Classroom Policies

2/3 Multiage

Mayflower Mill Elementary

538-3875 (ext. 5775 )

Classroom Procedures And Expectations

Communication

Planners: Students will fill out their planners daily with homework assignments and due dates - Planners are to be signed each night by a parent. Quarterly Reading Logs are stapled inside the planner.

Newsletters (Captain's Log) : Newsletters will be emailed each Friday at the start of the year and as needed once routines have been established. Please read the Captain’s Log to stay up-to-date on what is happening in the classroom

Friday Info: Parent Slips including fines will be sent home on Fridays. Please check this information every Friday, and return the signed Parent Slip to school each Monday. Friday Folders: graded papers, and school-wide correspondence are sent in Friday Folders. Folders should be emptied and returned each Monday.

Grades: Parents and students are expected to check grades weekly on PowerSchool. Grades will be updated weekly, usually on Thursday evening and Friday morning. Please also look at the comments made on the grades - ask if you don't know how to find the comments - these comments give insights to understand the grading or other information to help students.

Phone/Email: Feel free to contact me! I try to respond within 24 hours.

******This is a good year to establish a "paper system" with your child! Help your child organize and keep track of papers in his/her clipboard and Friday folders. Clean out the Friday Folder each weekend!

Homework Procedures

Homework should take approximately 30 to 60 minutes daily. However, some students may require more time to adequately finish assignments. As a parent, please assist your child in developing homework habits that help your child succeed. Homework tips: set a timer for three to five minutes for a set number of problems, reward with additional reading time before bed, keep a sticker reward chart for finishing problems or homework in a timely manner for a bigger reward, make a time map.
Spelling and Latin are assigned Monday through Thursday, and Math is assigned every day (although most students finish Friday's math homework in class so it just needs checked by a parent over the weekend).
Corrections or incomplete work will often be the only additional assignments over the weekend.
Reading is assigned every night and over weekends with a Bookmark that is to be filled out and initialed nightly.
Various projects will be assigned in class throughout the year. Completion dates and requirements will be adequately provided for proper planning and success. (These assignments are completed in school.)
Late assignments are unacceptable. Late work must be completed, BUT RECEIVES A DEDUCTION and FINE. This also applies to assignments due during absences. Students know the nightly homework assignments, for example, four times worksheet is due each Friday. So if a student is absent on Thursday, the four times worksheet is expected to be turned in upon return to school (see Attendance Policy). Fines are paid for every late assignment. Please do not ask for a homework fine to be waived.

Special's Schedule - Daily 11:40 to 12:10

At MME Specials are scheduled quarterly with Library one day each week.

Quarter One: GYM - Library on Monday

Quarter Two: LAB - Library on Wednesday

Quarter Three: ART - Library on Friday (Fine Arts Night for Art on Thursday, February 29th - optional)

Quarter Four: MUSIC - Library on Tuesday (Fines Arts Night for Musical Performance on Thursday, May 16th)

Lunch and Recess 12:20 to 1:10

Snack

A snack schedule will be emailed at the start of school. Each family provides snacks for the class (22 students) for eight days.

All snacks are to be store-bought and individually wrapped/divided.

Birthday snacks are welcome, please email me if you plan to send a special birthday treat! (No cupcakes please!)

Discipline Procedures

Mini-Economy: Students apply for classroom jobs to earn a weekly paycheck. Students pay fines or earn bonuses based on practicing TSC's "Do The Right Thing" Traits. Students save money to spend on Quarterly Incentives and to bid at the end-of-the-year Auction.

Debt: Students who are in debt must “work it off” by doing extra work. These students may have to work during recess or at home.

Behavior Contracts: Students with continuous behavior or study problems that are not effectively corrected by the mini-economy system will have a student-parent-teacher conference to create a behavior contract.

Curriculum

Mountain Math/Mountain Language

These Friday test grades are averaged into Math and Language Arts grades.

Spelling and Vocabulary

Students will have a pretest on grade-level words in addition to words misspelled in daily writing and assignments. Grade-level word mastery is expected each quarter and post-tests will be cumulative throughout the year. Students will have five Latin stems with an advanced word or five Caesar's English words in addition to missed pretest/written work words. Latin stems and Caesar's English words will be retained for cumulative exams. Students will have spelling and vocabulary homework daily.

