English III / IV CP Syllabus - Ms. Ballard

Welcome to a successful and an exciting year of English III/IV at Colleton County High School. It will be a pleasure to work together this semester of the 2010-2011 school year.

 

Overview:

All course work in this section of English III/IV is based upon the South Carolina Department of Education Content Standards. 

You may access these standards on my class website at the following address: http://www.oncoursesystems.com/school/webpage.aspx?id=471173, or by visiting the state website. Student learning will encompass the enhancement of communication skills through reading, writing, and analysis of print and nonprint materials; through direct instruction and practice of vocabulary and grammar skills; and through research, publication, and presentation of ideas and information. Texts will include essays, journalistic articles, short stories, novels, poetry, dramas, and biographies, as well as audio and visual nonprint texts.

  E3 Standards.doc     E4 Standards.doc   For this online version of the syllabus, you may click on the links at left to access standards.
 

Since reading is one of the most fundamental and important tools a person possesses, one of our major goals is for each student to become a better reader. One resource for encouraging student reading is Sustained Silent Reading where students will be given the opportunity for in-class reading. I have included a list of possible in-class reading selections—novels, poems, short stories, and nonfiction samples. Please review this list with your child. I realize that every selection may not be appropriate for every student. If you have concerns about any text your child is reading, please contact me so that we can make an appropriate substitution.

 

  

What You Will Need:

  • A 3-ring binder – section dividers are recommended for organization
  • Paper (loose leaf preferred), #2 pencils, blue or black pens (no other colored ink), highlighter
  • Access to CCHS computers (Be sure to turn in your Acceptable Use Policy!)
  • A floppy disc, flash drive, or online file source (such as Dropbox) for storing, saving, and transporting student work
  • A working email account that is checked regularly (parent/guardian/ or student)
  • Book cover (extra credit for this one!)

 

Class Work / Grading Policy:

Students are expected to be in class and on time each day. When a student is absent, he or she always misses some work, and it is that student’s responsibility for making up all work in the allotted time. This should be done outside of regular class time.

 

Students are expected to actively participate in class, whether the task involves reading silently, informal class discussion, small group work, or oral presentations. 

 

Student work is graded on a point scale. Points are assigned based on the difficulty and time constraints of a given assignment. Colleton County High School has a uniform grading policy for the weights of certain assignments. 

  • Major Grades: 50% of total grade – examples are unit or novel tests, research paper, group projects/presentations, summer reading
  • Intermediate Grades:  30% of total grade – examples are vocabulary quizzes, selection quizzes, projects
  • Minor Grades: 20% of total grade – examples are homework, freewrites, pop quizzes, participation

 

Weekly Participation: Each week, students will start with a minor grade for participation of 100%. Throughout the week, their active participation, including being on time with materials, doing what is asked of them, and displaying correct classroom behavior, will allow them to earn that full 100%. If a student should fall short on one day, he or she will lose all points for that day. For instance, if a student does not bring a book on Monday and fails to do homework on Thursday, that student will lose two days credit and receive a C for participation for that week rather than an A.

Students will be given rubrics before completing major assignments or projects. Grades will be updated regularly for student and parent review. Students will receive a deduction in points for work that is turned in late without an acceptable absence excuse. I expect students to appreciate the value of knowing how to meet deadlines as they certainly will face these expectations when they continue their education, enter the work force, and/or enter the armed services. Furthermore, students will receive a zero on any assignment that is deemed to be plagiarized. Please note the following statewide grading scale that will be used for evaluation of assignments:      

                                                A                     93 – 100

                                                B                      85 – 92

                                                C                     77 – 84

                                                D                     70 – 76

                                                F                      below 70

  

Class Rules:

In addition to school-wide Cougar Rules and Teacher’s Creed, I would like to emphasize the following:

  • Follow instructions the first time given.
  • Be respectful! And this is a biggie!!
    • of other people and their ideas and their property
  • No talking when someone else is talking—especially me!
  • Be on time and prepared to learn.
    • Students should be in their seats and working on the bell work when the bell rings.
    • Wear your ID and follow the dress code.
    • Enter with a positive attitude for learning. (Learning is fun if you let it be!)
    • Bring all of your materials to class daily. Tardies will be issued to students who must leave class to retrieve materials.
  • Cell phones will be confiscated first time, so DO NOT bring them to class. (CCHS Policy)
  • No sleeping will be tolerated in class.
  • Food and drink: Only water is permitted without teacher approval.

 

Consequences:

  • 1st Offense – one or more of the following: verbal warning / conference / parental contact / extra work (to make up for lost instructional time due to offense)
  • 2nd Offense – one or more of the following: parental contact / extra work / possible demerit or referral
  • 3rd Offense – demerit &/or referral to administration
  • Immediate referral for any subsequent offenses.

 Please note that some offenses will result in an automatic referral to the administration if necessary.

  

Tutoring:

For those who need additional or one-on-one help, I am available for tutoring. Please contact me at least a day in advance so that I may prepare. I carpool to the high school everyday and will need to make alternative arrangements. The English department will also hold open tutoring weekly. Please be advised that all CCHS teachers have commitments each Wednesday.


Contact Information:

All of us must work together for this to be a successful learning experience. I encourage you to contact me at any time during the semester. Parents and students may schedule a conference with me by contacting the guidance office. You may also contact me via email at aballard@mail.colleton.k12.sc.us.

 

Please place your signatures on the form provided indicating that you have read this packet. Your child will receive his or her first quiz grade upon returning the form to class, and placing his or her syllabus in the front of his notebook.

 

I look forward to working with you to help your student be successful in my class this year.

 

Kindest regards,

Amanda Ballard