Course+Requirements+&+Expectations

Course Requirements and Expectations

 * Students are to view the course requirements and expectations documents with their parent/guardians and sign the form sent home on the first day of class OR send an email to me via the wikispace.**

For emails:

Copy the following phrase into the body of the email:

I have read and understand the Course Requirements and Expectations for Communication Arts.

Include your name and contact information.

**COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES ** **Communication Arts 2009-2010 **

Course Description: This course will focus on and integrate the skills of literature, language, vocabulary, speaking, listening, and writing. The art of communication encompasses reading, listening, speaking, viewing, and writing. You will also develop a portfolio of works throughout the year. Please read this information carefully. **I expect each student to make a conscious effort to respect themselves and others, as well as their property and that of the school.**

Student Requirements:

Attendance: **Materials:** **Class Participation:** Follow instructions the first time given. Please pay attention and get the information the first time. Ask for clarification if needed. **ASSIGNMENTS **
 * 1) Regular, prompt attendance is required. When the bell rings, you are to be ready to begin class. It is your responsibility to get to class on time. If you miss any announcements, it’s your problem.
 * 2) Attendance will be taken every day and the school attendance policy will be strictly followed. Remember, you may not make up any work given or taken on a day in which you have an unexcused absence.
 * 3) Athletic events, field trips, and other school-related absences from class must be excused in advance or they will be considered a class cut. If you know that you will be absent, it is **YOUR** responsibility to inform me and get your work ahead of time. Likewise, if you are in school in the morning and leave for any reason, you are required to see me before leaving so that I can give you your assignments. **If you check out of school and fail to hand in an assignment that is due, the assignment will be deemed late by one day.** Exceptions can be made for extenuating circumstances only.
 * 1) Bring your **NOTEBOOK/FOLDER**, and a **PEN** or **PENCIL** daily. If you are not prepared, you may lose points for that day’s work! You only get **4** chances a marking period to leave the room, so make sure you bring homework and all necessary materials to class.
 * 2) **<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">NOTEBOOK **<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">– you are required to have a **SEPARATE** binder or **FOLDER** for English class to hold all of your materials. It is your responsibility to keep your handouts and notes organized. Do not ask for extra handouts, you will not get any. Make sure you keep them in your binder so you don’t lose them. Do not throw anything away until I tell you to.
 * 1) <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">Assignments must have your **name, date, and class period on the top**. I will not accept work that lacks a proper heading.
 * 2) <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">Reading assignments and homework are due at the **BEGINNING** of the class period. Expect a quiz or graded activity when a reading assignment is given.
 * 3) <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">Consideration may be given for extenuating circumstances. Assignments and due dates are listed on the assignment board. All written assignments are to be written in blue or black pen/pencil or typed. I will not accept any work that is written in inks of other colors.
 * 4) <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">Be sure to write clearly and legibly. I cannot grade your work if I cannot read it.

<span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">EXAMS & QUIZZES
 * 1) <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">Both are required parts of the course. Do not plan on receiving any study time before the test/quiz begins. You will begin the test/quiz immediately upon entering the classroom. Come prepared for the test. This means that you need to bring a pen **AND** pencil. Failure to be prepared may result in a **loss of points** on the quiz or exam.
 * 2) <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">Make-up exams and quizzes will be given for EXCUSED absences ONLY, see the attendance policy in your School Handbook for more details.
 * 3) **<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">Cheating **<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">(or talking) during tests or quizzes, on homework or other graded material will not be tolerated. You will receive a **zero** for the assignment. This includes talking when you are finished if others are still working, so bring something to do in case you finish early, such as a library book or homework for another class.

<span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">Writing Assignments: <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">You will be writing numerous essays during this school year of varying lengths. We will work on some of these essays in class and some will be out of class essays. You will be assessed with the PA Scoring Rubric for Writing on these essays. You will also write a research paper during the year.

<span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">I WILL NOT ACCEPT EXCUSES FOR LATE WORK ON LONG TERM WRITING ASSIGNMENTS!

You know about these assignments in advance so it is your responsibility to plan appropriately around your schedule. Also, do not depend on technology! A good rule of thumb is to expect technology to fail when you need it most. You can always email your papers to me if you are having printer trouble or if you want to be on the safe side (I recommend doing this! Paste your assignment in the body of the email AND attaching the file, just in case. Handing in your work early is also a great way to avoid last-minute technology problems. Don't give me excuses like "I had a game last night" or "my printer didn't work", etc. because you have ample time to complete the assignment and if you choose to procrastinate, don't expect me to be understanding.

