Syllabus
COURSE SYLLABUS
Language Arts 7th Grade 2023-2024
Welcome! I am Mrs. Brissey, your English teacher, and I look forward to working with you.
Why you need to read the rest of this syllabus:
You should consider this syllabus as a contract between you (the student) and me (the teacher). It includes all the policies and procedures you need to know to complete this course successfully, as well as the behavior that I expect of all of my students. For my part, I will honor all the specifications laid out in this document. No changes will be made without notice being given in the Course News area. Students with documented IEPs or 504 plans will be given accommodations appropriate for their individual plans. Contact the school's Special Education department for more information.
Contacting the Teacher
It is your responsibility to contact me with any questions you may have. Don't wait until the last minute--when a question arises, ask it early. When you have questions about course content or assignments, email me right away. You can also call my office phone--see the Teacher Contact section for this information.
If technical difficulties prevent you from contacting me online, please call my office phone. You may also text me at the same number. Just be sure to include your name in the text.
Course Activities
Course activities may include:
Reading online text and transcripts
Viewing and streaming video
Listening to audio recordings and pronunciations
Completing hands-on and virtual activities
Participating in threaded discussions with teachers and fellow students in a live class
Reading or listening to teacher announcements
Completing online self-check exercises
Reading and completing teacher-created instructional materials
Graded assignments may include:
Online or paper-based worksheets and practice sets
Quizzes
Exams (unit, semester and final)
Essays, research papers, and other writing assignments
Presentations
All graded assignments are either automatically scored by the K12 Learning Management System, or they are teacher-scored, which means scored by me.
Course Policies
Attendance and Activity
Students are expected to log in to this course daily. While the length of time that students spend working on assignments may vary, the expectation is that you will spend approximately 60 minutes on coursework each day.
Daily Student Responsibilities
Every time you enter the course and before completing any classwork,
Read any announcements I posted since the last time you entered the course.
Review the Calendar to see what lessons and assignments you are to complete that day.
Complete all lessons and assignments (both graded and nongraded) as indicated on the Class Plan before the end of the day.
Submit assignments to me through the Assignment tool, unless they are scored by the computer. Assignments sent by e-mail will not be accepted unless you've made prior arrangements with me.
Before you log out of the course,
Make sure you have completed all of the work for the day, including the nongraded lesson work.
Getting Help with Classwork
This course is going to be challenging. When you encounter difficulty with course content,
First revisit the lesson to make sure you read (or listened to) all content.
Next email me with questions regarding the coursework.
If it is urgent or private, contact me using the phone number (I will respond within 24 hours).
Communication with Teacher and Classmates
Some things to keep in mind when communicating with other students:
Respect the privacy and wishes of your fellow students.
Flaming, spamming, bullying or other unwanted contact, including inappropriate message content or attachments, will be considered a breach of this policy. Infractions may result in disciplinary action by the school administration.
Teacher Availability and Communications
After the first two weeks of school, you'll have a lot more freedom in your daily schedule. This goes for teachers as well! This means that, although we're both working in the course every day, we may be working at very different times of the day. When you and I happen to be online and working at the same time, I might not be immediately available. Most of my day is spent teaching, responding to student questions, grading and returning assignments, and answering e-mails and phone messages. Feel free to contact me when needed, but please understand that I might be in the middle of one of these tasks or helping another student at the time. You may need to leave me a message if you call or wait for a short time to receive answers online.
Emails and phone messages will be returned no later than one school day.
If you would like to schedule time for a private conference, please make the request at least three to five days before the day you are available. The more notice you provide me, the more likely I can be available at a time that is best for you and/or your parent/Learning Coach.
Due Dates
The Class Plan will list which lessons and assignments you need to complete each day. You'll also find assignment due dates in the Course Details area of your student landing page. It is important that you stick to the course schedule indicated on the Calendar and in the Weekly Announcements, as well as the due dates for each assignment. Staying on schedule allows you to learn along with your classmates.
Late Policy--PLEASE READ CAREFULLY
Graded assignments--whether teacher scored or computer scored--must be completed and submitted no later than midnight on the due date.
