St. Aloysius Gonzaga Secondary School
Ms. Alilovic, Ms. Coelho, Mr. Deverell, Ms. Gizzi
English Department
Grade 9 Academic English Course Outline and Expectations
For the Greater Glory of God
Course Description:
This course emphasizes analytic reading, writing, oral communication and thinking skills that
students need for success in secondary school academic programs and their daily lives.
Students will study and interpret texts from contemporary and historical periods, including
plays, short stories, and short essays and will investigate and create media works. An important
focus will be the correct and effective use of spoken and written language.
The Grade 9 Academic Course is divided into four Strands:
A. Reading: Students will increase their knowledge of accomplished writers and literary
works and vicariously experience times, events, cultures and values different from their
own in order to deepen their understanding of the many dimensions of human thought
and experience.
B. Writing: Students will grow as confident writers and researchers who can communicate
competently using a range of forms and styles to suit specific purposes and audiences.
They will correctly apply the conventions of language – grammar, usage, spelling and
punctuation. Students will write daily in the forms of: essays, reports, short stories,
articles, notes etc.
C. Oral Communication: Through talk, students not only communicate information but
also explore and come to understand ideas and concepts; identify and solve problems;
organize their experience and knowledge and express their feelings, thoughts and
opinions. Students will focus on identifying and developing skills and strategies that
effective listeners and speakers use to understand and interact with others.
D. Media Skills: Students will develop the skills required to understand, create and
critically interpret media texts. They will examine how images, sounds and words create
meaning, the use and significance of particular conventions and techniques in media. In
addition, they will consider the role of the viewer and producer in constructing meaning
in media texts.
Unit
1
Unit of Study
Short Stories, Poems and Essays –Truth Perceived and various selected
readings
2
Drama – Romeo and Juliet or Twelfth Night
4
Novel – Lord of the Flies
5
Grammar and Language – (ongoing)
***Texts and order of units are subject to change.
Students are responsible for maintaining the assigned texts. Students will pay for any lost or
damaged texts***
2
Course Categories and Evaluation:
Students will be assessed for/as/of learning according to the following categories:
A. Term Work (On going) – 70% of Final Mark
Thinking


Critical and creative thinking process (reflecting, analysing, explaining)
Use of planning and processing skills
Application




25%
Communication of information and ideas (organization)
Communication of different audiences and purposes
Use of forms of communication (narration, description, essays, reports)
Use of conventions (grammar, spelling, punctuation)
Knowledge and Understanding



25%
Application of knowledge and skills
Transfer of knowledge and skills (literary terminology, strategies and processes and
theories)
Application of reading and writing strategies (outlines, drafts, revisions)
Making connections between the text and other contexts (texts, personal
experience)
Communication




25%
25%
Knowledge of terminology, forms of texts, reading/writing strategies
Understanding of information, ideas and themes
Understanding of stylistic devices
Term Work is broken down into the following assessments and evaluations:
Writing – 30% of Final Mark
(paragraphs, essays, thesis statements, journals, creative writing, reports etc)
Oral – 20% of Final Mark
(seminars, presentations, tutorials, fishbowls, skits, conferences, etc.)
Demand Assignments – 20% of Final Mark
(tests, quizzes, media, observations, creative projects, etc.)
B. Final Evaluation – 30% of Final Mark
Culminating Activity – 15% May 24 – 27, 2016 (subject to change)
Final Exam – 15% June 20 - 23, 2016
Learning Skills:
In addition to learning the course content, students will learn and practice skills to enhance
their abilities to work independently as well as in teams. Regular use of the student agenda will
assist students with their planning and organizing. The Ontario Provincial Report Card will
contain the five Learning Skills listed below:
 Responsibility
 Organization
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



