Class Handbook

Ms. Thurston's Adventures in English

2016-2017

Grading Policies…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..2

Nine Weeks and Semester Average…………………………………………………………………….2-3

Parent/Teacher Communication and Student Grades……………………………………3-4

Academic Dishonesty/Cheating/Plagiarism………………………………………………………….4

Teacher Conference Periods……………………………………………………………………………………4

Homework and Absences…………………………………………………………………………………4

Reading Counts……………………………………………………………………………………………………………5

Required Reading Points……………………………………………………………………………………………5

Heading for English Papers……………………………………………………………………………………5

Outline Format…………………………………………………………………………………………………….6

Writing……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…7

Reading Lists……………………………………………………………………………………………………………8

Important Test Dates…………………………………………………………………………………………….9

PSAT/SAT/ACT Test Dates and Programs…………………………………………………10

College/Scholarship Opportunities………………………………………………………………..11-12

Databases for Writing and Research…………………………………………………………..13

Software Programs……………………………………………………………………………………………….13

Research Paper and Essay Websites/Sources………………………………………….14-15

Signature Page………………………………………………………………………………………………………..16

Ms. Thurston’s English Handbook is designed to provide TMSA students and parents with information that is pertinent to all grade levels of English that I teach.

I am dedicated to

developing the total well being of

all students by maximizing their potential.

Grading Policies

Students will be given at least fifeteen (15) grades each nine weeks which will count as 70% of the nine weeks average. I may drop up to two (2) daily grades.  Students should check with me.

Sustained Silent Reading (SSR) daily reading will count as one (1) test grade.  At least two (2) test/project grades each nine weeks will be given which will count as the other 30% of the nine weeks average. Test grades will be given for not only SSR but also essays, nine weeks tests, unit tests, and assessment tests.

Nine Weeks and Semester Averages

 At the end of each three-week period parents will be contacted to discuss progress in this class.  If your child’s grade is below a 70 or if you have other concerns, please call or email to set up an appointment with me.

 At the end of each nine weeks, reports will be sent out the following week.  I will weigh daily grades, homework, quizzes, minor essays, etc. as 70% of the nine weeks average. SSR, tests, major essays, nine weeks tests will be counted as 30% of the nine-weeks grade.  At my discretion, one or two of the lowest daily grades may be dropped. 

     The semester grade will be determined by the following calculations:

1. The two nine-weeks grades will be 80% of the final grade and the comprehensive final exam will be 20%.

*Note:  All students must take the mid-term and final exam unless they are eligible to be exempt.

Teachers are only allowed to give the mid-term and final exams on the dates scheduled by administration.  Exams are not to be given early except under special circumstances.  Please see the student handbook for exemption policies.

Parent/Teacher Communication and Student Grades

Parents should direct initial questions to the student who should in turn be encouraged to speak with the teacher.  While teacher to parent communication is critical to student success, we encourage student initiative and personal responsibility for their academic success.  Parents can assist by encouraging students to be active participants in the communication and problem solving process.  As a final step, parents should contact me directly.  If a mutual understanding cannot be reached or if further assistance is needed, Mr. Jessup, High School Dean, may be reached at (336) 621-0061 or by email at jjessup@tmsacharter.org. 

Academic Dishonesty / Cheating / Plagiarism

Academic dishonesty - cheating or plagiarism - is not acceptable. Cheating includes the copying of another student’s work – homework, class work, test answers, etc. – as one’s own. Plagiarism is the use of another person’s original ideas or writing without giving credit to the true author. A student found to have engaged in academic dishonesty will be subject to loss of credit for the work in question, as well as disciplinary penalties, according to the Student Code of Conduct.

Penalties vary depending on the severity of the act but could entail receiving a “0” on the assignment, test, or exam or possibly loss of credit for the course.

TEACHER CONFERENCE PERIODS 2016-2017

August 2016- June 9, 2017     8:00am-9:15am  appointment required

After School between 3pm-4pm by appointment

 Homework and Absences

Routine and In-Depth Makeup Work Assignments

For any class missed, I might assign the student makeup work based on the instructional objectives for the subject or course and the needs of the individual student in mastering the essential knowledge and skills or in meeting subject or course requirements as long as that student has an excused absence.

