Economics & Personal Finance
Amelia County High School
Teachers: Mrs. Dana Knott
Emails:
Telephone: 804 – 561 – 2101
Supplies: A 2” Three ring binder with front/ back pockets, notebook paper, section divider tabs, pen/pencil, highlighter, flash drive, calculator and headphones.
Text/ Course Material: This will be an on-line course through Virtual Virginia. This course will also use the textbook Economics & Personal Finance (2010) and other materials/ websites.
Course Description:
Students learn how to navigate the financial decisions they must face and to make informed decisions related to career exploration, budgeting, banking, credit, insurance, spending, taxes, saving, investing, buying/leasing a vehicle, living independently, and inheritance. Development of financial literacy skills and an understanding of economic principles will provide the basis for responsible citizenship and career success. In addition to developing personal finance skills, students in the 36-week course will also study basic occupational skills and concepts in preparation for entry-level employment in the field of finance. The course incorporates all economics and financial literacy objectives included in the Code of Virginia §22.1-200-03B.
This course fulfills two graduation requirements: an online class and a personal finance class. It is designed to build on previous lessons. If you do not understand Unit 1, you will likely not understand Unit 2 and so on. It is important to follow the schedule set by your teacher and let them know as soon as possible if you do not understand any material.
Objectives:
The following Units of Studies will be addressed in the classroom and are aligned with State Competency Standards:
§ Introduction to Economics & Finance / § Consumer Supply & Demand§ Career Development / § Communication
§ Role of Producers/ Consumers / § Consumer Rights & Responsibilities
§ Price System & Record Keeping / § Banking Transactions
§ Role of the Government in Economics / § Financial Planning
§ Consumer Spending / § Loans, Credit, & Insurance in Risk Mgmt
Grading Policy:
§ Projects (these will be quarterly) = 20% of the final grade
§ Tests (per Unit; taken at school during assigned class) = 30% of the final grade
§ Quizzes = 20% of the final grade
§ Activities/ Comprehension Checks = 20% of the final grade
§ Homework = 10% of the final grade
Each week’s assignments are due by Sunday night at 11:59 pm unless otherwise noted due to school holidays. If your work is turned in after the due date it is considered late and is automatically deducted 15 points per unit.
All students and parents must sign the Academic Integrity and Ethics agreement.
There will be a state required final comprehensive exam…no exemptions. Students will also take the W!SE financial test at the end of this course for an industry certification See below for more expectations and requirements.
Grading System:
The ACHS grading scale will be used in this course.
Class Expectations:
§ ALL class assignments, homework, tests, quizzes, and projects must be completely on time, neatly organized. There will be 5-6 modules assigned per week to cover each unit of material on-line.
§ All students will be given a course schedule/ pacing guide for each quarter.
§ Students are responsible for making up missed work. Quizzes and tests are to be completed when you return to school. ALL assignments must be completed within a week or your absence.
§ Bring required materials to class everyday.
§ Assignments MUST have the student’s name, date and period on top right side of the paper.
§ Students are expected to be polite, respectful, responsible, cooperative, and attentive at ALL times.
Class Rules:
§ Follow directions the first time they are given.
§ Respect yourself and others.
§ Raise your hand to be recognized before speaking.
§ Do not use the computers without asking.
§ No eating or drinking in the classroom.
§ No electronic devices in the classroom (MP3’s, cell phones, Ipods, etc.).
General Consequences (* At the Teacher’s Discretion):
1st infraction = Verbal Warning
2nd infraction = Letter or Telephone call to parent / guardian
3rd infraction = Conference with parent or guardian
4th infraction = Sent to Office
Online Settings:
Be sure to set your email up so you will receive all notifications from me. Go into the email, click “settings” in the upper right-hand side of screen, scroll down and UNCHECK the line that reads “Show message preview pane”
For your homepage, you have everything you need right there…
Daily NEWS / INFO is posted in the NEWS Column
Due dates are posted as events on the CALENDAR
Messages are sent to you via the EMAIL and PAGER (IM)
Email Etiquette
When emailing me, please use your best language skills. A proper and professional email has the following:
1. Greeting
2. Body (In sentence form with punctuation)
3. Salutation…SIGN YOUR FIRST AND LAST NAME
Every email only includes the first three letters of your first and last name…I need to know who I am speaking with, so PLEASE include your FIRST AND LAST NAME in ALL EMAILS!
Correct:
Mr. /Mrs. Teacher,
Can you tell me what my average is in class?
Thank You,
John Smith
In this email, you sound like a very mature and professional young person!
Wrong:
hey can i no my grade plz
With this email, I am unsure if you know English and who you are without looking your name up in another location…Not a good first impression of you!
Amelia County High School
Personal Finance Academic Integrity and Ethics/ Course Agreement
Virtual students are required to fully commit to academic integrity. Students are required to agree to abide by the following set of expectations:
· Each student is expected to verify that the work on each assignment is his or her own.
· Collaborating with another classmate on any assignment must be preapproved by the instructor/teacher.
· Students may not plagiarize in any form.
· No student may allow others to copy his/her work.
· No student may misuse content from the Internet.
· No student should store course work on a public or shared network drive.
If a student plagiarizes work in any manner, the student is subject to disciplinary action including possibly being given a zero for that assignment, removal from the course with a failing grade, or other consequences.
Computer/ Laptop Agreement
Students are required to agree to abide by the following set of computer/laptop expectations:
· Students will treat the computers and laptops (if assigned) with utmost care.
· If students cause damage to computers and laptops (if assigned) they are responsible for damages.
By signing below, we are stating that we have read the course syllabus, and fully understand the stated rules, expectations, grading policies, and general consequences. Please return this page to the teacher by August 28, 2015.
Student Signature: ______Date: ______
Parent Signature: ______Date: ______