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Ninth Grade English
Ms. Catherine Siphron
siphroc@campbellhall.org (email is the best way to reach me)1
818.980.7280 ext. 721
Free blocks: B, E, and G
Reading Materials:
Summer (pick one of the following):
○ Art Spiegelman, Maus
○ John Krakauer, Into Thin Air
○ Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
○ Sherman Alexie, The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven
○ Neil Gaiman, The Ocean at the End of the Lane
Trimester One:
○ Mark Haddon, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
○ Genesis excerpts, New Oxford Annotated Bible
Trimester Two:
○ William Shakespeare, Othello
Trimester Three:
○ Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird
Additional Materials:
○ Larry Krieger, Direct Hits Vocabulary of the SAT: Volume 1, 2012
○ Larry Beason and Mark Lester, A Commonsense Guide to Grammar and Usage
○ Selected short stories, personal essays, and poems
Course Objectives:
○ Finding personal relevance and meaning in literature
○ Learning how to find strong quotations in a text, closely read text, and analyze the text. Using
these skills you will work to formulate strong and coherent thesis statements and generate
evidence to support and prove these arguments
○ Developing analytical thinking and writing skills through a variety of assignments, including
quotation analysis, four-paragraph essays, a research project, creative works, and personal
reflections
○ Learning how to be effective and critical readers who are self-aware, capable of making
sophisticated connections between texts
○ Studying grammar and vocabulary as a means for improving the clarity of thoughts, both spoken
and written
Non-negotiable Classroom Rules:
○ Be respectful of self and others. In order to gain confidence as a writer, do not preface a
classroom comment with a “preamble” or statement that negates you or your idea. For instance,
avoid starting a comment with qualifying statements such as, “This may sound stupid, but....”
Instead, confidently state your idea. To help our classmates avoid preambles we will clap once
whenever we hear a preamble, cuing students to re-frame their comment or question. Be
While I am happy to answer questions via email, please think before you hit “send.” Can you get this
information online, from class materials, or from a fellow student? I will respond always to your emails;
as a rule, however, I do not check my Campbell Hall email account after 4:00 pm so I may not respond
until the following day.
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respectful of others. Honor the opinions and sensibilities of your classmates and your teacher—
listen carefully to what they have to say.
Come to class prepared with homework done and all the necessary texts and materials
Take notes and participate in class discussion. Speak up if you have a question or comment.
Every question is welcome and all are worth exploring. This is a discussion-based class.
Participation is essential.
As readers, you may not enjoy every work that we read this year, but I want you to develop a
critical vocabulary. You must be able to tell me why you don’t like something, rather than simply
saying, “I hated the reading.”
Inform me as soon as you know have a conflict with a due date. I am flexible if you speak with
me in advance, but cannot grant extensions last-minute.
My role is to provide a clear structure and individual guidance for your learning. Yours is to take
an active role in developing your skills, analytical and technical, in both written and spoken
English.
Reading Assignments:
○ Read assignment sheet daily; it will be posted on Haiku.
○ Expect a reading check-in if reading is assigned. If you find yourself falling behind repeatedly,
please let me know so we can sit down together and get you back on track. The check-ins tend to
be short and simple, but they require specific knowledge of the text.
○ Highlight key passages; annotate margins; note passages, references you think are important or do
not understand.
○ Whenever possible, I suggest you read the assigned materials twice—once to get an overall
impression, the second time to annotate and analyze. Reading aloud or reading along with an
audio version may also be helpful.
Written Work:
○ Keep all work so you can track your strengths and weakness as well as your progress.
○ At the top of each typed assignment, please include an MLA heading (it should be doublespaced):
your name
Ms. Siphron
English 9, block ___
due date of the assignment
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All typed work must be double-spaced.
For handwritten assignments use black or blue ink only. Tear off hanging fringe from spiral
notebook paper.
Essay Format:
○ Include an MLA heading.
○ Give all of your papers a creative title—do not head them “English” or simply use the
name of the work you are discussing.
○ Capitalize titles but do not underline or bold them.
○ Include page numbers in the top right hand corner of each page.
○ Type in Times New Roman 12-point font and double-space.
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Staple all work together. If asked to hand in a rough draft, place it underneath the final draft and
then staple them together. The final Works Cited page should always follow the most recent draft.
