“The Master said: learn as if you were following someone
whom you could not catch up, as though you were frightened
of losing.”
-Confucious, The Analects
Apopka High School
2014 - 2015
English II Honors
Mr. Leighvard
Room 606
Instructor:
Julian Leighvard
Phone:
407.905.5500 ext. 6004606
Email:
[email protected]
Website:
http://teacherpress.ocps.net/julianleighvard
 PLEASE NOTE: Every student begins this class with an “A.”
It is up to the student to maintain it throughout the year.
Language Arts Florida Standards:
The standards for English II Honors will be provided for you throughout the year. Each student will receive a folder
that will contain up-to-date lesson plans for each unit taught as the year progresses. The plans will list the standards and
explain the activities that will be utilized to help move the student toward mastery. The unit plans will also be posted on
Progressbook for parent access.
Course Description:
English II:
The course aims for academic excellence through a program emphasizing composition and world literature. The course
includes the study of classic works often used for critical analysis writing assignments. Composition culminates with a
mini-research paper. English II Honors provides vocabulary study, preparation for the Florida Standards Assessment,
ACT and the PSAT/SAT as well as the analysis of the various types of media.
Textbook/Materials:
Florida Collection (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt). Each classroom will have a class set of textbooks and students will have
access to an online version of the text that can be utilized at home. Students will also receive consumable workbooks to
help move them toward mastery of the texts and standards.
Students will need a spiral notebook for this course – it will be used as an interactive notebook. Students will also need a
folder (two pockets, three prongs in the spine) for this course. On a daily basis, students will be required to have paper,
pencils, pens, etc.
Leighvard/English II Honors/2014 - 2015 Page 2
Attendance:
Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each class. Regular attendance is crucial if you wish to be successful. If you
are absent more than two times during any week of the school year, I will contact your parent/guardian regarding the
reason for the absences. Please make every attempt to attend class every day!!
Tardiness:
After the first week of school the tardy policy will be followed scrupulously.
The tardy policy for Apopka High School will be provided in another document. Please understand that tardiness
disrupts the entire class. Please make every attempt to arrive to class on time!! You are tardy if you are not in the
classroom when the bell rings!! The presence of your back pack does not count!!
Apopka High School Grading Policies
Weighted Grade Distribution
Each student’s grade will be calculated on a weighted average using the following distribution for a regular level class
o 80% standards based assessments (i.e. tests, quizzes and a summative project)
o 20% assignments
Each student’s grade will be calculated on a weighted average using the following distribution for an honors/AP level class
o 90% standards based assessments
o 10% assignments
Quarter Grades – Any student earning less than 50% for the Quarter will have his/her grade increased to 50% for their Quarter
Grade.
Practice – Self assessment through independent learning activities. Feedback will be provided. Practice may be scored and recorded
but not factored into a student’s grade.
Evaluation – Collected data that provides feedback to the students and guides instruction. Evaluations are scored and recorded but
are not factored into a student’s grade. Generally an evaluation will cover no more than three weeks’ worth of information.
Assignments – Activities in and out of class that provide evidence of learning. An assignment that is to be submitted during the time
in which the student is not in a classroom due to an unexcused tardy or an unexcused absence will not be accepted. If a student is
tardy or absent for an excused reason the missed assignments will be accepted in accordance with the OCPS attendance policy.
Project/Product – Synthesizing skills and concepts to demonstrate mastery of essential standards and depth of knowledge to include
a written component. Products have multiple steps and are monitored over a period of time and assessed for a grade. Products have a
fixed due date.
Test – Measures and documents mastery of standards (not worth more than 100%). After remediation to enhance learning, students
will be given an additional opportunity to demonstrate mastery and subsequently can better their scores by retesting and/or
completing test corrections within one week of the test being returned.
Retake – After remediation (i.e. test corrections and/or tutoring and re-teaching) to enhance learning, students will be given an
additional opportunity to demonstrate mastery and subsequently can better their scores by retesting within one week of the test being
returned. The method of remediation will be determined by the teacher. The value of the retake will be the highest score earned. If a
student misses an initial assessment due to an unexcused tardy or absence the student will be required to take the initial assessment
however a retake will not be offered.