A student will be responsible for obtaining and completing the makeup work in a satisfactory manner.  Students have the same number of days as they were consecutively absent to make up work.  For example, a student is absent on Monday and Tuesday and comes back to school on Wednesday and receives his missed work from his teacher.  That student has until Friday to turn all missed work in. Work turned in after that date will receive a “0.”

Triad Math and Science Academy (TMSA) does not accept late work.  A missed assignment (other than for an excused absence) will be recorded as a “0” in the grade book.  Late work is any work that was assigned by the teacher and given a due date that was not turned by 11:59pm on the date it was due.   Work turned in anytime other than that of is late.

Exceptions:  I may accept major essays/research papers turned in late with a penalty of a minimum of ten (10) grade points per day deduction not to exceed a total of twenty (20) points deducted each day. Check with me, decisions will be made on an individual basis.

A student who does not make up assigned work within the time allotted by will receive a grade of zero for the assignment. The grade for make up work after an unexcused absence shall be a zero.

 Students who miss a class on the day an assignment is due must turn that assignment in the first day they come back to school. Additionally, students who miss their English class but attend other classes during the day are still expected to turn in homework, essays, research papers, daily work, etc.  Failure to do so will result in a “0.”

EXCUSED ABSENCES:

• Death in the student’s immediate family

• Illness of student

• Doctor and Dental Appointment

• Court Appearance

• Observation of religious holy days

UNEXCUSED ABSENCES:

Absences for all other reasons are unexcused and shall be treated as truancy. Some examples of unexcused absences are oversleeping, car/transportation problems, work, job interviews, baby-sitting, running errands for self or parents, or as deemed as not excused absences or excused tardies by the Mr. Wright, Dean of Discipline . Unexcused absences will be counted as a zero when calculating student grades.

CONTINUOUS ATTENDANCE (LEAVING THE CLASS WITHOUT PERMISSION)

Once a class has started, students are not to leave the room without permission from the teacher in charge. Students who walk out of a room while a class is in session without the consent of the teacher in charge are subject to disciplinary action. Students who miss school due to a co-curricular or extracurricular activity are responsible for checking with me at least two days before they miss my classes to get assignments and makeup work.

Sustained Silent Reading

All students enrolled in regular, Honors, Pre-AP English Classes are required to complete reading both inside and  outside of the classroom for a test grade each three weeks. SSR grades will be given based on the percentage of points the student read from the required reading period.  For example, if a freshman student only reads 13 days out of the required 15 days, then he will receive an “87” for his  Sustained Silent Reading grade for the three weeks.

I encourage students to not only read for pleasure but to also endeavor to read more challenging works from the classics. A list of suggested  reading is included in this handbook.

Required Reading Points:

Freshmen:      English I – 15 points

                                               Honors English I -20 points

If 75 points are read by midterm, this will replace your lowest test grade.

Juniors:         English III – 35 points

                      Honors English III - 45 points

If 135 points are read by midterm, this will replace your lowest test grade.

Heading for English Papers:

Note: Failure to endorse your paper with the proper heading will result in loss of point value from your essay or assignment grade. 

For typed essays and research papers, we will be using the MLA format.  All essays that are typed must adhere to the following guidelines:

1. Double-spacing
2. Times-New Roman
3. 12-point font
4. One-inch margins on the top, bottom, and sides
5. Headers will be ½” from the top of each paper

Example:

(Header is 1/2” or three lines from top of paper)                           Smith 1

John Smith

Mr. Clark                      (teacher’s name)

English II – 3

14 August 2006  (the date goes in this order with NO punctuation!)

Outline Format

                                                  Creative Title

(Title should be the same title as that of your essay/research paper)

Thesis statement:  (ONE sentence should be given which state the purpose                or main idea that will be proven in the paper)

   I.

         A.

               1.

               2.

         B.

 II.  

         A.

               1.

               2.

               3.

         B.

         C. 

               1.

               2.

III.

         A.

         B.

Important Rules When Outlining

*Remember that only the BODY of the essay is outlined—never the introduction or the conclusion!

*The outline should be either a topic outline or a sentence outline.  Ask which one your English teacher prefers for you to use. Topic outlines do

not have periods at the end of each line; however, a sentence outline will have period at the end.

