english ii --- august 31

Your homework is to write a paragraph (at least 7-10 sentences) or more finishing this idea:

"You Begin" is a poem about ____.

Choose one word and try to prove your point.

HINT: Use evidence from the poem -- use your color marking and annotation from class.
Remember to show me your thinking, not what you think I'm thinking.
Feel free to take a risk.

This is due at the beginning of the period Wednesday. If you have not completed it, you will be assigned Homework Hall.

august 27 -- creative writing

We started our portfolios today. Remember that your portfolio needs to represent you and your writing. There should be a written component included on your portfolio.

We will present the portfolios to the class on Friday, September 5.

august 27 -- english ii

It's official. Independent Reading Logs were passed out in class today. You are officially required to read every day outside of class and record the pages in your log. When you fill up a log, new logs will be provided. Keep them together so you can see what you've read this year!

You should use your log as a bookmark so you remember to record!

Remember that I will be checking your logs every Friday that I see you.

sat prep course overview

SAT Prep/Fundamentals of College Applications
Ms. Arbuckle – Fall 2009

What is SAT Prep?

SAT Prep is a course offered by SBISD. In this course you will prepare for the SAT and will learn the fundamentals of college applications. We will work through several strategies for the Critical Reading, Math, and Writing portions of the test, and we will work on applying successfully to college.

How does the class work?

During the first two weeks of school we will be completing an SAT practice test. This test will be administered like an SAT, and we will receive your scores approximately one week after we complete the test.

We will work toward a goal SAT administration—the date will be announced in the first week of school. We will work thought the books and practice the strategies.

Will there be Homework?

There will be quizzes and homework for each section. You will be expected to have your homework ready at the beginning of the class period. We will try to finish the homework in class the day before.

How will I be graded?

˜ Students are expected to come to class prepared.
˜ Students are expected to take an active role in their learning—this is for you and your future.
˜ Students are expected to participate in all class activities.

Anything else I need to know?

˜ You will need to bring a calculator and pencil to each class.

I expect that we will have a good time at the same time that we are learning!

Upper School Late Work Policy:

All work is due at the beginning of class. If work is turned in after this time, it is considered late and the following penalties will be accrued:
30% off 1st school day
Maximum grade given after 2 or more school days (not class periods) will be a 50%. Assignments will not be accepted, and will be recorded as a zero in the grade book, once a 3-weeks grading period has ended (the teacher grade entry deadline for progress reports or report cards).


Homework Hall Information:
SBISD has developed a new homework policy that requires homework to “promote high quality student learning and achievement. Homework is an out-of-classroom learning experience assigned by a teacher to enhance student learning.” Because homework is designed to help the student become a successful and independent learner, it is imperative that each student complete all of his/her homework. WAIS has created homework hall to help students meet this goal of completing all homework. Homework Hall is provided Monday – Friday from 3:05-4:05 p.m. A late bus is provided that takes students to the elementary school closest to their home.
Students who do not turn in homework on time will be assigned homework hall on the day the work was due. The teacher will enter the assignment in the computer system, including the assignment that needs to be completed.
The students will call their parents to inform them about the homework hall assignment. A classroom phone log could record the call. The WAIS call out system will also call parents about the homework hall assignment.
Students who are unable to attend an assigned homework hall will be required to make up their assignments on Saturday from 9 am - 12 pm. Homework Hall is not optional.

creative writing course overview

Creative Writing
Ms. Arbuckle – Fall 2009

What is creative writing?

Creative writing is a language arts course which earns ½ to 1 state elective credit. Students in creative writing use the writing process to explore various types of writing—short stories, poetry, essays, plays, satire, etc. The purpose of this class is to give students a place where they can practice the craft of writing, have critical feedback on their writing, and publish their finished work.

How does the class work? Will we be assigned lots of papers?

Students will be given the freedom to develop the kinds of writing projects in which they are interested. My job will be to act as a sounding board to help you improve as a writer. I will be doing mini lessons throughout the semester on various types of writing—some possibilities are how to write a sports article, the do’s and don’ts of writing poetry, how to write a one act play, and more. This class is an opportunity for students to write about what they want to write about and to experiment with new forms of writing.

