~English

11 Course Outline~
Smithtown High School West, 2013-2014 Ms. Barracca Website: www.barraccaenglish.blogspot.com Contact: 631-382-2900; abarracca@smithtown.k12.ny.us
Dear Student and Parent, Welcome to 11th grade English! This course is a survey of the themes and movements that have shaped Americas literature and is designed to prepare students for the Regents Examination in June, which all students must pass in order to graduate high school, as well as to foster college and career readiness. Using the construct of our curriculum and the Common Core Standards, it is my mission to foster an appreciation for and understanding of literature, to encourage engaging and insightful academic discussion, to promote and nurture critical thinking skills, to guide students on how to express more fully their thoughts and feelings, and to prepare students for successful experiences that extend beyond the 11th grade classroom and into the real world. Below you will find a breakdown of our curriculum as well as the expectations for this course. I am looking forward to working with you this year! Cheers, Ms. B. The Great Gatsby Huckleberry Finn Other optional full-length works Short stories from the anthology, American Literature Non-fiction pieces such as essays, letters, editorials, etc. Poetry Vocabulary Writing/grammar Academic Research NYS Regents Exam (June)

Required Course Materials: Students are expected to bring all required materials with them to class on a daily basis. 1. A large (2 or more) 3-ring binder dedicated to this course only and containing distinct sections for literature, grammar/writing, and vocabulary. Please do not remove class materials from your binder. 2. a pen (black or dark blue only, please), pencil, and a highlighter 3. agenda for recording homework assignments and keeping track of grades 4. the current book or writing assignment on which we are working Class Expectations: To maximize your growth and development, students are expected to behave responsibly, complete work in a timely fashion, arrive to class on time and prepared with course materials, be ready and willing to work, and participate in class activities and discussions. Homework : Homework helps to reinforce lessons from class as well as to introduce upcoming lessons. It is imperative that all homework be completed on time so that students arrive to class prepared for the days lesson; this includes reading assignments. Homework assignments, including reading notes, will be checked randomly and will be marked based on completeness. Incomplete assignments will not receive full credit, and except in extenuating circumstances, late homework will not be accepted. Students will be expected to record the date and reason for missing homework on a Homework Dilemma Sheet. Homework assignments will be posted daily on the board in the back of the classroom as well as on our class website, and students should write down the complete assignment in their agenda upon arrival to class, before they begin the daily Do Now. For further information regarding homework expectations, please refer to the attendance section (see reverse) as well as to the student agenda. Grading Policy: Quarterly grades will be an average of the grades earned on writing assignments, unit exams, tests, pop-quizzes, and class participation. Papers/assignments will be dropped one letter grade for every day they are late; any assignment not completed will earn a 0. At the end of the quarter, a students grade will be calculated as follows: 40% based on major tests/writing assignments, 25% based on shorter assignments (such as quizzes), 20% based on homework, and 15% based on a students earned participation grade. A student will earn a participation grade based on preparedness, ability to answer questions and participate in discussions, attendance/promptness, ability to stay on task, and on classroom behavior. I reserve the right to adjust this policy as deemed necessary.

Additional Notes on Grading: Students should record assignment grades in the pages of their agenda designated for this purpose. Students are to keep ALL graded work in their binder at all times; no work is to be thrown out during the course of the year. Students are responsible for sharing their grades regularly with their parent(s)/guardian(s). Attendance: Except in cases of extenuating circumstances, students absent from class are expected to make up any work missed as follows Homework: Students are expected to arrive to class prepared for the days lesson. A student who misses class is expected to complete that days homework by obtaining the assignment from the class webpage. If the webpage is not available, the student should contact me or someone from class (the same class period) to obtain the class work and the homework assignment (see notes regarding Homework and the student agenda). Tests/Quizzes: Upon returning from an absence, students should schedule a time to make up any missed quizzes or tests; students should reserve time during study halls, lunch, or after school in order to complete this work. Any tests/quizzes not made up within three days after returning from an absence will result in a 0. Papers/Projects: If a student is absent on the day an essay or any other long-term project is due (i.e., when the due-date has been established well ahead of time), the student is still expected to submit it electronically to turnitin.com when applicable, or, if turnitin.com is not available, email it to me, have someone bring it to school, fax it to the school, leave it in my mailbox (E administration), etc. Students should notify me as soon as possible if they have extenuating/emergency circumstances and were unable to complete the assignment on time so that we can work out the best procedure to avoid the assignment being counted as late. A student who cuts class will receive a 0 for any work due that day, including but not limited to homework and classwork. District Attendance Policy: If a student exceeds the districts attendance guidelines for any quarter, the student shall receive an Incomplete for the quarter and will be assigned an additional make up assignment to try to compensate for the missed class time. This attendance policy is detailed in the Student Agenda.

