Welcome Letter

Dear Parent,

The beginning of the school year is an exciting time and, for me, a new year of AP Computer Science Principles is especially exciting! This is a great class and I trust that your student will enjoy the content. Before we actually begin the work, I would like to share some vital information to help your student succeed in this course.


When learning virtually, the class is asynchronous in design, meaning that students complete activities and assignments on their own. Two online programs, codehs and code.org, will be used to help us master the content. Materials such as video content, assignments, discussion questions, quizzes, tests and/or projects will be provided. Each week your student will receive a “Week at a Glance” document to let them know what we will be covering for the upcoming week. There will also be a “Daily Agenda” that will be posted on the Stream of Google Classroom everyday. This agenda will give specific details about the content and the assignments as well as due dates. Because this is an AP Class, expectations are high. Due dates are firm and late work will NOT be accepted. Students must turn in work as instructed. Failure to correctly turn in work may result in the work not being accepted.


Everyone is expected to do their own work. Violations of the Intellectual Integrity policy are very serious. Students are to view and reflect on the Intellectual Integrity module at the beginning of the course in order to understand what constitutes “cheating” in this class. A quiz will be given on the policy and students will be asked to sign a contract to indicate an understanding of the policy. If your student ever has a question about this topic, encourage him/her to ask me. Violating the Intellectual Integrity Policy results in no credit given for the assignment. When students choose to use another person's work as their own, they are giving up the opportunity to learn for themselves. It is better to make mistakes, get things wrong and then learn from the mistake.

Communication

Virtual or E-Learning classrooms are very different from traditional classrooms. In this course, I am here to help your student. My job is to answer student questions, provide the resources that students need to demonstrate subject mastery, and to assist your student throughout the course. Students must take responsibility for their own learning. It is also their responsibility to ask for help when needed. Please encourage your student to be an advocate for himself/herself. Students can contact me in one of the following ways. I will email a response.

1) Email me at droberts@greenville.k12.sc.us. I encourage student emails. I ask that students identify themselves and the course name at the beginning of the email. Students should also try to be specific about their question. Students should always use their school email account for all correspondence in this course. I will respond within 24 hours to email sent within the school day.

2) Call at 864-355-7851. If I am unavailable, the call will go straight to voicemail. Leave a message, and I will respond within 24 hours if the message is left on a school day. Students should include their first and last names, the name of the class, and how I can help. Students should also speak slowly and clearly when leaving voicemail messages. If I cannot hear or understand the message, then I cannot respond.


3) Comment in Google Classroom. I respond to these messages.

Remember! As an instructor in RHS Virtual/E-Learning, I am here to help students learn. But I don't know what help is needed unless students ASK. Always reach out to me with questions!

Learning Management System:

In this class we will use GOOGLE CLASSROOM as our platform for communication. Students will receive a “Week at a Glance” document which will let them know what we will be covering for the week. There will also be a “Daily Agenda” that will be posted on the Stream of Google Classroom everyday. This agenda will give specific details about the content and the assignments as well as due dates. Because this is an AP Class, expectations are high. Due dates are firm and late work will NOT be accepted.


Please accept my invitation to join Google Classroom as a guardian. This helps me to communicate with you quickly so we can work together to ensure the success of your student. Visit the following link for more information on Google Classroom parent/Guardian accounts: https://support.google.com/edu/classroom/answer/6388136?hl=en

Attendance: The Attendance policy of the Greenville County School district will be followed. Students should complete the Attendance form every day during eLearning/Virtual Learning.

Grades: Students may view grades in PowerSchool on the student portal.

Major Grades: 60%

Minor Grades: 40%

Late Work: Not accepted. This is an AP class so expectations are high. The College Board does not allow late work when submitting work to them so we are going to practice meeting deadlines all year. On Fridays, students are given a “Week at a Glance” overview of the next week’s assignments so that they can plan accordingly.

Teacher Office Hours

Daily 5th period: 1:00-1:50

Weekly Friday: 10:00-11:00 and 1:00-2:00

This is the time set aside for me to respond to questions. Remember that communication is the KEY to success. If I do not respond within 24 hours, please encourage your student to contact me again.

Student Expectations

As an online student, I expect your student to--

  • complete the attendance form daily

  • check student email daily (Greenville County school district email)

  • check the Stream on Google Classroom daily

  • complete all assignments

  • communicate regularly with me through Google Classroom, email or phone

  • ask questions as needed anytime he/she is confused or needs help.

Teacher Expectations

As the teacher, you can expect me to--

  • Guide student learning through course assignments, questions, etc. in a manner that meets student needs

  • provide relevant and timely feedback

  • communicate regularly through Google Classroom, email, and comments.

  • answer questions as needed.



I look forward to working with your student and exploring Computer Science with them!