1. Please be here on time every day. Tardies and Truancies will be dealt with following the school policies. Please don't make us waste time with needless paperwork and distractions. (See the attendance policy regarding excessive absences, even excused absences.)

2. If you must be gone from school, be sure your parent or guardian calls the attendance office. The phone number is 436-1531.

3. Come to class every day with all materials that you will need - Planner, books, notebooks, assignments, and pencil or pen. I will not give passes to go to lockers for something you forgot.

4. You need to find out what you missed if you are absent. Always check with me for notes and assignments when you come back. I will not track you down and remind you. It is your responsibility to find out what you need to do to make up missed work.

5. Assignments turned in late will not receive full credit, unless of course you have an excused absence. Ten (10) percentage points will be taken off for each day an assignment is late. (In Photojournalism, late assignments will receive no credit.) Deadlines are extrememly important.

6. Your grade will be decided by your percentage of the total possible points you could have earned throughout the quarter/semester. Your semester grade will not necessarily be an average of your quarter grades.

8. Be courteous and respectful of others. Please wait until the person who is speaking finishes before responding. Raise your hand if you have a question or something to say, and you will be recognized. Listen and learn from each other. You are all teachers.

8.5 Also please don't carry on side conversations while I'm speaking. It's one of my biggest pet peeves. It's disrespectful, and it's distracting to me and to those who are trying to listen. Thanks for your cooperation.

9. Plagiarism and cheating will not be tolerated! No credit will be given for copied assignments or tests. Depending on the circumstances, you may receive an F for the entire semester, and you may be removed from the class. Do your own work! I want to know what you know, not what someone else knows.

10. Please keep the room and equipment clean. Put any trash in the waste basket, and put recyclable materials in the proper container. Leave the room as clean or cleaner than you found it. Hopefully others will do the same for you.

11. No food items or drinks are allowed in either classroom at any time. Period. Leave it in your locker. Eat/Drink it before you come to class. The equipment you will be using is too expensive to risk having it damaged or schmutzed by spilled drinks or grimy fingers. Also please don't just put bottles on the floor. They get in the way.

12. Please use the bathroom before or after class. Bathroom passes are disruptive. If you do need to leave the room for an emergency, you must have a planner.

13. "Please" and "Thank You" are my favorite words. Please use them often. Thank you.

14. Class is over when the annoying bell rings/tone sounds. Please continue working until then. Don't start packing your stuff in your backpack ten minutes ahead of time, and please don't crowd toward the door like cattle waiting to bolt when the gate opens.

15. Sometimes you will be asked to work in a small group or with one other person. It is important that you try to work together and learn from each other.

16. If you're not sure about something, ask! If you don't understand something, the chances are good that there is someone else in the class who doesn't understand either. The only foolish question is the one you don't ask. (Or the one I just answered when you weren't listening.)

17. Please don't ever lie to me. If you have a real problem, tell me the truth and we'll work something out. If you do something wrong or have a real excuse for something, let me know, and we will solve the problem. You can always talk to me about anything.

18. Use class time appropriately. Do not do homework for other classes in this class, and do not misuse the equipment/computers, or access inappropriate internet sites (MySpace, YouTube, email, games, non-academic sites, etc.). You may be removed from class for this behavior. I will warn you only once.

19. Be sure you have put away all materials at the end of the class period, including any supplies from this room. If you get it out, put it away. BE SURE TO LOG OUT ON ANY COMPUTER YOU HAVE WORKED ON. Be sure to make sure the computer has completely logged out before leaving.

20. If you are unable to fulfill your responsibilities or assigned duties, you must make the necessary arrangements to have your work covered, and you must tell me ahead of time. Failure to do so will have a significantly negative effect on your grade.

21. Cell phones, mp3 players, or other electronic devices are not allowed in class AT ANY TIME. They are a nuisance and a disruption. Please don't try to be slick and text message under the table or inside your coat pocket. I know what it looks like when you do it.

I understand that sometimes we forget to turn off our ringers. If your phone accidentally goes off during class, simply turn it off and put it away. If it becomes a problem, however, or if I see that you are using the device, be aware that I will follow school policy and confiscate it if I see/hear it and turn it in to the office. Seriously. The first time. I will. Watch me. You can retrieve it from Room 204 after school and discuss it with an administrator, but it won't be up for discussion during class.

If this will be traumatic for you (cause you to break down emotionally or scream and yell at me), please leave your device somewhere else.

Always do your best. Have a great semester!

Grading Scale

Grade  Percent  A  93-100  B+  90-92  B  85-89  C+  81-84  C 77-80  D+ 74-76  D  67-73  F  0-66