Mrs. Mak’s Classroom Guidelines
Five Guidelines For Success:
1. Respect – Treat others the way you want to be treated
a. Respect for personal differences
b. Respect for property
2. Responsibility – you are responsible for your own behavior
a. Recognize personal space
b. Use words wisely
c. I over E especially in C
3. Participation – come prepared to learn and share your ideas
a. Bring all materials necessary to aid in learning
4. Awareness – listen to others and follow directions
5. Follow all school rules and regulations
Students who are positive, contributing members in this class will receive:
1. Verbal praise
2. Written praise
3. Positive parent contact – notes and phone calls home
4. Leadership roles, special honors and privileges
5. Class rewards
6. A positive classroom environment
If your behavior prevents our class from functioning, the following order of
consequences will apply:
1. A verbal warning
2. A five -minute conversation with me after class/school.
3. Detention
4. A conference with your parents
5. Meeting with administration
“Events, circumstances, etc. have their origin in ourselves. They spring
from seeds which we have sown.” - Henry David Thoreau
Homework Policy
Homework is an important part of our curriculum. The objective of
homework is to strengthen skills and reinforce knowledge learned in our
classroom.
Because Language Arts includes Grammar, Spelling & Vocabulary, Reading &
Literature and Composition, the amount of homework and time students spend on
assignments will vary. Expect Grammar, Spelling and Vocabulary homework to
revolve around reinforcing workbook and practice exercises. Reading &
Literature and Writing assignments are for the most part longer -term
projects that might be either analytical or creative. These longer- term
assignments may span weekend days, but many times you will only have Language
Arts homework Monday through Thursday. All homework will be posted in our
classroom and on my “Teacher Web” page that can be accessed through the
Haworth website www.haworth.org/dir2/mrsmak.html.
In all Language Arts subject areas homework assignments are worth 20%
of student’s grade. Regardless of the subject, completed homework will
receive full credit. Any incomplete work receives an automatic 65 (D). If a
student fails to hand in homework they will receive a 0 (F).
Papers and projects (NOT HOMEWORK) are due no later than the end of the
day on the day that they are due. Unless a student is absent for illness, in
which case the assignment is due upon return, a paper handed in at any other
time is a late paper. The penalty for late compositions or projects is one
letter grade off per day late.
Because our studies are intense there will be times in which students
may re-do assessments if they did not completely master the intended content
or skills, and the student has demonstrated sincere effort to prepare for the
assessment the first time it was given. Rigorous relearning and review will
qualify a student to redo an assessment. Redoing an assessment is a
privilege. Students must re-do assessments within one week of their return
otherwise the original grade stands. The higher of the two grades will be
recorded. Occasionally, assessments cannot be redone, but instead students
may correct their mistakes and receive half credit for each item they
correct. Students must re-do assessments on their own time, not during
direct teaching time in our class. In order to redo any test, major project,
major writing or quiz, students must first submit the original work signed by
a parent and request a retest or redo opportunity.
Preferably, compositions should be typed, double-spaced in 12-point type
New Times Roman font, with standard margins. You may use pencil or pen when
completing homework or daily assignments that are not being turned in
(grammar, vocabulary, spelling) or in-class work.
Neatness counts! Messy homework or compositions will not be accepted.
They will be returned to you for revision or recopying and will be treated as
late papers.
Papers with no name are put into a “No Name, No Credit” tray. A student
may check the tray and upon finding his/her work, write his/her name on it
and resubmit it. The tray is emptied into the trash every few weeks. Once
the assignments are evaluated, they will be returned in the most timely
manner possible.
Procedures
Beginning Class
1. Entering Class:
You are expected to be at your desk with all the required materials when the
bell rings. If you are not, you will be marked late. If you are late three
times I will make a phone call home, and you will receive two detentions.
You must check the blackboard for the daily assignment. You are expected to
start on the assignment immediately. If there is no assignment, you must sit
quietly or read while you wait for further instructions.
2. Announcements:
No matter what is going on in class, it must be quiet for any announcements
made over the public address system. Even if the announcements do not
pertain directly to you, please be quiet.
3. Fire Drills or Emergencies:
If there is a fire drill or any other emergency, you are expected to comply
with the school regulations. You will walk quickly and quietly out the
nearest exit, stay together as a class and wait for further instructions. If
you are in the bathroom or anywhere else in school, then you are to exit the
building immediately and find the nearest teacher or administrator.
4. Absences:
If you know in advance that you will be absent, talk to me about any
assignments you might miss. As long as you had an excused absence you are
able to make up the work you missed while you were out for full credit. You
have 3 days to make up the work, after that it is recorded as a zero.
