English I Syllabus
Mrs. Matties
2013-2014 school year
Welcome to English I! This year we will be focusing on reading literature as well as
informational text, writing, speaking & listening, and language.
Reading: Fiction (short stories & novels), Non-Fiction, Drama (Romeo & Juliet),
Poetry, Informational articles
Each of you will also need to read at least one AR novel per semester. Your novel
must be age appropriate and approved by me. Please use the back computer to take
your AR quiz; if you take it on a different computer, you need to get your score
signed by a teacher who saw you take it. You will complete an oral or written book
report on this novel during class.
Writing: You will be doing a variety of writing including informative/explanatory
(including a compare/contrast), argumentative, and narrative (including a
personal narrative).
Speaking & Listening: class discussions, impromptu speeches (fishbowl & three
things), persuasive speech (school & family), personal
narrative speech, project demonstrations, oral book
report etc.
Language: grammatical skills
Classroom expectations: Be respectful, responsible, and safe
*Be in your assigned seat with your book, notebook, pen or pencil, and folder
when the bell rings. You need to bring these items every day even if you think
you won’t use them on a particular day! (If you need to go back to your locker
to get any of these items, you will be counted tardy.) Three tardies result in a
½ hour detention which needs to be served before or after school within 24
hours.
*Be on task. (listen to the lecture, take notes, participate in class when
appropriate, don’t sleep, work on assigned work for this class) Feel free to read
a book or work on other homework during my class after you are done with
your English assignment.
*Cell phones, mp3 players, cameras etc. are not allowed to be used in class
without my permission. (If I see it, hear it, or can tell you are using it, I will
confiscate it until the end of the day.)
*No food or beverages in class except for water (no sharing a water bottle) or
gum (if I can’t see it or hear it) unless I give permission in advance
*Be respectful at all times. (don’t interrupt others, don’t cut others down/pick
on others, don’t take other peoples’ things, don’t make rude comments, don’t
throw stuff around etc.)
*Bullying will not be tolerated. (physical or verbal aggression, intimidation, or
social alienation)
*No obscene/inappropriate language will be used (swearing,
racial/ethnic/gender/sexual orientation slurs etc)
*If you need to leave class to use the bathroom, get a drink, go to the office
etc ask me and take a hall pass. This will be before or after the lecture at my
discretion.
Late Work Policy
*I expect students to be responsible; therefore, assignments need to be handed
in on time.
*Assignments are always due at the beginning of the hour unless otherwise
specified by me.
*Absolutely no late work will be accepted. If you aren’t done, you can turn in
what you have done or use your late slip.
*You will each receive one late slip/quarter to use for an extra day on one
assignment (will not work on tests, quizzes, speeches, or book projects)
*If you do not use your late slip (and do not have any zeros), you will receive ten
bonus points at the end of the quarter!
Absences
*It is your responsibility to complete and turn in any work you missed due to
absences!
*If you are absent from class due to unforeseen circumstances (ie illness), you
will need to get your assignment out of your class folder and turn it in within
two days of when you were gone. If you are gone on the day of a test or quiz,
you will need to take it the day you come back. Any homework due the day you
were gone needs to be handed in the day you come back.
*If you know you are going to be absent from class (ie family vacation,
extracurricular activity, appointment etc) you need to get your assignment
before you are gone and it is due the day you get back.
Extra Credit
*You may read one extra AR book/quarter for extra credit. You need to
receive at least an 8/10 on the quiz in order to earn the ten bonus points.
*If you don’t need to use your late slip, you will get ten bonus points at the end
of the quarter.