STANDARDS
Stapley Junior High School has adopted four attitudes for success: TRUTH, TRUST, RESPECT, and RESPONSIBILITY. The following school rules and standards will apply in this classroom. These standards will be more fully defined, discussed, and demonstrated in class.
SCHOOL AND CLASSROOM RULES
1. Be on time.
2. Be prepared to study and learn.
3. Participate positively and work to learn.
4. Follow teacher directions, class rules, and procedures.
5. Show respect to the teacher, other students, and yourself.
6. Follow all other school rules.
CONSEQUENCES
Choosing to follow the above rules will result in positive consequences; whereas, an infraction of any of the above standards will result in one or a combination of the following consequences:
- Verbal reminder of the standard
- Conference with the teacher
- Parent involvement
- Isolation from the class
- Teacher-assigned detention
- Behavior/Academic contract
- Work duty
- Consultation with a counselor
- Referral to administration
SEVERE CLAUSE: Any offense deemed serious enough by me will result in immediate referral to administration.
PROCEDURES
GRADING POLICY
Grades are weighted according to the following categories:
25% Daily Assignments (i.e. study guides, graded discussions, notes, journals, DOLs, calendars, signed grade reports, self-assessments/reflections)
40% Product Assessments (i.e. essays, research, projects, speeches/presentations, tests, quizzes)
15% Vocabulary (i.e. exercises and tests)
20% Quarterly Exam/Portfolio
******ALL ASSIGNMENTS SHOULD BE WRITTEN IN COMPLETE SENTENCES******
Each nine-week grade is assigned as follows: 90% - 100% = A; 80% - 89% = B; 70% - 79% = C; 60% - 69% = D; 59% and below = F. The semester grade is the average of the two quarters.
I will occasionally offer extra credit assignments to the entire class when they have educational merit. It will never be given on an individual basis. However, if every assignment is turned in on time, students should not fail.
Grades are available online through the parent/student portal by accessing Mesa’s, Stapley’s, or my web page. I update grades every two weeks at which time I will give students a printed copy. Parent or guardian signatures on these grade reports are required and will count as a grade. These signed grade reports must be returned to me the following Monday. Any late assignments that are acceptable at that time (see late work policy below) must be turned in no later than the following Friday. I encourage you to use this as an opportunity to discuss progress on current goals and set new goals for the future.
LATE WORK
Late work includes any work that is not completed by the due date or that demonstrates a lack of quality because it is incomplete or obviously not the student’s best work. As indicated above, students will be given grade reports every two weeks. Any work that was not turned in during that two-week period may be turned in the following week and will be worth 60% of the original point value at that time. After this, those assignments will no longer be accepted for credit. However, students will be allowed one late assignment per quarter with no late penalty. This allowance is designed for that rare occasion when a family or extracurricular commitment honestly prevents the student from getting an assignment done on time. Absolutely no late work will be accepted the last week of each quarter.
MAKE-UP WORK
If the student has an excused absence, she or he will have one day for each missed day to complete the missing work. It is the student’s responsibility to find out what was missed before or after class, NOT DURING CLASS TIME. There is a make-up calendar in the classroom that students may refer to on their return. Missed tests or quizzes must be made up before or after school within the same time period of the length of the absence (i.e. If a student is absent one day, the test or quiz must be made up the day of return). If the test or quiz is not made up in this time period, the score will be a 0 and the student will not be allowed to make up the test or quiz.
Students will complete a calendar of daily class activities and homework at the beginning of class each day. Please refer to this calendar or the one on my web page to keep updated on assignments, homework, due dates, test dates, etc.
EXTRA HELP?
I am usually available before or after school for extra help. To ensure my presence, please make an appointment with me beforehand.
REQUIRED MATERIALS
Students must bring the following materials to class every day:
- 8 ½” x 11” white paper (college ruled; no spiral paper)
- A pen (blue or black ink only) and a pencil (sharpened before class)
- A colored pen (other than blue or black)
- A 3-subject spiral or bound notebook with pockets, if possible (college ruled)
- Mini-stapler and staples or tape
- Stapley Student Handbook
- Homework (stapled and ready to turn in before class begins)
Please contact me at (480) 472-272 or lcmiller@mpsaz.org with any questions or concerns.