Welcome Parents & Students!

Thank you for visiting our class Website. Please visit often to get the latest news and information on what is happening in our class. If you have any questions about our program or progress please don't hesitate to contact me! I am looking forward to working with you this year!

Please Note that  the following rules and policies apply in ALL of my classes:

Grades will be based on a total point system. Any essays, including any written portions of projects, must be typed. 

 All papers will be graded using the PSSA scoring rubric and will be scored A, B, C, D, or F.

I believe that just like any ability, the ability to write well improves with practice. Therefore, daily or almost daily journal entries will constitute another portion of the final grade.  The objectives of the writing prompts are to encourage students to do the reading on time, to read carefully and think critically, to come to class prepared to ask questions, and to become comfortable writing and responding to literature. 

If students are assigned a reading for homework, there will be a quiz on that reading the next class period. The quizzes will consist of general knowledge questions. They are the best way to boost a grade with a minimal amount of effort. If vocabulary is part of the unit then all vocabulary lists will be assigned on a Monday and quizzes will be given on the following Monday. You will be expected to know both the definitions and the proper spelling of the words. Literature units will conclude with either a project or a general knowledge test to assess reading comprehension. These unit assessments will constitute a portion of your final grade.

Class participation will also be factored into each marking period grade. Class participation may include but is not limited to the timely submission of all essays/projects, rough drafts, homework assignments, and in class exercises. 

 The final exam will reflect material from the entire course.

Attendance

Students will not have success in this class if they do not attend on a regular basis. If they are absent the day there is a quiz or test, they must make up that assessment within three days of their return to school or they will receive a zero. Assignments that were due on the day the student was absent are due within a week of their return or they will receive a zero. Journal writing prompts and homework will be available online, so work assigned on the day students are absent is still due on the day return. In the event that there is a legitimate excuse for not having an assignment done on time, a signed note from a parent or guardian stating the reason for your lack of a completed assignment must be submitted in place of the assignment, and I will revise the due date accordingly. Unexcused late assignments will not be accepted and will receive a zero. 

Distribution of Student Writing

Unless you specifically tell me otherwise, I will assume that I have your permission to reproduce your essays for the rest of the class to read.  The sharing of writing will help not only the student writer, but also all the other students in class.  If you feel your essay will be too personal for public reading, choose another topic.

 Plagiarism

I remind you that plagiarism, or the unattributed use of another’s WORDS or IDEAS, through either quotation or paraphrase, is a serious breach of academic standards.  Using the words or “help” of a friend or parent, cutting and pasting from the internet, and/or reproducing a paper or project you have had graded previously or have submitted for another class is also considered plagiarism. It is, indeed, a form of theft and form of fraud.  If you plagiarize any of your work for this class, you will receive a zero for that assignment, be assigned a detention, and it will be reported to the main office.  We will be discussing in class how to avoid unintentional plagiarism.  If, at any point, you have a question about plagiarism, ask me immediately.

 Homework Policy

 Homework is expected to be completed by the assigned due date. Missing homework will be counted as zero points. After three missing assignments, parental contact will be made and a personal detention will be assigned. For larger assignments, projects, and papers, late work will be accepted for up to three days past the due date with a loss of 10 points per day. Missing assignments will not be allowed to be made up once the unit test has been given; they will also disqualify a student from extra credit.