Student Guide for Success

Mr. Smith - English II

Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow

belongs to those who prepare for it today. - Malcolm X

Welcome Class of 2018

Contact Information:
Cell 901.871.1635
Email: asmith@kippmemphis.org

Dear Scholar,
It is my great honor and pleasure to welcome you to the 10th grade and English II. It is a pleasure to
serve and work alongside your student this year. In English II everyone will learn. It is my ;irm belief
everyone is capable of achieving success. In our classroom there are ;ive simple guidelines to
success (DRILL):
1) Do the work
2) Remain focused
3) Insist on excellence
4) Learn rom your mistakes
5) Love the journey.
Meeting the expectations in your syllabus will position you to succeed in this class. Grit, scholarship
and teamwork are necessary for success in this class and beyond. Success is 100% achievable.
Together, we will be working towards the following big goals:

1.
2.
3.
4.

Every student will attain or exceed individual reading growth goals

Our class will average an 80% on big projects/essays
Every student will move up a percentile level on their English II EOC
Every student will attain or exceed individual ACT goals

Our ultimate goal is to leave English II being able to READ, WRITE, and THINK on a higher level,
preparing us for high school graduation and then college. I look forward to partnering with you to
make this school year successful, productive and transformative academically and socially.
Course Description:
Students will develop reading comprehension skills, vocabulary, higher level thinking skills,
grammar, and composition ;luency by reading and engaging in oral and written analysis of a variety
of texts. Writing will be heavily prioritized. Students will be accessing and engaging various ;iction
and non;iction informational texts and writing about those reading accordingly. Outside reading and
writing is required and to be expected at least once a week.
Class Objectives:
Develop complex writing skills
Constructively critique their own and others
writing
Recognize and apply grade appropriate
vocabularyRead with ;luency, with focus on
analytical comprehension.

Class Expectations:
Remain in your seat
Respect personal space
Head up, eyes Open
Raise your hand to speak/ask a question

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English II Syllabus - A.Smith

English II Overview
Unit 1 - Abuse of Power
Unit 2 - Nature of Man
Unit 3 - Loss of Innocence
Unit 4 - Courage and Jus?ce

Primary Texts
Unit 1 - George Orwell / Animal Farm (1945)
Unit 2 - William Golding / Lord of the Flies (1954)
Unit 3- Ishmael Beah / A Long Way Gone (2007)
Unit 4 - TBD ???

REQUIRED SUPPLIES:

Nega>ve Consequences
- Non-Verbal Warning
- Verbal Warning
- Seat Change
- Hall Conference with Adult + Parent Contact
- Deten?on
Student Rewards
- Verbal Praise
- Posi?ve phone call home
- Points toward class compe??on
- Class DJ Privileges

All supplies can be purchased at local Dollar Tree for

under $8

Composi?on book (non-spiral please)

Folder (1)
Pencils
Folder
College ruled notebook paper/Loose-leaf
paper (1 pack)
Agenda (provided by KMCH

Grading and Assessment Policy & Scale

Grades will be earned by the following breakdown:
Unit Assessments - 30%




Quizzes - 15%
Projects - 20% Do Now - 5%
Daily Classwork (Exit Tickets & Class Par?cipa?on) - 20%
Grading Scale: A 100-93% B 85-92% C 75-84% D 70-74% F 70% and below
Late work: All work is important. It is equally important that work is turned in on time. You will
have limited opportunities to turn in work late. You do need to turn work in by the end of the unit
or grading period depending on which one comes ;irst. Your opportunities decrease as the year
progresses. Late work will be subject to a /ive point grade deduction.
1st quarter = 4 assignments can be submitted for credit
2nd quarter = 3 assignment can be submitted for credit
3rd and 4th quarters = 2 assignments can be submitted for credit
Extra Credit: One opportunity for extra credit will be provided each quarter. Extra credit assignments will be
comprised of completing a novel and then writing an argumentative or expository essay based on the novel
read. The novel must be ;irst approved by Mr. Smith and must be related to the unit of study completed that
quarter and be a minimum of 220 pages. This assignment will be available after midterm progress reports are
given and is due 8 class periods before the end of the quarter.
When can I see my grades?
All grades will be entered into PowerSchool on a DAILY basis, as well as notations of which work is late or
missing. Grades will also be posted/updated in class once a week (Monday). You may log into PowerSchool at:

http://powerschool.kippmemphis.org

PowerSchool login information and directions can also be found by accessing the school website.

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English II Syllabus - A.Smith

How can I contact you if I have questions?

E-mail is the most ef;icient way to contact me: asmith@kippmemphis.org.

You may also call my KIPP Phone at (901) 871-1635. All calls and e-mails will be returned within 24
hours.
CHEATING/ PLAGIARISM: Cheating of any kind will not be tolerated and those caught will be

discipline accordingly. Cheating includes such acts as talking during an assessment, copying off a
classmate during an assessment, sharing answers or assessment questions with other students,
copying information on any assignment in which an individual grade is given, or plagiarizing.
Cheating on a major assignment projects, quizzes, tests, or exams will result in a phone call
home and a zero for that assignment. Plagiarism and cheating are serious academic offenses. In
higher education, they can result in expulsion. Helping someone with an assignment does NOT
mean you let them copy your work or you do it for them.It is in your best interest to come to me if
you have any questions about this. Students are not to work together on ANY assignment unless
instructed to do so.

