English Language Arts 10 Course Outline (2017-2018)

Teacher: Ms. McGillis

Welcome to English class!

Why is it called English Language Arts (ELA)? What does the “LA” part of it mean, anyway?

The Language Arts are six different disciplines that you will work on mastering throughout the school year. They are reading, writing, listening, speaking, viewing, and representing. Throughout the course of this year, you will perform your Language Arts Skills through experiencing a variety of texts (texts = things you read, write, listen to, speak, view and draw).

Reading Expectations

For this course, I’m asking you to read a minimum of one book per month. This is a minimum; you will all set your own personal reading goals at the beginning of the year. You can choose whichever book you like – you can re-read a favourite book, you can choose something new and challenging, or something relaxed and easy. As long as it is novella length or longer, it is fine! You will also have access to ReadingPlus again this year.

Course Expectations

In the classroom, I expect you to follow three basic rules:

Be respectful: of the teacher, your classmates, and school materials.

Be prepared: arrive on-time with books/notebooks and complete homework and assignments on-time.

Be enthusiastic: bring a positive attitude to class and try your best!

Late Policy

There are two key terms to know: due dates and deadlines.

Your due date is the exact day that the assignment should be handed in so that no late penalties are awarded. After the due date has passed, you will have a 10% penalty taken off your final mark.
The deadline is the last day to hand in work for that unit. Essentially, after the due date has passed, you can still hand in work for a 10% penalty. After the deadline has passed, you are no longer able to hand in work for that unit.

The most important thing to me is that you get your work done, so that I know you understand the content we have covered. Therefore, I reserve the right to hold you in during DPA, break, or lunch so you can work on your missed assignments. (For students in Calgary or Abbotsford, this may be done over Zoom or coordinated with one of your local teachers.)

Absences

If you are going to be absent, please inform me as soon as possible. I know that you can’t predict everything, but I would like you keep me in the loop as often as possible, with as much advance notice as possible.

If you are absent, you are still responsible for the work you missed. You should speak with your classmates to figure out what you missed, then come to me for any work that you missed or questions about the assignments.

If you are absent on a day when a major assignment is due, I require a note from your parents which you can hand in when you hand in your assignment. This does not apply for small assignments, such as day-to-day homework. If you do not have a note, regular late policy will apply.

Marking Breakdown

Application: Major assignments (tests, essays, projects) – 35%

Knowledge and Understanding: Medium assignments (homework, worksheets) – 30%

Thinking & Inquiry: Minor assignments (in-class work) – 25%

Communication: Participation (online or in class) – 10%