Cardinal Notes
information and reflection about Joseph Case High School
Volume 12, No. 19 *** June 14, 2016
Graduation 2016
Underclassmen Final Exams
The following information has been shared with students in grades 9-11 at Joseph Case High School:
1. Every class at Joseph Case High School – with the exception of phys ed – will have a final exam with a scheduled period. All final exams are worth ten (10) percent of the final grade.
2. Teachers will proctor their own exams. No exam may be given outside of the testing period, with the exception of Math Explorations and Grade 9 Health.
3. Under no circumstances are students to be dismissed prior to the conclusion of the exam period.
4. Teachers design exams to be completed within the appropriated time period. No extra time should be given to students (unless pre-determined by IEP, 504, or other pre-approved formal plan). All tests should be administered within consistent, enforced testing parameters.
5. Make-up Protocol prior to June 22: The exam make-up day is by appointment only. Students may make-up an exam if the principal is notified by parent/guardian via telephone by 8 a.m. on the specific exam date. A doctor’s note, court document, or bereavement excuse will be required to make up any exam. Only the principal or his designee may excuse a student from the regular exam date.
6. Students Failing To Take Exam: Any student who fails to take a final exam will receive a zero for the final exam. This zero will be calculated into the student’s final grade.
7. Lunch Schedule: Lunch will be served in the cafeteria through June 16.
Lunch will not be available June 17-20. Breakfast is available through June 21.
8. Transportation: Buses will be available for student transportation. The schedule is as follows:
· Wednesday, June 15 2:15 p.m.
· Thursday, June 16 2:15 p.m.
· Friday, June 17 11:15 a.m.
· Monday, June 20 11:15 a.m.
· Tuesday, June 21 11:15 a.m.
9. Students are dismissed at 9:15 a.m. on Monday, June 20. Bus transportation is not available until 11:15 a.m. on that day.
10. The library will be open for silent study until 2:55 p.m., through Mon., June 20.
11. Lockers must be cleaned out by 11 a.m. on Tuesday, June 21.
12. Any absences through June 21 may affect eligibility for fall sports and activities. See student handbook for detail.
13. Students must meet all class financial obligations with all books/materials either returned or paid for.
14. Attendance will be taken everyday through Tuesday, June 21.
Students not present during the week of June 20
- Make-up by appointment only. Principal will arrange makeups during week of June 13.
- Absences may affect eligibility for fall sports and activities.
- Attendance will be taken in Timeslot 1 each day thru Tuesday, June 21. Absences may affect eligibility for fall sports and activities.
- Students who do not take an exam receive a zero for the exam; students who schedule a make-up will receive an Incomplete for the course. Incompletes affect eligibility.Since teachers are contractually finished for the year on June 21, makeup exams will be graded at their convenience. Students who makeup exams will receive an Incomplete in that course until the grades are formally submitted. Again, incompletes affect eligibility.
Exam Schedule for Wednesday, June 15
8:24-9:58 a.m.: EXAM 5
10-10:30: Assembly for Grade 11
10:37-11:22: Period 6
11:26-12:37: Period 3
12:41-2:15: EXAM 2
Exam Schedule for Thursday, June 16
8:24-9:58 a.m.: EXAM 6
10-10:30: Assembly for Grade 10
10:37-11:22: Period 7
11:26-12:37: Period 4
12:41-2:15: EXAM 3
Exam Schedule for Friday, June 17
7:45-9:15 a.m.: EXAM 7
9:15-9:30 a.m.: Assembly for Grade 9
9:30-11:00: EXAM 4
11:00 Dismissal
11:15 a.m.: Buses
Exam Schedule for Monday. June 20
7:45-9:15 a.m.: EXAM 1
9:15 a.m.: Dismissal
9:15-11:00: MAKE-UP EXAMS
11:15 a.m.: Buses
Tuesday, June 21: LAST DAY OF SCHOOL
TS 1: 7:30-7:55 a.m.
