The realities of high school have officially hit, and we are off to a great start to our school year! We have seen freshmen students grow immensely in self-advocating, responsibility, and independence!
A Few Reminders per our Classroom Expectations: ________________________________________________________________________________________ Late work will be accepted the day after the original due date; however, the highest grade possible is a 70. A further ten (10) points will be subtracted from your grade each day late. “Late grades” are better than zeros. I drop the lowest daily grade at the end of the six weeks prior to verification of grades for report cards. However, all other grades, including any zeros, will remain. Please check parent connection to note dates of homework, upcoming quizzes and tests, and of course, grades. You will only have 3 maximum days to turn in late work. After that point, assignments will not be accepted. **This does mean that students may not enter the classroom in the last week of the six weeks with the expectation to "re-do," "re-test," or complete extra credit due to a lack of turning in work or not earning the grade they desired in the first 4-5 weeks of the six weeks. **Of course students can make up work from their absences in that last week or so, and we can get them caught up. ________________________________________________________________________________________ Retests: Retests are only permitted one time per six weeks for up to a grade of 70. The format of retests will vary between short answer, fill in the blank, and/or essay. ________________________________________________________________________________________ Restroom: O’Connor High School is the only high school campus that has 7 minute passing periods to accommodate the fact that we are such a large, sprawling campus. Students will have more than enough time to move from class to class in addition to stopping to go to the restroom and/or getting a drink of water. The expectation is that students will not leave the classroom except in an absolute emergency. Passes will not be given out during tests/quizzes. ________________________________________________________________________________________ I appreciate your support this year with students, and my hope is that we can continue working collaboratively to bring your student to their highest potential. It takes a village! We only have 42 days in the classroom left this year as of today, April 4, 2016! It has been quite the exciting year as students have grown in their study and writing skills for Social Studies.
Please keep in mind that at this time I am grading DBQ "Re-Tests" which I like to call "Re-Writes" with the students. I ask for exponential grace and mercy as I am reading and grading 180 unique essays. It usually takes about 2 - 2 1/2 weeks to get those grades completed in addition to running the classroom as usual. Students will have one more test grade this six weeks, an Africa Map Test of the 25 "most important/known" countries. They will have a word bank for that test. We plan to continue growing our writing skills next six weeks with a class DBQ Essay where different groups will be writing different paragraphs of an analytical essay to be put together as one class essay. It is an exciting time as the students grow and engage in rigorous learning! Students will also be working on a "My Culture Project" in the next six weeks in which they will describe the customs and culture of their immediate family - how you all celebrate birthdays, holidays, eat family meals, etc. This is always a fun project for students because they get to talk about themselves and share the things they love most about their family and time away from school. I look forward to working with you all and your students as we finish this year strong! Please note upcoming dates important to your students: 4/8 - Africa Map Test 4/15 - End of 5th Six Weeks 4/20 - Late Start 4/22 - Staff/Student Holiday (Battle of Flowers) 5/2 - Algebra I STAAR 5/5 - Biology STAAR 5/18 - Late Start Released Final Exam Schedule: Friday, May 27, 2016 Time Period 8:50 - 10:20 a.m. 1st Period Exam 10:20 - 10:30 a.m. Break 10:30 - 10:58 a.m. 2nd Period- Class (No 3rd period this day) 11:03 - 11:30 a.m. 7th Period- Class 11:37 a.m. - 2:15 p.m. Regular 4th, 5th, and 6th Period Classes 2:22 - 4:05 p.m. 8th Period Exam Early Release Days: Time Tuesday, May 31st Wednesday. June 1st Thursday, June 2nd 8:50 - 10:20 a.m. 3rd Period Exam 2nd Period Exam 7th Period Exam 10:20 - 10:30 a.m. Break Break Break 10:30 a.m. - Noon 4th Period Exam 5th Period Exam 6th Period Exam 12:05 - 12:30 p.m. Lunch Lunch Lunch 12:30 p.m. Buses Depart Buses Depart Buses Depart As we approach the final 3 months of the school year it is important to bear in mind the classroom expectations for our World Geography Classroom and a few important district wide expectations.
The students have grown exponentially in their writing and creative skills. We will continue to grow these skills through essays know as "Document Based Questions," or more endearingly known as "DBQ's". The students will be expected to construct an academic writing piece that argues an answer to a specific analytical question using about 7-10 primary and secondary sources. The goal of these assignments is to prepare students in writing for college academic essays which will be the largest contributor to their grades in post-secondary schooling. Please bear with us in this time of writing and growth as the process is long in both creating these writing pieces for the students and my grading of 180 unique essays. IMPORTANT ***Students will be writing the essay after spring break to replace their present DBQ outline test grade in the grade book as we have seen that the writing skills need significant improvement among all classes.*** Always feel free to have your student attend tutoring during this time as well if they need additional assistance. Please let me know if your student is coming to tutoring so that I can make sure that I am in my classroom available to them. Tutoring Times Monday - Thursday: 8:00am - 8:40am Wednesday and Friday: 4:10-4:45pm Important Dates: Spring Break: 3/14 - 3/18 Late Start: 3/23 ELA I STAAR Test: 3/29 World Geo. CDB #3: 4/7 End 5th Six Weeks: 4/15 Late Start: 4/20 The holiday season and the end of the first semester of high school have arrived. As students returned from the Thanksgiving holiday break, they were reminded of the classroom expectations. Please also be reminded that they are available here on this website under the "Classroom Expectations" tab, and adhered to strictly in class.
