Spring Semester: 9th Grade Humanities

Welcome back class of 2020!  As we enter our 2nd semester together, we will continue to cultivate our safe, loving classroom culture while we develop knowledge and skills to make us successful in high school and beyond.  We will continue to be a community of learners, supporting one another in our quest to be the best writers, readers, thinkers and creators we can be.  With that goal in mind, here is a snapshot of our semester course goals and content:

 

Reading and Writing​

• Read novella: Binti by Nnedi Okorafor​

• Read graphic novel: Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

• Read in-class articles, poems, and short stories

• Reflect and write on our question of the day

• Take multiple pieces of writing to final draft 

• Reflect on yourself as a learner and evaluate the progress you make

• Engage with your classmates and me in kind, specific, and helpful critique

• Publish your best work on your digital portfolio, online, and in publications

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Grading

Your grade is based on a number of factors including, but not limited to, the following:

Projects, writing assignments, homework, classwork, behavior/participation, exams, POLs, readings, quizzes, punctuality, and weekly assignments.

 

Classroom Materials

1. Backpack or bookbag

2. Blue or black pens

3. 3 Pencils with erasers

4. (1 1/2 inch) 3 ring binder* (*I have a large number of used binders donated from past students.  Please feel free to use these instead of buying a new binder. For humanities class only.  This binder is kept at school to store printed readings and completed assignments)

5. Divider tabs

6. College-rule loose leaf paper

7. 2 pocket paper folder (For humanities class only.  This folder is taken home every day and stores each student’s current readings and assignments.)           

 

** The Constitution of the State of California requires that we provide a public education to you free of charge.  Your right to a free public education means that we cannot require you or your family to purchase materials or supplies.  If you are unable to purchase any of these items, email me or use the comment section at the end of this packet, and HTHI will handle these purchases.

                                                                                                                          

Classroom Expectations

We have utilized class time to craft our classroom, teacher, and student expectations for this semester.  I have compiled all of your voices into a manifesto to be signed at the end of this syllabus.  By signing this manifesto, we agree to maintain our vision for our classroom culture.    

 

School Expectations

Dress code is expected of everyone.  Look for the alien posted on the walls to see what’s appropriate.  If you have any questions, ask Fran, Brett, or any teacher.

 

Academic honesty is a cornerstone of personal integrity.  The school takes plagiarism- taking someone else’s words and passing them off as your own- very seriously.  Plagiarism will result in an F for that assignment, with further consequences to be determined by me, the Dean, and the Director.

 

Late work will not be accepted unless otherwise approved by me.  If you turn your work in on time, you may revise it and turn it in again if you are unhappy with your final grade.  I believe the strongest work comes out of multiple drafts that are the result of time, critique, and revision.  
 

Classroom Culture Manifesto

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Student Expectations

• We agree to respect our classmate’s opinions and decisions.

• We will listen to each other.

• We will keep our space clean.

• We will support each other in challenging moments. We will have each other’s back!

• We will have open minds.

• We will maintain a learning environment by not getting too loud.

• We will value teamwork, respect, collaboration and communication.

• We will give kind, respectful, and specific feedback.

• We will be kind to each other.

• We will make sure that our classroom rules are not restrictive, but we will exhibit accountability for the freedom we are being given.

• We will have positive energy, good vibes, and lots of fun.

• We will be respectful.

• We will not have side conversations.

• We will work hard and give it our all.

• We will participate in class and be engaged.

• We will be kind and respectful to our classmates.

• We will help each other succeed.

• We will stay on task.

• We will not be judgemental of others and include each other.

• We will make sure that everyone does an equal amount of group work.

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Teacher Expectations

• Our teachers will give lots of appreciation to their students and show that they care.

• Our teachers will value each and every student’s opinion.

• Our teachers will trust us.

• Our teachers will love their job.

• Our teachers will answer our questions and ensure that we understand the topic.

• Our teachers will listen to their students.

• Our teacher will keep the class engaged by making class interactive, interesting, creative, and fun.

• Our teachers will keep the class organized and structured.

• Our teachers want us to succeed and love their jobs because they care so much about us.

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Parent Letter

 

Dear parents and Guardians of the Class of 2020!

 

Thank you for entrusting your student with High Tech High International.  I’m honored to be their teacher and to get to know and spend time with your growing almost- adult.  As their first and most important teachers, you parents and guardians are essential to supporting the academic success of your student.  To that end, I encourage you to contact me with any suggestions for how to best assist your student’s learning.  In turn, I will strive to keep you informed about their progress and how I see them developing.  One important way we do this is through Student-Led Conferences (SLCs), which are scheduled for October 10th-13th this year.  We will circulate a sign-up sheet in late September via email.  If you don’t use email or have easy access to a computer, please let me know.

 

I also want to take this opportunity to explain our weekly reading homework.  A central goal for high school is to establish and support students in becoming “skilled, passionate, habitual, and critical readers” (Atwell, Reading Zone).  Students need both fluency and stamina in reading to thrive in high school and succeed in college and beyond.  To achieve this end, students will have an ongoing homework assignment of reading a choice book/article for at least 2 hours a week.  This could be a book they borrowed from our classroom library, one they are reading for another class, a graphic novel that they checked out from the library, a book that you love and want them to read— as long as they are reading, the possibilities are endless!

 

I would greatly appreciate your support in this endeavor.  Students will come home with a weekly reading log and I ask that you monitor/follow up on their reading goals and make sure the reading log stays up to date.  I am also inviting our parents and guardians to donate their favorite book to our class library. If all families participate, we can instantly expand our class library by 55 high quality books!  

 

Again, it’s a pleasure to work with your young adults.  They inspire me every day.  Please feel free to contact me with any questions, concerns, or comments— my door is always open.

 

All my best,

 

Nikki Gulck

 

9th grade Humanities

High Tech High International

ngulck@hightechhigh.org