Academic Integrity (Cheating and Plagiarism)
Students who submit work as their own, when it is not wholly and completely their own, are guilty of cheating and/or plagiarism and will receive a grade of zero on the entire assignment.
Assisting other students in cheating or plagiarism is also considered academic dishonesty, and students who do this will receive a grade of zero on their assignment as well.
The first time students fail to cite the source of information in an essay or research paper, they will be advised of proper citation methods. Further infractions will result in the students receiving a grade of zero on the assignment.
Students who are found guilty of cheating or plagiarism more than once will be referred to the school administration for breach of the school's Behavior Code.
I may use technology that helps prevent cheating for some tests. Before these tests, you will be prompted to install software on your computer. You will be required to install this software before taking the assessment. Once you access the test, you will be unable to copy, paste, or open new browser windows or programs during the assessment. If you experience any difficulty, contact K12 Customer Care for assistance.
Attendance
Regular and daily attendance is required.
Submitting Assignments and File Types
Names of files you submit
Files you submit to me through the Assignment tool should have a filename that indicates which assignment it is, followed by your first initial and last name. Some examples include "U4L3RSmith" (unit 4 lesson 3 for Robert Smith) or "PersuaEssyRSmith" (Persuasive Essay for Robert Smith).
Always use the Assignment tool
I will only accept teacher-graded assignments submitted through the Assignment tool. Assignments sent to me through e-mail will be returned to be submitted through the Assignment tool. If for some reason you are unable to submit assignments through the Assignment tool, or assignments you submit are not being returned to you, contact me immediately. We will make alternate arrangements for you to get the assignments to me for grading.
File type and size
At all times, attempt to keep the size of files you submit less than 3 MB. Unless otherwise indicated in the assignment directions, the only file types you should submit to me are .doc, .docx .txt, and .tif. Assignments in other formats will be returned for resubmission. I cannot open or grade assignments completed in Pages from Mac computers.
Expectations of Difficulty, Participation, and Time Commitment
Students often find that going to school online takes longer and is more difficult than going to school in a traditional setting. Be prepared for this course and online schooling in general to be a little more difficult than you might expect. If you are not spending at least 60 minutes on this course each day, you're probably not doing enough to pass. If this is happening, make an appointment to meet with me or visit me during Office Hours so we can review what you are doing each day. If you need help in working out a personal schedule, staying motivated, or creating an effective home learning environment, contact your homeroom teacher. This is your first point of contact.
Grading Policy
In the Course Home on the left side is the Assessment section. In it you will find a summary of the graded assignments for this course. You will notice that some types of assignments are worth more points, overall, than others. For example, it is very possible to take only computer-scored quizzes in this course and get an A on each one, but still fail the course. This would happen because computer-scored quizzes make up a small percentage of the total points in the course.
When an assignment is to be submitted to me as an electronic file, I will only accept these through the course Assignment tool. If you have technical difficulties using the Assignment tool, contact me immediately to make other arrangements.
I will grade and return all teacher-scored assignments within five school days (sooner whenever possible). When these assignments are returned, you are expected to open them and read the feedback I provide. Use this feedback to improve your work on future assignments.
Grade Reporting
Your Gradebook will always display points earned vs. points possible, as well as percentage grades.
Assignments will be graded and (in most cases) returned to you in five school days. Grades will appear in your online Gradebook, and feedback to your work will most often be included directly in the files returned to you.
Contact Information:
Teacher: Mrs. Shannon Brissey
E-mail Address: [email protected]
Phone: (803) 881-9022
Office Hours: 8am-4pm, Monday through Friday
Language Arts 7th Grade 2023-2024
Welcome! I am Mrs. Brissey, your English teacher, and I look forward to working with you.
Why you need to read the rest of this syllabus:
You should consider this syllabus as a contract between you (the student) and me (the teacher). It includes all the policies and procedures you need to know to complete this course successfully, as well as the behavior that I expect of all of my students. For my part, I will honor all the specifications laid out in this document. No changes will be made without notice being given in the Course News area. Students with documented IEPs or 504 plans will be given accommodations appropriate for their individual plans. Contact the school's Special Education department for more information.
