English II Syllabus

Welcome!

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to your Sophomore level English class. I am anticipating an exciting and productive year ahead. English is a critically important subject for today’s students. Your ability to become an effective communicator, both verbally and written, is essential to your future success. Your academic needs will be met in an open and safe environment. You are going to be expected to share your work with your fellow students, so be sure to always do your best work.

For sophomores, we want to emphasize the importance of clear and logical communication. Group discussions, projects, presentations, and Socratic Seminars will be a regular addition to the class. We will work on making claims, supporting reasoning with evidence, and fostering meaningful discussions in class.

Materials

Full Texts

Online Accounts

Make-up/Late Work

Absent Work: It is the student’s responsibility to get their make up work on the days missed. I strongly recommend having a class "buddy" to help you get any in-class assignments or notes. For every day missed, the student has two days to complete the work and turn it in directly to me. Any assignments submitted digitally will need to be accompanied with an email directly to me to be accepted.

Absent Work will only be accepted with an email sent to me following the guidelines:

Subject Line: First and Last Name + Assignment Name
Body: Dear Ms. Meyer,
I am submitting the assignment titled "_____________" and wanted to notify you. I was absent the day it was due.
Thank you,
Your Name + Period

EXAMPLE
Subject Line: John Smith + Reading Survey
Body: Dear Ms. Meyer,
I am submitting the assignment titled "Reading Survey" and wanted to notify you. I was absent the day it was due.
Thank you,
John Smith + 1st Period

Missing/Late Assignments will only be accepted with attendance to the Wednesday Workshop.

Wednesday Workshop

When: Wednesdays at Lunch

Wednesday Workshops are reserved for addressing concerns about grades, needing help on an assignment, missing work, or test/quiz make-ups. Students do not need to set an appointment for Wednesday Workshops, and will be encouraged to work in a collaborative setting. This time is also used for writing purposes: pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing, or old-fashioned journaling. This is also an opportunity for students to re-do any written assignment for up to full credit! (Example: Student scores a 60% on a written assignment. Student brings the assignment to a Wednesday Workshop lunch session, revises the assignment with me, and can earn up to 100% on the assignment without penalty). My philosophy is that writing is about the learning and reflecting, and it is not a one-and-done process.

Emails

The best way to get a question answered is to see me in class. However, emails in which you will receive a response from me include:

submitting a late assignment email which I will reply with verification that your grade was submitted,
letting me know you are having internet issues for class,
mental health check-ins.

Emails about grade concerns, needing help on an assignment, missing work, or test/quiz make-ups will not be returned. You will need to speak to me directly at the Wednesday Workshops.

Class Expectations

My expectations for all Ripon High students include always:

Coming to class prepared,
Being respectful to yourself and others,
Be working towards a goal,
Be curious and inquisitive,
Discover new interests,
Be open to making new and unexpected friends,
Be a Ripon High ACE.

Respect: This classroom follows all Ripon High School rules and disciplinary actions which are outlined in the Ripon High Student Handbook and the English Department Policies. Students should treat themselves and each other with respect and understanding while in an educational setting. This classroom is designed for collaborative learning and a safe environment for the exchanging of ideas and opinions. Actions or words of disrespect will NOT be tolerated.

Reading: All reading schedules will be pushed out at the beginning of a novel. These schedules are not flexible so make sure to follow the schedule. If you are having difficulty understanding the novel or would like to make-up a reading quiz for an opportunity to earn more credit, you will need to attend Wednesday Workshops or schedule at time at lunch to meet with me.

Cell Phone Policy: Students will turn in their phones at the beginning of the period to the Cell Phone Caddy in their assigned number slot. Phones should be silenced and vibration off. This policy is active from "Bell-to-bell" in order to maximize classroom instruction and learning time. Students who refuse to abide by this policy or are caught with their cell phone during class will be issued a 1-hour detention. The third offense will result in a suspension from class and referral to the Vice Principal.

AI and Plagiarism: All student writing must be original student work. The use of AI generated writing is prohibited from this class. If students use textual evidence from online articles or novels, proper citations crediting the original author/source must be present.
Per Department Policy:
"If a teacher believes that you have used AI or falsified work, it will be your responsibility to prove that YOU have created YOUR work. There are behaviors you can practice to make this easier, including keeping notes and outlines, saving multiple drafts of documents, or using Google Docs with a Draftback plugin/History. It is necessary to prove your work. The student’s original work must be complete and again, traceable on a Google Doc prior to copy and paste if used to check for grammar errors in programs such as Grammarly."

Grading

Grades will be weighted as follows:

Writing 30%
Projects & Presentations 25%
Tests & Quizzes 20%
Practice (Homework/Classwork) 15%
Semester Final 10%

What are weighted grades?

According to the Great Schools Partnership's Glossary of Educational Reform, the term "weighted grades" is defined as "number or letter grades that are assigned a numerical advantage when calculating a grade point average, or GPA" (2013). This is more complicated than I like to think of it. Weighted grades are based on the average scores and sums of each category of assessment. Categories such as Essays are weighted higher because these are viewed as more challenging assessments; to relate it more to students, these are the "championship game" assignments. Other assessments such as Projects and Tests/Quizzes are weighted slightly less because these are meant for the trial-and-error part of learning where the most growth will take place; these are like the regular "game day" leading up to the "championship game". Finally, Participation/Bell-work/Homework is weighted the lowest. This category is comparative to the preparation for the "game days" and "championship game" where students are allowed to make mistakes, but effort and tangible progress will be the deciding factor in your grade for these categories. Additionally, students are asked to set goals for themselves, keep track of assignments, and focus on an area of growth not tied to formal assessments; the "pre-game", if you will.

Grading Scale

A+ = 98%< B+ =88-89.4% C+ = 78%-79.4% D+ =68-69.4% F= 59.4%>
A =93-97% B = 83-87% C = 73%-77% D= 63-67%
A- = 89.5-92% B- =79.5-82% C- = 69.5%-72% D-= 59.5-62%

It is important that you understand what each grade represents.
A = Excellent work. The work is well above grade level, and it far exceeds the expectations of the assignment.
Student is performing above CCSS standard.
B = Great work. The work is at grade level, and it meets the expectations of the assignment.
Student is performing at CCSS standard.
C = Good work. The work is done closely to grade level, and it meets the expectations of the assignment.
Student is approaching CCSS standard.
D = Unsatisfactory work. The work is below grade level, and it lacked quality and (or) effort.
Student is below CCSS standard.
F = Poor work. The work did not meet the minimum expectations of the assignment.
Student is far below CCSS standard or not completing necessary work.

Sign the Syllabus

Please click on the button below to fill out the Syllabus Agreement and Contact Information. You must be signed into your Ripon High Gmail account to fill out form. (Hint: You can only submit once, so fill it out with your parent present).

Syllabus Agreement and Contact Information: By filling out this digital form, you are agreeing to the rules and expectations explained in the syllabus, the RHS Student Handbook, and the English Department Policies.