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In-Person Major Grade Next Week!
August 28, 2026
August 28, 2026
We have made it through our first few weeks of English IV, so I wanted to send out our first biweekly update with where we are, what is coming up, and a few things to keep on your radar.
What We're Learning
What We're Learning
Right now, we are reading A Monster Calls and focusing heavily on close reading, higher-level questioning, evidence-based discussion, and making connections between the novel and relevant secondary sources.
Students have also been practicing how to build strong Socratic Seminar questions and how to move beyond questions that have one clear answer. The goal is to get them thinking more deeply about the choices authors make, character motivations, themes, and how outside information can add another layer to a discussion.
We will finish A Monster Calls in mid-September.
Grades & 1st Late Work Deadline
Grades & 1st Late Work Deadline
The gradebook is currently up to date. I strongly encourage you to take a few minutes to check your student’s grade, especially as we approach our first late-work deadline on Friday, September 4.
After September 4, I will no longer accept missing work from the first few weeks of school. Students have had opportunities to complete and turn in this work, and they still have next week to take care of anything they are missing.
If your student currently has a zero, now is the time to address it. It is much easier to fix one or two missing assignments now than to try to recover from several weeks of missing work later.
Q1 Major Grade Schedule
Q1 Major Grade Schedule
Here are the upcoming major grades currently scheduled for the remainder of Quarter 1:
September 1 — Socratic Seminar #1
September 14 — Socratic Seminar #2
September 18 — Vocabulary Test #1
October 2 — Vocabulary Test #2
October 12 — Vocabulary Test #3
As always, I will continue to include major assignments and deadlines in these updates so that nothing should come as a surprise.
First Socratic Seminar is Tuesday
First Socratic Seminar is Tuesday
On Tuesday, students will participate in our first Socratic Seminar based on our reading of A Monster Calls.
A Socratic Seminar is a student-led academic discussion. Rather than listening to me explain the novel, students are responsible for bringing their own questions, using evidence from the text, connecting outside sources to our reading, responding to one another, and building on ideas as the conversation develops.
We have spent time in class learning how to create higher-level questions, practicing with a trial seminar, and working on the preparation students will use during Tuesday’s discussion.
This is a major grade, and an important part of the grade comes from what students actually contribute to the discussion. Simply being physically present is not the same as participating in a Socratic Seminar. Students need to come prepared and be ready to contribute thoughtfully.
The goal is not to see who can talk the most. I am looking for students to think, listen, respond, support their ideas, and move the conversation forward.
Monday is the prep day for the Socratic.
Note: Students who are present for the Socratic but do not participate will receive a zero with no opportunity for a retake; this is the same as showing up to a math class the day there is a test and refusing to take it.
Students who are absent will receive an alternate make up exam.
Academic Engagement - An Update
Academic Engagement - An Update
I have made an adjustment to how the weekly Academic Engagement grade is calculated.
Originally, Academic Engagement was being scored in a way that could result in a student who was regularly demonstrating critical thinking still earning a grade around 67%. That did not make sense to me. A student who is regularly demonstrating critical thinking should not be earning a 67% for Academic Engagement.
Going forward, Academic Engagement will be worth 10 points over the course of the week, with a general goal of earning about 2 points per day (3 points per day maximum).
Students earn those points by showing evidence of understanding and critical thinking through things like whole-class discussion, small-group work, written responses, daily class activities, and other opportunities to engage meaningfully with what we are learning.
The important part is that this is not a participation or compliance grade. Students are not earning points simply for talking, sitting quietly, following directions, or being present. The grade is intended to reflect the thinking and academic skills they are demonstrating during class.
The weekly structure also gives students multiple opportunities to earn the full 10 points. One quieter day or one rough day does not determine the entire week.
Absences are also taken into account. Students are not penalized for missing opportunities they were not present for. The expectation is adjusted based on the number of days the student is actually in class.
The goal of this change is to make the grade a more accurate reflection of what students are doing academically while still giving them a non-traditional way to demonstrate skills that may not always show up on a worksheet or test.
Full Academic Engagement policy details.
