Orange High School

Orange High School

2024-2025

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English II 

Syllabus

Miss. Garcia

Room #209

Dear Parents/Guardians and Students,

       Welcome all! This syllabus page will provide you with all of the classroom expectations and with the information needed to access assignments and links to everything you may need. Welcome sophomores to my class, English II! I am looking forward to a great school year together as well as getting to know all the students individually as well as parents/guardians. Throughout this class, you will be exposed to learning and understanding the literacy and comprehension skills needed to succeed and further your education. Throughout the course of the year, you will find that, as a class, we will engage in a number of different learning activities using different platforms and strategies ranging from peer group work, independent work, and whole group discussions! Through this, you will learn not only how to express your own thoughts, but you will grow comfortable collaborating aloud with others while taking in different perspectives and allowing your own point of view to expand. I am located in room #209 and will be available to answer any questions you may have. I will be in my room every day after school until 3 p.m. I am also available via email at garciame@orange.k12.nj.us or through the remind app for anything you may need. Feel free to reach out to me as needed with any questions, comments, or concerns.

 Email: garciame@orange.k12.nj.us

 **Remind app class link**

Periods 1, 4, 7, & 8 class code: garciame24

Period 6: ELA-OHS

Google Classroom:

Period 1 class code: 5tsj5nd

Period 4 class code: mxv6qzh

Period 6 class code: gkhc2kc

Period 7 class code: boquz7y

Period 8 class code: jdm2v63

Classroom Spotify Playlist

Students, feel free to add any of your favorite songs (as long as they’re classroom appropriate) for when class work is being done and we want to have some background noise to help you all focus.

 Course Description:

The course has 3 modules in which students are expected to read, write and participate in class discussions. 

• Prerequisite: English 1

• Module 1: Persuasion in Literature 

• Module 2: The Power of Argument  

• Module 3: Praise, Mock, Mourn

Textbook, Materials, & Resources: 

All reading materials will be provided by the instructor. Please locate these materials on Google Classroom if they were not distributed in class. The texts we will be reading are listed below:

 We will also be focusing on reading other texts such as short stories, poetry, and informational texts and speeches. Some resources we will be using to practice our understanding of these areas are through reading plus, independent reading, and springboard. 

*The number of minimum assignments listed does not mean there cannot be more added.

Classroom Norms/Expectations:

·        Students should be on time and prepared everyday with their chromebooks and notebooks

·        Students should be respectful and kind to everyone within the classroom

·        Students should refrain from using any inappropriate language

·        Students should ask questions as needed

·        Students should ask permission before leaving the classroom and bring a hall pass with them

• Students should NOT use cell phones or air pods during class under any circumstances unless given permission! Calls home and write ups will be made after the first warning. 

Assignment Late Policy:

All assignments are given a due date for a reason. Not only does this allow you to work and practice on the lessons being done in class at home so you can grow stronger in your skills, but this also allows you to learn time management skills and responsibility for what is being expected of you. Learning punctuality and to complete assignments in a timely manner is one of the classroom expectations. However, I will work with you if there is a reason that you cannot complete an assignment by its due date. Be sure to communicate with me in a timely manner and, together, we will come up with another fair date for you to hand in your work depending on the situation. Everything I see submitted to Google classroom will be graded. If you are unhappy with your grade, I will work with you. I do believe in giving extra credit, so there is no reason for anyone to do poorly in this class! However, if you do not hand in an assignment after already being given another chance to turn in late work, I will not accept it. All assignments in Google classroom will lock. Therefore, if you do not turn in an assignment by its due date, you will receive a zero. Unless you speak with me prior or are absent, assessments are due on the given due date and will not be accepted late. If you do not speak with me prior to a due date about not being able to get work in on time, I will deduct points depending on how many days late the assignment is turned in. At the end of every marking period, students will try to complete missing work in order to bring their grade up. However, once a month is over, I will not accept any of that old work. I will only accept missing work from the current month.

