Opelika High School

9
th
grade Honors English
Mrs. McDonald
Room 224
Course Description and Obecti!es
Students will demonstrate organizational skills by dividing their English notebooks
into four sections: Warm ups, Vocabulary, Grammar, iterature, and Graded Work!
"e#tbook
Each student will be assigned a te"tbook and re#uired to bring it to class everyday!
Materials
$% & ring binder
' (ividers
)ollege ruled paper
*encils
+lue or black ink pens
,ighlighter
-ote cards
*ost .ts
Classroom Rules
$! )ome to class prepared to learn with all materials and a positive attitude!
/! 0ollow all school1wide rules!
&! +e respectful!
2! 3se positive language at all times!
'! Stay focused on learning!
Conse$uences
$
st
45ense: Verbal warning
/
nd
45ense: 6eacher7s detention
&
rd
45ense: )all to parents
2
th
45ense: 8eferral, principal7s o9ce, and call to
parents!
'th 45ense: 8eferral: .SS ;.n School Suspension<
%rading &olic'
Student work is graded on a point system! *articipation will be accounted through
daily activities and grades! +elow is the grading scale followed by a list of ma=or
grades!
( ) *++,9+ -) .9,.+ C) /9,/+ D) 09,0+ 1) 29,+
3 ( 4D5 a!erage 6or the course 7ill result in ineligibilit' 6or honors English
*+.
%rade Categories
>a=or Grades ;3nit 6ests?Essays< '@A
Buizzes ;Warm 3ps, Grammar, Vocabulary, reading #uizzes< &@A
)lasswork? homework /@A
8ate9Make :p ;ork
Students are e"pected to have homework completed on the assigned date +E048E
coming into class! ate work may be brought in the following day for half credit!
Cfter three late assignments, . will no longer accept late homework! Deep up with
your workEE
Students will have three days to make up any and all missed #uizzes! Cnd may
come before school or stay after school to make them up! -o #uizzes may be made
up during class time! Cny homework or essay assignment that was due during the
absence should be turned in on the Frst day of the student7s return! Cfter the third
day, students will receive a zero for work that has not been made up!
Cccommodations will only be made for students that are in need of
accommodations!
Cssignments with no names on them will be graded and placed in a -o -ames
folder, but the student will have a zero recorded in the grade book! Each student
must check with me if they believe a zero grade they have received is due to his or
her paper not having a name on it! Cll papers without names on them will be kept
until the end of the semester!
%raded ;ork
Cll graded work will be recorded and returned to students and should be kept in
their notebooks! Students will use previous e"ams and notes to study for a midterm
before )hristmas break and a Fnal before the end of the school year!
Student work is graded on a point system! *articipation will be accounted through
daily activities and grades! Every assignment that is not turned in or incomplete is
counted as a zero! Cssignments turned in without a name will be graded and placed
in a -o -ames folder, but the student will have a zero recorded in the grade book!
Each student must check with me if they believe a zero grade they have received is
due to his or her paper not having a name on it! Cll papers without names on them
will be kept until the end of the semester!
;riting
Students will analyze a piece of literature for literary elements such as theme, tone,
irony, symbolism, and imagery! 4ne essay will be written after every unit of
literature! 6his will also include a research pro=ect!
8iterature
We will study various short stories, novels, and plays throughout the school year! Cll
te"ts are provided through the literature te"tbook or through classroom copiesG
however, students are encouraged to purchase their own copies for note taking!
To Kill a Mockingbird The Odyssey Romeo and Juliet
Fahrenheit 451
&olicies and &rocedures
"ardies
Cttendance is counted two ways: ;$< Each student will check1in by their name on his
or her attendance board by the front door and ;/< . will check the attendance record
for accuracy daily! Each student must be in his or her seat and have his or her Warm
3p out on his or her desk in order to be counted present! Cfter 2 tardies have been
accumulated, the student will be warned that the ne"t tardy will result in an after1
school detention! C tardy record will be kept in the classroom which students will
date and sign for each tardy followed by the assigned detention date upon the
fourth tardy! .f a student continues to be late for class, a call home will be made,
and the student will receive a *rincipal7s (etention after school!
&reparedness
Students are e"pected to be prepared for class every day! 6his includes having the
following items: a pen or pencil, warm up, homework assignments, notes, loose leaf
paper, and te"tbook!
8ea!ing the Classroom
Students may only leave class if they have one of the following passes:
*. -athroom &ass 1 Ct the beginning of each nine weeks, every student will
receive three bathroom passes! Students will sign, date, and record the time of
their bathroom pass use and have >rs! >c(onald sign it! Each unused bathroom
pass at the end of the nine weeks will result in an additional H!' points to the
student7s grade! .f no bathroom passes are used, a total of $' points will be
added! .f C bathroom passes are used before the end of the nine weeks, no
bonus points will be gained, and you may not ask to use the bathroom! 6his pass
will also work as a hall pass!
2. Hall &ass I Students must have a hall pass when leaving the classroom for any
reason! Students must ask permission in order to receive a hall pass or else they
will be counted tardy or absent! Students will not be able to leave the classroom
for the Frst or last Ffteen minutes of class as per the $'1$' rule enforced by
4pelika ,igh School regardless of a hall pass!
Contact <n6ormation=
School number: ;&&2< H2'1 JH$'
Email: brittany!mcdonaldKopelikaschools!org
*lanning I &
rd
block $st semester
1 $
st
block /nd semester
*rogress reports are sent home every si" weeks! .f you wish to discuss your child7s
progress, . would be glad to set up a more fre#uent contact schedule! *lease call or
email me any time you wish to set up a conference! )onferences may be scheduled
for before or after school!
Cfter reading and e"plaining this syllabus to your child, please sign and return the
acknowledgment of receipt of syllabus to >rs! >c(onald tomorrow! . look forward to
a great year of learning with your childE
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(C>?O;8ED%ME?" O1 RECE<&" O1 S@88(-:S
. have read and discussed the J
th
grade English syllabus with my child! 6his syllabus
will be kept in my child7s English notebook for future references of activities and
grading procedures!

*arent;s<?Guardian7s Signature (ate
Student7s Signature (ate