2017-2018 Academic Year

Liza L. Lara Room 114

Email: llara@harmonytx.org

English I - Course Guide & Syllabus

Education is not the learning of the mind, but the training of the mind to think. Albert Einstein
Attention Parents / Guardians and Students:

It is a pleasure to be working with you this year. My goal is to help my students prepare for their future by
laying out the foundation that they will need as they progress in their education. Please take time to read, sign,
and return the signed portion of the syllabus. This will explain my expectations for this academic school year,
and this document will serve as a contract between us. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me via
email or remind, which is detailed below.

It is mandatory that Tutorials:

students with an average of Thursdays: 3:20 4:10
70 or below will be required pm
to attend tutorials at least
once a week.

Communication: 1. Via email: llara@harmonytx.org

Due to the importance of maintaining easy
2. School: 713-664-1020 Ext. 114
communication with both students and
3. Remind - Parents text: @LLara2017 to 81010
parents/guardians, I can be reached by the
4. Remind - Students text: @Lara17 to 81010
following:
***Students will be required to use their school assigned Google Classroom in order to complete class
assignments and see class announcements. *****

My Schedule:
8:00 9:30: Conference/Planning period Credits & Course:
9:35 11:05: Eng. I (2nd period) English I
11:10 12:40: Eng. I (3rd Period) 0.5 Credits per semester
12:45 1:10: Lunch
1:20 1:45: Mid-Period
1:50 3:20: Eng. I (4th Period)

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course will engage in activities that build on their prior knowledge and skills in order to strengthen their reading,
writing, and oral language skills. Students will read and understand a wide variety of literary and informational texts,
and students will compose a variety of written texts with a clear controlling idea, coherent organization, and sufficient
detail. In research students are expected to know how to locate a range of relevant sources and evaluate, synthesize, and
present ideas and information. Students will listen and respond to the ideas of others while contributing their own ideas
in conversations and in groups. The standards are cumulative--students will continue to address earlier standards as
needed while they attend to standards for their grade. Expect to go further and accomplish more than the minimal
standard mandated by the state.
The main requirement for this class is effort. All English I assignments, tests, and quizzes done in my class
room requires effort and concentration on the part of everyone. The more that is put into this class the more everyone in
the class will get out of the material. Continued effort is only way to guarantee results. On an individual level only
effort in identifying and improving your weaknesses will guarantee improvement.

COURSE OBJECTIVE

By the end of this course students will be able to make inferences and have increased their ability to not only
comprehend written material, but to analyze and use critical thinking skills.

COURSE OBJECTIVE

Responsibility and student accountability is a skill and key required for college readiness and success in life. In my
class I adhere to holding each student accountable for turning in assignments. The rules that pertain to late work will be
followed. If a student is assigned work they are expected to submit it on time. I will not offer make up work for missed
assignments; it is the students responsibility to make up any and all missed assignments, tests, and quizzes. To succeed
in life, maturity and accountability matters so I will only accept that standard in my classroom.

REQUIRED MATERIALS:

2 Inch Binders Pencils/pens

5 tab dividers 3 holed pencil bag
College Ruled loose leaf
paper

ORGANIZATION:

English I students are expected to maintain an organized binder that contains their lecture notes, reading notes,
quizzes, unit reviews, etc. These binders must be brought to class each day, NO EXCEPTIONS. Organization leads
to efficient use of your time. Students will be expected to refer to prior reading material and drafts to track their
progress for the year.
All reading material distributed during the year must be kept in their folders.

Each entry within your binder should be dated and titled (dont lose points on your binder check!). Students will be
responding to daily prompts in their notebook for the beginning five minutes of class. This will open their minds to
discussions and aid their writing. These notebooks are to be left in the classrooms cabinet.

Classroom Resources Attendance Policy

Holt McDougal Literature
To receive credit in a class, a student must attend at least 90% of the
Write Source days the class is offered. These include both excused and unexcused
Dictionary/Thesaurus absences. A student who attends for at least 75 percent, but fewer
Chromebooks than 90% of the days the class may be referred to a campus
Remind Attendance Review Committee to determine whether there are
extenuating circumstances for the absences and how the student can
regain credit. (HPS Student Handbook Pg 12)
 CLASSROOM POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

NO food, gum, or drinks allowed in class.

CELLPHONE are not allowed in class.
Students must be in the classroom and in proper dress code before the tardy bell rings, or they will be counted
as tardy.
Students are required to begin working on the daily warm up as soon as they enter the classroom.
Students may not leave the classroom the first 15 minutes and the last 10 minutes of class. (They are not
allowed to ask to leave the class while I am speaking.)
Show respect for your classmates and classroom.
o My classroom is a learning community where all students can share their ideas in a safe, encouraging
environment. It is up to students to help foster that sense of community by treating others as they would
want to be treated.

