Welcome to English I (otherwise known as English 9). This syllabus is an effort to answer any questions or concerns you may have as new students in high school. Please do not lose this syllabus, since you can refer to it for a multitude of answers. In terms of this class specifically, the main goal of this syllabus is to give you a better understanding of the class requirements and expectations. This will be kept in your binder all year.
Every student will need to join this class period’s Google Classroom.
The code will be provided to you.
HOWLAND ACCOUNT:
Keep in mind that EVERY Howland student has a Google account. Google Classroom is how most assignments, projects, and papers will be shared and submitted. If you use a personal email account, you will be denied access to something on Google Classroom. Always use your school-issued account.
If you cannot log into your account, Miss Pauloski cannot help you with your username or password issues. This is something handled by the technology department.
Any username/password issues need to be fixed before class.
Having a Google account allows you to access any paper/slide show when you are outside of the school building. You are expected to keep up with Google Classroom even on days when you are absent so you are aware of what you’ve missed.
GENERAL REMINDERS:
All classroom and school rules/policies will be enforced in the classroom. Please refer to your Student Rights and Responsibilities (SRR) Handbook.
Chromebooks are issued to each student. This is your responsibility. The guidelines will be discussed, but you can also refer to the designated pages in the student handbook.
Please be aware that you are responsible for having your Chromebook charged BEFORE class. Failure to have your Chromebook charged could result in loss of points on an assignment.
If you have issues with your Chromebook, it is your responsibility, not Miss Pauloski’s, to let the technology department in the Media Center know.
Miss Pauloski suffers from migraines. Most often, the main “trigger” for them to occur is smells: perfume/cologne, lotion, etc., so Miss Pauloski does not permit you to use any of these items in her class. Also, as a courtesy, please do not use any of these items right before coming into the classroom. Also, you will notice blue light covers over Miss Pauloski’s fluorescent lights. These are specialty filters designed to help Miss P. with her migraines. This type of lighting is another one of her triggers for migraines. The covers will have no impact on your ability to work in the classroom. If you have any questions, see Miss P.
You are not permitted to have your cell phone in class. It should remain on silent and in your locker for the entire school day, including lunch and study halls.
Smartwatches should be placed on Airplane mode for the entire school day.
You should not have earbuds or headphones in or on during class unless specifically permitted…All earbuds should be WIRED, not Wireless.
You will need to use SmartPass to leave the room. First, ask permission, then once directed, fill out a SmartPass. Miss Pauloski MUST approve it, and you must have one of the class lanyards BEFORE you leave the room.
Book bags are permitted in the classroom, but they should be as close to your desk as possible so it doesn’t block the aisle way for your classmates.
No food/gum/candy/energy drinks/soft drinks are permitted in the classroom.
If you sleep in class, you will receive disciplinary action as well as lose credit for work done that day in class..
Daily preparation for class is VERY IMPORTANT. This includes having paper, a pencil, the Literature book/novel, a binder, and your Chromebook (charged ahead of time).
GOOGLE CLASSROOM/ASSIGNMENTS:
IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO FIND OUT WHAT YOU MISSED WHEN YOU’VE BEEN ABSENT! All assignments can be found on Google Classroom. Please keep in mind that when you are not physically in the school building, you still have work to do. Check Google Classroom daily!
Although everything is posted daily in Google Classroom, you can also speak to Miss Pauloski for clarification on any assignment. This should be done at the beginning of class, and any papers you may have missed can be found in the folders in the front of the classroom.
There may be lessons linked to Edmentum and CommonLit. Your Clever account can be used to log into those.
Pay attention to all due times for assignments as well. Late work is NOT accepted. “Late work” is any work that is turned in after an assignment has been collected or shared on Google Classroom, as well as any assignment that we have gone over together in class.
If you are absent, you have the number of days that you miss to make up the work.
If you receive an out-of-school suspension, you earn zeroes for any work missed during that time. Unexcused absences also result in zeroes on missed work.
CONTACTING MISS PAULOSKI:
Miss Pauloski does not have a phone in her classroom. If your parent/guardian calls the school, a message will be placed in her mailbox.
Email is the easiest way to reach Miss Pauloski.
Email for this school year: nicole.pauloski@howlandschools.org.
Email does get checked regularly, but sometimes the filter program may send an email into the SPAM folder. If you do not hear back within a day or two, please speak with Miss Pauloski.
If you are absent for an extended period of time, Google Meets can be set up if necessary.
REQUIRED MATERIALS FOR CLASS:
You are required to have the following materials, not including novels:
Literature book (one will be provided to you)
Chromebooks (please be aware of the policies regarding Chromebooks) should also be brought to class each day. YOUR CHROMEBOOK MUST BE CHARGED BEFORE CLASS.
Keep your Chromebook in the bumper case at all times
Do NOT put any stickers on the Chromebook. It is SCHOOL property.
A three-ring binder - Even though you have a Chromebook, sometimes technology fails or a paper copy is used. You do NOT need a binder larger than 1”.