Leighvard/English II Honors/2014 - 2015 Page 3
Grading Scale:
English II/English II Honors will follow the Orange County grading scale. The grading scale is as follows:
90 – 100 = A
80 – 89 = B
70 – 79 = C
60 – 69 = D
0 – 59 = F
Classroom Behavior:
In order to maintain an orderly classroom it is imperative that ALL Students display proper behavior. A copy of the
class rules should be located in your folder. However, they are listed again as follows:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Display respect for everyone in the room – the teacher, fellow classmates and visitors.
Have respect for your surroundings and keep the room clean.
Keep ALL technology turned off and out of sight when in the classroom.
Take responsibility for your own actions and decisions.
If you need help, ask for it. If you can help a classmate, do so.
Absolutely NO food or drinks allowed in the classroom.
Please make every attempt to adhere to these classroom rules.
Cell Phones, iPhones, iPods, etc.:
All technology MUST be turned off and kept out of sight during class time. Technology MUST NOT be used during
class time. This means no texting, playing games or any other type of behavior that could be a distraction for your
fellow students. If I see your phone or pager I will ask you politely to put it away. If I see it again a referral will be
written for insubordination.
Dress Code Enforcement:
The dress code will be explained during the first few days of the school year. If you violate the dress code in any way, I
will send you to the attendance office. I may send you just to make sure that you are not in violation of the dress code.
I will also email attendance if the violation is repeated later in the class period. Please make every effort to stay in dress
code and avoid confrontation.
Restroom Use / Passes:
If you need to use the restroom, please let me know and I will write you a pass. The restroom is across the hall, but you
will still need a pass to be in the hallway. Please make every attempt to use the restroom before class begins. You will
be granted four AR passes per nine weeks. You will receive a new AR pass each nine weeks. A member of the Media
Center staff will punch a hole in your pass after each use. You will not be granted any more passes once all of your
passes have been used. A trip to the restroom should take no more than two minutes; a trip to the media center should
take no more than ten minutes. If you are gone longer than the prescribed time, you will be warned. If you violate this
rule a second time, your passes will be revoked until the next nine week period. The more time you spend in the
hallways during the class period, the better your chances of getting yourself into trouble.
Leighvard/English II Honors/2014 - 2015 Page 4
AR:
AR will be utilized in this class and it will factor in to your final grade. The AR checkpoints – recorded at 33% and 66%
of the overall AR goal – will be recorded in the 10% - 20% portion of the grade breakdown. The final AR grade will be
recorded in the 80% - 90% portion. In English II/English II Honors we will read AR on Wednesdays. We will also be
taking assessments on Wednesdays, but we will include AR reading where possible. Our goal is 30-40 minutes of AR
reading per week. All AR testing will take place in room 617. You may visit the library during AR; however, read the
section concerning passes above concerning regularity. Please attempt to check out books before school, after school or
during lunch. ALL HONORS STUDENTS WILL BE REQUIRED TO READ A PIECE OF CLASSIC
LITERATURE PER NINE WEEKS. If you have questions about whether or not a book is deemed a classic, please
consult with me. We will discuss AR policies and procedures during the first month of school; however, the following is
a list of behaviors that WILL NOT be permitted during AR time:
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Lacking a book to read.
Working on assignments for other classes.
Sleeping.
Holding conversations with other students.
Using AR passes to visit other locations on school property including the restroom, vending machines
or other classrooms.
Spending more than 10 minutes in the library when using an AR pass.
Cheating on an AR test.
Please keep in mind that the AR program will help increase the rate at which you read, will have a positive impact on
your test scores and allow you to explore many different types of literature. Intelligent and informed people read – it’s
as simple as that!!
Miscellaneous:
The instructor reserves the right to change this syllabus at any time. The student will be informed of any changes
immediately.