English 10 Honors Opening Letter

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El Camino Real Charter High School5440 Valley Circle Blvd, Woodland Hills, CA 91367
Phone: 818-595-7500 | Fax: 818-710-9023www.ecrchs.net
August 2012
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Welcome to the 2012-13 school year at El Camino Real Charter High School. I am your child's English 10 Honors teacher, and I'd like to share with you my expectations, in accordance with State standards, for my students this year. Please keep a copy of this letter for your records.
Course DescriptionThis course, intended for college bound tenth grade students, emphasizes analysis of literature and synthesis in writing. Using a variety of media, students discover authors and texts from many cultures both fiction and non-fiction. In addition to learning the mechanics of writing, students learn how to clearly express their ideas both in verbal and written form. This class develops critical thinking skills essential for college and beyond. Because this is an honors section, students will receive a differentiated curriculum, in accordance with the standards for gifted education. They will learn to examine literature more analytically, to think critically, to delve deeply into the issues we discuss. Special projects, fast pacing, additional home responsibilities and more writing will be part of this program. It is critical that the students keep up with all readings and assignments and that they follow all directions. I am available to students who seek additional help with difficult concepts and assignments, and I expect that when they need help, they will seek it actively.
ProceduresStudents should come to class with their materials prepared to work. The first five to ten minutes of each class will be quiet journal writing. At the end of each class period, students will clean up the room and wait for the teacher to dismiss them, not the bell. Bathroom passes will only be issued twice a semester for each student. Students should use the bathroom before and after class.
MaterialsEach student needs a section in his or her binder for English. They should come to class with paper, pens, and a journal. The journal should be a single subject spiral notebook used only for this class.
AttendanceStudents are expected to come to every class meeting. Excused absences should be kept to a minimum to ensure success in this course. Participation in class discussions is part of the class grade and cannot be made up. Unexcused absences result in not only a low participation grade, but a deduction of the class grade as well due to missed lectures, activities and assignments. If a student is tardy, he or she will miss the opening activity and this cannot be made up. The definition of being tardy is not being in your seat ready to work when the bell rings. This policy will be strictly enforced.
GradingGrades reflect performance on homework assignments, essays, journals, presentations, participation, assessments, etc.  Grades of “A” will be given for outstanding work that goes above and beyond what is asked of the class. Grades of “B” will be given for above average work. Grades of “C” will be given for satisfactory work that does just what is asked of the class. Grades of “D” will be given for poor work that satisfies only part of what is asked of the class. The grading scale is as follows:
90-100%          A80-89%            B70-79%            C60-69%            DBelow 60%       F
30% of the total points* reflect quizzes and exams.40% of the total points reflect in-class essays.10% of the total points reflect the final exam.15% of the total points reflect homework/projects.5% of the total points reflect class work/daily participation.
*The total points will be calculated at the end of each semester as assignments are added or omitted.
Please check your student’s progress consistently, starting now! Check Aeries, our online grading program, to see grades on assignments,tests, and essays. Students are expected to spend a minimum of 40 minutes each evening on homework, readings, studying and projects, and each should have a quiet, organized place in which to work. Students will have homework every night, including over the weekend and during extended vacations (with rare exceptions).
Grading PeriodsProgress reports will be posted on Aeries every five weeks. Parents, mark your calendars accordingly.
BooksI recommend that students purchase individual copies of the literature we read for several important reasons. First, purchasing a text enables students to take notes inside the text, which facilitates more efficient note-taking. In addition, students who purchase their own books do not have to return the texts to the school immediately following our reading (because other classes are waiting for them) and therefore have the texts to study for the final exams. Perhaps the most important reason for students to own copies of the books we read is that we thus help our young people to develop book collections of their own, and foster greater attachment to the works of literature they read. The texts may also serve younger siblings or these youngsters themselves later in life. For these reasons, I will allow each student to earn extra credit points for each book on the following list that s/he provides for him or herself throughout the year. (Students may earn these points for store-bought or library books, as long as the books are brought to class at the appropriate time and are marked up with post-its.) For your convenience (some families like to do all their shopping at the beginning of the school year, particularly when books will need to be ordered), the core works we read this year are as follows:       Fall Semester: The Once and Future King by T. H. White, Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare     Winter vacation: Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson Spring Semester: A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, The Tempest by William Shakespeare, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Please keep in mind that I have only listed the major works the entire class will read, but that students will need to have access to libraries, book stores, or e-readers (in addition to the Internet) throughout the year for various projects.
Late WorkNo late work will be accepted unless an absence is excused. That said, in an honors class, students should attempt to keep up with all assignments, even when absent, by checking the web site or by calling a peer. Because most assignments are long-term, absent students should do the assigned work and have it ready to submit upon return. Students who fail to do this will be behind upon returning to class. Missed tests will be taken the day students return to class. Pop quizzes and participation points cannot be made up. Even with excused absences, major papers must be submitted on time, via another student or a family member so that I have received the paper when or before class begins on the day the assignment is due.  If such delivery is impossible, a paper may be e-mailed to me, but will not be accepted if the "sent" time is after class begins on the day the assignment is due.  When the student returns to class, he or she must bring a hard copy of the paper to submit, and the versions must be identical. Students should NOT leave papers in my mailbox in the office; they should make sure they or someone they trust hands it to me when or before it is due to avoid unnecessary grief.  If printer problems arise the night before a major paper is due, students should immediately e-mail me that information with a copy of the paper (before it is due) and get me a hard copy of the paper within 24 hours of the time it was due in class. Again, they must make sure the hard copy matches the e-mailed version.  It is best, of course, whenever possible, to have major papers ready before the night before they are due to avoid problems, and even to submit them early to make sure there is no problem.
Honor CodeCheating in this class in unacceptable and any student caught cheating on an essay or exam will receive a zero and a call home. Cheating is to be considered as the student claiming another’s words or ideas to be his or her own, as well as talking or copying during an assessment.
Other behaviors that will not be tolerated are stealing, lying, and anything that makes another member of the class or the teacher feel threatened.
Health and SafetyIt is my number one priority to ensure that every member of my class is safe and healthy. Please let me know if you have any problems or concerns regarding the health and safety of yourself or another member of the class. Parents may also contact me via phone or email with any questions or concerns regarding this subject.
Open-door PolicyI am available to help you before, during, and after school. Please make an appointment in advance to ensure my availability. Parents may also make an appointment for conferencing by email at: a.carter@ecrchs.net

Sincerely,
Amy Carter

TEAR-OFF------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------RETURN TEAR-OFF WITH SIGNATURE TO TEACHER BY WEDNESDAY, August 15th, 2012
I acknowledge receiving a copy of the opening letter for English 10 Honors.
Class Period_________________
Student’s first and last name: ____________________________________
Student’s Signature ____________________________________
Parent’s telephone number and/or e-mail: _______________________________________
Parent’s Signature _______________________________________
Date______________________
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