*The first letter of the first word anywhere in the outline is always

capitalized.

*In a topic outline, all Roman Numerals should be grammatically parallel and

all subtopics should be parallel.

*When typing or writing an outline, be sure that all of the periods under the Roman Numerals are in line with each other and that all of the subtopic periods are in line with one another.

*Avoid beginning an outline with the word “the.”

*If an “A” is used in the outline, then a “B” must be used.  If a Roman Numeral I is used, then a Roman Numeral II must be used.  Everything goes in pairs in the outline.

Writing

 I believe that frequent writing improves not only writing skills but critical thinking skills as well.  Students in each grade level will keep a portfolio of major essays.  Portfolios will contain major essays, research papers, and benchmark tests as well as “failure to do work” sheets and other writing assignments such as prewriting and rough drafts that may be placed in the portfolios at my discretion.

Major Essays and Research Papers

Below are types of writing that students will be working on throughout

the semester.

Each nine weeks, students will be given multiple writing assignments with the intent and purpose of refining and building upon the writing skills learned the year before in preparation for college level work.

           Literary/expository writing

                       Topic sentences/evidence/blended quotes

  Definition Essay

                        Personal Narrative

                        Argumentative Research

                        Persuasive/Argumentative Essay

                        Literary Analysis Research Paper

Reading Lists and Units for English 9-12

Below are books that have been determined to be appropriate for students to read.  From time to time other books may be added or substituted with approval only. 

9^th Grade  

Animal Farm

When the Legends Die

Of Mice and Men

Cry, the Beloved Country

Night

The Miracle Worker

The Odyssey

Great Expectations

A Separate Peace

Jane Eyre

Anthem

A Long Walk to Freedom

The Chosen

Cold Sassy Tree

Shakespeare: Julius Caesar

Barrio Boy

The Scarlett Letter

Fallen Angels

A Raisin in the Sun

The Awakening

The Red Badge of Courage

The Great Gatsby

Death of a Salesman

Bless Me, Ultima

The Grapes of Wrath

Shakespeare: Othello

Frankenstein

Brave New World –

A Tale of Two Cities

Becket 

Heart of Darkness/Secret Sharer

Looking Backward

Einstein’s Dreams

Wuthering Heights

Taming of the Shrew

Hamlet

Tess of the D’Urbervilles

The Hound of the Baskervilles

Signature Page………………………………………………………………………………………………………..16

Ms. Thurston’s English Handbook

2015-2016

Grading Policies…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..2

Nine Weeks and Semester Average…………………………………………………………………….2-3

Parent/Teacher Communication and Student Grades……………………………………3-4

Academic Dishonesty/Cheating/Plagiarism………………………………………………………….4

Pre-AP/Advanced Placement……………………………………………………………………………….4-5

Teacher Conference Periods……………………………………………………………………………………6

Homework and Absences………………………………………………………………………………………6-8

Reading Counts……………………………………………………………………………………………………………8

Required Reading Points……………………………………………………………………………………………5

Heading for English Papers……………………………………………………………………………………5

Outline Format…………………………………………………………………………………………………….6

Writing……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…7

Reading Lists……………………………………………………………………………………………………………8

Important Test Dates…………………………………………………………………………………………….9

PSAT/SAT/ACT Test Dates and Programs…………………………………………………10

College/Scholarship Opportunities………………………………………………………………..11-12

Databases for Writing and Research…………………………………………………………..13

Software Programs……………………………………………………………………………………………….13

Research Paper and Essay Websites/Sources………………………………………….14-15

Signature Page………………………………………………………………………………………………………..16

Welcome to Adventures in English!

Ms. Thurston’s English Handbook is designed to provide TMSA students and parents with information that is pertinent to all grade levels of English that I teach.

I am dedicated to

developing the total well being of

all students by maximizing their potential.

Grading Policies

Students will be given at least fifeteen ( 15) grades each nine weeks which will count as 70% of the nine weeks average. I may drop up to two (2) daily grades.  Students should check with me.

Reading Counts tests will count as one (1) test grade.  At least two (6) test/project grades each nine weeks will be given which will count as the other 30% of the nine weeks average. Test grades will be given for not only Reading Counts but also essays, nine weeks tests, unit tests, and assessment tests.

