Course Syllabus

Mr. Barsanti rbarsanti@pittsfield.net

The Search for Values www.barrsenglishclass.com

School Year 2007-2008

Your Name: _______________________________________

Welcome to a new school year. As you get older and advance in our schools system, more privileges and more responsibilities build up. This year, we will concentrate on helping you read, write, think, and speak better.

Course Description:

The Search for Values is a challenging, senior course, which meets five periods per week, for two semesters for ten credits. Admission to this course is with approval of the junior English teacher. This course is planned in units each of which is devoted to one of lifeπs deep concerns such as the search for the ideal philosophy, individual rights and love. Students will be responsible for reading, research, expository writing, oral reports, and leading the discussions which follow those reports. Students will also complete a research paper. Assessments will not only involve writing, but also classroom discussion, multi-media projects, and acting.

Grading

Your grade in the course will depend about your ability to think clearly, write reliably, and cooperate consistently. The grade will be made up of these factors

• Quizzes
• Tests
• Essays
• Discussions
• Projects.
• Homework
• Challenges

You can expect homework every evening, with the exception of Friday. Homework, typically, involves writing a short journal entry of no more than 300 words. This assignment is due by the beginning of class, preferably in e-mail. For every missing homework, I will subtract one point from your average. Should you complete all of the homework, I will award three points on your average.

Challenges are pieces of enrichment work that may be reading a book, a short story, an essay, or a news article and then writing a brief response. Challenges may also be word games, extra grammar assignments, or other work that I will specify. Every student in this class must amass 100 challenge points by the end of the first term. For every ten you do above that, I will award one point on your average, with a maximum of five points possible. If you do not complete 100 challenge points, you will not pass for the term.

Makeup Work:

All work will be posted on the website. Makeup work needs to be done as soon as possible. The missing work will be averaged as a zero while it is missing; it is in your best interest to make it up. Prior to the last week of school, I will announce a ≥drop dead date≤ for all make-up work. No work will be accepted after that.

Office Hours:

I will be available for student help from the end of school to 3 P.M. Monday ≠Thursday, depending on meetings. I am also available on-line at rbarsanti@pittsfield.net.

I actively communicate with parents with positive and negative information.

Classroom Discipline:

The classroom will encourage respect, accountability, preparedness, and punctuality.

Success in this course will depend on Courage and Respect. Courage means attempting to do things that are difficult to do. Respect means treating others as you would like to be treated, or better.

Minor infractions will earn a lunch detention.

Attendance Policy:

Three absences in a quarter will result in an ≥NC≤ on the report card. This suggests that the student has exceeded the acceptable time to be out of class for the quarter. It does not mean that the student lost credit, but they are at risk to if they continue to miss school at this pace. Students who exceed the three or the twelve can ≥buy back≤ time by attending an attendance school or by making up the time/work with me. Four tardies will equal one absence.

We will move at a steady pace in this rigorous course. Please take the initiative to seek help whenever you need it or come to me if you know someone who is struggling and has not come forward. We are all connected and we must depend on each other for help and for guidance. If we can trust each other, and expect excellence, we will achieve mighty things.