Absences are your responsibility. I will not remind you of the work you need
to make up. You need to see me before, after class or school, or during a
quiet assignment time. Do not disrupt the whole class for what you missed
personally. Previously announced tests, projects and compositions are due the
day you return to school if you are absent on the day they were assigned to
be due.
Class & Work Requirements
1. Daily necessities:
Bring all materials to class each day and be ready to work. (You will not be
allowed to return to your lockers for forgotten supplies.) Coming to class
unprepared will result in a point (zero) for the day. At the end of the
marking period points will be totaled and deducted from your final grade.
Textbooks must be covered and kept in the condition that they were received
in.Your notebook and folder must be neat and organized as we will be taking
notes and adding work regularly.
2. Following Directions
It is of the utmost importance for you to get the information you need to be
able to do well and complete this course. You will need to PAY ATTENTION. I
will only say things twice.
3. Paper Headings:
All papers must have the following heading:
Name: Date
Homeroom Class
4. Signal For Getting Your Attention:
My hope is that our class will be a place where creativity and positive
energy thrive. There will be times when I will need your complete attention
and cooperation. At these times, I will hold up two fingers for peace. This
is your signal to come to full attention.
5. Signal For Getting My Attention & Moving Around The Class:
When you need my attention to ask a question you must raise your hand. If you
need to use the bathroom, get a tissue or throw something away you must ask.
Please remember that these tasks should be accomplished before or after
class. So use you common sense before asking. If you must leave our
classroom, you’ll need to take our pass, which will be located in the front
of our room. You may only leave when the pass is available.
6. Talking During Seatwork:
When you are working independently, I see no reason why you can’t speak
quietly with one another. This is a privilege though, and will be taken away
if you abuse it. Also, please realize that if your talking is hindering
someone else’s work, you will need to be quiet.
7. Activities To Do When You Finish Your Work:
Bring a book to class or:
When you have completed any required assignment, there will be practice
activities available for you to work on. I highly recommend these
activities, as they will reinforce your language arts skills. All completed
practice material will be held in your portfolio and considered at the end of
each marking period.
8. Movement In and Out of Work Groups:
We will be working together on many projects this year. During these times,
you will need to be considerate and respectful of each other and of class
rules. Each member of the group is responsible for bringing their own
materials and level of participation. If there are problems, group work will
be severely limited.
9. If You Need Help:
I am usually available before school, during lunch and after school for extra
help. If at any other time you feel the need to speak with me, I will be
happy to schedule an appointment with you.
10. Dismissal:
You must wait to be dismissed at the end of each class.
Our Classroom
1. Keep It Clean:
We will be spending a lot of time in our classroom. Therefore, it is
necessary that we regard it with care. Starting with your locker and desk,
then working outward, you will be responsible for keeping our class neat and
clean. Also, if you use any of our community materials you will be expected
to put them away properly. You will be asked to stay after class/school to
help clean up if this is not taken seriously.
2. Taking Home Class Materials:
You will be allowed to borrow books from the class library. There will be a
sign-out sheet posted and a two-week limit on all books borrowed. If you lose
or destroy a book, you will be asked to replace it.
3. Audio-Visual and Computer Equipment:
Always ask permission to use any AV equipment in our room. Our policy is,
you break it - you buy it. Whether we use the school lap- tops or the
computers in Mr. Talty's room, please do not ask if you can “surf the net”.
The answer will always be NO!
4. My Desk:
My desk is strictly off limits unless I directly give you permission. Feel
free to use any of the materials found at the Student Supply Stations at the
front of the room.
5. Substitutes & Other Visitors:
If I am out for the day, you are still expected to follow our class rules and
procedures. You are responsible for any and all assignments. You should
treat any substitute/visitor to our class with respect and afford them the
same treatment you would like to receive if you were a “stranger in a strange
land”.
6. Mrs. Mak’s Web Page:
I will be updating our class web page daily. You will be able to keep up
with assignments, test schedules and reading selections.
http://www.haworth.org/dir2/mrsmak.html
Grading System:
1. Writing and creative assignments will be scored with various middle school
rubrics
2. In each subject grades for homework assignments,
performance(participation, effort, production) projects, tests and quizzes
carry different weights. They are as follows:
Grammar:
Tests: 60%
Homework: 20%
Performance: 20%
Spelling & Vocabulary
Tests: 60%
Homework: 20%
Performance: 20%
Literature:
Tests: 20%
Homework: 20%
Performance: 60%
Writing:
Tests: 20%
Homework: 20%
Performance: 60%
At the end of every marking period your grades are averaged together and are
based on the following grading scale:
A+ 98-100 B+ 87-89 C+ 77-79 D 65-69
A 94-97 B 84-86 C 74-76 F 0-64
A- 90-93 B- 80-83 C- 70-73