August 30, 2010

AP English Course Syllabus & Introduction

Dear Students, Parents, and Guardians—

Welcome to AP English! My name is Ms. Bezucha and I have the privilege of being your teacher this year.
I am excited to be returning to BayTech for my second year, and even more excited to be here full time this
year! In addition to teaching AP English, I am also teaching 7th, 8th, and 10th Grade English, and leading
several afterschool clubs: Outdoors Club (Monday), The Writing Center (Tue/Thur), and Soccer Club
(Friday).

As an educator I believe that the main goal of education is to equip students with the knowledge and skills
they need to become successful, effective, and productive community members. Therefore, in addition to
learning basic language arts skills, students who participate in class will gain real skills that they will utilize
as they pursue educational, career, and personal goals. It is my hope that what students learn, empowers
them to become critical thinkers and change agents, with the ability to problem solve and effectively
communicate who they are through various forms of expression.

I will ask each student to work hard and strive for excellence, and as the teacher, I will do the same. Each
student will get out what he or she puts into this class. It is up to YOU to participate, complete work, and
communicate openly with me in order to be successful in this class. I encourage students and their families
to contact me with questions or concerns throughout the year, even for homework help. I will be available
before and after school as well as evenings and weekends until 9pm:
Email: bezucha@baytechschool.org
Cell Phone: (608)-658-0729
School Phone: (510) 645-9932 ext. 18
Classroom: 8

Over the next few pages you will find information about my classroom expectations, policies, and
procedures, as well as the course syllabus and calendar. Please read this information over thoroughly,
contact me with any questions, then sign and return the attached Student Information Sheet and
Student Commitment to Excellence.

I hope this document helps make you aware of what you can expect, and what is expected of you this year.
Parents and guardians are always welcome to observe or volunteer in the classroom. Welcome to English
Language Arts. I look forward to a fun and inspiring year with all of you!

With respect,

Ms. Bezucha
AP English

The AP English course is designed to prepare students to take the Advanced Placement English test in the
spring. Students who receive a 3, 4, or 5 on the exam can earn college credit.

The AP course in English Language and Composition engages students in becoming skilled and critical
readers of prose, written in a variety of rhetorical contexts, and in becoming skilled writers who compose
for a variety of purposes. Both their reading and their writing should make students aware of the
interactions among a writer’s purposes, audience expectations, and subjects, as well as how language
conventions contribute to effectiveness in writing.

Throughout the year students will read a variety of texts, including novels, essays, poems, articles, and
graphic or visual texts. Students will be expected to be critical readers of these texts, analyzing the author’s
writing strategies, and recording responses in dialogue journals, in-class writing, and formal essays.
Students will learn to identify and analyze common rhetorical strategies in reading, as well as use these
strategies in their own writing. Students will write daily, and compose numerous narrative, descriptive,
expository, analytical, and argumentative essays over the course of the year and be required to take these
essays through all stages of the writing process, including revision conferences. Students will be expected to
participate actively in class discussions and Socratic Seminars related to the texts read in class.

While texts used in the course will vary, most will come from the following textbooks:
• The Language of Composition: Reading, W riting and Rhetoric by Renee H. Shea,
Lawrence Scanlon, and Robin Dissin Aufses
• 75 Readings: An Anthology published by McGraw-Hill
• The Best American Essays of the Century (The Best American Series) by Joyce Carol
Oates and Robert Atwan

Course Syllabus
The AP English Curriculum will be structured around a variety of central themes. Each unit will consist of
readings and writing activities focused on a particular theme. Every week students will have a quiz on the
week’s vocabulary as well as sample AP test questions. The year will begin with an introduction to rhetoric
and rhetorical terms in general, as well as an on overview of how to approach a text critically.

