General Information for
Students and Parents
School is over on June 13th...there will be Final Exams given a few days before the end of school, so students need to be prepared for those tests. By doing some work each day, they can easily master the information in the units of study.
THE SECRET TO AN "A" IN ALL MY CLASSES: this is what I tell students so often:
Do ALL your work to the BEST of your ability!
Please click on the appropriate grade at the top of the page to see what is being taught at each level. Students can find out about work they missed while absent, or refresh their memory about assignments, or even print out documents they may have misplaced! This is a great spot for just checking in and making sure about the class assignments and study topics.
Primary Teaching Focus for Social Studies/American History:
History, as a content area subject, is more than a list of names, dates, or places. In general terms, it is an interpretation of people and events based on the perceptions, values and belief systems of those writing about history. Each of us continues to interpret history as we read, discuss, experience events of our modern world and attempt to make sense of all that impacts our world today. Along with teaching the stories of the people who formed who we are as an American nation today, we stress character development, helping students discern those qualities that enable people to be positive, contributing members of the modern world.
Linking the choices and actions of historical figures to the "TRACE" elements of our school behavioral goals, we teach our students how to make more appropriate choices in order to become the best persons they can be. Another goal is the development of study skills that will help guarantee future academic success. Learning those skills during their middle school years will give students a positive edge in their high school careers. There is a particular focus on effective note taking, test-taking tips, and text book reading skills, called 'document based questions'.
"THE DEAD FILE"
I've had a rash of papers coming in on which students have failed to write their name or are just writing their first name and not the last. I believe it is just a carryover practice from elementary school, but it results in adding time to entering grades in the gradebook. I've required all my students to write first/last name, class period and date on all their work. Doing so makes it easier to get grades into the grade book. If I get a paper without the required label, I am marking it in the gradebook as "missing" and placing it in a small file box in the front of the room which is marked "Dead File". I've told them a number of times about this, but am still getting a lot of these mislabeled papers. Marking such papers as "missing" results in a severe drop in their overall grade and I am hoping that parents will put pressure on their children to take care of the situation. Students can simply retreive this paper from the file, correctly label it and place it in the "In Tray" for their appropriate class period near my desk. I will then mark the correct grade without any loss of points.
Class Supplies
Students are required to bring the following to class each day:
1. pencils-too many students 'forget' and expect me to supply them...I'm not a "pencilpusher"!
2. small pencil sharpener and an eraser (The ones on a pencil do not count!)
3. Composition Notebook ($1.00 at Wal-Mart) for taking class notes; if a student does not have one for this second semester, it must be available NO LATER than Jan. 31, 2014; after that date, points will be deducted from their Work Ethic grade; 2 classes unprepared and a message will be sent home!
4. lined white 3-ring binder paper, college ruled, for graded work that is turned in.
(PLEASE: NO SPIRAL NOTEBOOK PAPER OR PAGES TORN OUT OF THE COMPOSITION BOOK!)
Not Following Directions (NFD)
There is a serious issue about many students not following directions when completing assignments. Learning to follow directions is a critical factor in determining future academic success. To allow students to ignore directions will create further problems for them in the future. Most of the problems occur when students are required to write a response using complete sentences. One of the most important skills to be mastered before high school is the ability to express an answer in complete, coherent sentences using proper grammar and spelling. For most assignments, students are required to make sure that the words of the question asked appear within the answer, in order to give a complete idea.
Example: Q. Why was John Rolfe’s marriage to Pocahontas a good thing?
Incomplete Answer: “provided for peaceful relations between Powhatans and colonists”
Complete Answer: "John Rolfe's marriage to Pocahontas was a good thing because it provided for peaceful relations between the Powhatans and the colonists.”
It's been my experience that students who take the extra time to write such a complete answer generally retain the information better than those who write an unconnected phrase.
The class policy for all "NFD" assignments is as follows: If a student does not follow the directions when completing an assignment, the content score will be posted as a zero with an accompanying footnote which lists the original score. When the student completes the assignment according to the directions given in class or printed on the assignment paper, the content grade will be reposted minus a 20% penalty for not originally completing the assignment as required. Hopefully, only one such occurrence will be needed to avoid any future problems in following directions.
