These are all encompassing for each grade level of our society.  We always follow in the footsteps of our Lord, the rules of St Mary of the Mills (located in the handbook), and these procedures as well.  How lovely a learning environment we will have when all members of society follow them!

Back to school procedures for Mrs. Gambogi’s class
Entering the classroom
-    Line up in hallway against lockers and wait for teacher to meet you at the door- talking stops.
-    Take bellwork if there is some on the shelf right of door
-    Go to your seat
-    Place your not needed items in front of your feet or behind your seat.  If room, use inside of desk. A sharpened pencil is a much needed item.  
-    Pull out your chair, sit down, and do bell work.  This will be collected after 5 minutes and will count towards your classwork grade.
Attendance/ Lunch
-    For my 6th graders, while you do your bell work I will take attendance while the secretary preprares for any absentee homework 
-    Messenger takes any messages, etc to Mrs Harzer's office
Coming prepared
-    All classes will have materials needed for class, and always will have a chapter book to read.  Sharpened pencils, black or blue pens, paper, and highlighter are needed every day.  If you are using a spiral for paper I'm ok with that, but paper must be able to be ripped out with no "hangers- on."
 Bell work
-  Every class will have bellwork to do the very first moment you arrive.  It may be a journal entry, a worksheet of sorts by the door, or it will be on the board.  You are to enter appropriately, get your bellwork, then sit and do it.  You have 5 minutes to complete, without any talking or noise making, and it counts toward your classwork grade.  When finished put it in your grade's box. Put your pen down and read your book till teacher directs for next activity.
Going to the bathroom/ Drink of water/Locker/ Hand signals
-    You miss instruction when you leave.  Period.  I can’t make up what you did not hear, and out of respect for your classmates, you may not ask what you missed when you return.  When you complete your work and there are a few minutes left, you may use the restroom.  Please use it at snack, lunch and recess.  If you are sick,however, by all means just Go!
-     Hold up two fingers for the bathroom and three fingers for water.  I will either nod or shake my head simply because you need to hear what I/other classmates are saying.  It is not a punishment.  I promise you will be busy and we work before play so there will be time to move around during class.  If you are bored offer it up and straighten up!  Your locker is off limits.  It is loud and that just means you came unprepared.  That goes against your classwork grade.  Don’t go against your classwork grade….
-    When my hand goes up, so does yours, and then mouths become clpsed.  I don’t yell, and you break my heart when you do not follow the rules.
Behavior Management
    (on separate paper)
 Rewards/Consequences
    (on separate paper)
 School rules
-    In this class we follow the St Mary of the Mills rules in the handbook to the fullest.  It is so much nicer and easier to be happy.  We have rules in place not for you to agree,to but to adhere to.  Period.
Movement in the room
-    You are in your desk, seated facing forward, both feet on floor, unless we are doing group work where you may turn around or walk around.  If you need a tissue, just get up and get it, stay by the box with the garbage can, do what you went there to do and then return to your desk with minimum distraction.  No talking or noise other than that which comes from your nose is allowed.
-    If you have allergies or a cold and push forward coming to school then BRAVA!  You may keep a box of tissues and a brown paper tissue bag by your desk to make yourself a bit more comfy.  Just don’t get me sick or you get a sub
Supplies
-   You must, MUST, have all the supplies required, labeled with your name and grade on them.  Your agenda is how you stay organized- write your assignments every day in your agenda.  Any other special items you may write in there as well as long as they relate to remembering a date- sports, a party, etc.  I will be looking in these from time to time as well as your family so take ownership and take pride!
Pencil sharpening
-    This may not and will not happen during class time.  When you are in your homeroom that is the time to sharpen. Not in my class.  You have a personal sharpener to use but you may not get up to dump the contents till I dismiss you.  No mechanical pencils in this class!
 Noise level
-    No noise is to come from any part of you at any time that is not deemed appropriate.
-    Unless it is group work, you are not talking, singing, humming, sucking your cheeks, whistling, chomping teeth, rolling pens, tearing paper, tapping feet tapping pens etc- NADA!  It is disprespectful to others who need a quiet environment.  If you find this super hard, then come see me and lets talk about it.
-    Group work will be fun but we need to work as a crew.  If everyone talks at the same time no one listens and everyone gets frustrated.  This is a skill I promise we will work on.  
-    Zero tolerance for hateful or blatant verbal or emotionally verbal behaviors.  Refer to behavior management
Desk orginization
-    The only items on your desk at any time is a writing instrument, water bottle and the book we are using.  That’s it! Everything else in one pile on floor in front of your feet or behind your seat.  
-    My 6th graders we will do desk checks and desk cleanouts.  You must be organized to have a happy, joyful school life.  Rewards to those who can do this without reminders!
Keeping work organized
