Homework: 9/26

Tuesday, September 26th : Read pp. 49-64

* Annotate for literary devices!

* Annotate for "rules of etiquette"! Are they being upheld (+) or rejected (-)?

Homework: 9/26

Tuesday, September 26th : Read pp. 49-64

* Annotate for literary devices!

* Annotate for "rules of etiquette"! Are they being upheld (+) or rejected (-)?

Homework: 9/25

Speak - Monday, September 25th : pp. 30-46

In addition, please finish your annotation charts (literary devices and rules of etiquette) for tomorrow. You will have 5 minutes to meet with your group and collaborate on the completion of these charts.

Speak Reading Schedule

Here is the reading calendar for our first novel, Speak (please note that the date indicates the night you should be reading those pages - we will be discussing them in class the next day):





Wednesday, September 20th : pp. 3-16
Thursday, September 21st : pp. 17- 20 (for Monday)

Monday, September 25th : pp. 30-46
Tuesday, September 26th : pp. 49-64
Wednesday, September 27th : pp. 65-77
Thursday, September 28th : pp. 77-92
Friday, September 29th : pp. 95-107

Monday, October 2nd : pp. 107-123
Tuesday, October 3rd : pp. 123-137
Wednesday, October 4th: pp. 141-153
Thursday, October 5th : pp. 154 – 168
Friday, October 6th : pp. 168-180

Monday, October 9th : pp. 180-190
Tuesday, October 10th : pp. 190-197

Homework: 9/18

For homework, please complete the first graphic organizer in the "Quality of an Essay" packet. We will do the second graphic organizer together tomorrow in class.

Also, please remember to start bringing Speak to class on Wednesday!

9/14: Homework

For Monday, please read the three sample "Carnival of Crime" essays in the "Quality of an Essay" packet. Please DO NOT follow all of the directions on the front page; rather, rank the essays (#1 = the best; #3 = the worst) and be prepared to discuss them on Monday.

Have a great weekend!

Homework: 9/13

Nice job on your participation in the mp3 player board meeting! Ms. Ima Lifter sincerely thanks you for your recommendations regarding which mp3 player she should purchase for the new Tough & Buff Gym.

For homework tonight, you should write the paragraph you were assigned in response to the "Smudge Publishing" activity.

Your claim should appear as follows:
By closely examining the pictures and captions, it is clear that Picture ___ matches with the faculty member named __________ .

Please use (C)REEW to compose your paragraph. You are free to use any notes we have taken to help you compose this paragraph.

This paragraph will be due tomorrow (Thursday, September 14) at the beginning of the period.

Homework: 9/8

Today, we worked on investigating the death of Winston Peacock.

For homework, please use the preparation we worked on in class to write a letter to the Chief of Police (your boss) explaining what you think is the cause of Mr. Peacock's death.

Please type your letter (if possible), and be prepared to discuss your letters in class on Monday.

Open House: 9/7

Great job on "Curfew Conundrum" today! Congratulations to our winners!

Tomorrow, we will be using our new argument skills to investigate the death of Mr. Peacock.

Please encourage your parents to come to Open House at seven o'clock this evening.

September 5th

Welcome back from the long weekend!

This week, we will be working on how to formulate an effective argument. We will be working on "Curfew Conundrum" to practice implementing CREW into an argument we just may encounter in our real lives!

No homework tonight.

End of Week 1

I just wanted to thank you all for your energy, vitality, and participation in class this week. It is a pleasure to come to school and see your smiling faces!

Reminders:

* If you haven't left your blog comment yet, please click on the homework from 8/29 and read the directions.

* Open house is next Thursday evening at 7:00pm. Please encourage your parents to come and visit.

* No homework this weekend. Have a safe and fun Labor Day. Make good choices!

Here is a copy of our class syllabus for future reference:

English 9 Classroom Policy Statement * York Community High School * 2006-2007

Ms. Lefebvre
slefebvre@elmhurst205.org
630-617-2400 ext. 7132

Internet resources:
www.lefebvre9.blogspot.com
www.elmhurst205.org

My responsibilities: Help you improve your reading, writing, thinking, and communication skills through quality instruction and effective support.

