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Dear Parents:
I would like to welcome your child to my English 11AP Language and Composition class.
Primarily a study in both effective writing and critical reading, the course will
develop the student’s appreciation for prose and will focus on analytical and
critical thinking skills, Unlike the traditional survey of American literature
class, this college-level course will use both fiction and non-fiction selections
to prepare students for the three-hour Advanced Placement Examination in the spring.
Students will learn to write in different rhetorical modes for a variety of audiences.
In addition, students will learn to become adult writers who possess a repertoire of
stylistic options. A close link between writing and reading will help set high standards.
The work load will be challenging: students will be required to read numerous non-fiction
selections from our two textbooks and nine novels (approximately one per month) throughout
the year. Novel reading will be done on an independent basis, and students may need your
help with pacing and time management. Students will also work on a major essay every other
week which will undergo intensive peer review before being graded by the teacher.
I have given your child a September syllabus. We will spend the first marking period
studying narrative, process, comparison/contrast, and descriptive essays. Students will
usually have two selections to read between block periods (two nights). There will also
be specific questions to answer pertaining to the reading selections. These questions
are similar in content to the multiple choice questions on the AP exam it is very important
that these are completed thoroughly and consistently. During the second nine weeks,
students will be given their first graded “practice” AP exam, and the grading scale of 0-9
will be used on all timed compositions in order to familiarize the students with the AP grading
scale.
Certainly one of my goals is to produce 80 students capable of earning a “3” or better
on the spring exam, but my ultimate purpose as your child’s instructor is to cultivate
critical thinkers, powerful writers, and dynamic class participants. I do not want any
of us (the teacher, the parent, or the student) to lose sight of that ultimate goal.
I am here to nurture you child; I want you to feel free to call me at home anytime at
973-3443 to discuss your student’s progress, triumphs, or frustrations.
Your student’s grade will be determined using the following guidelines:
Class participation: 10% (includes level of preparation, quality of comments, attendance,
spirit of cooperation, etc.)
The textbooks we will use in the class are The Norton Sampler, Thomas Cooley, ed,;
Patterns for College Writing: A Rhetorical Reader and Guide, Laurie Kirsziner and
Stephen Mandell, eds.; Cliff’s AP Preparation Guide, Barbara Swovelin, ed.;
Vocabulary Workshop, Jerome Shostak, ed.; and Elements of Literature, Holt,
Rinehart, and Winston, eds. Hope to see you at Back to School Night on September ? at
7:00 p.m. Call before then if you have any questions.
Patricia Vandever
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