ROBERT E. FITCH HIGH SCHOOL
FRESHMAN SEMINAR COURSE PACKET
2014-2015
Ms. Mucciarone
Room 2111
860-449-7200 ext. 2111
Course Description
The Freshman Seminar is a one year, 1 credit course dedicated to helping freshmen become successful in high school and beyond. The curriculum is divided into the following academic areas: English, Business (with a focus on information technology), & 21st century learning, emphasizing problem-solving, collaborative efforts, decision-making, and interdisciplinary learning. Students will read, write and evaluate information across the curriculum areas, and students will make connections among the core academic areas, elective areas, and real-life learning outside of school. Lessons will use a variety of innovative and traditional techniques that equip students with 21st century skills. Students will complete independent work, small group work, and they will participate in Socratic seminars. Career and college planning, basic personal finance, and CAPT prep will be essential to the course.
Course Expectations
It is goes without saying that this course will demand your time and effort, and you will receive a grade for your performance in this class. You are expected to:
1. Come to class prepared and ready to work.
2. Complete all in-class assignments and out-of-class assignments.
3. Maintain a notebook; there is no specific textbook for this class. You will be receiving MANY HANDOUTS. You will receive a grade for maintaining your notebook.
4. Participate in class.
5. Work well with others.
6. Respect others and the learning environment.
Please keep this packet at the beginning of your notebook (at all times) should we need to refer to it.
Required Materials
ü THREE RING BINDER NOTEBOOK (NO SPIRALS OR FOLDERS)—You will need a 2 inch three ring binder to keep all of your materials—no spirals, please. You cannot have any other course work in this binder; you must maintain a separate notebook for Freshman Seminar and bring it to each class meeting. There will be notebook checks periodically and your notebook will be graded. If you have a problem getting a notebook, please see me ASAP. Please organize your notebook into the following sections:
A. UNIT WORK--this section includes the following: any handouts, assignments, graded assignments, activities, etc.
B. READING—this section includes any reading handouts you receive.
C. WRITING—this section includes anything pertaining to writing, including on-going work on process essays.
D. REFERENCE—this section includes anything that you will need to refer to throughout the course of the year.
E. FRESHMAN ANTHOLOGY—this section includes anything pertaining to the anthology project, a year-long project that we will be working on together.
ü OTHER MATTERS—please observe the following policies with respect to the completion and submission of work for class. Failure to do so will result in no credit for an assignment.
q Use dark pencil, or blue and black only!!!! Work in light pencil or another colored ink will not be accepted.
q Hand written work must be submitted on standard composition paper ONLY. Hand written work submitted on legal paper, typing paper, or any other kind of paper will not be accepted.
q ALWAYS COME TO CLASS PREPARED WITH THE FOLLOWING:
1. NOTEBOOK.
2. WRITING UTENSILS.
3. INDEPENDENT READING BOOK—REQUIRED.
4. A POSITIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE J
COURSE OUTLINE AND YEAR OVERVIEW
The academic year here at Fitch is divided into quarters that fall under semesters. Let’s look at our course outline below:
SEMESTER 1: September to January / MIDYEAR EXAM: January / SEMESTER 2: January to JuneQUARTER 1 UNITS:
· Orientation to Robert E. Fitch High School
· Conflicts, Resolutions, and Problem Solving
· Technology & Learning
QUARTER 2 UNITS:
· Interdisciplinary Learning
· Studying & Success / There will be exam during the second week of January or thereabouts. / QUARTER 3 UNITS:
· Cultural Heritage
· Citizenship & Ethics
QUARTER 4 UNITS:
· Basic Personal Finance
· Career & College Exploration
Grading Policies
Quarter grades are weighted using the categories listed below (some assignment examples have been provided). Therefore, if you are not familiar with this policy, each assignment is set at 100 points and weighted accordingly.
· MAJOR ASSIGNMENTS (MA): 40% of the quarter grade.
Description: A major assignment is one that covers a lot of material and involves a great deal of preparation. These assignments are usually culminating and/or summative in nature. Major assignments include such assignments as
Projects
Tests
Graded Socratic Seminar
A writing assignment that involves drafting, revision, and publishing a final copy
· CLASSWORK (CW): 30% of the quarter grade
Description: The class work category covers assignments that are given and completed in class. These assignments are usually short tasks that may be done independently or with a group. Class work assignments include the following sorts of tasks:
Daily journaling
Overall participation/Daily participation
Small group participation & completion of work
Informal discussions
Note-taking
Notebook checks
· FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS (FA): 30% of the quarter grade
Description: A formative assessment is a short, “snap shot” assessment to check for understanding and/or skill growth. This kind of assignment is most likely completed in class, time-restricted, and covers a specific topic or range of information. Formative assessments include:
Quizzes
Exit Slips
Timed-writings
Reading log
A revision of a shorter selection of student writing
An independent assignment that’s part of a sequence of a larger assignment
With all the assessments in Freshman Seminars, students will know beforehand the nature of the assignment given and under which category a particular assignment falls.
