Goals and Objectives

1. We will read, analyze, and discuss different styles of writing.
2. We will sharpen critical thinking, literary analysis, and argumentative writing.
3. We will earn a 65 or higher on this June 2023’s Common Core English Regents exam; you must pass this to graduate.
4. We will preview and prepare for the NMSQT/PSAT exam given Wednesday, October 12, 2022. It is not necessary for graduation.
5. We will have an assessment/test or an in-class written assignment once a week.
6. We will have class discussions once a week.

This June, all of our tenth graders will take the Common Core English Regents. In three hours, students must complete the following:

• Part I: 24-multiple choice questions for three passages- a piece of fiction, a poem, and a historical text

• Part II: Read four documents and quote three of them to write an argument essay of at least five paragraphs

• Part III: Read and analyze a piece of fiction in an essay of two to three paragraphs

Eligibility for Advanced Placement 

∆ Students can become eligible for Westchester Community College credits in English during eleventh and twelfth grades based on the following performance indicators:

• I. Final Average: students must earn a final average of at least an 85-100 for Tenth English
• II. Regents Exam: Westchester Community College requires that students earn at least a 90 on the Common Core English Exam
• III. Three Teacher Recommendations: students must acquire THREE recommendations from ninth or tenth grade teachers- two must be from core subject teachers (English, History, Math, and/or Science)

Rules

• Respect each other!
  • Ω A hand is stronger than a finger: with 180 days, help to nurture a place where all perspectives are welcomed and considered.
• Respect the space!
  • Ω What we preserve today can be shared by all tomorrow: keep the room clean to avoid vermin and maintain the supplies for everyone’s use.
• Respect yourself!
  • Ω You are your own best advocate. Take the challenge! Realize your potential. Do not underestimate your effort or quality of work.

• Respect the work!
  • Ω DO NOT COPY OTHERS’ WORK. PLAGIARIZED WORK WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED AND/OR SUFFER A LOSS OF POINTS. 

Grades

√ Tests... 30% 

√ Essays/Projects...30% 

√ Homework and Classwork…20%  

√ Quizzes and Socratic Seminars… 20% 

Students can expect the following at least 20 minutes of homework and practice a night for

• Three to four tests   • Two to three written assignments

• Approximately 20 homework assignments   • At least 4 to 5 quizzes    

Class and Homework Assignments

ALL ASSIGNMENTS MUST BE SUBMITTED THROUGH TEAMS AND IN PERSON! Send a picture or attached file through MS TEAMS and submit the actual work/assignment/worksheet in class. 

Assignments must be complete and follow the directions or rubric. The following symbols denote how homework is evaluated:

√+ = 100-85% complete and correct              √ = 84-70%                    √- = 69-60%                  

"R" = Resubmit for credit- "incomplete" or "need help"

Late Assignments lose 5 points a day. Assignments more than a week late will not be accepted for credit but will be necessary for preparing final essays or preparing for exams.

Lateness and Absences

High School is a transition into independence, and that involves being responsible. It is the student’s RESPONSIBILITY to make up class work and homework assignments when late or absent. This includes tests and in-class writing assignments. If a student is absent, the student must bring in an absence note, or the work will be considered late and lose points. Students have 24-hours to make up missed work or retake missed assessments. It is advised that students come after-school to make up missed work. 

Extra Credit

• Quizzes: students can earn 5 points on the weekly quiz for identifying each unfamiliar word: send me a private message citing the new word, the source, the part of speech, definition, a synonym, and an antonym.

• Tests/Assessments: students are required to get all tests signed by a parent/guardian; corrections are allowed if the tests are signed.

• Essays: students can revise an essay/composition for a higher grade. 

STUDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO READ INDEPENDENTLY FOR EXTRA-CREDIT! 

Extra Help

• Mr. Berkowitz is available for extra help every Tuesday from 2:30-3:30 or by appointment. 

If there are any questions, please contact me at the school’s number: 914-376-8540; or email me at LBerkowitz@yonkerspublicschools.org.

Supplies

• One “5-Star” hardcover, 5-subject, spiral notebook
• 1 folder with two pockets    
• Access to MS Teams, PowerSchool, and Microsoft Word through a phone or computer
• 100 index cards 
• A USB (portable memory storage)
• a blue or black pen