Nine Weeks and Semester Averages

       At the end of each three-week period parents will be contacted to discuss progress in this class.  If your child’s grade is below a 70 or if you have other concerns, please call or email to set up an appointment with me.

       At the end of each nine weeks, reports will be sent out the following week.  I will weigh daily grades, homework, quizzes, minor essays, etc. as 70% of the nine weeks average.  Reading Counts, tests, major essays, nine weeks tests will be counted as 30% of the nine-weeks grade.  At my discretion, one or two of the lowest daily grades may be dropped. 

     The semester grade will be determined by the following calculations:

1. The two nine-weeks grades will be 80% of the final grade and the comprehensive final exam will be 20%.

*Note:  All students must take the mid-term and final exam unless they are eligible to be exempt.

Teachers are only allowed to give the mid-term and final exams on the dates        scheduled by administration.  Exams are not to be given early except under special circumstances.  Please see the student handbook for exemption policies.

Parent/Teacher Communication and Student Grades

Parents should direct initial questions to the student who should in turn be encouraged to speak with the teacher.  While teacher to parent communication is critical to student success, we encourage student initiative and personal responsibility for their academic success.  Parents can assist by encouraging students to be active participants in the communication and problem solving process.  As a final step, parents should contact me directly.  If a mutual understanding cannot be reached or if further assistance is needed, Mr. Jessup, High School Dean, may be reached at (336) 621-0061 or by email at jjessup@tmsacharter.org. 

Academic Dishonesty / Cheating / Plagiarism

Academic dishonesty - cheating or plagiarism - is not acceptable. Cheating includes the copying of another student’s work – homework, class work, test answers, etc. – as one’s own. Plagiarism is the use of another person’s original ideas or writing without giving credit to the true author. A student found to have engaged in academic dishonesty will be subject to loss of credit for the work in question, as well as disciplinary penalties, according to the Student Code of Conduct.

Penalties vary depending on the severity of the act but could entail receiving a “0” on the assignment, test, or exam or possibly loss of credit for the course.

TEACHER CONFERENCE PERIODS 2015-2016

August 2015- January 15, 2016     9:45am-10:30am  appointment required

January 19- June 9, 2016              Noon-12:45pm  appointment required

After School between 3pm-4pm by appointment

15 February 2016   8:30am- Noon & 1:00-3:00pm  No appointment required

 Homework and Absences

Routine and In-Depth Makeup Work Assignments

For any class missed, I might assign the student makeup work based on the instructional objectives for the subject or course and the needs of the individual student in mastering the essential knowledge and skills or in meeting subject or course requirements as long as that student has an excused absence.

A student will be responsible for obtaining and completing the makeup work in a satisfactory manner.  Students have the same number of days as they were consecutively absent to make up work.  For example, a student is absent on Monday and Tuesday and comes back to school on Wednesday and receives his missed work from his teacher.  That student has until Friday to turn all missed work in. Work turned in after that date will receive a “0.”

Triad Math and Science Academy (TMSA) does not accept late work.  A missed assignment (other than for an excused absence) will be recorded as a “0” in the grade book.  Late work is any work that was assigned by the teacher and given a due date that was not turned by 11:59pm on the date it was due.   Work turned in anytime other than that of is late.

Exceptions:  I may accept major essays/research papers turned in late with a penalty of a minimum of ten (10) grade points per day deduction not to exceed a total of twenty (20) points deducted each day. Check with me, decisions will be made on an individual basis.

A student who does not make up assigned work within the time allotted by will receive a grade of zero for the assignment. The grade for make up work after an unexcused absence shall be a zero.

 Students who miss a class on the day an assignment is due must turn that assignment in the first day they come back to school. Additionally, students who miss their English class but attend other classes during the day are still expected to turn in homework, essays, research papers, daily work, etc.  Failure to do so will result in a “0.”

EXCUSED ABSENCES:

• Death in the student’s immediate family

• Illness of student

• Doctor and Dental Appointment

• Court Appearance

• Observation of religious holy days

UNEXCUSED ABSENCES:

Absences for all other reasons are unexcused and shall be treated as truancy. Some examples of unexcused absences are oversleeping, car/transportation problems, work, job interviews, baby-sitting, running errands for self or parents, or as deemed as not excused absences or excused tardies by the Mr. Wright, Dean of Discipline . Unexcused absences will be counted as a zero when calculating student grades.

