Atherton

David Atherton

Room 240

athertond@outlawnet.com

549-4045 x 1057 

Class Expectations:

•  Every student is responsible for reading, understanding, and complying with these rules and expectations to ensure a successful year in this class.

•  Materials: Students must come prepared to class with a notebook, notebook paper, blue or black ink pens, and text when applicable. All daily assignments must be written in pen to receive credit. Also, four highlighters of different colors will be necessary. You should come with all materials next class.

•  Technology: All papers must be word-processed. An email address at home is helpful and highly recommended so that work can be mailed between home and school, thus eliminating lost or broken disks. We will primarily use word-processing (MS Word) and PowerPoint. These programs are available on the school computers. If you do not have the programs at home, you will need to use class time and effectively manage your time to meet the requirements of final papers/projects. If you are unfamiliar with these programs, I need to know immediately.

•  Daily Assignments: Daily assignments will be given throughout the semester. These will include discussion and comprehension questions for readings, vocabulary exercises, grammar exercises, and others that will be announced. Students are responsible for storing these assignments in a class notebook.

•  Journal/Quick Writes: Journal or quick writes will be in-class exercises. The prompt will be relative to the readings or concepts being discussed in class. You will keep these as part of your class notebook.

•  Papers: All papers must be word-processed using standard MLA format (which will be explained in a subsequent handout). Each year emphasizes specific modes of writing (i.e. narrative, imaginative, expository, persuasive). Students will write in each of these modes over the course of the year. Students will be responsible for submitting a writing portfolio of all prewriting, drafting, revisions, and the final draft. Major papers will be scored with the CIM writing standards and added to the CIM certification folder.

•  Notebooks: Students will maintain a notebook of all assignments not included in the writing folder discussed above. These will receive unannounced graded checks for organization, content, and existence. While the following list is not exhaustive, it will provide a minimum for dividers in the notebook: policies and procedures, syllabus/calendar, unit dividers (for each unit), vocabulary, grammar, response questions, lecture handouts, personal notes, tests and quizzes, blank notebook paper.

•  Reading Assignments: Reading assignments will be both in and out of class. In order to facilitate discussion and prepare for major assignments , students must complete out-of-class readings to be successful. Sparknotes do not replace novels .

•  Discussions: Much of the material we will cover this year will be thought provoking. You will need to form your own opinions regarding texts and concepts. You also must be willing to share and defend your thoughts. You will not get a good grade by choosing silence. I will grade your contributions and overall involvement in these group discussions. More later on this.

•  Attendance: Absenteeism limits learning and academic progress. Students should prearrange absences for school events (e.g. sport event or concert) or family vacation. Assignments due during pre-arranged absences are due the day of return. Since all tests are on the syllabus, students will be responsible for taking tests the first day back to class. In regards to long term assignments, it is the student's responsibility to make an attempt to have the assignment delivered to school on the due date if at all possible. Special exceptions can be made for makeup work, but coordinating this with me is the student's responsibility. Students are responsible for reading and understanding the attendance policy in the current student handbook. Excessive absences could result in a student being dropped from the course with an "F."

•  Tardiness: Students are expected to be in class and seated when the bell rings. Tardies are disruptive. Activities that occur at the beginning of class cannot be made up if the student is tardy. Two tardies will result in a student-teacher conference and parent notification. If you are tardy, come in quietly, sign in, and find your seat without disturbing the classroom . At the end of class, check with me for any additional information you might have missed.

•  Late Work: Daily assignments will not be accepted as late work for any points. You may complete daily assignments that are late and receive "credit" for having completed the assignment-then you may pursue extra credit options to increase your grade (see below). Major paper/projects that are late will receive a letter reduction for every day they are late, up to five days from the original due date. From that point on, no points will be assessed for a major paper/project that is late. Obviously, extenuating circumstances do arise. Negotiations for such circumstances are the student's responsibility and are ultimately at the teacher's discretion.

•  Extra Credit: Extra credit will rarely be offered because of the rigor of regular course work. Occasionally, extra credit assignments will be offered as a supplement to enhance course work. Do not ask me for extra credit. Propose an idea to me in written form, and we will negotiate the parameters. If you are missing ANY assignments, you are not eligible for extra credit. However, you may complete the missing assignment for no credit and then be eligible for extra credit.

•  Conferences : Students are encouraged to seek me out for additional assistance. Check my schedule or speak with me to make an appointment for either before or after school, or during my prep time. Your parents are welcome to call and leave a message for me (549-4045 x 1057) to contact them or to email me at athertond@outlawnet.com . Success in this course depends on clear communication; if you are unsure of anything, contact me immediately.

•  Grading Scales: A = (92%), B = (83%), C = (74%), D = (65%), F = (64.9% and below).

•  Plagiarism: Plagiarism is the intentional or unintentional use of other's work. This ranges from copying a homework assignment to using a prewritten essay off the Internet or from another class. If you use other's work in your own essay, you must correctly cite the resource according to MLA format instructions. Intentional or unintentional plagiarism will result in a "0" grade for the assignments and referral to administration. A second offense in plagiarism will result recommendation to have a student dropped from the course. Do your own work-cite other's work.

•  Assigned Work and Points: work and points are approximations and may change.

•  Daily Assignments-10 points; Journal/Quick writes-5 points; Papers-100 points; Tests-75 points; Final-10% of the trimester point total.

•  Expectations:

•  No food or "sticky/messy" drinks allowed in class (water is fine).

•  Listen when others are speaking, and do not do homework during discussions or other activities unless instructed to do so, participate in class discussions.

•  Come prepared to class.

•  Be mature and responsible.

•  Believe in yourself-try and do not quit.