Class procedures:
Entering Class: students should greet Mr. Smith at the door and receive their Do Now and enter the
room quietly, get out homework (put it on the upper left-hand corner of your desk), put away their
personal items in the gray container in the back of the class and gather all materials needed for
class (pen, pencil, paper etc) and quietly begin their do now.

Getting out of your seat: Please stay in your seat during class. This is a non-negotiable expectation.
When you are up and out of your seat, you are not focused on the class lesson and will miss
information you need. You could also be a distraction for your classmates. If you need to get out of
your seat, please raise your hand, silently wait to be addressed and use one of the following signals:
Index \inger raised = need a pencil or need to sharpen your pencil
Two \ingers raised = tissue
Three Fingers raised = supplies request
Two Crossed \ingers raised = bathroom request

Personal Items: Please put all personal items that are unrelated to English II and classwork in the
gray plastic container in the back of the class. This includes purses and backpacks. This helps avoid
clutter and possible distractions during class. The container will be stored away for the duration of
class.

Tardies: Be in class on time and ready to work when the bell rings. If you are not seated, quiet, and
ready to begin when the bell rings you are late. This policy and procedure is non-negotiable. If
tardy, please come in quietly (not distracting the rest of the class) and sign-in on the tardy log. If you
have a pass, put it in the folder at the front of the sign in section. Quietly put away your personal
items, have a seat, and get started. I will bring you any work needed to get started.

Leaving Class: If you leave class during the class period, please sign out on the sign out log in the
binder at the back of the room. If you have a pass from another teacher, I will sign it and let you go
at the correct time. If you are leaving to get water or go to the restroom, I will write a pass for you
before you leave.

Dismissal: At the end of class, I dismiss you not the bell. I will respect your time and dismiss you as
close as I can to the bell ringing. However, before you are dismissed it is expected that you leave the
room in as good or better condition as it was when you entered. Please:
Put away any class items you were using in an organized manner
Clean and straighten your work area
Return your desk to the correct area
Leave the room in an orderly manner, turning in work to the correct class period bin

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English II Syllabus - A.Smith

Absences: It is your responsibility to pick up any work you missed while you were out and make it

up. All class handouts, notes, and assignments can be found on the class website DAILY, as well as in
the make-up folder in the classroom. Students have two days (48 hours) following an absence to
make up missed assignments before they will be noted as late and receive a zero in the grade book.
If you are unsure or need more help, please ask at the beginning or the end of class. I will get
information to you as quickly as possible or schedule a time when we can go over what you missed.

Agenda: You are expected to use your agenda daily. Class reminders and time will be given for you to write
down homework and other assignments. Your agenda is important in helping you plan out when and what to
study.
Homework: There will be homework EVERY NIGHT. Homework is expected to be completed for class every
day. There will be assignments and pop quizzes to accompany their homework and to keep students
accountable for completing their tasks. If homework is turned in late, it will result in an automatic loss of 30%
of the grade. Students have 48 hours to turn in late assignment or it will NOT be accepted.

Assignments: Periodically during units there will be Essays and Projects that students are expected to
complete outside of class. If they need access to a computer, they can contact Mr. Smith and he can arrange
computer lab hours for project completion.

Attendance: It is important that you are in class every day. We are always moving forward in our unit of
study. If you are absent you will be missing important information that will not only be used in the next class
period, but also in the classes that follow.

Trash: Please put your trash on the upper right-hand corner of your desk. You will have the opportunity to
throw trash away at the end of class. There may be times during class when you can throw it away, but in
order to minimize distractions, please stay in your seat.

Student/Parent/Teacher communication: I am on-call and available to answer questions and

conference with both students and parents/guardians between Monday through Friday until 9:00
p.m. Please feel free to call and/or email with any questions or concerns. To ensure I can respond to
your calls, please leave a voicemail with your 1) Full Name and 2) Brief Reason for your call. All
voice messages and emails will be responded to within 24 hours. For questions you may after
9:00pm please email me (asmith@kippmemphis.org). Be sure to specify the nature of your email.

Tutoring: English II tutoring will available to students each Tuesday following dismal from
4:45-5:45pm. Additional days may be added as needed. These additions will be communicated to
both students and families. Please sign up for tutoring the class period before. There is a tutoring
section in the sign in/out binder. On the correct day, write your name and what you want help with.
I may invite you to attend tutoring to so that I can help you with a speci;ic skill. Please listen to
afternoon directions so you know where to wait for tutoring to begin.

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English II Syllabus - A.Smith

Parent/Guardian Contact Information

Return completed and signed along with your English II Homework
Name (Mr. / Ms. / Mrs. ): _______________________________
Phone Number: (______) ________ - __________
Alternate (optional): (______) ________ - __________
Email Address (optional): ____________________________
Best Method for contacting:

Phone

Text Message

Email

Questions, Comments and/or concerns:

Parent/Guardian Signature: ____________________________________

Date: _______________

Please Returned completed and signed with your scholar.

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