Welcome to my class!
This website is a resource for both my students and their families. It is designed to:
Please use MICROSOFT TEAMS for:
The Vancouver School Board provides a free Microsoft Office 365 account for all students. This account allows students to use Microsoft Teams and provides every family with a free copy of all Microsoft Office programs, including Word, PowerPoint and OneNote.
Instructions for logging in to your free Office 365 account can be found here:
- Act as a digital course outline that you can access throughout the year.
- Provide information that will help you improve your study habits, research skills and academic writing.
Please use MICROSOFT TEAMS for:
- Daily course updates
- Keeping track of assignments, due dates and upcoming events
- Downloading extra copies of materials
- Accessing the digital version of your textbook for completing work at home
The Vancouver School Board provides a free Microsoft Office 365 account for all students. This account allows students to use Microsoft Teams and provides every family with a free copy of all Microsoft Office programs, including Word, PowerPoint and OneNote.
Instructions for logging in to your free Office 365 account can be found here:
Once you have your Office 365 account set up, ensure you have the following programs downloaded onto any devices you will use for schoolwork as we will use them regularly in our class:
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Student Responsibilities
- Keep the lines of communication open. I am here to help you succeed, but I can't help you with a problem that I don't know about.
- Arrive on time with all your materials and be ready to learn when the bell rings.
- Keep track of your own materials, assignments and important dates.
- Do your OWN WORK in YOUR OWN WORDS. When you Google information or do other research to help you with homework, CITE YOUR SOURCES.
- Manage your time wisely so that you can stay on pace and reduce your stress.
- Work to develop and display a growth mindset throughout the year.
- Cooperate with me and with your classmates both online and in person.
- Show respect for yourself, for me, for your classmates and for the materials in our classroom.
- Use technology responsibly and follow online etiquette guidelines when participating in our digital classroom on Teams.
Classroom Policies:
Standards-Based Grading:
I do not use traditional letter grades or percentages to evaluate assignments. Instead I will assess your work based on how well it demonstrates understanding of the course standards. The standards are different for English and Social Studies courses, but the proficiency scale that I will use to assess your work is the same.
- The focus is on providing feedback that will help you identify your strengths and show you what to work on so you can grow and improve. Generally, you will receive some feedback before an assignment is due, so you have a chance to revise and improve it before the deadline.
- Your course mark reflects what you are currently capable of doing. Earlier mistakes and struggles with new ideas and skills are not factored into your final mark.
- You can learning more about Standards-Based Grading here.
Submitting Assignments:
Assignments are due by 3:30pm on the due date.
Instructions for logging in to Office 365 and submitting assignments electronically via Teams:
- They may be submitted in class to the hand in bin on my desk, or they may be submitted electronically by uploading them to Microsoft Teams.
- Please do not submit assignments to me in any other way as they may get lost or misplaced.
- Assignments turned in during class time should be printed and ready to hand in at the start of class. Do not expect to spend class time printing documents or working on assignments.
- Please use Office 365 apps to complete your assignments if you are going to be submitting them on Teams.
- If you need to type or print your assignment, but do not have access to a computer or printer at home, please see me as soon as possible to make alternate arrangements.
- If you will be unable to complete a task as assigned for any other reason, please bring this to my attention immediately, so we can solve the problem, and you can complete the assignment successfully.
Instructions for logging in to Office 365 and submitting assignments electronically via Teams:
Late Work:
I do not take off late marks, but a pattern of late work will impact your work habits mark.
SOME IMPORTANT ADVICE:
- I allow for some flexibility around handing in assignments to give everyone the extra time they may need to correct mistakes, get help when they are confused, deal with technical difficulties, etc.
- To help people manage their time and stay on track, there is a final deadline. Work is due by 3:30 pm on the due date.
SOME IMPORTANT ADVICE:
- Prevent stress by staying on pace, so you don't fall behind and miss the due date.
- Work to the best of your ability at all times, so you are properly challenged and working at the right pace for you.
- If you are having difficulty, ask for help right away, so you can get back on track.
Blended Learning:
Blended learning is the combination of online and offline learning activities, which means you will be expected to participate actively in both our face-to-face and digital classrooms. We will use technology to help:
- Create more time for me to provide more support and feedback to you during class time.
- You have more control over the time, place, path and pace of your learning.
Cell Phones:
We will be doing a lot of blended learning in our class, so you will be allowed to use your phone for learning activities, but cell phones are also a potential distraction. Please follow these guidelines for appropriate cell phone use:
- You may charge your phone at the back of the room or keep it in your back pack when it is not needed for a learning activity.
- You may use your phone to listen to music if it helps you focus during individual work.
- If you are using your phone for an activity, try putting it in "Do Not Disturb" or "Airplane" mode to avoid being distracted by texts and notifications.
