Instructor: April Montford

Cypress Creek High School

Classroom Phone: 407.852.3400 Ext 6032314
Class Webpage: www.amontford.weebly.com
Email:april.montford@ocps.net

English III Syllabus - 2015-2016

Pupils are more like oysters than sausages..

Greetings Parents and Students,

Welcome to English II World Literature and an exciting new school year. I hope that
everyone had an amazing summer and you are ready to embark on this journey of our literature
throughout the world. As Sydney J. Harris once said Pupils are more like oysters than sausages.
The job of teaching is not to stuff them and then seal them up, but to help them open and reveal
the riches within. There are pearls in each of us, if only we knew how to cultivate them with
ardor and persistence. My plan is to engage and peal back the layers of my students to show
them that they are more unique and creative than they ever imagined. This course is a very
detailed and active course which focuses on reading, writing, and thinking analytically and
critically. Throughout this year we will cover the different authors that effected, inspired and
helped shaped the World into what it is today.

Course Description:
The goal of English III is to prepare students for their continued learning experience as they
finish high school and progress to post-high school endeavors. Instruction in this course will be
centered on reading, writing, speaking and listening, and language skills as set by the Language
Arts Florida Standards. The focus of literature study for this course will be American literature
spanning works from early European explorers and settlers to modern, contemporary authors. As
a part of instruction, students will be assessed through various writing assignments, projects,
discussions, and tests including scheduled common assessments, SAT testing, and Florida
standardized testing retakes (as required).
All students will achieve these goals through actively participating in class by
Learning via collaboration, inquiry, and problem solving
Reflecting on your own and others' lives in a thoughtful manner both verbally and in writing
from multiple perspectives
Using language as a productive citizen to take charge of your life, shape your future,
and communicate effectively
Discussing, reflecting, and writing about your learning and thinking processes
Using various reading strategies to comprehend, interpret, and respond to text
Writing and revision with attention to purpose, audience, context, content, and mechanics

Attendance:

Attendance is very crucial to succeeding and completing this . Since this course deals with a lot
of class participation that includes a lot of the assignments to be read aloud in class the students
presence is required. Class starts at the ringing of the bell, so promptness is mandatory and I do
not under any circumstances tolerate tardiness to my class. If you are tardy to class you must
provide me with an excused pass. If you do not have one a detention will be issued.
It is your responsibility to make-up missed assignments. All class assignments can be found on
my teacher website (www.amontford.weebly.com). I will NOT use class time to explain what
you missed so please do not interrupt class to ask for your work. Work missed because of an
absence can only be made up for credit if the absence is excused. Avoid unexcused absences at
all costs; district attendance policy states that I cannot give a grade for work missed because of
an unexcused absence. Numerous absences, excused or unexcused, will place you in jeopardy of
failing the class.
Unexcused absence: students WILL NOT be allowed to make up work and a zero will be
recorded in the grade book.
Excused absence: Student will have two days upon return to class to complete assignments that
were missed and WILL receive FULL credit. After the two day deadline a zero will be recored
in the grade book

Text:
All students will be expected to have a book to read with them at all times. When classwork or
other assignments are completed, students should use that time to read. This is practice and
preparation for the demands of college and/or future career success. All students will have
electronic access to the Houghton-Mifflin-Harcourt textbook Florida Collections. Students are
responsible for accessing this electronic text as required for classwork. Additional supplemental
workbooks, the Close Reader and Performance Assessment workbooks, will also be provided to
all students.

Homework Assignments:
You will have 48hrs to complete and hand in the homework assignment that is given to you. Late
assignments will not be accepted unless there is an excused absence. Homework is due the first
five minutes of class and there will be no exceptions.
Each student should have a 2-inch 3-ring binder with 4 dividers, a composition notebook
Students will use their composition notebooks to write daily journal entries from the readings
that we are covering throughout the year., college ruled lined paper, pencils, red, blue, and black
pens, and highlighters.
The notebook dividers should be labeled as follows:
Class Notes
Homework
Essays

Quizzes
There will be random notebook checks throughout the year and these notebook checks will either
help or lower your grade. So keep everything that is given to you and bring your notebook to
class everyday.

Standards-Based Grading Policy:

Grading Scale: A = 90-100, B = 80-89, C = 70-29, D = 60-69, F = 0-59
Learning scales show students the learning progression. We will use scales to assess our progress
for routine events (independent reading, Socratic discussion, routine writing, and using Standard
English in speaking and writing) and for specific standards being taught. Students will keep
copies of the scales in their binders so they can refer to them and reflect on their own progress
along the way.
4 Exceeds Expectations
The student demonstrates complete and detailed understanding of the standard by applying
knowledge to complex texts in new contexts or novel situations.
3 Meets Expectations
The student demonstrates considerable understanding of the standard. The student can perform
the skill or processes listed on the content-specific scale with few misunderstandings or errors.
2 Developing
The student demonstrates incomplete understanding of the standard. The student makes some
significant errors when performing the skill or process but still accomplishes a rough
approximation of skill or process.
1 Beginning
The student demonstrates misunderstandings, or multiple misconceptions about the standard. The
student makes multiple errors that interfere with students ability to demonstrate understanding.
0 Entry Level
The student has appropriate background knowledge for the task and purpose.
Not all activities or assignments will be graded. Grades will be adjusted as students demonstrate
learning. Students can count on:
Weekly Reading grades (based on in-class and daily Homework reading comprehension)
Weekly Socratic discussion grades
2-4 pieces of Writing per quarter
2-4 Reading/Vocabulary tests per quarter
1-2 Presentations or Projects per quarter

Weighted Grading Categories

 40% Reading (Reading/Vocabulary Tests, weekly Reading grade and Bellwork)

30% Writing (Essays, written drafts in Composition notebooks)
20% Listening/Speaking (Socratic seminar discussions, listening assessments)
10% Language (Grammar, usage, mechanics like punctuation and spelling)
Technology:
Cellphones will be used in class for ACADEMIC purposes only and only when directed by the
teacher. The textbook and publisher provided supplemental materials are available to students via
the internet on computer, laptop, e-reader (except Kindle), and smart phone. You are welcome to
store assignments on a pin drive but will have to have them printed out either at home or at the
Media Center to turn in; I will not print out your assignments in the classroom.

If you have any questions about the above information please do not hesitate to contact me by
emailing me at april.montford@ocps.net. As I stated before I look forward to an exciting new
school year and I hope you are ready to learn.

Thank You,
Ms. Montford

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Student

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Parent Signature