4131 W.

Cortland
Ave.
Chicago, IL
60639
ph

Freshman Composition 2016-2017

Ms. Brick
773-394-2848 x2636 / Room 306b
rbrick@pritzkercollegeprep.org
Office Hours: Wednesdays, 4:00-5:00 p.m. or
by appointment

Ms. Meyers
773-394-2848 x2635 / Room 206b
ameyers@pritzkercollegeprep.org
Office Hours: Wednesdays, 4:00-5:00 p.m. or
by appointment

Course Description
Freshman Composition is a writing course that will push you to consider yourself
in relation to society and societal structures. We will accomplish this through an
emphasis on group work, discussion based learning, and written communications.
In the first semester, you will begin to learn and apply the essentials of standard
written English through discussion and writing. By second semester, you will be
solidifying these understandings and experimenting with these essentials to
compose fluent and articulate pieces of writing that seek to teach and argue.
BIG GOALS FOR THE END OF THE YEAR
Complete a formal essay per quarter (four total over the course of the
year).
Earn at least an 80% average on all assessments.
Increase at least three points on the ACT English section.
- Approximately 60% of the test measures your ability to edit standard
written English, and 40% requires you to demonstrate your
understanding of the text
Expectations
We will accomplish our goals if we:
Prepare
Hold one another accountable to 100% understanding
Take intellectual risks
Seek to understand
Classroom Rewards
Students who meet the expectations of the class will be rewarded in several ways,
including merits, positive calls and emails home, and whole class rewards.
Classroom Consequences
Students who choose to break a rule or not meet the expectations of class will be
responsible for the following consequences, depending on the severity of the
behavior:
Demerits, LaSalle, or Detention
Loss of Work Place Skills
We believe that each and every one of you has the ability to be successful if you
work hard, act smart, and take risks.
Good grades and content knowledge are the products of hard work and
perseverance, not simply showing up.

4131 W. Cortland
Ave.
Chicago, IL
60639
ph

Conference with parents/guardians

Materials
Students are expected to come to class every day prepared with the appropriate
materials, or they will lose Work Place Skill Points. If you lose these materials, you
are responsible for purchasing new ones and copying any missing papers from a
classmates binder. You must bring the following items EVERY DAY:
Daily Agenda (supplied by school)
1 black or blue pen and 1 mechanical pencil
A highlighter and a fun-colored pen of your choice
Three-ring binder with dividers
Composition Book
Independent Reading book (this should be same as your IR book in
Multicultural Literature)
Absences
If you are absent, pick up your work from the Absent Work Wall. It is your
responsibility to ask your teacher or classmates if you have missed a quiz.
If you are absent from class, you must meet with your teacher outside of
class the next day you are in school.
If you are absent for a quiz or test, you earn a zero unless you take the
make-up in office hours.
Standard Mastery
Check your grades on PowerSchool each week and see your teacher if you
have concerns.
If you do not earn 100% on a quiz, you may retake that quiz during Office
Hours. Quizzes can only be retaken during the Quarter they were first
taken.
Office Hours
Please remember to come for help after school during scheduled office
hours, but you can always make an appointment to meet with Ms. Brick or
Ms. Meyers after or before school for help on assignments. Office begin
promptly at 4pm, and there are no backpacks are allowed in office hours.
Appointments
If you schedule an appointment with a teacher, write the date and time in
your agenda and make sure you arrive on time. If you are tardy (under 5
minutes late), you will earn 1 demerit. If you are later than 5 minutes, your
appointment will be canceled, and you will earn 2 demerits.
We believe that each and every one of you has the ability to be successful if you
work hard, act smart, and take risks.
Good grades and content knowledge are the products of hard work and
perseverance, not simply showing up.

4131 W. Cortland
Ave.
Chicago, IL
60639
ph

If you miss your appointment or do not advise your teacher that you need to
cancel at least 12 hours in advance, you will receive 4 demerits. This is
non-negotiable and designed to prepare you for keeping appointments
beyond high school.

Homework
If you leave your homework in your locker, you will earn a LaSalle. If you
bring your homework to your teacher during the passing period after your
class, credit can still be received for the assignment, but the LaSalle will
stand.