How will I be graded?

˜ Students will be expected to participate every class period in some phase of the writing process: prewriting, drafting, conferencing, revising, editing, publishing.
˜ Students may be asked to take risks and experiment with forms of writing that are new to them.
˜ Students will also be expected to serve as an audience for their peers in conferences and read-alouds.
˜ Students will be expected to keep portfolios and journals and produce a body of work each six weeks.
˜ Students will be asked to publish finished pieces of work.

Anything else I need to know?

With freedom comes responsibility.
˜ You will need to produce a body of work and stay on task.
˜ You will have to take risks as a writer.
˜ You will have to learn to be a good editor and a fair evaluator of your peers’ work.

Upper School Late Work Policy:

All work is due at the beginning of class. If work is turned in after this time, it is considered late and the following penalties will be accrued:
30% off 1st school day
Maximum grade given after 2 or more school days (not class periods) will be a 50%. Assignments will not be accepted, and will be recorded as a zero in the grade book, once a 3-weeks grading period has ended (the teacher grade entry deadline for progress reports or report cards).


Homework Hall Information:
SBISD has developed a new homework policy that requires homework to “promote high quality student learning and achievement. Homework is an out-of-classroom learning experience assigned by a teacher to enhance student learning.” Because homework is designed to help the student become a successful and independent learner, it is imperative that each student complete all of his/her homework. WAIS has created homework hall to help students meet this goal of completing all homework. Homework Hall is provided Monday – Friday from 3:05-4:05 p.m. A late bus is provided that takes students to the elementary school closest to their home.
Students who do not turn in homework on time will be assigned homework hall on the day the work was due. The teacher will enter the assignment in the computer system, including the assignment that needs to be completed.
The students will call their parents to inform them about the homework hall assignment. A classroom phone log could record the call. The WAIS call out system will also call parents about the homework hall assignment.
Students who are unable to attend an assigned homework hall will be required to make up their assignments on Saturday from 9 am - 12 pm. Homework Hall is not optional.

english iii ib course overview

English III IB
Ms. Arbuckle
Class Overview

The goals of this class:
Students will view literature from the dual perspective of a reader and a writer.
Students will understand and articulate both orally and in writing the purpose of a text and how the author achieved that purpose.
Students will be prepared for the battery of standardized tests (TAKS/PSAT/SAT/AP/IB) and writing assessments in the Junior and Senior year.
Students will study literature in a variety of genres and from a variety of countries.
Students will write in a variety of modes with different purposes and audiences.
Students will acquire the necessary skills as readers and writers to be successful in college level classes.
Additional specific goals will be discussed during the first two weeks of school.

The requirements of this class:
All IB courses are taught as college preparatory classes. Students need to know that they require a serious commitment in time and effort.
All assignments must be completed on time. There will be a window during which the assignment is due. Assignments will not be accepted after this time without prior approval from the instructor. On the rare occasions when student late work is accepted, it will receive a late grade penalty. See the Late Work Policy for more details.
Students will be required to keep a literary journal, writing folders and a student portfolio of all work done throughout the school year. See the explanation of the Reader’s-Writer’s Notebook below.
Students will be assigned outside reading which must be completed on time.
Students will be expected to participate actively in all discussions, projects, assignments. Choosing not to participate is not an option.
All student writing is based on process: major papers must show multiple drafts, revisions, conferencing and editing. Keep all drafts as these will be turned in and will be part of the assignment grade.
All students assignments must be their individual work; plagiarism in any form will not be tolerated.
Students must come to class prepared with all assignments and with proper materials.

Classroom Principles:
Be Respectful
Be Responsible
All classroom rules stem from these two principles!

Reader’s-Writer’s Notebook
This notebook will be where you will write many of your reflections, notes, class activities, etc. The structure of the Notebook will become clearer as we begin to use it. This notebook will remain in the class room and will be one daily grade at progress report time and one major grade at report card time. Notebooks will not be provided for you.

