1. English III honors / AP syllabus
With love, Mrs. Laffin

2. preview
This presentation is designed to go with the syllabus you received which contains several blanks
Since studies have shown that taking notes by hand aids in learning and retention (source), this activity should help you pay attention to and remember the details of my syllabus
As you go through, fill in the blanks AND note any questions that you have for me so I can help!

3. supplies You should bring, each day:
A 1” binder dedicated to English III AP / Honors (you will turn it in from time to time)
Blue or black ink pens plus at least one other color
Note: I require work in my class to be done in pen..
Your copy of the current work we are studying
Recommended, but not needed daily: Flash drive or other portable electronic storage device
Donation to the class of:
Tissues (2 boxes)
1 each blue, green, pink, yellow highlighters
Notebook paper (2 packages)
We will have a “supplies quiz” that is good for a pass to turn in an assignment one day late with no penalty at the end of the second week of school. You will need both your supplies (binder + pens) and the donated supplies to earn the pass.

4. Classroom expectations
Classroom rules
Follow all school rules and my classroom byod policy.
Do your work, and if you have any questions about the assignment or your grades, talk to me first.
Be nice to me, my stuff, other people, and their stuff.
BYOD policy
Phones should be off/silent and put away at all times unless Mrs. Laffin specifically states otherwise.
You may not use classtime to charge or otherwise mess with your phone.
This printed policy, which is also in my syllabus, is your first warning (consequences begin immediately).
At no point during my class should you be texting or using social media. If you have special circumstances, see me before class that day. I consider texting or using social media very disrespectful since I work hard to plan meaningful activities to which you should devote your full attention.

5. Classroom expectations
Consequences for breaking classroom rules or BYOD policy:
1st infraction – we’ll talk after class (which could make you late to your next class)
2nd infraction – your parents and I will talk
3rd infraction (and all others) – referral to principal
An immediate dismissal to the office and/or referral will be used for any of the following:
Destruction of school property
Fighting or hurting anyone
Physically or verbally abusing anyone, including the teacher; this includes bullying
Please note:
If your name is left by a substitute, you will immediately receive a detention and possibly a referral.
Cheating of any form (including plagiarism) will not be tolerated and will result in a grade of zero and possibly a referral.

6. Everyday objectives
Students will… … write full MLA headings on their papers (penalty from point deduction for incomplete heading to zero for no name at all) … use blue or black ink pen unless otherwise instructed or the papers will lose points … walk in the door with assignments finished and ready to turn in the day they are due (names on papers, papers in order, paper stapled, etc.) or the papers will lose points … come before or after school or Mrs. Laffin for make up work and instructions (not ask during instruction, passing periods, or random times you see Mrs. Laffin)

7. Everyday objectives
Students will… … follow the district policy for make up work due dates or work will be counted late/not accepted … follow the district policy for work missed due to school activities or work will be counted late/not accepted … follow the directions on all assignments or significant grade deductions will occur … ask questions if they do not understand any assignment … speak with Mrs. Laffin regarding any questions or issues with assignments or grades

8. Course policies: Absences + Make up work
Type of absence
Work due the day you missed is due…
Work assigned the day you missed is due…
Tests and quizzes you miss need to be done…
UIL (school-related; does not count against exemptions)
… on the original due date, so in order to avoid a late penalty, you should turn it in before you miss (the front office can put it in my box) or send it with a reliable friend.
… on the original date, so you need to be sure to check before you miss to get your work. Be sure to check early enough to get your work from me (an the night before you miss is not sufficient). If you do not get it until you return and miss the due date, the late work policy will apply.
… on the original date, so you need to plan ahead enough in advance to schedule a time to take the assessment if you will miss it. ing me the night before you miss is not sufficient. If you take it late, the late work policy will apply.

9. Course policies: Absences + Make up work
Type of absence
Work due the day you missed is due…
Work assigned the day you missed is due…
Tests and quizzes you miss need to be done…
Excused or Unexcused (not school-related; counts against exemptions)
… upon your return. Unless we worked on the assignment in class the day you missed, it is due the day you come back.
… after the number of days you missed plus one. So if you miss Monday, you would need to get, complete, and turn in your work by Thursday.
… after the number of days you missed plus one. If we have time during class, you may need to take it the day you return, but don’t count on that.

