Brandywine High School
AVID Course Syllabus
AVID Purpose: Brandywine School DistrictAVID is afourth- through twelfth-grade program designed to prepare students for four-year college eligibility.AVID stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination.
AVID Course Description: AVID class meets everyday and is driven by theWICR method, which stands for writing, inquiry, collaboration, and reading. The AVID staff and students will work together as a learning community to build the skills necessary for academic success. This course is meant to ensure that students who have the potential, and put forth the effort, can successfully apply, enter, and achieve in a four year college.
AVID Tutorials: Tutors will come twice a week to work with our students (This semester we will have the tutors coming on Tuesdays and Thursdays). It is the students’ responsibility to have their Tutorial Sheets filled out before they come to the Tutorial session. Notes are taken during the tutorial session along with a reflection and summary of what was discussed and learned during this important academic collaboration. These Tutorial Sheets are part of the AVID grade. The tutors are a great support for our students as they strive for success in their more difficult classes. No late tutorials will be accepted. It is the student's responsibility to go online and download the Tutorial Sheet from the AVID website. Students are able to do this from home or the school library.
AVID Binder Checks: An organized binder,complete with Cornell Notes, is a big part of the AVID success story. Students will receive a handout outlining the requirements and expectations of their AVID binder. Every Friday will be a Binder Check, however some random checks may occur. Keeping this binder is one of the single most important tasks you have in AVID. The binder is worth anywhere from 10 to 50 points each week. A rubric will be provided.It is very important to keep your binder well organized by date and full of key academic information!
AVID Learning Logs and Cornell Notes: Learning logs are class-learning reflections. If you did not take Cornell Notes for a class period you are required to complete a Learning Log. The Cornell Note taking format will be taught to students at the start of the semester. Students are responsible for printing Learning Logs from the AVID website (a maximumof TWO Learning Logs per week).Each grade-level will have a specific number of Cornell Notes that they will be required to take in each of their core classes. Your class requirement is ______.
AVID Calendar: AVID students will receive a BHS Agenda Book where they will record assignments and homework for their courses. Other entries should include tests, quizzes, projects, scholarship deadlines, club meetings, fund raising dates, school extra curricular activities, field trips, school holidays, and other special occasions. Tutors will check the calendar weekly as part of the Binder Check grade.
AVID Field Trips/ Guest Speakers: Numerous speakers from colleges, businesses, professions and motivational groups will visit our class. Students are required to take Cornell Notes and collect information and materials. AVID also includes field trips where students visit various colleges and universities. Cost for field trips vary and students must participate in fund raising programs to help with program costs. If a student is financially unable to pay for a trip sponsorship and other fundraising may be available.
AVID Community Service: All AVID students are required to complete 90 hours of Community Service prior to graduation. To facilitate this, each AVID student will be required to complete five hours of community service each marking period. There is an AVID community service sheet that students complete for credit. Check the school announcements if you need some ideas for community service hours.
AVID Student Leadership: As an AVID student you are expected to exemplify leadership qualities, maturity, and responsibility. You are not only role models for the school, but you represent our program in each class that you attend. AVID students are required to become active in school activities; there are many clubs, organizations and sports teams that students can become involved in both at BHS and in the community. Involved students are successful students! Remember colleges want students who are involved in extra curricular activities!
AVID Grading Policy:
Binder Checks – will be used to note the academic progress or lack thereof as well as organization of the student in AVID. These binder checks will lead to a discussion of the learning process as incremental and a daily task. It will also lead to discussions about goals for the future, how to achieve them, etc. On binder check days, students will also be engaged in cooperative activities designed to foster trust among students and building a learning community that they will be a part of for four years.
Tutorials – allow students to discuss specific questions related to the content area classes they are taking. AVID is an academic support class that uses tutorials and college tutors to help support students academically. Students take Cornell notes throughout the tutorial session and ask all levels of questions (Level 1- you can look up the answer, Level 2- getting through the topic, and Level 3-advanced-going beyond the topic) to reach new understandings of the material, together with AVID college tutors as facilitators.
Class Activities – twice a week students will be engaged in activities designed to develop the learning process. These activities include writing assignments, Philosophical Chairs, Socratic Seminars, group problem solving, and in class projects. We will also be doing goal setting and a plan of how to achieve their goals.
The grading scale follows:
A93%- 100%
B85%- 92%
C77%- 84%
D69%- 76%
FBelow 68%
AVID Materials:
Your binder which will contain: Tab subject dividers to separate each academic class (including AVID), zipper pouch to store supplies, two or more pens, two or more pencils, filler paper, BHS Agenda book, TRF’s (tutorial request forms), and learning logs. On tutorial days bring necessary materials for tutorial (books, notes, etc.)
BHS AVID Content Teachers
Please feel free to contact any of these staff members for assistance in their subjects
First Name / Last Name / Subject / Telephone / ExtensionChontoinette / Blair / Math / (302) 479-1600 / 2370
Sande / Caton / LFS / (302) 479-1600 / 5015
Kimberly / Flanagan / English/ AVID 11 / (302) 479-1600 / 2030
Tomica / Fletcher / Guidance / (302) 479-1600 / 5021
Nancy / Guy / Science / (302) 479-1600 / 1110
Shawndra / Johnson / English / (302) 479-1600 / 2050
Eunique / Lawrence / Business/ AVID 10 / (302) 479-1600 / 2000
Nader / Makarious / Science / (302) 479-1600 / 1150
Jamar / Money / Social Studies / (302) 479-1600 / 2170
Amanda / Nersasian / Guidance / (302) 479-1600 / 5019
Kathyrn / Van Such / Social Studies/ AVID 9 / (302) 479-1600 / 2250
Wallace / Waite / Vice Principal / (302) 479-1600 / 3007
Bonnie / Wilson / Science / (302) 479-1600 / 1130
Please note: Emails are listed as
Brandywine High School
AVID Student and Family Agreement
Please sign on the lines below and return to your AVID Teacher by Thursday, September 2, 2010
AVID Student and Family Agreement
We have read and understand the AVID Course Syllabus and agree to support the efforts of this student in meeting the AVID Course Requirements outlined in this document.
AVID Student Name: ______
Student Email Address: ______
Signed: ______Today’s Date: ______(Student)
AVID Parent/ Guardian Name(s):______
Telephone #s: ______
Email Address: ______
Signed: ______Today’s Date: ______(Parent/Guardian)
Failure to adhere to AVID Program Guidelines and Requirements, Classroom Guidelines, Behavior Expectations,
and School Policies and Procedures may result in being dropped from the AVID Program.
Questions, comments, concerns or special information about this AVID student:
______
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