Miss Sutter

Room 115
Phone: (248) 404-2531
Email: stacy.sutter@clawsonschools.org
Website: sutterchs.weebly.com

Grammar and Composition Course Syllabus

Fall Semester 2015
Office Hours:
Before and after school. Just check in a day or two before you plan to come in.
Class Information
This English elective course will fulfill the first semester English 11 or English 12 requirement.
Course Content
This class will ask students to...
Enhance their reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills
Make connections between learning in class and their everyday lives
Read and write on a daily basis
Complete formal assessments based on the curriculum (which is aligned with the
Common Core State Standards)
Study basic English mechanics and grammar through writing while acquiring strategies
for standardized tests
Possible Units of Study
Vocabulary (ongoing throughout the semester)
Parts of Speech
Sentence Structure (parts of speech, phrases, clauses, writing complete sentences)
Subject-Verb Agreement
Using Verbs, Pronouns and Modifiers
Capitalization and Punctuation
Writing Process: Creating paragraphs, developing compositions
Argumentative Writing
Editorial Writing
Descriptive, Compare and Contrast, Cause and Effect Writing
Texts
We will be reading challenging short stories, poems, essays, editorials, newspapers, and
magazines to supplement writing activities over the course of the semester.
Goals and Objectives
Students will
write for a variety of purposes and audiences, practice effective writing strategies, and
recognize that writing is an ongoing process

review and master elements of proper grammar and mechanics such as parallel
construction, complex sentence structure, subject-verb agreement, misplaced modifiers
and more
analyze conceptual relationships and use inductive and deductive thinking
expand paragraphs into well-constructed multi-paragraph compositions and while also
editing and revising paragraphs
apply different types of thinking to various methods of composition including
descriptive, definition, comparison and contrast, cause and effect, and analysis

Evaluation
Assessments (Summative)-80% Assignments (Formative)-15% Participation-5%
-Assessments include tests, quizzes, papers, and projects
-Assignments include daily bell ringers, class work, group work, and homework
Each assignment is given a point value based on length and difficulty
Grading Scale
A 100-93% B+ 89-88%
A- 92-90%
B 87-83%
B- 82-80%

C+ 79-78%
C 77-73%
C- 72-70%

D+ 69-68%
D 67-63%
D- 62-60%

E 59-0%

Final semester grades are determined by cumulative score and a final exam weighted 20%.
Summer Reading Accountability
Clawson High Schools English department believes that summer reading is an essential part of
the learning process. Not only does it close the learning gap during the summer months, but it
also piques an interest in reading that high school students thrive upon. Students will be tested
in the first two weeks of class on their chosen novel. There will also be frequent references to the
books throughout the summer.
Classroom Policy
This classroom runs on respect. This means that students respect the teacher, the teacher
respects the students, the students respect each other, and the students respect themselves.
Each member of this classroom is a member of a shared community. Each day you set foot into
this classroom, you are making a commitment to your peers, your teacher and yourself to make
an honest effort, be kind, and do your best to make progress in your understanding of
composition and human decency.
Classroom Rules
1. Respect your teacher
2. Respect your peers
3. Respect yourself and the work you produce for this class
4. No cell phones (see cell phone policy)

Cell Phone Policy

Cell phones should be turned off and put away at all times unless otherwise specified by the
teacher. If the teacher notices a phone out in class, she will ask the student for the device, and
determine further discipline from that point. This may include formal discipline through the
CHS office.
Absent and Late Work
Students who miss class are responsible for finding and making up any work missed. In an ideal
scenario, students should email the teacher as soon as they know of an upcoming absence. For
excused absences, students will have one day for each class session missed to turn in the work
for full credit. For all other cases, late work is not accepted. Work is considered late if it is not
turned in when the teacher requests it. If a student attempts to turn in work on the same day
after the teacher has requested work, it will be considered late.
All assessments missed due to excused absences and/or tardies must be made up with the
teacher in a scheduled meeting before or after school. It is the students responsibility to
schedule this appointment. All exceptional cases will be made clear on all distributed
assignment descriptions.
For unexcused absences, students will not be granted the opportunity for makeup work. This
includes assessments.
Materials
Students will need:
Folder with pockets or three ring binder
Notebook (college ruled)
A writing utensil every day
Attendance
You are considered present and on time when you are sitting in your assigned seat working on
the bellwork when the bell rings. If you are not working on the bellwork when the bell rings, you
will be considered tardy. This classroom follows the attendance policy set out by Clawson High
School. For exceptional cases regarding missing classes (family emergency, extreme illness, etc.)
please contact both the Clawson High School Office and your teacher.
Plagiarism
If you are unfamiliar or uncertain about any rules rules concerning plagiarism, it is highly
recommended that you meet with your teacher as well as review the meaning of plagiarism
online (
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/1/
). Any instance of plagiarism is
unacceptable, and will result in a zero for the assignment and/or the semester course.

Personal Reading Time

Students will be responsible for completing personal reading time throughout the semester that
will require them to read novels classified as Young Adult Literature or College Bound
Literature. When possible, they will also receive weekly class time for reading. Students may
choose their own titles, so please ask your student about the issues discussed in the book. If, for
any reason, you or your student has an issue with the book that he or she has chosen, please talk
with him or her about it openly and find a book that makes each of you comfortable. A public
library card is strongly recommended for maximum options.
For a student to participate in PRT and complete the related assessment for this course, the
teacher must have a parent signature on file, acknowledging receipt of the above note.
Technology
Students will be responsible for completing many assignments on a computer. There will be
ample class time for these assignments to be completed, but there will be instances where a
student will need to use a computer after school hours. Scholars Club (with computer access) is
available every Tuesday-Thursday from 2:45-4:15 and computer labs are open in the morning
per student request. Having a working home computer with Internet access is recommended but
not required for student success in this class.
Please review the material and expectations included in this syllabus before signing and
sending back to class with your student. If there is any case in which the requirements of this
course cannot be met, please do not hesitate to contact the teacher.

____________________________
Student Printed Name

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Parent/Guardian Printed Name

____________________________
Parent/Guardian Signature

_____________________
Date

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Parent/Guardian Email
I will occasionally send classroom information to you through this email address as well as reach
out to you to discuss your students progress if needed

Is there anything else I should be aware of? Please include below or contact me via email or
phone call.