English II Syllabus - Policies and Guidelines

 

Course Description

English II is a rigorous course with an emphasis on composition and World Literature.

"Students in English II read, discuss, and write about both classical and contemporary world literature through which students will identify cultural significance. They will examine pieces of world literature in a cultural context to appreciate the diversity and complexity of world issues and to connect global ideas to their own experiences. Students will continue to explore language for expressive, informational/explanatory, critical, argumentative and literary purposes. In addition to literature study, students will:

• Examine non-literary texts related to cultural studies.
• Research material to use primarily in clarifying their own explanatory responses to situations and literary-based issues.
• Critically interpret and evaluate experiences, literature, language, and ideas.
• Use standard grammatical conventions and select features of language appropriate to purpose, audience, and context of the work."                                                                                 ~ ELA Common Core Standards

 

Overview of Course Units

 

1st quarter/Major Assessments	2nd quarter/Major Assessments
ACES Portfolio	Literary/Rhetorical Analysis
Literature Unit Test	Research Paper
Reading Comprehension Midterm	Book Club Project

 

*Honors students are expected to purchase copies of the texts below by Monday, September 9, 2019.  Please ensure that you order the correct version of each book using the following ISBN numbers: 

• Night by Elie Wiesel (ISBN-10:0374500010 OR ISBN-13: 978-0374500016)
• The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini (ISBN: 978-1-59463-193-1)

 

Grammar and Vocabulary

• Concepts of grammar based on North Carolina Common Core Standards will be covered, including agreement, structure, punctuation, style, and MLA citation.
• Vocabulary in context will be utilized as an essential part of the English II curriculum.
• Students will be given various assignments and regular assessments as a part of each unit.

 

End-of-Course Test Preparation and Writing Preparation

All sophomores are required to focus on and learn guidelines for good academic writing that will help them to prepare for writing assessments and college entrance tests.  English II students will take an end-of-course test designed by state officials testing grammar, reading comprehension, and writing skills.  All assignments throughout the course of the semester are designed to successfully prepare them for this test.

 

Homework

Homework will be assigned on a regular basis. Most homework involves reading and/or writing. All homework is meaningful and of value and is expected to be completed before scheduled class time. Homework will be graded on a 4-0 scale based on completion and, at times, accuracy. Classroom assignments will include: discussions, questioning, and practices designated by the teacher.

 

Grading Procedures

 

             Academic

                      Major assignments = 50% per quarter

                      Minor assignments = 25% per quarter

                      Classwork = 20 % per quarter

                      Homework = 5% per quarter

                              

                                Honors

Major assignments = 60% per quarter

Minor assignments = 25% per quarter

Classwork = 10% per quarter

Homework = 5% per quarter

 

• Major assignments consist of tests, papers, and unit projects, while minor assignments consist of quizzes and other teacher -determined assignments.
• Grades are updated weekly in Power School. The parent portal is available at https://wcpss.powerschool.com/public/.
• Semester grade is determined as follows: Quarter 1 = 40%, Quarter 2 = 40%, EOC Exam = 20%.

 

 

 

Attendance

• Each student will benefit from and is expected to participate in classroom activities and/or discussions.
• After three absences, parents will be contacted by the teacher; ten (10) absences in a course are considered excessive.

 

Make-up Work/Missing Assignments and Tests

• When absent, please check Canvas for missed classwork and homework under Weekly Plans. Students are expected to complete the work listed on Canvas that was missed while absent and return to school on pace with the class.
• Homework is due at the beginning of class– there is no make-up for homework.
• When students are absent, they are still expected to turn major and minor assessments in on the due dates. This may require students to email the assignment to the teacher before the start of that school day or hand deliver the assignment to the front office before the start of the student’s class period.
• If a student is absent when an assignment is given, he/she will have one day for each day absent to complete the assignment.
• Students absent on QUIZ or TEST DAYS are expected to report to the next available English SMART Lunch upon returning to school. If there is a conflict, students must communicate this with the teacher and set up an alternative make-up date.
• Major assignments will be accepted up to five days after the due date but will receive a ten-percentage deduction for each day the assignment is late. After five days, the major assignment will not be accepted.
• Students should talk to their teacher if absent for three or more days in a row to create a schedule for making up the work.

 

Tardy Policy

Since Panther Creek values learning, students are expected to be in their seats when the bell rings working on the assigned task. An unexcused tardy will be addressed per the Panther Creek High School Tardy Policy, which can be found in the Student Handbook and will be displayed in the classroom.

