September 16, 2002

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Mr. Sedivy's
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Highlands Ranch High School - Mr. Sedivy
Highlands Ranch, Colorado

- Information for Students -
Classroom Policies

Class Policy

Respect - It is my hope to give you and your classmates a great deal of freedom to express your ideas, opinions, concerns, and allow you to debate each other and yes, even debate Mr. Sedivy. However, with freedom comes responsibility - If you are to be treated as adults you must behave as adults. Respect each other!

Attendance - All students will adhere to HRHS policy. It is your responsibility to find out what you missed while absent; it is up to you to arrange to make up the work missed. This includes lecture notes, homework, tests, in-class activities, or whatever else was missed. Missed tests must be made up during academic assistance on the FIRST Wednesday following your absence. If you fail to make up a missed exam on the following Wednesday a zero will have been earned - No exceptions.

Tardiness - Coming to class late is disrupting to other students and is disrespectful. You will receive one free tardy, after that ten points will be deducted from your grade for each unexcused tardy.

Cheating and Plagiarism - Don't do it! Fair warning - you will have earned a zero and that is what you will receive. In addition, depending on the severity, you may have also earned a drop from the class with the grade reported as an 'F.'

Late Assignments - First day late minus fifty percent - Second day late a zero will have been earned. No exceptions.

Extra Credit - There will be no extra credit in this class; if one student has an opportunity to better their grade than all students should have that same opportunity. If you are having difficulty with any material or you have any questions, I will do everything in my power to assist you. I will meet you by appointment before or after school and during academic assistance each Wednesday. If you are willing to work hard, I am more than willing to help you.

Homework - Much of your homework will involve reading and being accountable for the information in your text and handouts. Take notes while reading and ask yourself questions about what you are reading. I recommend the S Q 3 R method S = Scan the chapter before you read it looking at headings and sub-headings so you know what to expect. Q = Question what you are about to read. The 3 R's = Read, Recite - put what you read into your own words while reading, and Review - Review what you just read; do this either by looking at review questions at the end of the chapter or summarize on your own.

Students will also be responsible for a critical book review and a brief research paper. The class will have time allocated in the library for these assignments.

Quality of Work - All assignments will be evaluated on completeness, neatness, grammatical usage, structural organization, content, and adherence to specific requirements. Proofread all assignments - use spell and grammar checks on your computer. Review the instructions frequently to make sure you hand in high quality work that shows your understanding of the material and effort.

Class Participation - There are a possible 150 points up for grabs for class participation. Discussion and the exchange of ideas is crucial for you to gain an understanding of the time periods covered in this class. Frequent and brilliant class participation will pay high dividends towards your final grade.

Documentaries and films - Douglas County Schools requires parental approval for students to view documentaries and older films without ratings, as well as PG, and PG - 13 films. By signing the attached student and parent understanding you give permission for the student to view such films. A copy of possible films is available upon request.

Quizzes - Quizzes will never be announced and only given if I sense you are coming to class unprepared. I don’t enjoy giving pop quizzes, so please don’t make me!

Exams - Exams will be given following the completion of units. Students will know well in advance what material will be covered and the date of the exam. You will not be allowed to use notes or any other material during exams. Once you have taken an exam, that grade will stand. For this reason it is extremely important that you devote adequate time to studying for tests.

Reading assignments, homework, lectures, and in-class discussions and activities are all fair game. I highly encourage you to never miss a test review. If you are absent the day of the review you will still be expected to take the exam with the rest of the class. Missed tests must be made up during academic assistance on the FIRST Wednesday following your absence. If you fail to make up a missed exam on the following Wednesday a zero will have been earned - No exceptions.

Notebooks - I suggest you keep a folder or notebook for this class. Folders or notebooks should include reading and lecture notes, homework assignments, handouts, papers, book reviews, exams, and quizzes. If you are struggling this will help me find area(s) that could use some improvement. NEVER throw any thing out until you have received your final grade report! I know it’s hard to believe but teachers are not perfect - they sometimes make mistakes when recording grades or when they are totaling semester points. Your only recourse is having a documented source to highlight the error.

Grading - The grading system is based on cumulative points. Mr. Sedivy uses a modified grading curve on exams and papers that can only help you - never hurt you. The grading scale follows:

90% to 100% of all possible points = A
80% to 89% of all possible points = B
70% to 79% of all possible points = C
60% to 69% of all possible points = D
59% to .01% of all possible points = F

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