TS 2: 7:58-8:23 a.m.
TS 3: 8:26-8:51 a.m.
TS 4: 8:54-9:19 a.m.
TS 5: 9:22-9:47 a.m.
LOCKER TIME: 9:47-10:04 a.m.
TS 6: 10:07-10:32 a.m.
TS 7: 10:35-11:00
Buses: 11:15 a.m.
School-wide summer reading title
Summer Reading
All students are expected to complete at least two summer books by the time they return to school in the fall, including the required Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel.
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Summer reading choices for Grade 9 students include:
- The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie **
- A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
- Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell **
- Legend by Marie Lu
Summer reading choices for Grade 10 students include:
- A Long Way Gone by Ishmeal Beah **
- The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls**
- Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
· Last Night I Dreamed of Peace: The Diary of Dang Thuy Tram by Dang Thuy Tram
Summer reading choices for Grade 11 students include:
- Becoming Nicole: The Transformation of an American Family by Amy Ellis Nutt
- In Cold Blood by Truman Capote **
- Timebound by Ryssa Walker **
- Looking for Alaska by John Green **
Summer reading choices for Grade 12 students include:
- Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
- And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
- Escape from Camp 14 by Blaine Harden**
- Wicked by Gregory Maguire
Advanced Placement/Honors: additional titles
Honors 9
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
Honors 10
Funny in Farsi: A Memoir of Growing up Iranian in America by Firoozeh Dumas
AP Language
The Elements of Style, 4th Ed., by Strunk and White
plus AP Language Student Choice (Select one):
For seniors, choose one of the following:
· Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë (British fiction)
· Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen (British fiction)
· Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley (British fiction)
· Dracula, by Bram Stoker (Irish fiction)*
For juniors, choose one of the following:
· The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot
· Danse Macabre, by Stephen King (American nonfiction/ pop culture)
· Stiff, Spook, or Packing for Mars by Mary Roach
· Life After Life, by Kate Atkinson (British fiction)*
AP Literature
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger**
plus AP Literature Student Choice (Select one):
· The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner by Alan Sillitoe
· The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
· Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
**Starred selections contain mature content and language. Should students or their families have specific questions regarding the content of reading selections, they should contact the English Department Head at bbotelho@swanseaschools.org.
The New York Times Summer Reading option
For our fourth year, Joseph Case High School has embraced The New York Times Learning Network to offer our students an alternative to traditional summer reading options. This aligns emphatically with our connection to the ELA Common Core and commitment to informational texts. This option is highly personalized and empowers students with choice.
Each week from June 17 to August 19, students can choose any piece in The New York Times to read. Every Friday, The New York Times will post the same Student Opinion question: “What interested you most in The Times this week? Why?”
The link below contains details, FAQs, and a link to post weekly responses once the contest begins: http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/05/12/the-seventh-annual-new-york-times-summer-reading-contest/
For this option to count as summer reading, you must read five (5) articles and submit an electronic response for each. The New York Times’ new commenting system allows responses up to 1,500 characters, which is somewhere between 250 and 300 words.
According to the Learning Network, in order to prove to your teacher that you participated: “make sure to check the box that asks you if you would like to be emailed when your comment is published. If you do so, the system will send you a link to your comment, which you can use to show you teacher, your parents, your friends or anyone else you’d like to impress.”
Students should keep a portfolio of their posts and links. Information is available at the link indicated above. See How do I prove to my teacher that I participated? for strategies.
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An English teacher will be available to assist students in the submission process throughout the summer weeks. Please address any concerns regarding The New York Times summer reading option to Ms. Botelho at bbotelho@swanseaschools.org.
About Joseph Case High School
Email: joseph.case@swanseaschools.org
Website: casehigh.swanseaschools.org
Location: 70 School Street, Swansea, MA, United States
Phone: (508) 675-7483
Twitter: @josephcasehs