Course Syllabus

To be a successful T-Bird…

Be Engaged

Have Integrity

Show Respect

Be Determined

Expected

Classroom

Behaviors

1. Arrive in class prior to the bell ringing.

2. Come with materials out, start warm-ups or entry activities.

3. Have your homework ready and finished.
4. Be in your seats, waiting for instruction when the bell rings.
5. Follow the rules and expectations set by the teacher.

1. Do your best work.

2. Use appropriate language.

3. Use appropriate voice         level.
4. Help each other.
5. Extend courtesy to guests and to one another.

1. Ask permission to use teacher’s class materials.

2. Keep hands and feet to self.

3. Use class materials appropriately.

4. Use appropriate language and voice level.

5. Be considerate of others’ ideas and opinions.

1.  Persevere through work completion.

2.  Ask for help if needed.

3.  Strive to grow and learn something every day.

4.  Set personal learning goals and celebrate when you reach them!

Coming to Class

You are expected to be in class every day unless you have an absence that is excused by the school or your guardian.

When you arrive, consult the slide on the board and turn in any homework that is due, gather materials you’ll need, sit in your assigned seat and begin working on the entry task. You should be in your seat working when the bell rings. Failure to do so will result in being marked “Tardy.”

Community

Our classroom is a community space in which everyone should feel safe and valued. You will be frequently asked to work in small and large groups, to contribute to whole-class discussions, and to speak in front of the class. Much of our learning comes from listening to and working with others. In order for everyone to succeed in this way, we must all feel safe and respected. Derogatory remarks and foul language will not be tolerated. Please be respectful of me and respectful of each other, and help maintain a gracious space.

Tardies

In keeping with SWHS policy, you will be marked “Tardy” if you arrive after the bell has rung (see above), within 10 minutes of the start of class. If you arrive more than 10 minutes after class has begun without a pass, you will be marked “absent.”

Absences

If you have an excused absence, you have one week from the date of the absence to turn in all work assigned while you were out and to complete any tests or quizzes you may have missed. Any assignment that was due when you were absent (of which you had prior knowledge) is due on the day you return.

It is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to find out what work, activities, notes, and assignments you missed while you were away. Please start by consulting the Canvas calendar and a friendly peer to find out what you missed; then, please see me if you have any questions, concerns, or if you need to collect a handout or schedule a makeup quiz.

In keeping with Shorewood’s policy, you will not be allowed to turn in work that was due or makeup tests or quizzes that were missed due to an unexcused absence. Additionally, more than nine unexcused absences in a semester may result in loss of credit for the course.

Obtaining materials

Feel free to borrow any supplies you need from the Resource Table, or use your own. Check the board to see what you’ll need for the day and get it before class starts. Please return your supplies to the appropriate container on the Resource Table before you leave class. Please do not damage these supplies that I have purchased and that other students need to use.

Composition book

I require students to have a bound composition book. In class we will divide this into three sections: Entry tasks, Vocabulary, and Notes. This should be brought to class (or left on a designated shelf in my classroom) every day.

If you are unable to acquire a composition book, please speak with me.

Phones

Personal electronics need to be put away before the bell rings. I SHOULD NOT SEE OR HEAR YOUR PHONE, EVER. If I see you using your device in class, I will take it from you and put it in my drawer until the end of class. I will issue only one reminder per student.

iPads

Bring your charged iPad to class every day, along with a charger. Make sure to back up all of your work on another device, on a cloud application (such as Drive or Dropbox), or on a disk.

Homework and Late Work

Homework is generally due the next time that class meets, unless another due date is given. If the assignment was done on paper, turned in work to the box for your class period by the window. Most assignments will be collected digitally on the class Canvas page by the due date and time specified. If work is turned in after then, it is considered LATE.

I will accept late work up to ONE WEEK after the assignment is due, and will give 50% of the value earned. For example, if you turned in a homework assignment 3 days late and it would have earned an 8 out of 10 based on its correctness and completeness, I will give it 4 points out of 10 in the grade book. Please note that while this is still a failing grade, but it is far better for your overall grade than a zero. Late work should be turned into the LATE bin on my desk, or to Canvas, as specified.

After a week has passed, no late work will be accepted.

Academic Ethics and Honesty

You must properly cite, or give credit, for any ideas or content you take from anyone other than yourself. ANY instance of academic dishonesty in my class will be referred to the school administration. Please note that online applications, including Canvas and Turnitin.com, will be frequently used to check student work.

Class Website

This course makes use of the Canvas Learning Management System as mandated by the Shoreline School District. This is the primary way that grades are communicated to students and to parents. If I have a particular concern about a student’s grade, I may reach out to the student and/or parent via email, but I do not regularly send out “grade updates.” It is your responsibility to check your grades and assignment status on Canvas; I suggest doing so weekly. Unless I tell you otherwise, grades in Canvas are “live” and reflect all current graded work.

I strive to reduce our use of paper and streamline processes for students and myself by assigning and collecting a large portion of our classwork online. Even work assigned and collected on paper is listed on Canvas, and can be found under the “Assignments” tab or on the class calendar.

Food and Beverages

Drinks are allowed in covered containers. Small snacks are ok, but please be respectful of the space and people around you – be sure to clean up all crumbs and wrappers. Finally, a member of our classroom community has a severe allergy to oranges, so oranges and orange juice are not allowed in my classroom.

Please wait to eat meals until Nutrition break or Lunch.

Restroom Breaks

Please make every effort to take care of restroom and personal needs between class periods. If you cannot wait until break, please notify me that you’d like to leave. Take the restroom pass with you; it hangs at the front of the room. If the pass is gone, please wait until it returns so that there is only one student out of the room at a time.

If you need help…

Please talk to me as soon as you find you are struggling with the material or assignments – or even if you’d just like some feedback on your writing and other work. I am committed to helping each of you succeed. I am here before school, after school, and during SAS – drop by or email me to let me know when you’d like to come in.