CONSEQUENCES

Abuse of hall pass will result in the suspension of all hall pass privileges for the remainder of the semester.

If a student fails to follow the class rules, these steps will be taken:
First offense verbal warning
Second offense written warning or teacher/student conference
Third offense teacher/parent phone call or e-mail and/or DPS (Discipline Points System)
Fourth offense teacher/parent/student conference
Fifth offense referral to principals office
***These steps may change depending on the severity of the offense*****

HPS Grading Guidelines Pg: 4

RETEST POLICY
Retest opportunities are provided for all students who are willing to improve their learning and grades. Any student
that scores below 70% on a formative assignment has one week to request and take a retake and summative
assessments are not able to be retaken. A grade of 70% of their makeup score will replace their initial grade in the
grade book (unless the initial grade is the higher of the two).Students have one week to take a retest. In order to be
eligible for the retest, students are responsible to see the teacher to schedule the retest. Student must also complete all
corrections on the original assessment turned in before the retest is taken.
 LATE WORK
All work is expected to be turned in on its assigned due
date. For any work turned in late, the following points
will be deducted:
1 day late: 10% reduction to grade (maximum
grade 90%)
2 days late: 20% reduction to grade (maximum
grade 80%
3-7 days late: 30% reduction to grade
(maximum grade 70%)
*****Unless previously arranged between
student/parent and teacher, a grade of a zero will
be entered in the database for any assignment
not turned in by the seventh day past the due
date. If an assignment is not submitted at all, a
zero grade will remain in the database.****
HOMEWORK
All homework is due the next class day unless you
are told otherwise. Homework should be turned
into the homework tray at the beginning of class.
Never leave anything on my desk.
Students will have one week to request missing
assignments, make-up/re-do on practice
assignments. After one week, the initial grade will
remain. The late work policy applies.
(HPS Grading Guidelines Pg:8)
****NO EXTRA CREDIT ASSIGNMENTS
WILL BE OFFERED*******

PLAGIARISM AND ACADEMIC INTEGRITY ASSIGNMENTS

Any student who is found to be cheating on a test,
quiz, or homework assignment, or is guilty of
plagiarism, and/or any types of deception to get
credit will result in a zero for that assignment or
test and the parent/guardian of the student will be
contacted. The student will be referred to the
Discipline Team by the teacher for disciplinary and
(possibly) additional academic consequences.
.
Assignments will be made available through the
campus Skyward. Students should be moving toward
independence and responsibility in keeping track of
their own assignments. Most homework consists of
long-term projects. Daily homework will mostly
involve completion of work not finished in class. For
long term projects, students will be given a final due
date when the project is assigned. In order to help build
student responsibility, suggestions will be given for
completion steps, but it is ultimately up to the student to
pace the completion of the project.
(HPS Grading Guidelines Pg:7&8)

Turning in Class Work

Never leave anything on my desk. Place your completed class work in the proper tray.

LATE WORK
If assignments are not turned in by the due date, then a zero will be entered into the grade book. However, late
assignments may still be turned in and will be subjected to 10 points off per day, up to a maximum of 30 points. For
example, if an assignment is more than three days late and earned a grade of 80 the final grade may be 50. (Exceptions
to this will be at the teachers discretion.)
Chromebook Policy

Students will be working with chrome books during their English I and English Lab course. Due to the use of this
technology in our classroom, each student will be assigned a specific chrome book that they will be able to use during
class. Each student is expected to maintain the condition of the device and they are not allowed to take it out of the
room for any reason. It is each students responsibility to report any issues, damages, or misuse of their assigned
chrome book to their teacher.

Abuse or neglect may result in damages that are the responsibility of the student and the
parent/guardian to pay for. The School will make its best attempt to purchase replacement parts at
the best possible price.

CLASS POLICIES

EXCEPTIONS POLICY

Exceptions to any policy contained within this syllabus can be made at the discretion of the instructor as long as
they are in accordance with campus and HPS policies
Please contact the instructor in order to request an exception for any special circumstances
Rubrics for assignments may not adhere to late policies and are independent of the course syllabus.

COURSE STRUCTURE

UNIT 1 UNIT 5
Vocabulary skills and strategies Literary Nonfiction & Convention Review

UNIT 2 UNIT 6
Expository & Procedural Texts Persuasion and Media Literacy

UNIT 3 UNIT 7
Cultural/Historical Fiction & Literary Techniques Cumulative STAAR Review

UNIT 4 UNIT 8
Drama, Poetry & Sensory Language Research, Presentation, & Speech

UNIT 9
End of Year Project
Classroom Procedures
Getting Settled
When I raise my hand, please stop talking and give me your attention.

