Policy
Statement
Approaches
and Expectations in US History Class
Mrs.
Maddock
Foundational Principles
1.
Reward hard work.
2.
Instil enthusiasm for and
appreciation of subject. Introducing the
latest in the field (i.e. what is being produced today) signifies the
ground-breaking nature of History.
3.
Discussion works best when
students listen to each other and think before speaking.
4.
Pupils can learn a great deal
from asking questions at appropriate times.
5.
Students earn their own grades
with full knowledge of the grading criteria that make expectations clear.
6.
7.
Failing can be a great
source of learning. “F” should simply
signify a wake up call to take a different approach. Do not be discouraged!
8.
Consistent, swift discipline
is most effective, and ‘giving them a break’ rarely results in actual
improvement.
9.
Cheating and lying needs to be
justly punished. Fairness is
crucial. Plagiarism will earn a zero.
10.
Extensions rarely improve the
quality of the assignment, nor do they contribute to the development of good
work habits.
Ø Arrive promptly and be seated on time for
class. (Tardiness will earn detention.)
Ø Bring appropriate materials to class including binder,
note paper, pen.
Ø Submit work on time. Late homework will not be accepted. Homework not here is homework not done. Forgetting is blameworthy.
Ø Print any written assignments at home before
arriving to school. No pupil will be
permitted to use the teacher work station in the classroom. Arriving to class with your assignment on a
flash drive is as good as not having your work at all.
Ø Copying another’s homework is cheating. If you are found to be in possession of a
colleague’s work, both of you will earn zero.
Ø Make up work that you miss, in accordance with the
School’s handbook. Make a time to come
and see me if you have had a period of absence.
Ø Organize your notes and hand-outs from class
neatly. Have your notebooks open and
ready at the start of the lesson.
Ø Never submit anything to me by leaving it in my
mailbox in the main office. You must
give me whatever it is (i.e., work, permission slip, required disciplinary
tasks, etc.) in person. It will not be
accepted if you leave it in my mailbox.
Ø Study and revise regularly. Homework includes reading, taking notes and
studying notes as well as other assigned tasks.
Ø Read directions and follow them precisely. Attention to detail matters.
Ø Take initiative and be pro-active in finding out
what was missed or asking questions about what you do not understand. Come to see me after school for help when
necessary.
Ø Never use profanity. Always exhibit self-control. Always respect each other.
Ø Respect the speakers around you, whether the
teacher or your peers. Wait and avoid
interrupting one another. Think before
speaking. Sometimes ‘hot’ topics come up
in discussion. If you feel confused,
offended, or upset by any remarks made by a teacher or a pupil, you – the
student – must
make that known to me at an appropriate time.
Ø Anyone who speaks to another or touches their phone
during an assessment earns a zero on the assessment.
Ø Respect the room. Never write on desks,
walls, or posters. Never write on the
board unless instructed to do so as part of a class task.
Ø Find an appropriate
time to request leave from the room if you need to use the restroom, ask
politely, and I can sign your pass. You
then need to sign out on the clipboard.
Ø Acknowledge mistakes politely and accept
responsibility for any misdemeanours.
Realize your situation will almost always improve when you do so;
conversely, it will almost always deteriorate when you persist in denial of
obvious realities.
Ø At the end of the period, stay seated until dismissed.
Ø Never pass notes, wander the room, eat, or use toys
like phones or mp3 players. Expect that
such items will be confiscated for the day if they are used in class. Keep your
phone turned off every day between
Ø Return the correct textbook and document booklet you
were issued (unless you buy the document. booklet), lest your report card
contain an “incomplete”.
Students earn their term grade through a variety of
assessments, each worth a certain number of points. The grade for the term is calculated as a
simple fraction of points earned out of possible points. Each given task will have a designated number
of points. Usually a homework task earns
you 10-20 points. A test will always come
with notice and is usually 200 points. A
quiz may come at any time and is usually
100 points. Surprise quizzes will be
open-notes and ‘open-homework’.
Extra credit tasks may be available
to those who have completed all their work on time, have put in considerable
effort, and still want to improve their grade.
Any such task must be submitted at least 4 school days before the
published date marking the end of term.
Please realize that homework really matters! Though late homework will not be accepted for
homework credit, you really need to make it up immediately because you
can use your homework on the pop quizzes.
For instance, if you miss the homework that’s due Tuesday, (and, of
course, managed to escape that day without a pop quiz!) do the task and bring
it in on Wednesday so that if there’s a quiz, you’ll be ready. It’s one thing for your grade to suffer the
loss of a zero on a homework task, but even more damaging to your grade is
missing several questions on a quiz simply because you did not have your notes
and homework in front of you.
Dear
Parents / Guardians,
Please
review the above policy statement and expectations. After reviewing, please sign the copy your
son/daughter has signed and return the signed paper no later than Friday 5th
September. If you have questions or
concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me by email:
Regards,
Mrs.
P J Maddock
I
________________________________ (student / block) have read and understand the
attached requirements and expectations in History class.
______________________________________ _______________
student signature date
Parent/Guardian
signature indicates that you are aware of the attached requirements and
expectations in this course.
______________________________________ ________________
parent/guardian signature date