Binder divider tabs for classroom materials (The tabs will be changing multiple times throughout the school year, so tabs in which the “heading” is written on a small slip of paper are probably easier than tabs that you write on directly)
Loose-leaf paper
An active school Google account
Index cards - these will be used throughout the year for test reviews and formal paper pre-writing
A highlighter (occasionally, multiple highlighters will be used, but you are only required to have one)
A pen and pencil
If there are any issues with class supplies, please let Miss Pauloski know so we can make arrangements.
LITERATURE BOOK:
Along with the required materials you have to buy, a literature book will be assigned to you (as mentioned above). This book is your responsibility for the entire year. If you lose or damage your book, you will have to pay for the book to be replaced. Due to the hybrid learning model, there may be times you’re asked to access something through Google Classroom instead of using the Literature book, but you should bring your book to school with you.
NOVELS/SHORT STORIES/POETRY/COMMONLIT:
Novel lists are NOT given at the beginning of the school year, but certain novels are required for this school year. Time permitting, there may be additional novels that we cover during the school year.
Here are the required novels:
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Odyssey by Homer and Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare are also required this school year, but they are both in your Literature book, so you will not have to purchase individual copies of these.
During this year, you will be responsible for purchasing, borrowing, or checking out of the library the novels that you’ll need for class.
If you purchase a novel but it does not arrive in time for the first class due date, please print a copy of the receipt for Miss Pauloski. A copy of the novel can be borrowed (if available) until your copy arrives.
NO CHROMEBOOKS (or cell phones) can be used to download any novels for class. Online versions of the novels are not permitted.
Actual due dates for each novel will be announced in class as we get closer to beginning each unit.
All short stories and poetry that we read can be found in the Literature book, so you will not need to have any other copies of those.
We will begin the year with Collection One “Facing Monsters” in the Literature book:
“The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell
“A Sound of Thunder” by Ray Bradbury
“The Birds” by Daphne DuMaurier
Occasionally, you will be asked to read excerpts found on CommonLit (this was mentioned earlier) that tie to the unit that we are covering in class. You will access CommonLit using Edmentum.
VOCABULARY “WORKBOOK”:
You will not be required to purchase a workbook this year, but we will use vocabulary chapters from a previous workbook. These chapters will be assigned throughout the school year, and you will have a test at the end of every unit. A paper copy will be given to you, but all of the final exercises must be completed on a provided Google Doc and turned in through Classroom.
MLA FORMAL WRITING/SPEECHES/PRESENTATIONS:
MLA formal writing is very structured with aspects such as: a heading, a header, specific settings for margins, a thesis statement, in-text citations, a Works Cited page, etc.
You will be required to write a variety of papers this school year.
EVERY aspect of the formal writing process (using MLA) will be reviewed before the first paper.
After that, for each additional paper, guidance will be given by Miss Pauloski during the writing process and through peer review with fellow students, but students will also be expected to refer to their working knowledge and their handouts and notes of formal writing so they can strengthen their skills in MLA on their own.
Failure to include proper in-text citations and/or a Works Cited page automatically equals a ZERO. These are considered to be forms of plagiarism.
Your grades for formal papers will be accessible online since all outlines, rough drafts, and final papers are submitted through Classroom.
No papers can be emailed to Miss Pauloski. They must be submitted through Classroom on the proper due dates and due times.
NO PAPERS ARE ACCEPTED LATE.
Google Docs and other programs in Google can be accessed from outside of the high school, but you must use your Howland account.
Miss Pauloski will not allow any student to print his/her paper from her computer.
Students will give presentations this school year as well as individual speeches. Miss Pauloski will help you to become more proficient presenters.
Google Slides and note cards will be used as visual aids during the presentations and speeches.
You will select the day that you present, so if you are absent on the day you sign up to give your presentation or speech, it cannot be rescheduled.
PLAGIARISM/CHEATING:
Within the SRR Handbook, there is a section on plagiarism and cheating. Make sure to be aware of the policy.
You will have the same consequences if you cheat on any work in class. Copying is a form of cheating/plagiarism.
If you have your phone out (although it shouldn’t even be with you in class) or use your smart watch during a test, this is also a form of cheating since you can access the internet from your phone or watch. ON TEST DAYS, ALL SMARTWATCHES MUST BE PLACED IN THE NUMBERED POCKETS. All students will be assigned a number at the beginning of the school year.
Using AI can also be considered plagiarism.
If you have OSS, you cannot receive credit for the work that you miss on those days. EVERY assignment will count as a zero, even if it is a test.
GRADES:
All grades are online in ProgressBook (check this for all of your grades).
The grading scale is in the SRR.
You will need a username and password to access your grades online, and this is given through the main office. Miss Pauloski does NOT have this information.
Unfortunately, zeroes are becoming more and more common each year. Please be aware of how a zero can damage your grade.
Please do not assume that there will be extra credit to bring up a poor grade.
This class requires formal papers, Power Points, presentations/speeches. Failure to complete these assignments can severely damage your grade each nine weeks.
This syllabus is just a rough outline of the school year. The material is subject to change, and you will be informed if any changes need to be made.