York County School of the Arts
2014-2015 Literary Arts 9 Syllabus
Instructor:
Ms. Renee M. Kingan
rkingan@ycsd.york.va.us
757-564-6692
SOA Office: 757-220-4095
In-class Materials:
 three-ring binder & loose leaf paper
 pens, pencils, highlighters, post-it notes
 grading pen (neither blue nor black ink)
 fine-point felt-tip black drawing pen
Mrs. Marcia Swanson
mswanson@ycsd.york.va.us
757-564-6691
SOA Fax: 855-512-6930
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planner (something that works for you)
thumb drive (Dropbox or Google Drive preferred)
writer’s journal (choose something that suits you!)
We encourage BYOT!
Course Description: This course explores the basic elements of the fine and literary arts with an emphasis on
the relationship among the arts and the development of standards to differentiate between the meaningful and
the mundane in the arts. An analysis of 19th and 20th century literature emphasizes literary devices and
techniques and the elements of character, setting, and theme. Students study skills, techniques, and models for
writing fiction and nonfiction and gather information through primary and secondary sources to include the
use of electronic databases. Individual and group presentations integrate art and literature and use
collaborative strategies to evaluate various genres in literature.
Suggested reading includes Cold Sassy Tree, Haroun & the Sea of Stories, A Raisin in the Sun, Fahrenheit 451,
I am the Cheese, Arsenic & Old Lace, The Moon is Down, and Romeo & Juliet.
Course Outline:
 Quarter 1 – summer reading, short stories, and Fahrenheit 451
 Quarter 2 – The Crucible, Twelve Angry Men, Arsenic & Old Lace, and playwriting
 Quarter 3 – The Scarlet Letter, The Moon is Down, and research methods
 Quarter 4 – Romeo & Juliet, poetry, and I am the Cheese
Course Requirements: Students are expected to participate in all lessons and activities, to complete all
assignments in a timely manner, to adhere to the SOA Dress Code for all field trips and guest artists, to
become active patrons of the arts, and to maintain at least a 2.5 GPA in their overall academic record. All
Literary Arts students will write a one-act play, attend an opera, and participate in a variety of arts activities
beyond the fields of reading and writing.
We expect all our students, parents, and guardians to use Aspen and a personal calendar or planner to keep
track of assignments and grades throughout the year. Aspen is a fantastic resource, and we rely on it heavily
to keep both students and parents informed. This year, we will also encourage students to use Google Drive,
an educational blog website, and/or Dropbox for file management and turning in assignments.
The SOA Late Work Policy stipulates that (except in the case of an excused absence) all assignments turned in
one day late will receive no higher than a C. Assignments two days late will receive half credit. After that,
assignments will receive zero credit. If there are extenuating circumstances (technological or otherwise), we
will consider granting an extension for work upon the receipt of a parent/guardian note explaining the issue.
The SOA Dress Code requires students to adhere to a more formal standard of dress both when we are on
field trips and when we invite guest artists to SOA throughout the school year. As a result, our students
present a respectful and positive image of SOA in the community and abroad. We take great pride in the fact
that our students are consistently praised for their professional appearance and demeanor both in school
and beyond. Students who fail to comply with the Dress Code risk forfeiting the opportunity to travel with
SOA, and they will receive a participation grade reduction for in-house guest artist presentations.
York County School of the Arts
2014-2015 Literary Arts 9 Syllabus
Course Requirements (cont’d): Though field trips are highly encouraged, they are not mandatory for SOA
students. All trips are integrated into class instructional time, and each trip will entail a preparatory activity
and a graded follow-up. If scheduling or finances* preclude your participation in a field trip, you will be
expected to complete an alternate assignment that addresses similar content and objectives. *Please be
aware that financial assistance is available to students for all day trips on an as-needed basis. If you have a
particular financial need, we encourage you contact Ms. Milne in the SOA office, and she will administer
funds confidentially.
The SOA Arts Patron Assignment is designed to encourage all SOA students to become lifelong patrons of the
arts. Each semester you will be required to attend and/or perform in different events at SOA, your home
school, and in the community. You may use SOA-sponsored field trips to fulfill your Arts Patron assignment,
though in-house guest artist presentations during your scheduled class time are not eligible for credit.
Evaluation: Though Literary Arts 9 and Advanced Arts Link / Writer’s Workshop 9 are two separate grades
on your report card, all course assignments and evaluation grades are fully integrated; this means your
report card grades for each course will be exactly the same. We use a point-centered grading scale, which
means different assignments will be worth different point values, each weighted according to importance.
For example, a weekly quiz may be worth 10 points, while the final draft of an essay may be worth 50. At the
end of each grading period, we add up the total points you have earned and divide by the total number of
possible points in order to arrive at your percentage grade. You can expect weekly grade updates on Aspen
to help you keep track of your grades throughout the year. We encourage you and your parents to email us
with questions or concerns about your grades.
Attendance Policy: To comply with Virginia Law, students are expected to attend school every day and to
be on time unless there is illness or death in the immediate family. If you are absent from your SOA class,
please have your parent/guardian email us and call the SOA office in addition to notifying your home-school
attendance office.
Class Rules:
1. Respect yourself and the people around you.
2. Keep an open mind.
3. Try.
4. Have fun.
Weekly Routine:
• M = Monday Writing journal prompt
• T = Grundy Corner grammar spotlight
• W = Lexicon Enhancement vocabulary review
Literary Arts 9 students will also have a weekly art history
lecture from SOA Artist in Residence Mrs. Donnah Joyce.
(extra help available W afternoons by appt.)
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Th = Weekly Journals due
F = Gift poem / Art & Lexicon Quiz
Daily Routine: Weekly routine or “CLUB” activities begin each day for all non-BHS students promptly upon
arrival at BHS (approximately 6:55) and run until the 7:20 bell. After CLUB, the full class meets from 7:20
until 8:20, at which time non-BHS students are released to return to their home schools. BHS students will
then participate in CLUB activities from 8:20 until 8:55. Active participation in CLUB ensures all students
receive at least 90 minutes of Literary Arts instruction every day.