CONTINUOUS ATTENDANCE (LEAVING THE CLASS WITHOUT PERMISSION)

Once a class has started, students are not to leave the room without permission from the teacher in charge. Students who walk out of a room while a class is in session without the consent of the teacher in charge are subject to disciplinary action. Students who miss school due to a co-curricular or extracurricular activity are responsible for checking with me at least two days before they miss my classes to get assignments and makeup work.

Reading Counts

All students enrolled in regular, Honors, Pre-AP English Classes are required to complete reading outside of the classroom for a test grade each three weeks. Reading Counts grades will be given based on the percentage of points the student read from the required reading points.  For example, if a freshman student only reads 13 points out of the required 15 points, then he will receive an “87” for his Reading Counts grade for the three weeks.

Students are allowed to take Reading Counts tests over novels assigned in English class for the current year or in a previous year with teacher approval.  We encourage students to not only read for pleasure but to also endeavor to read more challenging works from the classics. A list of suggested  reading is included in this handbook.

NOTE:  STUDENTS ARE ONLY ALLOWED TO TAKE READING COUNTS TESTS IN THE PRESENCE OF HIS/HER TEACHER. 

Required Reading Points:

Freshmen:      English I – 15 points

                                               Honors English I -20 points

If 75 points are read by midterm, this will replace your lowest test grade.

Juniors:         English III – 35 points

                      Honors English III - 45 points

If 135 points are read by midterm, this will replace your lowest test grade.

*NOTE:  To check to see if a particular book is a Reading Counts book that has a test for it, students can either check the hardcopy list of books in the class.

Heading for English Papers:

Note: Failure to endorse your paper with the proper heading will result in loss of point value from your essay or assignment grade. 

For typed essays and research papers, we will be using the MLA format.  All essays that are typed must adhere to the following guidelines:

1. Double-spacing
2. Times-New Roman
3. 12-point font
4. One-inch margins on the top, bottom, and sides
5. Headers will be ½” from the top of each paper

Example:

(Header is 1/2” or three lines from top of paper)                           Smith 1

John Smith

Mr. Clark                      (teacher’s name)

English II – 3

14 August 2006  (the date goes in this order with NO punctuation!)

Outline Format

                                                  Creative Title

(Title should be the same title as that of your essay/research paper)

Thesis statement:  (ONE sentence should be given which state the purpose                or main idea that will be proven in the paper)

   I.

         A.

               1.

               2.

         B.

 II.  

         A.

               1.

               2.

               3.

         B.

         C. 

               1.

               2.

III.

         A.

         B.

Important Rules When Outlining

*Remember that only the BODY of the essay is outlined—never the introduction or the conclusion!

*The outline should be either a topic outline or a sentence outline.  Ask which one your English teacher prefers for you to use. Topic outlines do

not have periods at the end of each line; however, a sentence outline will have period at the end.

*The first letter of the first word anywhere in the outline is always

capitalized.

*In a topic outline, all Roman Numerals should be grammatically parallel and

all subtopics should be parallel.

*When typing or writing an outline, be sure that all of the periods under the Roman Numerals are in line with each other and that all of the subtopic periods are in line with one another.

*Avoid beginning an outline with the word “the.”

*If an “A” is used in the outline, then a “B” must be used.  If a Roman Numeral I is used, then a Roman Numeral II must be used.  Everything goes in pairs in the outline.

Writing

 I believe that frequent writing improves not only writing skills but critical thinking skills as well.  Students in each grade level will keep a portfolio of major essays.  Portfolios will contain major essays, research papers, and benchmark tests as well as “failure to do work” sheets and other writing assignments such as prewriting and rough drafts that may be placed in the portfolios at my discretion.

Major Essays and Research Papers

Below are types of writing that students will be working on throughout

the semester.

Each nine weeks, students will be given multiple writing assignments with the intent and purpose of refining and building upon the writing skills learned the year before in preparation for college level work.