Papers must be in good condition when turned in. Do not hand in final draft papers
that are crumpled, stained, or in a state of disrepair.
Class Web Page:
To access my web page go to Haiku.
Writing Support:
Please note my free blocks, listed above. If my free blocks coincide with yours, please email me in
advance to set up a meeting time. If my free periods do not coincide with yours, e-mail me to set up
another meeting time, either before or after school or during lunch. Also, the Writing Lab is staffed every
class period for your use. Take advantage of this resource. You will also earn extra credit on major
writing assignments (a whole additional percentage point) if you work on them in the Writing Lab for at
least 20 minutes. There is a link on our class Haiku page so that you can set up appointments in advance.
Tutors:
If a tutor helps you with any part of a paper, it is your responsibility to note the name of your tutor on the
Acknowledgements page (which we will discuss in class) and specify how and to what extent this
individual helped you. Make sure that the tutor acts as a guide rather than take on your role as student.
Plagiarism:
Please familiarize yourselves with Campbell Hall’s guidelines on avoiding plagiarism, which can be
found in the online High School Handbook.
You are expected to do your own work unless the teacher asks you to work in a group. You may confer
with fellow students about homework but must complete assignments on your own. Cite all your sources
and use proper MLA format. See online guidelines for citing correctly. Plagiarism is an expellable
offense.
Late Work:
Prepared assignments are due at the start of class. No exceptions. I cannot accept work via email unless
you have checked with me ahead of time and gained approval such as using a Late Coupon on a Friday. If
you know in advance you will be absent on a given day for any reason, it is your responsibility to let me
in advance as per school protocol; you are still responsible for work due on that day. You will lose a
third of a grade each school day an assignment is late; for example, if your work is a day late an Awill drop to a B+. Extensions may be granted in cases of illness or other legitimate absences authorized
by the school. You will be given one Late Coupon per trimester (These coupons may not be used for
group work of any kind, major long-term projects, class presentations, tests or quizzes, paper drafts or
peer-edit work. They are also invalid for any work that is to be turned in on the last day of the grading
period. If in doubt, ask beforehand if a coupon can be used for a specific assignment). Print a coupon
(the form is on Haiku). Turn in the coupon in lieu of the assignment the day the work is due. A coupon
allows you to turn in an assignment one school day late (the paper is due in my box in the new Faculty
Center by 3:40 pm the day after the due date). If the paper is due on a Friday and you use the Late
Coupon, you must email me the paper by 3:40 pm Saturday. Please note that these coupons are
transferable. You can wait and use three coupons third trimester.
Missed Work:
If you are unexpectedly absent on the day of a test or quiz, it is your responsibility to arrange to make up
that work. If you are not at school to hand in a paper on the day it is due, you must contact me the day
you return to school, regardless of whether or not you have class on that day, or the late-work policy
will apply. If you know that you are going to be absent on the day of a quiz, test, or in-class writing, you
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must coordinate a make-up with me at least 24 hours PRIOR to your absence. Quizzes, tests, and
in-class writings must be made up within one week of your return to school unless you arrange with
me to extend the time limit. Remember that it is your responsibility to know what you have missed when
you are absent and to see me about scheduling make-up work. It is your responsibility to get notes from a
classmate and all handouts and assignments distributed during your absence. If you are absent because of
sports or discretionary activities (doctor’s appointment, etc.), your written homework must be turned in to
me before the end of the school day it is due or it will be marked late.
Attendance:
Class attendance is taken at the start of each class. Class absences follow school protocol, so you should
review school policy on the number of permitted absences.
Dress Code:
You must come to class dressed appropriately. If not, you will be asked to leave class and go to the High
School Office.
Grading:
Please note that all percentages are approximate.
○ Drafts, essays, and major written work:
○ In class assessments:
○ Take home assignments:
50%
25%
25%
Supplies:
o Journal/composition book
o 200 index/flashcards
o Binder ring or index card box to organize your flashcards
o A three-ring binder to hold loose leaf paper and tabs to organize handouts and classwork
o Post-its
**In a group setting, we are all responsible for how the class progresses. Although I am the teacher, each
individual becomes a teacher when sharing his or her personal connection and/or interpretation of a
literary work. I look forward to learning with you during the enjoyable and productive year ahead!