Grading procedures:
Grades will be based on the instructor’s assessment of student writing, student participation, student class preparation and completed projects/assignments.
The following grade weighting is the department policy for IB and AP Classes:
Major Grades – 70%
Daily Grades – 30%

Late Work Policy
All work is due at the beginning of class. If work is turned in after this time, it is considered late and the following penalties will be accrued:
e 30% off 1st school day
Maximum grade given after 2 or more school days (not class periods) will be a 50%. Assignments will not be accepted, and will be recorded as a zero in the grade book, once a 3-weeks grading period has ended (the teacher grade entry deadline for progress reports or report cards).

Homework Hall
SBISD has developed a new homework policy that requires homework to “promote high quality student learning and achievement. Homework is an out-of-classroom learning experience assigned by a teacher to enhance student learning.” Because homework is designed to help the student become a successful and independent learner, it is imperative that each student complete all of his/her homework. WAIS has created homework hall to help students meet this goal of completing all homework. Homework Hall is provided Monday – Friday from 3:05-4:05 p.m. A late bus is provided that takes students to the elementary school closest to their home.
· Students who do not turn in homework on time will be assigned homework hall on the day the work was due. The teacher will enter the assignment in the computer system, including the assignment that needs to be completed.
· The students will call their parents to inform them about the homework hall assignment. A classroom phone log could record the call. The WAIS call out system will also call parents about the homework hall assignment.
· Students who are unable to attend an assigned homework hall will be required to make up their assignments on Saturday from 9 am - 12 pm. Homework Hall is not optional.

Make-Up Work (directly from the district grading expectations)
It is the student’s responsibility to complete work missed while absent from class. The following are general statements covering make-up work.

1. Students who miss class must make up the work. Students will receive credit for make-up work except in the case of a documented truancy (UT in SASI).
2. It is the student’s responsibility to make arrangements with teachers for make-up work prior to or immediately upon returning to class.
3. Make-up work, especially tests, may be of an alternate version to more accurately measure what the student has learned.
4. Students who have pre-approved absences are expected to notify the teachers of the classes they will miss in advance and request assignments. The work is due at the first class meeting following return to school.
5. All make-up work from the prior grading period must be completed and a grade assigned before the next grade report (progress report or report card).
6. Whether a student is absent one or five days, make-up assignments and tests must be completed. Make-up assignments for absences will include the following schedule (unless prior principal approval is received):
1st day absence .........................day following return to class
2nd day absence ........................... 2 days after return to class
3rd day absence............................ 3 days after return to class
4th day absence ............................ 4 days after return to class
5th day absence ............................ 5 days after return to class
6th day absence .............................5 days after return to class, unless prior approval given by principal
7. Students absent for school activities should be prepared for class when they return and be prepared to complete work missed while absent from class.


Teacher/Student Communication:
IB Classes are rigorous. They are challenging and will require students to be willing to ask for help before they are in danger of failing. I am available before and after school and during tutorials. If you do not understand an assignment, are having difficulty meeting a deadline, or are experiencing difficulties of any kind in meeting the class requirements, you must conference with me before an assignment, project or report card/progress report is due.

How to contact me:
Email is best: kelly.arbuckle@springbranchisd.com
Also room E 146.
Phone 713-251-1800
http://kellyarbuckle.blogspot.com/

Conference periods:
A-Day: 2nd period 9:25-10:55
B-Day: 6th period 9:25-10:55

Supply List:
One notebook of your choosing
Regular ruled notebook paper
1 small box of crayons
scissors
2 highlighters
sticky notes
1 glue stick
Pens/pencils

*additional supplies may be needed as the school year progresses.

This is going to be a great year!

english ii course overview

English II Pre AP/IB
Ms. Arbuckle
Class Overview

The goals of this class:
Students will view literature from the dual perspective of a reader and a writer.
Students will understand and articulate both orally and in writing the purpose of a text and how the author achieved that purpose.
Students will be prepared for the battery of standardized tests (TAKS/PSAT/SAT) and writing assessments in the Sophomore year.
Students will study literature in a variety of genres and from a variety of countries.
Students will write in a variety of modes with different purposes and audiences.
Students will acquire the necessary skills as readers and writers to be successful in college level classes.
Additional specific goals will be discussed during the first two weeks of school.

