Mrs. Van Geons' English Class Extravaganza

Contact Information

• Tara E. Van Geons

• Website-www.taravangeons.com

• Email- tvangeons@graystoneday.org

Schedule for 2008-09

1             Planning
2             Lit Expr            R 210
3             Lit Expr            R 206
4             Eng II               R 206
5             Eng I                R 206
6             Eng II               R 206

Rules

R—espect

E—agerness is key!

A—lways do what is asked—follow school wide rules

D—o talk when appropriate, saying appropriate things, but not the contrary

Materials Needed Daily

1. “Marble” 100-page composition book/daybook
2. Black/blue pen
3. Your PERSONAL roll of scotch tape
4. Highlighters
5. Your PERSONAL glue sticks

Grading Policy

1. Daily work(quizzes, homework, etc.):  40%
2. Major grades(tests, projects, etc.)/ Writing(personal, essays, papers, etc.):  50%
3. Participation(prepared for class, active in class, respectfulness) 10%
4. EOC courses (EOC will count as 25% of total year long grade)

Procedures and Policies

Starting class

• Start writing assignment/warm-up as soon as you are in the classroom
• Participation grade
• After attendance, be ready to share warm-up

Leaving class

• Three times all semester
• Must have pass

Leaving seat

• Only during independent work/group work
• NEVER during lecture

Food and drinks

• Do not bring food to class
• Drinks may be brought to class but only if it has a cover/cap

Our environment

• Use the trashcans
• Do not mark on desks
• Respect all things in the classroom
• Books/bags under desks

Asking questions

• By raising hand AT ALL TIMES unless otherwise directed to do so
• Only pertinent and appropriate questions

Tardy Policy

• Tardy when not in seat working QUIETLY when bell rings

• 1^st tardyà after school detention with me with phone call to parent

• 2^nd tardyà after school detention with school with phone call to parent

• 3^rd tardyàConference with Administration and parent

Make-up work

• When absent it is YOUR responsibility obtain make-up work
• Call a buddy OR check website
• Three days to make up work
• Schedule a time to make up test/quiz after class

Materials

• Have ALL materials with you when class begins
• Participation grade is influenced by not having materials
• Daybook is essential
• TAPE, TAPE, TAPE, GLUE, GLUE, GLUE—have your own
• Classroom tape used for emergency only—if abused it will be taken away

Late work

I do not accept late work. Issues with technology/ printers/ etc are your responsibility. Absence on the due date of an assignment is not an excuse for late work. If you know you are going to be absent, planning is key.  If there is an unexpected absence due to either illness or family emergency, we will make arrangements on a case-by-case basis.

Technology Requirements

Students will be required to have an email address (yahoo, gmail, Gray Stone account) and will learn how to fluently use this address. Students will submit most formal assignments via email and will be working a great deal on the World Wide Web for research projects. Students will also be required to participate in several blackboard blogs for classroom discussions/homework assignments.

Purchasing the Texts

www.amazon.com

www.cheapestbookprice.com

English I-9^th Grade Required Texts

• To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee (Summer Reading)
• Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
• Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan
• The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

10215 Honors Freshman English

1. Full Year Course

1. NOTE: Required EOC Testing Course This course covers the writing process including the study of form in personal narrative, descriptive, and expository papers. The curriculum includes a variety of multicultural literature: short stories, novels, poetry, mythology, drama, and nonfiction with an emphasis on oral/written response to literature, distinguishing characteristics of various genres and vocabulary study. A significant amount of time is spent learning and applying grammar rules. As the purpose of the class is to broaden and deepen knowledge and performance, additional in-depth work is required. A research project and a summer reading project are required.

English II-10^th Grade Required Texts

• The Kite Runner by Khaled Hossini (Summer Reading)
• Night by Elie Weisel
• The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
• Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse
• Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
• Blindness by Jose Saramago  

10225 Honors World Literature

• Full Year Course
• NOTE: State Required Writing Test This course, typically taken in the tenth grade, emphasizes personal narrative, descriptive, and expository papers with a focus on a review of grammar and usage. The curriculum will cover a variety of authors and selections from world literature, short stories, novels, drama, and poetry.

Literary Expressions Required Texts

• A Million Little Pieces by James Frey
• Six Word Memoirs
•  Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote
• Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules foreword by David Sedaris, short stories by various authors including Tobias Wolfe
•  “A Street Car Named Desire” by Tennessee Williams
• “Proof” by David Auburn
• “Waiting for Godot” by Samuel Beckett

10275 Honors Literary Expressions

• Full Year Course
• This course is constructed to allow students the opportunity to express themselves after significant research into the following literary genres: fiction, non-fiction, monologues, poetry, and works of the dramatic arts. Students will read works of literature, discuss major themes, and develop original works. Works may be presented, displayed or performed.

IMPORTANT CLASSROOM INFORMATION

Modified from http://whswildcats.org/faculty_files/bells/index_files/page0001.htm

Plagiarism and Cheating – Plagiarism is when one borrows material from another source without giving that source credit. This includes when a student uses the words, thoughts, and/or ideas of another and presents them as if it were the student’s own original work. Plagiarism is the equivalent of cheating. This means it is the same as sitting near another student in class and copying his/her answers. It includes but is not limited to:

• Copying information from the Internet, a book, newspaper, or a magazine and pasting it into one’s paper without parenthetical documentation.
• Copying and pasting information from another source and failing to place that information inside of quotation marks and omitting the appropriate parenthetical documentation
• Copying from another student and presenting the information as if it were the student’s own original work
• Purchasing a paper from a paper mill or the Internet

Cheating is a form of academic dishonesty. This includes but is not limited to:

• Talking during a test or quiz
• Asking a question of another student during a test or quiz
• Rummaging through one’s book bad or papers during a test or quiz, without teacher permission
• More than one student turning in the exact same responses to an individual project or paper
•  Utilizing some sort of cheat sheet or a student’s note
• Having materials related to the test open on a student’s desk or near a student’s desk
•  Passing notes to another student, revealing or sharing answers with another student, or looking at another student’s paper during a test or quiz.

It speaks poorly of a student who chooses to engage in any of the aforementioned behaviors and constitutes academic misconduct. Such behaviors will result in a grade of zero on the assignment and the student will not receive the opportunity to make up the assignment. Remember, when one chooses the behavior, he/she also chooses the consequences.

     Mrs. Van Geons on RateMyTeacher.com  

100 Words All College Bound Students Should Know