1. On the front-  NameMiddle School  Address  Home Phone Number  Parents/Legal Guardians’ Names  Parents’ Work/cell phone numbers  Your email  Your parents’ email

2. On the back—  What has been your favorite aspect in past English classes?  What skills have you struggled with in past English Classes?  What is the title or the author of the last book you read or of your favorite book.  What types of books do you most enjoy reading?

3. Class policies and guidelines

4. Palmer High School English Department Mission Statement The Palmer English Department collaboratively develops and delivers research-based, aligned, and relevant English curricula to engage all students in learning from literature and employing the wide range of literacy, thinking, and communication skills necessary for adapting to, thriving in, and serving a rapidly changing global community.

5. As teachers, Ms. Brown and Mrs. Donovan will: Come to class every day prepared to facilitate learning Assist students when they struggle and celebrate them when they succeed Make the time spent during English class meaningful, valuable, and stimulating

6. Be thoughtful when setting goals and stay focused on those goals throughout the school year Be prepared for class every day with appropriate materials Work collaboratively with peers and teacher to make class time as valuable as possible Participate in the development of classroom policies and follow those policies Work to be curious, motivated, and find the fun in learning

7. Every student needs the following : Composition notebook Old magazines from home if you have them and are willing to give them up Flash drive to save written work Two double pocket folders: one for an in class portfolio and the other for class

8. Period Two: Highlighters Period Three: Box of tissues Period Four: Markers Period Six: Scissors Period Seven: Glue Sticks All materials need to be in class with you on Tuesday/Wednesday, August 24/25

9. Students will be graded on the following activities-  maintaining a composition notebook  participating in individual, partner and small group written and oral activities  written and oral performance on exams, projects, and papers, and  participation in daily class discussions and activities.

10.  All summative assessments will be graded using the Language A Assessment Rubric. All critical assessments will be handed out ahead of time.  Most Formative assessments will be graded using formative assessment scales.  Any essay assignments receiving a D or an F may be rewritten to meet an acceptable IB standard. Students receiving other grades will also have an opportunity to revise; however, all revisions must be handed in on the new due date and there will not be a revision to the original grade.  Assignments not meeting minimum standards for quality and effort will be returned ungraded

11. Assignments will not be accepted late for full credit! All major assignments are due by 3:15 p.m. on the assigned due date.* All work that is not turned in directly to the teacher must be signed, timed and dated by a school official. Any work not meeting this criteria or any work turned in past 3:15 p.m. will be considered late and be subject to points deducted. This rule may be amended on a case-by-case basis. What this means is that it would be a good idea to practice skills in self-advocacy ! *Assignments and work checked in the comp notebooks do not apply – no comp book in class, no credit!

12.  A – signifies exemplary work, outstanding effort, a product that goes far beyond expectations, and a mastery of the skills taught and practiced  B – signifies effort beyond the requirements for organization, neatness, thought, and final product, and demonstration of a good understanding of the skills taught and practiced  C – meets the standards and expectations outlined in the assignments, and some understanding of the skills taught and practiced  D or F – requires, in some instances, a revision of the assignment and a conference between student and teacher, and there is little to no mastery of the skills taught and practiced

13.  In accordance with Palmer High School and School District 11 guidelines, all major assignments are due on the day assigned. Make sure that your parents/guardians know Palmer’s attendance policy.  In the case of an excused absence- All daily assignments such as quizzes, tests, and informal class writings may be made up. Check your syllabus and ask a dependable classmate and see me for a modified due date. Major assignment due dates stand regardless of absences up to that date – if you are here on the due date…  Unexcused absences= no credit…no exceptions!

14. The first 4 pages of your journal are for the table of contents. Each assignment must have the following, at the top of the page, that matches the assignment entry in the table of contents: date, and page number, and title of assignment Date Title of the AssignmentPage Number

15.  You will be completing a variety of daily assignments and homework in your class journal, including vocabulary instruction  Response journals will be collected periodically and often.  Students must have their name and period number clearly printed on the inside cover of the notebook and a table of contents at the beginning of the journal.  Each journal entry must appear in the table of contents and must have a heading or it will not receive a grade.  Journals will not be accepted late if they are not turned in when called for in class.

16. We value collaborative efforts and the learning that occurs with shared study. Students will have many opportunities to work together and turn in products that grow from combined strengths, BUT the work in your Response Journal must be your own. Any sharing or copying of material in the journal will have consequences. More on plagiarism later-

17. Should you have any questions, you may find us in the English office (Room 300) or preferably, make an appointment!! You may also reach us at the following numbers and email addresses: Office # 328-5085 (Donovan) or 328-5082 (Brown) www.myteacherpages.com Heather Brown or Bridget Donovan www.myteacherpages.com E-mail donovbm@d11.org or brownhf@d11.org donovbm@d11.orgbrownhf@d11.org

18. On a clean sheet of paper, write yourself a letter. In that letter, describe to yourself what you hope to accomplish this year in your English class experience. Go ahead and mention the grade you hope to earn, but more importantly, think about your skills in reading, writing, and speaking. Think about what you know about yourself now: what are you coming to class with? What are your past experiences in English classes? What were you successful in that you hope to continue, and what do you know you need to work on? We will work more on goal setting on Friday – for now, just spend some time being reflective. Do a good job!!