Demography and Migration Test/Re-Test Students scores were incredibly low on the Demography and Migration Test. I want to assure students and parents alike that two-thirds of the test were copied and pasted off of assignments that students completed in class. However, due to a lack of effort and studying, scores were still low. The re-test policy per the classroom expectations are that students may re-test on one test per six weeks for up to a 70. If on-level students are re-testing, it must be completed by Friday, 12/4/15. For P-AP students, their essay will be due by Wednesday, 12/9/15. Upcoming Dates: Wed. 12/9 - Asia Map Test (Students received a study guide map on 12/1) Semester Exam Schedule: Tuesday, January 12, 2016 Time Period 8:50 - 10:20 a.m. 1st Period Exam 10:20 - 10:30 a.m. Break 10:30 - 10:58 a.m. 2nd Period- Class (No 3rd period this day) 11:03 - 11:30 a.m. 7th Period- Class 11:37 a.m. - 2:15 p.m. Regular 4th, 5th, and 6th Period Classes 2:22 - 4:05 p.m. 8th Period Exam Early Release Days: Time Wed., January 13th Thurs., January 14th Fri., January 15th 8:50 - 10:20 a.m. 3rd Period Exam 2nd Period Exam 7th Period Exam 10:20 - 10:30 a.m. Break Break Break 10:30 a.m. - Noon 4th Period Exam 5th Period Exam 6th Period Exam 12:05 - 12:30 p.m. Lunch Lunch Lunch 12:30 p.m. Buses Depart Buses Depart Buses Depart As the honeymoon phase of the beginning of school wears off, it is time to review and evaluate how well students have adapted to the expectations of a high school classroom. There are a few things to note:
1. Students must turn in and/or make up their work within 3 days of the due date or absence. Otherwise it will no longer be accepted because we have to move forward. Pacing in a high school social studies classroom does not allow us to go back the way students were able to in middle school. **Guided Reading Ch. 3.1 and 3.2: I have put those assignments on my website. Due to the fact that so many students did not turn it in, and we were in the lab, they may complete those and bring them back to me by Tuesday 10/13 for credit. After that point they will not be accepted. 2. Students will not be allowed to use the bathroom in class unless it is an absolute emergency. If students abuse the "emergency pass," I will contact parents directly about revoking bathroom privileges. 3. If I find a student on their cell phone in class, I will take it up and down to the front office where a parent/guardian must pick it up. There are no exceptions as the cell phones have become more of a distraction rather than a useful tool in the classroom. Important Dates to Note: Oct. 9 - Report Cards go out for the 1st six weeks Oct. 12 - Student Holiday/Staff Development Oct 14 - Four Spheres Project is due Oct. 14 - AVID students are taking the PSAT Oct. 26 - Progress Reports for 2nd Six Weeks Nov. 5 - World Geo CDB 1 Nov. 13 - End of 2nd Six Weeks Welcome to OC! We are so excited to begin a new school year with you and our students. There are a few things to call your attention to as we embark on this nine month adventure together:
1. 504 Plans / IEP's These plans are being uploaded into our curriculum system throughout this week. I am currently reading and reviewing plans for accommodations within the classroom. If I miss something for your student, please have the student remind me of their accommodation so that I can best serve their needs. During this busy time of year there is bound to be a mistake somewhere in there, and my goal is that we work together. 2. Late Start Wednesdays About 1 - 2 Wednesdays per month are designated "Late Start." That means our tardy bell for first period will not ring until 9:05am because teachers are meeting departmentally those mornings. Students must stay on campus once they are dropped off here, and they must be in their 1st period seat by 9:05. If your student wants to go to Bill Millers or any other venue for food, please get that on the way to school or drop them off to walk from the restaurant to school. If students are found leaving campus, the assistant principals will follow their disciplinary policies. 3. Tutoring Times I am available for tutoring Monday - Thursday mornings at 8:00am and on Wednesday afternoons 4:10 - 4:45pm. If students are unable to come during those times, we have a Lunch Tutoring Center that does operate before and after school as well in B102 (Library classroom). It has college students from all subject areas available to students for tutoring in Math, Science, Social Studies, and English throughout the day. Grade Reminders:
As we close the year, I would like to remind you that students are responsible for their grades. If they need to make up work, per the Classroom expectations signed at the beginning of the year, they have 3 days within the absence to get that work completed. If you need to view the Classroom Expectations again, you can find them on this website. If students choose to wait until the last minute or do not make up their work, they are responsible for their grades on those assignments. Last Six Weeks Reminders: We will be closing out the year with this six weeks. It is an exciting and busy time of year. We will have spring shows, concerts, athletic events, and many fun things to attend. Please also be reminded that STAAR testing is an important component of this season as well as semester exams in the final week of school. Below is a list of important dates to be reminded of: IMPORTANT DATES: April 17 - End of 4th Six Weeks May 4 - Biology EOC May 6 - Algebra 1 EOC May 15 - Human Geography AP Exam May 25 - Student/Teacher Holiday June 1st - 4th - Semester Exams June 4 - Last day of school We are two-thirds of the way through the year! As we enter Spring, there are quite a few important dates. STAAR EOC Exams are a major part of this time of year and are to be duly noted. Please see the list of dates below as your student will be involved in up to three STAAR Exams this year.
