Mrs.

Fuentes’s Class Policies

English 11A/B 2018-2019
Phone: (951) 821-6046

Welcome to English 11! Please read this entire syllabus carefully so that you are prepared for a
successful school year!

Assignment Expectations

 In your Grade Book, you will see the following types of assessments for English 11:
o Participation (5%)
o Portfolios (30%)
o Tests (35%)
o Quizzes (15%)
o Discussions (10%)
o Quick Checks (5%)

 Participation: Students earn points for participation in the simplest way:

 Stay in frequent contact with me. You must make a minimum of two phone calls per semester to
your teacher (Mrs. Fuentes). Get your calendar! Set a date! Webmail me and we will coordinate.
You can also use https://zlopezfuentes.youcanbook.me to schedule a call with me anytime you
need.

 Portfolios: Each portfolio assignment is different—be sure to check the directions carefully!

o Portfolio instructions are given on the English 11 Message Board and in LiveLesson sessions for
each specific portfolio assignment. Students are expected to follow these instructions in order
to receive credit on all portfolio assignments.

o Click on the “Portfolio” link on the English 11 Interactive Message Board for more specific
instructions regarding turning in portfolios.

o You are required to submit all English 11 portfolio assignments to CheckMyWork prior to
submitting them to Connexus for grading. This is a tool that you will be using in order to
ensure the originality of your work. Please view the information and tutorial on how to use
CheckMyWork on the “Resources” link on the English 11 Interactive Message Board or in the
Virtual Library.

 Tests and Quizzes: Tests may include multiple choice, short answer, and essay response questions.
Quizzes are usually multiple choice and short answer.
 o Questions may be randomized on your test.

o Respond to every question, especially the written response questions. If you’re not sure about
the answer, take your best guess. This is better than leaving questions blank because it could be
the difference between passing and failing.

o For written questions, please use RACE format. Be sure to Rewrite the question as a statement,
Answer the question, Cite evidence that supports your answer, and Explain how the evidence
supports your answer. If the question includes multiple parts, please be sure that you provide
an answer, citation, and explanation for each portion.

o NEVER reference outside materials when taking tests or quizzes (this INCLUDES your notes,
our lesson content, and any literary texts). ALL TESTS IN OUR COURSE ARE “CLOSED BOOK.”
Answers should represent your own creative and unique interpretation of the material and
content studied in your lessons and must be expressed as such. DO NOT USE QUOTES, as this
would imply that you have copied the quote word for word from another source. Instead
summarize or paraphrase IN DETAIL in order to show me the real depth of YOUR
understanding. ADDITIONALLY, copying, taking ideas, or studying from websites such as
“Brainly,” “Yahoo Answers,” “Open Study,” etc., regardless of whether your answers are
directly copied, is an honor code violation. Phrasing that is TOO SIMILAR to information found
on these or any other websites will be considered plagiarism and will be documented as an
Honor Code Violation.

 Discussions: Discussions are meaningful academic conversations between you and your classmates.
o To earn full credit on discussion assignments, you should do the following:
 Give a complete response to each part of the question asked.
 Use correct spelling and grammar.

 Politely respond to at least two other students’ posts. Thoughtful responses should be
at least 1-2 sentences and should validate a point made by the student and offer
encouragement. Keep it positive! **Responses that are overly critical will be removed,
and students who submit them will be contacted by their teacher. **

 Quick Checks: Quick checks are a way of practicing concepts learned that lesson, and are not
weighted as highly as quizzes and tests. You must complete these to move forward in your lessons.
o Quick Checks are a great opportunity to learn from your mistakes. Review the questions you
missed and go back to the lesson while it is still fresh, so you can relearn the concepts.

o Quick Checks can help you with pacing. Did you read through the lesson quickly and thought
you understood all the concepts? Did you then do poorly on the Quick Check? Then you
probably didn’t understand as much as you thought you did. Review the lesson again, slower
this time. Move forward with other lessons at a slower pace so you can improve your scores on
assessments.
 Grading

Your Grade Book is live and visible to you and your learning coach 24/7.

 Revision Policy: Check scores on your assignments and read my feedback frequently. You may make
revisions on all written-response assignments to improve your score. I will reward your efforts to use
my feedback in your corrections!

