WELCOME TO HONORS ENGLISH

9

Mrs. Melinda Malaspino

Welcome to English Class!

Sophomores (periods 2,3,&4)

Seniors (periods 5&6)!

MS. Reeve

Folsom High School

Who is teaching your teen? Napa, California

Bay Area College Park High Diablo Valley Jr. College

A.A. General Education CSU, Sacramento

BA English Minor: Social Work Single Subject Clear

Credential CLAD Certification

Started teaching at FHS in 1998

District Teacher of the Year 2007

Completed: Masters in Education National Board Program

2008

FHS Site Technology Manager 10th Grade Curriculum Coach

– ELA WASC Review Leader BEST Team Member FHS Drug Prevention Council Coach:

Volleyball Softball

Club Advisor: Bulldogs Reaching Out

Activities Director : 2010-2012

Requirements

A 1 ½ “ or larger binder for English with 5 dividers

Several colored pens and highlighters

Text/novel OR Book Participation in classroom

discussions Write down homework from

whiteboard!

Routinely check Schoolwires for updates about the week.

Subscribe to my website Set aside time for

homework and reading for class

Be prepared to research online – if not at home, set up a place to access the internet.

Type essays using MLA format.

Classroom Requirements

Home requirements

Absent?

Check out my website!

Folsom High School Teacher’s Websites Reeve, Dena

Available on the App store or get it on Google Play – The Folsom Cordova App! You can access Powerschool from this app.

GRADING POLICIES

Grading Scale: Total Points

Grades will be based on points earned through the entire semester.

Point value of assignments will depend on importance and complexity.

Grading Scale

Letter grades will be based on the following scale as set forth by the FHS Department of English:

100% + = A + 78-79% = C +93-99% = A 73-77% = C90-92% = A- 70-72% = C-88-89% = B + 68-69% = D +83-87% = B 63-67% = D80-82% = B- 60-62% = D-

59% and below = F

GoalsStudents will continue to develop their understanding of grammar and vocabulary through daily and weekly lessons and exercises.

Students will be expected to:

Research on a topic in order to effectively write an argument-centered paper.

Revise and edit their papers in order to develop as a writer and thinker.

Participate in class through the Socratic method by sharing their writing and opinions on a subject in both small and large group discussions.

Read and analyze text using literary terms/devices for a deeper meaning.

Develop critical thinking and problem solving skills, effective oral and written communication techniques, and the ability to collaborate effectively.

Look at problems and issues in Literature from multiple perspectives in order to take a position on the topic at hand.

Common Core Curriculum

All English courses are designed to be inquiry-based courses, integrating reading, writing, discussion, and critical thinking in all units.

Teachers collaborate to create lessons which call on students to explore ideas, interact with the text and develop thoughtful understanding in accordance with the FCUSD mission statement.

GPS Curriculum

All students, whether or not

they are officially enrolled in the GPS program, will receive integrated instruction in their core classes.

In Sophomore English, students explore literary works from across cultures to discover how our stories reveal truth about ourselves, the nature of mankind, and human culture.

In Senior English, students explore “The Next Step” analyzing those who have gone before, thinking deeply about their own next steps. Their readings will cross the divide between the first recorded stories – such as Beowulf – to famous authors of our day – such as John Grisham.

Class Readings:

Sophomore Year

Animal Farm – George Orwell.

The House on Mango Street – Sandra Cisneros

Various Short stories from the Language of Literature textbook

A Long Way Gone – Ishmael Beah 

Lord of the Flies – William Golding

Julius Caesar – William Shakespeare

Possibly Piloting new novels this year!

Senior Year Beowulf A variety of informational text

and articles Shakespeare’s Macbeth/

Hamlet / Taming of the Shrew / 12th Night

CSU ERWC (Expository Reading and Writing Course)

Novel Choices: And Then There Were None 1984 Cry, The Beloved Country Brave New World Death of a Salesman Catcher in the Rye Nectar in a Sieve Kite Runner Frankenstein Ordinary People The Natural Hunt for Red October Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde Things Fall Apart

John Grisham Novels

Class Readings In addition to the novels read in class, the

students will also be required to do outside reading. Time will be given in class to read on block day and on Fridays, but students will mostly be responsible for this work on their own.

Other resources to be used in class are:How to Read Literature Like a Professor – Thomas

C. FosterElements of Literature and Language of Literature by

Holt (textbooks to be provided in class)

THANK YOU FOR COMING!

I can be reached at •dreeve@fcusd.org

•916-294-2400 ext. 415216E-Mail is the best way to reach me!

If your student needs help…