Welcome All Parents and Students to Ms

Welcome all parents and students to Mrs. Etter’s classroom!

My name is Mrs. Lizz Etter and I am so excited to embark on the wonderful journey of learning we are going to share together this year. This is my eleventh year at Kell and I will be team teaching your child United States History, along with Coach Jonathan Gordon (3rd and 4th blocks only). Just a quick note, this year I will be on maternity leave from mid-November until students return in January. Although I love social studies, I recognize many of you do not. So, I make a promise to you…if you follow my rules, you will enjoy my class. I expect you to come to class each day prepared, enthusiastic, and ready to participate in discussions. My class may be different from others you have had because I require you to think, form an opinion, and make decisions. These skills will enable you to become a competent and active citizen in today’s world. This method of learning relies on discussion, so participation is vital in ensuring our productivity. I ask that when you come into class you remember to respect your classmates, the classroom environment, yourself, and me. I prefer to handle all discipline problems in a private meeting between the student and myself. However, if the need exists I have no problem involving parents and administration. Remember all the people mentioned above all have the same goal – to keep your best interests at heart and ensure you receive an excellent education. Along with respect comes cultural sensitivity. We will encounter many different cultures and people in my class and they must all be treated with respect. Under no circumstances will prejudiced comments be tolerated. Parents will be contacted after one warning. The skills I want you to gain can only be achieved by having an open mind. Hopefully, you all have high academic goals you have set for yourself. I will do everything in my power to help you achieve your goals, perform well on assessments, and enjoy our time together. I will offer many fun and original activities where you can show your creativity and understanding of the assessment. I do offer chances to gain bonus points by receiving bonus cards. These are worth two points on any assignment and are given when: I hear insightful comments, I see a student helping another student, I see a vast improvement in behavior, etc. I will always do my best to make sure you do your best. However, I must remind you that if you enter the classroom with a bad attitude and no dedication than you will perform poorly, and not be able to take full advantage of the opportunity I present to you. In an effort to reach various learning styles and use differentiation in relaying the content to the students, I try to teach the information in different ways. One thing I like to do is use film. Hollywood has done such an amazing job recreating significant historical events into cinema it would be a crime not to use it in the classroom. Some of the films I show are rated “R” and “PG-13” but I assure you that each of them have educational value; some are: Amistad, Andersonville, Cinderella Man, Forrest Gump, Glory, Pearl Harbor, and documentaries that are not rated (ie: Eyes on the Prize ). The reason these films carry a higher parental rating is due to violence and period appropriate language. There are two places for you to sign below. One indicates your child may watch these films, one says they may not and will receive an alternate assignment. Communication is integral to success in this course. Progress reports will be sent home every six weeks (school policy), and all grades will be kept up to date online. Be sure to check the blog for important information: http://www.cobblearning.net/etter/category/us-history/”. I can be contacted anytime through email, which is: [email protected]. With that being said I would love to have a way to contact parents, so if you would provide your email below I would greatly appreciate it. Also, please establish contact with me by sending me an email (that way I have it on file) and simply put your child’s name in the subject box. I ask that you sign below to form a contract that all the information presented is understood, and that we will all work as a team to ensure your successfulness in my class. Again I look forward to getting to know each and everyone of you!

______Student name (printed) Parent signature My child may watch the films listed above for academic reasons.

______Student Signature ______Parent signature My child may not watch PG-13 and/or R rated films

Parent Email

Sincerely, Lizz Etter