English I Honors
Miss Cornwell
e-mail: bcornwell@cboek12.org
website: http://cornwellsclasses.weebly.com
Welcome to English I Honors! We have lots to learn this year, and I look forward to working with each
and every one of you!
As far as classroom rules go, all school-wide rules will, of course, remain in place. This syllabus will
provide you with some specifics regarding how our classroom will run and what will be expected of you.
It is expected that everyone will be respectful of one another, and we will create a class list of Respect
Rules to ensure that this happens.
Content:
We will use a wide variety of materials in this class, but no matter what we are using or discussing at any
given time, our goals are to become better readers and writers. More than anything, our focus is to learn
skills that are beneficial and have real-world application.
Some of the content we use will be as follows:
-Poetry
-Short stories
-Nonfiction (news articles, essays, speeches)
-Homer’s The Odyssey
-Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar
-Anderson’s Speak
-Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men
-Kaye Gibbons’ Ellen Foster
-Anzia Yezierska’s Bread Givers
Homework will be regularly assigned and will often include reading at home. It is crucial that you
complete your reading and other assignments on time to ensure that classes are as productive as possible.
Homework will almost always be checked, and occasionally, there will be quizzes to ensure that you did
the reading. Sometimes they will be announced the day before, sometimes they will be a surprise. Do the
reading whenever it is assigned and you’ll do fine!
We will also be learning vocabulary as well as grammar. Vocabulary will come from your assigned vocab
books, but there may be other times when additional words come from other units.
My website will be regularly updated to include homework assignments as well as upcoming tests,
quizzes, and due dates, but please make sure to write down your homework every day as well so you can
keep yourself organized.
Keep in mind that because this is an Honors class, more will be expected of you. It is fully expected that
you keep up with the workload and take responsibility for your own work.
Materials:
We need to stay organized! These things need to be with you when you walk into the classroom EVERY
DAY! This means showing up for class and then asking to go get supplies from your locker is not
allowed. Here is what you’ll need:
-Binder or a notebook and folder (Either is fine, but if you have a notebook, you must also have a folder,
and if you have a binder, make sure you have a hole puncher.)
-Pen or pencil (Please use pen colors that are easily legible! If you want fun colors, at least use a dark
color so that I can read it.)
-Whatever book/article/etc. we are reading at the time
-Homework (Whatever is due that day.)
-Vocabulary book
Attendance:
Very simple! Show up to class ON TIME every day, and don’t pack up until the bell rings. You’re all in
high school now, so I don’t think we should have any problems with this!
If you are late for class, you will be assigned detention.
Phone Policy:
Your phone should be on silent or turned off when you come in to class every day. There will be a pocket
in the back of the room with your name on it where you will be expected to put your phone at the
beginning of the period. There will be times when I might give you permission to use your phones for
educational purposes, but other than that, they should remain in the pockets until I give you permission to
get them at the end of the period.
Grading:
Grading will be done by a points system. This means that instead of tests counting for 20% of your grade,
projects counting for 30%, etc., each assignment will be worth a certain number of points. Out of those
points, you will receive a point value based on what you have earned.
At the end of each marking period, the points you have earned will be added up and will be divided by the
total number of points possible.
Each homework assignment, quiz, test, project, writing assignments, etc. will be given a value based upon
the difficulty of and the amount of work needed to complete the assignment.
The following values are approximate and may change, but to give you a general idea, most of the
following will be worth around:
-Homework assignments: 10 points
-Participation evaluations: 10 points
-Quizzes: 20 points
-Tests: 50 points
-Essays: 100 points
Although some assignments will be worth more than others, it is important to remember that every
assignment is important and must be completed. Many smaller assignments will provide the practice you
need to do well on larger assignments.
Late Policy/Making up Work:
For every day a project or out-of-class essay is handed in late, you will lose 10 points.
Homework will receive full credit if it is fully completed at the beginning of class. Half credit will be
given if the assignment is incomplete or handed in a day late. Homework will not be accepted beyond one
extra day. Homework will not always be graded, but occasionally it will be, so always do your best.
If you are absent, you will have the number of days you were absent to hand in any work that was due.
For example, if you were absent for two days, you will have two days to hand in any work that you
missed.
It is extremely important to note however, that if you were present when something was assigned or a test
date was planned, you will still be responsible for handing in that assignment or taking that test, even if
you were absent the day before. For example, if the class knows that you have a test on Wednesday, and
you are absent on Tuesday, you are still required to take the test when you return on Wednesday.
Plagiarism and Cheating:
According to the Oxford Dictionary, plagiarism is defined as “the practice of taking someone else's work
or ideas and passing them off as one's own.” This includes using someone else’s ideas or writing without
giving them credit. We will talk about plagiarism more in depth as a class and learn ways to give author’s
credit when you are borrowing pieces of their ideas by quoting, summarizing, or paraphrasing.
Although plagiarism is cheating, there are other ways to cheat too, as we all know. This includes copying
homework, getting or giving answers on a test, etc.
Please see the Student Handbook for information on discipline regarding plagiarism and cheating.
Extra Stuff to Remember:
Never be afraid to ask questions! Everyone gets confused sometimes!
Remember that I am here to help you, and I truly want each and every one of you to be successful. If you
think there is something I could do that will help you better understand the material, please let me know.
Help your classmates out! If you understand something and see a classmate struggling with it, offer to
give them a hand after class. The more we work together, the more we can accomplish!
Signatures:
Student Name (please print): ________________________________________________
Student Signature: ________________________________________________________
Parent/Guardian Signature: _________________________________________________
Please also provide a name and telephone number I can use to contact a parent/guardian:
________________________________________________________________________