Syllabus and Course Information

English 10 – Mr. Howe

Syllabus and Course Information

Williams Field High School 2016-2017

Course Description

This course will include the study of short stories, poetry, drama, nonfiction, and the novel. Basic composition skills will emphasize sentence and paragraph structure along with the writing of various types of essays and narratives. Spelling, vocabulary, and grammar will also be emphasized. This course will focus on the relationship between developing an appreciation and interest in reading literature, formulating and expressing opinions in literary analysis writing, and understanding how themes in literature illustrate our past and help direct our future. We will work to make meaningful connections and extend understanding beyond the text. In addition, we will focus on further developing your ability to formulate opinions more clearly and logically and expressing these thoughts in writing. You will be challenged to increase your own personal skills. You will be encouraged to express both verbally and in writing your opinions in an effort to become a more critical reader and sophisticated writer. You will complete a variety of writing assignments, along with various other projects throughout the year. These skills will help you do well in any course, as well as be successful in life.

Standards Covered by Course (

Welcome to English 10! The Higley Unified School District is continuing to use the state's Common Core standards for the 2016-2017 school year. This shift in standards is focused on challenging students by increasing course rigor, and creating a curriculum that focuses on student-based learning and discovery. Any student who can learn how to identify questions, seek answers to those questions through a variety of resources, and apply such self-discovered knowledge will be better equipped to meet the ever-growing competitiveness of higher education and the work force.

Required Supplies / Bring it if you’ve got it

Binder on notebook with paper.
Email account (Google preferred as our network filters are less likely to block it)
A pleasure-reading book (a novel or biography you could be reading for fun in any spare time you might have)

Smartphone or tablet with data plan (Don’t worry if you don’t have one. We have been graciously provided with computers in this room we can use as needed. But every connected device gives us more flexibility, so consider yours invited!)

Grades/Notification

Your grade will be based on classwork, assessments (quizzes, tests, discussions, writing assignments, etc.), vocabulary, grammar, as well as district reading and writing finals. You may access your grades online at any time outside class. Grades will be updated weekly to Synergy/ParentVue.

Category Contributions

Vocabulary, Terms, Grammar

Short quizzes and longer tests will be given regularly, and can cover a selection of ALL words, terms, or concepts assigned thus far in the semester. You will be provided with digital tools you can use both on your own and during class to study these.

Books

Over the course of the next year, we will apply reading strategies to -- and pry writerly secrets out of -- Ender’s Game,Julius Caesar, various short stories and manyshort non-fiction pieces. Students should not need to purchase their own copies of any of these works, but if you happen to have a copy you’d like to use, you are encouraged to do so.

Late Work

No late work will be accepted during the 2016-2017 school year. All assignments will have a specified due date. Students who attempt to turn in their work after the specified due date will not receive any credit and a 0 will be entered into the gradebook.That said, we're not out to get you! Please talk to us if you think you are in a truly exceptional situation or have documented accommodations we may not be aware of.

Attendance/Make-Up Work

Regular attendance is very important to this course. Only if your absence is excused will you be given time to make up work. It is YOUR responsibility to find out what work you have missed during your excused absence. Check my Teacher Page and possible Canvas (information to be provided) for activities missed while you were gone and/or for assignments and homework. After the mandatory one day for each absence, any missing work will receive a grade of zero.

Tardy Policy

Students are expected to arrive to class on time each day. Habitual tardiness will result in referrals at the 3rd, 5th, and 7th tardy. Upon receiving a referral, students will be assigned Saturday School on the 1st and 3rd Saturday of each month.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is a serious offence! You are each expected to earn your own grade, and to accomplish this, you must do your own work. All students caught exchanging papers in the classroom will receive zero credit for the assignment. Parents may be called, and administration may be notified. Additionally, if it is discovered that work was copied from the internet or other source, a zero will be given for the assignment, and parents and administration will be notified. DO YOUR OWN WORK. Williams Field High School utilizes Turnitin.com in an effort to prevent plagiarism. Instructions on how to use this site will be given when needed.