Reminders: Please also be reminded of the Classroom Expectations that were handed out and signed at the beginning of the year. They are located on this website under "Class Resources." Students are responsible for turning in work by the assigned due date. The late work and absence policies are detailed in those expectations. If students choose to wait until the last week of the six weeks to play catch up, there is no guarantee that their work will be accepted. Congratulations: Our classes participated in the Pennies for Patients coin drive for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society during the month of February. This year our World Geography classes raised the largest donation amount on the O'Connor campus. Our 2nd period World Geography Class raised the highest donation of $779.55, and the grand total for all of my classes was $1,103.80. Thank you to all who participated! It was wonderful to see such generosity in my students, and I am very proud of all of them! Important Dates to Note: March 2 - Beginning of the 4th Six Weeks March 9-13 - Spring Break March 30 - English I EOC April 1 - English II EOC April 17 - End of 4th Six Weeks May 4 - Biology EOC May 6 - Algebra 1 EOC May 15 - Human Geography AP Exam Welcome to the second semester of high school! There a few things this month to highlight, and some important dates to note as well.
Pennies for Patients This month, all of my World Geography classes will be participating in the Pennies for Patients donation drive through the O'Connor Student Council. The money raised will support the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to help patients with blood cancers get treatment more quickly. The donation drive will run February 2-27, 2015. Of course, in O'Connor fashion, this is also a competition between classes to help grow the fundraising to a higher level. The students can donate in our donation box in the classroom or online at the link below: http://sctx.dojiggy.com/ng/index.cfm/13853/regPages/pledge/classroom596343 The following prizes will be awarded to the class that donates the most: First Place Class - Olive Garden Pasta Party, ticket to the Rampage and Spurs Second Place Class - ticket to the Rampage Third Place Class - ticket to the Rampage Important Dates this Month: February 9, 2015 - 4th Six Weeks Progress Reports go out during 3rd period February 16, 2015 - Student Holiday / Staff Workday February 12, 2015 - Course Cards for next year go out to students in Math classes February 17-19, 2015 - Students begin registering online for courses through Social Studies classes February 27, 2015 - End of 4th Six Weeks March 9-13, 2015 - Spring Break I would like to post a few reminders to parents as the Holiday Break approaches. Please be mindful of upcoming dates, and most importantly our campus policies.
Parent Conferences Parents, please schedule all parent conferences through myself or the front office. If you show up in the classroom without having an appointment, I will send you to the front office to make one. You also may not be on campus without having signed in and receiving a yellow visitors badge in the front office regardless of the time of day. This is to ensure the safety of your students as we do have an open campus. Upcoming Dates Progress Reports: Monday, December 15, 2014 End of 3rd Six Weeks and Semester: Friday, January 16, 2014 Semester Exam Schedule: Tuesday, Jan 13th Time Period 8:50 – 10:20 1st Period Exam 10:20-10:30 Break 10:30 – 10:58 2nd Period- No exam (No 3rd period this day) 11:03 – 11:30 7th Period- No exam 11:37 – 2:15 Reg. 4th, 5th, and 6th Periods 2:22 – 4:05 8th Period Exam Early Release Days: Time Wed. Jan 14th Thurs. Jan 15th Fri. Jan 16th 8:50 – 10:20 3rd Period Exam 2nd Period Exam 7th Period Exam 10:20– 10:30 Break Break Break 10:30 – 12:00 4th Period Exam 5th Period Exam 6th Period Exam 12:05 – 12:35 Lunch Lunch Lunch Buses will leave promptly at 12:35 |
The World at Your FingertipsThis newsletter will be updated monthly on or around the 1st of each month. It should give you a small insight into our studies, goals, and achievements inside the classroom. Archives
October 2016
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