CLASSROOM GUIDELINES
Mr. Murphy—Room I-3
8th Grade U.S. History
CONTENT: The focus of this History class will be for the student to review and strengthen skills in communicating (reading, writing, speaking, and listening), to practice productive study habits, to recognize and apply different levels of critical thinking, and to strive to achieve to the best of his/her ability.
GRADING: The semester grade will be determined by the total points earned on homework, class work, special projects, tests, and quizzes. Points earned for the entire semester will be totaled and converted to a percentage. Letter grades will be based on a standard scale: 100%-90%=A; 89%-80%=B; 79%-70%=C; 69%-60%=D; below 60%=F. A plus (+) or minus (-) is given if the average score is within two percentage points of a cutoff (example: 82%=B-; 78%=C+). Progress reports will be sent home every six weeks and will reflect accumulated points to that date. Extra credit is not available. Special note: Students who receive a grade of “D” or “F” on a quiz or exam will be allowed to retake that quiz or exam.
MATERIALS: Each student should come to class each day with the tools for learning: a well-organized binder with plenty of binder paper, 2-3 pens (blue or black ink), 3-4 sharpened pencils, and current assignments. Students should have one section of the binder reserved for History.
ASSIGNMENTS: All assignments are to be turned in neatly completed and on time. Assignments that are not complete or that are completed in a careless manner may not receive credit or may be returned to be completed correctly for reduced credit. If a student is unable to complete an assignment on time due to a family emergency, the teacher may choose to give work full credit if the assignment is turned in with a note from the parent explaining the need for a short extension of the due date. Assignments are posted in the classroom.
LATE WORK: All work is expected to be turned in on time. Unless otherwise agreed to by the teacher, any work turned in more than one day late will not receive credit. Work turned in one day late will receive no more than 80% credit.
HOMEWORK: Students are required to have a school planner and are required to write down homework in their planner every day. In addition, homework assignments will be posted my website. Students will be expected to complete about 20 minutes of History homework each night.
ABSENCES: It is the student’s responsibility to see the teacher during break, at the beginning of lunchtime, or before or after school, on the day of his or her return to school, to discuss work missed due to an absence. A new due date will be issued at this time. If this is not done, students will not receive credit for work missed due to an absence.
BEHAVIOR: BE SAFE, BE RESPONSIBLE, AND BE RESPECTFUL. In order to have a class that is safe and conducive to learning, students are expected to follow classroom and school-wide rules. School-wide rules can be found in the student/parent handbook. Classroom rules will be posted in the room. The overriding rule for each class is to BE SAFE, BE RESPONSIBLE, AND BE RESPECTFUL. This will include: 1) KEEP YOUR HANDS AND FEET TO YOURSELF—This means you are not to touch, in any way, another person or his property. 2) BE APPROPRIATE AND CONSIDERATE—This means that any comments made in class should be positive. There should be no cruel teasing. Your behavior in class should reflect the fact that you are in a junior high school classroom, not a playground. 3) LISTEN!—This means that only one person should be speaking at a time in class. To ask questions or make appropriate, positive comments, you should raise your hand and wait to be called on.
4) KEEP YOU FEET ON THE FLOOR—This means the desk in front of you is not a footrest. 5) STAY IN YOUR SEAT—This means you should not be out of your assigned seat for any reason without the teacher’s permission. Sharpen all pencils before class begins. Students are to be in their seats until dismissed by the teacher. This means the teacher dismisses the class, not the bell. 6) NO THROWING ANYTHING—EVER!
7) FOLLOW SCHOOL RULES—This means that you need to follow all school-wide rules, such as no eating or drinking in the classrooms, no gum chewing, no hats in the classroom, etc.
TARDIES: Students must be in their seats, ready to work, with their materials when the bell rings or they will be marked tardy. On the third tardy, a student will be referred to an administrator and will be placed on the “tardy list”. Please see the student/parent handbook for information on the tardy list.
EXPECTATIONS: Students are expected to be respectful by working quietly, raising a hand to receive permission to speak and avoiding actions which hurt others, to be prepared by coming to class with materials, to be on task by following directions and focusing on the activity of the day, and to be on time.
CONSEQUENCES: The consequences for breaking classroom rules, school-wide rules, or failing to meet the above expectations could be any of the following, depending on the seriousness of the student’s misconduct: 1) warning; 2) after school detention/phone call home; 3) parent conference; 4) referral to an administrator.
SPECIAL NOTE: I am available to discuss any problems or concerns. I am available for parent and/or student conferences. Please feel free to contact me by email or phone. The best way to contact me is by email (mjmurphy@petk12.org). The best time to call would be between 2:45 and 3:15 P.M. You may be asked to leave a message, and your call will be returned as soon as possible. The phone number for Petaluma Junior High School is 778-4724.
