Dear Parent Or Guardian s17

Dear Parent or Guardian,

I would just like to take a moment to welcome you and your student to my American History II class here at Knightdale High School. American History II is the third of four social studies courses which your student will need to pass in order to graduate from high school in Wake County (the others are World History, American History I, & Civics & Economics). Course credit depends solely on finishing the semester with a cumulative passing average of 70% or higher. The final average will be determined as follows: 1st 9-weeks = 40%, 2nd 9-weeks = 40%, final (state- made) exam = 20%.

I would also like for you to understand how each 9-weeks grade will be determined for the course: Tests & Other Major Assessments 30% Quizzes 15% Writing & Research Activities 25% Document Based Activities 30%

Interim reports will be sent home about every 3 weeks. I strongly encourage you to monitor grades on-line through Home Base, which I update regularly. If you do not have a Home Base account set up, please visit the Wake County Public Schools website at: http://www.wcpss.net/parents/homebase/ for details on how to get for one.

I would like to take this opportunity to provide you with my contact information and to invite you to contact me at any time with concerns, problems, or questions. My school e-mail address is [email protected] . I can also be reached at the school between 7:30 AM and 3:30 PM on school days – the telephone number for the main office is 217-5350. I am always glad to meet with you in person either before school (7-8 AM), during my planning period (1:35 – 3:00 PM), or after school. I would suggest that you schedule appointments through the school’s Student Services office – this allows your student’s guidance counselor to monitor their status and offer helpful suggestions or other support.

This school year, we will be offering curriculum remediation (or “Knight Time”) opportunities during school hours every week. If your student needs remediation opportunities beyond what is provided during school hours, I have set aside Thursday afternoons (3-4 PM) for extended remediation.

Finally, I will provide daily updates to our course syllabus showing what topics were covered each day throughout the semester. I hope that this will help you and your student stay up to date with where we are in class in case of unforeseen absences; the syllabus is accessible from my class website: http://wbphillipskhs.pbworks.com . Please check it regularly – this is where I will post any necessary changes in our schedule, as well as copies of all class materials and resources.

With best regards,

William Brian Phillips

Social Studies Department Chair Knightdale High School