Episcopal School of Jacksonville Curriculum Paper – 7th grade English language arts

Course Title: English Language Arts 7 Teacher: Mrs. Flynn Mission Statement: The mission of Episcopal School of Jacksonville is to provide a superior college-preparatory education in an environment marked by high expectation, Christian nurture, and social diversity. Through a balanced program of academics, arts and athletics, Episcopal faculty seeks to instill in each student intellectual growth, character development, responsible leadership, and a commitment to community service. Course Overview: Students will read and analyze great literature from the Western literary tradition. Students will learn to read with discernment, while using a plethora of tools to strengthen reading and writing skills. Students will use speaking strategies effectively, and understand the nature and power of language. Students are expected to become independent, self-motivated learners. Students will be prepared for the high school and collegiate experience by participating in rigorous coursework. Students are expected to make mistakes; “Continuous effort – not strength or intelligence – is the key to unlocking our potential.” – Winston Churchill Student Evaluation: Students will be assessed formally, quizzes and tests, and informally within and from work assigned outside the classroom setting. Academic Honesty: Students are expected to abide by The Honor Code: Episcopal believes that students learn best in an environment where each person is valued and respected. The School expects its students to act responsibly and be trustworthy, reliable, and honest. The School, therefore, instituted its Honor System designed to instill in its students honesty and integrity as values of utmost importance. The Honor System is a cherished principle by which life on the campus is governed. Please refer to the 2014-2015 Parent/Student Handbook. Inappropriate Behavior: Any student breaking the law (on or off campus) in such a way, as to endanger the well-being of themselves or others, or bring discredit to Episcopal may expect disciplinary action, including dismissal. Please refer to the 2014-2015 Parent/Student Handbook. Homework/Late Work Policy: Homework is meant to help students preview new material or review material that was covered. As such, it is to the students’ benefit that all homework assignments are done in a timely manner. Students with excused absences have one (1) day to makeup missed in-class assignments and homework. After that time, excused makeup assignments and/or homework will incur a daily late penalty of three points per day. If a student has not incurred an excused absence, then no late work will be accepted. Please understand the importance of students accepting responsibility for turning in their work on time, respect the outside time it takes for me to manually grade, and provide corrective feedback to each one of my students. Make-up Work Policy: It is the students’ responsibility to ask for missed work. As mentioned above, students who have an excused absence have one (1) day per excused daily absence to makeup assignments and homework. After that time, makeup assignments will incur a daily late penalty of three points per day. Students with an unexcused absence will incur an immediate penalty of five points per day. Students who anticipate being absent on the due date of an assignment should turn it in early or arrange for the digital submission of work. Parent/Teacher Conferences: Please refer to www.esj.org. After School Directed Study: Episcopal provides after school directed study (ASDS) from 3:15 to 4:00 p.m. each day. The library is open until 6:00 p.m. with few exceptions. Grading Scale: Grades are earned according to the following scale: 90 – 100 (A), 80 – 89 (B), 70 – 79 (C), 60 – 69 (D), 50 – 59 (F). Grades are calculated by dividing the number of total points earned by the total possible points in a semester period. Progress Reports: Only provided for students earning a “D” or lower by mid-semester.