Dear Students and Parents/Guardians:
Welcome to the new school year and Mrs. Martin’s 9th grade Honors English
class. I have taught English for Mesa Public Schools since 1995, and I look
forward to starting an enjoyable, successful new year with your student.
COURSE DESCRIPTION and OBJECTIVES
Description
An accelerated language arts program with an emphasis on enrichment experiences, including
advanced work in literature, composition, vocabulary, grammar, research, and reading. This
course is meant for advanced students; it does move at a faster pace than a typical English class,
so students should anticipate that there will be work to complete most nights, at-home reading,
and some lengthy projects. The units covered this year all contain elements of the current
Arizona College and Career Ready standards, in preparation for additional advanced
courses/testing.
Objectives
 To improve reading, writing, grammar, and vocabulary skills
 To gain skills in critical reading and thinking in preparation for future advanced courses
We will be working hard all year, so it is important that each student has some basic information
in order to be successful. Those important areas are as follows:
GRADING

Each grading period students receive a grade based on six weighted categories as determined by the
9th grade Honors team:
Tests/Essays/Projects = 50%; Class work = 20%; Independent Reading = 10%;
Quizzes = 10%; Homework = 10%
Grades can be viewed on the portal. A simple, traditional grading percentile is used: 90-100% A; 80-89% - B; 70-79% - C; etc.

Occasionally, students may be given an opportunity to retake a test / rewrite an assignment. This
opportunity will require scheduling time to speak to me before/after school about an earnest plan
for improvement; rewritten essays will require an additional page of self-reflection and
evaluation. The goal is mastery of content.

Late work (work not present in class when I collect it) is NOT accepted per department policy. Plan
ahead! Rest assured that essays and projects are given plenty of time to prepare. Utilize the time
given in class and organize your time outside of class.

Makeup work (due to excused absence) may be made up for full credit. It is the student’s
responsibility to pick up missed work – there is a convenient pick up location just inside my door.
For missing notes and handouts, the buddy system works well, too.
→ Students have as many days as they were excused absent to make up work/tests/etc.
→ Tests that have been planned in advance are expected to be taken with the class,
especially if the absence was only one day.
→ Make arrangements to have work submitted if you know in advance you’ll be gone.
RULES
Students must abide by all Red Mountain handbook rules. Our classroom rules are:
Specific day-to-day procedures will be covered in class during the first weeks.
Sweep: Students who are placed in Sweep due to tardiness are still responsible for turning in any
assignments due that day and must check with the teacher on the SAME day for tests/quizzes/assignments
given that day. A sweep absence does NOT count as an excused absence.
Plagiarism: Anyone caught copying an assignment (from ANY source, including copying from classmate’s
student guides and/or letting another student copy from work to complete theirs) or cheating on a test will
receive a zero.
If you “work together” on an assignment, make sure your answers are worded uniquely and
differently enough to reflect your personal input.
Office Hours: I am available during Lion Tutorial Time (T/Th – second half of 5th hr. lunch) and
before/after school by appointment; check with me regarding any scheduling conflicts. I encourage
students to email me as I check my email often.
MATERIALS
1. A 3 ring binder with divisions for GENERAL, GRAMMAR, VOCABULARY, THINKING/STUDY SKILLS,
LITERATURE, WRITING (6 dividers in all). Binder checks will be done for points; organization is a key!
2. A good supply of loose-leaf paper (no spiral paper is accepted). Keep in binder.
3. One spiral notebook for vocabulary and grammar activities.
4. Blue/black/red ink pens, #2 pencils, and highlighters.
*While these items are not required, many students have found them to be beneficial (and they fit into backpacks easily, too):
Post-it notes, pencil sharpener, colored pencils, small stapler, “white-out” correction tape (less messy than whiteout pen)
Students will check out a copy of Holt’s Elements of Literature for home usage. Other texts will
be distributed throughout the year.
If you have any concerns, please do not hesitate to call or send an email. Email is preferred, but
I will return all messages promptly. Please check out my website for additional information:
http://www.mpsaz.org/rmhs/staff/mamartin I look forward to working with your student this
year.
Sincerely,
Melissa Martin
amartin@mpsaz.org
480.472.8175
Please sign acknowledgement sheet and return to room 130 by ______________________
This copy of the
Welcome letter should
be filed behind the
General tab in the
student’s binder.
Additional copies of this
letter may be printed
from my webpage.