 

Catamount Consequences

Students who do not adhere to the school and classroom basic expectations will be handled as follows:

1. Student/Teacher Conference
2. Parent Contact/Teacher-determined Consequence
3. Lunch Detention
4. Referral to Administration

 

SMART Lunch Incentives-Wednesday B, Friday A

English department classrooms will be open for SMART lunch twice a week on Wednesday and Friday.  At these times, students may meet with group members to complete classwork, work independently on homework/classwork/makeup work, conference with the teacher, or read independently. Students must attend 2 SMART lunches before quarter interim and 2 SMART lunches post-interim to the end of the quarter to receive 2 homework exemptions.

*Start of quarter-interim= 1 HW exemption                 *Post-interim-end of quarter= 1 HW exemption

 

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is not permitted at Panther Creek High School. Students and parents should read the student/parent handbook’s section on integrity found on the Panther Creek website (http://panthercreekhs.wcpss.net). If plagiarism is suspected, the teacher will conference with the student in order to provide evidence of the plagiarism; in addition, the student’s parent will be contacted. Depending on the level of plagiarism, the student will have the opportunity to remediate the plagiarism, however, the final grade on the assignment will not exceed a 60 %.

 

*The syllabus is subject to change based upon PLT discretion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mrs. Black’s Classroom Expectations

 

 

Daily Classroom Materials:

• 3-ring binder with loose leaf paper and 8 dividers – suggested sections:

1. The Writer’s Reference Guide/Other Course requirement handouts.
2. DOL/Grammar
3. Writing (ACES, Rhetorical/Lit. Analysis, Research Paper)
4. EOC Practice
5. Unit 1 Literature
6. Unit 2 Literature
7. Unit 3 Literature
8. Book Club Unit

• Pens/Pencils/Highlighters

 

General Expectations:

• Please be seated when the bell rings.
• Participate actively in learning; take out notebook and materials to work on warm-up activity.
• Keep a calendar of assignments and due dates.
• Demonstrate respect to classmates and teacher; strive to be a person of character.
• Use class time wisely and participate often; you will enjoy the class more.
• Use technology when directed by the teacher to enhance learning; electronics must be placed out of sight when not used for educational purposes.
• Celebrate diversity!

• Never line up at door prior to bell; stay seated until it rings…always. This is my pet peeve.

 

Restroom Guidelines:

1. You may not use the restroom the first 10 min of class or the last 10 min of class = 10 min rule.
2. Students must sign out on the clipboard and acquire a teacher signature in the classroom to be dismissed to the restroom.
3. Students should never interrupt class discussion or teacher direction to ask to go to the bathroom. When students are working in groups or independently is an opportune time to bring the clipboard to the teacher for signature.

 

Textbook and Classroom Library Checkout: Textbooks will not be assigned to students, but a student may check out a textbook at any time. Students must check out a book in the folder labeled Book Checkout under the window in our room. To do this, students will fill in the information on the chart to check out a textbook or a book from our classroom library. Students who fail to return books will be fined.

 

Absences and Notes from Attendance:

• When you are absent from a class, on the first day that you return to school, you must go to the Attendance Office with a note from a parent or physician to explain why you were absent.
• If you forget the note, the Attendance Office will give you a pending note to show to teachers in classes missed; you will then have 2 days to submit the note to the attendance office to remove the unexcused absence.

 

Electronic Resources Available:

1. Canvas

• Please log on to my Canvas course ASAP – here you will have access to important information about our class such as lesson plans, class notes, handouts, assignments, and other useful information.
• Note: If you are absent you are responsible for keeping up with classwork on Canvas.  You will have the number of days missed to make up work. 

2. com

• com– all major writing assignments and essays will be submitted to Turnitin.com to check for plagiarism AND handed in as a printed copy in class. Both actions must be done in order to receive credit for the assignment to be considered on time.

 

SMART Lunch – Room 3624

• Wednesday – B Lunch; Friday – A Lunch
• You are expected to attend 2 SMART Lunch sessions before interims and 2 SMART Lunch sessions after interims for 2 HW exemption grades.
• You must sign in when you attend SMART lunch to receive credit.
• Note: Students may schedule an appointment during SMART Lunch to work individually with the teacher; this must be done 24 hours in advance. 

 

 

 

 

I believe communication is the key to success. I encourage both students and parents to contact me with any questions or concerns about this semester. You can check progress online or through email communication with me. Parents can also access our Canvas site as a Guest User. Students are expected to check this site when absent and complete assigned work. I am also available during SMART Lunch and after school in Room 3624.

 

Sincerely,

C. Black

cblack@wcpss.net