STUDENT EXPECTATIONS

The expectations for the course are quite simple and should be quite familiar to most of you. In order for you to learn and succeed in school, you need to do the following:

• be on time
• listen attentively and participate in class
• respect one another 
• listen respectfully 
• do not interrupt others
• no put downs or insults
• be prepared - complete all homework and assignments on time
• attend tutorials or seek one on one help to discuss your writing and to better understand concepts
• FOOD WILL NOT BE PERMITTED IN CLASS! You may, however, bring water.
• MP3s must be out of sight and CELL PHONES must be turned off and stored.

• ALL major assignments MUST BE COMPLETED for the course to be considered complete. Even if you have forfeited a mark on the assignment, you must still do the work.

• DO YOUR BEST!

ABSENTEEISM:

YOU are responsible for all work missed. It is not my responsibility to track you down.

EMAIL me if when absent and I may be able to send work home.

ALL ABSENCES MUST BE LEGITIMIZED WITH A NOTE!

Work missed due to absences must be made up immediately. Delay and an assignment will be registered as NHI.

Often you will be expected to complete a 300 word writing assignment to prove an understanding of course work missed due to absences.

Late assignments will lose 10% per day. Weekends count as two days.

Assignments that have been returned and graded may not be awarded a grade. Nonetheless, completion of these assignments is expected to complete the course.

WRITTEN WORK:

Take home assignments should be typed if possible and DOUBLE-SPACED!

Blue or black ink is preferred for in-class writing assignments although pencil is acceptable.

A red pen is needed for marking.

Illegible work will not be graded.

All assignments must include a date, your full name and block.

Keep all rough work and written work on file until the assignment has been returned

TUTORIALS:

If you are having difficulty with assignments or concepts, go to tutorials. You can often learn more in a ten-minute one-on-one tutorial than you can in class where a teacher must meet the demands of twenty or thirty diverse individuals.

I am also available to help you outside of class. Check my schedule or make an appointment.

THE UNITS:

The design of the units is constantly changing. The skills taught, however, remain the same.                 Students will be evaluated on their abilities in the following areas:

   Composition: Expository and Creative Writing.

   Comprehension.

   Critical Thinking.

   Speaking and Discussion.

SUPPLIES:

You are responsible for deciding how you intend to organize your notes. The supplies you will most definitely need are a large binder, five dividers, loose leaf, a blue or black pen, a red pen, three hi-lighters and a pencil.

Note taking is not merely filing handouts. It also involves highlighting, annotating and summarizing.

EVALUATION:

    Quizzes and Tests:  20%
                Written work and Projects: 60%
                Provincial Exam:  20%

My e-mail address is smurray@sd43.bc.ca should you have questions or need to forward assignments. I also have a page on the school website that may prove useful.

Good luck, do your best, enjoy and here’s hoping you have a successful year!