Barnegat High School

Course Description

Course Competencies/ Learning Objectives

Students who successfully complete English II College Prep will be competent in the following areas:

Course Topic Outline

Course Texts / Online Resources 

• The American Experience,  2005.  
• Selected novel studies that can include: 

• The Catcher in the Rye, J.D Salinger
• The Glass Castle, Jeannette Walls
• The Crucible, Arthur Miller
• The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne
• A Midsummer Night’s Dream, William Shakespeare
• After, Francine Prose

• Selected short stories, poetry and non-fiction texts

Required Materials

• Binder with paper and dividers OR a 5-Subject Notebook

• Labeled Sections: Vocabulary/Do-Nows, Writers Notebook, Readers Notebook
• Two pocket folder for handouts/packets
• Pens
• Current text of study
• Current independent reading material
• Highlighters and post-its might be useful, but are not necessary

Google Classroom

Google Classroom will be our main communication vehicle. Here you can check to see what we did on a day you were absent, access class documents/slides and much more. This is mandatory for all students to join and use.

My Google Classroom Code: _______________________________

Attendance Policy

Regular and prompt class attendance is an essential part of the educational experience.  The Barnegat Township School District expects students to be responsible and exercise good judgment regarding attendance and absences.  Students accept full responsibility for ensuring that they complete any/all work missed due to absences.  

• It is the student’s responsibility to check Google Classroom and/or talk with a classmate to find out what they missed.
• Students are encouraged to talk with their teacher(s) to discuss any circumstances that may be affecting their attendance and/or ability to complete work.
• A student has (2) days for each day they are not present to turn in any work assigned on a day a student was absent.
• If previously assigned work was due on the day of the absence, the work is due on the first day the student returns.
• Missed quizzes and tests must be made up by making arrangements with your teacher. Students will often be given a date when make-ups should be taken by.
• In Genesis, missing work due to absences will appear as an (M), until it is made up. An (M) translates numerically to a ZERO.
• In Genesis, if there is a “0” present for an assignment, this means the students did not turn it in or did not complete it in class. This does not reflect an absence.
• Students who cut class will be referred to administration. After (3) cuts, the student is in jeopardy of credit withdrawal (CW).

Student Grades

The grading system for this course is based on the category weights listed in each department’s policy.  For this 

course, those weights are listed below.   Each marking period, students will have a minimum of three (3) Major 

Assessments and five (5) Minor Assessments (explained below).  Homework is graded for completion, and Class 

Participation is assessed using the district rubric.  

Please note: The above areas are used as the basis for 80% of your grade for the course; the midterm and/or final exam will 

constitute the remaining 20% of your grade.  Class Participation Rubric: Please visit my Google Classroom for this resource.

• Examples of Major Assessments include items that are summative in nature, such as: tests, projects, research papers, prose-constructed response timed writings, formal presentations, reports, Socratic seminars, or any other type of assessment used to capture evidence of learning at the culmination of a unit of study.   
• Examples of Minor Assessments include items that are formative in nature, such as: quizzes, reading comprehension checks, response journals, entrance/exit tickets, do-nows, small-scale research activities, reading logs, in class worksheets, or any other type of assessment that is diagnostic in nature and used to guide instruction and provide ongoing feedback to students.  
• No late homework is accepted unless arrangements have been made. 
• Major/Minor assessments that are submitted late are subject to point deduction.
• Printer, Internet, and flash drive issues are not an excuse for missing or late work. Please gain access to what you need prior to the due date.
• Please come chat with me about circumstances that are affecting your ability to complete assigned work.

• In this course, it is expected that students will submit only their best work, and teachers reserve the right not to accept work that is substantially below what a student is capable of producing.  

Earned Second Chances/Retakes

The concept of mastery-based learning is almost 50 years old, and decades of research have verified its efficacy to promote student achievement.  At the most basic level, the idea is that all children can learn; students just learn at different rates and under different optimal conditions.  Therefore, students should be given multiple opportunities to demonstrate their learning, including the later mastery of concepts that were taught earlier in the curriculum or school year. The goal is to build students’ mastery of skills while simultaneously providing a safety net along the way to help students succeed.  

Based on these premises, the district is implementing a policy of retakes, or earned “second chances” for certain assessments, where students will be given another opportunity to demonstrate their learning after remediating any gaps or deficiencies in their original assessment. Please see the district’s Manual for Assessment and Grading for specific details and criteria.

Plagiarism, Cheating, and Academic Integrity

The Barnegat Township School District places a strong emphasis on students’ integrity, and the district will not 

tolerate instances of academic dishonesty.  Plagiarism is the practice of copying words, sentences, images, or 

ideas for use in written or oral assessments without giving proper credit to the source.  Cheating is defined as the 

giving or receiving of illegal help on anything that has been determined by the teacher to be an individual effort.  

Both are considered serious offenses and are subject to consequences described in the Student Handbook and 

Board Policy #5701.  

Classroom Expectations 

• All school rules and policies apply to this class.  
• Be prompt and on time to class; if you are late you must have a pass.
• No student is permitted to sign-out for the first five and last five. These times are crucial in opening and closing the class for that day.
• When signing out, please use your judgement wisely and you must document your departure in the sign-out book. If signing out becomes a pattern and the student consistently misses out on instruction opportunities, he/she may lose this privilege. 
• Raise your hand and listen to others.
• Cell phones are not permitted, unless prompted by the teacher for a lesson. Otherwise, they should not be out. This is strictly enforced.
• Hats and backpacks are not permitted.
• Respect everyone. Be kind. 

Consequences follow this sequence:

1. Warning: Student will be verbally reminded of rule/expectation.
2. Parent Notification: Parent /guardian will be notified and student/teacher conference will take place to discuss a plan. Guidance might also be contacted.
3. Referral to Administration: A discipline referral will be completed by the teacher for administration to review.

Extra Help and Support

Occasionally, students will require additional help to master the content and skills in this course.  If you 

need additional help, there are a variety of options for you, including:

• Before/after school help sessions with your teacher 
• Peer tutoring from NHS / NJHS students 
• Free online tutoring with Brainfuse (available from the Barnegat Library website)
•  

As your teacher, I am committed to your success.   If you need help, please ask!  

Here’s to a meaningful year!

Mr. Putman