Welcome Letter & Syllabus for 8 th Grade AVID
Dear Rhodes Families,
Welcome to the 2015-16 school year at Rhodes Junior High. Your student’s 8th grade year at Rhodes is going to be a very exciting and challenging one. My name is Marissa Beaith, and I am the 8th grade AVID teacher. I think it is very commendable that your student has the desire to go above and beyond by taking Honors level classes. I will do my best to help your student be successful in these classes, and to prepare for high school, university, and career. I’d like to share some information about the AVID elective with you in the syllabus below. By providing this syllabus, I hope to give you the information you need to support your student throughout the year.
Educationally yours,
Marissa Beaith [email protected] 480-472-2368 Weekly Schedule
Our schedule for AVID will be: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday - WICOR activities Tuesday and Thursday - Tutorials Once a week – Binder check
Tutorials: College students will guide student-led groups to help your child with areas of concern in his/her classes. This is not one-on-one tutoring. Students also have tutoring available to them in Math (and other classes, if they ask the teacher) before/after school. Every Monday and Wednesday, your student will complete their tutorial homework, the tutorial request form (TRF). All AVID students are expected to come prepared with a completed TRF every Tuesday and Thursday. If the student does not have the TRF completed, the student will be asked to sit to the side and complete their TRF Pre- Work. Once it has been checked by the teacher, the student will be allowed to participate in the in-class portion. On days where the student comes unprepared, their tutorial can result in a maximum score of 50%.
WICOR: Writing, Inquiry, Collaboration, Organization, and Reading. These important skills will be covered by giving speeches, research, report writing, projects, class discussions, etc. Although students will spend some homework time on WICOR activities, I will ensure that it is kept to a minimum.
Binder checks: All AVID students are required to have the following supplies (by Friday, August 21): 2” – 3” 3-ring binder Lined notebook paper 1 divider for each class (Pocket dividers preferred) A pencil pouch with highlighters, pencils, pens, and colored pens or pencils A composition notebook, just for AVID
Some but not all of these materials are provided to your child by the school. Not having these supplies will have a negative impact on your child’s grade. Each week, binders will be checked to ensure they have the required organization supplies, are organized, have completed TRFs, and have Cornell-style notes from each subject. Discipline
My classroom discipline plan integrates Rhode’ POP (Positive Outstanding People) program. The 3 B’s of POP encompass all the expectations I have for my students. They are: Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Safe. My one classroom rule is: You can do anything you want to do, so long as it doesn’t bother anyone or interfere with the class. If your student should require some extra attention from me because of inappropriate behavior, the consequence will fit the action. Possible consequences are: reminder (warning), an incident report, time- out in another classroom, before- or after-school detention, a parent meeting, or an office referral.
Absences & Late Work
Each day’s work will be described on the calendar on my Rhodes website, and all relevant documents will be attached: http://www.mpsaz.org/rhodes/staff/mmbeaith/avidcalendar/
It is your student’s responsibility to check the website and get instructions for any assignments he/she missed while absent. If Internet access is not available at home, your student should arrange to come in before or after school to use the classroom computers. After an absence, your child should also visit the Monday through Friday folders in the classroom to retrieve any papers he/she did not receive.
If your student is having trouble completing a missed activity by using the computer calendar & classroom folders, he/she should schedule time before or after school to get help. I will be at school daily from 8:15-4:15 at a minimum. It is best to schedule help, rather than drop-in, so I can make sure I don’t have a meeting or other obligation. However, I also welcome students to take a chance and knock at my door to see if I’m available.
After an absence, 2 days will be given per day absent to finish make-up work. For late work, the assignment will lose 10% of its point value, per day late, starting on the day due. Once the assignment has dropped to 50% of its point value, it will drop no further. All assignments can be turned in, up until the end of the quarter.
Grades
Grades will consist of points given for class assignments, projects, tutorials, and binder checks. I will round grades to the next letter grade, if they are within 0.5% of the next letter grade.
You and your child have the opportunity to see current grades before any progress reports or report cards are sent home, by logging onto the Parent Portal. Grades are available for parent and student access 24/7 via https://mymps.mpsaz.org/#parents & https://mymps.mpsaz.org/#students . If you are unable to log on, please contact the 8th grade Counselor, Dr. Maria Ramirez at 480-472-2288.
Students earning lower than a “C” in their classes at the end of each quarter will be put on AVID probation. A probation letter will be sent home for a parent signature. A meeting will be held between the student and teacher & the student and counselor, at which time they will be given a time period to show improvement. If the student does not show satisfactory improvement, he/she will be removed from AVID.
Parent Communication
Parents can receive text message reminders from the teacher, for binder checks, tutorials, etc.
To subscribe to text message reminders: 1. Enter this number to send a text message: 81010 2. Enter the class code: @missbeait 3. Send the message & follow any prompts that it texts back to you. Parents can also receive weekly email blasts. Please write all email addresses on the signature page. PARENT & STUDENT SIGNATURE PAGE This page & the AVID Contract are due on Tuesday, August 18.
Parent and student signatures below indicate they accept the policies of Ms. Beaith’s 8th grade AVID Class
We are coming to Open House (Thursday, August 27, 6-8pm). Yes ___ No ___ Not sure yet ___
Student name ______
Student signature ______
Parent/guardian name ______
Parent/guardian phone number(s)______
Parent/guradian signature ______
Parent/guardian email(s) – home, work, etc.
______
______
______
______
Please complete these questions, so I may best help your child: (Use the back or attach paper, if needed)
1. Does your student have special needs/hearing or sight concerns/medical issues/allergies, of which I should be aware?
2. Does your student need special seating in the classroom?
3. Is there anything else that you would like for me to know about your family or your student?