Class Information

What to Bring to Class:

  1. Three-ring binder
  2. Lined Paper
  3. Pencil or Blue or Black Pen
  4. Pen of a different color for annotations
  5. At least two different colored highlighters
  6. Note cards (for research projects and vocabulary words)
  7. Daily planner for writing down agenda reminders and homework assignments

Please have all of these items by Monday, August 20th.


Free Reading Book:

All students should always carry with them a free reading book. We will head to the library as a class on an (almost) weekly basis so students can select books to read. Students are also free to bring books from home, from the public library, from a book store, etc. I will also have a classroom library from which students can select books. We will not read in class every day, however we will some days, and for students who finish early on an in-class assignment, their free-reading book is an excellent way for them to spend class time productively.


Homework:

I expect students will work collaboratively and to the best of their ability in class, so that homework is minimal and they will be able to enjoy time at home with their friends and family. Because of this, I will hold students to a high standard in class.

Policies and Procedures:

In my classroom, policies and procedures are driven by core values. Students will be be expected to respect themselves and each other, be responsible for their own work and belongings, and behave in a manner that is worthy of my trust and the trust of their peers. In the first few weeks of class, each period will create a Social Contract which will be that period's code of conduct. If a student does not act in accordance with the agreed-upon social contract, a warning system will be enacted.

MLA Format:

MLA stands for the Modern Language Association. This association is a group of people who create standards for what written documents should look like in the realms of English and the Liberal Arts. All through high school students will be expected to adhere to this format when writing, so this year my plan is to break it down and make it easily accessible for students. They should enter high school as MLA format pros!

​Grading Policy:

Ultimately, I want my students to succeed. I believe each and every individual who steps into my classroom has incredible potential and it is my goal to help that potential be realized. While I will not be assigning a large amount of homework, I will hold all students to a high standard of achievement, and will expect students to do well. My goal is for all students to turn in their work on time, so late work will earn a 10% penalty for every day it is late, up to 50%. If an assignment is turned in one day late, it will only receive up to 90%, if it is two days late it will receive up to 80%, and so on. If a student was absent, they have the number of days they were absent to make up the assignment without penalty.