Welcome

1. Welcome Miss Tibbs’ Classes 2012-13

2. Class Expectations • For an orderly classroom environment, all students are encouraged to read and follow these guidelines and remember them throughout the year.

3. Students are expected to arrive in the classroom and be seated on time, prepared to participate in classroom activities. That means having a notebook, writing tools, textbooks, and daily assignments

4. Students will not leave the classroom during the class hour without a written, verifiable note from a staff member prior to leaving.That includes remaining in other classes for special projects.

5. Students are expected to stay seated in assigned desks throughout the class hour until dismissed.

6. Students are to respect all school property – books, desks, tables, posters, etc. No writing on desks, tables, walls etc. Use wastepaper basket for garbage.

7. Students should return classroom materials to their proper location when finished using them. Class will not be excused at the end of the class hour until after all materials are put in their proper place, garbage is put in trash containers and all books are removed from the floor and tables. That means the room is to be left clean and neat at the end of each class hour.

8. Students are expected to follow school-wide guidelines listed in the SHS student handbook.

9. Respect toward others is a key ingredient in maintaining a positive classroom environment. Students can display respect by remembering the following guidelines.

10. One person talks at a time while others listen quietly. • Maintain a sense of decency in the classroom by refraining from foul language, obnoxious behavior and inappropriate remarks directed toward others. • General rules of courtesy and manners are vital and very much appreciated. • Do not bring food or drink to class. Gum is okay as long as it is not seen or heard. Students giving oral presentations should remove their gum.

11. Notebooks • Students are required to keep a 3-ring binder English notebook with sections for: • Literature Notes and Handouts • Grammar and Composition Notes and Handouts • Vocabulary and Spelling • Graded Tests and Assignments • Journals/entry/exit activities • We will have random notebook checks worth a daily grade throughout the quarter

12. Journals are worth 30% of your quarter grade and will be collected at the end of the first quarter. Journals will include daily opening activities, journal topics given throughout the period as well as class closing activities.

13. Students should keep all class materials in their notebooks because much of this information will be tested on semester exams. • Students are responsible for checking the return paper container each week to retrieve graded papers for your notebook. • If you have papers left in that container, you will lose 10% from your class participation grade. • Keep all returned assignments incase there’s a mistake in the grade book.

14. Grades and Cheating: • All grades are worth 100 percentage points. Some assignments may be worth more than one grade; if so, students will be told in advance. • There are four categories of grades in my classes. Those are dailygrades, test grades, participation grades, and journal/project grades. At the end of each quarter the student test average (30%), daily average (30%), and journal grade (30%) and participation grade (10%) will be averaged to determine the quarter grade. • The Semester grade will be determined by giving each quarter grade 42.5% and 15% for the semester final exam grade together and averaging them.

15. Cheating: Cheating of any kind will earn students a ZERO and a possible trip to the principal’s office. This includes students collaborating on individual assignments as well as plagiarism. (See the student handbook on consequences of cheating.)

16. Note: My general philosophy is to respect my students and work with individual day-to-day problems on a one-on-one basis without calling the parents. If initial conferences with students do not show immediate improvement, however, parents will be called to keep them informed.

17. Remember why you’re in the classroom and perform accordingly. That means paying attention, taking notes, and doing assignments, not vegetating, sleeping, or doing assignments for other classes.

18. Assignments: Students will be given assignments daily. Those assignments should be recorded in the students’ agenda books. Whenever an assignment is given, students should write down details of assignment and exact due date. Students are also encouraged to keep a running tally of grades throughout each quarter. Agendas will be checked periodically to make sure they are being kept up. This will be part of your daily participation grade.

19. Grading Scale: • 90-100 A 4.0 • 80-89 B 3.0 • 70-79 C 2.0 • 60-69 D 1.0 • 0-59 F 0.0

20. Absences and Makeup Work: • It is the student’s responsibility to find out about make-up work upon returning from absences. Makeup work is to be turned in within the week of the assignment, unless special circumstances require otherwise. Any work not made up within three weeks or by the end of the grading period will earn a ZERO.

21. Note: Students leaving school early to participate in extracurricular activities should come to class prepared the next day. Do not use the absence as an excuse for not having your work finished. Any projects due on a day students leave school early for any reason are due that same day. Turn in the work before leaving.

22. Missing class or being tardy for any reason except a school excused activity or a valid doctor’s excuse will result in 5% reduction in the participation grade for each day missed.

23. Late Work • The SHS English Department has set the policy of not accepting any late work from students on major projects. Daily papers are considered late once I’ve collected them and stapled the class set together. If your assignment is not completed when I collect papers, put it in the late paper folder on the wall behind my desk.

24. Don’t plan to be finishing it in class if we’ve gone on to something else. -- The highest grade that can be earned on late work is 50% and it must be completed. – Unless special arrangements have been made and taken care of within three weeks of assigned date or at the end of a grading period, it will result in a zero.

25. Tardies: • You will be considered tardy unless you are in your seat and ready to work when the tardy bell rings. If you come to class late, you must have a signed slip from the office. Students just hand me the slip and sit down quietly. Do not disrupt the class or me when you enter the room. Tardies will be dealt with according to the student handbook. Each tardy will result in a 5% reduction in your quarter participation grade.

26. Leaving the Classroom • Each student may have the opportunity to leave the classroom once during a quarter to use the restroom, go to his/her locker, etc without penalty. This includes coming into class just before the bell rings to use the bathroom. After that pass is used, students will lose 5% from participation grade for each time. Passes not used at the end of the semester will worth 5% extra credit each toward participation grade.

27. Other: • If you have questions outside of school hours, you send me an email. I’ll either get back to you that evening or by early the next morning. My email address is barbara.tibbs@lposd.orgmisstshs@yahoo.com. Also you can access my classroom website at http://www.sd84.k12.id.us/hw/barbara.tibbs/index.htm. I try to keep an up to date list of all assignments there on the assignment calendar.

28. Now that you’ve finished reading ALL of these rules, remember they basically involve common sense. Also, if you understand that my goal as a teacher is to strive to be “firm, fair, and kind,” you’ll probably have a good year in my class.

29. Best of luck and have a great year!