Mrs. Stewart’s Social Studies Classes

1. Mrs. Stewart’s Social Studies Classes “If you can change your mind, you can change the world.” Joey Reimer

2. Welcome to my class! • I would like to welcome you to my Social Studies class. I am looking forward to this upcoming year together, as we learn about our history, and how our past has shaped who we are today; not only as a nation but also our world. First though, I’m sure you are wondering who I am! “Man’s mind stretched to a new idea never goes back to its original dimensions.”~ Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

3. Mrs. Meaghan Lyall Stewart • First Baptist Christian School4141 Pontchartrain DriveSlidell, LA 70458985.643.3725 (office)985.641.9205 (fax) Room 409 meaghan.stewart@fbcslidell.org “Aim for success, not perfection. Never give up your right to be wrong, because then you will lose the ability to learn new things and move forward with your life. Remember that fear always lurks behind perfectionism.” ~ David M. Burns

4. Educational Background • Graduated from Northshore High School in 2001. • Attended Southeastern Louisiana University from August 2001-May 2006. • Member and President of Alpha Sigma Tau Sorority. • Member of Gamma Beta Phi Honor Society. • Graduated from Southeastern Louisiana University in May 2006. • Bachelor of Arts in History-Concentration in Modern European History. • Minor in Political Science • Minor in International Studies • Completed certification in Secondary Social Studies Education in May 2012.

5. My Family • I married my husband, Jeremy, on December 12, 2009. Our daughter, Cara was born November 23, 2010, and our son, Eli was born on October 14, 2013. I also have two awesome step- children, Makayla and Jayden.

8. My class

9. My Class

10. What are Classroom Procedures? • Our classroom procedures will help ensure that you, as the students, will always know what to expect AND what is expected of you while you are in my class. • Procedures will teach you how to perform routine instructional tasks that will be required while you are in my class.

11. Procedure for entering my class: • Please wait until the previous class has exited the room. • Please enter the room quietly and take your seat. • Please begin copying down your Today in History and take out your assignment notebook and begin copying down the information on the boards. • When finished, please put both away and take out your homework from the previous night.

12. Lockers • You may ONLY go to your locker at the designated times. • Locker times will be: • BEFORE SCHOOL • AT LUNCH (Since we have a large class, some will go before dismissal to the cafeteria, and the rest will go after so that there is plenty of time to eat) • AFTER SCHOOL • If you are checked in late or checked out early, please be very quiet when you enter my class and ask permission before walking across the class in session to go to your locker. • PLEASE DO NOT COME AT ANY OTHER TIME AND ASK TO GO TO YOUR LOCKER, YOU WILL NOT BE PERMITTED, END OF STORY!

13. CELLPHONES • Cellphones are ONLY permitted at school under the following conditions: • Cellphones will remain off from the moment you arrive at school UNTIL the bell at 3:10. You do not get to play on your phone until the tardy bell rings! • You will leave your phone off and in your schoolbag. If it is found to be out or ON, you will have your phone confiscated and you will receive a Saturday detention. (7:30-9:30 AM with a $25 fee) • All other electronic devices will also remain off unless you have permission from the teacher to use them. Internet is not for the students to use on any electronic device. If you are found to be using the internet on any personal devices during school hours, you will receive a Saturday detention.

14. Morning Tardies (Carpool) • Carpool is over at 8:00 A.M., which means you must be in my room and in your desk at this time. • If you are late, your parent must write an excuse and you must present it to me upon arrival to my class. The only excuses that will be permitted will be illness or an unforeseen circumstance (wreck). Catching a train or bad weather will not be excused. Make sure you leave early enough each day to plan for these types of events. • 3 unexcused tardies = DETENTION • 6 unexcused tardies = Saturday Detention • 9 unexcused tardies = Suspension • If you do not have an excuse from your parent, you will be counted as UNEXCUSED, no exceptions.

15. Students who are Tardy to Class You are late to class if you are not inside the classroom and in your desk when the bell rings. If you are late to class you must: • Please walk in quietly making as little noise as possible. • Please sign-in at the Tardy Sheet (Name, date, time) and if you have a pass, leave it in the basket. If you do not have a pass please sign the detention slip. • Please take your assigned seat. • Please join the activity in progress. If you do not know what the class is doing raise your hand until the teacher sees you. • Please continue working (waiting) quietly until I get to your desk.

