Mr.  Bosko's classroom rules and expectations

The expectations, rules, procedures and consequences of my classroom are intended to keep the classroom environment safe, orderly, and productive.  Please respect the rules so that we can maximize learning time together.  The rules are not hard to follow, nor are any of them “out of the ordinary.”  They are simply expectedbehaviors for high school students in this classroom.  Thank you for your cooperation! 

CLASS EXPECTATIONS

1.      Respect yourself, the teacher & others

·         Show respect for the teacher, yourself and others at all times.

·         Respect others’ property.  Avoid touching or writing on anything that doesnot belong to you (including desks, textbooks, teacher’s belongings, walls, chalkboard,etc.). Don't expect that others will clean-up your messes. Please pick-up afteryourself. 

·         Respect yourself and the rest of us by using appropriate language and wearing appropriate clothing.

2.      Put forthyour best effort at all times

·         Always do your own best work.

·         Put learning ahead of getting good grades. 

·         Put quality ahead of just getting it done.

3.      Be preparedfor class each day

·         Comeprepared with all materials necessary:

§         An organized class binder containing all necessary materials and handouts

§         Looseleaf paper, pens (blue or black), and pencils

§         Highlighters for emphasizing important text

§         A planner to help keep you organized - the most successful students areorganized.

4.      Follow directions when given

·         Whendirections are given, do your best to follow them the first time.  If you are confused or have questions, ask.  

5.      Pay attention, participate and ask questions

·         Engage in what is going on in the classroom.  If you have a question, ask it!  Otherwise, I might not know until the test that you didn’t understand something.   Chances are, if you are wondering about it,someone else in the class is to.  Be proactive about your learningand don’t be afraid to ask for help.  If you feel most comfortablewaiting until after class, that is okay, too, but do keep communication openbetween us.

6.      Preserve a positive learning environment

·         Student actions that interfere with teaching or learning in the classroom will NOT be tolerated. 

·         Useclass time to learn history/government.  Please do not spend yourtime grooming, sleeping, talking, writing notes, playing cards, or doing work for other classes.

·         Minimize classroom interruptions by arriving to class on time and not leaving the classroom during the hour.

7.      Takeresponsibility for your actions

·         If you are confronted about a rule infraction, own up to it.  Don’t denyit, lie about it, or blame someone else.

·         Take responsibility for missed assignments.

·         All student handbook rules will be enforced.  Please read yourhandbook.  Students that choose to break these rules, choose to havepoints taken away from their learning readiness grade, and face the possibilityof additional consequences.

CLASS RULES

1.      No cellphones & electronic devices

·         Electronicdevices (CD players, Ipods, handheld games, mini-TVs or personal DVD players,cell phones, pagers, etc.) are NOT permitted in my classroom.

·          If Isee or hear your phone it will be taken away and given to an administrator,according to cell phone policy outlined in the SHS handbook. Refusal to turn over the cell phone will be treated as insubordinate behavior.

2.      No food or drink, except water

·         You may drink bottled of water in the classroom. If a spill occurs, please clean itup immediately and inform the teacher.

·         Noother food or beverage is permitted without a doctor’s note.

3.      Arrive to class on time & ready to learn

·         Whenthe bell rings, you need to be sitting in your assigned seat. 

·         You should immediately begin on the warm up activity or journal entry.

·         Be“physically” and “mentally” present in the classroom

4.      Never lineup at the door before dismissal

·         Please remain in your seat until I have dismissed you.  Never line up at thedoor before dismissal.  Remember, I dismiss you, not the bell.

5.      Do not cheat, plagiarize, or copy work

·         Cheating is completely unacceptable.  If I see you cheating on any assignment…even for another class… I will give you a zero and report the incident to the other teacher as well as your assistant principal and parents. 

·         Plagiarism (copying work from another source without giving proper credit) is completelyunacceptable.  If you plagiarize on any assignment you will earn a“0” on that assignment with no opportunity to re-do the work for credit. 

6.      Use politeand appropriate language

·         Offensive,derogatory, and profane terms are not tolerated.  In order to have a safe classroom environment where all students feel comfortable, no put downs, swear words, or slang words with demeaning connotations will be accepted.  Remember, if you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say it at all!

7.      Do your bestwork & turn it in on time

·         Remember that the work that you turn-in is a reflection of your effort on theassignment.  Think about the following expectations when you are preparing an assignment that I will review:

§         Write your full name and period on all assignments.

