Pre-AP English II

Mrs. Jessica Skoglund

Olathe Northwest High School

jskoglundonw@olatheschools.org
__________ (Edmodo Student Code)
(913) 780-7150
Room 1311

I am excited to work with you throughout the year! Please do not hesitate to contact me with questions, comments,
or concerns. Go Ravens!

Course Overview
Welcome to Pre-AP English II! As the sophomore English course, the goal of this class is to prepare you for success
in college and/or the career world. The most important skills you will learn in this course include the following:
Read closely and analytically to comprehend a range of increasingly complex literary and informational
texts.
Produce effective and well-grounded writing for a range of purposes and audiences.
Employ effective speaking and listening skills for a range of purposes and audiences.
Engage in research/inquiry to investigate topics, and to analyze, integrate, and present information.

Expectations
Be Responsible: Come to class prepared with your required materials and homework.
Be Respectful: Treat all people, things, and ideas with respect, even if you do not agree with them.
Be Reflective: Be an advocate for your own learning! Set goals, ask questions, participate in class, and
be proactive about your education. This will help me to serve you better as your teacher.

Materials
Having materials is an expectation for this course so that each class period progresses efficiently and productively.
Not having materials is not an excuse for lack of participation in class. The following materials are needed on a daily
basis:
Pencils/Pens/Highlighter
Notebook paper
Binder (organized accordingly)
Agenda
Other materials may be requested as needed.

Attendance
Consistent attendance is a requirement of this course due to the importance of in-class activities. Because we will be
taking on challenging material, it is imperative that students be present for class. According to the Olathe Northwest
Handbook, students who are absent from 16 class periods due to unrelated school business (i.e. excused or
unexcused) may not receive credit for the course. Occasional absences due school-related activities and/or sickness
(excused absences) may occur. Please follow the following guidelines when absent:
It is your responsibility to get your assignments when you miss school.
Be sure to check Edmodo when you have been absent because most homework assignments will be listed
there. Alternatively, you may check the crates labeled Absentee Papers for any missed worksheets. You
should get your missed work before or immediately upon your return to class. Finally, see me for
additional instructions during seminar or before/after school.

If you are absent on the day something is due, it is due the first day you are back in class. Note that if you
are present on campus at all during the school day, your assignment is due even if you miss Pre-AP English
II. If you know you are going to be gone the day an assignment is due, particularly for a school-related trip,
you need to turn that assignment in before you leave or it will be considered late. For assignments given on
the day you were absent, the work will be due two school (not class) days after you return. You have two
school (not class) days to make up work for every excused absence from this class.

Late Work
Work submitted when due is an expectation for this class. Note that much of the work for this course is due at the
beginning of a class period, and some work is due on www.turnitin.com. This course has been designed to build
upon itself, so it is important to the learning process that students complete work on time and in order.
Every late assignment submitted for a grade (whether make-up work or a late assignment) MUST include an
Absent/Late Work Form, available on Edmodo or in the Absentee Papers crate.
Your assignment will be graded based on its quality, just like those not submitted late. However, for those
late assignments not due to absences (make-up work), there will be a task created in the gradebook that will
note the assignment was submitted late. These late assignments will factor in to the students participation
grades.
There will be some non-negotiable deadlines where late work will no longer be accepted (e.g. the end of the
quarter, larger projects / presentations where logistics are an issue, etc.). Mrs. Skoglund will communicate
these deadlines ahead of time.
Once per quarter, each student will receive a Thats Life! pass. This single pass can be used for any missing
assignment and will grant the student one additional class period to turn the assignment in for full credit. The
Thats Life! pass will not work for long term assignments, tests, or quizzes.

Techspectations
As students enter the twenty-first century, I truly believe and am committed to promoting the use of technology
within my classroom when possible. The following are technology-related procedures and expectations in Pre-AP
English II.
Technological Issues: In our high-tech environment, theres bound to be some problems with technology at some
point. Here are your responsibilities for these future troubles:
Communicate technology problems with Mrs. Skoglund ASAP.
Anticipate technology problems by planning enough time to troubleshoot/problem solve. Technology issues
are not an excuse for not having work completed or turned in.
Technological Communication: Online communication (email, discussion boards, etc.) should adhere to the same
expectations as written or verbal communication in the classroom.
BYOD: I am excited to implement the Olathe School Districts Bring Your Own Device policy for this school year.
With this policy, students may use personal electronic devices at my discretion. Students will only be allowed to
access appropriate content to maximize learning and to minimize distractions. Furthermore, per the Olathe School
District policy, students are responsible for any loss or damage that occurs to their devices while in the classroom.
The implementation of BYOD does not require any student to purchase or to obtain a device, and an alternative way
to complete a lesson without using a device will always be provided.
Internet-Based Technology: Students will be expected to routinely use the internet-based technology listed below:
Email (http://students.olatheschools.com or other personal email
Edmodo (http://edmodo.olatheschools.com)
Turnitin.com (http://www.turnitin.com)
No Red Ink (http://noredink.com)
Shmoop (http://shmoop.com)

