9 TH MYP E NGLISH Class policies and guidelines

The purpose of 9 th grade MYP English is to: The 9 th grade English department PLC will work collaboratively (within and among departments) to provide a meaningful and relevant English education for all of our 21 st century learners by identifying common goals, sharing and modeling best practices, and responding appropriately and effectively to data.

I N ORDER TO BE SUCCESSFUL, ALL MEMBERS OF THE CLASS NEED TO CONTRIBUTE As teachers, Ms. Keller and Mrs. Donovan will: Come to class every day prepared to facilitate learning Assist students when they struggle and celebrate them when they succeed Make the time spent during English class meaningful, valuable, and stimulating

W HAT DO STUDENTS NEED TO DO TO BE SUCCESSFUL ? Be thoughtful when setting goals and stay focused on those goals throughout the school year Be prepared for class every day with appropriate materials Work collaboratively with peers and teacher to make class time as valuable as possible Participate in the development of classroom policies and follow those policies Work to be curious, motivated, and find the fun in learning

A RE THERE ANY SUPPLIES I NEED FOR THE CLASS ? Every student needs the following: Composition notebook Old magazines from home if you have them and are willing to give them up Flash drive to save written work One double pocket folder for in class portfolio

I N ADDITION, EACH OF THE FOLLOWING CLASS PERIODS IS ASSIGNED THE FOLLOWING SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS Period Three: Box of tissues Period Five: Markers Period Six: Scissors Period Seven: Glue Sticks All materials need to be in class with you on Monday, August 24

H OW DO I EARN A G RADE IN THIS CLASS ? Students will be graded on the following activities-  maintaining a composition notebook  participating in individual, partner and small group written and oral activities  written and oral performance on exams, projects, and papers, and  participation in daily class discussions and activities.

W HAT ABOUT LATE W ORK ? Assignments will not be accepted late! All major assignments are due by 3:15 p.m. on the assigned due date.* All work that is not turned in directly to the teacher must be signed, timed and dated by a school official. Any work not meeting this criteria or any work turned in past 3:15 p.m. will receive a score of zero. This rule may be amended on a case-by-case basis. What this means is that it would be a good idea to practice skills in self-advocacy! *Assignments and work checked in the comp notebooks do not apply – no comp book in class, no credit!

W HAT DO GRADES MEAN ?  A – signifies exemplary work, outstanding effort, a product that goes far beyond expectations, and a mastery of the skills taught and practiced  B – signifies effort beyond the requirements for organization, neatness, thought, and final product, and demonstration of a good understanding of the skills taught and practiced  C – meets the standards and expectations outlined in the assignments, and some understanding of the skills taught and practiced  D or F – requires, in some instances, a revision of the assignment and a conference between student and teacher, and there is little to no mastery of the skills taught and practiced

W HAT DO I DO WHEN I AM ABSENT ?  In accordance with Palmer High School and School District 11 guidelines, all major assignments are due on the day assigned. Make sure that your parents/guardians know Palmer’s attendance policy. (Timeline?)  In the case of an excused absence-  All daily assignments such as quizzes, tests, and informal class writings may be made up.  Check your syllabus and ask a dependable classmate and see me for a modified due date.  Major assignment due dates stand regardless of absences up to that date – if you are here on the due date…  Unexcused absences=no credit…no exceptions!

C OMPOSITION N OTEBOOK SETUP The first 4 pages of your journal are for the table of contents. Each assignment must have the following, at the top of the page, that matches the assignment entry in the table of contents: date, and page number, and title of assignment Date Title of the AssignmentPage Number Response journals will be collected periodically and often. Students must have their name and period number clearly printed on the inside cover of the notebook and a table of contents at the beginning of the journal. Each journal entry must appear in the table of contents and must have a heading or it will not receive a grade. Journals will not be accepted late if they are not turned in when called for in class.

C ONTACT I NFORMATION Should you have any questions, you may find us in the English office (Room 300) or preferably, make an appointment!! You may also reach us at the following location and number:  Office # (Donovan) or (Keller)  or

W HAT DO I HOPE FOR BY THE END OF THIS SCHOOL YEAR ? On a clean sheet of paper, write yourself a letter. In that letter, describe to yourself what you hope to accomplish this year in your English class experience. Go ahead and mention the grade you hope to earn, but more importantly, think about your skills in reading, writing, and speaking. Think about what you know about yourself now: what are you coming to class with? What are your past experiences in English classes? What were you successful in that you hope to continue, and what do you know you need to work on? We will work more on goal setting on Friday – for now, just spend some time being reflective. Do a good job!!