Unit 1: Introduction to Rhetorical and Critical Reading

Unit 2: A Study of Place
Unit 3: Education
Unit 4: Community
Unit 5: Gender Issues
Unit 6: Love
Unit 7: Language
Unit 8: Science & Technology
Unit 9: Nature
Unit 10: Humor and Popular Culture
Unit 11: Politics, Liberty, and Social Justice
As your teacher, you can expect Ms. Bezucha to:
1. Treat all students fairly, with respect and kindness.
2. Provide meaningful, relevant, and engaging instruction daily.
3. Provide you with the knowledge, skills, and materials necessary to complete assignments.
4. Provide prompt, relevant feedback on assignments to help students grow as readers and writers.
5. Create a challenging, but welcoming, academically-focused environment.
6. Communicate openly with students and their families about academic and personal needs.

Ms. Bezucha’s Expectations for Students:

1. Come to class on time, with all required materials, in proper uniform, and ready to learn.
2. Raise your hand before speaking or getting out of your seat.
3. Follow all directions the first time they are given.
4. Respect yourself, others, and your learning environment.
5. Stay on task and set an example for other students.

All actions have positive and/or negative consequences. In this class I will prioritize rewarding positive
choices. However, choosing not to follow the expectations above will result in the following consequences:

Consequences for Not Meeting Expectations

1 st Reminder—verbal warning
2 nd Reminder—loss of participation point and -3 DRS points
3 rd Reminder—move seat, complete a behavior reflection sheet, and -7 DRS points
4 th Reminder—take space, call home, and -10 DRS points
5 th Reminder—office referral and -20 DRS points

What to Bring to Class (By Sept. 7) What NOT to Bring to Class

• 1 composition notebook • Gum, food, or drink other than water
• Lined filler paper (1 pkg.) • Cell phones
• 1 Binder with 5-tab dividers • Mp3, CD or DVD players
• pencils with erasers • Video games
• black and/or blue pens • Hoodies
• highlighters • Make-up, body spray, or other beauty
products
• Toys and games
*See Ms. B if you need help acquiring any of the required materials for class

Cell Phone and other Electronics Policy

Cell phones, mp3, CD, and DVD players, video game, and other electronics are not allowed at
school. If any of the above items are seen or heard even once, they will be taken from the
student and be released only when a parent or guardian comes to claim them. Students who need
to have a cell phone to arrange transportation before or after school should check their cell
phones into the main office in the morning, where they will be kept safely until school dismisses at
3:15.
Grading Policies

Grades will reflect student effort, participation, and mastery of the California English Content Standards.
All students can and will meet these standards! Expecting or accepting anything less is an
insult and disservice to the students, parents, and their community.

Basic Grading Scale Daily Homework Scores

A+ 98-100% 5 – Excellent
A 94-97% 4 – Complete
A- 90-93% 3 – Missing a small part
B+ 87-89% (e.g. name & date)
B 84-86% 2 – Half complete
B- 80-83% 1 – Mostly incomplete
C+ 77-79% 0 – Incomplete or missing
C 74-76%
C- 70-73%
F 69% and below

Class Grade Breakdown:

Tests and Quizzes – 30%
Students can expect tests at the end of each unit (approximately every three to six weeks). Tests
will include a variety of formats (true/false, matching, fill in the blank, multiple-choice, short
answer, and essay). There will be a quiz on the last day of every week, to assess students on
content learned that week. All tests and quizzes can be retaken for a higher grade within one
week of the original test/quiz date.

Homework – 30%
Students can expect approximately 30-60 minutes of homework each night. All homework is due
at the beginning of class. Homework grades will be recorded immediately and any collected
assignments will be returned to you for correction. All homework except for papers will be graded
using the 0-5 scale above. Students who do not complete homework will have mandatory after-
school detention with Ms. B the same day and will stay at school until the missing work is
completed. As homework is 30% of your grade, you can see that it is impossible to get a good
grade in my class without doing your homework!

Attendance, Preparation, and Participation – 20%

Arriving to class on time every day, having all required materials, beginning work promptly, and
participating in class activities will earn you points towards a high grade in this class. Students will
receive a weekly participation grade out of 5 (one point for each day).

