Eligibility for Honors English 11

1. Eligibility for Honors English 11 • The Central Office of MCPSS has issued the following prerequisites for entering and requirements for remaining in Honors English 11: “Prerequisite: Students should have earned at least a 70/C average in Honors English 10 and at least an 80/B average in regular English 10 with the recommendation of the English teacher. Students must not have failed the reading and language portions of the AHSGE.” • Requirement: “Students who fail to maintain a 70/C or above will be removed from the Honors English Program for the next appropriate term.”

2. Rules of the Game *All Mobile County Board of Education rules will be enforced in my classroom, as well as those of Davidson High school. • Be on time and seated when the tardy bell rings. • I will close the door once the tardy bell rings. If you come to class and the door is already closed, report to tardy hall • Each tardy: Student is detained in tardy hall until the next class period, unless an administrator excuses the tardy.I will not accept a note from another teacher unless it is a VERY GOOD reason. I determine what is a GOOD REASON. • 3rd tardy: Parent is contacted • 4th tardy: Student is assigned to RETRACT for 3 days • 5th tardy: Student is suspended from school for 3 days Students who enter class with a tardy hall pass will not be able to make up quizzes or work missed after the bell. They will receive an automatic zero on all such work.

3. Late Work Policy • I will not accept any work late unless you have an excused absence. This includes if you check in late. If you have a tardy, the work is still due that day. • (You must find me before you leave school that day and turn the assignment in.) • All work must be turned in on the day it is due. • If it is not in the classroom at our regular meeting time (in your locker, on your bed, in your mom’s car), it will not be graded. • “If the work isn’t here, it doesn’t exist.”

4. Rules of the Game Continued… • Raise your hand and wait to be recognized before speaking.

5. Rules of the Game Continued… • Respect the views and opinions of others. (Profanity and degrading comments will not be tolerated.)

6. Rules of the Game Continued… • Remain in your assigned seat until you are dismissed or until you are given permission by the teacher.

7. Be Prepared! • Come to class prepared. • No one will be allowed to leave once the tardy bell has rung. If you do not have what you need for class, you will miss out on the lesson for the day.

8. Sleeping in Class • If a student chooses to sleep in class, he or she will receive zeroes on all of the work he or she missed while napping.

9. The Golden Rule • The Golden Rule: “If it’s not yours, DON’T TOUCH IT!” • We are guests in another teacher’s classroom. Do not touch anything in this room. • Treat this classroom with respect. Keep it neat and clean. • NO FOOD OR DRINKS! (only bottled water is permissible) • Anything on my cart is off-limits unless you ask my permission. • Do not go through other students’ book bags, purses, pants pockets, etc. “Do unto others as you would have them do to you.”

10. Consequences • If you choose to break the rules, this is what will happen. • Step 1: Verbal warning • Step 2: Removal from the classroom to sit in another teacher’s room and complete a writing assignment • If the student fails to complete the writing assignment before the block ends, he/she will be referred to the office for additional discipline. Any work missed as a result of the student’s removal from the classroom is the student’s responsibility to make up. If the student chooses to break the class rules, then the student chooses to complete Mrs. Cowan’s class work by himself/herself. • Step 3: Phone call home • Step 4: Some behaviors warrant Mrs. Cowan deviating from the three-step behavioral plan. If that is the case, Mrs. Cowan will send the student to office with a referral. This is up to Mrs. Cowan’s professional discretion and is not for discussion with the student.

11. Potty Time • Go to the restroom before or after class. You will NOT interrupt class to visit the restroom unless you are ill or can provide at doctor’s note explaining a chronic illness. -You will be given 4 restroom/hall passes for the ENTIRE SEMESTER. Use them sparingly. You will only be able to use them when it does not interrupt class activities and in case of emergency. - Once you use all 4 passes, they are gone.

12. Attendance • If you do not attend class, you will not have a good grade in my class. Students who are absent will miss out on important discussions, homework, reviews, etc.

13. Attendance Policy • Your attendance is EXTREMELY important. We will be working EVERY day. One absence will set you back. • If you do miss class, you will have 2 days to bring in an excuse in order to make up your work. • If you have more than four unexcused absences you may not receive credit for the class. • You will receive a zero for any work missed due to unexcused absences or unexcused tardies. Please be aware that this includes tests and quizzes. • If your absence is excused, it is YOUR responsibility to check the make-up work notebook and turn in assignments within one week after your return to school. Any work not turned in after one week following your absence will become a zero. • I stay after school on Wednesdays for students to make up tests/quizzes. If you do not show it’s a zero.

