Miss McBride
Introduction to Grade 9 Applied English
Semester One, Period One
Room 136
English is the only subject area that is mandatory in each year of high school. The commitment that you
make to your success in English this year will be the foundation for your future studies – make it count!
Course Outline
The Grade 9 Applied English course is broken down into five units of study:
1. Short Stories
(Transitions)
2. Mythology
(Myth and Meaning)
3. Novel Study
(Summer of My German Soldier)
4. Non-fiction
(Transitions)
5. Poetry
(Transitions)
Uniform
The school uniform policy will be in full effect at all times. Any failure to adhere to the uniform policy
will result in dismissal from class, if necessary, in order return in proper uniform. Please note that a
three strikes rule will apply: failure to follow the uniform policy will result in a study hall assignment.
Cell phones and electronic devices
In keeping with the school policy on cell phones and electronic devices, there is a zero tolerance policy
for the use of these devices in class. Students who bring these devices in to class must place them at the
front of the room and retrieve them only at the end of the period. A three strikes rule will apply to any
cell phones or electronic devices found to be in use in class – they will be confiscated on the first and
second instance and kept in the Main Office for the principal’s discretion on the third instance.
Class conduct
Students are expected to conduct themselves in class according to the three R’s:



Respect classmates and teacher at all times (e.g. absolutely no speaking out of turn or
interrupting, support one another’s learning through productive feedback and questioning)
Take responsibility for success (e.g. homework, class participation)
Be reliable (e.g. punctual, consistent effort in class)
Organization
Students are expected to come to class fully prepared in order to do their best. This includes
 a neatly organized binder with blank paper for notes
 pens/pencils and highlighters
 any necessary textbooks
 assistive technology (e.g. laptop, headphones) if assigned
Students who repeatedly come to class unprepared will be assigned a study hall in order to compensate
for the time and work that is lost.
Miss McBride
At the beginning of each unit, students will review the expectations for the unit and set personal goals. If
any assignments do not meet these goals, students will have an opportunity to make these up during a
lunch period.
Each student will be responsible for maintaining a record of his/her assignments and marks in a folder to
be kept in the classroom. This folder will be returned to each student prior to the final exam for study
purposes.
Homework, assignments, and tests
Students are expected to adhere to guidelines and expectations for homework and assignments
according to the three R’s:
 Respect deadlines and due dates
 Take responsibility for your success – it’s up to you!
 Be a reliable classmate and dependable to your teacher
A class website has been set up to assist students’ organization in this course. The website includes a
class calendar and useful links for student research. Handouts that have been provided in class will also
be available on the website; therefore, students who are absent are expected to keep up to date. These
are also available so that students may access them for study purposes or if they have lost any handouts
distributed in class. The link for the class website is:
http://schools.alcdsb.on.ca/teachers/mcbrjuli/default.aspx.
A variety of assessment tools will be used to gauge students’ progress in this course. All formative
(ungraded) tasks will be designed to assist students’ completion of their final task and unit test. In
general, students should be prepared for
 Formative tasks throughout each unit, which will be assessed with feedback
 One summative task/project and one test per major unit of study
 One culminating activity and one final exam at the end of the course