Written Work – 20%

Students will keep a Writer’s Notebook, where they will complete all Bell Work, and
reading/writing responses. These notebooks will be collected every two weeks and given a score
out of 75. This category also includes all essays and stories (all drafts!).
Academic Honesty
All work submitted by the student is expected to have been completed by the student. Evidence of
academic dishonesty (cheating) or plagiarism (copying) will result in an automatic zero for the
assignment submitted in addition to penalties outlined by Bay Tech.

Late Work
All homework is due at the beginning of class. Students who arrive after homework check without
an excuse will receive a “late” score on their homework. Students who miss assignments will have
until the end of the month to turn in missing work. All work turned in after the due date but
before the end of the month will receive a 20% late deduction. Assignments from the previous
month WILL NOT be accepted.

Students who are absent can collect homework and assignments from the main office by calling or
stopping in. Students can also log into CoolSIS to check for missing assignments. Upon returning
to school students with excused absences will have the number of days they were absent to make
up missing work (e.g. a student absent Monday and Tuesday who returns Wednesday will have
Wednesday and Thursday to make up any work from Monday and Tuesday). If you are absent it
is YOUR responsibility to collect and complete any missing work. Ms. Bezucha will not track you
down.

Attendance & Tardiness

It is impossible to be successful in school if you are not here. Therefore, attendance is mandatory
and will be factored into your grade. Please be in class and in your seat when the bell rings, or
you will be marked tardy. Tardiness will not be accepted and will result in a mandatory
afterschool detention with Ms. Bezucha.

Detention
Students who are late to class without an excuse or who fail to turn in their homework will receive
mandatory afterschool detentions that same day, and may call home immediately to notify
parents/guardians. Students who are tardy will serve 30 minutes, and students who do not
complete homework will stay until the missing assignment is finished. If a student fails to show up
for afterschool detention, s/he will be assigned Saturday Detention. Failure to show up to a
Saturday detention will result in a suspension. Students with pre-existing and unavoidable
afterschool conflicts may arrange to serve their afterschool detention a different day.

Homework Heading
All homework and assignments submitted must have the name, date, class, and assignment title (if
applicable) in the upper-left hand corner (see example below) or they will not receive full credit!

Diane Bezucha / 10B

August 30, 2010
Animal Farm Response #1
Weekly Schedule
A typical weekly schedule in Ms. Bezucha’s classroom looks like:
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
1. Bell Work 1. Bell Work 1. Bell Work 1. Bell Work 1. Bell Work
2. Tracking Progress 2. Lesson 2. Lesson 2. Lesson 2. Quiz
3. Lesson 3. Practice 3. Practice 3. Practice 3. Open Mic or
4. Practice 4. Checkout 4. Checkout 4. Checkout Review
5. Checkout

Participation
Students will be given a weekly participation grade our of 5 (one point for each day). To earn your day’s
participation point, students must:
• Be present and on time
• Score a 3 or higher on your homework
• Receive no more than one behavior reminder
• Share an answer or ask a question at least once during class.
Participation above and beyond the required can be used towards prizes and extra credit.