Your responsibilities: Improve your reading, writing, thinking, and communication skills through hard work, critical thinking, self-reflection, integrity, and creativity.

English 9 Course Description - Throughout the course of your “rookie” year here at York, we will boldly go where many others have gone before (and liked it)…the creative and captivating world of literature. In doing so, we will encounter several unique experiences related to reading and writing. In addition, the course will act as a flashlight illuminating your inner self. Soon, you will be better equipped to discover who you are and where you fit into society. You will begin as you are now, young adults exploring the difficulties of entering a new environment. As the year progresses, our attention will shift to more global considerations, such as investigating the nature of human rights. At the heart of such issues are the following questions (accompanied by the various texts we will read):

I. What is community and where do I fit in?
A. What does it mean to be a part of the community?
How does a person overcome the difficulties of fitting into a new community?
B. To what extent, if any, should a person change in order to accommodate community expectations?

II. How do communities determine whom to include and whom to exclude?
A. What is equality, prejudice, and discrimination?
What are basic human rights?
B. How can individual prejudices lead to the loss of human rights?
How do victims of intolerance respond?
C. Should we try to make everyone equal?

III. To what extent does an individual have a responsibility to serve the community?
A. Who does who we are suggest about what we should do?
B. The Hero Archetype: How should the aspiration to heroic behavior influence the way we live?


Classroom Policies and Procedures

Classroom Environment:
As in all classes, students are expected to treat themselves and others with respect. Students have the right and responsibility to make our class and our school both safe and productive. The key to a successful year is creating an environment where you can speak, listen, and act with thoughtfulness and intelligence. To help facilitate this environment, all York High School Student Handbook Rules will be enforced.

Starting Class- You should begin class each day with your materials set out on your desk. Class Materials:
1) Pen (Blue or Black Ink Only) & Pencil
2) Paper –notebook and looseleaf
3) Folder or Binder- must be designated for English class only
4) Texts – I will keep you updated.

Classroom Exits- During class, classroom exits (use of washroom etc.) will be granted only in the case of extreme need. When the final bell sounds, please wait to be excused before you exit and make sure you push in your chair.

Assignments- students will assume responsibility to complete and turn-in all assignments according to due dates. If you foresee a problem, please consult me. Assignments not turned in at the beginning of class will be considered late and will receive a 10% deduction per day for each day they are late. Please format all papers following MLA guidelines.




Make-up Work- In accordance with the school policy, students will normally be given one day for each day absent to make-up any class assignments. If you miss class, it is your responsibility to consult me, the “absent folders,” the Lefebvre English 10H blog (www.lefebvre9.blogspot.com), and/or a classmate to determine missed work.

Grading - Student grades will be based on the percentage of total points earned for the quarter. You will be evaluated on your homework, in-class writing, group and individual projects, essays, tests, and participation.
I use the following scale:
100-90% A
89-80% B
79-70% C
69-60 D

Students receive letter grades. The letters are based on a point total and converted to a letter grade. Students’ semester grades will be a combination of their two quarter grades (40% for each quarter) and the semester exam (20%).

Plagiarism and Cheating:
There will be a zero tolerance policy for any types of cheating in our class. This includes, but is not limited to, copying homework, copying and pasting from the Internet/books/magazines/etc., and not keeping your eyes on your own work. This is to be taken extremely seriously, and there will be consequences for those who do not comply with this policy. If there are any questions regarding whether an outside source should be cited, please ask!

A Final Note:
Help yourself and your classmates succeed by being a positive member of this class. Also, please remember that my job is to help you find success. I will check in with you as often as I can, but you have a responsibility to let me know how I can help you to be successful. Ask questions; ask for help; set up conferences. Let me help you find the success that you desire and deserve.

You are welcome and encouraged to visit me in the English office before school or by appointment. I sincerely look forward to our shared experiences!