Day One - Friday March 20th

If you were absent on Friday (shame on you) you didn't miss too much. We went over some basic classroom guidelines and expectations for the class. Here is a handout given out in class with an outline of these rules.

To all English 5 students:

Welcome to your third cycle of English at North Queens Community High School. I would like to use this letter as an opportunity to explain to you some of the expectations and procedures that you can expect in our classroom. By following these guidelines you can ensure that you will be successful and that you will maintain a positive classroom environment for yourselves and every student in our community.

Classroom Rules:

1. Be On Time

Please do your best to get to class on time. I understand that the halls may be crowded but it is more than possible to get to class before the late bell rings. Every class will begin with a Do Now assignment that will count toward your final grade so it is crucial that have ample time to complete the task.

2. Be Prepared

This means having your paper, pens, books and homework ready. You are responsible for bringing the correct materials to class. You must have a working pen or pencil every day! Do not expect that another student or teacher will have one for you to borrow. Be advised that I will perform random notebook checks, which means that your notebook must be with you and in order every day.

3. Be On Task

Class work is important. From the second you walk in to the room until the second that you leave, everything that you do counts. When you walk in, you are to copy down the Essential Question/Aim. Understanding Goal, and the Do Now. If I give you a worksheet to do in class you are expected to do it.

4. Be Respectful

Of Self:

· You are responsible for yourself. In my classroom, you need to act in an appropriate, mature and respectful manner.

· Attendance is mandatory. In order to pass my class, you need to show up. Attending class only two or three times a week or only when you feel like it is not acceptable. Think of school as a job, if you don’t show up – you get fired. If you don’t come to class – you fail.

· Turn in your assignments on time. Late assignments may result in a grade deduction.

· Cheating on an assignment, project or test or plagiarism on a writing assignment shows a lack of respect for yourself and your peers. Cheating is a serious offense with serious consequences and will not be tolerated in my classroom.

Of Peers:

· Be considerate of other students.

· Do not interrupt someone when they are speaking

Of Your Teacher:

· Raise your hand to be recognized.

· Do not interrupt a teacher when he/she is speaking

5. Homework

Homework is not assigned on a voluntary basis. Every assignment counts and must be completed. If you are absent, it is your responsibility to find out what the homework is from another student. If you are absent on the day that homework is due then it is you duty to show me the homework on the day that you come back. For larger assignments (essays, drafts, etc.) you may email your work to me (SilversteinEmily@gmail.com) if necessary, however, unless you get a confirmation response from me do not assume that I have received your email. You may also use this email address is you have any questions about assignments that you have. I check my email daily so you can expect a quick response. I would also suggest exchanging emails or phone numbers with at least two other students so that you can get an assignment if you are absent.

6. Writing

The writing that you do in this class is important. Writing assignments make up a large percentage of your grade. It is important for you to realize that writing is a process and that I may require you to do multiple drafts of an essay even though you may not want to do so. This is a requirement. You may also be required to write your essay in pieces using outlines and scaffolding tools. This is meant to help you learn how to write a proper essay and prepare you for your future writing assignments.

7. Grading Policy

The following list is how your grades will be broken down.

Do Now 10%

Classwork 25%

Student Engagement 20%

Homework 15%

Benchmark Assessment 30%

I asked students to sign it and return it to me. I can get that from missing students on Monday.