Bishop Carroll Catholic High School
English I Classroom Procedures
“Treat people as if they were what they ought to be and you help them
become
what they are capable of being.”
-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Miss
Logsdon’s English I Survival Guide
AKA:
English I Syllabus
Your Mission, should you choose to accept
it:
Believe in Yourself, Grow as a Learner and an Individual, and Succeed in this Class!!!
Contact Information
Room 305 – Open Door Policy: I’ll be in the room by 7:45 in the morning and will stay until 4pm. Need to see me at another time? Make an appointment!
Email: logsdonaubrey@bcchs.org
Grading Scale
A+ 99-100
B+ 91-92 C+ 83-84
D+ 74-75 F 69 and below
A 95-98
B 87-90
C 78-82 D
72-73
A- 93-94
B- 85-86 C-
76-77 D- 70-71
Point System: Total Points of Assignments and Exams are worth 90% for the semester;
Semester Final is worth 10%
General Course Summary: The purpose of this course is to enrich the minds of young readers and writers through a variety of texts and compositions (including but not limited to: poetry, drama, novels, short stories, non-fiction, grammar, vocabulary, creative writing, formal writing, literary analysis, and expository writing). By exploring our world through written and oral language, students will hopefully come to a greater understanding of themselves and the world around them.
Required Resources:
*Pencil
or Blue/Black Ink Pen
*Loose-Leaf College Rule Notebook Paper - I will not accept assignments with fringes!!!
*Student Agenda
*Binder – You need a 3-ring
binder (1 inch thick) with dividers. The dividers should read as follows:
1) Assignments
2) Bell Work
3) Class Handouts (syllabus/procedures, paper/project assignments, graphic
organizers, etc.)
4) Vocabulary/Grammar
5) Notes
*Portfolio
Folder - You must bring a
folder of your assigned class color by the given due date.
You will keep all completed and graded work in your portfolio folders, in
the classroom, ALL year.
Folder Colors by Hour: (1st-Orange, 2nd-Red,
3rd-Purple, 4th-Green, 5th-Yellow, 6th-Blue)
*Texts - The
Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet: and Related Readings (Literature Connections), Interactive
Reader, and Language Network
*Additional
Books - The student will be required to individually purchase The
Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The House on Mango Street, and Of Mice
and Men. Failure to have your own copy
of the book by the due date may result in loss of points, demerits or a call
home.
~The
student will be responsible for reading one book per semester outside the
standard curriculum– details on this assignment will be received at a later
date. This book may be borrowed or
purchased.
*Note – There may be additional material that needs purchased for special projects/presentations.
Academic Integrity:
Sharing your work or copying the work of another individual, whether on an exam,
an assignment, or in a paper (plagiarism), will not be tolerated.
Such behavior fails to give the due respect to the work and intelligence
of both parties involved. Cheating
and plagiarism may result in a zero on the assignment or exam, as well as
disciplinary action.
Homework/Assignments: All homework assignments, formal papers, and projects will be completed before the beginning of class or they will be counted late. They will be passed forward as a class and should NOT be placed individually on my desk.
Late Homework:
If it is turned in the same day it was due, but after the beginning of the class
period, only 10% will be deducted. All
other late work may be turned in for half credit until two weeks prior to the
end of the quarter.
Absences: If
you are absent, it is your responsibility to get assignments, notes, and
schedule make-up tests before or after class. (Please do not interrupt class. See the Absentee Box for handouts and
graded work.) Unless the
assignment was given a specific due date, you
have only 3 school days (including your first day back) to make up the work
(assignments, quizzes, tests).
You do not get extended time on work assigned before the absence.
See me if your absence was longer than one week.
If you know you are going to be
gone for a school activity, you are responsible for getting your work in
advance, and it will still be due on the assigned day.
Assessment:
Students will be assessed in a variety of formats, including but not
limited to: Exams (essay, short answer, true/false, multiple-choice,
fill-in-the-blank), Papers (essay, research, creative), Bell Work, Oral
Presentations, Group Work, Independent Reading Projects, Reading Strategy Use,
Portfolios, Etc. I will NOT offer test retakes.
Extra Credit:
There will be opportunities for extra credit throughout the year.
See Extra Credit form.
General Conduct:
You are expected to practice Christian virtues and abide by all
expectations outlined in the student handbook.
As a faith-based learning community, it is important to respectfully
share ideas and opinions as we grow together as individuals, learners, and
Christians. We each have a
responsibility, through our words and actions, to respect the God-given dignity
of every individual who enters the classroom.
"Men go abroad to wonder at the heights of mountains, at the huge
waves of the sea, at the long courses of the rivers, at the vast compass of the
ocean, at the circular motions of the stars, and they pass by themselves without
wondering."
~ St. Augustine
Classroom Procedures:
English I
Getting Down to
the Nitty-Gritty
Golden Rule: Respect your teacher, your peers, and yourself with the dignity God has given all of us. Following this rule will allow for a joyful and productive learning environment.
Beginning of Class: You must be in your seat by the time the bell rings or you are tardy. You should have your materials out and begin quietly working on the bell work until I begin class. If you enter the room late, put your demerit card on my desk and get to work.
