U.S. Update for the week of May 21st

[Wetzel, William]

Class webpage: www.district87.org/staff/wetzelw

 

This week:

Mon: PRT trip to Shepard Park

Tu: Six Flags trip

Tu: 3:00 deadline to submit work for Q4

Wed: no buses/ early dismissal @ 8:15 for summer break

Coming up:

Summer Break

U.S. History Feedback Request

Raiders 101

General 8B Team information:

It is best that students who have missing texts & library books return them by Tuesday at the latest.  It is possible to return items during the summer, but it is more of a hassle to get the official clearance from the office that is required to be eligible to check books out at BHS and UHS. 

Our Final PRT will involve a trip to Shepard Park for a day of sun and fun on May 21st.  8B will be providing some food and refreshments, but we would welcome any parent donations to supplement what we make available.  If you are able to make a donation, please contact Mrs. Gallucci.

You should receive information about the Raiders 101 summer orientation program in the mail.  I would encourage students of all types who are headed to BHS to participate in this experience that will introduce them to teachers, students and the building in a positive and relaxed atmosphere.

U.S. History Information:

It is hard to believe, but this will be the final weekly update.  It was a privilege to work with this group of students and I wish them much success in high school and beyond. 

Sometime in June I will send a few requests to all parent and student e-mail addresses requesting your input on how the year went in history class.  I received detailed written comments from students who were in class on Wednesday May 16th, but I also like to gather information from parents.  This information is one of my most valuable resources for determining what sort of adjustments would better meet the educational and other needs of parents and families.

I typically check my e-mail during the summer.  If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me.

I have updated grades to include all work that I received by Friday at 3:00.  At some point parents and students will be locked out of grade access as the end of the quarter nears.  Students were provided with up to date grade information on Friday in class and you may contact me if you need related information.

Last week was very busy.  If you sent me an e-mail and did not receive a reply, please contact me again.  It never bothers me when people check up to see whether I received their message.  Sometimes I wait on a reply until I get further information, but in general I try to be prompt with replies.

Earning full credit on any missing assignment will add 6% to a student's quarterly grade.  Earning half credit on any assignment will add 3% to the quarterly grade.
Information about all the assignments is available through the 'Audio Assignment Descriptions' webpage link on the class webpage.

I will accept work until 3:00 on Tuesday May 22nd.  Students who do not go on the PRT or to Six Flags may complete missing history work and turn it in while  at school.

Reruns from previous updates:

I will always be willing to offer flexibility with a deadline when a school or family emergency occurs.  Promptly notifying me of the situation is not required.  I do request that students include a reminder of the situation when they submit the work, so that they receive proper credit.

Students resubmitting work for increased credit should take the time and make significant changes to their work based on the assignment guidelines and the comments written on their paper or their score may not change and they will have lost the opportunity for grade improvement.

Parent Action: If you are cleaning out a closet or have other items that are working, but unwanted, please consider donating them to 8B for our P3 Auctions that are held every other Friday. 

Students who need extra time for questions or assistance before or after school should let me know.  My schedule varies, but I am usually in the classroom by 7:20 in the morning.  I have made arrangements for students to be able to come up to the room early without a pass.  After school, my availability is much less consistent.  When I know I will be available late on a given day, I will include that information in the update for the week.

If you send me an e-mail and do not receive a reply within 24 hours, please send me a follow-up.  I try to reply promptly to the e-mails I receive, but occasionally one slips by without a response from me.

Students who miss an in-class assignment should check with me, but they are usually excused from the assignment.  Students who miss a quiz, test or assessment need to make it up.  A zero will be entered in the gradebook until the assignment is completed.

I usually grade all the papers I receive during the week on Saturday and update grades on Sunday.

The class website provides access to resources to review, study, and explore areas related to the class.  Here are several highlights:
'Déjà vu Spiral': link to the main location for content information and notes from throughout the year
'Weekly Updates': an archive of all the weekly update messages from the whole year
'1112 U.S. Introduction Materials': the on-line version of the course overview packet provided to students at the start of the year
'Audio Assignment Descriptions': instructions and an audio explanation for every assignment
'Student E-mail Access from Home': allows students to log into their school e-mail account from home
'1112 Weekly Logs': a day by day breakdown of resources used in class and activities
'On-line Practice Tests': location for practice tests for tests and quizzes throughout the year
'Quia Review Games': review games for chapter quizzes and tests
'Quizlet Review Games': review games for Deja vu and chapter quizzes and tests
'Déjà vu Terms Reviews': learning and review resources for Déjà vu terms
'Textbook': Link to the on-line text

The category weighting and grading scale used to calculate quarterly grades is different in history class than other classes:

Categories:
21        Daily Work (Done in class)
21        Tests & Quizzes (Content knowledge)
16        Assessments (Content understanding)
37        Assignments (Skills/Comprehension)      
  5        Studio Habits (Engagement in learning)

Overall Grading Scale:

89.5 - 100        A

74.5 - 89.4       B

49.5 - 74.4       C

0 - 49.4            F

A quarterly grade of 'D' will be assigned to students who do not finish the quarter with a passing grade IF they develop and complete a plan to make up missed work by the deadline provided by the teacher at the end of the quarter.

Students who score poorly in a category or categories will notice a significant impact on their quarterly grade.  The downside of this weighting and scale is that it is confusing to explain, but the upside is that it allows me to create a situation that challenges students and rewards excellent learning without creating a situation that is too difficult for those students who are not ready for such expectations.

If you would like to add or drop an e-mail address for these updates, please let me know.  All students receive these messages each week in their student e-mail accounts.

 

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Bloomington Public Schools School District87
Bloomington, Illinois