-    HEADING- this is muy importante! Every time you are going to write you need to head it.  Your journal, rough drafts, classwork, group work, homework, tests, HEAD IT.  No proper heading = no full points.
-    Heading is to look like this:
Name                                Month Day, Year
Your #                                Assignment
-    Your notebooks and folders are all color coded for a reason.  If you are red, green or yellow then you are for ELA.  Easy to find in your locker, and easy to match in class.  One folder is for your novel work, the other is a great one for taking homework or tests home to be signed.
-    When I return work to you, it will depend on how to handle it.  Some items may be yours to decide what to do with.  Packs of your work will be sent home at report card time.
-    Part of your job as a student is to know where all your stuff is.  If you put it on my desk and do not tell me, good luck.  If you stuff it in your locker consider it toast. Our ELA room will have designated places for your work to turn in.  If you do not, there is no excuse.  I do not want you to hand me or anyone else anything unless the situation deems.  So from your hands to the appropriate bins, and we should have no problemos.
Handing out papers/ Collecting papers
-  Paper collector will collect any papers needed.  
-      Flip your work over so paper collector cannot see the heading.  Be gentle- this is your hard work in your hand.  You ruin then you have to do it over; yeppers- you have to do it over for your classmate.
-    If there is an absentee, the secretary must say kindly to paper collectorthat there will be a need for two.  ONLY the SECRETARY MAY GET UP to put the work in the appropriate area needed for the absentee.
-    Homework will be collected by paper collector after we have gone over it.  There may be times that we just will collect it so again face down to be collected
-    The teacher will be the only one to return graded tests/papers to be respectful to the students
 Student Numbers
-    6th graders will have a number from 1-__.   When classwork is collected by secretary in hand or homework collected in the bin, these will be put in number order by the secretary or myself and will go in the bins with the green numbered clothespin.  
-    7th graders will have a number from 1-__.  When classwork/homework is collected in hand or in the bin, these will be put in number order by the teacher or secretary and will go in bins with yellow clothespins
-    8th graders will have a number from 1-__.  Same above with the red clothespins.
 Lableing assessments
-    The word assessment  means how I can account for your learning.  We have assessments as simple as thumbs up, middle, or down to show understanding. Homework is an assessment, as are tests, and projects. St Mary School considers 80% to mean mastery.  If you are on track, you are all good.
 Quality of work
-    Neatness.  That’s it muchachos.  No crossouts, no scribbling, no wrinkles, ABSOLUTELY no sketching, pictures (unless part of the assignment) no doodling no stains, no rips.  This goes for classwork, seatwork, homework, tests,  papers, rough drafts, BOOKS (that’s vandalism, a biggie so don’t go there please) the whole enchilada.This is YOUR WORK!  Show me you care, prove to me you were focused, and show me you take pride in what represents you.  I will not think twice by making you redo it.  This will count as a late grade.  If you are unsure, write in pencil.  If you are really unsure, then come see me and lets talk about it.
 Turning in work
-    Pretty much think we covered it.  Reminder- never NEVER on my desk.  Never put it in my hand and walk away.  There is a place for everything, your work is EVERYTHING to ME and YOU, so put it in it’s place!
Transitions
- This means when we switch to another activity.  I will give ample time and warning when we are ending something then starting something new.  I may play music, I may even sing.  Bottom line is you will know when it’s coming.
 Finishing early
- First and foremost CHECK YOUR WORK THEN CHECK it AGAIN! No name loses points, un- neatness loses points, not following directions( written or verbal) loses points.  If you are one of the first ones done, you may want to check yourself before you wreck yourself
- You have a book.  I know you do because you signed the course outline.  READ!  No doodling, no staring off into space, no sleeping (if I can’t then neither can you).  If you really have something to finish then come see me and let’s talk about it but you are not allowed to go to your locker to get it.  
Working independently
- This is so important and so hard for many of you.  Working independently means by yourself.  Which means you do not ask me or another classmate what the directions were or if you were doing it right or what comes next.  You take the directions, you sit quietly at your desk facing forward feet straight and you work.  I am here to help and will rush to your aide but don’t ask me to re-explain.  I repeat myself a lot.  You should not want to hear my voice anymore at some point.  Trust in yourself.  God helps those who help themselves!
Working in groups
- This is so important and so hard for many of you.  Working in groups means you can give/take directions from your peers, you can share your opinons and criticism respectfully, you can help each other out.  What it does NOT mean is that others do the work and you copy, others do your work period, or you do not pariticpate with your crew.  Enjoy being part of the crew and learning from each other.  Your participation grade and classwork grade is based on how your CREW did, not just you.  Work together, be patient together, and be creative together. And hey, you get to talk!
