Syllabus and Policies

Humanities Class Policies 2014-2015

Students and parents please read and sign.  Students please return this form to Matt in class. 

Parents:  You can follow our class progress and find many answers to your questions on my website: http://dooleyhumanities.blogspot.com/  

If a student misses a day of school, it is their job to go to the website and find out how to make up their missed work.

Email: matt.dooley@animashighschool.com

Office hours:  Wednesday at 3:15 pm

This 9th Grade Humanities Class is driven by the question, “What does it mean to be human?”  We investigate this question through the study of literature, history, sociology, and other disciplines.  Success in this class essentially is determined by two things:

1.  Beautiful Work--Do you slow down, think deeply, and use class-time wisely to create your best and most beautiful work?

2.  Communication--Do you take an active role in your education by communicating respectfully with myself and with other students to make sure you are doing the best you can?

Keep the above two things in mind, and we will have a wonderful year together!

Class Policies

Cell Phones must be turned off and invisible throughout the class, including break time. If they ring or if they appear, they will be confiscated by Matt for the rest of the day.  

Parents, if you need to contact your child, please call the front office and the receptionist will pass your message along.  We ask that you avoid texting or calling your student during school to allow them to focus on their learning.  

Listening to music during class time or break time is not allowed.  

Assignments are due at the start of class.

Most late work is automatically marked down by 50%.  

Major work (big papers, etc) are marked down 10% for every day that they are late.

Plagiariasm--presenting the work of others without giving credit-- is prohibited, and may lead to expulsion, suspension, or other consequences.  We will learn how to properly cite the work of others and these methods must be followed to avoid plagiarism.  Unintentional plagiarism (forgetting to cite) is still plagiarism, and carries the same consequences.

Work Crew is the consequence for hurtful, disrespectful, or disruptive behavior that makes learning harder for yourself and others.  Work Crew means staying late or arriving early to school to help clean and maintain the facilities for a length of time to be determined.   

If you agree to the above policies, please sign below:  “  We understand that these policies are intended solely to create a more trusting, efficient, and creative classroom. We trust that following these policies will lead to deeper learning, and we will uphold them.” 

Student Name ________________________________Student Signature _____________________________

Parent/Guardian Name _______________________ Parent/Guardian Signature ____________________

§  Student-led Conferences: Students will have the opportunity to communicate and share with their family their learning and growth over time. You will be taught and expected to lead this “conference” and provide evidence of your learning and personal growth. In addition, you should utilize vocabulary and concepts of our Habits of Heart and Mind (to be explained later) in communicating throughout the student-led conference.

§  POL’s/TPOLS’s: Students give presentations of their learning at the end of both semesters of ninth grade. The POL (which occurs mid-year) is your chance to reflect on the Habits of the Heart and Mind. You will reflect on how you have learned the habits and select two areas where you want to focus your growth for the remainder of the ninth grade year.  At the end of the year, you will have a TPOL which determines whether you continue on to 10th grade. 

§  Exhibitions:  You will participate in four exhibitions throughout the year in which you show your final work from each Humanities project.  Exhibitions are usually held after school hours to allow family/community members to attend.  You are expected to dress professionally.