           Literary/expository writing

                       Topic sentences/evidence/blended quotes

  Definition Essay

                        Personal Narrative

                        Argumentative Research

                        Persuasive/Argumentative Essay

                        Literary Analysis Research Paper

Reading Lists and Units for English 9-12

Below are books that have been determined to be appropriate for students to read.  From time to time other books may be added or substituted with approval only. 

9^th Grade  

Animal Farm

When the Legends Die

Of Mice and Men

Cry, the Beloved Country

Night

The Miracle Worker

The Odyssey

Great Expectations

A Separate Peace

Jane Eyre

Anthem

A Long Walk to Freedom

The Chosen

Cold Sassy Tree

Shakespeare: Julius Caesar

Barrio Boy

11^th Grade

The Scarlett Letter

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Fallen Angels

A Raisin in the Sun

The Awakening

The Red Badge of Courage

The Great Gatsby

Death of a Salesman

Bless Me, Ultima

The Grapes of Wrath

Shakespeare: Othello

Frankenstein

Brave New World –

A Tale of Two Cities

1984

Macbeth

Becket –

Heart of Darkness/Secret Sharer

Looking Backward

Einstein’s Dreams

Wuthering Heights

Taming of the Shrew

Hamlet

Tess of the D’Urbervilles

The Hound of the Baskervilles

Ms. Thurston’s English Handbook

2015-2016

Grading Policies…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..2

Nine Weeks and Semester Average…………………………………………………………………….2-3

Parent/Teacher Communication and Student Grades……………………………………3-4

Academic Dishonesty/Cheating/Plagiarism………………………………………………………….4

Pre-AP/Advanced Placement……………………………………………………………………………….4-5

Teacher Conference Periods……………………………………………………………………………………6

Homework and Absences………………………………………………………………………………………6-8

Reading Counts……………………………………………………………………………………………………………8

Required Reading Points……………………………………………………………………………………………5

Heading for English Papers……………………………………………………………………………………5

Outline Format…………………………………………………………………………………………………….6

Writing……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…7

Reading Lists……………………………………………………………………………………………………………8

Important Test Dates…………………………………………………………………………………………….9

PSAT/SAT/ACT Test Dates and Programs…………………………………………………10

College/Scholarship Opportunities………………………………………………………………..11-12

Databases for Writing and Research…………………………………………………………..13

Software Programs……………………………………………………………………………………………….13

Research Paper and Essay Websites/Sources………………………………………….14-15

Signature Page………………………………………………………………………………………………………..16

Welcome to Adventures in English!

Ms. Thurston’s English Handbook is designed to provide TMSA students and parents with information that is pertinent to all grade levels of English that I teach.

I am dedicated to

developing the total well being of

all students by maximizing their potential.

Grading Policies

Students will be given at least fifeteen ( 15) grades each nine weeks which will count as 70% of the nine weeks average. I may drop up to two (2) daily grades.  Students should check with me.

Reading Counts tests will count as one (1) test grade.  At least two (6) test/project grades each nine weeks will be given which will count as the other 30% of the nine weeks average. Test grades will be given for not only Reading Counts but also essays, nine weeks tests, unit tests, and assessment tests.

Nine Weeks and Semester Averages

       At the end of each three-week period parents will be contacted to discuss progress in this class.  If your child’s grade is below a 70 or if you have other concerns, please call or email to set up an appointment with me.

       At the end of each nine weeks, reports will be sent out the following week.  I will weigh daily grades, homework, quizzes, minor essays, etc. as 70% of the nine weeks average.  Reading Counts, tests, major essays, nine weeks tests will be counted as 30% of the nine-weeks grade.  At my discretion, one or two of the lowest daily grades may be dropped. 

     The semester grade will be determined by the following calculations:

1. The two nine-weeks grades will be 80% of the final grade and the comprehensive final exam will be 20%.

*Note:  All students must take the mid-term and final exam unless they are eligible to be exempt.

Teachers are only allowed to give the mid-term and final exams on the dates        scheduled by administration.  Exams are not to be given early except under special circumstances.  Please see the student handbook for exemption policies.

