FRESHMAN HONORS ENGLISH

2015-2016 Course Syllabus

Course Overview Freshman English units of study focus on the theme coming of age, a subject that is relevant and relatable to students entering high school. The readings cover many genres including informational text, short stories, novels, Shakespearean drama, poetry, and visual media. Students are introduced to literary concepts and will write narrative, analytical, and persuasive essays about incidents in their own lives as well as about themes, characters, contexts, and ideas from the readings.

Welcome! This handout will provide you with useful information about this class so that you will know what to expect

during this school year. You also need to be familiar with school policies concerning absences, tardies, and behavior.

These policies can be found on the Bremerton High School website. We have high expectations and are looking for-

ward to an exceptional year!

Contacts Laura Callender laura.callender@bremertonschools.org http://www.bremertonschools.org//Domain/221 (360) 473-0890 David Huynh david.huynh@bremertonschools.org http://www.bremertonschools.org//Domain/1459 (360) 473-0967

Required Materials

Come to class prepared. Binder checks will be entered into the grade book approximately every six weeks. You must bring the following supplies daily in order to succeed in this class:

Binder (with tools, daily planner, and dividers as required for Knight Skills class)

Pencil and/or pen (blue or black ink only, please) Loose-leaf paper Springboard Textual Power, Level 4 – Students

MUST have their book in class every day.

Assigned texts Title Film

Rating Author / Director

Primary text for all freshman students:

Springboard Textual Power, Level 4 College Board

All freshman students will choose one (based on availability):

Monster Walter Dean Meyers

Stargirl Jerry Spinelli

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Sherman Alexie

The Secret Life of Bees Sue Monk Kidd

All freshman students: Romeo and Juliet William Shakespeare

To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee

Romeo + Juliet PG-13 Baz Luhrmann, 1996

Visual Media (film), all freshman stu-dents:

Romeo and Juliet PG Franco Zeffirelli, 1968

To Kill a Mockingbird Not rated Robert Mulligan, 1962

Selma PG-13 Ava DuVernay, 2014

Edward Scissorhands PG-13 Tim Burton, 1990

Big Fish (excerpts) PG-13 Tim Burton, 2003

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (excerpts) PG Tim Burton, 2005

Corpse Bride (excerpts) PG Tim Burton, 2005

Alice in Wonderland (excerpts) PG Tim Burton, 2010

Honors freshman students (only): Students will choose one title first semester and a second title for second semester (based on availability).

Lord of the Flies William Golding

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Maya Angelou

The Red Badge of Courage Stephen Crane

Ordinary People Judith Guest

The Chosen Chaim Potok

The Joy Luck Club Amy Tan

Yellow Raft in Blue Water Michael Dorris

Go to https://bremertonwa.springboardonline.org

Click on "New to Springboard" (under the userid entry box)

Enter the following code: ____________________. This code is unique to your class period.

Complete the registration information. Note that your password must include letters, numbers,

and at least one special character (such as !, @, _, $).

Write down your userid and password somewhere in your binder so that you will have it later. You MUST have this information to take the required online unit assessments.

Behavior Expectations: Please review the student conduct policies in the online BHS Parent and Student Handbook for information on discipline and enforcement.

Overall, students must be active listeners and must show respect to themselves, all others in class, and school property.

Participation in class discussions is a powerful tool for memory and learning and some discussion activities, such as Socratic Seminar, will be graded summatively based on the Common Core Standards for Speaking and Listening. We expect thoughtful participation from all students.

We are always happy to help out. If you need assistance, please don't hesitate to see one of us. We will set a time convenient to us both (before or after school) to meet.

Be aware of and follow all school- and district-wide policies including those concerning absences, tardies, and plagiarism.

Respectful, Responsible, and Safe - Classroom Standards Promote Learning

Behavior penalties for academic

dishonesty are outlined in the

BHS Parent and Student

Handbook. Students who cheat

or plagiarize will receive a zero

(F) for the assignment until they

have requested and completed

an alternate or make-up

assignment. After completion of

the alternate opportunity, the

teacher will change the zero to

reflect the actual score earned.

Academic Dishonesty

BHS Parent and Student Handbook: http://www.bremertonschools.org/cms/lib/WA01001541/Centricity/Domain/1428/Student%20Handbook%202013-14.pdf BHS Staff Web Pages http://bremertonschools.org/Domain/9 Skyward Family Access https://www2.wrdc.wa-k12.net/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=wbremers71/fwemnu01.w Springboard Online Textbook https://bremertonwa.springboardonline.org Common Core State Standards http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/

HELPFUL LINKS:

HOMEWORK:

Students are expected to complete 15 – 20 minutes of homework each night for this class. The purpose of homework assignments vary, and may be reading, practice of a skill learned in class, preparation for an upcoming lesson or assessment, or extension of a con-cept or skill taught in class. It is critical that students complete homework on time. When homework is not explicitly assigned, students are expected to read for 15 – 20 minutes. The objective of this reading is expo-sure to multiple genres and styles of text in an effort to improve vocabulary, grammar, and spelling as well as to build on reading and writing skills. Students should choose a variety of formats including news/current events, a self-selected novel or non-fiction work, po-etry, or other substantive text (Facebook, Twitter, and other social media do not count toward the outside reading expectation.)