Classroom jobs
    - 6th graders will refer to the iServe board.  Jobs change every month.   
        - Librarian- checks in and out the books on clipboard and keeps the books on shelves neat and orderly looking
        - Geek Squad- (2)- smartboard, computer, chrome books, tv; if it needs electricity then you are my guys!
        - Secretary- takes care of absent paperwork
        - Paper Collector- pass out and collect papers
        - Messenger take messages to the front office/teachers
        - Custodian- during carpool checks for messy desks and floors
    - 7th and 8th graders will have a geek squad, and messenger (one of each though)
 Library in room
- You are more than welcome to use your classroom library when allowed.  You are to check in with the librarian with a book to return or check out.  When there is DEAR time you may read in different places in the room- the rug (but no laying down), stools, floor. We can’t do fabric pillows, etc for health reasons. You will be quiet the entire time- not even a whisper.  I will periodically ask you questions so you need to READ not look like you are reading.  The consequence for faking me out is severe, so just don’t.
 Using technology    
    - We will be using the chromebooks in our classroom.  You will need to be able to send me your homework from home via google docs and also be able to print your essays/papers at home to turn in.  Come talk to me if this will be a problem.  Just because you have interenet at home does not mean you will  want to type your rough draft out on your smartphone.
    - This class website is mselasociety.wixsite.com/languagearts Your weekly homework will be on this website HOWEVER will change daily in class, SOOOOO.   you need to write your assignments down in your agenda EVERYDAY! An agenda and a pencil never rely on electricity to work.
 Drinks in class
    - Water in a water bottle is fine.  It will need to stay on your desk, not on the floor.  Anything other than water in anything other than a water bottle will become mine till dismissal.
 Recess Procedures/ Lunch Procedures/ Playground Behavior
    - refer to after being told
 Lining up
    - When you are leaving from this room to go to mass or an assembly, lunch other area (not your next class) you are to line up in MASS ORDER unless Imust move you, which will break my heart.
    - When leaving for your next class you line up holding your belongings, one student behind the other.  Be considerate and use an inside voice and walk single file.  No cut-sies, no saving spots, just line up and move along when directed.
 Fire and emergency drills
    - If the fire alarm goes off, you line up in number order quietly.  It is imperative for you to be quiet so no one panics.  We walk out our front door left then quick right down the stairs( the ones we never use regularly) and out through the parking lot till we reach the YMCA.  
    - if there is another weather type drill I have the checklist and we will practice it now
- if there is a lockdown, there is a special way we have to be in this room.  We will practice it now.
- remember no matter what, God has us and we will pray together until we know it is over
 Absent/Tardy
    - If you are tardy we follow the rules of SMMS.  Whatever you missed come see me after class.  I understand that parents and appointments make this happen.  If I find out from your parents that you are the reason this is happening then there will be a work related consequence.
    - Absenteeism happens.  The secretary of the class will have your work packet put together.  It is up to you to ask someone to come up to the school to get it.  We will follow the school rules in how many days you have to make it up.  If you miss tests  you will retake the next day with me  during lunch or after school and it will be a different test.  If you miss a project to turn in it is due the day you return.  Come and see me if you need to talk more about this.
Homework board
    - Homework will be assigned and on the board.  So will objectives so you will always know what we are working on.  If you need copies of these to have in front of you let me know.  It is up to you to have your homework written though; work on a time that works best for you to copy it.  Remember, keeping your agenda current is part of your classwork grade 

Agenda books - you are to have one; it is a school rule.  If you don’t, come see me.  It is part of your classwork grade to have it up to date.  
Packing up/ Dismissal procedures
    - 6th graders- when you return to homeroom it may seem like a chaotic time.  We need to make it less so.  Come into the room to your desk.  Put your stuff down and take a thinking breath.  Take out your agenda, and make sure it is all good.  Then go to your locker with items you don’t need to get your bag and items you do need.  We will do this staggered so CARPOOL 1 will go first, CARPOOL 2 EXTENDED CARE go second.  Plenty of time to write your assignments and plenty of time to make sure you are packed up ready to go.  Do not goof around (you know what I mean- no loud voices, physical feats, etc.)  When you are done packing up and you don’t have a job take a seat.  You may talk quietly. I know you are stoked to leave; trust me I get it.
   - When the bell rings that is for ME not you.  The bell tells Mrs G to stop and end class.   When I say class dismissed you are to get out of your seat, collect your belongings, push in your chair, line up at the door one behind the other with space.  Walk single file in the hallway against the lockers on the right.  All of this is done SILENTLY.

 

GRADING POLICY

Homework- 10%

Classwork/Participation- 20%

Tests- 30%

Papers/Projects- 40%