English
CHS 2009-2010
Mrs. Kate Baker
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www.mrsbaker.net

“Reading and writing decrease our senses of isolation.  They deepen and widen
and expand our sense of life: they feed the soul.” ~ Annie Lamott

Welcome to English! This is an exciting year, and I look forward to sharing some great works of literature and written explorations with you.

MY EXPECTATIONS

I have two basic expectations for everyone who is a part of my class: Show Respect, and Do Your Best.

Show Respect:
• Don’t interrupt
• Listen courteously to others
• Think before talking
• Speak and act with civility
• Show pride in yourself and your school

Do Your Best:
• Come prepared
• Keep up with reading/activities
• Ask for help when you need it
• Help others when you’re able
• Manage your time well

NECESSARY SUPPLIES FOR THIS CLASS
 
Coming to class prepared, every day, is essential. You may lose points for coming to class without the necessary supplies, but worse, you will lose precious time, instruction, and practice. In addition to your textbook and a personal reading book, you need to bring:

• A one-subject spiral-bound, college-ruled notebook or composition book.
• Reliable writing utensils (pens/pencils) – blue or black, plus a correcting (colored) pen
• Looseleaf paper in a three-ring binder or separate notebook.
• An organizational method that will help you keep track of important papers and assignments.
• A single container of Play-Doh, to be brought to class by the start of next week.

Although they are not required, I also strongly suggest that you have highlighters in a few different colors, and a small (1 GB is more than large enough) flash drive/jump drive.

I request that you bring one additional supply by the beginning of next week:
• If you were born in January, February, or March – a small bottle of hand sanitizer.
• If you were born in April, May, June, July, August, or September – a box of Kleenex.
• If you were born in October, November, or December – a package of a dozen ballpoint pens.

IMPORTANT: If you are unable to get any of the above supplies due to hardship or circumstances outside your control, please talk to me privately ASAP and I will get you what you need.

GRADING

Grades will be determined as followed (this may be subject to change):

Practice (classwork, homework, preparedness/participation) - 20%
Tests and Quizes - 20%
Formal writing and projects - 40%
Journals, Recreational Reading, and entry tasks - 20% 

GRADING POLICIES

If you know in advance that you will be absent on a due date, it is your responsibility to submit it early or to send it in with a trusted classmate. If your assignment was completed on a computer, you can attach it to an email and send it to me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . I check my email often.

If you are unexpectedly absent, school policies for excused absences and make-up work apply. Please remember that you can check the class website to see what you are missing while you are away - if you are able, you can keep up from home.

John Lennon famously wrote that "[l]ife is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." I know that crazy stuff happens sometimes, and that schoolwork sometimes gets waylaid. If you take the responsibility to meet with me to discuss your challenge and to make a plan to overcome it and complete your work, I will be happy to work with you. This doesn't work if you wait until the last minute!

Late Work
Unless otherwise noted, all projects and presentations are due at the beginning of class so that you are prepared to share. Written homework should be turned in to the basket at the beginning of class. However, it will not be counted late so long as it is submitted by the end of the school day.

Late assignments will be automatically penalized 25%. Late work will not be accepted after the end of the unit or quarter, whichever comes first. No late work will be accepted in the last week of a grading term.

IMPORTANT: Computer and/or printer problems are not an acceptable excuse for a late assignment! Back up your work early and often. If you can't print something out, email it to yourself or to me, or bring it on a disk.

Missing Work
If you don’t have your homework on its due date, you will fill out a Pink Slip explaining why your work is missing. This will be turned in and kept on file until the work is submitted. You are required to fill out the Pink Slip, even if you do not intend to complete the assignment. Additionally, the missing assignment will receive a zero in the grade book. When you submit the missing work, the zero and Pink Slip will be removed.

No-Name Work
Assignments submitted with no name can be claimed from a no-name folder and resubmitted for a 10% penalty. 

ASSIGNMENT FORMAT

Formal writing assignments (essays, etc.) should be published using MLA format. This means that they will be typed in a standard size-12 font, double-spaced, with a 1” margin. You should also include the MLA heading, which includes your first/last name, my name, the class name and period, and the date. These requirements will be further explained at the time that the paper is assigned.

On daily work and homework, you do not need to use the full MLA heading. However, for the sake of organization, you should always include your first and last name, class period, and the date.

JOURNALS

Writing is like anything else – it requires practice in order to improve. You will be writing regularly in this class, much of it in your journal. This notebook (the first item on your supply list) will be stored in class. Because of this, it must be a one-subject notebook, preferably of the standard 10.5” x 8” size. Your journal will be a place for you to respond to discussion questions, prompts, reading material, etc. It will be graded for completeness, effort, and organization, all of which will be defined in more detail in class.

RECREATIONAL READING

Reading often not only makes you a better reader, but it offers you a chance to travel throughout space and time to places and periods you couldn’t otherwise reach. Books expose us to ideas, “stretch” the mind, and make us better citizens of the world. Reading recreationally is an important part of your life and of this class.

There will be multiple recreational reading activities throughout the year. Each may have its own requirements, but in general you may read any ability-appropriate fiction or nonfiction book, with the exception of reference/picture books. (Graphic novels may be approved on a case-by-case basis.) I will help you determine whether a book qualifies for recreational reading, and will explain each activity, as it occurs.

You are expected to bring a personal reading book with you to class every day, which you can read if you have extra time in class. This should be a book that you enjoy and that interests you, and that is of an appropriate reading level for you. If you have trouble finding books you enjoy, talk to me or the librarian for suggestions.

CLASSROOM LIBRARY

The books in the classroom library are there to facilitate recreational reading. If you are without a personal reading book, and have extra time in class, you may borrow from the library. You can borrow books to take out of class by talking to me – please DO NOT take a book without checking with me first!

This is a classroom resource, and it is up to everyone who uses it to keep it neat and organized. While browsing, make sure to return books where you found them, or put them into the “restock” basket. Books are organized by subject and genre, and series are shelved in order. Help me keep the books easy to find.

The library catalog can be accessed via the class website. Please be aware that these books have various levels of difficulty and maturity, and that some may include content that you may find disagreeable. Be a deliberate reader, and if you aren’t sure if a book is right for you, ask.

CLASS WEBSITE

Our classroom website, located at www.mrsbaker.net, is an important resource for you and your parents. It should be your first stop whenever you have missed a class or forgotten the assignment. There is a page with your daily events posted (including journal prompts, reading, assignments, handouts, etc.) as well as a monthly calendar that gives you an overview of classroom activities. You’ll also find links, an electronic copy of this document, a photo gallery, and other useful resources.

You or your parents can subscribe to the website and receive daily assignments and activities in your email. We’ll go over the website and how to use it early this semester.