JOEL C - Folsom Cordova Unified School District



Mr. Joel C. Francisco

Mills Middle School

363-6544 ext. 121

jfrancis@

COURSE EXPECTATIONS

School Year 2015-2016

Course Title: Strategic English ELL 7th

“If you study to remember- you will forget, but if you study to understand – you will remember.”

To: Students, Parents, and Guardians

Welcome to Mills Middle School! I hope that you are very excited to start the school year. I know that we can accomplish the goals that we set and I feel confident that this year will be a wonderful learning experience for all of us. I also strongly feel that students learn much better when they are well-prepared for class. I would like to ask the parents and guardians to encourage their children to attend classes daily and complete all assignments on time. The following information will answer many questions that you have about Strategic English ELL.

Course Description

Strategic English ELL is a targeted two-period reading/language arts intervention program/course that addresses English language development. Course materials/instruction are designed to provide and accelerate student language development and include listening, speaking, word analysis, reading fluency, reading comprehension, writing conventions, literary response and literary analysis. The first hour of this course is instructed using a board-approved list of textbooks which constitutes the basis of student instruction, and is designed to provide a complete curriculum for common core state standards-based instruction in vocabulary, reading, literature, writing, speaking, and listening. Students will read classic and contemporary literature, expository text, magazines, newspapers, online information, speeches, essays, poetry, and consumer/ workplace documents. Students will speak both formally and informally to deliver narrative presentations, oral responses, persuasive presentations, and participate in Socratic seminars. During the second hour, students will work with the 45-minute version of the iLit ELL curriculum until they reach grade-level proficiency.

Student Writing Component

Throughout the school year, students will write fictional or autobiographical narratives, informative/explanatory essays, argumentative/persuasive compositions related to college readiness and career development in order to address the common core state standards in writing.

Textbooks and Resource Materials:

iLit ELA (45) by Pearson Education, Inc. Holt Literature and Language Arts, First Course (7th grade)

Holt Handbook, First Course (7th grade) Selected District-Approved Novels

Other Materials to Support the Common Core State Standards

(Textbooks and other school materials will be provided by the school. However, a student will be held financially responsible for any lost or damaged textbook, school material, or equipment.)

Classroom Rules and Expectations

School rules may be found in the student conduct code in the student’s planner. These rules cover most situations that may arise in a classroom. Infractions of classroom and school rules will result in lowering the citizenship grade.

1st Offense – Verbal Warning 4th Offense – Classroom Suspension

2nd Offense – Detention (15 minutes) 5th Offense - Vice Principal Referral

3rd Offense – Detention/Parent Contact (30 minutes)

A. General Classroom Rules:

1. Be in class and in your seat when the bell rings. 5. Listen and follow directions.

2. Have all materials ready to use when the bell rings. 6. Sharpen your pencils before the class begins.

3. Keep your hands, feet, and objects to yourself. 7. No food or drinks other than water.

4. Raise your hand to ask permission to speak. 8. Do not run or shout in class.

*Whenever a guest teacher is present and a student causes any type of disruption, then that student will automatically be suspended upon my return.

Homework/Assignments/Tests/Make-Up Policy

At any time you want to re-take a test you did poorly on, please come see Mr. Francisco in the morning or afternoon. There will be homework every week in this class: Spelling, Latin/Greek roots, grammar assignments, writing projects, and nightly reading for the Accelerated Reader program, etc.. It is your responsibility to complete all homework on time. Late assignments will be docked 10% each day it is late. If a student does not turn the work in after 5 days, the work will reflect a zero in the grade book. Students who show diligence on their tests, but score below 50% on any summative assessment will be awarded 50% credit.

Method of Evaluation: Weighted Grading Scale

|A+= 97-100% |B+= 87-89% |C+ = 77-79% |D+ = 67-69% |F = 59% or less |

|A = 93-96% |B = 83-86% |C = 73-76% |D = 63-66% | |

|A- = 90-92% |B- = 80-82% |C- = 70-72% |D- = 60-62% | |

ASSESSMENTS – 40% FINAL EXAM - 10% HOMEWORK - 10%

INDEPENDENT READING – 10% CLASS WORK – 30%

Honors Class

If an Honors class student does not receive a C+ or better at the end of a trimester, that student will be dropped from the Honors class and will be enrolled into a regular English Language Arts class for the remainder of the school year.

Plagiarism

There will be zero tolerance with plagiarism and cheating.  This means that your work, whether on an assignment/exam/test/quiz must be your own.  If you are caught plagiarizing or cheating, you will receive a zero for the assignment/exam/test/quiz without the opportunity for make-up.  Acts of academic dishonesty will be the subject of serious disciplinary action with the discretion of the Mills administration team. 

Attendance

If a student is absent, it is the student’s responsibility to find out what was missed. If a student is absent on a day when a portfolio or a large project is due, the work is due upon his/her return. If a test is missed, it is the student’s responsibility to schedule a make-up time before school, after school, or at lunch. If the make-up time is missed the grade will reflect a zero in the grade book. Late work will reflect a 10% deduction each day it is late. After 5 days of being late the assignment is no longer accepted and will reflect a zero in the grade book.

Citizenship

Citizenship is based on participation, behavior, attendance, and attitude.

      O= Outstanding       S=Satisfactory       N=Needs improvement       U=Unsatisfactory  

Extra Credit

Opportunities for extra credit will occur periodically throughout the semester for the entire class.

Recommended Materials

Some of the classroom materials will be provided to the students, however, it will be very useful if parents can provide the following:

a). binder paper c). 2-inch binder e). blue or black pens

b). sharpened pencils d). AR book f). notebook

BEST WAY TO COMMUNICATE WITH INSTRUCTOR: Please make use of the school’s PowerSchool program to check in on your student. My e-mail address is jfrancis@

I understand that it may be necessary, during the course of the school year, to show movies and video clips that have a rating of PG-13 or above.

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I have read and discussed the Strategic English ELL syllabus. I accept this syllabus and will do all I can to follow the policies and be prepared to learn.

Student’s Name: __________________________________ Signature: ___________________________________

Parent/Guardian Name: ___________________________ Signature: ___________________________________

Parent/Guardian Email: ___________________________ Phone No.: ___________________________________

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