Ms. Griffith's Classes

The school will provide most materials but families should provide students with notebook paper, pens, and pencils, which should be replaced when needed. Students should have those family provided materials daily, as well as the school-provided class composition book or binder with provided content materials (e.g., notes, reference materials) and a school-provided calculator. Binders and notebooks can be stored in the classroom, for student convenience, but students can take them home anytime they choose.  

 Students are instructed, and given class time, to join the class during the first week of school. Students that join the class later in the year receive the code with their class packets.  If a parent/guardian needs the code I can be reached at hgriffith@tidehavenisd.com. 

Google Classroom is on ongoing resource for students that inlcudes links, summaries of what we did in class, agendas, copy of class notes etc... Students that are absent should check Google classroom for what was missed. 

Students should read the posted information on Google Classroom to find out what was missed during an absence.  Any graded work that was completed during class when a student was absent will need to be made up before or after school within a reasonable time (two days for a one day absence).  Paperwork that was provided to students (not work for a grade) during the absence can be picked up in the gray tower in the classroom.  

I spend the first week of class teaching procedures because they are necessary to have a well-functioning classrooom! The only rule is to behave in a way that does not interfere with learning and teaching and leads to productive outcomes. 

Grades can be accessed in real-time through Parent Portal. Contact the office for help setting up Parent Portal.  I do not send out emails or letters regarding grades because parents have real-time access to grades via parent portal and the district sends out report cards and progress reports. 

I automatically drop the lowest daily grade each six weeks. These grades will be gray and italized in Parent Portal. 

 Students will be able to take a retest for the six weeks test if they want the opportunity to improve their grade.  The retest will only be offered once, after school...the date will be provided to students  days in advance so they can make plans to attend.

The six weeks test will usually be offered the 5th week of the six weeks.  The grade goes in the gradebook twice, but the second grade will be the retest grade, if the student attempts the retest.  The six weeks test is cumulative.

Students can turn in a study guide to earn bonus points on the six weeks test.  The amount of points earned will be dependent on the quality of the study guide.  Expectations regarding these bonus points were provided to students in their binders. 

Students can turn in extra credit once each six weeks.  The extra credit assignment requires poster board, which students can pick up from me at appropriate times prior to the due date.  Students were provided with a criteria list for the extra credit, which they should check carefully before submission of the assignment. 

Each six weeks students will have two quizzes over material since the last quiz grade. These quizzes are NOT cumulative.  Quiz dates will be announced well in advance so students can prepare.  These quizzes count as test grades. I do not offer retests for the quizzes. 

Students will have various daily grade assignments.  The most common will be Stemscopes assignments.  The third week of school students will be given log-in information for Stemscopes, which they are responsible for keeping in their binders.  A link to the site is in Google Classroom.  Stemscopes assignments will likely need to be completed outside of class hours. Vocabulary quizzes are another common type of daily grade.  Students have a vocabulary list for each unit.  The vocabulary quiz will assess students understanding of the vocabulary words. I do not offer redos for daily grades. All daily grade assignments should be turned in on time to be considered for a grade and made up within a reasonable time frame if absent. 

An 'X' in the gradebook means the student was exempted from that assignment (for example: the student was absent and the assignment can't be made up). These are rare. 

Late work is not accepted and work not turned in on time receives a grade of zero (absent work is not missing work as long as it is turned in within the window allowed for absent work). 

Phones should NOT be out during class UNLESS specifically stated by me in instructions.  Students who are distracted by their phones during class will need to put their phones in an organizer.  The phone won't be in my possession and the student will be able to see that their phone is perfectly safe!  Refusal to put the phone in the organizer OR repeated issues with students being distracted on their phone will result in the phone being sent to the office and/or referrals.