Classroom Rules and Discipline Contract
Churchill Home

Please read the attached student contract.  You should turn in a copy that both you and your parent or guardian have signed to indicate that you both have read and understand the requirements of this course.

Rules    
1. Cleanliness/Food and Drink
    Please help me keep my room clean!  Our janitors have so much to do with the bathrooms and cafeteria, they cannot sweep my floors everyday or mop them very often.  So, I will have to live in any garbage you leave behind.  This means no throwing of paper wads, even if directed toward the wastepaper basket.  Remember, too, that you should not get up in the middle of a discussion to throw away a piece of paper.

    I will allow candy or gum, BUT only if you take care of your garbage!!  This is a privilege, and if your class leaves my floors and desks sticky or leaves wrappers on the floor, the privilege will be suspended.   (Of course, you should never have candy or gum in your mouth when presenting to class!)  On special days we may all have refreshments together, other than this, you may not bring food or drink into my class.  The only exception to this is water sealed in its original container. 

2.  Seating
    Students must sit in assigned home base  seats. After group work or other activities, you will be responsible for returning your seat to its ordinary position.

3.  Bathroom and Other Hall Privileges
    Individual trips in and out affect our whole class, distracting attention from learning.  Therefore, students will be allowed to go out only in special circumstances.  Please minimize the disruption to our activities and take care of your needs before or between classes. If you must leave the classroom, please let me know as soon as possible.  Try to schedule any necessary trips for the end of class.  Do not interrupt instruction to ask if you may get a drink, a tissue, or go to the bathroom. You should go to the restroom only in case of emergency.  I realize that everyone has an occasional special problem, but if you do, please keep the disturbance of the class to a minimum.  Simply fill out the class register (black notebook on top of the bookcase near the door), get a pass, and quietly leave the room.  Remember this is ONLY is case of emergency, and if you use up your emergency early in the term, you may be in trouble later.  If you DO NOT use your hall pass, you will receive 12 points of extra credit on your homework/class participation grade.  This is the equivalent of two homework passes.  If you leave only one time, you will still receive 6 points.  If you leave more than twice, you will lose all your points.  NOTE:  If you are not feeling well, let me know before class starts.   

4.  School Materials
    Students must treat school materials with respect.  This means treating books with care, neither marking in them nor dropping and breaking their backs.  Students must also keep their desks clean, refraining from writing on them or putting gum under them.  If you like to doodle during class, pick up a piece of doodle paper from the bookcase near the door!!     

    Please respect my privacy, as well as school property.  You should not get into my cabinets or desk without permission.  You may not ever use my computers without permission.  You should not open or close windows and blinds without asking, or attempt to adjust the heat.  I will do the best I can to regulate the heat and light for everyone’s comfort.  

5.  Talking and other Off-task Behaviors
    Talking off-task is disruptive to all members of the class and must be kept to a minimum.  Talk in our class must be focused on our activities.  You may ask someone a quiet question regarding explanations you missed, page numbers, for example, but for other talk you should raise your hand. I will give you one warning, but after that, I will assign my own detention hall. If you are talking excessively in class, you will need the time in detention hall to make up the work you are missing.  For talking and other minor problems, you will attend detention hall in my classroom for 20 minutes after school, or during lunch, if you prefer.  After the first detention hall, you will serve 40 minutes.  If you have been assigned two detention halls in my class, I will call your parents or guardians and discuss the problem with them.  If you do not attend the assigned detention hall in my classroom, I will call your parent, and for the next problem, I will assign a regular Friday detention hall.  For more serious problems, such as obscene or abusive language, I will write up a discipline referral.
    Discussion is a very important part of our class, but for us to even hear each other, we must obey the rules of conversation, waiting our turns and responding respectfully to each others’ ideas.  We all have different values and ideas.  We can learn from each other, and we must be tolerant.  This includes using appropriate language.  Obscene language offends many people, and is not appropriate for this public sphere.  It is also against school rules.
    You must show respect to me as well as to fellow students.  If you have a problem with me, if you disagree with some class activity or procedure, please talk to me about it in private.  Loud complaints or “whining” can affect the atmosphere and the progress of the entire class.  I want to hear your concerns and problems, but in the proper situation, where we can discuss them more fully.  I will be available after school on Tuesday and Thursday to talk with you and help you with the work for my class.
    Having your book and taking an active part in our discussions is very important in English class.  If you do not have your book, you cannot participate in our activities.  I will give you one warning, but after that I will subtract 10 points from your daily grade.  You will always have something to do in my class, so please never do work for other classes.  If I find you doing other work or sleeping during our activities, I will assess a 6 point penalty to your daily/homework grade.  I will notify you with a small yellow post-it note.

6.  Attendance  
    Absences and tardies powerfully hurt your performance in class.  Try not to miss this class.  If you have something that must be done during school hours, please do it during a non-core class.  Do not ask to miss my class to do make-up work or take a test for another teacher.  If you must be absent for a field trip or other activity, try to let me know in advance, so I can give you the work you will miss. 
     You should not wait until the bell rings to enter class.  I will take roll and begin our work as soon as the bell rings, and you should be seated and prepared, with book, pen, and paper ready.  Please also remain in your seats until the bell.  No herding to the door!!  I will try never to keep you over, but I will expect you to remain seated until the bell rings and I dismiss you.
    Tardies will be written up according to school rules, with a Friday detention after the third.  If you are tardy, please do not make matters worse by interrupting your classmates with questions about the instructions and assignments you missed.  Try to figure it out, and wait until I have a chance to help you.