ELD/dELD "EMERGING" ENGLISH SYLLABUS
It is a pleasure to welcome you to the EL English Class! This course is the next step in your academic journey to achieve English language proficiency. I look forward to getting to know you, and working with you. Best wishes for a successful and productive school year!
Lisa Collins
Lisa Collins
593-5425
Course Description
The Beginning/Intermediate EL class focuses on reading, writing and speaking English. It is expected that students will strive to use English at all times to communicate with the teacher and other students in class.
Valhalla High School students are expected to achieve the following five Cs upon graduation.
Valhalla graduates will be:
State Standards – A comprehensive list is available upon request: The Edge (ELD textbook) is aligned with state standards.
· English-Language Development: Beginning/Intermediate
o Reading
1. Word Analysis, Fluency, and Systematic Vocabulary Development
2. Reading Comprehension (Fiction and Non-Fiction)
3. Literary Response and Analysis
o Writing
1. Writing Strategies
2. Writing Applications (Genres and their Characteristics)
o Written and Oral English Language Conventions
o Listening and Speaking
1. Listening and Speaking Strategies
2. Speaking Applications (Genres and their Characteristics)
Course Objectives
Upon completion of the ELD/ESL course all students will increase their performance in the following categories:
1. Ability to speak, read, write, and communicate in English at a higher personal level.
2. Ability to dissect a document into its various parts and use the information to plan a meaningful discussion, written or oral in English.
3. Ability to prepare and write three, four, and five paragraph essays, timed and untimed.
4. Ability to organize and implement responses to literature.
5. Ability to coordinate and perform a timed thirty second to one minute speech.
6. Ability to utilize a variety of resources in planning and directing research for a mixture of projects, essays, and activities.
7. Ability to develop questions that challenge a texts’ meaning and show understanding of readings.
Grading System
All coursework will be graded with total points determining a final grade.
1. Assessments 30%
2. Homework 20%
3. Classwork & Participation 35%
4. Final Exam 15%
Grading Scale
Classroom Behavior
To be successful, students need to be in class on time, be prepared to learn, and be cooperative class participants. In addition, this class utilizes a tremendous amount of group work that requires student cooperation and team spirit. Continued negative participation, including being off-task, defiant, or displaying a lack of cooperation, will result in one or more of a series of mediations: detention, in-school suspension, behavior referral, and/or removal from the class. Three behavior referrals may result in the student being dropped from class.
Refer to the Valhalla High School Behavior Code for additional information.
Academic Honesty
We take the misuse of academic materials seriously and do not tolerate any form of academic dishonesty. A student using another student’s work for any part of an assignment without teacher permission will be considered academic dishonest, and will result in lost credit and an Academic Dishonesty Referral. This includes unauthorized collaboration and plagiarism. Two Academic Dishonesty referrals will result in the student being dropped from class with a loss of credit.
Refer to the Valhalla High School Behavior Code for additional information.
Tutoring
Students must seek the teacher's assistance whenever an assignment, activity, or grade is not understood. Additional help may be obtained at After School Tutoring. Visit the Valhalla website for further information.
All assignments are due on the scheduled date at the beginning of the class period. Assignments turned into the teacher after the scheduled date will be considered late.
Make-up Work
Some in-class assignments cannot be made up and will result in a loss of credit. Tests and quizzes must be made up within one week of the absence. Each student is responsible for his/her own make up work and must consult with their teacher regarding missed assignments and tests.
Materials
The following materials must be brought to class every day:
· Planner
· Black or Dark Blue Ink Pens
· #2 Pencils and erasers
· Highlighter
· Lined paper
Attendance
Students need to be in class on time and ready to learn. If you are late, you will be marked tardy.
Individual and group participation is a centerpiece of the course and therefore attendance is mandatory. It is understood that illness or family situations may necessitate an absence. It is the student’s responsibility to discuss make-up work with the teacher.
We encourage parents to make any appointments (e.g.- doctor or driver's license) outside the school day and to take vacations during school vacations.
Students planning on being absent from class on a long-term basis must make prior arrangements with the Counseling Office.
Infinite Campus / Website
Check your grades online anytime! Visit Infinite Campus to see up-to-date grades or visit the teacher’s website. (You can send emails to your teacher via Infinite Campus.) If you believe there is a discrepancy in your grade, it is your responsibility to check with your teacher. Stay on top of your grades!