Independent Work
Collaboration
Initiative
Self-Regulation
Your teacher will monitor these learning skills regularly. They are an important indicator of how well
you are performing in a course. For each of the Learning Skills, one of the following achievement letters
will be given (the numerical values coincide with the four letters of achievement):
E = Excellent (L4: 80-100%)
G=Good (L3: 70-79%)
S=Satisfactory (L2: 60-69%)
N=Needs Improvement (L1:50-59%)
Attendance:
Regular attendance is vital to your learning and is mandatory as stated in your student
handbook. When the process and content of learning is disrupted by irregular attendance,
both the individual and his/her classmates suffer a loss of experience that cannot be entirely
regained. Regular attendance increases your chances for higher academic and personal success.
If you are absent, an admit slip is always required for entry into class. Parents/guardians will be
contacted if attendance issues arise and are affecting your success and/or your absences are
not legitimate (read skip).
Please review your Student Handbook for a complete review of School Policy on Attendance
and Punctuality.
Expectations:
 Students will be in the complete Gonzaga uniform at all times. No uniform = no entry.
Just wear it and everyone will be happier.
 Students arrive to class on time and prepared with all required materials and texts.
These materials included: a binder with 5 dividers, lined paper, pencil, pens (blue or
black and a coloured one), highlighters. Organized binders make for happier students
during stressful times like the night before an exam or test.
 Food and drink are not permitted in class. (Water is the only exception).
 Respect for bathroom privileges – one student at a time and you must ask. To avoid
missing vital information, go to the bathroom before class!
 In order to foster an engaging and co-operative classroom environment, respect for
self, teacher, peers and the school are expected. Respect must be shown to whoever is
speaking or reading. Disruptive behaviour will not be tolerated.
 Students are responsible for catching up on missed work and obtaining notes/handouts
upon their return after an absence.
 Students are not to work on any material from another class.
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LATE AND MISSED ASSIGNMENTS
Timelines for submission are established to encourage you to manage your time effectively and
take responsibility for your learning. They are enable teachers to effectively deliver curriculum,
provide timely feedback and manage the evaluation of assignments. You are responsible for
approaching your teacher, before the established due date, if you are experiencing difficulty
with an assignment and/or meeting the established due date. We need to work together!
 There WILL be academic consequences for assignments that are submitted late or not at
all so be sure to ask for clarification regarding due dates and “closure dates” from the
very beginning.
 Ensure that you consider any religious accommodations you may need and approach
your teacher BEFORE this becomes an issue.
 Be prepared to explain to the teacher why an assignment is being submitted late or not
at all - communication is key!
 Keep in mind that up to 10% may be deducted for an assignment that is submitted late
and a ZERO evaluation may occur if it is not submitted at all.
 Late and/or missed assignments will be reflected on your report card as part of the
LEARNING SKILLS and WORK HABITS.
Due Date
A due date is set by
the teacher.
You will work
towards
meeting this due
date.
Late Submissions
If the assignment is not submitted by the due date, a closure date is
established. This date is determined on a case-by-case basis.
If the assignment is submitted by the closure date, up to 10% mark deduction
may apply.
If the assignment is not submitted by the closure date, a zero may be
assigned.
The Learning Skills and Work Habits section of the report card will reflect
late and missed assignments.
ACADEMIC HONESTY
It is your responsibility to be academically honest in all aspects of your school work so that the
marks you receive are a true reflection of your own achievement. Academic Dishonesty,
therefore, is a serious offence. There are two forms of Academic Dishonesty: Cheating and
Plagiarism.
Cheating is an act of academic dishonesty and comes in many forms such as, but not limited to,
communicating in any form, copying from others, and using unauthorized sources, notes, aids,
and/or personal electronic devices (PEDs).
Plagiarism, an example of cheating, is the act of claiming another’s words, ideas, and/or work
as one’s own such as, but not limited to: copying an assignment completed by someone else;
piecing together material from one or several sources and adding only linking sentences;
quoting or paraphrasing material without citing the source; copying and pasting from the
Internet or other electronic sites without citing the source; not providing quotation marks for
direct quotations, even if the sources have been cited; falsifying a citation.
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If it is discovered that you are guilty of Academic dishonesty, an appropriate consequence will
be assigned, depending on the circumstance. This consequence, decided upon by the teacher,
may include, but is not limited to:
 redoing the assignment
 redoing a section of the assignment
 completing an alternative assignment
 assigning a zero.
ABSENCES DURING THE FINAL 30% ASSESSMENT
It is expected that you are present to complete all components of the final 30% assessments
will occur at or near the end of the course during the regular school day and/or during the
formal exam period. There will be no exemptions from the final evaluation(s).
Absences during the Culminating Performance Task (CPT)
A Culminating Performance Task (CPT) is a scheduled course requirement and you will have
practised and prepared for it throughout the term. The major component of the CPT is
completed during class time and under the supervision of the teacher. The potential academic
consequence for missing part or all of this final assessment is a mark deduction or a zero.
Absences during the Formal Exam Period
If you are absent from a scheduled exam due to illness, you will provide a medical note to verify
that absence; otherwise, a mark of zero will be assigned. If it has been determined your
absence is as a result of a skip/truancy, a mark of zero will be assigned. If you are absent from
a scheduled exam due to a vacation you will be assigned a mark of zero. Formal exam days are
published well in advance and permission to write final exams outside of the designated
dates/schedule will not be granted.
Additional Information
 Homework will be checked daily and may be collected or result in a homework quiz.
 All assignments are due at the beginning of class and may not be completed in class on
the day they are due.
 All assignments must be properly formatted and we will go through the proper
procedures in class.
 You will take responsibility for your own thoughts and writing. Plagiarism is a serious
academic offence. Plagiarism of all degrees - unintentional or intentional, complete or
partial, ideas or specific words will result in a mark of zero (0) and parents/guardians
will be contacted. To put it simply – don’t do it! You will be caught.
 All essays will be completed in class.
Homework Partner to Contact for Missed Homework:
#1. Name: _________________________ Phone: _________________________
Email: ___________________________________
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Extra Help or the Unexpected:
It is the student’s responsibility to come for extra help. I will encourage students through
written feedback and discussions to come and see me, but ultimately it is the student’s choice
whether or not to seek assistance. Do not hesitate to ask! It is often a quick clarification that is
required. I am available after school in Room 353 or by appointment. Students who seek extra
help reap the benefits in their marks. Likewise, if you are having a problem that is interfering
with your success, please come discuss it with me. Doing so will ease some of your stress. We
are all human – and things out of our control may arise.
I have read the course outline and understand the expectations described.
_______________________
Student Signature
___________________________
Parent/Guardian Signature