14. Uniforms and Cell Phones • I know that everyone here hates the policies on uniforms and cell phones. BUT I follow the rules. • If you are out of uniform, you are not allowed into my classroom. If I have told you to fix your uniform and you are in the hallway when the bell rings, you must go to tardy hall. • If your cell phone rings during class, it is mine and you are going home.

15. Cell Phones Students, I know when you are texting in class. Seriously, no one just looks down at his/her crotch and smiles. 

16. Class Participation • Class participation encompasses a variety of responsibilities and duties that each student should display on a regular basis. Your class participation grade will be worth 100 points each term. See the syllabus packet for details. • Please be aware that when a student has been detected cheating on an assignment, a zero will be assigned for the work, and the class participation grade will be lowered by one letter grade at the end of the term.

17. Supply List • 3-Ring binder • Loose-leaf paper • Dividers: You may buy these or make your own. You will need the following divisions in your notebook: class paperwork, bell work, grammar, writing, & literature. • A black and white composition book • Blue/Black Pens (Any other color or pencil is not permitted.) You will also need a colored pen to check papers in class. • A highlighter • White-out • 1 package of lined 4x6 index cards(for the research paper) • USB drive

18. Books to Purchase-Begin purchasing these books NOW!! • The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald • Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck • In Cold Blood by Truman Capote • MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7th Edition • *The Crucible by Arthur Miller is in our literature textbook*

19. Where Do I Buy My Novels? • I will do a novel check at the beginning of each novel unit. This is worth 30 Homework points. I will not accept excuses for not having novels. Either you have one or you do not. YOU MAY NOT SHARE A NOVEL WITH ANOTHER STUDENT!!!! • Go to Books-a-Million and tell them you are in my class. They will not give you a novel unless you tell them you are in my class. • Buy used books off of Amazon.com. These are sometimes only $1!!!! But purchase them NOW!! Do not wait until the day before they are due. • There are various used book stores here in Mobile. Look in the yellow pages. • Ask former Honors English 11 students • Go to the library!!

20. Writing… • 1 research paper on an American author’s influences • Literary analysis essays on the novels/short story units we read during class • 2-3 poems • Literary Response Journal

21. Literary Response Journals • You will need a composition notebook to keep as your LRJ. • As we read selections in class, I will assign questions related to the reading. You are to respond to these questions in ½ PAGE. This page will be graded the following day in class. Your response will be used for class discussions. • Your LRJ is the easiest way to boost your grade in my class and at the same time, the easiest way to cause your grade to drop. • Each entry is worth 10 test category points. BUT…. It is an all or nothing grade. Either you have written a page and receive 10 points, or you have not and receive NO POINTS.

22. Proper Heading • Heading goes in the top, left hand corner of your paper. Your heading should be double-spaced. Jane Doe Mrs. Cowan Honors English 11 20 August 2013 *NO NAME = NO CREDIT for the assignment*

23. Paper Format • Margins: 1 inch margins top, bottom, and sides • Page numbers beginning on second page • Title (should not be the title of the novel, but rather the title of YOUR essay) • Font: Times New Roman • Size: 12 point

24. Writing Assignments • Essay Requirements: • typed according to MLA format • two full pages in length • each essay must be submitted to turnitin.com. If the essay is not submitted to turnitin.com by 7:00 A.M. on the due date, then the essay will receive a zero. A hard copy of the essay will also be turned in on the due date. If a hard copy is not turned in, then the essay will receive a zero. • Students will sign a sheet outlining the essay policy the first week of school. This sheet describes the requirements. By signing this sheet, a student is acknowledging that they understand the requirements.

25. Rules of WritingThese are VERY Important! • While writing your literary analysis essays, you need to remember these rules. • DO NOT USE: I, We, You • If I have not required the essay to be typed, you must write in pen. • Use the proper heading. • Use the correct MLA format. • Use literary present tense. • Must contain: thesis statement, introduction, three body paragraphs, topic sentences, transitions, and a conclusion

26. Research Paper • During the second quarter there will be a major research project focusing on a modern American author. • Length: 4-6 page, typed and annotated • Create a PowerPoint presentation on the author of their choice. • They will then present their PowerPoint to the class.