8th Grade U.S. History
CONTENT: The focus of this History class will be for the student to review and strengthen skills in communicating (reading, writing, speaking, and listening), to practice productive study habits, to recognize and apply different levels of critical thinking, and to strive to achieve to the best of his/her ability.
GRADING: The semester grade will be determined by the total points earned on homework, class work, special projects, tests, and quizzes. Points earned for the entire semester will be totaled and converted to a percentage. Letter grades will be based on a standard scale: 100%-90%=A; 89%-80%=B; 79%-70%=C; 69%-60%=D; below 60%=F. A plus (+) or minus (-) is given if the average score is within two percentage points of a cutoff (example: 82%=B-; 78%=C+). Progress reports will be sent home every six weeks and will reflect accumulated points to that date. Extra credit is not available. Special note: Students who receive a grade of “D” or “F” on a quiz or exam will be allowed to retake that quiz or exam.
MATERIALS: Each student should come to class each day with the tools for learning: a well-organized binder with plenty of binder paper, 2-3 pens (blue or black ink), 3-4 sharpened pencils, and current assignments. Students should have one section of the binder reserved for History.
ASSIGNMENTS: All assignments are to be turned in neatly completed and on time. Assignments that are not complete or that are completed in a careless manner may not receive credit or may be returned to be completed correctly for reduced credit. If a student is unable to complete an assignment on time due to a family emergency, the teacher may choose to give work full credit if the assignment is turned in with a note from the parent explaining the need for a short extension of the due date. Assignments are posted in the classroom.
LATE WORK: All work is expected to be turned in on time. Unless otherwise agreed to by the teacher, any work turned in more than one day late will not receive credit. Work turned in one day late will receive no more than 80% credit.
HOMEWORK: Students are required to have a school planner and are required to write down homework in their planner every day. In addition, homework assignments will be posted my website. Students will be expected to complete about 20 minutes of History homework each night.
ABSENCES: It is the student’s responsibility to see the teacher during break, at the beginning of lunchtime, or before or after school, on the day of his or her return to school, to discuss work missed due to an absence. A new due date will be issued at this time. If this is not done, students will not receive credit for work missed due to an absence.
BEHAVIOR: BE SAFE, BE RESPONSIBLE, AND BE RESPECTFUL. In order to have a class that is safe and conducive to learning, students are expected to follow classroom and school-wide rules. School-wide rules can be found in the student/parent handbook. Classroom rules will be posted in the room. The overriding rule for each class is to BE SAFE, BE RESPONSIBLE, AND BE RESPECTFUL. This will include: 1) KEEP YOUR HANDS AND FEET TO YOURSELF—This means you are not to touch, in any way, another person or his property. 2) BE APPROPRIATE AND CONSIDERATE—This means that any comments made in class should be positive. There should be no cruel teasing. Your behavior in class should reflect the fact that you are in a junior high school classroom, not a playground. 3) LISTEN!—This means that only one person should be speaking at a time in class. To ask questions or make appropriate, positive comments, you should raise your hand and wait to be called on.
4) KEEP YOU FEET ON THE FLOOR—This means the desk in front of you is not a footrest. 5) STAY IN YOUR SEAT—This means you should not be out of your assigned seat for any reason without the teacher’s permission. Sharpen all pencils before class begins. Students are to be in their seats until dismissed by the teacher. This means the teacher dismisses the class, not the bell. 6) NO THROWING ANYTHING—EVER!
7) FOLLOW SCHOOL RULES—This means that you need to follow all school-wide rules, such as no eating or drinking in the classrooms, no gum chewing, no hats in the classroom, etc.
TARDIES: Students must be in their seats, ready to work, with their materials when the bell rings or they will be marked tardy. On the third tardy, a student will be referred to an administrator and will be placed on the “tardy list”. Please see the student/parent handbook for information on the tardy list.
EXPECTATIONS: Students are expected to be respectful by working quietly, raising a hand to receive permission to speak and avoiding actions which hurt others, to be prepared by coming to class with materials, to be on task by following directions and focusing on the activity of the day, and to be on time.
CONSEQUENCES: The consequences for breaking classroom rules, school-wide rules, or failing to meet the above expectations could be any of the following, depending on the seriousness of the student’s misconduct: 1) warning; 2) after school detention/phone call home; 3) parent conference; 4) referral to an administrator.
SPECIAL NOTE: I am available to discuss any problems or concerns. I am available for parent and/or student conferences. Please feel free to contact me by email or phone. The best way to contact me is by email (mjmurphy@petk12.org). The best time to call would be between 2:45 and 3:15 P.M. You may be asked to leave a message, and your call will be returned as soon as possible. The phone number for Petaluma Junior High School is 778-4724.