Classroom Policies and Procedures: A-Z

Attendance—attendance is mandatory and will be taken at the start of each class. Attending class
each day will ensure that you earn points towards a high grade.
Absence—to make sure you are getting the most out of this class, it is important that you are here
every day. However, the occasional excused absence is understandable. When possible, please
notify Ms. Bezucha of your absence ahead of time so she can have your work ready for you, and
you do not fall behind. In the event that you are not able to provide advanced notice of your
absence, your work will be available in the main office or on CoolSIS. For excused absences, the
number of days you were absent is the number of days you have to make up the work you missed.
Assigned Seats—seats will be assigned by Ms. Bezucha starting the first week of class; this is to
ensure that distractions are minimized and all students can learn. Seat assignments will be changed
periodically throughout the year, and students are expected to accept their seat assignment without
complaint. If you choose to complain in any way about your seat, Ms. Bezucha will make sure you
retain that seat permanently. Students who have a legitimate reason (not just “I don’t like him/her!”)
to request a seat change can ONLY do so by writing a letter to Ms. Bezucha explaining why s/he
cannot learn in the assigned seat. NOTE: although all letters will be read and considered, a seat
change is NOT guaranteed.
Bathroom —it is expected that students will use the bathroom before class. However, students will be
given one bathroom pass each week to use during class if they need. Students are only allowed to
ask to use the bathroom during independent practice portion of class. One student will be allowed to
use the bathroom at a time. Students are not allowed to use the bathroom during quizzes or tests.
Bell W ork-- when students enter the classroom each day, there will be an activity on the board or at
their desks that they need to work on independently until Ms. Bezucha begins class. Bell work will be
used to introduce new roots of the week, review skills learned the previous day and prime students
for the day’s lesson, while giving Ms. Bezucha a chance to take attendance and take care of any
class business. Bell Work will usually consist of a few practice questions and a writing prompt and
should be completed in the Writer’s Notebook. Students may sharpen their pencils, copy down the
new homework, and prepare their materials during the Bell Work time, but should not be talking, out
of their seat, or asking to use the bathroom/get water. If students are focused, Ms. Bezucha will play
music during the Bell Work time. Beginning the Bell Work promptly and staying on task ensures that
you are ready for the day’s lesson and that you earn points towards a high grade. If students finish
the Bell Work early, they are expected to read or write silently at their desks until Ms. Bezucha
begins class.
Binders—binders (with five divider tabs) are a required material for class. Binders will be kept in the
classroom, and used to organize class notes, homework, tests/quizzes, tracking sheets, and writing.
Students will be given time the first day of each week to set-up, update, and organize their binders.
Binders are useful for helping students study for quizzes/tests, and tracking their own academic
progress.
Coming Back Together—when students are working in groups or independently and Ms. Bezucha
needs everyone’s attention to give directions or end class, she will use an agreed upon “signal.”—
usually: I need you back in 5…4…3…2…1. When Ms. Bezucha gets to “1” it is expected that
students are silent, and “tracking” (looking at) Ms. Bezucha.
Entering Classroom—students will not be allowed to enter the classroom until they have formed a
straight, silent line outside the classroom, are in proper uniform (belts and tucked-in shirts, no hats or
jackets) and have been invited in by Ms. Bezucha. Students are expected to enter the room
quietly and calmly, shake M s. Bezucha’s hand, go directly to their seats, get out their
materials, copy down the homework, and begin working on the Bell W ork.
Exiting Classroom/End of Class—The bell does not dismiss class, Ms. Bezucha does. Ms.
Bezucha will call students to attention about five minutes before the bell and instruct students to pack
up their materials, clean up their desks and the floor around/underneath their desks, and track the
front of the room. Usually class will end with a checkout ticket—a quick 1 or 2 question quiz to
determine if they mastered the day’s lesson objective.
Extra Credit—extra credit opportunities in the form of projects, articles, essays, or poems will be
offered each quarter. It is strongly encouraged that students take extra credit when offered, as
individual extra credit and make-up packets will NOT be offered to bring grades up at the end of a
marking period.
G etting Teacher’s Attention—the best (and only acceptable) way to get Ms. Bezucha’s attention
is to raise your hand and wait to be called on. In the rare event that you have had your hand up for
