Policies

    Family and Consumer Sciences Class Policies

Materials Required:

• Fully charged iPad, every day.

• All students will need at least 2 shoe boxes (or similarly sized boxes) for the semester. Start saving/bringing them in (labeled) as soon as possible.

• Fabric for independent sewing project (to be discussed later in class).

Grading:  

Eanes ISD Middle School teachers are committed to grading and assessing in the best interest of our students. We believe grades and assessments communicate content knowledge, guide instruction, and reveal opportunities for enrichment and intervention.

Quarterly Averages will be computed using the following district-developed percentages:  

70%  Major (Tests/Projects) -Subject to individual demonstration of safety, respect, and integrity of work environment)

30%  Skills Development (Clean up/Class Jobs/Participation in Work Stations)

Semester Averages  is the average of quarterly grades (40% each) and the final project (20%).

Late Work Policy:

• All assignments will be given ample class time to complete. In the event that a student does not utilize class time wisely, such work then becomes the sole responsibility of the student to complete at home, subject to the following late work deduction schedule:

• Every day the work is late = 10 points deducted from highest possible grading score. This means that after 10 days, the work becomes a zero, and is not able to be made up.

Retest Policy:

Due to the hands-on and project-based nature of this course, "retests" (with the exception of a traditional learning check or assessment) may not be applicable or available.

Absence Policy:

Students with excused absences are expected to check Google Classroom daily to see what they missed, and reach out to make their own arrangements to catch up, if applicable. District policy allows for 1 extra unpenalized day per missed day. However due to the hands-on nature of this class, not all daily classroom activities can be made up. This is why it is important for students to check the daily class slides, posted in Google Classroom.

Class Procedures and Expectations:

Come to class with a charged iPad, and be in your assigned seat, by the time the bell rings. Bell Ringers should be completed by the time attendance is taken. Independent Projects are to be worked on in class after the days's assignment has been completed. Do not access the kitchen unless given permission. Stay out  other groups' kitchen stations and follow all safety and clean up procedures, completely and exactly as directed -These related responsibilities/tasks comprise  30% of your grade. The other 70% of your grade is directly dependent on your own demonstrated eligibility to participate fully in all activities. 

                        iPads:

We will be using interactive applications; therefore, students are required to bring their charged iPads to class every day. The iPads will be used for instructional purposes only and with the permission of the teacher.  Students are not permitted to play games on their iPads during class time. 

Cell Phones (STATE-MANDATED policy): "Off and Away All Day"

If I see it, students will be asked to place it in the classroom "Cell Phone Jail" until the end of class. Non compliance will result in phones being taken to the office where they can be retrieved at the end of the day. 

HCMS ACADEMIC INTEGRITY POLICY

Academic honesty and integrity are basic to creating an effective learning community. The student who cheats is harmed because he or she is not learning the material. Other students are harmed when those who cheat gain an unfair advantage in the classroom. Hill Country Middle School suffers when the climate of trust and mutual respect is undermined. Society pays the price when the taking of shortcuts becomes an accepted norm.

HCMS Honor Code- 

I understand the importance of academic integrity at Hill Country Middle School, and I vow to be honest and honorable in all dealings with fellow students, faculty and staff. 

The most common forms of cheating or plagiarism occur when a student:

• Submits a paper written entirely or partly by another person.

• Copies another student’s homework (even with permission from peers).

• Copies from another student during an assessment.

• Obtains and submits a paper on the Internet or other electronic media.

• Takes a picture/screenshot of a quiz, test, or assignment and shares with others.

• Uses “Cut & Paste” instead of original production.

• Copies a published author’s words, phrases, sentences, or ideas (published authors, periodicals, encyclopedias, internet sites, and AI/Chat GPT) without citation.

• Obtains a copy of an assessment OR talks to another student before or during an assessment or about the assessment, thus providing an advantage to the student before taking the test.

• Changes an answer after the paper/assessment has already been graded.

• Uses technology or electronic devices to access information during an assessment

• Creating a Google Education tool to impersonate any staff member or student via any avenue, social media, or other.

• Forging a signature that is not their own

Violation of Academic Integrity Policy: Major Grades

If/When a student makes the mistake of academic dishonesty on a graded assignment or assessment, the following policy will be implemented in all grades and content disciplines: 

1st Offense = The content discipline teacher will write an office referral, informing the administration of the incident and communicating the incident with the parent/guardian. The Student will be allowed to follow the department's re-test policy. The administration will assign appropriate consequences.

Subsequent Offenses = The content discipline teacher will write up an office referral, informing administration, who is now tracking the incidents so that a pattern is now created. The student will be allowed to follow the department’s re-test policy. In addition to contacting the parents/guardians, the administration will continue the progression of restorative practice and consequences.