Haverford High School: 9Th Grade English

HAVERFORD HIGH SCHOOL: 9TH GRADE ENGLISH

Welcome to Ms. Forgeng’s Room

Welcome to 9th grade English at Haverford High School! I look forward to getting to know you and to a wonderful semester full of exciting learning opportunities. In order for you to get the most out of this course, it is important that you come to class each day on time, well rested and ready to learn. I realize that each student has unique abilities and strengths and only ask that you try your very best each day. Please feel free to contact me whenever you have questions to ask or thoughts you’d like to share. During the school day you can find me in the following rooms:

Block 1 Advisory Block 2 Block 3 Block 4 260 260 260 217 221

Outside of school hours you can also reach us via phone, email or Edmodo (see below). Phone: 610.853.5900 ext. 2705 Email: [email protected]

General Expectations

. The students and the teacher will adhere to all policies and rules as established by Haverford High School and detailed in the handbook. o The students and the teacher will be respectful of the classroom environment and considerate of others and their personal property. . The students and the teacher will come to class prepared with supplies and assignments.

Webpage: Edmodo.com

Assignments and some handouts will be posted on Edmodo.com. In order to login you will need our class’s group code, which is: ______. Please sign up for a student account ASAP. However, please note that the website never overrides what’s said/done in class. (For example, if we assigned homework during class, you have homework even if it’s not posted online.)

Daily Supplies

Mandatory Suggested . Your charged Chromebook . Student planner . Pencils or pens (black or blue ink) . Three hole puncher . Covered pencil sharpener . Index cards . Loose leaf paper . Highlighters . Your class binder (see binder section for . Headphones specific guidelines) . Your book/readings

Course Overview

The 9th grade English course serves to facilitate essential skills in not only language arts (reading, writing, speaking and listening), but in management, evaluation, critical thinking, questioning, and reflection that you will employ cross-curricularly and practically. You will read various written works such as William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars, and a selection of short stories as well as other selected novels and poetry. You will be encouraged to engage in the literature by analyzing characters, themes, and author’s effectiveness and by using the literature as a resource to answer some essential questions. Through a combination of the literature we read in class and a word-a-day activity, we will also build vocabulary throughout the semester. This will help strengthen your reading, writing and speaking skills.

Class Projects

You will complete a number of writing and reading projects. Some of these projects will be:

. Research Project – This project will include a paper and creative presentation. It will teach you to write a thesis driven paper, correctly use the MLA citation style, use the library, and how to discriminate between general and scholarly sources. . Various projects to demonstrate your knowledge on a particular unit of literature

Your Binder

You need to keep a 1-2" binder specifically for English class. Please use binder tabs to create separate sections of the binder. Make sure to also keep loose leaf paper in each section. Throughout the semester, you may remove sections to make room for new ones, but do not get rid of them—store them in your locker or in a safe place at home. You will need to revisit all of your work for your final at the end of the semester. Please also note that your binder may be periodically be graded for its neatness and thoroughness.

Your binder should include the following four sections (the fifth is optional):

. Literature/Units - As we finish with one unit, you may replace that section with the new work, and store the old section elsewhere.  Summer reading  Short Stories  The Fault in Our Stars  Research Project  Antigone  Romeo and Juliet

. WOTD (Word of the Day)/Vocabulary

. Daily Edit/Grammar

. Writing

. Graded Work (optional)

Your Chromebook Students are expected to come to class each day with their Chromebook (or other personal computer) and charger. Computers should be fully charged at the start of the school day. It’s also highly recommended that students bring headphones.

Assignments and Grading

2 . Students should expect daily reading and/or review homework. Written homework will be assigned several times a week. Quality counts just as much as completeness.

. Student assessments will include quizzes (announced and sometimes unannounced), cumulative tests, projects, and writing assignments. Some assignments will be calculated into 80% of your final grade and some will be calculated into 20% of your final grade. We will be sure to let you know which assignments are which.

. LATE WORK: All work is expected to be completed on time. Late assignments will not merit full credit, unless due to excused absence. Each day an assignment is late it will penalized by 10%. If homework is "spot checked," there is no opportunity to make it up unless you are absent.

. It is the student’s responsibility to complete all work and tests missed due to absence. Test and quiz makeups should be completed ASAP, at a time and place mutually agreed upon by the student and teacher. You may obtain this work at the beginning of the class period by checking the class secretary binder and hand it in two days after the absence (i.e. if you are absent on Monday, the work is due Wednesday), otherwise, it is considered late. The binder will include an agenda for the missed class/classes and there is a bin that will include any handouts and/or graded work that was passed out. Remember, you must have an excused absence slip or work will not be graded. However, should you be absent the date a long-term assignment is due, the assignment is due the day you return. You are responsible for any notes that you may have missed.

. Written assignments are expected to be typed or neatly written, and always double-spaced.

. You are expected to keep all graded work that hasn’t been collected in your binder. It is your responsibility to keep binders updated.

. Copying, cheating, or plagiarizing is grounds for failing the assignment and you will be written up to the grade level principal.

Outside of Class Assistance

If you would like to talk concerning grades, missed work, or difficulties with the class work, you may set up a time to meet with me. This will usually be before the first bell or after school hours. I have read and understand the class expectations and policies for Ms. Forgeng’s English class. If I have any questions or concerns, I know that I can contact Ms. Forgeng at either 610.853.5900 ex. 2260 or at [email protected] .

Print Student’s Name:______

Student’s Signature:______

Date: ______

Parent/Guardian’s Signature(s):______

______

Parent/Guardian’s e-mail address and preferred contact number:

Email:______Phone:______

Date:______

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