16. Student Returning from an Absence • If an absence occurs, students will adhere to the following for turning in their makeup work. • Per the guidelines set forth in the FBCS Student Handbook, students will receive one day per absence to make up any and all work that is late due to their absence. If you go over the allotted time, you may make up the work for a 60% F for up to 5 days after the day (s) you missed. • While absent, please remember you can check my website to find out what assignment you missed, or if you know that you are going to be absent, make sure you get your assignment off of my website before the absence occurs. • Upon returning from an absence, students should check the absent folder for your class to find any work that was passed out while you were absent. You will sign the folder showing that you received any papers and that you are aware of your assignments you missed. • Students must make arrangements with the teacher to come in after school to make up any tests or quizzes missed during their absence. • I will ONLY make up tests, after school, on TUESDAYS, unless I tell you otherwise. It will be your responsibility to accommodate this day.

17. Morning Announcements & Pledges • During announcements, the class will be QUIET and listen to what information is being given. These announcements are important and may pertain to YOU! • Please understand, saying the pledges is NOT OPTIONAL. Everyone will stand, salute our flags, and pledge their allegiance to our country, our Savior, and the Bible. If you have a problem with this policy, please make arrangements to speak with Ms. Nelson, however she too will make you comply with this standard.

18. Beginning the Class After you have copied down your Today in History and your assignments and placed your homework in the upper right hand corner of your desk, please: • Take out your textbook and your notebook and be ready to begin the day’s lesson. • Begin working on the lesson introduction question or activity that will be written on the front board or on the PowerPoint. • Be prepared to share your answer to the questions asked if the teacher should call on you.

19. Procedure for Proper Headings on Papers to be Turned In • On the top, left hand side of the paper should be your name. • Directly below your name should be the date • On the top, right hand side of the paper should be the subject. • Directly below the subject should be the assignment.

20. When I need your attention: • I will not fight to get your attention. Please be mindful that when you are finished copying down your Today in History and assignments, you should be ready to begin for the day. • When I am ready to begin our lesson for the day, I will be sitting in the front of the room quietly, waiting for you to be ready to begin. I will not talk over you or talk when you are, so please be courteous and get quiet so that we can begin our lesson. • If I need your attention, you will see me raise my hand, you are to stop what you are doing and get quiet. Again, I will not fight for your attention.

21. Doing Classwork/Homework • For each new type of classwork/homework assignment that you will be completing, I will teach you the proper way that I expect the assignment to be completed. • As each type of assignment is learned, you will be able to refer back to my website for the specific instructions and procedures for completing the assignment.

22. Finishing Work Early If you finish all of your assigned work early, you may: • Begin working on your homework or another assignment. • Read your AR book or a book of your choice. • Read your history textbook. • Write me a letter from the time period we are studying. • Draw me a picture illustrating the time period we are studying. • YOU MAY NOT DISTURB OTHERS!

23. Snacks & Water • Students may only drink water in class and it must be in either a water bottle or a clear container. • During 3rd period (2nd period on chapel days) ONLY, students will be permitted to eat a healthy snack at the start of class. Students may NEVER eat in the computer lab, but you may eat your snack quickly before entering the lab. • Students may not share snacks, if you would like the option of having a snack, then you must provide your own or you will have to wait until lunch. • It is at the teacher’s discretion to determine whether or not a snack is healthy, but students are never allowed to eat candy, chips, or have an entire “meal” at this time. • Some examples of healthy snacks: fruit, peanut butter crackers, cheese crackers, snack size piece of cheese, etc. If you aren’t sure if your snack will be allowed, then ask! • If the privilege is abused (trash left around, wrong snack option, etc.) then the teacher can revoke an individual’s privilege or the entire class’s privilege for snack time. Please don’t abuse snack time!

24. Bathroom/Water Policy I do not customarily allow students to leave the class to go to the bathroom or for water; however, exceptions MAY be made, at my discretion, ONLY under the following circumstances: (Please remember this is a privilege, not a RIGHT.) • EXTREME EMERGENCIES ONLY • You have finished all of your assigned work. • The class is working on individual seatwork (You may NOT leave while I am teaching) • You have NOT abused the privilege in the past. • You will sign and date the notebook for a record of who has left the room. • You will only be permitted to leave the class twice per nine weeks, so make sure it really is an emergency. • No student will go to the bathroom from 10:50-11:50 (elementary lunch) or at any time during 5th period.

25. Students Needing the Teacher’s Assistance During independent practice, if you find yourself needing some assistance: • Please raise your hand and look to make sure the teacher has acknowledged that you are in need of help. • While waiting for the teacher to come by and assist, please move on to the other questions/problems and continue trying to work. Do not just sit there and do nothing while you wait for the teacher to make it to your desk. • Do not talk to or distract the other students around you. If I choose to allow another student to assist I will specifically ask that student to help you.

