Welcome to the Black Hawks student team! I am so excited that we are going to experience this year together. I promise to do my best to make this year amazing. 

Here are a few things I think you should know: 

• I made a career in education because I want each of you to learn and appreciate knowledge. Remember: Knowledge is power!
• I really love literature. I love the stories and the characters who grow because of the challenges they face. We all face challenges, and we are not alone in that. And sometimes, just sometimes, we can learn how to face a challenge because a story or a character taught us something. 
• I also love that within literature many perspectives (viewpoints, attitudes, how we look at something) are accepted. Within any text (written or spoken), there is room for interpretation (understanding). The important part is supporting why you think the way that you do about what it is you are reading. 
• Literature allows us to wander and wonder about the world. We can take journeys far across the world, even to places that do not exist in the world we know. The stories can offer us a brief (small) escape from our own lives while showing us the world and beyond. 

Classroom Codes

1st Hour: fbwwkzjp

2nd Hour: f23qr3yl

5th Hour: itliie3e

6th Hour: dpfgjuh4

For me to be able to make sure that you get the best education in class that you can, we must have some rules. There are not many. While I am sure some new rules will pop up here and there, as we begin, here are the ones which are very important: 

• Be Respectful: 
  • Respect one another. We are completely allowed to disagree with one another, but we need to respect each other when we do. 
  • We need to respect our environment. This means the things around you. 
• Be Prepared:
  • Come to class ready for the day. Have your work completed. Have the things you need to be successful (supplies). Have a good attitude. Be ready to learn. 
• Be Honest:
  • Possess academic honesty. It is important that you do your own work, using your own voice.  Simply copying answers from the internet does not reflect what you know.
  • Take responsibility for your actions and face the consequences of your actions. We all make mistakes—making most mistakes are important because they teach us valuable lessons in life. What we want to make sure we do not do is continue to make the same mistakes. That illustrates that we are not learning. 

Daily Procedures

• Arrival/Beginning of Class
  • Come in; find your seat; prepare for class. 
  • Put your bookbag on the back cabinets
  • Turn in any work from the night/day before
  • Complete your Bell Ringer
• During Class
  • Be as engaged as you possibly can
  • Take notes as necessary
  • Participate in discussions and class exercises
• Dismissal
  • Turn in any classwork (if required)
  • Clean up your space/Pack your belongings
  • Stay seated until the bell rings; do not line up or be out of your seats until I dismiss you.
• Turning in Assignments
  • Late work policy – School wide: You may turn in late work for partial credit on HW/Classwork assignments. Each day the assignment is late will result in a deduction of 10%. After day 5 it is a 0 in the gradebook. 
  • Turn in assignments to the class/hour tray.
    • If homework, turn in before completing the Bell Ringer. 
    • If classwork, turn in before you pack up. 

Syllabus

• Unit One: Everyone Loves a Mystery (Essential Question: What attracts us to the mysterious?)
• Unit Two: Past and Present (Essential Question: What makes you, you?)
• Unit Three: No Risk, No Reward (Essential Question: Why do we take chances?)
• Unit Four: Hear Me Out (Essential Question: How do you choose the right words?)

Let’s make this easy…

No cell phones, wired/wireless headphones, airpods, earbuds, etc. 

Laptops should remain in your backpack unless you are instructed to get them out. 

If you disrupt the learning environment, you should expect to face the consequences. 

Take responsibility and hold yourself accountable for your decisions and actions. No one is pulling your strings. You always have a choice to make in every situation. Make the best possible decisions. 

Learn something. That is why you are here. Take this opportunity to better yourself. (I do this every day!)

I want to have an amazing year. I will do everything I can to make that happen. 

Do your part to help make this classroom amazing!