more than five minutes and Ms. Bezucha has not seen you, you may quietly call out her name, once.
G rading—grades will reflect effort, participation, and mastery of California content standards.
Grades will not be curved, but will be consistent and fair. SEE GRADING SECTION OF THIS
PACKET FOR MORE DETAILS ABOUT GRADING POLICIES.
G roup W ork—we learn best when we learn with and from each other, so group work is a big part
of this class. Sometimes you will choose your own groups, and sometimes Ms. Bezucha will assign
them. As with seats, students are expected to accept their groups without complaint and work
cooperatively. Ms. Bezucha reserves the right to rearrange groups if some combinations are not
productive. When students have to move to get into groups, they will be given time to do so (usually
a 30-count). Students are expected to move quickly and quietly into their groups, taking the most
direct route possible, and be ready to work by the time Ms. Bezucha gets to “1.”
Heading Papers—every piece of paper a student receives or hands in must have a proper heading.
Papers without a heading will not be given full credit, and incomplete headings will cause students to
lose points on an assignment. Headings should be written in the upper left hand corner of the paper
as follows: N AM E (first and last) / homeroom
DATE (August 31, 2009)
ASSIG N M EN T TITLE
Homework—students can expect 30-60 minutes of homework each night. Homework will always
consist of a Writer’s Notebook entry, and lesson practice. Each homework assignment written on the
board daily and recorded on CoolSIS. Students are expected to copy the homework assignment
down at the beginning of class, before starting their Bell Work. Homework is due at the beginning of
class. Ms. Bezucha will either collect or walk around and check homework, recording scores
immediately. Homework is 30% of your grade in this class, so it is impossible to get a good grade
without doing your homework.
Hundred Club!—Students who receive a perfect score (100%) on their weekly quiz are inducted
into the Hundred Club. This honor involves being publicly celebrated, getting your quiz and name
posted on the wall, and a special prize. Join the Hundred Club—it’s the hottest place to be seen!
Incentives—Ms. Bezucha likes to reward positive behavior and good effort! This happens in MANY
ways in classroom: PAT points, Hundred Club, Smarty Pants, Raffle Tickets and the Paycheck System.
Pay attention in class to find out more about each!
Independent Practice—it is important that students get a chance to practice new skills and
demonstrate mastery on their own. When Ms. Bezucha gives independent work time, students are
expected to work silently at their desks. During this time, Ms. Bezucha will be walking around
monitoring progress and helping students. Sometimes independent practice will be assigned as
group work. If students are focused and on task, Ms. Bezucha will play music during independent
practice time. This is the only time during class when students may ask to use the bathroom.
Students who finish work early should read or write silently at their desks.
Jobs—there is a lot happening in the classroom, so Ms. Bezucha can always use your help! During
the second week of school, Ms. Bezucha will pass out a list of class jobs. If you are interested, you
may apply for any of the positions. There are enough positions for every student, and jobs will be
rotated throughout the year to give everyone a chance.
Late W ork (Excused)—If you were absent and have make-up work, or you are turning in an
assignment late with a signed note from a parent/guardian, you may put it in your class’ in-box
during Bell Work. You will receive full credit and the assignment will be returned as soon as possible.
Late W ork (Unexcused)—if a missing assignment is not excused (either by absence or
parent/guardian note) you have until the end of the m onth to turn it in. ALL late work turned in
before the end of the month receives a 20% deduction, which is better than a zero! Late work that is
unexcused and turned in the following month will not, under any circumstances, be accepted.
Library—we are lucky to have a small collection of books of varying topics and reading levels.
These books are there for you to check out and read. Students may ask to check out a book during
independent work time, Accelerated Reading, lunch, or before and after school. To help keep track
of our books, Ms. Bezucha or a student librarian will enter your name and book into the computer
catalogue. You may check out a book for as long as you need, but only one book at a time. You
may use this book for Accelerated Reading, or independent reading in class or at home. Please treat
the books with loving care—they should be returned in the same shape they were given to you. If a
book is damaged or lost while you have it, YOU will be responsible for replacing it. Books in the
library are organized by reading level—ask Ms. Bezucha to help you find your reading level range.