Vocabulary
Vocabulary
We have also started our vocabulary work, which happens primarily at the beginning of class each day.
Each day, we focus on one or two words built from a Latin or Greek stem. Rather than simply memorizing a list of unrelated words, students are learning how stems, roots, prefixes, and word parts can help them determine the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary.
The vocabulary words covered each day are included in the daily details posted to Google Classroom, so students can easily review anything they missed or begin studying ahead of the vocabulary tests.
Now that we have worked through a few stems, we will begin adding some practice exercises next week so students can start applying what they have learned rather than just identifying definitions.
Google Classroom & Absences
Google Classroom & Absences
I post our daily agenda to Google Classroom each day, along with the materials, assignments, vocabulary, and details about what we are working on.
One of the main reasons I do this is to make sure students who are absent can easily see what they missed and what the class is doing.
If your student is absent, their first stop should be Google Classroom. They can check the agenda, review the materials, see the vocabulary we covered, and come back to class already knowing what they need to make up.
Looking Ahead
Looking Ahead
As we move further into the quarter, the workload will gradually increase. Right now is the time for students to establish good habits: check Google Classroom, use class time wisely, keep track of deadlines, and deal with missing work before it piles up.
Please continue checking PowerSchool periodically. I will continue doing my part to keep it current and communicate when I see a problem developing.
We are still early in the semester, which means there is plenty of time to correct a rough start—but September 4 is our first point where some of those opportunities begin to close.
Thank you for your continued support,
Mr. Woolsey
Syllabus
Looking forward to a great year
Welcome to English IV
Welcome to English IV
I’m Mr. Woolsey, and I’m looking forward to working with your student during this final stretch of high school.
I try to be proactive and transparent with communication, especially because English IV is a course required for graduation. My goal is to make sure that students and families know what is happening in class, what is coming up, and where students stand academically before a small problem has the chance to become a big one.
Communication & Grades
Communication & Grades
Typically, I will send a class newsletter about every two weeks (moving forward there will be a snapshot version emailed that will contain a link to the full details). These updates will cover what we have been working on, what is coming next, upcoming major grades, and late-work deadlines.
I’m not trying to bombard your inbox. However, we are in the final stretch of your student’s high school career, and failing English IV means the course must be made up next semester in order for a student to graduate on time and walk in May. With that in mind, I would rather communicate too much than have a family surprised by a student’s grade later in the semester.
I also work hard to keep my gradebook current. Zeros for missing work are typically entered right away so that the gradebook accurately reflects what is currently completed. Most assignments are graded within a week. Major assignments may take a little longer because of the amount of individualized feedback I provide, but I generally aim to have those grades posted within 7–10 days of the due date at the latest.
What Grades Will Look Like Each Week
What Grades Will Look Like Each Week
Most weeks, students can expect two minor grades:
One grade for an assignment completed during the week
One Academic Engagement grade
Our first major grade is due next week. Students will give a three-minute presentation teaching the class about something that interests them. The full assignment and requirements are already posted in Google Classroom.
Academic Engagement
Academic Engagement
Academic Engagement is designed to recognize that students can demonstrate important English skills in ways that do not always look like a traditional written assignment. Throughout the week, students can earn credit by participating meaningfully in class activities, discussions, collaborative work, and other opportunities that demonstrate active thinking and engagement with our content.
The goal is not to reward students simply for being present or compliant. Instead, it gives students another way to demonstrate skills such as communication, critical thinking, collaboration, preparation, and thoughtful participation. Students are not penalized for being absent; their weekly score is based on the opportunities they had while they were in class.
Full Academic Engagement details are available here.
A Major Change to Grades This Year
A Major Change to Grades This Year
One of the most important changes for families to understand this year comes from the South Carolina Department of Education.
In previous years, quarter grades had a floor of 50%. For example, if a student earned a 34% during the first quarter, that grade would be raised to a 50%. That meant a student could still pass the semester by earning approximately a 70% during the second quarter.
That is no longer the case. Grades must now reflect what students actually earn.
For students who may have relied on that grade floor in previous years, it is especially important to understand that doing very little during the first quarter and trying to recover later is no longer a workable strategy.