Parent/Teacher Communication and Student Grades

Parents should direct initial questions to the student who should in turn be encouraged to speak with the teacher.  While teacher to parent communication is critical to student success, we encourage student initiative and personal responsibility for their academic success.  Parents can assist by encouraging students to be active participants in the communication and problem solving process.  As a final step, parents should contact me directly.  If a mutual understanding cannot be reached or if further assistance is needed, Mr. Jessup, High School Dean, may be reached at (336) 621-0061 or by email at jjessup@tmsacharter.org. 

Academic Dishonesty / Cheating / Plagiarism

Academic dishonesty - cheating or plagiarism - is not acceptable. Cheating includes the copying of another student’s work – homework, class work, test answers, etc. – as one’s own. Plagiarism is the use of another person’s original ideas or writing without giving credit to the true author. A student found to have engaged in academic dishonesty will be subject to loss of credit for the work in question, as well as disciplinary penalties, according to the Student Code of Conduct.

Penalties vary depending on the severity of the act but could entail receiving a “0” on the assignment, test, or exam or possibly loss of credit for the course.

TEACHER CONFERENCE PERIODS 2015-2016

August 2015- January 15, 2016     9:45am-10:30am  appointment required

January 19- June 9, 2016              Noon-12:45pm  appointment required

After School between 3pm-4pm by appointment

15 February 2016   8:30am- Noon & 1:00-3:00pm  No appointment required

 Homework and Absences

Routine and In-Depth Makeup Work Assignments

For any class missed, I might assign the student makeup work based on the instructional objectives for the subject or course and the needs of the individual student in mastering the essential knowledge and skills or in meeting subject or course requirements as long as that student has an excused absence.

A student will be responsible for obtaining and completing the makeup work in a satisfactory manner.  Students have the same number of days as they were consecutively absent to make up work.  For example, a student is absent on Monday and Tuesday and comes back to school on Wednesday and receives his missed work from his teacher.  That student has until Friday to turn all missed work in. Work turned in after that date will receive a “0.”

Triad Math and Science Academy (TMSA) does not accept late work.  A missed assignment (other than for an excused absence) will be recorded as a “0” in the grade book.  Late work is any work that was assigned by the teacher and given a due date that was not turned by 11:59pm on the date it was due.   Work turned in anytime other than that of is late.

Exceptions:  I may accept major essays/research papers turned in late with a penalty of a minimum of ten (10) grade points per day deduction not to exceed a total of twenty (20) points deducted each day. Check with me, decisions will be made on an individual basis.

A student who does not make up assigned work within the time allotted by will receive a grade of zero for the assignment. The grade for make up work after an unexcused absence shall be a zero.

 Students who miss a class on the day an assignment is due must turn that assignment in the first day they come back to school. Additionally, students who miss their English class but attend other classes during the day are still expected to turn in homework, essays, research papers, daily work, etc.  Failure to do so will result in a “0.”

EXCUSED ABSENCES:

• Death in the student’s immediate family

• Illness of student

• Doctor and Dental Appointment

• Court Appearance

• Observation of religious holy days

UNEXCUSED ABSENCES:

Absences for all other reasons are unexcused and shall be treated as truancy. Some examples of unexcused absences are oversleeping, car/transportation problems, work, job interviews, baby-sitting, running errands for self or parents, or as deemed as not excused absences or excused tardies by the Mr. Wright, Dean of Discipline . Unexcused absences will be counted as a zero when calculating student grades.

CONTINUOUS ATTENDANCE (LEAVING THE CLASS WITHOUT PERMISSION)

Once a class has started, students are not to leave the room without permission from the teacher in charge. Students who walk out of a room while a class is in session without the consent of the teacher in charge are subject to disciplinary action. Students who miss school due to a co-curricular or extracurricular activity are responsible for checking with me at least two days before they miss my classes to get assignments and makeup work.

Reading Counts

All students enrolled in regular, Honors, Pre-AP English Classes are required to complete reading outside of the classroom for a test grade each three weeks. Reading Counts grades will be given based on the percentage of points the student read from the required reading points.  For example, if a freshman student only reads 13 points out of the required 15 points, then he will receive an “87” for his Reading Counts grade for the three weeks.

Students are allowed to take Reading Counts tests over novels assigned in English class for the current year or in a previous year with teacher approval.  We encourage students to not only read for pleasure but to also endeavor to read more challenging works from the classics. A list of suggested  reading is included in this handbook.

