SPRING SEMESTER SYLLABUS

NINTH GRADE CLASS REQUIREMENTS
SPRING SEMESTER

TEXTBOOKS: ELEMENTS OF LITERATURE
VOCABULARY FOR HIGH SCHOOL

ENGLISH WORKSHOP

During the course of this semester, we will read short stories, poetry, novels, THE ODYSSEY, and ROMEO AND JULIET. As part of the requirements of this class the student will be required to do the following:

1. The student will take a district required assessment covering literary analysis. The district mandated test will assess the student's understanding of literary themes, univeral themes and themes across literary genres. The student will be asked to develop concepts and ideas from the text, and show how these concepts are related to the text. The student will be assessed according to how well s/he can analyze and synthesize these concepts in a well organized and well written essay.


2. The student will also be required to keep a separate notebook for English. (Be sure to get a small, light weight notebook - your notebook is going to get heavy!) Most importantly: KEEP ALL HANDOUTS AND RETURNED WORK, CLASSWORK, HOMEWORK AND TESTS IN THIS NOTEBOOK! At the end of the semester, the notebook will be checked for organization and completeness and creativity. This is a major grade. I really appreciate creativity so feel free to put your drawings, your poetry in your notebook. Let it express who you are.


3. The student is expected to check the weblog on Sunday night for the week's assignment for this class. The address is hollywoodhighschool.net; click on blogs, click on jbridges and then click on 9th Grade English. The student should either print out that week's assignment or copy it down and carry it in his/her notebook. The print out of the week's agenda will be posted on the bulletin board by the door.

4. The upcoming tests, assignments, and due dates will be projected onto the screen and posted on the blog.

5. The handouts for the day's class will be placed in the wire basket on the table by the door. A student returning from an absence should check the blog, and check the wire basket on the table for work that has been passed out during the student's absence.

6. Homework will be assigned Monday - Thursday. No homework will be given on Friday.

7. Tests will be given about every two weeks and ample warning will be given for each test. Notification of the test will be on the weblog and projected on the screen.

8. Students are responsible for make-up work. No make-up work will be given for truancies. The student will be allowed one day after her/his return from a non-truant absence to turn in the late work. The prior day’s assignments will be posted in the classroom and it is the student’s responsibility to keep track of the work and to turn it in the day after her/his return.

9. If a student is not happy with a grade s/he received on a test or an essay, s/he may rewrite the essay incorporating the corrections that I have made on the essay, or if it is a test, then s/he may rewrite and correct the missed answers from the test on a separate sheet of paper. The student must then staple the revised essay or test to the original and turn it in. The corrections must be sufficient to show the student has learned the material. The student's grade on the assignment will be raised one
letter grade; for example, if the student made a b/c on an essay, then after the revisions, the grade will be raised to an a/b.


10. Fifteen absences per semester may result in an “F” in the class, or may lower the grade and/or result in less than adequate marks in cooperation and work habits.


Tests are worth approximately 20%
Classwork is worth approximately 20%
The literary analysis is worth about 20%
The notebook is worth about 15%
Journals are worth about 15%
Participation is worth about 10%


90% -100% = A
80% - 89% = B
70% - 79% = C
60% - 69% = D
Below 60% = FAIL

As part of the ongoing effort to increase reading comprehension and to promote a love for reading, students may read a book of their own choosing for the ACCELERATED READING program. This is for extra credit and each AR test and each reading log is worth 100 points. The student will select a book from the Accelerated reading list, which will have an AR designated sticker on the binding and can be checked out from the school library. The AR assignment includes a reading log, and passing the AR test, which can be taken in the library before school, during nutrition, lunch, and after school. The first due date for the book, the reading log, and the AR test is Friday, February 9th.  The second date for the book, the reading log, and the AR test will be Friday, April 13th. The third date for the book, the reading log, and the AR test will be Friday, May 4th.


Extra points will be given for creativity. Class participation is a must and will be factored into the grading. Being alert and participating in class could be the deciding factor in determining a borderline grade.


There are a few rules that are necessary to ensure a safe, clean, comfortable, educational, and creative environment: No eating in the classroom - we do not have custodial services in 503.  No phones, unless it is being used for educational purposes such as research, educational games, or note taking and the teacher specifically gives permission.  No private conversations unless it is during "pair and share".  No talking when others are speaking. No roaming, running, or playing around during class.

If there are any questions please feel free to call me at 323-993-1700, or better yet, e-mail me at jkatbridge@aol.com. You may also keep track of agendas by going to hollywoodhighschool.net and clicking on “weblogs”, "teachers”, “J. Bridges” and that will direct you to my class weblog.