Contacting the Teacher
It is your responsibility to contact me with any questions you may have. Don't wait until the last minute--when a question arises, ask it early. When you have questions about course content or assignments, email me right away. You can also call my office phone--see the Teacher Contact section for this information.
If technical difficulties prevent you from contacting me online, please call my office phone. You may also text me at the same number. Just be sure to include your name in the text.
Course Activities
Course activities may include:
Reading online text and transcripts
Viewing and streaming video
Listening to audio recordings and pronunciations
Completing hands-on and virtual activities
Participating in threaded discussions with teachers and fellow students in a live class
Reading or listening to teacher announcements
Completing online self-check exercises
Reading and completing teacher-created instructional materials
Graded assignments may include:
Online or paper-based worksheets and practice sets
Quizzes
Exams (unit, semester and final)
Essays, research papers, and other writing assignments
Presentations
All graded assignments are either automatically scored by the K12 Learning Management System, or they are teacher-scored, which means scored by me.
Course Policies
Attendance and Activity
Students are expected to log in to this course daily. While the length of time that students spend working on assignments may vary, the expectation is that you will spend approximately 60 minutes on coursework each day.
Daily Student Responsibilities
Every time you enter the course and before completing any classwork,
Read any announcements I posted since the last time you entered the course.
Review the Calendar to see what lessons and assignments you are to complete that day.
Complete all lessons and assignments (both graded and nongraded) as indicated on the Class Plan before the end of the day.
Submit assignments to me through the Assignment tool, unless they are scored by the computer. Assignments sent by e-mail will not be accepted unless you've made prior arrangements with me.
Before you log out of the course,
Make sure you have completed all of the work for the day, including the nongraded lesson work.
Getting Help with Classwork
This course is going to be challenging. When you encounter difficulty with course content,
First revisit the lesson to make sure you read (or listened to) all content.
Next email me with questions regarding the coursework.
If it is urgent or private, contact me using the phone number (I will respond within 24 hours).
Communication with Teacher and Classmates
Some things to keep in mind when communicating with other students:
Respect the privacy and wishes of your fellow students.
Flaming, spamming, bullying or other unwanted contact, including inappropriate message content or attachments, will be considered a breach of this policy. Infractions may result in disciplinary action by the school administration.
Teacher Availability and Communications
After the first two weeks of school, you'll have a lot more freedom in your daily schedule. This goes for teachers as well! This means that, although we're both working in the course every day, we may be working at very different times of the day. When you and I happen to be online and working at the same time, I might not be immediately available. Most of my day is spent teaching, responding to student questions, grading and returning assignments, and answering e-mails and phone messages. Feel free to contact me when needed, but please understand that I might be in the middle of one of these tasks or helping another student at the time. You may need to leave me a message if you call or wait for a short time to receive answers online.
Emails and phone messages will be returned no later than one school day.
If you would like to schedule time for a private conference, please make the request at least three to five days before the day you are available. The more notice you provide me, the more likely I can be available at a time that is best for you and/or your parent/Learning Coach.
Due Dates
The Class Plan will list which lessons and assignments you need to complete each day. You'll also find assignment due dates in the Course Details area of your student landing page. It is important that you stick to the course schedule indicated on the Calendar and in the Weekly Announcements, as well as the due dates for each assignment. Staying on schedule allows you to learn along with your classmates.
Late Policy--PLEASE READ CAREFULLY
Graded assignments--whether teacher scored or computer scored--must be completed and submitted no later than midnight on the due date.
- Zeros will be entered the Monday after an assignment is due.
- You will be able to submit late assignments (beyond five days) to convert zeros to 50%, but be advised of the following cut-off dates: For USA Test Prep assignments, you can only submit overdue work for the current Quarter. Example: If the first nine weeks has ended, it is too late to go back and turn in missing work from that quarter. Some exceptions may be granted.
- I am always willing to discuss the late submission of work past the above-listed deadlines. Please contact me directly as soon as possible to find out if late submission is an option.
- I will grant due date extensions on assignments under some circumstances. You should never assume that I will automatically grant these requests, however. Due date extensions must be requested before the due date of the assignment and on a school day. Requests received on the due date, past the due date, or on a non-school day will most likely not be granted.