Class Participation

It is expected that you will respect the opinions and property of each of your classmates.Participation is required in this class for it to be of benefit to everyone. Students who read aloud, actively participate in class activities and discussions, share their work, and contribute in a positive way to the class environment will be noted in the form of "Howe Bucks", a merit system that may help you smooth over some of the imperfections in your participation grade and earn you special privileges and commendations.

Class Rules

In addition to the rules outlined in the Student Handbook/Code of Conduct, class rules are as follows.

Respect each other’s ideas, opinions, thoughts, and property.

Come to class on time, prepared to learn and participate each and every day; this includes bringing all necessary materials and assignments.

No profanity. Profanity will not be tolerated.

You should be working on your Bell Work by the time the tardy bell rings. Do not wait for me to remind you to begin.

No cell phones allowed in class unless being used for class work. Phones used inappropriately will be confiscated and delivered to the front office.

No sleeping in class.

No food or drink (except water) in the classroom.

Maintain a professional demeanor, behaving as one might in a business meeting where they didn't know everyone. (This rules out most horseplay, touching, grooming, throwing things, littering, feet on desk, etc.)

Behavior Plan

It is important that school and classroom rules are adhered to at all times. In the event that a student has difficultly following classrooms rules, a verbal warning will be given. Should the behavior continue after the verbal warning has been issued, a parent will be contacted regarding the issue. If the behavior persists after parent notification of the issue, a written referral will be sent to administrators. There are certain behaviors, such as threatening, violent, or openly defiant behavior, that will not be tolerated and will result in immediate removal from the classroom.

Diversity Statement

All individuals have a right to an educational environment free from bias, prejudice and bigotry. As members of the Williams Field High School educational community, students are expected to refrain from participating in acts of harassment that are designed to demean another student’s race, gender, ethnicity, religious preference, disability or sexual orientation.

Diversity Statement

Restroom Trips
Restroom breaks should be taken between classes or at lunch.If you must go during class, fill out one of the passes I will give you the first week of school, wait for the next non-instructional portion, and bring it to your instructor to be signed. Teachers are not supposed to allow students to leave the classroom during first or last ten minutes of class without a doctor’s note unless it is an emergency. Return promptly and or check back in with your teacher before retaking your seat. If you have an emergency, you may obviously ask to go at any time, but students who seem to have a lot of “emergencies” will have their parents contacted, as they should be aware of possible undiagnosed medical problems. The records I share with your parents include the log of your trips outside of class.

Keeping Up

You are expected to maintain your own homework calendar and stay up to date with assignments and deadlines. Your performance may be assessed in many ways, including via, class discussions, presentations, individual and group work, seminars, exams, quizzes, homework, essays. There will definitely be a research project. At any time, you or your parents/guardians can check your grades online. Please phone or email me if you or your parents/guardians have any questions or concerns. It is more difficult to reach me by phone, so email is the best point of contact.

Office Hours
Unless I'm required at a meeting, you can find me in my room daily from 2:15-2:40 p.m. (Know that Tuesdays are meeting heavy). I am somewhat less reliably available in my room between 7:00-7:25 a.m., as this is a popular timeslot for meetings, but if you're willing to let me continue setting up for the day, I would be happy to chat with you. I am also available by appointment at other hours (within reason), and appointments are, in all cases, encouraged.

Disclaimers

I hate surprises. I don’t want you to be surprised either. Take special note of these disclaimers to avoid unpleasant surprises during our time together.

•I do not offer extra credit, except in the narrow case of restoring lost participation points via Howe Bucks. The cost for this may escalate with each point, and you should not expect to be able to overcome a large point deficit in this manner.

•I do not accept substandard work that meets some literal interpretation of the instructions but which no reasonable person would think was actually what I wanted. I expect you to approach assignments with the mindset of a serious student who cares about your education.

•I look at decimals when calculating grades, and round to the nearest percent. (For instance, I will not round up an 89.409, but will round up an 89.466 to 90.)

•I am not liable for anything that happens to your cell phone or other electronic device if you leave it unattended at a classroom wall socket. To the degree that you use your device for class, please try to have it adequately charged before school and save some for our learning activities (the same could be said for data allowances).

