Class Policies

Routine in Honors English 9

Once the school year begins in earnest, we will establish a classroom routine which will help students keep track of their responsibilities. Although circumstances may interfere on occasion, once we’ve established our routine students should come prepared each day for our usual start of class activities.

Each Day: some discussion or activity based on assigned reading.

Monday: Notes on Vocabulary Words

Tuesday-Thurs: Grammar Exercise with Grading/Correcting

Friday: Vocabulary Quiz, often the day of tests or deadlines for extended assignments/essays

Grading

Grading is focused on mastery. Academic homework and assessments will be in the gradebook to help show the level of mastery students demonstrate. Grades will reflect where they are in their grade level work. Do not expect grades to be rounded, grades are as they are earned.

Parents will be informed and contacted regarding failing or underperforming students.

Grading Scale (minimum percentage required)

Homework

In 9th Grade, time management becomes a more important aspect of personal responsibility: show up on time to class to avoid missing instructions, check online or in file folders for information you may miss.

Homework is not punitive and will not be created for the purpose of work to be done at home. Students, particularly at UHS, have enough other responsibilities outside of my classroom. Homework is an extension of class time, if necessary, but it is not my plan or expectation for students to do my classwork every night.

However, more often than not, students will be assigned reading to complete at home. Writing instruction and support will most often be provided during class. Large assignments will be given ample time to complete without unnecessary crunch.

If you need help with an assignment or text, ask for help during class well ahead of the deadline.

Absences and Late Work

Students may have planned or unplanned absences from class, in both circumstances it is their responsibility to seek help for what they may miss in class. Students should first check online in Google Classroom for what they may have missed; online versions of the assignment may be posted. When returning to class, students may also find hard-copy instructions or assignments in the file folders.

Students will have time equal to the days they missed to make up missing work for full credit. In the event that work cannot be made up due to constraints of the assignment, they may receive an “excused” mark which will neither count for or against their grade.

If students fail to submit assignments on time, they may earn Late Credit of up to 70% depending on the quality and completion of the work. Late Credit may only be earned up until the end of that month’s unit.

Additional Help

While I and the academic counselors will work proactively to intervene and support students who are falling behind, students also need to take ownership and seek additional help.

I take my lunch on-campus most days (minus meetings, clubs, or other responsibilities). If a student coordinates ahead of time with me, I can be available for additional support or for make-up time on late/missing work. I will coordinate with the counselors and will likely establish a specific weekday where students can more reliably plan to seek additional help.