Academic Procedures
1. Homework Policy: Homework will always be collected or checked at the beginning of the class period. Late homework does not exist. When homework is checked, it will be graded on the following scale:
100 = Complete, thorough, exceeds required expectations
80 = Complete, meets expectations.
60 = Somewhat incomplete, and shows evidence of minimal work and effort.
40 = Half complete, and displays little to no effort
0 = Less than half complete or not done—this will also result in the loss of 5 points from a FREE A,
Class participation grade.
2. Make-Up Policy: If you are late to school and miss class, or if you are absent on the day Freshman Seminar meets but present in school the following day, it is expected that you will come in for your assignments and missed work to be prepared for the next class.
q In the case of an extended excused absence from school, it is important for you to get work from me either by contacting me directly, by contacting the main office, or by having one of your friends stop by. You do not want to fall behind!!
q Students have 5 school days after the day they are absent to submit work. Work not submitted within this time frame receives zero credit.
q IT IS THE STUDENT’S RESPONSIBILITY TO OBTAIN MAKE-UP WORK AND TO REMEMBER TO SUBMIT IT! I WILL NOT CHASE AFTER YOU FOR MISSED WORK.
q Make up work is always available for you.
3. Major Assignments (Essays/Projects/Take Home Tests): Major assignments are well known in advanced and always due on a specific date AT THE BEGINNING OF CLASS. If you fail to submit a major assignment, you have 3 school days to submit it. You lose 10 points per day. After 3 days, you will not receive credit. If you do not have it, it is late. Technology problems are not accepted as excuses. If you have a tech issue, solve the problem. In all fairness to your classmates, this policy will be strictly enforced.
4. Academic Integrity: Cheating, plagiarism, or any copying for any assignment—big or small— is unacceptable and will result in zero credit for that assignment in addition to a disciplinary referral.
Also, students do not have the right to make up an assignment that they cheated on the first time.
I have easy access to programs that help me quickly differentiate between genuine student writing and writing taken from the Internet. It is easy for me to catch plagiarism, and I will do it if necessary. See the student handbook for disciplinary action regarding plagiarism.
5. Extra Credit: Large extra credit assignments to compensate for work that was not submitted or poorly completed will not be given. The best way to do well in this course is to do the work that is assigned when it is assigned.
6. Extra Help: Extra help is always available to you by notifying me ahead of time.
Classroom Rules and Policies
1. Tardiness: Class begins on the bell. The following school policy will be applied if you are late to class. First tardy equals a warning. Tardiness after the first week of school (and after the first tardy) will result in the loss of 5 points from an extra credit, free A, class participation grade. If you always come on time you get to keep the A. See the student handbook for subsequent tardiness rules. Know that at Robert E. Fitch High School 3 unexcused tardies equals an absence.
2. Class begins and ends on the bell. There is an introductory assignment as class begins. Students
should remain working in their seats until the class is dismissed.
3. Any student caught talking or otherwise communicating with another student during a test or quiz will
receive a zero on that assessment. No make up test will be given. You will also be referred to administration and parents will be contacted immediately.
4. Be prepared for class. This means bring a pen, pencil, notebook, and the appropriate book for that
class. Students will not be permitted to go to their lockers for course materials once class begins. If you
come to class unprepared you will lose 5 points off of that free A, class participation grade that day.
5. Food and drink are allowed in class. If you have a medical issue that pertains to this rule such as an allergy, please notify me privately with appropriate documentation.
6. Pass Use: Please do not request to use the pass during times of direct teaching unless you have an
emergency. Please note that excessive and abusive use of pass privileges may result in disciplinary referral and pass restriction in this class.
7. INAPPROPIRATE BEHAVIOR includes but is not limited to the following: Being cruel and/or
disrespectful to others, swearing in class, random loud outbursts, arguing with others, and being unnecessarily confrontational. All of these are examples of things that do not contribute to a positive, safe, and productive learning environment. A display of this type of behavior will result in a call home. If you are very inappropriate or are a repeat offender, you will be referred to your administrator for disciplinary action. Inappropriate behavior is not tolerated on any level. Remember: you choose the behavior and you deal with the consequences.
8. Last but not least, I would like to address the importance of COMMUNICATION. It’s critically important to maintain good communication at all times, and good communication involves being honest and appropriate to address your concerns. In contrast, bad communication can easily happen when honesty and appropriateness are not observed. Keep it simple: be a practitioner of good communication, in and out of class.
Please be sure to review this with your parent(s) and/or guardian(s) and submit it to me next class. This is a classwork grade!
Date:______
I______, along with my parents/guardians, have read this course packet carefully. I understand the expectations on the part of myself for engagement in and completion of this class.
Student Signature
Parent(s)/Guardian Signature(s)
ALSO: PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THERE WILL BE A QUIZ ON THECONTENT OF THIS PACKET DURING OUR NEXT CLASS MEETING!!
______PARENT/GUARDIAN’S INITIALS
STUDENT’S INITALS