Course expectations

Attendance

If you must miss a class, you are responsible for work assigned. Please realize, however, that class time cannot be reconstructed or made up, and that your performance, your work, and your final course grade will be affected by excessive absences. Please review the Niskayuna High School Attendance Policy in your Code of Conduct handbook.

Lates, cuts, and absences will be dealt with in accordance with Niskayuna High School’s policies. 

If you are 20 MINUTES (OR MORE) LATE for a class, whatever the reason, it is considered a class absence. 

PLEASE NOTE:  if you cut class for a section of your final exam, the same penalties will apply.

Missing work do to an excused absence: If you have an excused absence, you have as many days as you were out to make up the work for that absence.  I will not remind you to make up your work.  THIS IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY.   If your work is not completed in the allotted time, a 0 will be recorded for that assignment.  If you cut a class, a 0 will be recorded for that assignment.

Calculating your final course grades

Your final course grade will be calculated numerically.  Because this is a semester course, the marking period grades are doubled and the final exam will count once: 2+2+1=5/5= final course grade.

Cell phone use

Cell phones are not to be used in the classroom for personal use.  If you are using a cell phone for personal use during class, I reserve the right to take the phone AND assign a 0 for the activity that day.

Academic Integrity

Please review the high school’s Code of Conduct. I expect my students to be academically honest. Honestly and integrity include producing original work, not plagiarizing, and citing correctly.  We will review academic definitions of plagiarism.

In a nutshell…

·       “borrowing” someone else’s work or ideas and presenting them as your own is plagiarism

·       using a document or part of a document written by another student is plagiarism

·       buying an essay from a student or a service that sells documents is plagiarism

·       using a document published on the web is plagiarism

·       having someone write an essay for you is plagiarism

·       putting your name on a group project that you did not contribute to is plagiarism

I take ALL instances of academic integrity seriously and will deal with them in concert with the administration.  This includes copying homework:  UNLESS OTHERWISE STIPULATED, HOMEWORK IS AN INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITY.  Each party involved in copying homework is culpable and will meet with their administrator.  

If you have any academic integrity issues with your final exam, you will receive a 0 for the exam and will be reported immediately to the building principal.

If you do not speak to me about a problem, I will not know you have it and consequently will not be able to help you.  Let me know ahead of time that you plan to stop in for help. 

Classroom behavior

Think before you speak, listen to what classmates have to say, help others when the occasion calls for it, act honestly.  Success in life is determined by more than a transcript.  Successful people are capable of building meaningful relationships with other people.