Herscher High School
P. O. Box 504
Herscher, IL 60901-0504
English Department
815-426-2103
August 19, 2014
Dear parent/guardian:
I am pleased to be working with your son/daughter this school year. At Herscher High School, the staff of the English Department takes pride in the curriculum offered to students to prepare them for their future goals: college, vocational, or the work force. I look forward to meeting you and will make every effort to keep you informed regarding the progress of your son/daughter. In order to help you understand my expectations, I have included a list of classroom rules and procedures, which I believe to be fair, reasonable, and necessary in establishing a positive, productive classroom where each individual may reach his/her potential. In addition, I encourage you to attend our Parent/Teacher Conferences on
October 9 from 4-8 p.m. or October 10 from 8-1 p.m.
Please read the procedures and sign the attached agreement form. Students should return this signed and dated agreement to me by Friday, August 22 . Also by that date, if this is your student’s first time in my classroom, please complete my survey regarding your student’s learning styles at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/multipleintelligence . If completing the survey on paper would be more convenient, please let me know. I have paper copies available. This survey will provide invaluable information on how you and your student think he/she learns best. Finally, I would request that your student obtain a folder by Friday, August 22, to be used only for English class . Students may bring in their own folder or buy one from me for a quarter. We will use these folders daily to keep track of our progress with the Common Core State Standards.
Please feel free to visit my web page on the school website ( http://www.hcusd2.org
). There you will find information on schedules, assignments, notes, and other documents. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me at the high school. Thank you for your cooperation.
Sincerely,
Kathy Schmidt
English Instructor
Best time to contact me: 11:50 - 1:10
815-426-2103 Ext. 6227 schmidtk@hcusd2.org
** PLEASE NOTE THAT I USE CATEGORY PERCENTAGES TO CALCULATE GRADES. This is not the same as total points earned out of total points possible.

Rules and Procedures
I believe that the following rules and procedures are necessary in order to maintain an efficient, productive, and enjoyable classroom environment. These rules help to clarify my expectations.
Rules:
1.
Pushing, shoving and running will NOT be allowed at any time.
2.
Students must be in their seats before the second bell for attendance. They may not leave their seats without permission.
3.
Students must be prepared for class. They should bring ALL materials needed, including textbook, pen, paper, folder and assignment notebook . All eating, drinking and sleeping must be done before or after class. Also, due to allergy issues, NO NUT PRODUCTS are allowed in this room.
4.
Every individual will be treated with RESPECT . Students will raise their hands to address the teacher or the class. The classroom must be quiet during announcements, instruction, etc.
Remember, respect is a two-way street!
5.
School property will also be treated respectfully. At the beginning of the period, students are asked to report any writing found on their desks. They will not be held responsible for the damages, but the desks can be kept clean and the potential writers can be identified.
6.
Cussing and hurtful teasing will NOT be allowed at any time.
7.
Personal electronic devices must be set to silent mode or turned off unless I request their use.
These devices will not be seen or heard without my permission. After a student’s second offense, his/her phone will be banned from my classroom. If I see it return, I will confiscate it and the student will receive a referral.
Procedures:
1.
Students will lose half credit if their homework is not turned in when first collected. Students will be allowed six (6) hall passes per semester. These passes may be used for restroom or locker purposes. Once students have used their passes, they will receive a tardy slip for trips to the restroom or to their lockers. Students who do not use their passes will receive three (3) extra credit points toward their homework averages at the end of each semester.
2.
Students are responsible for completing all work missed during their absences.
3.
GRADING SCALE:
A = 90-100
B = 80-89
C = 70-79
D = 60-69
F = 0-59
POLICY: 35% TESTS
35% WRITING/PROJECTS*
15% QUIZZES
15% HOMEWORK (including participation, attitude, and improvement)
4.
A student must fulfill the research paper requirement or he/she will fail the semester regardless of the semester grade.*

Rewards and Consequences
Although I believe in and prefer intrinsic, or internal, motivation, the following rewards and consequences may also help to motivate students to cooperate and achieve in our classroom. Students may be rewarded individually and/or as a class when they follow the classroom rules. Following are lists of potential rewards that students could earn. Students who choose to break classroom rules will receive the consequences listed below in the order given, according to the student handbook. However, the severity clause will be used in cases of extreme misbehavior.
REWARDS :

1 to 1 praise

Candy/treats

Chat time at the end of the class period

Extra credit opportunities
CONSEQUENCES:
1 st consequence = Warning
2 nd
consequence = (If needed, move student away from peers) 1 referral (stay in class)
3 rd
consequence = class dismissal via referral
Severity Clause = CLASS DISMISSAL—Go directly to Vice Principal
* SUBS RULE: I expect students to behave BETTER for a substitute teacher than they do for me!
Consequences above will result if a bad report is given.
Cut here and return to class:
Mrs. Schmidt—English, Room 227
We, the undersigned, certify that we agree to the fairness and appropriateness of the rules, procedures, rewards, and consequences noted. We affirm that these are reasonable expectations and will make every effort to act in accordance with them and/or to encourage our son/daughter to do so.
Student: _______________________________
Parent or Guardian: _______________________________
Parent/Guardian Email Address: _______________________________
(Please include this to enable communication through Outlook and/or Remind. Thanks!)
Date: _______________________________