Classroom Policies and

Procedures
Procedure
Start of Class

Participation

Personal Needs

Classroom
Cleanliness
Dismissal
Academic
Integrity

Expectation
When you arrive, take any handouts on the table and your remote if
the remotes are on the floor. You must be sitting in your assigned
seat when the bell rings to avoid a tardy. As soon as you sit down,
take out your homework and place it on the side of your desk.
Afterwards, immediately start work on the Do Now. No talking is
allowed during this time unless otherwise instructed by the teacher.
Everything else must be in the bin under your seat.
You are expected to silently raise your hand to be acknowledged
unless otherwise instructed by the teacher. When you speak, you
will be required to do so in complete sentences. Always be ready for
a cold call or call-and-response.
Personal needs, such as going to the bathroom, should be taken
care of before class begins. No one may leave the room at any
time unless it is an emergency. In that case, your teacher may ask
you to serve up to 15 minutes after school to make up for the lost
class time and ensure you did not miss anything while you were out
of the room. Failure to return after school will result in 4 demerits.
You may bring bottled water to class, but no other food or beverage
is allowed.
You are expected to keep the room clean and throw away all of your
trash. Any markings on a desk or trash left behind can result in
demerits.
The teacher dismisses the class, not the bell.
Cheating is any dishonesty in your work. You will earn a zero
and a detention for:
Copying another persons work or allowing someone to copy
yours.
Having your eyes on another students desk during a quiz or
test.

We believe that each and every one of you has the ability to be successful if you
work hard, act smart, and take risks.
Good grades and content knowledge are the products of hard work and
perseverance, not simply showing up.

4131 W. Cortland
Ave.
Chicago, IL
60639
ph

Having any other classs work or materials out during

Composition class.
Plagiarism is using another persons words, ideas, or opinions
without giving the author credit. Adults who steal someone elses
words can be expelled from their university or even prosecuted in a
court of law. Students at Pritzker will receive an automatic
detention and a zero on the assignment.
You must be sitting SMART at all times:
Your feet are on the floor under your desk not on another desk.
You are facing forward.
Your behind is at the back of the seat.
Your hands are on the desk or in your lap.
Your pen is in your hand or on your desk never in your mouth.
Your mouth and hands are silent unless otherwise instructed.
If the teacher corrects your behavior, verbally or non-verbally,
assume that you have earned a demerit. If you argue or
question a demerit, you will earn another demerit. Teachers are
happy to discuss demerits after class.
Cell phones must be left in lockers; if the teacher sees the phone,
she will confiscate it and give you a detention. Lock your locker,
or you will receive demerits. You may never be in the hallways
unescorted while class is in session. Food is only allowed in the
cafeteria or when allowed by a specific teacher.

Behavior

Pritzker
Policies

Grade Breakdown
Grade Categories
Homework

Description of the requirements

For full credit, all homework must be handed in on
the day it is due. Half credit will be given to
homework that is late only if it is completed in
LaSalle that evening. 0% will be given for

Final
Grade %
20%

We believe that each and every one of you has the ability to be successful if you
work hard, act smart, and take risks.
Good grades and content knowledge are the products of hard work and
perseverance, not simply showing up.

4131 W. Cortland
Ave.
Chicago, IL
60639
ph

Work Place Skills

Quizzes
Extended Essays

Regular Writing
Assignments
Exams

Standardized
Assessments

homework that is not completed. You are

responsible for placing LaSalle work on your
desk during the Do Now and pointing it out.
Homework quizzes will assess your mastery of the
homework and will count as a homework grade.
You will have the chance to earn Work Place Skill
(WPS) points each period. Being prepared,
working hard, and participating will earn you
points while being unprepared, inattentive, or offtask will lose you points. You earn 10 WPS per
week (2 per day). Other matters of preparation,
such as bringing your IR book or keeping your
binder organized, will count as additional WPS.
Your mastery of the standards will be assessed
through quizzes (also called Remote Checks or
Exit Quizzes).
Essays are formal, structured writing assignments
that will be corrected in detail by your teacher
once each quarter. You will take these writing
pieces through revision and editing cycles and will
receive feedback before your final draft is due.
You will be writing frequently in this class. These
assignments will typically be one-two paragraphs,
and you will receive grades and feedback to
further your understanding of what to work on.
Midterms will occur each quarter. Finals will occur
each semester. Midterms and finals are cumulative
exams. This means that each exam will test new
content plus everything from the previous exam.
The end-of-year final exam will cover the entire
year.
Once per quarter, you will take exams to test
mastery of the ACT College Readiness Standards
in English. You will also take practice ACT tests
throughout the year, and your growth from one
test to the next will count towards this grade.

10%

15%
20%

15%

15%

5%

We believe that each and every one of you has the ability to be successful if you
work hard, act smart, and take risks.
Good grades and content knowledge are the products of hard work and
perseverance, not simply showing up.

4131 W. Cortland
Ave.
Chicago, IL
60639
ph

We look forward to an amazing year as you begin your path towards

college. Please review this syllabus with your parent or guardian, and
then each write your names and sign below to indicate that you agree to
the contents of this syllabus.

Student Name: _______________________________ Student Signature:

_______________________
Parent/Guardian Name: __________________________ Signature:
___________________________
Please circle one:
I prefer to communicate with teachers in:

English

Spanish

Favor de marcar uno:

Prefiero comunicar con maestros en:

Ingles

Espaol

We believe that each and every one of you has the ability to be successful if you
work hard, act smart, and take risks.
Good grades and content knowledge are the products of hard work and
perseverance, not simply showing up.