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Phillip O. Berry Academy of Technology
English 1
Instructor: Ms. Jax
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.msjax9ela.weebly.com
Class Days: Monday- Friday
Office Hours: Monday 2:30 – 3:30 or by appointment
Classroom: 362
Overview & Expectations
English I is a survey course that helps you to perfect your writing, reading, critical thinking and presentation abilities. Throughout the semester, we will read and analyze both fiction and non-fiction pieces and also master grammatical concepts. Each of you should have and will be held to high expectations regarding in-class discussions, your engagement of literature, and the overall improvement of your writing technique and ability.
Our class motto this semester is “The only lines we color inside are those we draw ourselves.” The thoughts, opinions, and contributions to class are essential to the success and advancement of each student; skills are to be molded, not opinions. However, in order to ensure a safe, equal learning space for all students, every student needs to:
1. Follow all school rules at all times
2. Follow teacher’s directions when asked
3. Use appropriate language: no swearing, put-downs or call outs
4. Be an active learner.
- Participate in class discussions
- Ask relevant questions
- Put forth your best effort to complete all assignments on time
- Always give the speaker the benefit of the doubt
- Ask clarifying questions
- Remain open and respectful towards differing opinions
Our class will also operate under LINES:
Listen to others’ intelligence
Integrate your culture
No two learners are the same
Encourage mistakes
Sign language ‘R’ to use the restroom
If a student chooses not to follow behavior and academic expectations of the classroom and the Academic Standards & Standards of Conduct handbook, he or she will be subject to the following:
Step One- Verbal Warning;
Step Two – Teacher/Student Conference
Step Three – Parent Contact (which may include conference)
Step Four – Office Referral.
You are expected to come to class with all of your materials. Your daily participation grade will suffer if you do not have all your materials needed. You are expected to come to class with the following materials every day:
- Pen/ Pencil
- Class notebook
- Class folder/ binder
- Necessary textbooks/ novels (textbooks and novels will change based on units)
Routines & Procedures
Students are expected to arrive to class willing and ready to learn. In order to make the most use of our time, students are asked to be in their seats working on warm-up when the bell rings. Warm Ups may consist of a grammar-based exercises, vocabulary study, or a reflection of our current literature. Warm Ups will be recorded in their class notebook.
I encourage and expect all students to use the restroom before class and between classes. That being said, I understand that emergencies do occur. Emergencies need to be handled during non-instructional time. POB policy states NO ID, NO GO as well as First and Last 15 minutes of class: NO PASS. Students will receive 4 bathroom passes per quarter. At the end of each quarter, student may turn in unused bathroom passes for 5 points extra credit a piece. If you run out of bathroom passes within the quarter, using the restroom will take points away from your daily participation grade.
- Homework will be given on a regular basis; however, the purpose of homework is not simply to keep the student busy. The purpose of homework is to reinforce what is being taught in the classroom and/or prepare the student for the next day’s lesson. Students should be prepared to complete most reading assignments at home. Please note that some reading assignments may have started in class and simply need to be finished at home. Students are expected to finish reading prior to the beginning of class. The teacher will employ various mechanisms to ensure the completion of these readings including but not limited to regular quizzes and required class work.
- Students will frequently be assigned long-term writing or project based assignments that will require time management so that students are not overwhelmed at the last minute by deadlines.
- Papers written outside of class must be typed in 12 point font, using Times New Roman or Arial fonts only, double spaced and cited using MLA.
Tardies hinder the entire classroom (not just the late student) because a consistently late student interrupts everyone’s time, instruction, and learning. All students who are tardy to class must sign in. Tardy to class consequences are as follows:
- 1st Offense: Verbal Warning
- 2nd Offense: Verbal Warning & Parent Contact
- 3rd Offense: Warning with a Written Notice
- 4th Offense: Mandatory Parent Conference/ Telephone Conference
- 5th Offense: ISS (In School Suspension in addition, student loses privilege of attending school wide events that occur during the school day
- 6th Offense: Automatic Administrative Referral- Must attend the scheduled monthly Saturday school
- 7th Offense: Failure to attend Saturday School will result in ISS
Formal Assessments = 70%
- Tests, Presentations, Essays, Projects Performance Tasks
Informal Assessments = 30%
- Homework, Warm-ups, Class work, Participation
100-93 A
85-92 B
77-84 C
70-76 D
69-Below F
We hold students to the highest standards of academic integrity. All class work, unless otherwise announced, should be completed without outside or classmate assistance. To do otherwise, constitutes cheating and will be treated as such. You will be required to write frequently and you may find it tempting to copy someone else’s work. It is in your best interest to avoid this temptation. If ANY portion of paper is “borrowed” from another source without the proper citation, you will be written up for plagiarism. If you need help or guidance, I am your best source. Please come to me with questions or concerns.
Please know that the syllabus is not written in stone. The curriculum may be adjusted, without compromising the class standards or expectations, in order to ensure all students are at their proximal level of learning.