Honors English 9
James Monroe High School
Ms. Gompf
Email: mgompf@cityschools.com
Blog: http://www.cityschools.com/mgompf/
Phone: 540-372-1100, x 2250
INTRODUCTION
Honors English 9 is a reading and writing intensive course designed for highly motivated, high-ability
learners who wish to build on what they have learned in previous language arts courses.
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To learn more about English 9, go to http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/standards_docs/english/.
REQUIRED SUPPLIES
Please bring the following supplies to class every day:
 a 1 ½ or 2-inch, 3-ring binder
 a 3-hole punched, 1-subject spiral notebook
 4 dividers
 1 pack of loose-leaf paper
 3 packs of 3x5 index cards
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#2 pencils with erasers
1 pack of highlighters (pink, yellow, green,
and blue)
your literature textbook and your vocabulary
workbook
HOW TO ORGANIZE YOUR BINDER
You need a 1 ½ inch to 2 inch binder that includes the following sections:
1. A spiral notebook for Agendas, HWs, and Warm-ups
2. Vocabulary
3. Reading & Research
4. Writing & Grammar
5. Graded Work
I will periodically check your notebook to make sure you have all of the materials you need for this course.
Your binder must include your spiral notebook and all other course work in the appropriate section in order
by date. Notebooks are graded on completion and organization.
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YOUR TEXTBOOK & OTHER TEXTS
Along with selections from Holt McDougal Literature, Grade 9, you will read (and reread) several major works in
this class. Here is the list of works:
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excerpts from How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster
The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells
Night by Elie Wiesel
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain
Oedipus, the King by Sophocles
The Tempest by William Shakespeare
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
YOUR VOCABULARY POWER PLUS WORKBOOK
You will be issued one free copy of Vocabulary Power Plus for the New SAT/ACT, Book 1 published by
Prestwick House. You will need this workbook every day. Not having your book will not excuse you from
completing your vocabulary assignments. Lost or severely damaged workbooks must be replaced immediately
at your expense. You may purchase replacement copies from Ms. Cobey in the library.
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WHAT TO DO WHEN AN ASSIGNMENT IS DUE…
SKILLS PRACTICE
You are expected to complete skills assignments in the time allotted and turn in your work immediately
upon request. Be sure to write your first name, last name, the date, and the title of the assignment at the
top of your work. Students who do not label their work with their first and last names will be given a 0% on
the assignment until the work is claimed. Once the work is claimed, the grade will be entered in the
gradebook, but the student will receive a deduction of %5.
QUIZZES & TESTS
You are expected to complete quizzes and tests in the time allotted and turn in your work immediately upon
request. Be sure to write your first name, last name, the date, and the title of the assignment at the top of
your quiz or test. Students who do not label their work with their first and last names will be given a 0% on
the assignment until the work is claimed. Once the work is claimed, the grade will be entered in the
gradebook, but the student will receive a deduction of %5.
Also be sure to use a #2 pencil when taking a multiple choice quiz or test that requires you to mark your
answers on a bubble sheet. The grading machine cannot read ink and will mark all of your answers wrong.
Students who use ink on bubble sheets will receive a 0% on the assignment.
ESSAYS & OTHER FORMAL WRITING ASSIGNMENTS
When a formal writing assignment is due, please submit a final copy of your work to Turnitin.com (TIN)
unless otherwise instructed. You will need to remember your TIN login to do so. Make sure you locate this
information as soon as possible. Deadlines are approaching. If you cannot remember you TIN login, you
will have to create another account.
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Class ID: 10025351
Enrollment Password: honors
Caution!
 I will only look for your work on Turnitin.com.
o Please do not email your work unless otherwise instructed.
o Please do not hand in a paper copy of your work unless otherwise instructed.
 Always make sure you have typed your first name, last name, class period, date, and title on the
first page.
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LATE WORK POLICY
To receive full credit for your work, the work must be complete, correct, and submitted on the day it is due
immediately upon request. Here are my specific policies:
Assignment
Specific Policy
Skills Practice
I do not accept work classified as “skills practice” after the deadline unless
you are absent the day it is completed, and your absence is excused.
Essays and
Projects
I do accept essays and projects after the deadline; however, you must
request an extension in writing at least 48 hours before the assignment
is due. Extensions will be granted on a case by case basis. Even if you are
given an extension, you lose 5% for every day the assignment is not turned
in, including weekends, holidays, snow days, et cetera.
MISSED WORK POLICY
If your absence is marked “Excused” in PowerSchool…
The work you have missed or neglected to submit in your absence will be placed in the Missed
Assignments file located in the classroom. Look for the assignments with your name on them.
You are expected to complete your makeup work within the week. A grade of 0% will be entered in the
gradebook until the work is completed.
Caution!
