Welcome to Mrs Linskey’s Class !

1. Welcome to MrsLinskey’s Class!

2. Some stuff about my life as a teacher: • I have been teaching English for two years. • I certainly don’t know everything about Literature, but I do know that it is one of my favorite things in this world. • I am learning more and more every day, and you will too. This is a process that we will go through together. • I am not infallible! This means that I, like everyone else, make mistakes. I choose to learn from them. I recommend you choose to learn from your mistakes too.

3. I have been married to Johnny Rhodenberry for nearly four years. He is a mechanic for Ford motor company.

4. He’s also in an awesome punk rock band. (:

5. We don’t have any children yet, but we do love our animals. Here is our GIANT dog, Buddy. And this is our lovely ginger cat, Major Tom.

6. We also collect tarantulas.

7. This is Sheba.

8. My family is incredibly important to me.

9. Next to literature, music is one of the most important things in my life. You’ll find that I play music every day Many of my previous students have turned me on to new bands based on the songs they hear in my room.

10. Classroom Materials Reading Materials--**Subject to Change** McDougall Littell Literature book—provided in class (NOT TO BE TAKEN HOME) Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Florida Collections-Provided to each student Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Close Reader workbook-Provided to each student Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Excerpts of The Odyssey by Homer “The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare

11. Supplies:Pens or pencilsA binder or notebook with the following categories: Syllabus, Notes, Grammar, VocabularyA journal or composition book that will remain in classMulti colored highlighters

12. Classroom Policies: • Work Requirements and Policies: • Most work is to be typed, double spaced, well written, and proofread unless otherwise stated. Larger pieces of writing will be submitted to turnitin.com • All work is to be handed in to the work box the day it is due • If reading was assigned for homework, be prepared for a quiz on that material during the • following class period. • Class participation is required. Many opportunities for involvement and student input will be included in each class. It is the student’s responsibility to be prepared and involved in his/her own learning experience. • Plagiarism or other forms of academic dishonesty will result in an F for the exercise and other consequences outlined in the school handbook may occur. Parents will also be notified.

13. Late policy All late work must be labeled as “Late” and must be turned in to the work bin. Do not hand late work directly to me! Late work will drop a full letter grade every day that it is late until the third day. After the third day it will not be accepted. This rule also goes for projects and papers. Excused Absence (medical, death in the family, court appearance): you are still responsible to complete any missed work, assignments, or assessments with an allowance of time equal to the days of absence. It is the student’s responsibility to inquire about missing assignments. Unexcused Absence (Vacations): Homework is due at the student’s return to school. The student should also be prepared to take any tests or quizzes that were missed. A three day notice is required if the student wishes the teacher to prepare work for them to take with them. Late Policy

14. Extra Credit • Students are expected to complete all of the required work. There are noreplacement assignments for those assignments missed by students. There may beoccasional opportunities for extra credit. I sometimes award bonus points to students that are showing extra effort.

15. Grades • Grading Scale • Assignments (classwork and homework) 20% • Quizzes 30% • Tests/Presentations/Final Draft Writing 50% • Students Assessing TheirProgress • Students should keep all of their graded work in their folder. I typically post grades to the board on Fridays. Students can locate their grades by finding their student ID number. Grades are also available through the Home Access Center (HAC).

16. My reason for becoming a teacher was to help students become successful inschool and in life. As a result, I will do whatever it takes to help my students achieve theirgoals in my class. With the exception of faculty meetings or conferences, I am usually in my room 45 minutes prior to first bell. My only request is that the student lets me know in advance if they need me to be in my room on a particular day. Do you need some help?

17. Techie stuff Edmodo.com Remind101 Remind101 is a text based communication system that allows me to send reminders out to students and guardians regarding required reading and upcoming assessments. • Edmodo is a Facebook style website designed to help educators communicate with their students. I update my Edmodo page several times a week and post any pertinent videos and assignments. This wonderful resource is particularly useful if a student has been absent. • You must sign and return the Edmodo waiver form. • Turnitin.com is a website that students will use to upload any larger writing assignments. It allows me to grade online without wasting precious paper. It also scans the assignments for plagiarism by pinging the internet looking for similar terms.

18. Feel free to email me at anytime with questions or concerns. I try to make myself available as much as possible. amber.linskey@stjohns.k12.fl.us Let’s have an awesome school year!!