The End is Near

I know it has been a while, but I wanted to send a quick update as we enter the last half of the last quarter! Here are a few reminders and announcements:

New/Old Homework Policy--For the past several months we have been accepting late work and late homework sometimes five to six weeks after it was originally due. However, this will not be allowed by 10th grade English teachers. In an effort to better prepare students for the 10th grade, we will go back to the policy originally outlined on the syllabus. We will no longer accept homework after the day it is due. Students may come after school on the day they miss an assignment to receive partial credit. If they do not come it is a zero. The best way for students to avoid this whole problem is to be diligent about doing homework every night.

Homework Problems--Please talk to your students about academic integrity. We have had massive problems with homework lately. Many students are not doing it. Others are writing down anything, hoping that we won't read it (when we do read it, these papers receive zeros). Others are copying homework from other students which is a form of cheating and will result in a zero for both the student who copied and the person who allowed him/her to do so. This is very disappointing and frustrating. It is a waste of their time and mine. This does not relate to all students, but please talk to your student about the importance of doing their work, thinking for themselves, and taking pride in what they do.

Current Grades--Current grades are now available here. Please encourage students to take advantage of free after school tutoring Monday to Thursday in our classroom. We want students to be successful this quarter and prepared for next year. There is no reason for students to have less than a C in this class with all of the support available if they want it.

End of the Year--The end of the year is fast approaching, but it is not over yet. We will be finishing To Kill a Mockingbird in the next week and assessing student understanding of the text. We will then begin Much Ado About Nothing as our last text for the year. We will culminate the year by completing reflective portfolios to help students synthesize what they have learned. Through all of this, students will have MANY end-of-the-year assessments and finals that count toward their grade. Please encourage students to buckle down and get the most out of these last weeks of school. Unlike middle school, the end of the year is very academically intense--it is NOT a time to slow down.

Interim Reports--Students will be receiving interim report cards on Friday. Ask to see them!

Parent Survey--Please take a few moments right now to take an online survey about our school. It should take about 10 minutes and responses will be kept confidential. A letter containing more information will be sent home with students today.

Survey: http://tphcpss.org/jkatz/GOAL2parent.tp4
Login: GOAL2
Password: parent

Thank you so much for your continued support. We look forward to a strong finish to a challenging school year!