Medford High School Mr. David Ambrose English 11 Honors: American Literature Thursday, September 25, 2008

Welcome, parents! Thank you for coming this evening. Goals for tonight: To help you understand the work we will be doing throughout the school year. To explain my expectations for my students. To share information about how you can support learning at home.

Curriculum Goals To create a safe and comfortable learning environment for each student. To simulate a college English classroom by providing students the opportunity to guide their own learning. To analyze and evaluate American literature from various genres and literary movements. To begin focused exploration of colleges and universities. To prepare for standardized tests such as the SAT. To improve students’ reading and writing skills.

Grading Policies Every student has the opportunity to succeed. Quarterly grades will be calculated as follows: Homework20% Tests 20% Essays20% Projects 15% Participation15% Quizzes10% Printed grade reports are available upon request.

Class Information Literature An overview of American literature Standardized Test Preparation PSAT (October 18, 2008) SAT (January, March, May, June 2009) Reading and Writing Workshop Self-selected reading; creative writing Grammar Vocabulary Word of the Day In-context Vocabulary

PSAT and SAT PSAT (October 18, 2008) A “no consequences,” realistic practice for SAT National Merit Qualifying Exam A status which is quite prestigious $30 registration fee Friday practice sessions in class Thursday afternoon sessions (beginning next week) SAT (January, March, May, June 2009) Sign up for the SAT Question of the Day A tip for SAT success: read, read, read!

How to get Involved Please bookmark the course website. On the website, you will find the following: Current and archived homework assignments An link Examples of student work Links to help your child with homework

Goals What are your goals for your child this year? Is there anything you want me to know so that I may be a better teacher for your child? Is there anything you would like to share about your child’s personality, interests, or previous academic experiences?

Questions? Does anyone have any questions? Parent-Teacher Conferences Following first quarter report cards

Thank you for coming!