York County School of the Arts
2015-2016 Literary Arts 11 Syllabus
Instructor: Ms. Renee M. Kingan
rkingan@ycsd.york.va.us || 757-564-6692 (before 7 and after 2:05, please!)
http://soalitart.weebly.com/la11.html
SOA Office: 757-220-4095 || SOA Fax: 855-512-6930
Class Materials:
 three-ring binder & loose leaf paper
 planner (something that works for you)
 pens, pencils, highlighters, post-it notes
 thumb drive (Dropbox or Google Drive preferred)
 grading pen (neither blue nor black ink)
 writer’s journal (choose something that suits you!)
 fine-point felt-tip black drawing pen
 I encourage BYOT!
Course Description: These interdisciplinary courses are designed for advanced students with an interest in and
talent for writing, literature, and other fine arts. The courses focus on philosophies ranging from Socratism to
existentialism and the literature reflecting these ideas. The impact of the questioning of traditional beliefs and the
experimentation in artistic expression within the fine arts are emphasized. Students examine these philosophic ideas
and stylistic techniques as revealed in the communication and/or the arts of prehistoric cultures through postmodernism. This study provides models from the categories of notation, recollection, investigation, imagination, and
cogitation. These courses help prepare students for the Advanced Placement Test in English Language and Composition.
Suggested reading includes Their Eyes Were Watching God, Native Son, The Color Purple, The Fountainhead, The
Grapes of Wrath, My Name is Asher Lev, The History of Philosophy, The Old Man and the Sea, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s
Nest, Catcher in the Rye, The Passion of the Western Mind & Walden
Course Outline:
 Quarter 1 – Summer Reading, Intro to Philosophy, Transcendentalism & Difference
 Quarter 2 – Playwriting, American Exceptionalism & 20th Century Art History
 Quarter 3 – The Great Depression, Surrealism & AP Prep Push!
 Quarter 4 – Post-Modernism & Research
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.
I also expect students, parents, and guardians to use Aspen, the LA11 class resources website, and a calendar
or planner to keep track of assignments and grades. Students will also use an educational blog website, and
Microsoft Office 365, Google Drive, or Dropbox for file management.
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), I
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 and
outside of school. 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
2015-2016 Literary Arts 11 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 involve 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. *Financial
assistance is available to students for all day trips on an as-needed basis. If you have a particular financial need,
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 necessarily eligible for
credit. You may double-dip Arts Patron assignments if you are enrolled in more than one SOA class; however,
you may not double-dip with TA or ATT Practicum hours.
Evaluation: Though Literary Arts 11 and Advanced Arts Link / Writers’ Workshop 11 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. I use a total-points grading scale, so
different assignments are 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. Your letter grade
average reflects the total points you have earned, divided by the total number of possible points. Expect
weekly grade updates on Aspen, and I encourage you and your parents to email me with questions about
your grade reports.
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 me or 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 = Manic Monday weekly wellness tidbit
• T = Thinking Chair philosophy lesson
• W = Vocabulary review (extra help available W afternoons by appt.)
• Th = Weekly Journals due (includes daily Bell-Ringers & weekly 45-minute Humdinger)
• F = Gift poem / Cumulative Vocabulary Quiz
Special Note: Junior year will likely become unreasonably rigorous at times. You are high-achieving students
enrolled in tough classes, and you have many commitments outside of school. It is imperative that you eat,
sleep, and build downtime into your schedules. No assignment or grade for this class is so important that you
should neglect taking care of yourself in order to meet a deadline. Your SOA family is here to support you and
remind you to take care of yourself! DO NOT HESITATE to make me aware of your concerns as they arise.
York County School of the Arts
2015-2016 Literary Arts 11 Syllabus
My Beginning and Ending Routines
1. Routine for How Students Will Enter the Room
Instructions projected on board. Students seated when bell rings, beginning bell-ringer.
2. Routine for How Students Will Be Instructionally Engaged While Attendance Is Taken and for
How Opening Business is Conducted
Daily Bell-Ringer activities
3. Routine for Dealing with Tardy Students
BHS Tardy Policy
4. Routine for Dealing with Students Who Come to Class without Necessary Materials
Reminder, parent phone call/email, participation point reduction.
5. Routine for Dealing with Students Upon Their Return from an Absence
Student should consult Class Resources Website and/or “This Week” weekly assignment sheet. Make
up quizzes and tests in pull-out session if necessary.
6. Routine for Wrapping Up at End of Day/Class
Homework reminders / “Exit Ticket” activity
7. Routine for Dismissal
I will dismiss students after the bell.
8. Routine leaving the classroom (office, restroom, car, etc.)
Alert nearest available colleague & SOA Coordinator.
Students must receive permission from an administrator to leave the building to go to his/her car.
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I have read the syllabus and understand what is expected of me as a student academically and behaviorally.
Student Signature: ____________________________________________
Date: ______________
I have reviewed the syllabus with my child and I am aware of the expectations for this class.
Parent/Guardian Signature: ____________________________________________
Date: ______________
York County School of the Arts
2015-2016 Literary Arts 11 Syllabus
My Procedures for Managing Student Work
1. Procedures for Assigning Classwork and Homework
“This Week” assignment sheet distributed every Friday for the following week and posted on Class
Resources Website. Class time allowed for students to copy information into electronic calendar or
personal agenda.
2. Procedures for Managing Independent Work Periods
Online Stopwatch / technology allowed with instructor permission ONLY.
3. Procedures for Collecting Completed Work
Turn in work in designated bins and trays, email, Dropbox, Google Drive, Office 365, thumb drives.
4. Procedures for Keeping Records and Providing Feedback to Students
Paper gradebook entered into Aspen and posted to web weekly. Work returned per YCSD policy for
returning graded work.
5. Procedures and Policies for Dealing with Late/Missing 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), I will consider granting an extension for work upon the receipt of a
parent/guardian note explaining the issue.
6. Routine for making up tests or quizzes after an absence
Students will make up work as soon as possible, with reasonable time, per the circumstances of each
situation.