The requirements of this class:
All Pre AP courses are taught as AP preparatory classes. Students need to know that they require a serious commitment in time and effort.
All assignments must be completed on time. There will be a window during which the assignment is due. Assignments will not be accepted after this time without prior approval from the instructor. On the rare occasions when student late work is accepted, it will receive a late grade penalty. See the Late Work Policy for more details.
Students will be required to keep a literary journal, writing folders and a student portfolio of all work done throughout the school year. See the explanation of the Reader’s-Writer’s Notebook below.
Students will be assigned outside reading which must be completed on time.
Students will be expected to participate actively in all discussions, projects, assignments. Choosing not to participate is not an option.
All student writing is based on process: major papers must show multiple drafts, revisions, conferencing and editing.
All students’ assignments must be their individual work; plagiarism in any form will not be tolerated.
Students must come to class prepared with all assignments and with proper materials.

Classroom Principles
Be Respectful
Be Responsible
All classroom rules stem from these two principles!

Reader’s-Writer’s Notebook
This notebook will be where you will write many of your reflections, notes, class activities, etc. The structure of the Notebook will become clearer as we begin to use it. This notebook will remain in the class room and will be one daily grade at progress report time and one major grade at report card time.

Grading procedures:
Grades will be based on the instructor’s assessment of student writing, student participation, student class preparation and completed projects/assignments.
The following grade weighting is the department policy for Pre-AP Classes:
Major Grades – 60%
Daily grades – 40%

Teacher/Student Communication:
Pre AP Classes are rigorous. They are challenging and will require students to be willing to ask for help before they are in danger of failing. I am available before and after school and during Homework Hall. If you do not understand an assignment, are having difficulty meeting a deadline, or are experiencing difficulties of any kind in meeting the class requirements, you must conference with me before an assignment, project or report card/progress report is due.

Late Work Policy
All work is due at the beginning of class. If work is turned in after this time, it is considered late and the following penalties will be accrued:
e 30% off 1st school day
Maximum grade given after 2 or more school days (not class periods) will be a 50%. Assignments will not be accepted, and will be recorded as a zero in the grade book, once a 3-weeks grading period has ended (the teacher grade entry deadline for progress reports or report cards).

Homework Hall
SBISD has developed a new homework policy that requires homework to “promote high quality student learning and achievement. Homework is an out-of-classroom learning experience assigned by a teacher to enhance student learning.” Because homework is designed to help the student become a successful and independent learner, it is imperative that each student complete all of his/her homework. WAIS has created homework hall to help students meet this goal of completing all homework. Homework Hall is provided Monday – Friday from 3:05-4:05 p.m. A late bus is provided that takes students to the elementary school closest to their home.
· Students who do not turn in homework on time will be assigned homework hall on the day the work was due. The teacher will enter the assignment in the computer system, including the assignment that needs to be completed.
· The students will call their parents to inform them about the homework hall assignment. A classroom phone log could record the call. The WAIS call out system will also call parents about the homework hall assignment.
· Students who are unable to attend an assigned homework hall will be required to make up their assignments on Saturday from 9 am - 12 pm. Homework Hall is not optional.

Make-Up Work (directly from the district grading expectations)
It is the student’s responsibility to complete work missed while absent from class. The following are general statements covering make-up work.

1. Students who miss class must make up the work. Students will receive credit for make-up work except in the case of a documented truancy (UT in SASI).
2. It is the student’s responsibility to make arrangements with teachers for make-up work prior to or immediately upon returning to class.
3. Make-up work, especially tests, may be of an alternate version to more accurately measure what the student has learned.
4. Students who have pre-approved absences are expected to notify the teachers of the classes they will miss in advance and request assignments. The work is due at the first class meeting following return to school.
5. All make-up work from the prior grading period must be completed and a grade assigned before the next grade report (progress report or report card).
6. Whether a student is absent one or five days, make-up assignments and tests must be completed. Make-up assignments for absences will include the following schedule (unless prior principal approval is received):
1st day absence .........................day following return to class
2nd day absence ........................... 2 days after return to class
3rd day absence............................ 3 days after return to class
4th day absence ............................ 4 days after return to class
5th day absence ............................ 5 days after return to class
6th day absence .............................5 days after return to class, unless prior approval given by principal
7. Students absent for school activities should be prepared for class when they return and be prepared to complete work missed while absent from class.