➢ Here’s how to view the teacher feedback and your scores: Log in to the student’s Connexus
account, click the Grade Book (A+) icon in the bottom right corner, click the name of the class,
and then scroll down to the list of lessons and scores. Click on any score to see the
correct/incorrect responses and teacher feedback written in the comment boxes.
➢ How do I submit revised assignments?
■ Portfolios: simply make your changes and send the revised document to me in a
webmail indicating that you have made revisions and are submitting for an improved
grade.
■ Tests/Quizzes: Complete a Test Corrections Form (found under the “Resources” link on
our Interactive Message Board) and send it to me in a webmail. You will earn up to
HALF CREDIT back on all questions (including multiple choice and written response
questions) that you revise using the Assessment Make-Up Assignment.
■ Discussions: Simply go back into the assignment via the link in your lesson and submit
new and improved posts. **Send me a webmail to let me know you have made
additional revised posts. Connexus does not notify me to regrade the assignment.**
■ When in doubt, send me a webmail.
o

 Late work policy: Work that is two weeks overdue must be completed ASAP to earn credit and contact
with me will be mandatory. If I am unable to reach you in order to discuss a plan for success, the
principal will be making contact with you and your family and/or a block will be placed on your account
until a plan for success has been discussed.

 Blank documents, “fake” portfolios, and offline submissions will be given automatic zeroes and
contact with me will be mandatory, in order to determine a plan for success.
o If you are struggling to complete an assignment, I want to hear from you. Please call me or
complete the Portfolio Help Request form (available under the “Resources” link on our
Interactive Message Board) and submit that to the Connexus dropbox in place of your
assignment.
o For completing this form in place of a “blank” document, you will receive a “0” temporarily
until you complete the assignment. Never settle for a zero on any assignment. Some points are
always better than no points at all. Asking for help is always better than staying stuck.
o Completing this form will ensure that you get the help that you need in order to complete the
assignment.
  Any type of honor code violation, including plagiarism, will be given a permanent zero, contact with
me will be mandatory, and it will be noted in the student’s discipline data view.
o Please note our school’s consequences for Honor Code violations:
 FIRST OFFENSE: A ZERO on the response(s) & a phone conference with your teacher and
a Caretaker or Learning Coach.
 SECOND OFFENSE: A ZERO on the ENTIRE assessment & a phone conference with your
teacher and a Caretaker or Learning Coach.
 THIRD OFFENSE: A ZERO on the ENTIRE assessment & a phone conference with your
teacher, a Caretaker or Learning Coach, AND a school administrator such as the Vice
Principal.
 **Please note that a student a student with THREE OR MORE Honor Code
Violations is at risk for failing a course.**

Tips for Success

 Make a Schedule! Wake up at the same time each day. Break up the hours of each day to complete
lessons in every course. Use the “Planner” icon in Connexus! You don’t have to follow your planner
exactly, but getting more than two weeks behind makes it difficult to catch up and will give you extra
stress in the long run. Plan out what you want to accomplish at the beginning of each week, and each
day, and assess your progress as you go.

 Ask Questions – Don’t be left alone with your questions or confusion! Asking questions is how we learn
and gain clarity to move forward in completing assignments. Asking questions is a great way to
practice communication skills that will help you throughout your high school education and in your
future careers. Please ask for help if you need it. I promise I’m nice. My goal is to help you be
successful!

 Keep a notebook. We read – a lot. Keep notes as you read about main ideas, your reflections,
questions, and anything that might be important. This will be really helpful for you throughout the
semester.

 If you’re struggling with a difficult text, try different strategies. Read aloud, print pages out and
highlight, draw pictures of main events, discuss the story with your learning coach, use your dictionary,
etc. Contact me so we can work something out together that will work best for you.

 Smile! Yes, this will be work, but I’ll try to make sure we have some fun too!

IMPORTANT ICONS:

WEBMAIL: GRADEBOOK: MESSAGE BOARDS:

Check these frequently for important class information!

 On Writing
“If you deny people a voice… Their own voice, there is no way you will ever know who they were.”
– Alice Walker
۞
“The art of writing is the art of discovering what you believe.” – Gustave Flaubert
۞
“If there is a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, you must be the one to write it.”
– Toni Morrison
۞
“Get it down. Take chances. It may be bad, but it’s the only way you can do anything really good.”
- William Faulkner
۞
“There is no greater agony that bearing an untold story inside you.” – Maya Angelou
۞
“Write what should not be forgotten.” – Isabel Allende
۞
“Your teacher can open the door but you must enter yourself.” – Chinese Proverb
۞
“A library is a good place to go when you feel bewildered or undecided, for there, in a book, you may have
your questions answered. Books are good company, in sad times and happy times, for books are people—
people who have managed to stay alive by hiding between the covers of a book.” – E. B. White
۞
“Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly.” – Langston Hughes