Open House

Course Objectives:

• To make students better readers, writers, listeners, and speakers – and therefore more effective communicators overall
• To instill a love of reading and writing in students and to help them understand and appreciate the value of both in their lives
• To prepare students for their English 9/10 final exams, the English 11 Common Core Exam, the SAT, AP English (Honors class), college and/or a career, and daily life

Recent Changes:

• Common Core State Standards: added emphasis on non-fiction, research, close reading, and text-based arguments; implementation of state-developed modules/units from EngageNY
• APPR (teacher evaluations): more testing, with many assessments composed of “cold reads” that test skills, not content

Typical Assignments:

• Weekly reading and accompanying assignments: comprehension questions, double-entry/reader response journals, etc.
• Bi-weekly vocabulary (paragraphs, revisions, quiz)
• Reading journal based on independent reading/SSR (once a quarter for English 9 and 10; twice a quarter for English 10 Honors)
• Other: essays (in and outside of class), research projects, oral presentations/podcasts, book/movie reviews, poetry, creative writing, optional extra credit

What I am Doing at School:

• Available periods 4, 6, 7, and 9 for extra help 
• Available via e-mail: swebb@homercentral.org
• All assignments and announcements posted to the class blog weekly
• Remind app will notify students of changes and send out reminders via text messages
• All notes and handouts are shared with students on Google Drive
• E-newsletter e-mailed to parents/guardians every five weeks detailing class activities and important upcoming dates

What You and Your Student Can Do at Home:

• Lead by example: Show your student that you value education and expect him/her to do his/her best in school.  Provide literacy-rich experiences at home.  Talk about books.  Read with and/or to your student.  Let him/her catch you reading!
• Check the class blog at least once a week to view assignments and announcements: mrswebbontheweb.blogspot.com.  This will be updated during the week if there are any changes.
• Make sure all homework, including reading, is completed on time.
• Study the definitions of vocabulary words and practice using the words in sentences.
• Maintain a separate, organized English binder containing all notes, handouts, and assignments.
• Monitor grades using the Parent Portal on SchoolTool.

Feel free to contact me anytime if you have any questions or concerns this year.

Thank you for attending Open House!  

I'm looking forward to working with you this year!