M aterials For Class—everyday students must bring two pencils, an eraser, a blue or black pen, a
highlighter, lined paper, their Writer’s Notebook, and independent reading book to class. Simply
having these materials every day will ensure students earn points towards a high grade. Students will
NOT be allowed to go to their lockers during class if they forget homework or any of these materials.
SEE REQUIRED MATERIALS SECTION OF THIS PACKET FOR MORE DETAILS.
N ote-taking—Students are expected to actively take notes during class. This is an important life-long
skill. Students will be taught effective ways of taking notes from written and oral sources. During
lessons, students are expected to take notes on lined filler paper, or on graphic organizers provided
by Ms. Bezucha, both of which should be stored in student binders. These notes will be needed to
complete classwork, homework, and to study for quizzes/tests.
Participation—Students are encouraged and expected to participate actively in class by sharing
answers and asking questions. Students will be given a weekly participation grade out of five (one
point for each day). To earn your participation point for the day you must:
• Be present and on time
• Score a 3 or higher on your homework
• Receive no more than one behavior reminder
• Share an answer or ask a question at least once during class.
Participation above and beyond the requirement is recorded and can be used towards prizes and/or
extra credit.
Passing Papers in/out—students are expected to pass in papers quietly and calmly. Depending on
seating arrangement, papers are to be passed down rows, in the same direction, until all papers are
at the end of rows and can be collected by Ms. Bezucha or the student paper manager.
PAT Points—“Preferred Activity Time” points. Ms. Bezucha will create opportunities for the class to
earn PAT points (a good Bell Work, high test/quiz average, good behavior with a substitute, etc.)
and award them as necessary. The number of points at the end of the week is the number of minutes
the students will get for their preferred activity (movie, open mic, freewrite/draw, music, etc.). The
PAT activity for the week is decided on ahead of time by the class. NOTE: The class can also
collectively choose to save their minutes from week to week, to build up a longer PAT time (not to
exceed thirty minutes).
Pencil Sharpener—it is expected that students will have their pencils sharpened when class begins.
Students should always have a back-up pencil on hand to avoid having to use the sharpener. If
needed, students may sharpen their pencil during the Bell Work, or independent practice time. Only
one student at a time will be allowed at the pencil sharpener. MECHANICAL PENCIL USERS
BEWARE: not having enough lead will not be an excuse to skip work, talk to a neighbor, or go to
your locker!
Q uizzes—quizzes will be given every Friday (or the last day of the week), starting the first week of
school. Quizzes will assess students on skills, concepts, and vocabulary learned that week. Quizzes
will be scored (30% of your final grade) but are even more important for helping Ms. Bezucha see
what you have mastered, and where you still need help before the unit test. Students are expected to
work on quizzes silently and independently. If students finish early, they are expected to raise their
hand, wait for Ms. Bezucha to collect their quiz, then assign themselves by reading or writing silently
at their desks.
Root of the W eek—In an effort to expand our vocabulary and become master spellers, we will
have a Root of the Week. Each week we will learn a new Greek or Latin root (or a group of them)
and practice using them in reading, writing, and speaking. Roots will be announced Monday and
tested on Friday’s quiz.
Shout-O ut W all—it is important to acknowledge our peers when they do something great. As often
as possible, Ms. Bezucha will create space for students to vocally “shout-out” and recognize their
peers’ (or their own) accomplishments. However, the shout-out wall is a place where students can
write positive messages and compliments for their peers. Students may ask to write shout-out
messages during independent practice time, lunch, or before and after school. While Ms. Bezucha
does not believe in censorship, she will not hesitate to erase any negative or gang-affiliated
messages.
SLAN T—stands for Sit up, Listen, Ask questions, N od, Track. These are the five signs of successful
scholars. Students who sit up straight in their desks, listen to the speaker, ask questions when
confused, nod to show understanding, and track (look at) the speaker are scientifically proven to
retain information longer and do better on tests. Ms. Bezucha expects students to SLANT in class
every day.
Smarty Pants—Be the first to sign the “smarty pants” and earn a ticket to lunch with Ms. Bezucha.
You will have to wait until the first unit test to find out more details about this academic achievement
incentive.
Snacks—unless stated otherwise, snacks and drinks are NOT allowed in class as they create
unnecessary distractions. Students may have bottled water as long as it can be sealed and does not