Sincerely,

Judith “Kate” Bridges



I HAVE READ THIS WITH MY CHILD,  AND I UNDERSTAND THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THIS CLASS:

PARENTS’ SIGNATURE:______________________________
STUDENT’S SIGNATURE:_____________________________

9th Grade Spring Syllabus


Welcome to 9B English. I hope this semester is fun, enjoyable, challenging, thought provoking and educational for you. We will be concentrating on reading comprehension, writing literary and persuasive essays, and of course, the mechanics of writing - otherwise known as grammar. We will be using the following books:

Vocabulary for High School Students: Level C
HOLT HANDBOOK (grammar)
Elements of Literature: THE ODYSSEY and ROMEO and JULIET
NIGHT

You are expected to keep a notebook for my class. A separate three ring binder would be nice - one that you can put papers into (which I will thoughtfully hole-punch for you so that you can put them into your binder). EVERYTHING I GIVE YOU SHOULD BE PUT INTO YOUR NOTEBOOK! That means handouts I give you, your homework, your classwork, your tests, your essays - in short, everything you will do or have done in my class should go into your notebook. This acts as protection for both you and me. Sometimes teachers make mistakes (Yes, that does happen. Even with me.) If I forget to record a grade (and that does happen sometimes) then you have proof that you did the work. If you have thrown it away then........Okay, so keep ALL your work in your notebook. At the end of the semester I will check your notebook for organization and completeness. This is a major grade. (And keep it small and lightweight! Those backpacks get heavy!)

We will finish reading THE ODYSSEY this semester, and after we finish we will work on a five page research paper. You will choose one topic related to THE ODYSSEY; the topic may be about some aspect of THE ODYSSEY, or about Greek Culture or The Greek gods, etc. You will have about two weeks to work on the paper and we will spend time in the library so that you may do research.  Don’t blow this off, it’s an important part of your grade!

After we finish the research paper, we will begin reading ROMEO and JULIET.  You will keep a running reading log on ROMEO and JULIET, which will be collected and graded; five open book tests on the play, plus group acting activities (rewrites and performances of  your scripts) and essays.

If there is time, we will read the autobiographical NIGHT by Eli Wiesel.

Now for the good news: I don’t give homework over the weekend. Now for the bad: I do give homework - lots of homework! But I do give you plenty of time to do it. If you are absent, then you are allowed to turn in the work the next day after your return. So if you are absent on Monday, you return on Tuesday, then you will turn in the work on Wednesday. The week’s work as well as the due dates will be written on the blog. The handouts will be in the baskets on top of the book case.  It is up to you to check the blog and the baskets for any work you may have missed during your absence. Saying that you didn’t know about the work is not a valid excuse - it will be posted on the weblog,  and the hand outs will be on the table.

If you have internet access you can log onto hollywoodhighschool.net, go to the teacher’s weblog and click on my name (Bridges - in case you’ve forgotten) and there you will be able to see an updated class agenda for the week. You may also check your grade on engrade.com. In order to do that, you must sign up for a student account, which is free.

Class participation is a must. The class is only going to be as good as we all make it. If you help make the class fun and interesting, yet you have a borderline grade, then that extra class participation grade may make the difference between a lower and a higher grade. So don’t fall asleep! Pinch yourself, say something smart and interesting, or ask a good question and your grade just might go up.

Finally, let’s make this a safe environment where everyone feels secure and valued. Let’s respect our differences and realize that it is these differences that make the world wonderful and brilliant.

The grading schedule is as follows:

90 - 100 = A
80 - 89 = B
70 - 79 = C
60 - 69 = D
59 - 0 = F

Tests are worth 30%
Essays are worth 30%
Homework is worth 30%
Class participation is worth 10%

Finally, if you are not happy with a grade on a test or an essay or even homework, then you may rewrite the essay or the test or the homework, incorporating the corrections on your work, staple your corrected work to the original version and turn it in for a higher grade. The corrected grade will be one grade higher than your original grade. If you made a "C/C", and you rewrite the essay, then the grade will be raised to a "B/B".

I am here to help you learn, to grow in appreciation of literature, to improve your reading, writing and grammar skills,  and to pass with a good grade. I am here to help you. You can make this happen by working with me, and being respectful to everyone in the class, including yourself.

I have read this and understand the requirements of the class.

Student:___________________________________________________________


Parents:___________________________________________________________