English Language Arts 9 Syllabus
____________________________________________________
Miss Hartzell – Room 114
Eaton High School
[email protected]
937-456-1141
“Every child deserves an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the
power of connection and insists they become the best they can possibly be”
Supplies Needed:
● Journal (see below) - for English ONLY
● Binder and 5 tab dividers
● Notebook paper
● Pencils/Pens
● Highlighters
Student Expectations:​
In an English class topics will arise in books, articles, photographs, and discussions
that students will need to keep an open mind about. In my classroom I want every student to feel
comfortable expressing their thoughts, opinions, and questions about the content. Please be respectful
towards others, listen to others, and work to understand from someone else’s point of view. I want all
of my students to feel confident that in my classroom that can share their ideas and experiences. I aim
to create a classroom community that accepts their peers and their thoughts.
Parent/Guardian and Teacher Communication: ​
I am a huge fan of parent or guardian and teacher
communication. I am willing to work with parents in any situation regarding question or concerns they
have about my class. I am able to meet before school, after school, or on evenings if those times fit
schedules better. The best way to contact me for the fastest response is through email, but feel free
to also call as needed. I want my students to be as successful as they can and that requires
communication and cooperation between teachers and parents/guardians. Never hesitate to contact me!
Texts: ​
The novels that will be required throughout the year are ​
Fahrenheit 451​
by Ray Bradbury, ​
The
Help​
by Kathryn Stockett, ​
A Long Way Gone​
by Ishmael Beah, and ​
Romeo and Juliet ​
by Shakespeare.
Each text will be provided by the school for the students. The books are dissimilar to each other and
provide a wide variety of text for the students to become familiar with. We will also be reading articles,
viewing photographs, reading short stories, and other pieces of writing that connect to our content. If
you object to any of these text selections based on a variety of reasons please provide that
information in writing to me and I will create an alternative assignment for your child.
Absences:​
Above all else, the school policy regarding absences and whether they are excused or
unexcused will be followed. When absent, students are to check the folders labeled Monday, Tuesday,
Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday that are posted on the bulletin board.. Students should check the
folder for the specific day(s) they missed and complete the work the folder contains. It is the ​
student’s
responsibility​
to pick up the make-up work when they return to school. Students have as many days as
they missed to make up the missed work. For example, if a student misses a Gold day then the work will
be due the next Gold day, and vice versa for Purple days. Items that were due the day the student
missed will be expected to be turned in the day the student returns to school. In event of an extended
absence please make contact with me so I can provide the student with the work they missed. If you
can notify of a pre-planned extended absence, I will provide the student with the make up work before
they leave school.
Homework: ​
I have high expectations for each of my students and expect them to rise and meet them. I
will provide clear instructions and timely notification of what the homework is and homework will not
occur daily. The bulk of work will be done in the classroom where I am available to help and guide
students and answer any questions. I expect homework to be turned in on the day it is due into the
correct class slot in the turn in trays. Late work has consequences (See below). That being said, the
students needs to communicate with me. I want to treat you how I would want to be treated. If you
have a circumstance where you did not complete your homework, please tell me. Let me know what
assignment you didn’t complete, why you didn’t complete it, and we can discuss an extension. I know
there are many events, games, unplanned problems, and circumstances that can arise.
Late Work: ​
Late assignments will be accepted for partial credit. Each day an assignment is late will be a
deduction of 10%​
of the total value. Once 1 school week (5 days) have passed since the assignment was
due, the assignment will no longer be accepted and will be recorded in the gradebook as a “zero.” Major
assignments, such as papers and projects, will ​
not​
be accepted late. I will announce, explain, and teach in
connection to the large assignments plenty of time in advance. In extenuating circumstances, students
will be able to file an extension.
Student Effort: ​
My classroom will be conducted with an emphasis on student effort. Students will be
expected to be hard workers. Hard workers tend to try more frequently to achieve a better
score/understanding/grade. In connection to student effort, many assignments in my class will be able
to ​
be revised multiple times​
until the student achieves the grade they want. Students will be allowed to
revise assignments and put forth effort to understand the material until their grade reflects it. This
avoids penalizing students for not understanding material quickly. We learn through making mistakes,
recognizing them, and correcting them; therefore, I fully implement revisions in my classroom as a
positive method of learning.
Journals: ​
Writing is a major component of a Language Arts classroom. In order to get students writing
every single day, each student will need a ​
notebook​
specifically for this class. The notebook may be a
composition book, a one subject notebook, a binder with loose leaf paper, or any type of journal. Most
class days will begin and end with a journal entry. The journal entries will be labeled by title and date.
The journals will be ​
collected twice a quarter​
to check for completion of openers, exit slips, and any
other journal entries such as writing to think. It is important to have students write every single day
because it allows them to process their thoughts and practice essential writing skills.
Each day when the students arrive to class there will be an opener activity on the board. Students are
to come in, get out their journals, and begin the opener task. This will become a habit for the students
as the school year progresses.
Participation: ​
Participation is necessary in a Language Arts classroom. Our class will be very discussion
based and require input, answers, and thoughts from everyone in the classroom. When everyone
participates it allows the class to see different viewpoints and perspectives. Participation will be graded
holistically. This means it will be ​
graded in terms of performance and progress over time​
. Holistic grading
values improvement. There will be minor exceptions such as a graded Socratic Seminar where students
were allowed to prepare questions in advance to guide the discussion. This type of assignment will be
graded on an individual, one time basis.
Cheating: ​
Cheating will not be tolerated in my classroom. When cheating occurs I will handle it how I see
best based on whether it is a paper, test, or other assignment. My goal is to create a classroom
community and trust where cheating will not be a problem, but in the instance that cheating occurs we
(the students involved and teacher) will have a discussion and take the necessary discipline measures.
Rules:​
Each class period and I will discuss rules together within the first few days of school. The
students and I will create a list of rules together with input from both sides. I want the students to
help create the rules so they know exactly what they are and can be held accountable for them. Also
creating the rules together allows the students to play a role in their own classroom.
There are 5 overarching rules that I have:
1. Be prompt
2. Be prepared
3. Be productive
4. Be polite
5. Be patient
Miscellaneous: ​
The following don’t fall into a specific category, but they are essential to success.
● Students will ​
NOT​
have their phones out during class unless instructed by Miss Hartzell to do
so.
● I am available before school, after school, or during 4th and 5th period. If you are struggling,
need help, have questions, or need any type of assistance schedule a time to meet with me.
● If you need to make up a quiz or test, you need to schedule a time to do so. Your options are:
during advisory, before school, or after school. Make-up tests and quizzes will NOT be given
during class time, unless there is a specific circumstance.
If you have any further questions, feel free to contact me.
Again my email is ​
[email protected]​
or call 456-1141
Let’s have a great year!
Miss Hartzell
2015-2016 School Year
English
PLEASE SIGN & RETURN THIS SHEET BY​
Wednesday August 26, 2015
The rules, procedures, and expectations listed in the syllabus above are understood. The student will
abide by these rules during English throughout the entire year.
_____________________________________________
_____
Student’s Signature
_____________________________________________
Parent/Guardian’s Signature
_____________
Date
Period
_____________
Date
Parent/Guardian Information
Name: _____________________________ Relationship to student:
_____________________
Phone number where you can be reached during the school day
___________________________
Alternate phone number: _______________________
Current email address: ____________________________________________________
Do you have Internet access to check grades on Progress Book? ____ Yes
Do you have a Username and Password for Progress Book login? ____ Yes
If not, contact the guidance office at 456-1141.
____ No
____ No