Backing Up Files: In addition, students should utilize multiple methods of backing up files and accessing them in
multiple locations:
Google Drive (associated with student email and other Google email accounts)
Dropbox/Skydrive
Flash/USB drive
CD/DVD storage

Academic Dishonesty
Plagiarism, the taking of anothers ideas or words and using them as your own, will not be tolerated in any format.
There are many forms of plagiarism ranging from cutting and pasting sources from a book/the Internet to copying a
classmate's work. Please note the difference between working collaboratively (resulting in interaction and thinking)
and copying (which replaces interaction and thinking). In this class, if a student engages in academic dishonesty, the
following consequences will go into effect:
The student will conference with Mrs. Skoglund.
Guardians will be contacted, either by the student during the conference or by Mrs. Skoglund.
In cases where it is apparent a student has copied all or part of an assignment from another student, from a
printed source, or from electronic media, the student will receive a severe academic consequence such as a
grade of zero and administration will be notified.
In cases of plagiarism multiple times, the student will receive a zero as well as be subject to administrative
disciplinary consequences.
Students involved in plagiarism may be removed from or disqualified for candidacy to National Honor
Society and/or other organizations.
If you are unsure of what constitutes plagiarism, please do not hesitate to ask Mrs. Skoglund.

Grading Scale
A+ 98-100
A 93-97
A- 89.5-92

B+ 87-89.49
B 83-86
B- 79.5-82

C+77-79.49
C 73-76
C- 69.5-72

D+ 67-69.49
D 63-66
D- 59.5-62

F 59.49 or below

Grading Method
Semester grades are the only grades included on students official transcripts. Semester grades are calculated
cumulatively, using three weighted categories:
1. Practice & Participation (30%)
Students must show that they are engaged learners through practice and participation in class. The expectations for
this category include academic behaviors such as:
contributing to class discussions, asking questions, and demonstrating engagement
completing all assignments to the best of ability
turning in work on time
staying on track with outside reading
At each grading period (mid-term, quarter, semester), the teacher will reflect on the students participation and
examine practice activities for an eventual score on a rubric. Students will be given an opportunity to reflect on their
participation score as well.
2. Performance (60%)
Performance scores will be assigned to individual standards on summative assessments with a specific focus on
writing. Each assessment will be scored on multiple standards. For example, on a single writing assessment,

students may receive scores for the following standards: thesis statement, embedded quotations, commentary, and
conclusion.
3. Semester Final (10%)
The final will be comprehensive and will vary in format.

Coursework (subject to change)

I. Literature
Animal Farm by George Orwell
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare
Various short stories and poems
Various outside reading
II. Nonfiction
Sway by Ori Brafman and Rom Brafman
Various news articles (from reputable news
sources)

III. Genres of Writing

Expository
Argumentative
Narrative
Synthesis
Various research
IV. Vocabulary
Based on the context of works in class or on
need-to-know words (for AP, ACT, college,
etc.)
V. ACT Reading and English
Reading comprehension and English
grammar/usage skills taught in the context of
the ACT exam

Teacher Communication and Availability

Having proactive communication between the teacher, students, and guardians is a tenet of any strong classroom. I
will do my best to clearly communicate course and assignment expectations and directions, and I expect
communication from students in return.
I will respond to any form of communication within twenty-four hours. E-mail is the easiest way to get ahold of me
since ONW does not have direct phone lines to classrooms and since this is the venue I will check during afterschool hours or weekends. For extensive conferences or issues, a face-to-face appointment is typically preferred and
will result in better feedback. Below is a table of my general availability in my classroom (1311):
A
M
P
M

Monday
7:00-8:00 am

Tuesday
7:00-8:00am

Wednesday
7:00-8:00am

3:00-4:00pm

3:00-4:00 pm

3:00-4:00 pm

Thursday
Not available due
to PLC meetings
3:00-4:00 pm

Friday
7:00-8:00 am
3:00-4:00 pm

***PLEASE NOTE: FOR ANY SPECIFIC POLICY OR PROCEDURE NOT

LISTED, DEFAULT TO THE OLATHE NORTHWEST HIGH SCHOOL
HANDBOOK.***

Pre-AP English II Information Sheet

Please print neatly!
Student Name:
Guardian(s) First and Last Name(s):
Guardian E-mail Address:

Guardian Phone Number:

Please mark whether you would like an Edmodo parent code to view your students upcoming
due dates / assignments throughout the school year.
______ I would like an Edmodo parent code.
*Mrs. Skoglund will e-mail you a code within the next week.

______ I am not interested in an Edmodo parent code at this time.

*Feel free to contact Mrs. Skoglund in future if you would like this!

Acknowledgement of Pre-AP English II Procedures & Expectations

We have read the above information and understand the procedures and expectations for this course.
_____________________________________
Student Signature

_______________________________________
Guardian Signature

Date:

Date: