher-student-parent communication.

8. Bring your “frame of reference” to your reading, writing, and thinking.

9. Utilize resources- especially the websites that will help you!

10. Your EFFORT is directly correlated with Your GRADE.

Suggested Materials

  • Pens: blue or black ink
  • Sticky notes/Post-its
  • Dry erase pen (fine tip)
  • Clean-edge college ruled paper
  • Three ring binder with tabs:

Do Nows/Exit Slips, Literature, Vocabulary, Writing, Misc. Handouts

  • Markers/Highlighters/Coloring tools
  • Tissues

General Course Syllabi

English 1-2: Literature Survey & Writing Foundations

Quarter 1: Short Stories, parts of speech/sentence

Quarter 2:The Odyssey by Homer, phrases/fragments/run-ons,

Quarter 3:Othelloby Shakespeare, verbs (usage and agreement)

Quarter 4:To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, punctuation

English 7-8: British Literature

Quarter 1: English Renaissance

Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare

College Essay

Quarter 2: English Romanticism

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Quarter 3: Victorians through Modernism

Brave New Worldby Aldous Huxley

Quarter 4: Contemporary

1984 by George Orwell

Senior Project

A Personal Note

My philosophy on education is a student-centered approach. I strive to keep students actively engaged in content that relates to their interests as well as to their educational development. I establish rules early on to create a safe space for learning and the exploration of ideas. Students in my classroom: ask questions, make mistakes, take risks, self-advocate, support peers, balance work & play, laugh loudly, dance often, challenge the norm, and think critically. I am passionate about teaching & learning; consequently, my goal is to empower students to embrace their own passion.

Honor Code

Cheating, as defined in your Titan Guide, may be considered as anything that gives a student an unfair advantage over other students, including, but not limited to:

  • asking a classmate for specific information regarding a test or quiz
  • giving a classmate specific information regarding a test or quiz
  • using cheat sheets, passing notes, or blatant peeking at test answers
  • copying the work of other students or giving your work to another to copy (this includes homework)
  • using notes in exams when a test/quiz is a “closed book” quiz
  • plagiarizing (see definition below)
  • sharing your work with others (unless the assignment is specifically instructed to be a “partner” assignment)
  • lying to conceal your guilt

Plagiarism, according to A Writer’s Reference (Hacker) can be defined in three different ways: (1) “failing to cite quotations and borrowed ideas, (2) failing to enclose borrowed language in quotation marks, and (3) failing to put summaries and paraphrases in your own words” (83). Any time you use ideas of another person and fail to give that person credit, your are plagiarizing; this includes, of course, “borrowing” the ideas of your friends and taking credit for them as your own.

The consequences for these infractions are a zero on the assignment and a lowering of the citizenship grade. Additionally, the Assistant Principal may be consulted for possible administrative action, and an incident report will be placed in your file.

If a student is aware of another student cheating, the student will exercise his/her sound judgment and divulge said information to the appropriate authorities.

If a student is caught with a cell phone (or similar electronic device) out during an exam (test/quiz/writing), the cell phone will be confiscated and the student will receive a score of 0.

If a student communicates (verbal, notes, signs, gestures, or the like) with another student during an exam (test/quiz/writing), both students will receive a score of 0 on the exam.

There is immense pressure to succeed at San Marino High School; it is critical that students complete their own work without manipulating an unfair advantage over others.

My signature indicates that I have read, understand, and agree to the following policies set forth in the Course Expectations & Syllabus provided by Amanda Hernandez for English at San Marino High School:

Date______

Critical TechnologyParent ______Student______

Course ExpectationsParent ______Student______

Class WorkParent ______Student______

Homework Parent ______Student______

Late Work Parent ______Student______

EssaysParent ______Student______

Participation/Life SkillsParent ______Student______

GradesParent ______Student______

SSRParent ______Student______

FinalsParent ______Student______

Class RulesParent ______Student______

Strategies for SuccessParent ______Student______

Suggested MaterialsParent ______Student______

Purchasing BooksParent ______Student______

General Course SyllabiParent ______Student______

Honor CodeParent ______Student______

Please circle your response to the following questions and PARENT initial in the space provided:

Does student have access to a computer at home? YesNo_____

Does student have access to a printer at home?YesNo_____

Does student have reliable Internet access?YesNo_____

Does student have a smart phone?YesNo_____

Comments: Is there anything I should know about your child that will help me create engaging lessons?

Parent Signature: ______Date: ______

STUDENT: Please copy the following statement in your own handwriting and sign the bottom of the page.

I promise to do my own work at all times; I know how plagiarism is defined, and I will do my own work. I will not put my name on the intellectual property of another student or on content found online. I will attend class on time, and I accept the consequences of tardiness as a decline in my citizenship grade. I understand that grades are not negotiated, rounded, or subjective. I will demonstrate the character of my best self not only in English class, but also anywhere on the SMHS campus. This includes my language and actions toward others.

Student signature______