10. Course policies: Absences + Make up work
When to ask about your make up work:
Whether you miss for a UIL activity or have an E/U absence, you can either ask a trustworthy friend what we missed and check the make up work box OR you can check with me via or see me before or after school.
Please note that if you do not check with me directly and miss something, that is your responsibility.
During class or the passing period is not an appropriate time to try to have a conversation with me about work you missed.
Waiting too long to ask me for work is not an acceptable excuse for having late work or a late test/quiz. The late policy will apply.

11. Course policies: Absences + make up work
Turning in late work / make-up work
Late work or make up work needs to be given directly to me. That way, I can be sure to write the date that it was submitted on it so that it will not be counted later than it should.
Please do not turn it into the basket, leave it on my desk, shove it under the door, etc.
Never give it to a substitute.

12. Course policies: retesting
Individual retests are not available in Honors or AP English. You need to do your best on all of your work!

13. Course policies: grading
honors AP
Your six weeks average will be determined in the following manner: 25% academic practice (quizzes, worksheets, daily homework, etc.) 75% academic achievement (process papers, tests, long-term projects, etc.)
Your six weeks average will be determined in the following manner: 20% academic practice (quizzes, worksheets, daily homework, etc.) 80% academic achievement (process papers, tests, long-term projects, etc.)

14. Course policies: extra credit
NO EXTRA CREDIT ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE GIVEN. IF YOU ASK, I WILL NOT SAY YES. In other words, you need to do your best on the assigned work.

15. Course policies: semester average
Your semester average will be 80% six weeks’ averages, 20% exam. If you exempt, it is the average of the three six weeks.

16. Course policies: late work policy
If your work (including make-up work) is late, then I will follow the English III-AP + Honors level policy:
Late submissions to turnitin.com: See below; if work is not submitted, it is not “turned in.”
Academic practice: Accepted only one day late with a fifty point deduction; not accepted after one day late
Academic achievement: If it is submitted one day late, then you will receive the grade you earned minus thirty points. If it is two days late, you will receive the grade you earned minus fifty points. Work may not be turned in more than two days late.

17. Course policies: Cheating
The consequence for cheating of any kind (including plagiarism) is a zero and a referral.
Cheating includes (but is not limited to) copying another person's work, allowing another person to copy your work, working together/sharing answers on work that is not group work, having someone else do your work, failing to cite sources when necessary, using any unapproved aid on a test or quiz, telling other students what is on an assessment before they take it, or taking information from other students about what an assessment is on before you take it.
Copying and pasting work from the internet into your paper that you were supposed to have written yourself is plagiarism, and you will receive no credit for the assignment if you do this.

18. Course policies: printing and turning in work
Your work needs to be printed, stapled, and ready to turn in when you get to class.
You may visit the library before school, during advocate, or after school to print.
Work not printed and ready to turn in at the beginning of class will be counted late.

19. Assignment requirements: Document formatting
All written assignments completed outside of class, including essays, stories, etc. must be submitted in MLA format:
Typed
Double-spaced
Printed on the front only
12pt. Times New Roman or Arial font
MLA heading and page numbers
1 inch margins all around

20. Assignment requirements: Document formatting

21. Assignment requirements: internal documentation
If you include anything that is not your own original work (i.e. someone else’s words, phrases, quotes, ideas, or pictures/graphics) on any assignment, you must provide BOTH correct internal documentation and a correct Works Cited page in order to avoid being guilty of plagiarism (a form of cheating that is covered earlier in this syllabus).
Internal documentation is incomplete without a Works Cited page, and vice versa; if you include one, you must have the other.
NOTE: Just because you cite a source does not mean that you are safe to use the information from the source. Copying ideas from study guides instead of composing your own analysis, for example, will result in a grade penalty even if you properly document the information.

22. Assignment requirements: works cited
All assignments for which you must incorporate outside sources must be accompanied by a Works Cited page. This page will always be the last page of your document (not a separate document) Check the OWL at Purdue MLA Style Guide for help.
NOTE: Failure to include a Work(s) Cited page (when necessary) will result in at least a 10 point penalty on the grade for the assignment, and may result in a zero on the assignment.

23. Yay!
You made it! If you have any questions about the syllabus, let me know. I want you to feel confident that you understand my expectations so you can experience maximum success : )