How to contact me:
Email is best: kelly.arbuckle@springbranchisd.com
Also room E 146.
Phone 713-251-1800
http://kellyarbuckle.blogspot.com/

Conference periods:
A-Day: 2nd period 9:25-10:55
B-Day: 6th period 9:25-10:55

Supply List:
One notebook of your choosing
Regular ruled notebook paper
1 small box of crayons
scissors
2 highlighters
sticky notes
1 glue stick
Pens/pencils

*additional supplies may be needed as the school year progresses.
Students must come to class each day prepared to learn.

This is going to be a great year!

august 26 homework -- english iii ib

Due Friday, August 28, 2009

Color Mark and Annotate "The Word" in your Literary Journal.

Remember to use at least four colors and to write why each mark is significant.

ssr assessment -- period 3

The SSR Assessment choices for 3rd period are:

1. Write a review for the book you read on http://www.amazon.com/ and email the link to Ms. Arbuckle.
2. Design a new cover for the book.
3. Write up an idea for a sequel.
4. Dress up as a character from your book and talk about the book from that character's perspective.
5. Write a reader's theater script.
6. Create a board game based on your book. The game may follow the plot of the book, be based on the setting, or may be thematically related to the book.
7. Make a sculpture or drawing based on the book.
8. Write a poem from diferent characters' perspectives.
9. Create a news story about the book.
10. Sign up for a conference with Ms. Arbuckle.
11. Make food related to and inspired by the book.
12. Make a movie poster of the book. Include a tag line. This may not be based on the cover of the book.
13. Make a sound track of the book. Turn the CD in with an explanation of your choices.

You must choose a different project each six weeks. Remember that you are proving to me that you have read the book. If you don't like one of these projects, don't choose it! Choose something that will be fun for you!

ssr assessment -- period 1

The SSR Assessment choices for 1st period are:

1. Write a review for the book you read on www.amazon.com and email the link to Ms. Arbuckle.
2. Create a board game based on your book. The game may follow the plot of the book, be based on the setting, or may be thematically related to the book.
3. Draw your favorite scene and explain why this is your favorite scene.
4. Write a song inspired by the book and explain how the two are related.
5. Watch the movie and explain why the book is better. (This only applies if there is a movie based on the book you read.)
6. Write a Reader's Theater Script.
7. Create an animation inspired by the book and explain your inspiration.
8. Create a film inspired by the book and explain your inspiration.
9. Make a movie poster of the book. Include a tag line. This may not be based on the cover of the book.
10. Make a sound track of the book. Turn the CD in with an explanation of your choices.
11. Sign up for a conference with Ms. Arbuckle.
12. Create a graphic display to represent the book.

You must choose a different project each six weeks. Remember that you are proving to me that you have read the book. If you don't like one of these projects, don't choose it! Choose something that will be fun for you!

english iii ib books

Juniors,

We will be reading the following books in IB English this year:

Fall Semester:

The Things They Carried
by Tim O'Brien

The Handmaid's Tale
by Margaret Atwood

The Kite Runner
by Khaled Hosseini

Perfume
by Patrick Suskind

Remember to do some research on the above books and make a list, in order of preference, of the books you would like give your IB presentation over.

Spring Semester

Chronicle of a Death Foretold
by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Thousand Cranes
by Yasunari Kawabata

Fathers and Sons
by Ivan Turgenev

Ms. Arbuckle's first semester schedule

A Day

1st period English II Pre-AP

2nd period Conference

3rd period English II Pre-AP

4th period Creative Writing

B Day

5th period English III IB

6th period Conference

7th period SAT Prep.

8th period English III IB

welcome to another school year

Are you ready to start another school year? I definitely am! I'm excited about all the fun things we will be doing!

This blog is where I will be giving you updates about everything from this classroom. I may even grace you with a book review here and there.

Please feel free to leave comments and ask questions. But remember everything must be school related or I will not approve the comment.

This is going to be a great year, and I'm exctied to work with each and every one of you!

~Ms. Arbuckle