The good news is that FIHS has supports in place for students who struggle. Even if a senior fails English IV this semester, there are opportunities to recover the credit next semester and still graduate with the class. Obviously, our goal is to make sure we never get to that point.
I do want to stress that the point of no return is very, very low. But the lower that first quarter grade is, the harder they must work in quarter 2 to pass the class. I'd prefer that students not have to deal with the pressure of getting 100% on every assignment in second quarter because they let their quarter 1 grade slide.
Using Class Time Matters
Using Class Time Matters
Another schoolwide emphasis this year is proactive communication when students are not using class time appropriately.
If your student is regularly choosing not to work, I will contact you. If it becomes a habitual issue, that could mean receiving frequent, or even daily, emails from me.
Please understand that these messages are not intended to harass you or your student. With the changes to grading, FIHS administration has asked teachers to be proactive and transparent so that families know about problems while there is still plenty of time to fix them.
As adults, we know it is much easier to do a little each day and stay caught up than to let work pile up and try to repair everything at once. That is a habit I want students to develop before they leave us in May.
Important Information for Seniors
Important Information for Seniors
There was a Senior Class Meeting today, and I wanted to pass along several important reminders that were shared with students.
Cap & Gown
Cap & Gown
Senior year comes with plenty of extra expenses, so families are encouraged to order caps and gowns as soon as possible. Prices increase as graduation gets closer. Last year, the first price increase occurred around Thanksgiving, so ordering early can save money.
Cap & gowns are not available for purchase at this time, those details will be coming out soon in the following weeks.
Fees & Fines
Students will not be permitted to participate in the graduation ceremony if they have unpaid fees or fines on their accounts.
This can include fines that have followed students from elementary or middle school. Please take a moment to check your student’s account and make sure there are no old charges that need to be addressed. Taking care of a balance now is much easier than discovering it shortly before graduation.
Tardies
Tardies
The consequences shared with seniors today were:
1–3 tardies: No disciplinary consequence
4–5: Parent/guardian phone call and lunch detention
6th: Parent/guardian phone call and one block of ISS
7th: Parent/guardian phone call and full day of ISS
8th+: Parent/guardian phone call, OSS, and loss of parking privileges
Additionally, returning late to third block from lunch is considered cutting activity, not simply a tardy.
For cutting activity:
1st offense: Teacher conference and parent/guardian notification
2nd offense: Lunch detention and parent/guardian notification
3rd offense: ISS and parent/guardian notification
Student IDs
Student IDs
Students are expected to wear their school ID around their neck at all times. Simply having the ID in a pocket, backpack, or elsewhere on their person does not meet the expectation, and IDs should not be altered.
Replacement IDs cost $5, and replacement lanyards are $1. Once a student accumulates $25 in ID fees, the student will receive ISS daily until they can either pay for another ID or produce one of the IDs they have already been issued.
Part of the reason for this policy is to prevent seniors from accumulating unnecessary fees that must then be paid before graduation.
College & Career Readiness (CCR)
College & Career Readiness (CCR)
The goal is for every FIHS senior to graduate College and Career Ready (CCR).
Students who have not yet met a CCR indicator will be required to take the WIN assessment again unless they become CCR Ready through another approved pathway, such as the ACT, SAT, ASVAB, or an eligible CTE pathway with industry certifications.
Students who are unsure of their status or which pathway they should pursue should contact Mrs. Belanger, 12th Grade Administrator, to determine the best option and make a plan.
Looking Ahead
Looking Ahead
There is a lot happening during senior year. Between classes, graduation requirements, college or career plans, jobs, extracurricular activities, and everything else that comes with being a senior, it can be easy for students to start letting things slide.
My goal is to help prevent that.
I will do my part by keeping you informed, keeping my gradebook current, providing students with opportunities to demonstrate what they know, and communicating early when I see a problem developing. In return, I ask students to use their class time, keep up with assignments, and ask for help before they find themselves overwhelmed.
We have one semester to get them across the finish line. I’m looking forward to working with you to make sure they get there.
Thank you,
Mr. Woolsey
Syllabus
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