•“My printer/computer wasn’t working” will never extend your due date, unless maybe your house burned down (it’s happened), and in such a case I will probably have been informed about it already.

•I will not print your work for you. I will also not accept work by email unless you are absent and expect to be absent for longer. It is my hope that we can turn papers in via Turnitin.com or other digital tools, avoiding the need for printing entirely.

•I won’t let you out of my class to print papers, give something to so-and-so, get that grade check you forgot, talk to your coach, etc. Work it out between classes or have a pass from someone when you come in! I might let you make a library visit if you have a high Howe Buck balance and need a new book to read.

•I am not one to bend my rules or procedures. If I’ve spelled it out, (and I probably have), expect me to stick with it.

For the Parents

In an effort to help your child be more successful in class and as a part of our WFHS school community, I would like you to use the following parent tools:

Email: If you’re not already getting super-detailed up-to-the-minute reports from me on a regular basis, you could be:
E-Alerts: Our school sends out automated email alerts for various school functions like dances, athletics, testing dates, yearbook sales, etc., but you must be on the list to receive them. To register go to > click on the silver “parents” link under the orange bar under the photos > click on the E-Alert link > fill out the form.
ParentVUE: Our schools use a software program called Synergy, which compiles student grades, attendance, transcripts, and contact information. Teachers may include digital documents, classroom assignments, points and percentages, and individual feedback and comments. To register get an activation code from the front office (480) 279-8000 > go to the same “parents” link as above > click on the ParentVUE image button in the center of the page > click on the “I am a parent” link > Click on “I have an activation key and need to create my account” > read the privacy statement and hopefully click “I Accept” > Fill out the fields (fname, lname, and activation code) > Fill out the fields for Username, Password, and email > You should now see your child’s account information > at the top are two tabs, click on the My Account tab > here you can change your password, add additional email addresses, and choose to get email updates for attendance issues and notification for grade postings.
Teacher Websites: All teachers in our district have their own teacher website. These pages will include digital versions of important documents for the class. To view a teacher’s website go to > click on the “Schools” link in the orange bar > choose the school > find the teacher by last name. Please note that the calendar and documents found on the Teacher Pages are subject to change based on adjustments and modifications necessary on a day by day basis.

5 Ways to Help Your Student:

Check my teacher webpage daily when your student is struggling. You can see what we have been working on, and where to check what your child has contributed (whether online or in their binder). Ask them about the take-home assignments you see described.
Do anything you can to encourage your student to read for fun. I cannot overstate the value of this habit in raising student reading levels. Help them find something they like. Help them get it from a library, bookstore, website, etc. Consider a dedicated e-reader device if you think this would help. (Major e-reading apps like Kindle and Nook also have cell phone versions, and while I can’t promise I will let students read on their phones during class, students have been known to earn my trust of them reading on their phones when they have a demonstrated habit of reading physical books). I provide a list of books recommended by former students on my webpage, if you need somewhere to start.
Expose your child to newspaper and magazine articles, online or off. Ask them about what they read. Have them identify key points, main arguments, supporting details. Help explain the words and concepts that you as an adult are fluent in but they, as a teenager, are only beginning to be. Knowledge about the world is another surprisingly strong predictor of student reading levels.
Proofread writing assignments before due dates. Helpyour child elaborate with supporting facts (not just restated opinions and vague ideas) and ensure they are answering the prompt and staying on topic.
Encourage your child to use our review program(s) on their phone or home computer; see my teacher webpage for details. Such programs are incredibly valuable study tools, and I encourage students to use them to study for their other classes as well.

Contact Information and Syllabus Acknowledgement Please complete and returnthis page.

Student’s Printed Name: ______English Class Period:_____

Parent/Guardian’s Printed Name:______

Parent/Guardian’s Email Address:______
(please print very clearly, distinguishing between #1 and letter l, #0 and letter O, etc.)

Daytime Contact Phone Number(s):______

Special instructions for calling, if any: ______

I acknowledge that I have reviewed and understand the information contained in the Course Information and Syllabus document for Mr. Howe’s English 1 class.

Parent/Guardian Signature: X______Date: ______

Student Signature:X______Date: ______