VDH's Website
Welcome to my website!
Please go to the page for your specific course for more information about grading policies, late work, class goals, etc.
Please contact me at vandenheuvelb@osceolak12.org or call me at 715-294-2127 ex. 4139
About me
My name is Bailey Van Den Heuvel, but everyone calls me "VDH" and that's what I prefer. This is my fourth year teaching. This year I will be teaching AP Literature & Composition, AP Language & Composition, and English 9. I also coach tennis here at Osceola. I am originally from Mondovi, Wisconsin, and then went to Gustavus Adolphus College for my Bachelor's degree in Communication Arts and Literature Teaching. I then taught for two years in Minnesota and one year in Wisconsin before taking a year to get my Master's degree at the University of Glasgow in Scotland! My degree is a Master of Letters in English Literature. I took classes on many different time periods and literary movements, and particularly focused on Romanticism and Victorian Literature. My literary research focuses on the popular romance genre. You know, like Fabio-on-the-front kind of romance! I am a member of the International Association for the Study of Popular Romance (IASPR) and after submitting my dissertation at the end of August, have received my Master's degree from University of Glasgow.
Some hobbies of mine include playing tennis, hiking and walking, swimming and kayaking, reading, writing, listening to music, and socializing with my friends. I have a basset hound mix named Mabel who is the light of my life. I love animals of all kinds and also am passionate about nature. I have lots of plants at my house and in my classroom! Some long-term goals of mine are to get published in romance journals for my research on the romance genre, and to also be a published romance author.
I am so excited to be your teacher this year and cannot wait to work with you!
Grade Scale:
93-100 A
90-92 A-
87-89 B+
83-86 B
80-82 B-
77-79 C+
73-76 C
70-72 C-
67-69 D+
63-66 D
60-62 D-
59 or lower F
What's graded?:
➡️For AP: 100% Summative assessments: As a new member of the awesome OHS English department, I will be following the practice of other teachers in grading summative assessments (tests, major essays, unit-end projects, etc.).
➡️For English 9: 80% Summative assessments: As a new member of the awesome OHS English department, I will be following the practice of other teachers in grading summative assessments (tests, major essays, unit-end projects, etc.).
➡️AP: Formative (practice) assignments must be completed to reassess for improved summative scores.
➡️English 9: Formative (practice) assignments are worth 20% of your grade must be completed to reassess for improved summative scores.
➡️ Summative assessments are mandatory for course completion.
Late-work practices:
➡️ Expect a deduction for late turn-ins, with a maximum of a week to do so.
Retake practices:
➡️ To re-do a summative assessment and improve your grade, please plan to: >Meet with me during WYN time with a completed re-do request form, also having completed all unit formative assignments.
Cheating Policy:
Cheating is attempting to receive credit for ANY work accomplished by violating rules, deceit, trickery, fraud, plagiarism, and distortion of truth.
Please note: Anyone involved with the cheating incident (helping someone cheat) will be treated in the same regard as the primary cheater.
Plagiarism - using someone else's ideas or phrasing and representing those ideas as your own, either on purpose or through carelessness.
1st Offense in Any Class:
Phone call by teacher to parents
Credit for redoing the work will be allowed. The teacher will determine what will be required
Additional discipline measures to be determined by teacher and administration.
2nd Offense in Any Class:
Meeting of parent(s)/guardian with principal and teacher.
If second offence takes place in any class, it warrants a possible removal from the class and/or a zero on the
assignment.
Additional discipline measures to be determined by teacher and administration.
No points or extra credit permitted.
ChatGPT can be a great resource when used responsibly, but when we do assessments it is to see if YOU have mastered the skill we are working on. Use of generative AI on assignments will be subject to disciplinary action.