Leadership Development and Healthy Lifestyles Course
Midway Middle School
Dear Parent or Guardian,
My name is Debi Barnett and I will be teaching your child the Midway Middle School Leadership
Development and Healthy Lifestyles Course. I look forward to the opportunity of challenging your child in a
process to discover their leadership potential and how to live and maintain a healthy lifestyle. This course
will involve a variety of activities including team building exercises, hands on projects, stimulating
discussions and cooperative learning. My hope is that this course will teach your child the skills necessary
to be successful in school, with their peers and their future life experiences. I hope the information in this
syllabus will help us work together to have a successful and productive year.
TOPICS:
Semester I: Leadership Development Topics
Personality and Learning Styles
Study Skills/Goal Setting/Relationship Skills
Career/Academies of Study
7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens Book by Sean Covey
Semester II: Healthy Lifestyles Topics
Bones & Muscles, Nutrition, Systems of the Body, Consumer Safety
Environmental Safety, Tobacco, Drugs, Alcohol, DARE Program
Instructional Technology: We incorporate media into our curriculum throughout the year. Your signature
on the acknowledgement form gives permission for your child to participate and view these instructional
resources. Examples of media used for instructional purposes: Wall-E (Environmental Studies), Radio,
Remember the Titans, Glory Road, Dead Poets Society (7 Habits Book/Leadership), Make You Think
Character Videos, Super-Size Me (Nutrition Unit), etc.
GRADING:
Evaluation (tests) 40% Practice (daily work) 30% Application (projects) 30%
Make-Up Work due to Excused Absences:
It is the responsibility of the student to find out what assignments they missed during his/her absence and
pick up their missed work on the day they return to class. The student will be informed of the location in
the classroom where they can find their missed assignments.
Assignments:
Students will be given an appropriate amount of time to complete the majority of their work in class if they
use their time wisely. For projects or assignments that will require some work at home, a due date will be
given. A good way to be aware of what assignments or projects require work at home and due dates,
check their planner or the online Parent Access Center. You may register for the PAC on the midway
website.
If a student does not turn in an assignment or is absent, the Secondary Grading Procedures for 20112012 (found on the midway website) will apply:
Late Work:
When students do not turn in assignments on the due date, they will have the opportunity to turn them in
as late work before receiving a zero. These are the specific guidelines for Midway Middle School:
The teacher is not required to accept late work more than three days after the due date. Late work may
receive a deduction of up to 30 points when received after the due date (not to exceed a total deduction of
30 points). Assignments not graded on a 100-point scale may be reduced up to 30% when received after
the due date.
Opportunities to Re-Do Assignments:
When a student receives a grade below 70, the following guidelines exist for his/her opportunity to
re-do the assignment:
Practice and Application Categories – It is NOT required that students be allowed to re-do assignments
for which they receive a grade below 70 in either the practice or application category.
Evaluation Category - A student will receive an opportunity to be re-evaluated when he/she receives a
grade below 70% in the evaluation category. In order for re-evaluation to occur, the student will participate
in the re-teaching process as determined by the teacher. The re-evaluation score will replace the original
score with a maximum grade of 70%. The re-evaluation process must take place within 5 school days of
receiving the initial grade below 70.
Classroom Behavior:
Students will be expected to follow the Midway Middle School Discipline Plan. Within the classroom, we
will review the Expected Behaviors for the following categories: Safety, Responsibility and Respect.
Students will learn how to evaluate their behavior using the decision-making strategy of STOP, THINK,
ACT. Students will also learn the PAUSE expectations for our school environment:
Be POSITIVE, ACCEPT everyone, Listen and Understand, Be SAFE, and
ENCOURAGE others.
Supplies:
1) Planner and Folder (provided by school) $5 charge
2) Black or Blue writing pen/pencil/eraser
3) Red checking pen
4) Highlighter
5) Notebook Paper
Planners:
This year every student at the Middle School will be using a planner. The planner will be utilized in every
classroom. This will need to stay with them AT ALL TIMES! If they lose their planner, they will need to
purchase another one for $5.00. The purpose of the planner is to begin to teach your child some
organizational skills as well as communicate with you, the parent. Your support in checking your child’s
planner daily is necessary to maintain consistency and success in the process.
Contact Information:
If you should ever have any questions or concerns, please feel free to give me a call or email.
Conference period: 2:30-3:20pm Monday through Friday.
Email: debra.barnett@midwayisd.org
School Phone: 254-761-5680
Leadership Development and Healthy Lifestyles
Course Acknowledgement Form
Midway Middle School
We have read the syllabus and understand our responsibility.
Date: ______________________
_________________________________________________________________
Parent Signature
_________________________________________________________________
Email of Parent to be contacted (Please print neatly)
Phone Number of Parent to be contacted
_________________________________________________________________
Student Signature
_________________________________________________________________