Parents, please help us to encourage your child to get into the habit of carefully following the directions for every assignment. If you have the time, please take a few minutes each evening to double check your child’s homework to see if it meets the requirements. Thank You!
Infinite Campus
Parents, please check Infinite Campus with your child on a regular basis. If you notice an assignment that has no score, this means that I am in the process of posting the scores, it doesn't mean that your child did not complete the assignment or quiz. IC will post a notice that the assignment is missing instead of noting that a score hasn't been entered. WE HAVE FOUND THAT IF PARENTS DON'T TAKE AN INTEREST IN CHECKING IC, THEN THE STUDENTS TEND NOT TO DO SO. THIS WILL LEAD TO PROBLEMS DOWN THE LINE.
Panther Planners
All students are required to keep a daily, accurate record in their Panther Planners of what went on in each class and any homework assignment given--including its due date. Parents are asked to review and sign the Planner each weekend. Parents should be able to check the Panther Planner each day and tell the student what went on in every class!
Contacting the Teacher
For the most part, students should be encouraged to contact their teachers if they are having some sort of problem. We are trying to foster the idea of self-advocacy and independence within our young people. My school email address is [email protected]. I often check my email in the later evening; if no reply happens that evening, I will be checking messages again before school starts.
Absence Policy
Per District policy, students have the number of days they were absent, plus one, to make up any work due to an absence.
Since this may be difficult to accomplish if a student is absent several days, I am asking students to contact me within the District guidelines so that we can set up a reasonable time for the completion of the missed work. If they fail to do so, the assignment or test score will be lost to them.
Absent Students
If students are unable to come to school, please have them email me in the morning and I can send home a copy of the notes or assignment that was covered that day before I leave school. Doing so will give them a head start on completing their make up work and keep them from falling behind.
Cornell Notes
Students are expected to use the "Cornell Note" format for taking notes in class, whether notes are from the text book, Power Point presentations or other sources. Periodically their Composition Books will be checked for HOW they are taking notes. Please encourage your child to follow directions regarding note taking. This is a skill, which learned well, will definitely make high school life much easier and studying more effective! Below is a simple summary of the expectations for taking such notes.
THE SECRET TO AN "A" IN ALL MY CLASSES: this is what I tell students so often:
Do ALL your work to the BEST of your ability!
Please click on the appropriate grade at the top of the page to see what is being taught at each level. Students can find out about work they missed while absent, or refresh their memory about assignments, or even print out documents they may have misplaced! This is a great spot for just checking in and making sure about the class assignments and study topics.
Primary Teaching Focus for Social Studies/American History:
History, as a content area subject, is more than a list of names, dates, or places. In general terms, it is an interpretation of people and events based on the perceptions, values and belief systems of those writing about history. Each of us continues to interpret history as we read, discuss, experience events of our modern world and attempt to make sense of all that impacts our world today. Along with teaching the stories of the people who formed who we are as an American nation today, we stress character development, helping students discern those qualities that enable people to be positive, contributing members of the modern world.
Linking the choices and actions of historical figures to the "TRACE" elements of our school behavioral goals, we teach our students how to make more appropriate choices in order to become the best persons they can be. Another goal is the development of study skills that will help guarantee future academic success. Learning those skills during their middle school years will give students a positive edge in their high school careers. There is a particular focus on effective note taking, test-taking tips, and text book reading skills, called 'document based questions'.
"THE DEAD FILE"
I've had a rash of papers coming in on which students have failed to write their name or are just writing their first name and not the last. I believe it is just a carryover practice from elementary school, but it results in adding time to entering grades in the gradebook. I've required all my students to write first/last name, class period and date on all their work. Doing so makes it easier to get grades into the grade book. If I get a paper without the required label, I am marking it in the gradebook as "missing" and placing it in a small file box in the front of the room which is marked "Dead File". I've told them a number of times about this, but am still getting a lot of these mislabeled papers. Marking such papers as "missing" results in a severe drop in their overall grade and I am hoping that parents will put pressure on their children to take care of the situation. Students can simply retreive this paper from the file, correctly label it and place it in the "In Tray" for their appropriate class period near my desk. I will then mark the correct grade without any loss of points.