<span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">Extensions and Late Work: MUST <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">Writing Journals/Bell Ringers. Get assignments from the shelf and the section labeled for your class. Place late work in the basket. > Each day you will have various Bell Ringer and/or journal writing activities. Assignments include DOL, Writing, Vocabulary, Greek/Latin Word Roots, Constructed Response, Literature Reflections, etc. You are expected to begin working on these as soon as you enter the classroom for approximately 5-10 minutes. You may look to the Smart board or chalk board for the assignment. You are required to use your composition notebook for these exercises so bring it to class daily. > **responsibility. ALL make-up work must be completed according to school policy. Assignments due the day you are absent will then be due the day you return. Any missed work will be entered into the grade book as a** **until the assignment in completed and handed in. Each student is responsible for getting the assignment from the absentee assignment folder upon returning to school. Failure to make up assigned work in the given amount of time will result in a** =<span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Contact Information: = <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">Grades:
 * 1) <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">If you need an extension on any minor writing assignments or projects you
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">**speak to me at least one week prior to the due date for consideration.**
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">All major writing assignments and projects lose ONE LETTER GRADE
 * 1) <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">**for each day an assignment is late. In other words, if your assignment is two days late, the highest grade you can receive is a C and deductions will begin there based on your work.**
 * 2) <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">Homework may be turned in at the beginning of class the following day for half credit only. After that, you will receive a ZERO for the assignment.
 * <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">Projects:
 * Throughout this course you will be assigned various projects. Some projects will be small in scope and size and others will be considerably larger. I expect you to do your very best on these projects. You will work both individually and in groups on projects.
 * Wikispaces, Blogs, Moodle& Podcasts
 * **<span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">All assignments and materials can be found and accessed on our course Moodle. The address for our Moodle is [|http://moodle.shikbraves.org] If you miss a day of school, check out the Moodle for that day and see what you missed. Some assignments will be submitted by hand, some through Moodle, some via Wikispaces, Blogs, and Podcasts. I expect you to conduct yourselves in accordance with the AUP be good cyber citizens. Any misconduct on the computers or our Web 2.0 materials will **NOT **be tolerated.**
 * <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">We have a course wikispace at the following address: http://literarynotion.wikispaces.com <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">Practice PSSA
 * Throughout the year, we will have a practice PSSA day where you will either read a PSSA passage and answer questions about the passage, just like you would on the PSSA or respond to a PSSA writing prompt. I expect you to take these practice days very seriously. They will be conducted in an a manner similar to the actual testing environment and will be graded. We will also review the results in class so you can see what you do well and what you need to work on for the PSSA. We will also have study island days throughout the school year and I will be tracking your performance.
 * <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">Independent Novel Assignment:
 * Each semester, you may choose to complete an independent novel assignment for extra credit. You must read a teacher-approved novel of literary merit outside of class (on your own time). There is a written and a visual requirement for the project. See me if you are interested in completing a novel project. I encourage you to be proactive about this assignment. Do not wait until the last minute to complete it because you will stress yourself out needlessly. Please refer to the independent novel assignment handout for further details.
 * <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">Academic Fraud:
 * Academic Fraud; also known as plagiarism, is a form of cheating and WILL NOT BE TOLERATED **in my classroom. Students caught plagiarizing will earn a grade of** ZERO <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">**for that assignment. Plagiarism includes stealing someone else’s work and attempting to pass it off as your own and buying a paper online to hand in to me. Please refer to the guide on plagiarism for further clarification. When in doubt, document the source!**
 * <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">Do your own work and do not give your work to others to copy. You are just as guilty of cheating as the source.
 * Make-up Work:
 * ## <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">Make-up work is
 * ## <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">Make-up work is
 * 1) <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">**.**
 * 2) <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">If you miss a scheduled test or a quiz, you will make it up the day of your return to school. Special considerations will be made on an individual basis if you miss multiple days of school in a row.
 * 3) <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">Remember all work and materials can be found on our course Moodle.
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns via email//: <span class="wiki_link_ext">conciniK@shikbraves.org // or by calling the school directly. If you wish to have a conference with me, I am available during my planning period D and I.
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">Students, I am available before school and after school until 3:20 if you have any questions regarding assignments or classwork.
 * 1) <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">Grades are not weighted in my course. To calculate your grade, I will divide the number of points you have earned throughout the marking period by the total number of points possible. You will then be given a letter grade on your report card that corresponds with your numerical grade. See your student handbook for more information.
 * 2) <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">You will be given a final exam that will count as 8% of your yearly grade in CommArts.
 * 3) <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">Success in this class is your responsibility. You should complete all work to the best of your ability.
 * 4) <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">I will give you your grades at progress report time and report card time, only. Do not ask me for your grades at any other time-it wastes valuable class time. It is not difficult to keep track of your own grade: just keep a log of your points earned and check your grade with PowerSchool. If you or your parents would like to see a weekly progress report, please see me so that we can set that up.
 * 5) <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">If you have any questions regarding your grade in CommArts class, please see me on your own time (before or after school). Do not leave another class to come see me. I will not have a conference with you while I am teaching another class.
 * 6) <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">Generally this course breaks down to 20% projects; 30% exams/quizzes; 20% writing assignments; 20% class participation and in-class assignments; 10% homework.