RULES AND EXPECTATIONS
Please read over the following rules and expectations with your parents.
Both sign and return on Tuesday, August 18th or Wednesday, August 19th.
1. You are responsible for getting to class on time and bringing books,
pens, paper, etc., that you will need.
2. All work will be submitted in cursive in blue or black ink or typed
using a 12 or 14 pt reasonable font. Do not use whiteout. Revisions are to
be made by crossing through errors with one line, preferably in colored ink
and writing the correction above the error. No technology-related excuses
will be accepted.
3. Pay close attention to due dates of assignments. They are due at the
beginning of the class period to be considered on time. If you do not do
them, then you will not benefit from class discussion and feedback on your
work. Your homework grade will suffer, as well as your quarterly grade.
Time will usually be allotted at the end of the class period to begin
homework, thereby permitting time for one-on-one questions. Oftentimes,
these assignments may be completed before the end of the period if time is
utilized wisely. Prior arrangements must be made in order to turn in a late
assignment. Repetitive tardiness in work will result in detention. If
arrangements are made, late assignments will be accepted but will result in
a 10 point loss for each day late with a maximum of a 5 day late period.
4. Assignments, unless otherwise noted, should be submitted on clean, loose-
leaf paper unless, of course, it is a journal assignment. Torn and ripped
pages will be returned to you for "redo" and will then be considered
a "late" paper. Repetitive submission of unacceptable assignments due to
their condition will result in an infraction. At no time will work from a
spiral notebook be accepted.
5. Student planners will be checked periodically for a grade -- typically
twice in a nine-week period. This will be done randomly, so you need to
record your assignments each day when they are given.
6. All work submitted must have a heading in the upper right-hand corner:
(a) Name (b) Date (c) Subject – Grade (d) Assignment
7. Failure to submit work will result in an infraction. When a student has
3 infractions, a letter will be sent to the parents/guardians, detailing the
reason, date, etc. Detention will be held on Wednesday afternoons unless
advised otherwise.
8. Absences: If you are on campus for any part of a day but miss English
or literature class due to an appointment with doctor, etc., you are
considered "present" for the day and expected to get your assignment from a
reliable classmate or me before you leave for the day. Assignments for all
of your classes are available online on the teacher’s website on the St.
John’s website. Being absent means that you were sick or otherwise unable
to get and do your assignments. The requirements for makeup work will allow
1 class day per class day missed. Check your student handbook for more
detailed instructions.
9. Weekly grades as well as tests will be posted on the computer (Power
School, for which your parents will be provided a password/code), so you can
be aware of how you're doing. Remember that some grades are weighted. The
breakdown for both Language and Literature are as follows:
Tests 30%, Homework/Class work 20%, Quizzes 10%,
Journals 20%, Projects & Papers 20%
10. Extra credit will not be given in this class. Students may earn extra
points in their Journal grade by writing on weekends and holidays. These
extra writings should be clearly labelled by weekday names such as Saturday
or Sunday followed by the date. Holidays should be labelled clearly as well:
Labor Day or Thanksgiving Week, followed by the weekday name and date. Since
Journals count as 20% of the student's grade, extra points in this column
will improve the student's grade.
11. Tests and writing assignments in both English and literature will be
retained in your binder until the end of each 9 week period. Then, certain
assignments will be placed in your portfolio and remain in the classroom. I
suggest that you keep all homework assignments that I return to you in a
binder or folder. I will not check to see that you keep these, but they
will help to prepare you for your tests. The mid-term and final exams are
taken from tests given during the preceding quarters.
12. Cheating is unacceptable and will result in a grade of zero, automatic
detention, and a meeting with the principal. You may work on assignments
together, but do not copy anyone's work. That includes the work in the
reading journal. If your friend forgot, lost, or didn't do his/her work,
let him/her talk with me about it. It is wrong to accept a grade for work
that is not your own.
13. Please do not allow yourself to get behind. If you perceive a problem
with any assignment, do not hesitate to come in and talk with me. You may
email me directly to ask questions or request an appointment before or after
school. Saying that you did not understand how to do your assignment is not
an acceptable reason for failing to do your work. Talk to me in class,
before school, or after school before the assignment is due.
14. Classroom behavior will be a non-issue. I will not tolerate
inappropriate behaviors, including: talking to your neighbor during
instruction times, talking out of turn, ridiculing of others, back-talking,
abuse of chairs, books or desks, note-passing, and, all other behaviors
described in the student handbook. I don’t believe in giving numerous
warnings. We have a great deal of material to cover. I will need your
cooperation in order to accomplish our planned curriculum. Behavior
problems will result in an infraction. Please see the student handbook for
the complete school policies. If a student misses class time due to
behavioral problems, they will receive a zero for all assignments during
that time.
Have a terrific year! Good luck and study hard!
School E-mail: sjsenglish@knology.net
School Telephone: 763-1775
By signing below, I state that I understand the above rules and
expectations, and I agree to follow them.
Student Signature: __________________________________________ Date:
____________
By signing below, I state that I understand the above rules and expectations
for my student, and I will help my child follow them.
Parent Signature: ______________________________________________
Date: _____________
Parent/Guardian,
If you would like to be on my email list to receive updates on class
room activities, behavior, and progress, please fill in the information
requested below. Please print clearly.
Parent Name _______________________ Email
________________________________________________
Student’s Name _____________________________