2006-2007 Copy of the Class Contract

Dear Student(s)/Parent(s),

Since it is the beginning of the school year, I would like to take this opportunity to share with you the expectations of your son in the Composition and World Literature IA class. After reading this letter, please sign it and have your son return the bottom half by Thursday, August 31, 2006.
The main goal of this class is to help your son achieve a clear and concise writing style, concentrating specifically on the essay structure and research, while being exposed to various genres of literature. The literary works revolve around world literature, with a unique emphasis on the multi-cultural flavor of our student and faculty population and they range in eras from the sixth through the twenty-first centuries.
Students will be graded using authentic assessment, including comprehension, oral presentation, book as well as Internet research, and various writing skills. Each student will keep a notebook of written work to be assessed, and this notebook will be shared with other core curriculum classes, at various times during the school year, until the student receives his e-portfolio (Electronic Notebook of work that demonstrates the mastery of the school’s ESLRs) at graduation.
The homework policy for the class is:
q Late homework may be turned in if previously approved by the instructor. If absent, work and tests are due upon the first day of his return. If the instructor marks "INC" on a paper, the paper can not be graded; the student may, therefore, redo the assignment for an actual grade. The assignment remains incomplete for one week; within this week, the student will need to meet with the instructor and re-do the assignment for a grade. After one week, if not made up, the grade lapses into an "F."
q I may be contacted about missing or late homework, or even about current assignments or homework, via the Internet at: plee@bosco.org

Class rules are simple:
q Silence is golden;
q Treat others as you would like to be treated;
q Be appropriately dressed and groomed…as your instructor is.
q No food—but sealed water bottles—may be brought to class. No sodas!
q Finally, plagiarism in any form will not be tolerated and may result in expulsion and/or suspension--please see Student-Parent Handbook for further details. Pulling from the Internet, Baron's, or Cliff's Notes is unacceptable; as agreed upon, the library staff and/or English Department staff may confiscate these items if brought to class or the LRC.
Grading Categories: 10% of grade is participation and behavior; 20 % is the notebook and any items completed for it; 20% semester/quarter exams; 20% tests and quizzes; 20% homework and class work; and 10% group work.
Grading Standards: 100%-90% = A ; 80%-89%= B; 70%-79%= C; 60%-69%= D; 59%-BELOW= F. There will be no rounding up or down; so, an 88.7% is still a B.
Finally, I have pasted a copy of the course description for your easy reference. Thank you for taking the time to read these materials. If you have further questions, feel free to contact via e-mail or voice mail (Extension 226).
This course is designed to introduce students to literature from various cultures, and to develop writing abilities through various types of written assignments. The course utilizes school wide electronic portfolios as well as community-based projects. Instruction in this course is designed towards the students’ pace based on the needs of the class, as opposed to a teacher-designed pace. The literature portion of the course reviews primary elements of literature and poetry, and examines the function of these elements within various literary works. In terms of writing, students will improve and develop their skills in writing narratives, journals, letters, and various types of composition. This course provides a foundation for the English curriculum that students will encounter in their remaining years at St. John Bosco High School.
Class supplies:
1) Notebook with 5 dividers
2) Pens (Blue or Black)
3) College-ruled writing paper (No spiral notebooks)
4) Dictionary--optional
5) Glencoe Literature anthology
6) Student-Parent Guide
7) Paperbacks as specified in course syllabus—for the first 3 weeks we will focus our attention on All Quiet on the Western Front and The Things They Carried


Sincerely,



Mr. Patrick Lee



Parent Name:



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