§         All work must be neatly done and legible in order to receive credit. If you print,capitalize properly (do not write using all capital letters).

§          Likewise,assignments that are bunched up, crinkled, illegible, sloppy, or contain stainsor holes are unacceptable.

§         ALLMAJOR ASSIGNMENTS, ESSAYS & PROJECTS MUST BE TYPED.  If you don'thave a computer at home, the Library is a great place to work on essays!  Final draft format for typewritten work is asfollows:  12-point font, double-spaced, 1” margins, and use a “normalfont” such as Arial, Comic Sans, Times New Roman, etc. (nothing too difficultto read and a font that prints using capital and lower-case letters).

CLASS PROCEDURES

1.      Turn inhomework to the proper bin

·         Homework is due at the beginning of the period when you come to class.  I willnot accept work completed once class begins.  Turn in your homeworkto your period bin.  Turn absent/late work into the absent/late work bin.  I reserve the right to not accept late work.

2.      Sign thetardy book & put pass in box

·         If you are tardy, I follow the tardy policy outlined in your student handbook. 

·         You are expected to sign in if you arrive to class after the bell has rung and signout if you leave class before the end of the hour.  Be sure to noteon the sign in sheet whether you have a pass.  If you do, leave it inthe tardy pass box.

·         Excessive tardies will affect your learning readiness grade and have other consequences,such as detentions, etc

4.      Pick up after yourself before you leave

·         Take all of your belongings, pick up any scrap papers around you, and put your deskback in line before you leave each day.

5.     Get missed work from absent bin, then ask the teacher.

·         Attendance is essential for optimal learning.  Being on time and present and class physically and mentally will be part of your overall grade.  You may not be excused from my class by another teacher without firstseeking my permission.

·         If you are absent, it is your responsibility to obtain any missed classwork.  Begin by looking for missed handouts in the ABSENT binpertaining to your class hour.  Then ask another student (your studybuddy) what you missed.  Follow-up with the teacher ifnecessary. 

·         Make arrangements to take quizzes and testsimmediately.  It is your responsibility to make thesearrangements, I will not and cannot track you down.  If you do not make-up quizzes in a timely manner (beforegraded quizzes are returned to the students who were present), you will earn a“zero” on the quiz or test. 

·         UNEXCUSED absences on the day of an assignment, test, quiz, project, presentation, paper,etc. will result in a zero.

CLASS CONSEQUENCES

1.      Verbalwarning

2.      Call home

3.      Detention

4.      Referral toassistant principal

* Serious offenses can, at the teacher’s discretion, resultin more severe consequences regardless of previous steps taken.  Anyinfraction of the rules may affect your learning readiness grade.  Itcan also be cause for further action at the teacher’s discretion.

 CELL PHONE POLICY

**WHY NO CELL PHONES?

Over the past several years I have made several observations regarding cell phones in school classrooms. 

Numerous research studies have found that cell phone usage by teenagers can lead to the following problems.

1. Bullying or harassing other students with unwanted voice or text messages

2.Text-messaging or phoning friends during class time

3. Cheating (i.e., recording, sending or receiving test questions and/or answers)

4. Secretly taking inappropriate photographs of other students and distributing them

5.Photographing exam answers to use during the exam

6. Phoning in bomb threats to the school, which cannot always be traced

7. Phoning others outside the school to meet at the school during or after school to witness or participate in a  fight or confrontation

8. Experts have stated that cell phones could be used to detonate a bomb if it is near or on the school’s campus.

9. In a true emergency, massive cell phone usage can overload cellular phone systems, crippling critical official and emergency communication.

10. In larger school districts, gang members have, reportedly, used cell phones to communicate with one another during school hours.

11. School administrators and law enforcement officials in other districts have learned that drug deals have been made via cell phones during school hours.

 12. During school emergencies,massive numbers of students have called their parents via cell phones and, as a result, those parents have bombarded the campuses, thwarting emergency protocols and procedures.

Cell phoneusage in young adults…

NEGATIVELY AFFECTS EMOTIONS

INCREASES STRESS LEVELS

(Overall, excessive cell phone use can be a risk factor for mental health issues in young adults.)

INCREASES RISK OF ILLNESSES IN YOURIMMUNE SYSTEM

(Cell phones are DIRTY)

I believe that if we want academicachievement to abound in our schools, we must first make the learningenvironment as safe and emotionallystable for all students as we can. Students having cell phones during theschool day in school does not work toward that end.