Course Syllabus

Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps

Leadership Education and Training Level 1 – 4,

Air Rifle Marksmanship, Archery, Color Guard, Robotics

School Year 2021-2022

Istrouma High School

Welcome to the Tomahawk Battalion! You are part of an prestigious organization at Istrouma High School.

Purpose: The Army JROTC program began in 1916. It is a partnership between the Army and over 1500 high schools nationwide. JROTC's mission is to motivate young people to be better citizens. The program does this by preparing you for responsible leadership roles in society while making you aware of your rights, responsibilities, and privileges as American citizens. In JROTC you will develop your citizenship and patriotism; enhance your self reliance, leadership, and teamwork; develop your thinking and communication skills; increase your understanding of the importance of physical fitness and good health; familiarize you with the history of our country and its Army; and develop a deeper understanding of America's national heritage. We will work together with the other programs and courses in the school to help you prepare to lead successful lives after you graduate from high school.

JROTC is a yearlong course, meeting every day. It is a class unlike any other you will take. The variety of subjects we teach, your role in planning and carrying out our activities, our use of military leadership principles, our emphasis on hands-on performance, and the high standards we expect in and out of class will constantly challenge you and keep your interest.

You will have your JROTC class combined with cadets from the other JROTC levels. They serve as your leaders in the Tomahawk Battalion, and they will teach many of your JROTC classes and advise you throughout the year. They have traveled the same path you are on now, and they will help you become successful JROTC cadets and Istrouma Valley students.

To demonstrate progress in this course, this year each student will be required to compete in 4 of the 5 Drill Competitions as part of their grade. This means that you have to be passing your other classes so you can be excused from school.

There is absolutely no military obligation from your participation in JROTC! Our purpose is not to prepare you for military service, but to help prepare you to lead successful lives.

Uniform: You will be issued a JROTC uniform very similar to those worn by America's Soldiers serving all over the world. We will teach you how to wear it and care for it properly, and members of your chain of command will help you learn to look your best in uniform. Treat your uniform with respect, wear it with pride, get it cleaned when needed, and return it in good condition ( Dry Cleaned with receipt) at the end of the school year. You'll wear it all day one day a week throughout the year. Each time you wear the uniform, you'll earn a grade. Every so often you may miss a uniform day; just like any other assignment, you must make it up right away. You must wear the uniform all day to earn make-up credit. Young men will be required to be clean shaven and have a haircut that meets Cadet Command standards. This means hair will be above the ears and collar, will not be bulky on top (affecting proper wear of beret), and will not be faddish in nature (mohawks, shaved, unnatural hair colors, etc). Males will also NOT be allowed to have any piercings while in uniform. Young ladies will be required to wear their hair up above the bottom edge of the collar, not have any faddish hairstyles (the only authorized hair colors are natural hair colors), and wear only nail polishes of a neutral color. Ladies may wear one pair of matched circular studs (no more than 1/4” in diameter) in the ear lobe; they may not wear any other piercings in uniform. ALL CADETS ARE EXPECTED TO WEAR THEIR UNIFORM AND MEET PROPER GROOMING STANDARDS. CADETS WHO MISS ONE UNIFORM DAY DURING A NINE WEEK GRADING PERIOD WITHOUT MAKING IT UP WILL RECEIVE AN ZERO FOR THAT DAY.

Course Materials: We will issue you all the JROTC materials you’ll need. You must take care of these materials and return them in good condition at the end of the school year.

Military courtesy: Each of you will serve as a Cadet and have a position and rank within the Tomahawk Battalion. We will teach you how to perform the duties associated with your position and how to maintain an appropriate relationship with others in the chain of command and to render courtesies to the flag, other cadets, and military personnel. You will have the opportunity to advance in rank during the school year based on your performance, conduct, participation, and enthusiasm.

Expectations: We expect you to--

• Bring your books, Chromebooks, paper, and writing materials to class every day, be on time, and come prepared to learn. PHONES ARE PROHIBITED IN CLASS!

• While in class, focus on the mission: learning and becoming better leaders and citizens.

• Raise your hand when you'd like to speak in class.

• Follow the rules and guidelines posted in the classroom.

• Complete your assigned work to the best of your ability, and turn it in on time.

