Wednesday, August 08, 2012

NOTES FOR STUDENT/PARENT MEETING ON AUGUST 6, 2012

Prayer:

Lord,
As we begin a new school year, we ask for
The gift of your protection, your blessing on our endeavor, your unrelenting love.
Please help us to train our hearts and minds;
To follow you in the night and in the day;
To give all that we are and all that we could be to your service;
To learn by the candle of Your truth;
To become all that we are meant to be.
In Your name we pray.
Amen

 
Let me welcome all of you here this evening. For some of you students--and since we are home schooling parents, for some parents as well--this time before we begin another year of academic studies is one of high anticipation. We’re ready to fall back into a schedule: we look forward to the challenges of books, calculators, paper, and pen. For others, this is a time of growing dread, when we feel each passing day bringing us closer and closer to “school.” Whichever of these conditions you find yourself in this evening, the fact remains that another academic year is gathering steam to leave the station. The journey is about to begin. My purpose here for the next few minutes is to give some solid information which I hope will make our journey together a little smoother.

I’ll begin with practicalities. These instructions will be repeated on the first day of each seminar.

Church Policies

Trinity Presbyterian has been very good to me and to students and parents these past five years. In return, they ask for the following:
1. Drive the speed limit through this neighborhood. Teen drivers: let me caution you about the round-about near here. Other drivers blithely shoot through that weird little contraption without regard for the right of way rules. Always enter that round-about with great caution.
2. Teen drivers should park away from the church in the side parking lot. The mother’s morning out facility which meets here brings small children into the parking lot. Always, always, always drive with extreme caution on church property.
3. Enter the front of the church through the left hand door. Do not congregate in the foyer. Ministers and church workers have their offices there, and need relative quiet.
4. Walk quietly up the stairs. The secretary of the church and the day care center are both located beneath the stairwell.
5. Do not run inside the church. Do not play soccer, football, or other sports inside the church.
6. Help keep the restrooms clean. Report all plumbing problems to me.

Classroom Policies

When he was president of Washington College, now Washington and Lee University, Robert E. Lee was once asked what rules of behavior the young men at the college were to observe. He replied, “I expect them to behave like gentlemen.” In regard to classroom behavior, I expect you students to behave like ladies and gentlemen. Otherwise, my classroom policies are fairly simple.
1. Don’t eat food during class. You may bring covered drinks into the classroom.
2. You’re welcome to chew gum as long as the rest of us don’t have to hear you doing so.
3. Use the restrooms on the breaks.
4. Unless we’re engaged in an open discussion, you’ll need to raise your hand to make a point or ask a question. Please don’t interrupt me or your classmates.
5. Conversing with your neighbors in class distracts your classmates and your teacher. Refrain from talking during class.
6. Laptops may not be used in the classroom. Cell phones should be turned to “silent” or “off.” If we have a problem with cell phones, we will need to do as we have done in years past and put the phones in a box at the back of the classroom before we open the seminar. If you are expecting an important call--one year a student’s father was undergoing surgery, and she wished to answer the call from the hospital--all you have to do is tell me and we’ll work it out.
7. Do not bully or verbally abuse your classmates. Contumelious speech transforms your teacher from a mild-mannered instructor into the Hulk. It’s not a pretty sight. Whether in the break room or in class, show a kind regard for others.

Academic Policies

This year brings two major changes in regard to my evaluation of your studies.

First, in all classes homework will be checked at the beginning of class and homework quizzes will be commonplace. Second, papers must be delivered on the date set on the syllabus. Except for extreme extenuating circumstances, papers may not be delivered later than that date. Failure to bring the paper on time will result in a grade of 0. At the end of the semester, the lowest grade you’ve earned will be dropped. This condition does not apply to major AP papers.

Bear in mind that the grades given in these courses are my evaluation. Your parents have the right to determine your final grade.

Homework Partners

Each of you will have a partner for the homework. This is the person you will contact if you miss class. Pick someone for a partner who is readily available and who can help you if you miss class. If you can’t contact your partner, call or email me.

Teacher Assistants

As in the past, I have hired from the pool of students who have completed an AP course graders and tutors for your seminars. They will be helping me by evaluating your papers, marking your quizzes and tests, and tutoring you free of charge when necessary. They will assist in leading discussion groups and may at times do special presentations.

Academic Success

To succeed in these seminars means doing the work and coming prepared for class. Below are typical study times for the seminars which, if followed, should give you ample assurance that you are ready for class:
Latin I, II, and III--3 to 4 hours weekly (Latin I for the first two weeks will require less time)
AP Latin--5 to 6 hours weekly
3Rs I and II--3 to 4 hours weekly
English History and Literature--5 to 7 hours weekly (This is a two-subject course.)
All other AP courses--5 to 6 hours weekly

One other tip: the organized student is the student who will do best in class. Check your books and notebooks before leaving home to ensure that you have the proper materials. Carefully mark changes in the syllabus. Make sure you understand the assignments before leaving the classroom. If you don’t understand the general instructions, approach me after class for clarification.

Costs

Not all the fees you have paid for these seminars goes into my pocket. There are expenses: rent paid to the church, extra books bought for classes, copying fees, the National Latin Exams, and payment to the tutors. This year these expenses total approximately $11, 255.00. (For those of you who heard the lower cost at the August 6th meeting, please note that I had failed to calculate correctly payment for the tutors).

You have a great opportunity ahead of you this year. To deepen your knowledge of the past, to study the human heart through poetry and stories, to learn to express your thoughts as clearly as possible, to study the intricacies of an ancient language: all of these endeavors help make your innermost being--what some call the soul--a treasure-house of gold and silver. You are stocking that house with precious objects on which you can draw for the rest of your lives.