Thematic Units/Science & Social Studies

Students will learn through thematic units during the two year cycle. Examples of a few: Plants, Community and Government, Matter, Economics and Business, Maps and Geography, Weather , Geology, etc. Students are given requirements, rubrics, due dates, and resources to complete the units. Individual and cooperative work elements are included in each unit. Effort "Above and Beyond" is expected!

Reading

Reading curriculum is based on thematic units, Café, Reader's Workshop, and TSC's textbook adoption scope and sequence. Students are assigned 20 minutes of self-selected reading with a bookmark to be initialed each night and over weekends. Students are also expected to meet Reading Log requirements each quarter for part of the Reading grade.

Writing

Writing assignments are made daily and are incorporated into thematic, language, and Reading assignments.

Students are also required to write daily in their Writer's Notebooks. It is the student's responsibility to make sure and take home the Writer's Notebook if he/she knows an entry is not completed when assigned.

Math

3rd grade students' math grade level was determined by tests taken at the end of last year/BOY testing at start of year. 2nd grade students will take tests to determine math instruction needs. The TSC adopted math series will be supplemented to meet the needs of HA students. Math homework is assigned Monday through Friday.

Attendance Policy

Attendance is crucial for success in the 2/3 Multiage class. Because much of the curriculum is taught through discussion and class research, one day out of class cannot truly be “made-up.” In preparation for intermediate grades, it is the students' responsibility to make sure all missed work is completed. Assignments due on the day of absence are due upon return to school (see Homework Procedures). Arrangements should be made to pick up assignments the day a student is absent so he/she does not fall behind (this will require someone to stop by school prior to 4:00). Parents should sign the Absent Work form when the student has completed all work. Please communicate absences, tardies, leaving early with me! Send me an email - I will also share this information with the Office Staff - it helps so much when we can plan ahead or when your child is unexpectedly absent, if I can start communicating lessons/assignments early in the day.

Room 18's Discipline Plan

Classroom Government Principles (based on the "Do the Right Thing" philosophy)

“Do the Right Thing” and “Treat People Right”

· Cooperation

· Integrity

· Perseverance

· Respect

· Responsibility

Mini-Economy Guidelines

· Each student will have a classroom job for which they will earn income. Students earn bonuses or are fined according to their success practicing the Do the Right Thing principles.

· Quarterly Incentives and an auction at the end of the year are incentives for the students to do the right thing and earn money, and to avoid fines that deplete their savings.

· Other rewards and incentives are available for the class and individuals to earn. Students’ behavior and attitudes in other areas of school (i.e. specials, lunch, and recess) when aligned with Do the Right Thing principles will be rewarded by accumulating points and earning privileges and special occasions.

· If necessary, students who struggle to do the right thing will have additional strategies/plans added and if needed, a conference with their parents and teacher to develop an individual behavior plan.

Discipline Levels 2013

Five Zones of Discipline 2013 color

Mayflower Mill Elementary Vision

We believe all students deserve a safe and structured learning environment. We believe all students deserve to be surrounded by dedicated adults who believe in them, encourage them, and have high expectations for their success. We believe all students deserve teachers who utilize a wide variety of instructional strategies to help them achieve. We believe all students deserve opportunities to experience the world around them and to become productive citizens in a global society. We also believe that parents are our partners in education and play a key role in student success. As a school community, we will strive each day to give all of our students the tools they need to become responsible well-educated citizens.

2/3 Class Daily Pledge

I am proud to be a student at Mayflower Mill.

Today I will do the right thing and treat people right.

I promise to be the best I can be!

Mrs. Harshbarger's Grading Policies

Grading Scale

A+ 100

A 94-99

A- 90-93

B+ 88-89

B 84-87

B- 80-83

C+ 78-79

C 74-77

C- 70-73

D+ 68-69

D 64-67

D- 60-63

F below 60

*Any work turned in late will automatically receive a letter grade deduction per day unless the homework pass is used.

*Avoiding plagiarism is an important topic the High Ability teaching team teaches to our students. Students will be taught how to write without plagiarizing. Thus, plagiarism will not be tolerated and could result in grade deductions.

*A grading rubric will be given to students when they are working on a project. Usually, this will be provided at the beginning of the project so that the students know what is expected of them. The rubric will list point values for each part of the project and will be used to determine the grade earned on the project.

*Work that is not completed at the capability of the student will be completed again; however, the original grade will stand. (Certain circumstances may allow students to earn an additional grade.)