• Take care of your uniform, and wear it with pride all day on the assigned uniform day. Cleaning is your responsibility; follow the instructions on the uniform.

• Treat others with dignity, respect and courtesy.

• Ask an Instructor for help anytime you need it.

• Aim to live up to your potential as a citizen in our democracy (to be all you can be).

You can expect us to--

• Set high standards, and help you achieve success.

• Treat you with dignity and respect.

• Be available to help you whenever you need it.

Extra-curricular Activities: You will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of JROTC activities. You can try out for our color guard, air rifle, archery, robotics or physical fitness teams and compete against cadets from other JROTC programs across Louisiana and the nation; by doing so you accept the responsibility to attend practices and maintain satisfactory grades and attendance in all your courses. You may also participate in other JROTC activities planned by the cadets. You may also want to attend our annual JROTC Cadet Leadership Challenge (JCLC) in May. Whether you participate in these and other activities depends on you--your academic performance, attendance, conduct, and citizenship. We will discuss team participation during an in-depth meeting at the beginning of the school year.

Community Service and Service Learning Projects: The Tomahawk Battalion has a tradition of service to our school and community. All cadets will participate in our Service Learning Projects. Cadets are encouraged to participate in out of class service learning and community service projects as well. Cadets must provide 5 hours of community service each semester. The 5 hour requirement is towards the Cadets’ overall grade. Participation can earn you JROTC ribbons and possibly the President’s Volunteer Service Award. As you can imagine, our busiest times of the year are around Veteran’s Day and Memorial Day. Please ensure you make yourselves available during these long weekends for community events.

Mandatory activities: You should plan on attending the Istrouma Homecoming Parade (TBD ), Veterans Day Parade (TBD NOV 2021), JROTC Cadet Military Ball (Spring timeframe), and the Tomahawk Battalion Change of Command and Cadet Awards Ceremony (May 2021). We'll let you know well ahead of time about the details of each event.

Awards and Discipline: As a JROTC Cadet, you will earn awards and ribbons for superior performance. These awards are designed to be worn on your uniform. We also reward superior performance through merits and correct poor performance with demerits.

Grades: You will earn your grade in JROTC based on your performance in the following areas:

Uniform Day participation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Approximately 25%

(You earn a grade each time you wear the uniform all day on the designated day.)

Tests and quizzes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . Approximately 25%

(Chapter tests, the final exam, and weekly quizzes.)

Classroom participation .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Approximately 25%

(The quality of your participation in class discussion and other learning activities.)

Periodically you will have:

Daily work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Approximately 25%

(In-class and homework assignments, group work, and assignments that require you to write an essay or present a speech to the class. We will provide you instructions separately.)

You will earn your final letter grade based on the following scale:

93% or higher: A

85% to 92%: B

75% to 84%: C

67% to 74%: D

Less than 66%: F

Your weekly grade breakdown will be:

Overall Grade: Your overall participation grade will be determined by how you do in the above categories. Everything we will do this school year is designed for you to excel. If you are not wearing your uniform, required programs and you do not participate in Cadet Challenge events, you will not meet the standard.

Late Assignments: Turn in your assignments on time! You can earn a score no higher than 80% on assignments that are turned in after the due date.

Attendance: Daily attendance in class is absolutely essential to your success in JROTC. The majority of our work consists of discussion, hands on exercises, and cooperative learning, and you cannot benefit from this work when you are not in class. You will not receive full credit on any assignments missed because of an unexcused absence. You must participate in class to get full credit and the best education possible.

Make-ups: When you are absent, you should check with your instructor or a reliable classmate to find out what you missed; you should also check the appropriate Google Classroom. You should turn in assignments due while you were out within two days after your return (write "absent" at the top of the first page). Coordinate missed exams and quizzes with us individually.

We understand that students learn in different ways. Therefore, each instructor will vary their teaching methods in order to best meet the needs of all students. In the rubric above, you can see how much interaction with other Cadets plays a huge role in JROTC.

Cadets will be expected to explain and apply concepts, not just memorize information; we will use essays, tests, quizzes, and oral presentations to have you demonstrate your understanding of different subject areas.

Grading Rubric - Quarterly (See Specific class syllabus)

We look forward to working with each of you throughout the year!

Jerry White

Chief Warrant Officer 4 (Retired)

Army Instructor