Bell Work: For the 1st Quarter, bell work will involve silent reading for the first five minutes of class. For the 2nd Quarter, bell work will involve a writing activity with instructions on the board. These will be graded at the end of the quarter.
Appointments: If you are leaving early for an appointment, have me sign your pass before class starts.
End of Class: Desks need moved back to their original positions, any borrowed materials should be returned, and trash should be thrown away. You will keep your study materials out until I tell you to put them away. (I will try to give you plenty of time for this.) You will remain in your seats until I dismiss you – NOT the bell! All graded assignments should be placed in your personal folders in the back of the room.
Make-up Work:
Work assigned before your absence must be turned in the day you return
(if collected while you were gone) or the day it is due.
You have three days (starting with your first day back to school) to
complete work assigned during your absence.
You must write at the top the day you were absent and the day you are
turning in the work, and then hand it to me personally.
If you are gone for a week or longer, see me.
Make-up Tests: It is the student’s responsibility to make arrangements to make up missed tests or quizzes. If you miss a quiz or test due to an absence, see me immediately upon return to schedule a make-up. You must take the quiz/test within three days of your return for full credit. (Possible Exception: absence longer than one week)
Late Work:
On the day the assignment is due, you must hand in a piece of notebook
paper that gives a reason that the assignment was not completed.
See Syllabus for more details.
Leaving during Class: You must get your agenda signed, as well as your hall pass punched. (See Hall Pass Handout for details). You are only allowed to leave the classroom for personal reasons (restroom, drink, locker, etc) during non-instructional time.
Leaving your Desk: If you need to sharpen your pencil, throw something way, etc., do so during non-instructional time. You do not need to raise your hand, but should not disturb the class.
Materials: You must bring all required materials to class daily (homework, pen/pencil, novel, binder, notebook paper, student agenda). I will tell you when you need your textbooks. If you need to return to your locker to retrieve your book or binder, it will count as a tardy. I may perform random binder checks for points. I will have a few pens/pencils on the back table that may be borrowed. Everything on my desk is off limits. DO NOT BRING ANY WORK FROM OTHER CLASSES. IT WILL BE TAKEN IF I SEE IT. If we finish early, you may work ahead for this class or read silently.
Behavior: It is my hope that, as young adults, you will all be respectful and behave properly in class. You are responsible for your own behavior.
Discipline:
If your behavior is disruptive to the learning environment, the following
steps will be taken. One or more of
these steps may be skipped based on the severity of the behavior.
I also reserve the right to send you to another teacher’s room or the
office at any time. Steps: Warning; Name on the Board (= Time after Bell); Demerit +
Time after Bell; Detention with Me (Lunch or After School – my choice);
Official School Detention
Automatic Demerits:
Tardies, Inappropriate Language or Gestures, Blatant Disrespect
Gum, Food, and Drinks: You are allowed to have gum in class, but if you are passing gum after class has started, blowing bubbles, or making noises, you will spit it out. If I find gum or wrappers on the floor, ALL classes will lose gum privileges. You may have clear water bottles, but absolutely no other drinks, food, or candy.
Tuesday/Thursday Mass Periods: If you are in 2nd or 3rd hour, plan on attending Mass every other week. If we went to Mass the previous week, make sure to bring something to work on, because you will not be allowed to go to your locker. On optional study hall days, you must work silently in the room or attend Mass. If study halls are abused, the privilege will be lost.
Teacher Presentations: Out of respect, you should be quiet and attentive when I am speaking. Raise your hand if you have a question. (I LOVE QUESTIONS THAT RELATE TO WHAT WE ARE COVERING IN CLASS.) I will use a 5-4-3-2-1 countdown if I need quiet. You should quiet down immediately when you hear 5, but by the time I reach 1 it must be silent. I will let you know when you should take notes.
Peer/Visitor Presentations: You should be very respectful whenever anyone is giving a presentation. You should have all work put away, listen attentively, have eyes on the speaker, and clap at the end of the presentation to show appreciation. I will tell you to remember ALLA at the beginning of a presentation. ALLA stands for Attention, Listen, Learn, Applaud.
Group Work: The purpose of language is communication; therefore, we will often work in groups to practice communication and cooperation skills. Sometimes you will be allowed to choose your group, and other times they will be chosen for you. You are expected to remain on task, complete the assigned work/goals, and fill out evaluations of your team and individual work.
Personal Folder: Each student will have a personal folder kept in a file cabinet in the classroom. This folder will hold ALL graded assignments. At the end of the semester/year, you will need these assignments to prove that you have met your goals and put together a portfolio of your work.
Surf the Board: Check the board for weekly homework, weekly quote, and the monthly calendar.
Questions: If you have a question about faith, something covered in class, or something going on in the world, please feel free to see me outside of class.
Quote Recognition: There will be a weekly quote written on the board. On unit exams, I will ask questions about these quotes for extra credit.
Supplies: I will be offering extra credit within the first two weeks of school to anyone who brings classroom supplies from the following list. There will be a set amount of extra credit, so it is not necessary to bring more than one item unless you want to. Items: blue/black/red pens, pencils, sanitary wipes, colored dry erase markers, highlighters, Kleenex, markers, construction paper