Tardiness:

Chronic tardiness will not be tolerated in my classroom. The first week of school is different as you are trying to find your way around to all of your classes. However, after the first week of school, students should get to class on time. If you are frequently late, there will be consequences. If you are late, you must have a pass and will be expected to read the agenda presented on the board or on Google Classroom to see what you must work on. Students will have a "DO NOW" almost every day at the start of the class period, which will count as a monthly quiz grade in genesis. This is to hold students accountable for their grades and so that they get to class on time. Students will have 5 minutes each day to complete the "DO NOWS" and there will be a timer on the board. If a student comes in late with no pass and the 5 minutes have passed, they will not be allowed to make-up the "DO NOW". If a student comes late and there are 30 seconds left on the board, that student will only have those 30 seconds to get their "DO NOW" turned in. However, if a student comes in late with a pass or a student is absent, they will either be allowed to make-up the "DO NOW" or they will be excused from that dates "DO NOW" in the gradebook.

• Students who are chronically arriving late for class will face consequences such as a call home and possible suspension.

 Cutting Class:

Students who are found to be cutting class will receive an automatic 0 for the day and there will be consequences. Meaning, that if you are present in school, but cut class, whatever assignment is being done that day, you will not have the opportunity to make up or receive credit for. Students are not permitted to do makeup work for another class during their English class. English is a core class and no teacher is allowed to keep a student from their class for makeup work. Therefore, this excuse will not be tolerated. Students must complete makeup work during their lunch period or after school.

Bathroom Policy:

Students are old enough that they do not need permission during the middle of a lesson to ask to use the restroom. Therefore, students have permission to get up quietly and go to the bathroom if they need to, as long as they take the bathroom pass with them. ONLY 1 student is allowed to go out to the bathroom at a time. Students should not be gone longer than 10 minutes. If I notice that a student is frequently using the bathroom every day during my class period or if a student is constantly gone longer than 10 minutes, they will lose their bathroom privileges.

Plagiarism:

 Plagiarism will not be tolerated in my class. All plagiarized assignments will receive a 0. 

Forms of plagiarism include:

• Copying and pasting phrases and whole passages from a website without proper citations, quotation marks, or sources. 

• Copying and pasting a peer’s work. 

• Not using correct punctuation marks or in text citations. 

• Not submitting a Works Cited page

• Students who receive a zero for plagiarism will not be given another opportunity to make up the assignment.

• Changing the wording and phrasing of another person’s work and trying to pass it off as your own. 

 Attendance Policy:

Consistent and prompt student attendance in class is essential to achieve the maximum benefit of the educational experience. Much of what is presented in class is sequential and vital to student learning. Repeated absences from school or class impede the student’s participation in classroom activities, and thus attendance should be and will be a significant factor in the determination of a student’s grade, according to school policy.

 *Maximum number of absences*

Students are expected to attend class every day when they are present at school. Board Policy requires each student to be present for at least 90% of class meetings in order to be eligible to receive credit. The number of absences in each class may not exceed: 18 Cumulative Absences Full Year Course. Students who are absent will meet with me to go over what they missed and get given a fair amount of time to make up and hand in the work.

 School Supplies:

• Chromebook 

• Binder OR Notebook (mandatory)

• Loose-Leaf paper (does not apply if you have a notebook) 

• Pens

• Pencils

• Highlighters (at least 3 different colors)

• Folder

 Advice:

•  Please be respectful of the classroom and of your peers. This will allow for a positive and enjoyable learning environment. 

• Do not be afraid to participate or speak up! English is all about discussion and all the different ways vocabulary, reading, and writing can be interpreted. Getting different perspectives will allow for more conversation in the classroom.

• If you are worried about your grade or not understanding any of the material, please come and speak with me. I will be more than happy to work with you individually to grow stronger in your ELA skills.

• Come to class each day prepared and with a positive attitude!

 *Below is our full day bell schedule*

Period 1: 8:20-9:00

Period 2: 9:03-9:43

Period 3: 9:46-10:26

Period 4: 10:29-11:09

Period 5: 11:12-11:52

Period 6: 11:54-12:34

Period 7: 12:36-1:16

Period 8: 1:18-1:58

Period 9: 2:00-2:40