Leaving the Classroom

Students will not be allowed to leave the classroom during the firsts and last fifteen minutes of class. If you need to
leave the classroom (restroom, locker, nurses office, drink of water), hold up your hand and ask for the hall pass. Do
not ask to leave the room when I am talking or a classmate is talking.

Getting Up
If you need to leave your seat for any reason (getting a tissue, throwing something away), please raise your hand and
ask for permission. Do not interrupt a lesson to do this. Wait until your classmate or I have finished speaking.

Sharpening Your Pencil

If you need your pencil sharpened, please hold it in the air. I will either sharpen it for your, or give you a nod, so you
can take care of it.

Need Help?
Please raise your hand. I will be at your desk as quickly as possible.

Checking Out Books

You must turn in your classroom Novel permission form to use the classroom library. To check out a book, bring it to
the student designated as bookkeeper for your class after the dismissal bell, so he/she can sign it out for you. You may
only have one book checked out at a time. If a book becomes lost or damaged, you will be responsible for replacing it.
If you loan a book to a classmate, YOU are still responsible for the book.

Tests/Quizzes
When you complete your test or quiz, raise your hand, and I will collect it. There is absolutely NO talking or
communicating with your classmates in any way during tests or quizzes. If you talk or communicate with a classmate
while others are still testing, you will automatically receive a grade of zero, even if you have already submitted your
test or quiz.

Going to another Classroom

Occasionally, we will go to the library, computer lab, or another room to work. We will walk single file without
speaking when we are in the hallways, so we do not disturb other classes.

Food/Drink
Gum is not allowed on any Harmony Public Schools campus. You may not have food of any kind in my classroom,
including candy and suckers. You may not have any drinks in my room except for bottled water with a lid.

Finished Early?
If you finish your work early, you do not have free time, and you may not do work for another class. You may read or
work on a free choice piece of writing.

Chromebooks
Each student will be assigned a specific Chromebook that they will be able to use during class. Each student is
expected to maintain the condition of the device and they are not allowed to take it out of the room for any reason. It is
each students responsibility to report any issues, damages, or misuse of their assigned chrome book to their teacher.

Dismissal Bell
The bell does not dismiss you. The teacher will dismiss you. No student may leave my classroom until everything is
tidy and all chairs are pushed in.
Harmony Classroom Libraries Policy

Classroom Libraries

Harmony classrooms contain libraries for students to choose titles for small group instruction and supported
independent reading. As with any library, one person has not necessarily read every title. Teachers seek to choose
books that are grade level appropriate and often cross reference works with websites like titlewave.com for grade
level information. Nevertheless, as stated above even grade level appropriate books may contain themes some
parents/guardians may find objectionable.

If a parent/guardian chooses not to allow a student to access titles from the classroom library, then they are
responsible for providing reading material for the student as needed. In such case, parents/guardians must
regularly conference with teachers to ensure that appropriate reading material is provided. If a parent/guardians
choose not to allow students access to classroom libraries and a student does not bring appropriate reading
material, then the student may receive lack of materials DPS and/or academic consequences.

If a student loses or damages a book parents/guardians are responsible for reimbursing the cover price of the
book.
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Parents/Guardians, please sign and return the above policy to the ELA teacher no later than one week after
receipt.

Permission Slip (Check One Option)

____ I have read, understood, and agree to the policies above. Further, I grant my student (s) access to
classroom libraries.

OR

____ I have read, understood, and agree to the policies above. I do not grant my student(s) access to classroom
libraries and take responsibility for providing appropriate reading material each day.

Parents / Guardians Name (Please Print): __________________________________________________

Parents / Guardians Signature: ___________________________________________________

Students Name (Please Print): ____________________________________________________

Fill out the following information form. Print and sign your name, and then have your parent or guardian fill
out the remaining contact information. Tear off this sheet and submit it when you come to class on Monday,
August 25nd. Keep the detached syllabus in your folder.

STUDENT INFORMATION FORM

Name: _____________________________________ Expected Grade in Course: ___________________

Extra-Curricular Activities: ___________________________________________________________________

Describe Literature in one sentence: _____________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

What is your BEST core curriculum subject? (Circle one) MATH SCIENCE ENGLISH HISTORY

I have read and understood the syllabus for Ms. Lara English I class. I understand and will follow the classroom
procedures and rules.

Student Name (print): _____________________________________

Student Signature: ________________________________________

Parent / Guardian Name (print): _____________________________

Parent / Guardian Signature:________________________________

Please provide a phone number and email address (if available) so that I may contact you during the year to
discuss your students progress. Thank you!

Home Number: ______________________________ Cell Number: ________________________________

Work Number: _______________________________Email Address: _______________________________

Best time / way to reach you: _____________________________________________________

Chromebook reminder: Abuse or neglect may result in damages that are the responsibility of the student and the
parent/guardian to pay for. The School will make its best attempt to purchase replacement parts at the best possible
price.