Academic Integrity (Cheating and Plagiarism)
Students who submit work as their own, when it is not wholly and completely their own, are guilty of cheating and/or plagiarism and will receive a grade of zero on the entire assignment.
Assisting other students in cheating or plagiarism is also considered academic dishonesty, and students who do this will receive a grade of zero on their assignment as well.
The first time students fail to cite the source of information in an essay or research paper, they will be advised of proper citation methods. Further infractions will result in the students receiving a grade of zero on the assignment.
Students who are found guilty of cheating or plagiarism more than once will be referred to the school administration for breach of the school's Behavior Code.
I may use technology that helps prevent cheating for some tests. Before these tests, you will be prompted to install software on your computer. You will be required to install this software before taking the assessment. Once you access the test, you will be unable to copy, paste, or open new browser windows or programs during the assessment. If you experience any difficulty, contact K12 Customer Care for assistance.
Attendance
Regular and daily attendance is required.
- You must log in to the course and complete the scheduled work every school day.
- Unless otherwise specified, course log in is required even when assignments occur offline, as you are expected to review any updated announcements daily.
- You should expect to spend 60 minutes each day reading, responding, and completing other activities, both online and offline.
- If you know you will not be able to log in to the course on any given day, please contact me immediately by e-mail. If you encounter technical difficulties, contact me by phone or email. You can view the "Fire Drill" assignment (through my webpage) to still complete work and receive credit.
- Students who continually fail to enter the course and show progress will be referred to FAST and/or school administration.
Submitting Assignments and File Types
Names of files you submit
Files you submit to me through the Assignment tool should have a filename that indicates which assignment it is, followed by your first initial and last name. Some examples include "U4L3RSmith" (unit 4 lesson 3 for Robert Smith) or "PersuaEssyRSmith" (Persuasive Essay for Robert Smith).
Always use the Assignment tool
I will only accept teacher-graded assignments submitted through the Assignment tool. Assignments sent to me through e-mail will be returned to be submitted through the Assignment tool. If for some reason you are unable to submit assignments through the Assignment tool, or assignments you submit are not being returned to you, contact me immediately. We will make alternate arrangements for you to get the assignments to me for grading.
File type and size
At all times, attempt to keep the size of files you submit less than 3 MB. Unless otherwise indicated in the assignment directions, the only file types you should submit to me are .doc, .docx .txt, and .tif. Assignments in other formats will be returned for resubmission. I cannot open or grade assignments completed in Pages from Mac computers.
Expectations of Difficulty, Participation, and Time Commitment
Students often find that going to school online takes longer and is more difficult than going to school in a traditional setting. Be prepared for this course and online schooling in general to be a little more difficult than you might expect. If you are not spending at least 60 minutes on this course each day, you're probably not doing enough to pass. If this is happening, make an appointment to meet with me or visit me during Office Hours so we can review what you are doing each day. If you need help in working out a personal schedule, staying motivated, or creating an effective home learning environment, contact your homeroom teacher. This is your first point of contact.
Grading Policy
In the Course Home on the left side is the Assessment section. In it you will find a summary of the graded assignments for this course. You will notice that some types of assignments are worth more points, overall, than others. For example, it is very possible to take only computer-scored quizzes in this course and get an A on each one, but still fail the course. This would happen because computer-scored quizzes make up a small percentage of the total points in the course.
When an assignment is to be submitted to me as an electronic file, I will only accept these through the course Assignment tool. If you have technical difficulties using the Assignment tool, contact me immediately to make other arrangements.
I will grade and return all teacher-scored assignments within five school days (sooner whenever possible). When these assignments are returned, you are expected to open them and read the feedback I provide. Use this feedback to improve your work on future assignments.
Grade Reporting
Your Gradebook will always display points earned vs. points possible, as well as percentage grades.
Assignments will be graded and (in most cases) returned to you in five school days. Grades will appear in your online Gradebook, and feedback to your work will most often be included directly in the files returned to you.
Contact Information:
Teacher: Mrs. Shannon Brissey
E-mail Address: [email protected]
Phone: (803) 881-9022
Office Hours: 8am-4pm, Monday through Friday