Class Supplies
Students are required to bring the following to class each day:
1. pencils-too many students 'forget' and expect me to supply them...I'm not a "pencilpusher"!
2. small pencil sharpener and an eraser (The ones on a pencil do not count!)
3. Composition Notebook ($1.00 at Wal-Mart) for taking class notes; if a student does not have one for this second semester, it must be available NO LATER than Jan. 31, 2014; after that date, points will be deducted from their Work Ethic grade; 2 classes unprepared and a message will be sent home!
4. lined white 3-ring binder paper, college ruled, for graded work that is turned in.
(PLEASE: NO SPIRAL NOTEBOOK PAPER OR PAGES TORN OUT OF THE COMPOSITION BOOK!)
Not Following Directions (NFD)
There is a serious issue about many students not following directions when completing assignments. Learning to follow directions is a critical factor in determining future academic success. To allow students to ignore directions will create further problems for them in the future. Most of the problems occur when students are required to write a response using complete sentences. One of the most important skills to be mastered before high school is the ability to express an answer in complete, coherent sentences using proper grammar and spelling. For most assignments, students are required to make sure that the words of the question asked appear within the answer, in order to give a complete idea.
Example: Q. Why was John Rolfe’s marriage to Pocahontas a good thing?
Incomplete Answer: “provided for peaceful relations between Powhatans and colonists”
Complete Answer: "John Rolfe's marriage to Pocahontas was a good thing because it provided for peaceful relations between the Powhatans and the colonists.”
It's been my experience that students who take the extra time to write such a complete answer generally retain the information better than those who write an unconnected phrase.
The class policy for all "NFD" assignments is as follows: If a student does not follow the directions when completing an assignment, the content score will be posted as a zero with an accompanying footnote which lists the original score. When the student completes the assignment according to the directions given in class or printed on the assignment paper, the content grade will be reposted minus a 20% penalty for not originally completing the assignment as required. Hopefully, only one such occurrence will be needed to avoid any future problems in following directions.
Parents, please help us to encourage your child to get into the habit of carefully following the directions for every assignment. If you have the time, please take a few minutes each evening to double check your child’s homework to see if it meets the requirements. Thank You!
Infinite Campus
Parents, please check Infinite Campus with your child on a regular basis. If you notice an assignment that has no score, this means that I am in the process of posting the scores, it doesn't mean that your child did not complete the assignment or quiz. IC will post a notice that the assignment is missing instead of noting that a score hasn't been entered. WE HAVE FOUND THAT IF PARENTS DON'T TAKE AN INTEREST IN CHECKING IC, THEN THE STUDENTS TEND NOT TO DO SO. THIS WILL LEAD TO PROBLEMS DOWN THE LINE.
Panther Planners
All students are required to keep a daily, accurate record in their Panther Planners of what went on in each class and any homework assignment given--including its due date. Parents are asked to review and sign the Planner each weekend. Parents should be able to check the Panther Planner each day and tell the student what went on in every class!
Contacting the Teacher
For the most part, students should be encouraged to contact their teachers if they are having some sort of problem. We are trying to foster the idea of self-advocacy and independence within our young people. My school email address is [email protected]. I often check my email in the later evening; if no reply happens that evening, I will be checking messages again before school starts.
Absence Policy
Per District policy, students have the number of days they were absent, plus one, to make up any work due to an absence.
Since this may be difficult to accomplish if a student is absent several days, I am asking students to contact me within the District guidelines so that we can set up a reasonable time for the completion of the missed work. If they fail to do so, the assignment or test score will be lost to them.
Absent Students
If students are unable to come to school, please have them email me in the morning and I can send home a copy of the notes or assignment that was covered that day before I leave school. Doing so will give them a head start on completing their make up work and keep them from falling behind.
Cornell Notes
Students are expected to use the "Cornell Note" format for taking notes in class, whether notes are from the text book, Power Point presentations or other sources. Periodically their Composition Books will be checked for HOW they are taking notes. Please encourage your child to follow directions regarding note taking. This is a skill, which learned well, will definitely make high school life much easier and studying more effective! Below is a simple summary of the expectations for taking such notes.
writing_cornell_notes199.pdf | |
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