Hodson's Class Guidelines

GUIDELINES FOR SUCCESS (Mrs. Hodson) Pre-AP/IB English 2006/2007 Welcome to Pre-AP/IB English. I am looking forward to teaching you this year. Please place this handout in your English folder so that you may refer to it if you have any questions about how to be successful in English. COURSE DESCRIPTION Pre-AP/IB English covers the following major reading assignments: 1st Semester ***To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (also a study of Edgar Allan Poe selections) Latin American authors unit Major research paper The Odyssey (online and in English textbook) 2nd Semester ***The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy ***Tears of the Giraffe by Alexander McCall Smith ***First They Killed My Father by Luong Ung Romeo and Juliet (online and in English textbook) ***These are the books the students will be annotating. Each student may purchase his/her own copy at a bookstore or use post-it notes to annotate in the school copy he/she will otherwise be issued. In previous years, most students have purchased their own copies to write in and add to their personal libraries. You might try a used book source (abebooks.com for cheapest copies). Emphasis will be placed on writing skills to be exhibited in essays, journals, and other writing assignments. Students will demonstrate higher-level thinking skills such as analysis, creative thinking, and critical thinking. There will be a creative project for each unit covered. CLASS MATERIALS You will need to have the following materials for class:  a 3-ring binder with dividers ( to be kept in the classroom)  loose-leaf paper (preferably college-ruled)  several pens (dark blue or black ink only)  Two folders with pockets and brads (one for research paper and one to go back and forth from school to home) BINDER FOLDER --Journals --Agendas (in brads of folder) -- Notes --Handouts (in brads of folder) --Returned assignments --Vocabulary (back pocket) --Homework (front pocket) A test or quiz grade will be given for notebook organization. Keep all papers for the six weeks in this binder until report cards are delivered. Grade disputes will only be considered if the assignment in question is available for review. After the six weeks period is over, a “six weeks packet” will REMAIN in your notebook so that you will have the necessary information to review for the semester exam. SIX WEEKS GRADE DISTRIBUTION 30% -- Daily work (five to ten per six weeks) 20% -- Quizzes (two to four per six weeks) 30% -- Tests (two to three per six weeks) *notebook checks count as a test grade. 20% -- Projects (one to three per six weeks) As semester grades are averaged, 20% of the semester grade will be the Semester Exam (school policy). The semester exam will consist of all areas covered during the entire semester. CLASSROOM PROCEDURES My primary goal is to ensure that each individual has the opportunity to learn. So that each student’s right to learn is respected, classroom disruptions will not be tolerated. A classroom disruption is anything that prevents or interrupts my ability to teach or interferes with someone else’s ability to learn. The following guidelines are necessary for the function of all classes. -- Obey all school rules. -- Bring all necessary educational supplies. -- Respect both your teachers and your peers. Consequences will include, but not be limited to verbal warning, detention, parent contact, referral, etc ***Upon entering the classroom, be seated and begin work on the daily opener activity which will be on the overhead or chalkboard. Each student will be issued two bathroom passes and one phone pass per semester. LATE WORK—(English Department Policy) All Pre-AP/IB English students will receive one “In a Pinch” pass per semester. This is your ONLY chance to turn in late work. Other grades will be considered “Missing” and will count as zeros. The late assignment must be turned in the next school day. You will staple your “Pinch Pass” to the late assignment. You may not give your pinch pass to another student. Parents will be notified if you make a habit of neglecting your classwork and/or homework. Exceptions will be considered in the case of a family emergency; in which case the teacher must receive a note, e-mail, or phone message on or before the day the assignment is due. ***If a student is absent because of a school activity, it is the student’s responsibility to notify the teacher in advance. Regardless of this absence, assignments must still be turned in on or before the due date. I will make every effort not to schedule projects when major school activities are taking place, but this is sometimes unavoidable. Makeup Procedures Refer to the student handbook regarding make up work for absences due to illness. *Make up work as a result of absences due to illness is to be done in a TIMELY MANNER. *It is your responsibility to get the assignments for the time you were absent on the first day that you return to class. Ask another student in class to see the agendas for the time you were absent, check the make-up work folders, and then verify the assignments with me. If you need extra assistance, arrange to come in for tutoring. If you have a reading/assignment schedule, you will be expected to stay caught up with that as well as possible during absences. TUTORING By the end of the third week of school, each student will receive a handout with English Department tutorial times. My main tutorial time will be Thursdays after school, but you may access any English teacher in the building for help on an assignment. If you are failing at progress report time or report card time, you will be required to attend “Mandatory Tutoring”. Failure to show up may result in an academic referral with a recommendation for Wednesday or Saturday school. I will do everything I can to help you achieve success, but you must be willing to do the work. If you have any concerns, please come and talk with me before or after school. Parents may reach me at school: 972-396-6975 ext 1525 OR nancy_hodson@allenisd.org. *** Please sign and return this portion. Keep the rest in your “Handouts” section of your English folder. “I have read and understand Mrs. Hodson’s Guidelines for Success, and am aware of the reading selections for the year. Student Signature ______________________________ Date __________ Printed student name: _______________________________________ Parent Signature _______________________________ Date __________ Parent e-mail ______________________________________________ Secondary e-mail ___________________________________________ (I will be putting e-mails in a distribution list by class to facilitate any communication from school. Parents will not receive e-mails about every assignment, but as time permits, I may send an occasional reminder). Thank you for sharing your child with me for a year! Nancy Hodson (Please check out a great tool for parents that will enable you to track your child’s academic progress—Go to the Lowery website and register for “Parent Connect” ).

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