Hello! Welcome to Semester 2! I am excited to continue working with all of my students and their families! You may reference this syllabus throughout this semester to get a better understanding of the expectations in my class but let’s be honest, we know things will change a bit as we learn more about this grading system. This will be a challenge but I’m glad to have you all on my side! Link to my complete syllabus: HERE Alright, what is actually changing Semester 2? Grading and HOW we grade. San Diego Unified will be making the switch to Standards Based Grading in middle and high school as they have in elementary already. Teachers will be getting trained for all of those changes at a later date but to help everyone with the transition, we are making small tweaks now:
Non academic aspects will be removed from the academic grade-- In my class, the only change you will see is that students will be graded based on correct/incorrect answers rather than effort based as I was grading. This means that students need to ask for help before they submit assignments and that they will not be getting credit simply for trying. They can revise assignments if they receive a low score the first time. Students will be provided with additional practice opportunities, which will benefit their learning and ultimately their grade. Please encourage your students to complete this extra practice.
Retakes and revisions will be available for assignments and assessments (with limitations)-- In my class this means that students will be able to retake quizzes (YAY!). They have already been able to redo assignments so that will continue. To keep everyone sane, this is my plan for retakes/revisions:
Assignments can be revised through the duration of the chapter. For example: If we are working on Chapter 6, they have until 1 week after we end Chapter 6 to revise assignments. They will need to notify me when they do make revisions so that I can update their grade.
Quizzes can be retaken for 2 weeks following the original quiz date. Students will retake an alternate version of the first quiz and the better score will be used. Since students can study, ask questions and use their notes on quizzes and retakes, they should not need countless retakes.
Basics of our class: -We have a Zoom meeting every other day on an A/B Day schedule (available on the Lewis website). To join, students must click the link available on our Google Classroom. -We use Google Classroom to make announcements, post assignments and make resources available. There you can find my notes, video lessons and information about logging into our outside resources. -We use Formative/GoFormative during nearly every class. To log in, students can use the directions linked in every assignment but it can also be found HERE. -Accurate, up-to-date grades can be found onPowerSchool Parent Portal . I do not update Google Classroom grades (it’s redundant) so do not rely on that! -Tutoring: I regularly check Formative to answer questions since students can message me directly (they can click on the blue dialogue box under the problem number and a chat will pop up under the problem!). This is your student’s best bet to getting questions answered quickly. I tend to focus my time on Formative during 2-3pm so that students can expect to get help during that time. I currently offer Zoom help by appointment and availability. -Cameras: Although I understand that students are not always able to turn cameras on, it helps me to teach and connect with students when I can SEE their faces. Any encouragement that you can give them to turn their cameras on is appreciated! -Citizenship Grade: Because students are not required to turn on their cameras, this means that I will be relying on their participation through unmuting and verbally speaking, Zoom chat or private Zoom chat. If a student is unresponsive, I have to assume that they are not actually “attending” class and citizenship grades will be docked.
Technology Issues If a student is experiencing any technical difficulties and cannot attend class or complete assignments, please contact me immediately. To remedy their tech issues, students and families can call the SDUSD Online Learning Technical Support Line at (619) 732-1400. Hours Mon.-Fri. 8am-5pm and Sat. 9am-1pm. Parents and students can also visit the Technology Support for Families website where they can learn more about troubleshooting tips, wifi options, signing in to applications and more.