"The man who DOES NOT read good books has
                                                     NO advantage over the man who CANNOT read
                                                                     good books."  -Mark Twain

             Welcome to Language Arts!

What is "Language Arts"? According to Merriam-Webster, art is "something that is created with imagination and skill and that is beautiful or that expresses important ideas or feelings." So essentially the study of language arts is the study of using words or signs (language) to explore and communicate important and/or beautiful ideas. How do we do this? Well, it takes a lot. 

In order to communicate proficiently we need a lot of tools. These tools include, but are not limited to: vocabulary, grammar (parts of speech, punctuation, etc), spelling, sentence structure, proof reading, reading comprehension (both on a literal and figurative level), and essay composition. Language Arts includes a great deal, but our goal is to become effective readers, thinkers, listeners, writers, and speakers.

"Yea, yea, Mrs. P, that's all well and good, but really, how will this help me in life?" Countless careers center around an interest or degree in English: copy writing, technical writing, marketing, journalism, public relations, teaching, publishing, corporate blogging, video game storyline production, screenwriting, etc. Let's be honest. Many of you don't want to grow up to become writers, at least that is not your plan right now. Even if you want to become a doctor, though, LA is important. Think about it: would you feel confident letting a doctor operate on you if he or she could hardly arrange a sentence properly? I don't think so. If you become your own small business owner, you will have to advertise and communicate a lot, and people will draw conclusions from how you do so. Therefore, LA is important to all of us!

                    Rules in Mrs. Puritis-Pulley's Classroom

                                                                1. Demonstrate respect for yourself and others
                                                                       2. Work to the best of your ability
                                                                        3. Ask for help when you need it

Some helpful guidelines to achieve this:

• Come to class prepared with everything you need. There is no leaving class to go to your locker.
• Turn in any work due that day when called for (This means having it printed out and ready BEFORE class begins). Remember to put this work in your folder before turning it in to the turn in box. Not following this procedure will cause you to lose 5 points. 
• Should you miss a due date, you should still do the work. You will have 3 days to get late work to me. Each day, 7 points will be deducted. Anything is better than a 0, though. Turn the late work in to the bin on my desk.

 

• When you are absent, I will put handouts from class in the folders on the back of the door. Look in the folder that corresponds with the day(s) you missed. Also, check your grade's mail box to see if I returned any graded work while you were out.
• There are times when we can use our laptops in class; on those occasions, please make sure your technology is charged. Also, please only use websites and applications that relate to the assignments. If you do not adhere to these guidelines, you will lose technology privileges.
• ​If you are confused about an assignment or about your grade on a completed assignment, please come see me during guided study and I will be happy to help you.