Mrs. Melinda Malaspino Welcome to English Class! Sophomores (periods 2,3,&4) Seniors (periods 5&6)! MS. Reeve Folsom High School

Who is teaching your teen?  Napa, California  Bay Area  College Park High  Diablo Valley Jr. College A.A. General Education  CSU, Sacramento BA English Minor: Social Work Single Subject Clear Credential CLAD Certification  Started teaching at FHS in 1998  District Teacher of the Year 2007  Completed: Masters in Education National Board Program 2008  FHS Site Technology Manager  10 th Grade Curriculum Coach – ELA  WASC Review Leader  BEST Team Member  FHS Drug Prevention Council  Coach: Volleyball Softball  Club Advisor: Bulldogs Reaching Out  Activities Director :

Requirements  A 1 ½ “ or larger binder for English with 5 dividers  Several colored pens and highlighters  Text/novel  OR Book  Participation in classroom discussions  Write down homework from whiteboard!  Routinely check Schoolwires for updates about the week.  Subscribe to my website  Set aside time for homework and reading for class  Be prepared to research online – if not at home, set up a place to access the internet.  Type essays using MLA format. Classroom Requirements Home requirements

Check out my website!  Folsom High School  Teacher’s Websites  Reeve, Dena Available on the App store or get it on Google Play – The Folsom Cordova App! You can access Powerschool from this app.

Grading Scale: Total Points Grades will be based on points earned through the entire semester. Point value of assignments will depend on importance and complexity.

Grading Scale  Letter grades will be based on the following scale as set forth by the FHS Department of English: 100% + = A % = C % = A73-77% = C 90-92% = A-70-72% = C % = B % = D % = B63-67% = D 80-82% = B-60-62% = D- 59% and below = F

Goals Students will continue to develop their understandi ng of grammar and vocabulary through daily and weekly lessons and exercises.  Students will be expected to: Research on a topic in order to effectively write an argument-centered paper. Revise and edit their papers in order to develop as a writer and thinker. Participate in class through the Socratic method by sharing their writing and opinions on a subject in both small and large group discussions. Read and analyze text using literary terms/devices for a deeper meaning. Develop critical thinking and problem solving skills, effective oral and written communication techniques, and the ability to collaborate effectively. Look at problems and issues in Literature from multiple perspectives in order to take a position on the topic at hand.

Common Core Curriculum All English courses are designed to be inquiry-based courses, integrating reading, writing, discussion, and critical thinking in all units. Teachers collaborate to create lessons which call on students to explore ideas, interact with the text and develop thoughtful understanding in accordance with the FCUSD mission statement.

GPS Curriculum  All students, whether or not they are officially enrolled in the GPS program, will receive integrated instruction in their core classes.  In Sophomore English, students explore literary works from across cultures to discover how our stories reveal truth about ourselves, the nature of mankind, and human culture.  In Senior English, students explore “The Next Step” analyzing those who have gone before, thinking deeply about their own next steps. Their readings will cross the divide between the first recorded stories – such as Beowulf – to famous authors of our day – such as John Grisham.

Class Readings: Sophomore Year  Animal Farm – George Orwell.  The House on Mango Street – Sandra Cisneros  Various Short stories from the Language of Literature textbook  A Long Way Gone – Ishmael Beah  Lord of the Flies – William Golding  Julius Caesar – William Shakespeare  Possibly Piloting new novels this year! Senior Year  Beowulf  A variety of informational text and articles  Shakespeare’s Macbeth/ Hamlet / Taming of the Shrew / 12 th Night  CSU ERWC (Expository Reading and Writing Course)  Novel Choices: And Then There Were None 1984 Cry, The Beloved Country Brave New World Death of a Salesman Catcher in the Rye Nectar in a Sieve Kite Runner Frankenstein Ordinary People The Natural Hunt for Red October Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde Things Fall Apart John Grisham Novels

Class Readings  In addition to the novels read in class, the students will also be required to do outside reading. Time will be given in class to read on block day and on Fridays, but students will mostly be responsible for this work on their own.  Other resources to be used in class are: How to Read Literature Like a Professor – Thomas C. Foster Elements of Literature and Language of Literature by Holt (textbooks to be provided in class)

I can be reached at ext is the best way to reach me! If your student needs help…