English/Language Arts 12 blends and combines purposes, patterns, and genres in writing while incorporating research and rhetoric techniques. Collaboration and critical thinking lead to more complex presentations and products with students honing their comprehension skills while reading more complicated literary and nonfiction texts.
Grades
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 59-0
Be responsible for your grade. Know what your current grade is via Parent Portal and GAS.
General Policies
Students are expected to know and follow the Jefferson County Public Schools Conduct Code as well as the Arvada West Conduct Code.
Student Lessons
short stories poems cooperative group research papers grammar tests
quizzes observations vocabulary presentations reading comprehension silent sustained reading
Integrity
Complete your own work. (Don’t cheat) Take pride in what you do. (Don’t cheat)
Reminders
HLT (use higher level thinking) Pen (must be used) Folder (must be kept accurately)
Stop Rule (use when you don’t understand) GAS (update graded assignment sheet)
6 Ps
Prompt Prepared Polite Positive Mental Attitude Participate Produce
Late Work/Make up Work
The Jefferson County Public Schools Conduct Code policy will be followed regarding late work for excused, unexcused absence, and any late or missing assignments.
Make-up Work for Excused Absences
It is essential that students absent from school make up work missed.
It is the responsibility of the student and parent or guardian to initiate requests for and pick up
makeup work on the day he or she returns to class from an excused absence.
Makeup work should reflect class assignments missed during the absence, and a reasonable
amount of time should be allowed for work completion. Time allowed to make up work is
twice the number of classes or days missed (two days allowed for make-up work for each day
of absence); however, an extension of this time limit may be approved by the school
administration. Students who complete makeup work within the required timeline will
receive full academic credit earned for the makeup work.
Unexcused Absences
Unexcused absences are defined as absences not covered by the grounds for excused
absences, including students leaving class without permission of the teacher or administrator
in charge, students missing a class without parental approval, “sneak days”, “ditch days”, and
“prank days”, and circumstances determined by the principal. Each unexcused absence shall
be entered on the student’s record and the parents or guardian of the student receiving an
unexcused absence shall be notified orally or in writing by the school. Unexcused absences
will subject the student to appropriate consequences, including school sanctions and/or the
imposition of academic sanctions for classes missed. At the senior high school level,
persistent unexcused absenteeism may, in the judgment of the teacher and school
administration, result in a failing grade.
Court action may be initiated by the designated school authorities when deemed necessary in
order to enforce school attendance requirements. The maximum number of unexcused
absences a student may incur before judicial proceedings are initiated to enforce compulsory
attendance is four days in one month or 10 days in one year.
For attendance purposes, any absence from school resulting from suspension will be
considered an "unexcused" absence. Such absences due to suspension, however, shall not be
counted in the total of unexcused absences when determining if a student is "habitually
truant."
Make-up Work for Unexcused Absences
Classroom instruction and interaction with teachers are essential to a student’s education.
Because of the importance of classroom instruction and learning, students with unexcused
absences will be expected to complete classroom assignments to demonstrate their learning
on content standards and to meet the academic expectations of the teacher. As with excused
absences, time allowed to make up work is twice the number of classes or days missed (two
days allowed for makeup work for each day of absence); however, an extension of this time
limit may be approved by the school administration. Students who complete the required
makeup work within the required timelines will receive academic credit earned for the
makeup work as described below.
• Grades nine through twelve:
° With the first two unexcused absences from a class, makeup work will be
allowed for credit with one grade reduction for all work completed.
° After the first two unexcused absences from a class, makeup work will be
allowed for credit with two letter grade reductions for all work completed.
° When an assignment has been given with a specific due date and the student
does not turn that assignment in because of an unexcused absence on the due
date, the teacher will enforce the original stated expectations regarding grading
of the assignment if it is turned in late.
° When a student has missed classroom discussions or classroom work that
cannot be duplicated through a simple assignment, the teacher may elect to
request that the student create a method for demonstration of the learning or the
teacher may elect to assign specific work to demonstrate the learning. If the
student fails to complete the work, no credit will be given.
Colorado Department of Education
Standards in Reading, Writing, and Communicating
Standards are the topical organization of an academic content area. The four standards of Reading, Writing, and Communicating are:
1. Oral Expression and Listening
Learning of word meanings occurs rapidly from birth through adolescence within communicative relationships. Everyday interactions with parents, teachers, peers, friends, and community members shape speech habits and knowledge of language. Language is the means to higher mental functioning, that which is a species-specific skill, unique to humans as a generative means for thinking and communication. Through linguistic oral communication, logical thinking develops and makes possible critical thinking, reasoning, development of information literacy, application of collaboration skills, self-direction, and invention.
Oral language foundation and written symbol systems concretize the way a student communicates. Thus, students in Colorado develop oral language skills in listening and speaking, and master the written language skills of reading and writing. Specifically, holding Colorado students accountable for language mastery from the perspectives of scientific research in linguistics, cognitive psychology, human information processing, brain-behavior relationships, and socio-cultural perspectives on language development will allow students to master 21st century skills and serve the state, region, and nation well.
2. Reading for All Purposes
Literacy skills are essential for students to fully participate in and expand their understanding of today’s global society. Whether they are reading functional texts (voting ballots, a map, a train schedule, a driver’s test, a job application, a text message, product labels); reference materials (textbooks, technical manuals, electronic media); or print and non-print literary texts, students need reading skills to fully manage, evaluate, and use the myriad information available in their day-to-day lives.
3. Writing and Composition
Writing is a fundamental component of literacy. Writing is a means of critical inquiry; it promotes problem solving and mastering new concepts. Adept writers can work through various ideas while producing informational, persuasive, and narrative or literary texts. In other words, writing can be used as a medium for reasoning and making intellectual connections. As students arrange ideas to persuade, describe, and inform, they engage in logical critique, and they are likely to gain new insights and a deeper understanding of concepts and content.
4. Research and Reasoning
Research and Reasoning skills are pertinent for success in a postsecondary and workforce setting. Students need to acquire these skills throughout their schooling. This means students need to be able to distinguish their own ideas from information created or discovered by others, understand the importance of creating authentic works, and correctly cite sources to give credit to the author of the original work.