Standards-Based Grading Letter Grade Percentage Value

Exceeds Standards A 93-100

A- 90-92

Meets Standards

B+ 87-89

B 83-86

B- 80-82

Approaching Standards

C+ 77-79

C 73-76

C- 70-72

D+ 67-69

D 60-66

Does Not Meet Standards F Below 60

Incomplete F N/A

The English department staff has two primary goals: 1) to offer students opportunities to demonstrate their skills and knowledge to en-sure the grade reflects their abilities in relation to Common Core Standards, and 2) to help students develop effective work habits to en-sure their success in and out of school.

Teachers expect students to turn in all work on the assigned due date. In the event of extenuating circumstances that prevent timely submission, talk to your teacher about acceptable solutions. In the event of an excused absence, you have THREE school days to make up missed work. Make-up work may require you to stay after school or attend Knight Academy. In addition, you may be required to complete missing or low-scoring formative work before being permitted to turn in a late or missing assignment. If this is the case, please make arrangements with your teacher. Most importantly, keep your teacher informed of your progress! After THREE days, missing work will not be accepted. Students who wish to improve their score on a summative assessment may retake/revise the assessment once. The retake/revision must be completed within THREE days of receipt of their original score and only after discussion with the teacher. Unexcused late work (turned in after the original due date without an excused absence) may not be

revised/retaken. No revisions/retakes will be accepted after the five day point.

A: There are two types of assignments—formative and summative. Formative assignments include

daily in-class work and homework; they prepare students for learning, give them practice, and/or ex-

tend their learning. Formative tasks serve several purposes: 1) to allow the teacher to a snapshot of

student skill level and to adjust instruction, 2) to activate students’ prior knowledge of a skill or sub-

ject, 3) to provide preparation for a summative assignment, and/or 4) to assist students in identifying

strength and weaknesses, and adjust study habits. Not all formative work will be returned to stu-

dents.

Summative, graded assignments let a student demonstrate skill, ability, and content knowledge.

These include essays, projects, oral and multi-media presentations, quizzes, and tests. We will always

tell students ahead of time if an activity is going to be summatively graded. Student performance is

measured against the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and work is graded as

listed in the chart above. These standards are divided into four major areas—reading, writing, lan-

guage (vocabulary), and speaking and listening. Each standard is graded according to the standards-

based grading descriptor in the box above, and will be assigned a letter grade identifying their specific

progress within that level of proficiency. Grades are entered into the online Skyward Family Access

program on a 10-point scale (for example, work that demonstrates a proficiency level that is mid-

range to approaching standard would be entered as a 7.0). Grades on all standards are combined at

the end of each term to form the overall course grades.

Skills for Success: Up to 10% of a student’s grade will be based on Skills for Success standards which

measure a student’s proficiency at being “ready to work with supplies, on time,” “following school and

classroom rules,” and “using class time to complete work.” These standards are designed to help

teach and assess students’ ability to succeed in a career and/or in college.

COMMUNICATION

For the most efficient communication, please sign up for and consistently monitor the web-based Family Access program. This program allows direct email communication between parents, teachers, and students, and provides an up-to-date online gradebook. For more information, please call the student’s teacher or the office at 473-0800. Many teachers also maintain class webpages that detail assignments, provide links to helpful resources, and/or offer a calendar of due dates and events.

You can reach your teacher at the email and/or phone number on the front of this syllabus.

Students: Please read and discuss this letter with your parents or guardians. Return this page to the teacher by ____________________________, and file the syllabus document in your binder. If you or they have any questions or concerns, please have them contact one of us at 473-0800 or by email at the teach-er’s address on the front page of your syllabus.

Thank You!

The BHS Freshman English Team

Syllabus Acknowledgement: By signing, the student acknowledges and agrees to the procedures and expectations outlined within the syllabus, including the Late Work / Make-Up Work / Retake Policy. Further, the student agrees to come to class prepared with the supplies listed as well as a willingness to participate in the learning process. __________________________________________________ Student Name (print) __________________________________________________ ________________________ Student Name (signature) Date __________________________________________________ Parent/guardian Name (print) __________________________________________________ ________________________ Parent/guardian Name (signature) Date __________________________________________________ Parent/guardian email address (optional)