NOTE:  STUDENTS ARE ONLY ALLOWED TO TAKE READING COUNTS TESTS IN THE PRESENCE OF HIS/HER TEACHER. 

Required Reading Points:

Freshmen:      English I – 15 points

                                               Honors English I -20 points

If 75 points are read by midterm, this will replace your lowest test grade.

Juniors:         English III – 35 points

                      Honors English III - 45 points

If 135 points are read by midterm, this will replace your lowest test grade.

*NOTE:  To check to see if a particular book is a Reading Counts book that has a test for it, students can either check the hardcopy list of books in the class.

Heading for English Papers:

Note: Failure to endorse your paper with the proper heading will result in loss of point value from your essay or assignment grade. 

For typed essays and research papers, we will be using the MLA format.  All essays that are typed must adhere to the following guidelines:

1. Double-spacing
2. Times-New Roman
3. 12-point font
4. One-inch margins on the top, bottom, and sides
5. Headers will be ½” from the top of each paper

Example:

(Header is 1/2” or three lines from top of paper)                           Smith 1

John Smith

Mr. Clark                      (teacher’s name)

English II – 3

14 August 2006  (the date goes in this order with NO punctuation!)

Outline Format

                                                  Creative Title

(Title should be the same title as that of your essay/research paper)

Thesis statement:  (ONE sentence should be given which state the purpose                or main idea that will be proven in the paper)

   I.

         A.

               1.

               2.

         B.

 II.  

         A.

               1.

               2.

               3.

         B.

         C. 

               1.

               2.

III.

         A.

         B.

Important Rules When Outlining

*Remember that only the BODY of the essay is outlined—never the introduction or the conclusion!

*The outline should be either a topic outline or a sentence outline.  Ask which one your English teacher prefers for you to use. Topic outlines do

not have periods at the end of each line; however, a sentence outline will have period at the end.

*The first letter of the first word anywhere in the outline is always

capitalized.

*In a topic outline, all Roman Numerals should be grammatically parallel and

all subtopics should be parallel.

*When typing or writing an outline, be sure that all of the periods under the Roman Numerals are in line with each other and that all of the subtopic periods are in line with one another.

*Avoid beginning an outline with the word “the.”

*If an “A” is used in the outline, then a “B” must be used.  If a Roman Numeral I is used, then a Roman Numeral II must be used.  Everything goes in pairs in the outline.

Writing

 I believe that frequent writing improves not only writing skills but critical thinking skills as well.  Students in each grade level will keep a portfolio of major essays.  Portfolios will contain major essays, research papers, and benchmark tests as well as “failure to do work” sheets and other writing assignments such as prewriting and rough drafts that may be placed in the portfolios at my discretion.

Major Essays and Research Papers

Below are types of writing that students will be working on throughout

the semester.

Each nine weeks, students will be given multiple writing assignments with the intent and purpose of refining and building upon the writing skills learned the year before in preparation for college level work.

           Literary/expository writing

                       Topic sentences/evidence/blended quotes

  Definition Essay

                        Personal Narrative

                        Argumentative Research

                        Persuasive/Argumentative Essay

                        Literary Analysis Research Paper

Reading Lists and Units for English 9-12

Below are books that have been determined to be appropriate for students to read.  From time to time other books may be added or substituted with approval only. 

9^th Grade  

Animal Farm

When the Legends Die

Of Mice and Men

Cry, the Beloved Country

Night

The Miracle Worker

The Odyssey

Great Expectations

A Separate Peace

Jane Eyre

Anthem

A Long Walk to Freedom

The Chosen

Cold Sassy Tree

Shakespeare: Julius Caesar

Barrio Boy

11^th Grade

The Scarlett Letter

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Fallen Angels

A Raisin in the Sun

The Awakening

The Red Badge of Courage

The Great Gatsby

Death of a Salesman

Bless Me, Ultima

The Grapes of Wrath

Shakespeare: Othello

Frankenstein

Brave New World –

A Tale of Two Cities

1984

Macbeth

Becket –

Heart of Darkness/Secret Sharer

Looking Backward

Einstein’s Dreams

Wuthering Heights

Taming of the Shrew

Hamlet

Tess of the D’Urbervilles

The Hound of the Baskervilles