Dear Parents and Student: Welcome to what I know will be a great year for US History at CTMS!! I hope you have all enjoyed your summer. It’s now time to focus on a new year of school! As we study the history of our nation, we will embark upon a journey that takes us to visit some of the most important people and places on this planet! So fasten your seat belts, we are in for quite a ride! **Please note the Curriculum/Mini School night is Thursday, September 20 from 7 – 8:30 p.m. At this time I would like to present some class rules, as well as grading and homework policies. CLASS RULES • Every student has the right to learn. • No student has the right to do anything that may prevent another student from learning. • Keep a positive attitude!!! BEHAVIOR I will expect every student to ALWAYS: • Be courteous and polite at all times to your classmates and your teacher. • Be in your seat READY TO LEARN as soon as the bell rings. • Be prepared to learn and participate by bringing all necessary supplies and completing the required assignments every day. • Follow all school and/or classroom policies. • DO YOUR BEST!! DISCIPLINE If a student displays inappropriate behavior in class, the offenses are documented and the following consequences will occur: • 1st Offense – Teacher/Student conference • 2nd Offense – 30 minute detention (after school Tuesdays or Thursdays) • 3rd Offense – Teacher/Parent conference • 4th Offense – Office Referral **Severe behavior problems will result in an automatic office referral** TARDIES If a student is late to class without an excused pass, it will be documented and the following consequences will occur: • 1st Offense – Teacher warning • 2nd Offense – Grade level detention for 30 minutes • 3rd Offense – Extended detention until 5:00 • 4th Offense – Office Referral • 5th Offense – ISS GRADING All work will be graded according to the rubric below. Please see attachment outlining my homework grading policy. • Assessments (70%) – Grades in this category will usually be major tests, quizzes, and projects. • Daily work (30%) – Daily assignments are extremely important because they provide practice and reinforcement of work covered in class. All daily assignments are due at the beginning of class the following day. Homework will be graded in class by the students, therefore late work will not be accepted. SUPPLIES In order to be a successful learner, each student must bring the following supplies to class everyday. These supplies are due by Wednesday, August 29, 2007. • 2” binder • 1 set of pocket dividers • Pens/Pencils • Notebook paper • Red grading pen • Highlighter • 2 packages of 3x5 white index cards • Package of map pencils TUTORIALS Tutorials will be offered on an as needed basis. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you need any additional help! PARENT / TEACHER CONTACT If parents would like to contact me, they can call the front office and leave a message for me, which will be returned at my earliest opportunity. Email is also a great way to communicate. My email address is jeff.dickeson@gcisd.net. Students are required to record all assignments in their planners. Checking your student’s planner nightly can help insure homework completion and be a good source of information for you. Here’s to a great year! I am excited to be a part of your US History adventure. With hard work, good attitudes, and a desire to learn, we can make this a fantastic year!! Sincerely, Mr. Dickeson “You ask me why I love Her? I’ve a million reasons why. My Beautiful America, beneath God’s wide, wide sky.” -John Mitchum