make noise.
Tardiness—is not acceptable under any circumstance. Unexcused tardies will receive a mandatory
30-minute afterschool detention with Ms. Bezucha the same day. For unavoidable, excused tardies
(doctor/dentist appointments, family emergency, etc.) students must have a note from a
parent/guardian and can still turn in the day’s homework for full credit. If a student is tardy and
unexcused (including oversleeping or missing the bus) s/he will take a later score for the day’s
homework, and afterschool detention. Being in class, on time is essential for doing well in this class.
Tests—Students can expect a test at the end of every unit (about every three to six weeks). Tests will
include a variety of formats (true/false, matching, multiple-choice, fill in the blank, short answer, and
essay). Although we will spend a day reviewing before each test, organized binders and good class
notes will be very useful in studying for tests. As tests are 30% of your final grade, it is impossible to
get a good grade in this glass without studying and trying hard on tests. In addition to unit tests,
students will also take four diagnostic (or practice) CSTs over the course of the year. These practice
tests help teachers gauge where students are strong, and where they still need practice before the
real CST.
Tracking—means to look at whoever is speaking. When we turn our heads and bodies towards
whoever is speaking (either teacher or student) we not only show respect, but we have a better
understanding of what s/he is saying. Students are expected to actively track anyone who is
speaking.
Tracking Sheets—in this class we will be setting class and individual academic goals. To make sure
our hard work is helping us progress towards meeting these goals, we will be using tracking sheets to
record quiz/test scores, as well as standards we have mastered. Students will be given time at the
beginning of each week to update their tracking sheets and adjust goals accordingly.
W ater—Students are expected to drink water before class begins, and will not be allowed to do so
during class. However, students may use their weekly bathroom pass to get water. Students may
only ask to get water during independent practice time.
W riter’s N otebook—students must have a composition notebook starting the first week of school.
This notebook will be where we develop and grow as writers. Students should complete all Bell
Work, writing prompts, pre-writing, and rough drafts in their Writer’s Notebook. Students will be
assigned a writing prompt every night as homework. Ms. Bezucha will collect the writer’s notebooks
every two weeks and award a score out of 75 (for neatness, completeness and thoughtfulness).
Students are also encouraged to use their Writer’s Notebooks to freewrite whenever ideas come to
them. However, writer’s notebooks are not diaries or journals—Ms. Bezucha does not want to know
who you are dating or what you ate for lunch.
W ritten Assignments—students will be writing a LOT this year—everything from short, informal, in-
class responses, to long, polished research reports. While rubrics for individual projects will vary, in
general students can expect the following requirements for all written assignments:
 Typed or neatly written in blue or black ink (unless Ms. Bezucha says pencil is OK)
 Double-spaced (unless a Writer’s Notebook entry)
 Proper heading
 Your best effort
 Student Commitment to Excellence
I, ___________________________ have read the expectations, consequences, and
classroom policies and procedures for Ms. Bezucha’s English Language Arts class at
Bay Area Technology School. In addition, I have reviewed these with my parent(s)
or guardian(s) and taken the time to ask Ms. Bezucha about anything I don’t
understand.

Students
I agree to the terms outlined in this document and will do my best to meet the
standards and expectations set forth. I will attend class regularly, complete all
homework and classwork on time, and act respectfully towards my peers, Ms.
Bezucha, Bay Tech staff, Bay Tech property, and myself. I will always try hard. I
will ask for help when I need it, and give help when I can. I will conduct myself
responsibly and maturely. I will never give up and I will achieve great things. I
commit myself to academic and personal excellence.

Parents and Guardians

I agree to the terms set forth in this document and agree to support students in
meeting academic and behavioral expectations. I agree to be an active participant
in my child’s education by getting him/her to school on time, making sure homework
is complete, communicating openly with Ms. Bezucha, encouraging hard work, and
praising accomplishments.

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Student signature Parent/Guardian signature

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Student printed name Parent/Guardian printed name

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Daytime phone number Evening phone number

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Alternate phone number Date