Kindergarten English Language Arts 

Section # 1100 & 1100.2

Support Class 1100E & 1100E.2

Location: Online 

Please review the CWCS Master Class Syllabus that will be used in the Parent/Student Orientation course. 

Instructor: Sarah Tarter

Email: starter@cwcharter.org

Office Hours: by appointment only

Course Dates:

• Semester 1 - First Class Meeting: August 19, 2024

Last Day to Add or Drop is September 2, 2024* 

• Semester 2 - First Class Meeting: January 7, 2025       

Last Day to Add or Drop is January 21, 2025* 

*Students will be charged the full price of the course if the class is dropped after this date

A Special Note to Our Parent Educators || Connecting Waters serves a diverse student body. We offer a state-adopted curriculum for core-content classes and a UC-approved curriculum for a-g classes. Parent Educators are responsible for selecting the most suitable courses for their students. Therefore, please review all course materials, including novel supplements, to ensure alignment with your students' needs and comfort levels. Both of our class novels have a 5-star rating from Common Sense Media.

Securely Disclaimer || All Canvas courses utilize a program called Securely. Securely is designed to monitor and report in real-time the online actions of each student during class. It enables CWCS to monitor student activity during class for online safety and testing accountability. If you would like to learn more, please visit https://www.securly.com/. 

Artificial Intelligence & Plagiarism || The availability and accessibility of artificial intelligence (AI) tools have grown significantly. While technology can enhance learning experiences, it's essential to maintain honesty, integrity, and academic rigor. Using AI for homework or tests is considered plagiarism and is not tolerated at Connecting Waters Charter Schools. Students must complete assignments independently, and using AI undermines genuine understanding and proficiency assessment. Violations will result in disciplinary actions, including failure of assignment or course. 

Additional information can be found on the CWCS Master Class Syllabus, used in the Parent/Student Orientation course. Please review this document before classes begin.

For more information about CW’s English courses, please visit the CWCS English Department Homepage.

CWCS’s English K  online course offers students the opportunity to study at home while employing technology as a learning tool, meeting with other students in a virtual classroom, and receiving live instruction from a teacher.

Course Overview:  Classes are held three times weekly in Canvas which is the course management system that is available to students, parent-teachers, and Education Specialists, 24/7. Detailed weekly assignments and announcements will be posted on my Canvas homepage page. In addition, for your reference, a pacing guide containing suggested assignments is included at the end of this syllabus and is subject to change at any time. Here are some examples of what we will be working on with prompt and support during the year: foundational reading skills and strategies, vocabulary skills and strategies, language conventions, and designated English Language Development (DELD) time. For writing with guidance and support, students will: generate, identify, and organize details, recall, order, and sequence events, write routinely, gather information, and make decisions. 

Curriculum:  Required curriculum may be available at the Learning Center on a first-come basis.  If needed, ESs can order curriculum using the OPS catalog which will have the most up-to-date pricing. Students will need 

Textbooks: Students will be using both the hard copy text and the online (Think Central) version of Journeys; the publisher is Houghton Mifflin. The texts needed are the (2) Journey’s student edition texts: Volume KN.1 and KN.2, the (2) Readers Notebooks: Volume KN.1 and KN.2, and a (1) Writing Handbook. 

The Reader’s Notebook and the Writing Handbook are consumable workbooks that provide opportunities for students to practice what they are learning in class. The teacher will teach the lesson concepts and then provide “I do, We do, You do” opportunities for students to master the material. We will work on workbook pages together in class and then what we don’t finish, will be assigned for homework throughout the week. It’s very important to attend class regularly to know how to complete these assignments.   

The Integrated Online Student Edition has all the features of the print edition plus Digital Journeys which provide comprehensive standards of instruction in writing, speaking, and listening. The online version also provides audio, so the student can follow along with the reader to gain a better understanding of the material. 

Materials: 

• Working external headset with mic (computer speakers do not work successfully with the Canvas setup). Plug-in headsets (rather than Bluetooth) work best with Jigsaw. After the third week of class and no headset, students may begin to lose participation points for the class. Class is much more engaging if all students can talk in class using their mic. Suggested:  Office Depot Logitech Clear-Chat 
• Binder Paper
• 1" Binder
• Pencils & Erasers
• Composition Notebook
• Low Odor Dry Erase Markers (for in-class whiteboard practice)

Requirements: 

• Class textbook/workbooks
• Gmail Account and ability to open/create word documents and pdfs (Adobe Acrobat Reader)
• Reliable Internet access
• Canvas Login link: https://cwcs.instructure.com/login/canvas 

CWCS English Department Homepage

Grading:  Students will be graded on attendance, daily homework assignments, module assessments, and projects.

Overall course grade: 

40% Attendance/Participation

40% Daily Homework 

20% Projects

Grading Scale:  

E	S	N
Excellent = Mastery	Satisfactory = Progressing Towards Mastery	Needs Improvement
Consistently meets or exceeds expectations of grade level standards.	Meeting expectations of grade level standards.	Unable to, or with prompting and support, progressing towards meeting expectations of grade level standards.

Attendance: Attendance is required.  The Truancy Policy applies to Canvas courses. An unexcused absence may be counted as a truancy.

• Excused Absence is defined as:
  The parent shall notify the teacher by phone of the absence at least 24 hours* prior to the time the class meets.
• Unexcused Absence is defined as:
  An absence that does not accompany a parent's phone call to the instructor at least 24 hours* prior to the time the class meets.

*If there are extenuating circumstances that do not allow for at least 24 hours, then the teacher must still be notified prior to the start of class; allowances may be made depending on the circumstances. Examples of extenuating circumstances: car accident, sudden illness, etc. Students should arrange a "backup plan" in case of unexpected computer problems on the day of the class (i.e. make pre-arrangements to go to a neighbor, friend, relative, library, etc.)  

When students are absent, they must contact the instructor via email or contact another classmate to obtain the homework assignment.

Absent/Late Work: Please email the instructor through Canvas if you will be absent. All work should be submitted for the unit no later than one week after the unit has concluded.

Daily Homework: All homework will be submitted through Canvas. You can submit a Word document, PDF, or Google Doc (download as a PDF and upload to Canvas).  Emailed assignments will not be accepted.  All communication will be made through Canvas’ email feature. Please follow the pacing guide and complete the work listed throughout the week. Only some of the assigned work will be completed during class.

Projects:   There will be independent projects throughout the semester.

Additional Resources:

Pacing Guide 

Important Dates ||

2024-2025 School Calendar

Fall Semester
August 12, 2024	First day of school
August 19, 2024	First Day of Fall Canvas Classes
September 2, 2024	NO CLASS: Labor Day
September 9, 2024	Add/Drop date
October 10-11, 2024	NO CLASS (non-school days)
November 11, 2024	NO CLASS: Veteran’s Day
November 22-29, 2024	NO CLASS: Thanksgiving Break
December 9-13, 2024	Last Class session this week (a-g)
December 16-20, 2024	Last Class session this week (all other classes)
December 16-20, 2024	a-g Finals Week
Spring Semester
January 7, 2025	First day back to school
January 7, 2025	First day of spring Canvas classes
January 20, 2025	NO CLASS: MLK Holiday
January 21, 2025	Add/Drop date
February 14-17, 2025	NO CLASS: President’s Day Observance
March 21-28, 2025	NO CLASSES THIS WEEK: SPRING BREAK
May 5-9, 2025	Last class session this week (a-g)
May 5-9, 2025	Last Class session this week (all other classes)
May 12-16, 2025	a-g Finals Week
May 23, 2025	Last Day of School