course policy

ACCESSING & TURNING IN WORK

All assignments, challenges, prompts, etc. are available in Infinite Campus. Any information you may need regarding a project, how it will be assessed, and feedback for work already turned in will be found in Infinite Campus. All work will be turned in via Infinite Campus as well. I respond quickly to emails at: amcelhattan@srvusd.net , except for late work which should be turned in via this form. You will be producing a digital portfolio on Weebly. You will be posting both work in progress and finished work to your site. Both blog/virtual sketchbook assignments and projects are turned in digitally. Blog posts and items on your website are turned in by attaching the link to your site to the assignment (something like: clarasportfolio.weebly.com). Often you will be asked to turn in hand-drawn notes and sketches, so it is necessary to take clear, focused, and well cropped images. Work that is photographed poorly will not be graded. 

See these guidelines: 

HOW TO CHANGE YOUR PHONE PHOTOS FROM HEIC TO JPEG

GRADES:

There are three categories for grades in CGA:  blog/virtual sketchbook, projects and cooperation.

1. Your BLOG/virtual sketchbook (45% of your total grade) is your collection of practical classwork; writing and drawing examples, which are done online or by hand, photographed and turned in to Schoology.   Your ideation, technical development and project plans prepare you for your design projects (graded final artwork). This work is not graded on a scale, you are given points reflecting effort and completion. Points are deducted for messy work or work that is less than complete. Blogposts are a large part of your 'vs' grade: there is at least one blogpost for every project. The blogpost is a way to document progress on a project and get feedback from classmates.  Blogpost must be turned in on time (as they are a communication tool amongst classmates; late blogposts will be marked down too (at most 50%). In this class we do 'warm-ups' regularly which are most often google forms-these are due the date assigned. If you turn in forms beyond the assigned date you must screenshot the completed form and turn it in as an attachment to the schoology assignment. 

2. Projects (45% of your grade) are the long-term designs you submit for grading and online portfolio site (graded on 100 pt. scale). Although I provide guidance and teach techniques, your work will reflect your own sensibilities and taste. Each studio project will be graded using a rubric that includes: concept (the ideation of the project), creativity (how you apply design elements and principles to your work), craft (your technical performance), and cooperation (work ethic /participation).  Here is a handout explaining that methodology: rubric. The process of practice, research and development for a project accounts for the quality of your final studio project. Your authentic effort in the process results in a better product.

3. And finally, cooperation: (10%) is your work ethic in the studio: cooperation with classmates, respecting materials and managing class time. Some ways to loose points: playing with or breaking materials, playing video games, not cleaning up, leaving class without permission, and USING YOUR PHONE IN CLASS.

Our District’s Board Policy with respect to grading reads as follows:

A teacher shall base a student's grades on impartial, consistent observation of the quality of the student's work and their mastery of course content and district standards. Students shall have the opportunity to demonstrate this mastery through a variety of methods such as classroom participation, homework, tests, and portfolios (BP 5121).

Students may drop a course within the first 3 weeks of the semester without the class or grade appearing on the transcript. If a course is dropped after the third week of a semester, the teacher may give an "N" grade or an "F" grade depending on the quality of the student's work to date and provided that proper notice concerning the possibility of failure has been given to the parents/caregivers. Parents/caregivers may request a teacher- conference to discuss the implications of an "F" grade (AR 5121). 

MATERIALS FOR WORK:

This class is entirely digital media. You will have work with the Adobe Creative Cloud (Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, InDesign & Animate). This software does not run on every device, most notably chromebooks and many tablets, you will need a laptop or desktop computer to access it at home-however, you have plenty of time to get your work done in class with our devices and I will provide those devices throughout the school day if you want to come in to work outside of class. 

All materials will be provided in the classroom.  We appreciate that you consider donating to the class. Go to the school site to make a donation:

LINK TO DONATE! 

HOMEWORK
This course is aligned with SRVUSD’s homework policy and regulations (BP 6154 / AR 6154). Please click here for the complete SRVUSD Policy regarding homework. 

SRVUSD’s homework policy and regulations emphasize that students, staff and parents/caregivers should take an active role regarding homework including communication between students and faculty when homework becomes overwhelming and parents/caregivers contacting teachers if their child consistently cannot keep up with the homework. 

Homework can include practicing a skill or process that students can do independently but not fluently, elaborating on information that has been addressed in class to deepen students’ knowledge, providing opportunities for students to explore topics of their own interest, and reading. Of note: 

● No more than 2 hours of homework per course per week and no more than 30 minutes per night per course will be assigned, including weekends. 

● Some portions of projects may be assigned as homework. 

● No homework, including long term projects, will be assigned during school recesses 

● Per Ed. Code, students must be allowed a reasonable amount of time to make up a test if they have an excused absence. 

MAKEUP WORK
Per SRVUSD Board Policy: 

• Students who miss school work because of an excused absence shall be given the opportunity to complete all assignments and tests that can be reasonably provided. As determined by the teacher, the assignments and tests shall be reasonably equivalent to, but not necessarily identical to, the assignments and tests missed during the absence. Students shall receive full credit for work satisfactorily completed within a reasonable period of time (BP 6154).

• No student may have his/her grade reduced or lose academic credit for any excused absence when missed assignments and tests are satisfactorily completed within a reasonable period of time (AR 6154). 

• Students who miss school work because of unexcused absences may be given the opportunity to make up missed work for full or reduced credit. Teachers shall assign such makeup work as necessary to ensure academic progress, not as a punitive measure (BP 6154).

• When students miss school work because of suspensions, the Board expects that teachers shall give students the opportunity to make up missed work. Teachers shall assign such makeup work as necessary to ensure academic progress, not as a punitive measure (BP 6154). 

• If a student misses class without an excuse and does not subsequently turn in homework, take a test, or fulfill another class requirement which he/she missed, the teacher may lower the student's grade for nonperformance (BP 5121). 

TESTING and ACADEMIC CODE
Monte Vista High School regards the academic conduct of our students to be a critical part of their education. Academic INTEGRITY requires students to properly demonstrate their talents through the utilization of suitable formats, proper citation methods, and HONESTY for themselves, their fellow students, and their instructors. We believe it is critical to master this behavior during high school in order to successfully navigate the educational systems and/or work environments our students will encounter once they leave Monte Vista High School. 

*Plagiarism is defined as presenting materials or work prepared by another person/persons as the student’s own work without crediting the source. This includes, but is not limited to failing to expressly acknowledge the research, writing, or work by someone other than the student, claiming authorship as his/her own; presenting as his/her own, or as a new and original idea or product derived from an existing source.”
PROCEDURES & CONSEQUENCES FOR VIOLATING MONTE VISTA’S ACADEMIC CODE

•  Student will receive a zero for the assignment pertaining to the violation 

•  Teacher will contact parents/caregivers AND report the violation to administration to be recorded in the student’s disciplinary file. 

• Repeat offenders may be subject to suspension from class and/or further disciplinary action.