Classroom Rules

Rules, Expectations, and Procedures:

• Be respectful. Be respectful to your classmates, to me, and to yourselves at all times. There should be no talking out of turn when I am talking, no talking over each other, and no being otherwise distracting during instructional time. Be respectful by taking care of the classroom environment, including the classroom furniture and school property. 

• Be prepared. Come to class every day with your English materials and writing utensils. Being prepared also means having read assigned reading materials and other assignments PRIOR to the time class starts. Your Chromebooks MUST be charged before you come to class. 

• Be an active participant. Participation is an essential part of your education. Class is generally more fun (for you and for me) when students participate. Participation means asking questions, raising your hand, answering questions even when you are unsure, and contributing to class discussion. Sometimes, extra points will be given to those who participate in class.

• Be engaged. Be ready to learn, listen, and limit your distractions. No cell phones! We will have lots of fun in-class activities, including partner work and group projects, so it is important to be engaged in order to work productively with your classmates. 

Tardy Policy: Students who are not in the classroom and in their assigned seats when the bell rings will receive a tardy. Students who must leave the room to retrieve materials from their lockers will also receive a tardy. You’ll get three tardies “for free.” All subsequent classroom tardies will result in an office referral. Students may use one of their allotted classroom hall passes to avoid a tardy. 

Hall Pass Policy: You are allowed three classroom hall passes per semester. During independent work time, you may ask to use one of your passes, no questions asked. If you run out, you will make the choice to either not leave the room or receive a tardy. After three classroom tardies, all subsequent tardies will result in an office referral. This policy includes leaving class for the water fountain, locker, Chromebook, or restroom. 

Your three passes will renew at the beginning of Spring semester and you will receive all new passes. This policy decreases traffic in the halls during class time and maximizes instructional time. Only one person is allowed out of the room at a time. As an incentive, you will receive two extra credit points per unused pass at the end of each semester! 

Cell Phones, Smartwatches, Earbuds, etc.: Your cell phone must be placed in the designated cell phone holder by the time class starts. If you are using your cellphone during class, you will receive a referral. Additionally, any smartwatches that you wear to class can be confiscated if it is an apparent distraction to you. Do not come into the classroom with earbuds in your ears.

Food and Drink: No eating snacks in the classroom. Please refer to the student handbook for a complete understanding of all school rules of this nature as they apply to the classroom. 

Class Dismissal: Our class will run from bell-to-bell. I will dismiss the class at the close of every class— NOT the bell. You are not to begin "packing up" toward the end of class and will not leave your seat or line up at the end of the hour. 

Digital Assignments: Many assignments will be assigned digitally via our Google Classroom page. It  is required that students make sure their assignments are completed and turned in on time via the ‘turn in’ button on Classroom. Assignments not submitted via the turn in button by the due date will be subject to point deductions. 

Chromebooks: Chromebooks and FCHS Google accounts are the property of Freeburg High School, not the individual student. It is important to understand that school Chromebooks are monitored with monitoring software. Students are expected to use their Chromebooks for educational purposes only. We will take most of our quizzes and tests on our Chromebooks as well. You should not be using your Chromebook in class without my instruction to do so. I will always instruct you when it is time to use your Chromebook. When you walk into the classroom, check the displayed agenda to see whether you’ll be using your Chromebook or not. If you are not otherwise prompted, you should not have your Chromebook out. 

It is your responsibility to ensure that your Chromebook is charged before you come to school. In the event that your Chromebook is dead when it is needed in class, I cannot guarantee that you will have access to the classroom loaners. You MUST ask permission before utilizing the loaner computers. I will sign the loaner out on a first come, first serve basis. You must hand in your cell phone in order to check out a loaner. Repeat offenders may be required to go to the library for a loaner computer.  

Academic Dishonesty: In essence, Academic Dishonesty means to cheat and includes any circumstance in which a student submits work that is not their own. This includes cheating on assessments and plagiarism on writing assignments as well. In this class, if you plagiarize or commit Academic Dishonesty, you will receive a zero on the assignment as well as a disciplinary referral. 

Regarding the Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): Submitting work that incorporates any form of generative AI without proper MLA citation is Academic Dishonesty. Unless explicitly instructed to do so, students may not use generative AI for completing any class work for this course, including projects, papers, basic assignments, or assessments of any kind. If students submit work that contains generative AI content, they will receive a zero on the assignment as well as a disciplinary referral. 

Absent Work: 

• For excused absences (illness, appointments), the student will have one day, plus the number of days absent to complete and submit missed assignments for full credit. If a student has an EXCUSED absence on a due date, the assignment is due the day the student returns. 

• When missing school due to a pre-arranged absence (doctors appointments, field trips, sporting events; etc.) students should be sure to see me before or after class to pick up their work to ensure they turn in their work on time to avoid a late grade or getting behind in the class.

• If students are absent due to sports, vacations, or field trips, they are still responsible for school work and will be expected to take quizzes as scheduled on their return dates. 

Late Work: You will receive 50% credit for any assignment turned in one day late (24 hours past the due date). If you are completing a digital assignment for late (half) credit, you must leave a private comment on Google Classroom that says “turning in late for half credit.”

Class Calendar: You MUST look at my classroom calendar (shared on my webpage as well as Google Classroom) to see what was done in class while you were home/absent. The calendar is what I will refer you to because it shows the complete agenda for day(s) that were missed. 

Communication: It is very important that students check their email regularly. I am also checking my email regularly and will respond to parents and students typically within at least a 24-hour period, if not the same day. As high schoolers, students are encouraged to advocate for themselves and initiate conversations with me face-to-face as much as possible. At times, it may be most appropriate to send an email requesting a time to meet one-on-one in order to receive additional help or guidance.