Statement of Integrity: The English Department of the Smithtown Central School District expects the highest conduct from its students. We encourage all of our students to work hard and to do their own research and writing for homework, special assignments or projects. Any evidence of plagiarism may result in no credit for the assignment. Assignments are considered to be reflections of an individuals work unless otherwise instructed by the teacher. If a student is caught using material that he or she did not create themselves, the student may not get credit for the paper, project, etc. Exams and other assessments should be considered opportunities for a student to show what he or she has learned over the course of the unit, semester or year. During any assessment, if the student is caught using any kind of electronic device (including but not limited to cell phones) or has an electronic device out, the student may automatically fail the exam. Therefore, cell phones and other electronic devices should be left at home or in the students locker during exams. In addition, attempting to give or receive assistance in any form during an assessment may result in a failing grade for all parties involved. District Course Change Policy: According to Superintendents Regulation 4710-R, a students selection of specific courses involves a commitment to those subjects. It also involves factors such as staffing and classroom usage that have cost implications. Consequently, a student should consider withdrawing from a course only for the most serious academic and personal reasons, and only after consultation with parents, teacher and school counselor. Students are expected to continue following their current schedule until any changes are approved. Students requesting schedule changes should access the form located on the Guidance page of the high school website. Students should use the username and password they utilize when accessing the school computers. Students requesting a schedule change must adhere to the following timelines: No changes, except for additions or correction of errors, will be permitted during the first six (6) school days of a full year course. After this time period, changes will be considered for the remainder of the first quarter. After the conclusion of the first quarter, any drop will result in a W being added to the report card and final transcript. No changes or drops will be permitted after the Friday of the first week of quarter three. If a student wishes to pursue a drop it will be strongly recommended that another course be added, if logistically possible and pending course availability.

Under no circumstances may parents/guardians or students request changes to a schedule to: Change teachers Change lunch periods (unless supported by medical documentation) Change to a more convenient and/or desirable period Group friends together in the same class Academic Concerns: Students demonstrating academic difficulty in a course may request to move from one level of a subject area to a different level. These changes must take place by the Friday of the first week of quarter three for a full year course or the Friday of the first week of the second quarter of a semester course. Students moved from one level of a subject to another level of the same subject will receive a final grade based upon performance in the course for which credit will be earned. Students will receive a W on the final transcript for the original course. Full Year Courses 9/9/139/16/13 9/17/1311/8/13 11/9/132/7/14 2/8/146/26/14 First Semester Courses 9/9/139/16/13 9/17/13 10/15/13 10/16/13 11/15/13 11/16/13 1/30/14 Second Semester Courses 1/31/142/7/14 2/8/143/14/14 3/15/144/11/14 4/12/146/26/14 Result No schedule changes permitted Course changes or drops not reflected on transcript Course changes or drops result in a grade of W on transcript No schedule changes permitted

Extra Help: Extra help will be provided by appointment for periods 6 (Sem.1=E cafeteria), 7 and 9 as well as for after school.

"Class Contact(s)" (to call when you are absent): Contact #1: _____________________________________ Contact #2: _____________________________________ phone number:____________________________ phone number:____________________________

I have read and understood the material above: Student Signature: _________________________________________________________________________ Parent/Guardian Signature: _________________________________________________________________

(Please store this letter at the front of the binder you use for this course)