Course Syllabus
Mr. Snyder’s 7th Grade Language Arts Syllabus
Course Introduction: Welcome to Mr. Snyder’s 7th grade Language Arts class. This course is designed to meet all CUSD Language Arts and California English-Language Arts standards for the 7th grade. While this syllabus will not cover all classroom rules and policies, it does focus on the areas of the utmost importance.
Literary Resources: Throughout the year, we will be utilizing various literary resources to facilitate students’ reading comprehension, higher-level thinking, and writing skills. These resources include, but are not limited to, four micro-courses by Inquiry by Design, Warriner’s Handbook: Literature and Language Arts, and the novels Counting by 7s, The Pearl, and The Giver.
Electronic Resources: This course will frequently utilize Google Classroom for both disseminating and collecting assignments, so it’s essential for each student to know their CUSD email and password, so they can access the site, and that they bring their iPad to class on a daily basis. Assignment instructions, PowerPoints and PDFs used in class will also be made available through Google Classroom.
Suggested Materials: For the best experience, students should bring the following items to class on a daily basis: iPad (charged), a pen (black or blue ink), a pencil, a highlighter, and binder paper.
Colored pencils/markers, sharpies, white-out, and a keyboard for their iPad, would also prove useful, but are not as essential as the items listed above.
Homework: This course follows the workshop model of instruction, resulting in most of the work being done in the classroom. However, whatever is not completed in class is expected to be finished as homework. The assignments will vary according to the curriculum and will usually include the reading and analysis of source materials. Please check my online homework page regularly for upcoming due dates.
Late Work and Quiz/CER Retakes: In order to foster academic accountability and save me time during the grading process, students are responsible for formally submitting their assignments through Google Classroom by the specified times and dates given. Standard classwork and homework assignments that are submitted late can receive a maximum of 70% if they are turned in within one week of the assignment's original due date. If submitted after a week's duration, the maximum amount of points possible to receive on that assignment will drop to 50%.
If a student receives below a C- on any quiz or test, they can retake the assessment for up to 70% credit. After receiving their original quizzes back, students will be given several possible dates to come in during brunch or lunch and complete a retake, if necessary. These dates will be posted both online and on the board. If a student can’t attend any of the dates posted, they need to contact me prior to the final date offered, so we can discuss their situation further.
If a student receives below a C- on a CER, they can schedule a time to come in during lunch to rework their CER with my assistance. After the CER has been reworked and edited, I will replace the previous score with a 70%.
Absence Policy: In the case of excused absences, students should speak with me upon their return, so I can explain what was covered while they were out, and what assignments they need to make up. Students will be given at least as many days as were missed to make up the assignment(s).
Please note, it’s the student’s responsibility to find out what assignments were missed while they were absent.
Behavior and Academic Honesty Policy: Students will need to respect each other at all times and maintain a level of behavior that does not interfere with the learning process of others. Kennedy’s Parent/Student Handbook, which is available on the school’s website, contains additional information about general behavior guidelines and policies.
Any student found in violation of Kennedy’s academic honesty policy will be subject to disciplinary measures. These measures, as well as what constitutes a violation of the policy, can also be found in the aforementioned Parent/Student Handbook.
Grading & Assignments Categories: Grades will be assigned at the end of each trimester based on the scale shown below. All assignments will be given a point value in accordance with their importance and level of rigor. Assignments will be labeled in Synergy as either being “Classwork/Homework” or “Assessments” (quizzes, projects, and essays would qualify for the “Assessments” category).
A: 100-92.5%
A-: 92.49-89.5%
B+: 89.49-86.5%
B: 86.49-82.5%
B-: 82.49-79.5%
C+: 79.49-76.5%
C: 76.49-72.5%
C-: 72.49-69.5%
D+: 69.49-66.5%
D: 66.49-62.5%
D-: 62.49-59.5%
F: 59.49-0%
Classroom Donations: If any parent or student would like to donate boxes of tissues, Clorox wipes, hand sanitizer, or colored pencils and pens for general use, it would be greatly appreciated.
Contact Information: For both parents and students, I strongly prefer to be contacted through my district email, which is snyder_kevin@cusdk8.org. If there is an urgent matter, you can reach me by phone at 408-253-1525, ext: 85259.