26. Sharpening Pencils and Going to the Garbage Can Since pencils are not permitted in my class, there shall be no reason for a student to need to sharpen their pencil. If you need to throw away trash, please adhere to the following guidelines. • Under NO circumstance should you get up while I am teaching to throw away trash. • Place trash on the corner of your desk and leave it there until the lesson is complete (Since I am OCD, in most cases while I’m walking around the room I will pick your trash up and throw it away for you) • As you are leaving the classroom when the bell rings, you may throw your trash away as you walk out the door.

27. Classroom Visitors • When someone walks into the room, you will remain quiet while I address the visitor. • If the announcement is for the class, I will use our hand signal to get your attention so that you will know to pay attention to our visitor. • If the visitor is not for the class, you will continue reading in your textbook while I take care of our guest. • YOU WILL NOT VISIT WITH YOUR NEIGHBOR OR TALK!

28. Cafeteria • Students will remain quiet in the hallways since the elementary classes will be in session. • No student will be allowed to use the microwave. This takes up too much time during lunch and students aren’t having enough time to eat. • ALL students will help pick up chairs and clean their areas. You are responsible for your own mess! • No student will be allowed to go to the bathroom after 12:15 (during cafeteria clean-up) until the end of 5th period (4th on chapel days). • Students will be dismissed by table after the duty teachers see that the cafeteria is clean. • Please remain quiet while you are going back to class, the elementary should not be disturbed!

29. Chapel • Chapel days are on Wednesdays unless otherwise specified. • I will dismiss for chapel after I have completed attendance and lunch count in the morning. • We will walk to chapel, together, as a class. • You will sit with your class in the sanctuary. • Seating assignments will be given by Ms. Nelson at our assembly. • I will be the one to dismiss us from chapel, so please do not try and dismiss yourselves.

30. Procedure for Fire Drills • At the sound of the alarm, all students are to immediately become silent and face the front. • When I tell you to line up, students are to line up, single file by the classroom door. • Students are to begin exiting the classroom, to the left and down the stairs, quickly to the assigned area in the parking lot. • Students are to stay in their single file line, facing away from the building. • Student are to remain silent and wait for the “ALL CLEAR” or further instruction from myself or the administration.

31. Procedure for emergency lockdown/intruder on campus • At the sound of the alarm or notification, students are to IMMEDIATELY become quiet and face the front. • Students are to leave all belongings at their desk and move calmly to the back of the room, farthest away from the door and sit down as close to one another as they can get. • I will quickly and quietly shut off all lights and lock classroom doors. I will check to make sure all windows are locked and blinds are shut. • Students are to remain silent until the “ALL CLEAR” is given from the office.

32. Procedure for class dismissal • Please remember that the bell does not dismiss class, but that I do. You may not leave until you hear me say, “Have a nice day!” • When I tell the class to begin packing up their things you may do so. Please do not ask to pack up early or begin packing up with out my permission. • Please make sure your desk and surrounding area is clean before you leave the classroom. • Please leave the classroom quickly and quietly so that the next class may enter the room. • DO NOT SLAM THE DOOR!!!!! • Please remain quiet in the halls, you are not the only students at this school!

33. Special Procedures • As the year progresses, it will become necessary to learn new procedures as the need arises (going to the gym, going to the library, etc.) • All new procedures will be taught as needed so that students will still know what is expected of them.

34. Mrs. Stewart’s Discipline Plan • My goal is to create and maintain a positive learning environment while meeting the needs of all my students. I believe that no student has the right to interrupt the learning of the classroom. I believe that the teacher’s role is to be firm yet loving with my students. I have the same expectations of all my students and they are very simple: come to class prepared and be ready to learn. Should a disruption to the learning environment occur, then I believe that it should be dealt with. I believe effective classroom management is the key to maintaining a productive classroom environment. My ideal goal for our class is to learn while having fun. However, we can not have fun unless we follow the classroom rules. Students should be mindful that there will be consequences for those who choose not to follow the rules. I also believe that it is important to reward students. Students who obey the rules and do what is expected of them will earn rewards for their efforts. “Education is not the filling of a bucket, but the lighting of a fire” ~ W.B. Yeats

35. Classroom Rules • Come to class prepared to learn. • Remain on task. • Respect yourself, each other, and the teacher. • Respect the school’s property, my property, your property, and each other’s property. • Keep your hands, feet, and objects to yourself. “The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you.” ~ B. B. King

36. Consequences Warning with Infraction Notice Email, phone call, or note home to parents with behavior action plan Teacher administered detention Office Referral/Administrative Detention Consequences “Do not train children to learning by force and harshness, but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of each.”~ Plato