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• Students are expected to attend every class having read assigned material or prepared assigned homework. You are asked to carefully consider the impact of your absences from class and to refrain from scheduling appointments, club meetings, teacher conferences, and other activities during your designated class time.
  
  
• Students are expected to be in class on time, ready to work with the proper materials (book, pen, paper and completed assignments). You will not be excused to retrieve any forgotten items. Chronic late arrivals to class will naturally result in a lowered grade, in accordance with Canton High School's lateness policy. Students who arrive late and miss a quiz will not be allowed to make it up. Unexcused absences will result in a zero for all work for that day, including quizzes and tests.
  
  
• Students will engage in a variety of listening and speaking experiences ranging from informal discussions to formal presentations. Good organizational habits will be stressed. Participation is also a key factor to success in this class. I need to hear each student's ideas, and it is important for each student to express his/her opinion clearly and logically on a frequent basis. There will be a participation/preparation/decorum grade given quarterly to each student. It is imperative that each student be courteous and attentive to the teacher and other students.
  
  
• Students are required to strictly adhere to courteous viewing protocol when screening films. When watching films, it is essential that you concentrate on what you see and hear, keep a film log during and refrain from talking during the movie. You will be encouraged to talk and ask questions about the movie after the screening and during class discussions.  Any student who does not adhere to these guidelines will be asked to leave the room and will receive a zero for the day.
  
  
• No food is permitted in the classroom. Bottled water is acceptable. (top)

Materials

• Three-ring binder with dividers for notes, film and litertaure logs, and handouts.

Homework/Classwork

• You will be given a weekly assignment sheet. Assignments and due dates will also be posted online at smartscion.com. Please click on the homework link on your course’s home page. It is your responsibility to know what is due and when it is due so you will be prepared for class. Absence is not an acceptable reason for missing an assignment or being unprepared for class when you return.
  
  
• All essays and other assignments are due at the beginning of class on the date assigned. Late work will receive a 10-point per day grade reduction, and will not be accepted after 2 days, resulting in a zero for the assignment. If a serious injury, illness, or other emergency seems likely to prevent you from meeting a deadline, make arrangements or communicate with me before the assignment is due. If no prior arrangement has been made, late penalties will ensue. Computer, printer, or email problems are not acceptable reasons for late work; be prepared to back up your work so it can be turned in on time.
  
  
• If you miss class for any reason other than those outlined above, it is your responsibility to arrange to turn your work in on time. If you have missed a due date because of an unforeseen illness or emergency, you must provide me with documentation of your excused absence in order to receive an appropriate extension.
  
  
• A significant portion of class time is devoted to viewing films. Students will be expected to adhere to the film viewing guidelines outlined above under attendance/decorum. In the event of absence, it will be the student's responsibility to rent a copy of the movie and make up missed sessions on his or her own in a timely manner. Scheduling does not permit in-school make-up viewing of movies, nor is it my policy to loan copies of DVDs.
  
  
• There will be no make-ups given for unannounced quizzes; you will be excused if you have an excused absence.
  
  
• Make-ups for announced quizzes and tests must be arranged promptly upon your return to class after an excused absence, and must be completed in a timely manner. Be aware that make-up quizzes and tests will generally be prepared in a different format than the original quiz or test.
  
  
• Students are expected to know Canton High School’s policy on plagiarism.  It will be fully enforced in this class. (top)

Grading

• Homework assignments, quizzes, literature and film logs, and other graded in-class assignments are counted as 40% of your quarter grade.
• Major assignments, papers, and screening reports are counted as 50% of your quarter grade.
• Class participation/preparation/decorum is counted as 10% of your grade.

Extra Help/Communication

• I am available for extra help by appointment.
• Students and parents should feel free to email me with their questions at ckurt@cantonschools.org.