 If you were given a skills practice assignment to complete prior to your absence, and it was due on
the day you are absent, you must submit the work immediately upon return.
 If you were notified of a pending quiz or test prior to your absence, you must take the quiz or test
immediately upon return.
 If you are absent on the day when an essay or project is due, you are still expected to submit the
work by deadline unless you were given an extension.
If your absence is marked “Unexcused” in PowerSchool…
The work you’ve missed or neglected to submit in your absence cannot be accepted for credit. This policy
applies to skills practice assignments, quizzes, tests, essays, and projects.
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GRADING CATEGORIES
In the gradebook, assignments are categorized as skills practice, quizzes, or tests/essays/projects. Each
category is weighted differently, which means that some assignments will impact your grade more than
others. In other words, while earning high marks for skills-practice assignments will help you, your final
average will largely depend on your performance on quizzes, tests, essays, and projects. The category
weights are as follows:
Skills Practice
Quizzes
Tests, Essays, & Projects
15 %
35 %
50 %
GRADING SCALE
On each assignment, you will earn percentage that reflects your level of performance. Percentages convert
into the following letter grades:
97-100 (A+)
94-96 (A)
90-93 (A-)
87-89 (B+)
84-86 (B)
80-83 (B-)
77-79 (C+)
74-76 (C)
70-73 (C-)
67-69 (D+)
64-66 (D)
60-63 (D-)
0-59 (F)
GRADE REPORTING
The term is divided into 4 quarters, each 4 ½ weeks in length. Students can access grades online at any time
throughout the term; however, printed interim reports will be issued every 2 ½ weeks.
JAYEM A.M.
Students with course averages lower than 80% must attend JAYEM A.M. Students must come to the room
no later than 7:40 a.m. on their scheduled days to be counted present.
JAYEM A.M. Schedule for Term 2
Period 2 Students
Tuesday
Period 3 Students
Wednesday
Period 4 Students
Thursday
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BENCHMARK TESTS
Every 4 ½ weeks, you will take a benchmark test that measures your progress in the course. The
benchmark test will only test your knowledge of the concepts and skills you have learned in the most recent
4 ½ weeks.
THE MIDTERM & FINAL EXAM
At the end of this course, you will NOT take an SOL test. Instead you will take midterm and final exams.
The dates for these important tests are as follows:
Test
Midterm Exam
Final Exam
When is it?
April 11-14
June 6-15
What’s on it?
Q1 and Q2
concepts and
skills
Q3 and Q4
concepts and
skills
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How much does it count?
20% of your Semester 1 Grade
20% of your Semester 2 Grade
THE HONOR CODE
You must adhere to the honor code at all times. Please sign all independent work with the honor pledge,
which indicates that you have neither given nor received any help on the assignment. Unless otherwise
instructed, you are to work independently on assignments and only submit your original work.
HONOR CODE VIOLATIONS
You have violated the honor code when you—
 give or receive help on assignments without expressed permission of the teacher.
 misrepresent the work of others as your own.
 resubmit work you have produced for another course.
Students caught violating the honor code will earn a 0% for the violation. All violations will be documented
and parents will be contacted.
CODE OF CONDUCT
We will follow school and division policies and procedures to conduct the business of our classroom.
Please review the student code of conduct for detailed descriptions of policies and procedures.
Students will always be held accountable for their actions and may face disciplinary action as a result of
their choices. Please refer to the school’s Code of Conduct for examples of behaviors that warrant a
disciplinary referral (DR) to an administrator.
ELECTRONIC DEVICES
During the instructional period, ALL ELECTRONIC DEVICES AND ACCESSORIES MUST BE OFF AND
OUT OF SIGHT. Students who use electronic devices during the instructional period will receive a
disciplinary referral.
HALL PASSES
Students may not leave the classroom during the first and last 10 minutes of class. At other times, you may
request a hall pass, however not during direct instruction.
 Try to take care of personal business before class begins. Do not be tardy to class.
 You will be given no more than two hall passes a week.
 You must have YOUR agenda to leave the room.
o Students are allotted 5 minutes for bathroom passes.
o Students will not be given passes to the water fountain. You may bring bottled water to
class.
 A student’s hall pass privileges may be revoked at any time for any reason.
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Honors English 9
2015-2016
SIGNATURE PAGE
*Please sign to indicate that you have read and understood the syllabus.*
Class Period _____ Student’s Full Name ____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Student’s Signature
Today’s Date
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Parent’s/Guardian’s Signature
Today’s Date
PARENT/GUARDIAN CONTACT INFORMATION
First and Last Name _________________________________________ Relationship to Student ________
Email Address (Please print one letter/number/symbol per box.)
Phone # _________________________________________________________________________________
Best Time to Contact _______________________________________________________________________
(PLEASE COMPLETE AND RETURN TO MS. GOMPF.)
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