course description

The Sophomore Seminar is a semester-long course in which students are introduced to essential and useful life skills. Through class discussions, hands-on tasks, seminars, reflections and other activities, students will gain valuable knowledge and develop practical skills to live a healthy and balanced life.

After completing this course, students should be able to demonstrate an understanding of the content of each unit and the importance these skills have in relation to living a healthy and balanced life. Students should also be able to apply the knowledge they have acquired in their day-to-day life.

course content

This course will be taught in a series of mini-lessons to cover the following content:

• Leadership

• Public speaking

• Time management

• Nutrition and Wellness (Balanced diet, food safety, cooking)

• Financial literacy (budgeting, taxes, credit and credit scores, retirement accounts, etc.)

• Health care and first aid

• Types of insurance

• Clothing essentials (dress code, sewing, laundry, ironing, how to tie a tie, garment care, etc.)

• Cleaning essentials

• Online safety

• Self-care and Personal hygiene

• Car and Home Maintenance

• Job Interview Skills and Resume Writing

• Voting and Jury Duty

Materials

Most tasks and evidence of work will be hosted on the schools Learning Management System. You will need your fully charged SJDLS issued computer and a folder to keep all class handouts organized and your portfolio ready to be graded. Resources will be provided over the course of the semester; however, some tasks do require additional materials and you will be notified in advance about what they are. Some simple and inexpensive ingredients will be required to complete the cooking assignments.

assessment

Your final grade for this class will be calculated as follows:

Classwork (i.e.: Weekly reflections, projects and worksheets) - 60%
Homework (i.e.: weekly recipes, EdPuzzles, quick-writes and reflections, etc.) - 30%
Final portfolio (content specifications can be found on my website and on Canvas) – 10%

Course Policies and Guidelines

This class promotes the Saint Jeanne Charism in all we do - in fostering friendships, acting in justice, and learning for a lifetime. To achieve these values centered on exemplifying the love of Christ, your educational experience will incorporate the school’s Integral Student Outcomes: Like Mary, Live out your yes to God, extend your hand and maintain the flame.

Students are expected to follow all policies listed in the Parent-Student Handbook and classroom rules and procedures established in class to create and maintain a healthy environment that fosters academic and personal development. However, please note that in this class:

Excused late work will be evaluated as usual with no repercussions to the grade. Students who have an excused absence get an additional day; per day they missed school. However, students representing the school at an academic or athletic event must notify the teacher about their absence as soon as possible via email to be eligible for extra time, otherwise, the assignments will be marked as late. Any extenuating circumstances will be handled on a case-by-case basis.
If your assignment is not turned in to Canvas before the scheduled time, it is late. Students can meet with me during Office Hours until the assignment is completed. Please know that late homework and classwork will be penalized 5% per day it is late, unless excused by the teacher. This will automatically be calculated by Canvas.
Once a unit is over, late or missing work will not be accepted. Due dates will be shared at the beginning of each unit to help students organize their time better. Any extenuating circumstances will be handled on a case-by-case basis.
Students who score 70% or less on a test are eligible for test retakes or test corrections only if a parent or guardian signs the test.
There is little to no extra credit or extra assignments available for this class. Some activities may grant extra points which may be used to improve passing test scores.
Academic integrity is a vital element of the learning process, and plagiarism (of any kind) will not be tolerated. Some behaviors included in this category are:
- - Using unauthorized notes or cheat sheets on a paper, your person, or technology.
  - Using generative Artificial intelligence tools to complete assignments, and failing to cite them or acknowledge their use, will also be considered cheating.
  - Turning in an essay—in part or whole—obtained online or from a classmate, parent or other relative as though it is your own work. This includes turning in an essay created by any Artificial Intelligence platform.
  - Failing to provide citation for text or artwork sources, digital or otherwise, used in your own work (this includes presentations and visual aids) --this includes summaries and outlines and other forms of generative AI assistance.
  - Unauthorized collaboration on assignments or projects.
Students are expected to take care of the school-issued computers, being careful not to damage, leave them unattended or modify the system in any way. All communication must be respectful and live up to SJDLS standards of integrity and behavior.

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