1. Parent Information Night
Medford High School
Mr. David Ambrose
English 11 Honors: American Literature
Thursday, September 24, 2009

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. Grading Policies Every student has the opportunity to succeed.
Quarterly grades will be calculated as follows:
Homework 20%
Tests 20%
Essays 20%
Projects 15%
Participation 15%
Quizzes 10%
Printed grade reports are available upon request.
Digital grade reports will soon be available on the web.

5. Class Information Literature Standardized Test Preparation
An overview of American literature
Standardized Test Preparation
PSAT (October 17, 2009)
SAT (January, March, May, June 2010)
Reading and Writing Workshop
Self-selected reading; creative writing
Grammar
Vocabulary
SAT Vocabulary “Hit Parade”
In-context Vocabulary

6. PSAT and SAT PSAT (October 17, 2009)
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 2010)
Sign up for the SAT Question of the Day
A tip for SAT success: read, read, read!

7. 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

8. 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?

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

10. Thank you for coming!