Valencia High School

Learning for Life

http://staff.hartdistrict.org/jmargra/

Jmargra@hartdistrict.org

294-1188 ext. 1930

Welcome to Mrs. Margrave’s English/AVID class!

We are off to a great start! Thank you for coming tonight and showing support for your student and our school. The following is a summary of the ways your student can achieve success in this course.

Your Students’ Success

My goal for my students is leading them to become lifelong learners and successful readers, communicators, and thinkers. I will help prepare them for their future options of further schooling and/or career.

What I teach:

• English-Language Arts Content Standards from the Reading/Language Arts Framework for California Public Schools as the basis for planning, assignments and grading. http://www.cde.ca.gov/standards/reading/grade910.html. I will address the standards that the District has scheduled for each quarter.
• I will be using the curriculum of William S. Hart Union High School District, which is aligned to the state standards. http://www.hartdistrict.org/departments/curriculum/curriculum.htm
• For AVID we focus on Writing, Inquiry, Collaboration and Reading. We spend time on college and career exploration, study skills, specific other-subject assistance, teambuilding, and organization.

How I teach:

• Activities : I will provide a variety of learning activities and assessments in and out of the classroom, attempting to address each student’s individual learning style. We focus on listening, speaking, writing, and reading.
• Homework : I believe in giving reasonable homework and will hold students accountable to completing assignments on time and with excellence. Homework is usually due the next day, and projects and tests may have from two days to one-month advance notice, depending on the difficulty and necessary preparation time. Students usually have ongoing projects such as outside reading. I accept late work but penalize the grade – 75% next day credit, 50% after that.
• Life Skills : I use Valencia’s ESLRs (Expected Student Learning Results): effective communicators, self-directed learners, critical & creative thinkers, healthy individuals, culturally aware individuals, and responsible citizens; and I integrate these into class work, discipline and grades.
• Grading : I often have students present or go over assignments to the class for immediate feedback, and I also grade assignments myself more thoroughly (this takes time!). All students will have most of their work graded thoroughly; however, some work is only checked for completion.
• Unit Plans : The unit plans are flexible, based on student comprehension and performance
• Achievement Goals : Each student will meet the standards, B to C average for the class.

• There is more information about the class and its procedures in the course orientation, which is online. Please contact me if you have any further questions.

What Your Student Can Do to Succeed in This Class

1. Improve memory, note-taking, and vocabulary skills; learn to type.
2. Get extra help from the teacher, a peer, a parent or a tutor, and ask questions about the homework.
3. Improve study skills, habits, and environment, and take homework seriously.
4. Maintain academic integrity and a positive, motivated attitude.
5. Keep track of his/her assignment grades and ask about opportunities to raise grades.

The above list was adapted from the document “Valencia High School: Counseling and Guidance: 10 Ways to Improve Grades.” This document is available from the counseling office. I have other articles and short lists on how to make the most of school and study time, so please contact me if you are interested in receiving a copy.

What you, as a parent, can do to assist your student to success.

1. Ask your son/daughter about what they’re learning! Discuss issues and ideas that come up in the classroom. Be an example and a coach.
2. Know what they have for homework.
3. Help them when you can/encourage them to seek help.
4. Encourage them to regularly read for pleasure, read with them, be an example of a reader/learner.
5. Stay involved – website, email, phone.

The following website contains helpful articles about specific school issues that parents can be involved in: http://school.discovery.com/parents/

UPCOMING EVENTS:

• All students should be reading Accelerated Reader outside reading books, and earning 3 points on reading quizzes every 4 weeks or so. Due dates: 9/26, 10/31, 11/26. More information about this assignment is available in the course orientation packet and online.

9 th and 10 th grade:

• The next unit of study will be non-fiction
• Upcoming projects include the analysis essay and the biographical

AVID

• Regular binder and organization checks on Fridays
• Tutorials every Tuesday and Thursday
• Students need to be working toward their hours of community service this semester – sophomores need 17 hours, and Freshmen need 15 hours.

Thank you so much for coming! I hope you are more equipped to help your son or daughter succeed in this class. Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any further questions, comments, or concerns.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Jennene Margrave