27. Cheating/Plagiarism • Cheating of any kind will not be tolerated. -Any instance of plagiarism or cheating in Honors English 11 will result in a grade of 0% on the entire assignment. -If the cheating involves more than one person, everyone involved will receive a 0% on the assignment. Let your friends do their OWN work. -In cases of cheating/plagiarism, the teacher will insist on punishment to the fullest extent allowed.

28. EQT’s: End of Quarter Test • Honors students take the MCPSS-created EQT and are also required to write an in-class essay based on one of the selections read during the term. • (First quarter- the students will write about The Great Gatsby; second quarter-the students will write about The Crucible.) • The essay counts 25% of the EQT grade. • The entire EQT grade (objective test and the essay) will count 20% of the quarter grade.  

29. Extra Credit: Cultural Events • The only way Mrs. Cowan gives extra credit in her class is to invite students to attend “Cultural Events” in the Mobile area • If a student chooses, he/she may attend a “Cultural Event” around town; provide proof of his/her attendance; and write a one-page (typed) review of the event. • This review should explain “This is what I loved about the event, this is what I hated about the event, and this is why.” It should include enough detail so Mrs. Cowan can tell the student was really at the event, not just copying the pamphlet he/she picked up at the door. • Please note, a student does not have to LOVE going to the opera (for instance), but just trying it out deserves extra points. All extra credit is due the last Monday of each quarter and will be worth 25 bonus points. These points will be added to any daily assignment that was previously a zero or full credit was not earned. • This should boost the student’s class average two to three points at the end of the quarter. Only one “cultural event” can be submitted each quarter.

30. Extra Credit: Cultural Events • *PLEASE NOTE*: Extra credit is only available for students who put forth their best effort and complete assignments throughout the quarter. It is meant to BOOST students who already work hard and just need a little “push” over the letter-grade barrier. • IT IS NOT AVAILABLE TO STUDENTS WHO DO NOT WORK AND NEED A LIFE PRESERVER AT THE END OF THE QUARTER.

31. Adult Expectations • Treat others the way that you want to be treated. (I do not tolerate bullying or inconsiderate students.) • No question is a stupid question (unless it is completely off topic and interrupting my class. e.g. asking to get a drink of water while I am lecturing) • If you have a problem, speak with the teacher after class like an adult. Do not try to handle problems in the middle of class. This only creates further problems. Please talk to me if you have a problem in my class before having your parents contact me. This class is not a competition. Do not share grades during class. • Complete your work and you will excel in this class. • If I ask you to leave class, I have a reason. I typically need to discuss something with you outside of the audience of the classroom. Do not assume you are in trouble.

32. Pet PeevesThese are the things that seriously bother Mrs. Cowan! Avoid them at all costs! • Do not make excuses for your failures. Instead, own up to mistakes and learn from them. I have heard every excuse in the book, and I respect a student who admits his or her mistake. • I have high expectations of you. I will not lower the bar because you are complaining. We both have a job to do. If you complain, this only frustrates me and leads me to be tougher on you. If you want to share your opinion, please do. But do not WHINE!!! • In order to cover all sides of a story, perspective, etc., I must sometimes play the devil’s advocate. This means that I might take a side opposite to you, in order to help you see different views of an issue. This DOES NOT mean that I do not respect each individual’s opinion. Rather, I am trying to broaden your minds. • Handle your own business. If you have a question or problem with my class, see ME. Do not send Mom or Dad up here to talk to me when it is an issue that could have been resolved during class. Most of the time we can come to a resolution on our own without parental involvement. But at the same token, if your parents have questions, they are MORE THAN WELCOME to contact me.

33. Mrs. Cowan’s Words of Wisdom

34. Mrs. Cowan’s Words of Wisdom “Do or do not. There is no try.” -Yoda, Jedi Master

35. Mrs. Cowan’s Words of Wisdom

36. Calendar and Email Address • I will instruct you of upcoming assignments in class so that you can keep your calendar up-to-date. • If you need to email me, use this address: mcowan@mcpss.com

37. Parent Conferences I am available to meet with parents during my planning period. This will be during fourth block, from 11:50-1:00. Please let your parents know that they must first call or email me to set up a time. I will not meet with parents unless they have already scheduled a meeting.