Hayfield Economics and Personal Finance Team:

LaTrease Rich, Lead

Kevin Hauser
Paul Meyer
Sharon Paul

Hayfield Secondary School

Business and Information Technology
Economics and Personal Finance (EPF)

Economics and Personal Finance (EPF) is a one-credit course where students learn how to navigate the
financial decisions they must face while learning to make informed decisions related to career
exploration, budgeting, banking, credit, insurance, spending, taxes, saving, investing, buying/leasing a
vehicle, living independently, and inheritance. Development of financial literacy skills and an
understanding of economic principles will provide the basis for responsible citizenship and career
success. In addition to developing personal finance skills, students in the 36-week course will also study
basic occupational skills and concepts in preparation for entry-level employment in the field of finance.
This course prepares students to pass the professional industry certification exam.
This course is a graduation requirement for all students. Current events and media that relate to the
curriculum will be shown in class. Examples of such media include (but are not limited to) biographies,
animation, clips of the newest technology trends, entertainment & sporting events/key plays, news
broadcasts, web pages created by other FCPS students, etc. Students may take this course in conjunction
with Business Cooperative Internship (BCI) to earn while they learn.
Enrollment in Economics and Personal Finance enables students to be members of Future Business
Leaders of America (FBLA), a co-curricular business club. Leadership development is learned
through various FBLA activities that include business meetings, curriculum relevant projects, community
service projects, regional competitive events, leadership conferences, recognition programs, and social
events. I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE your son/daughter to join Hayfields regional and state award
winning FBLA for a rewarding experience!
Back To School Night: September 22, 2016 at 6:00 pm.
SUPPLIES:
loose leaf paper
Blue or black pen/pencil
USB Flash Drive (at least 1G)

Earbuds/headphones
3 ring binder / 2 pocket folder 1
box of Kleenex

LATE WORK: At Hayfield Secondary School, our focus is on student achievement. A students grade
is based on achievement: what he or she knows and is able to demonstrate (mastery learning). All
assignments must be completed in order to accurately assess what a student knows and is able to do so
that appropriate feedback can be given to every student. Teachers, school counselors, and administrators
will ensure that students take advantage of all opportunities to demonstrate mastery of content.
Assignments are given due dates so that learning can progress sequentially in a timely manner. Students
who have not had an adequate opportunity to demonstrate mastery of content because of excused
absences or extenuating circumstances should work with their classroom teachers and school counselor to
complete the missing assignments.
Students who habitually fail to turn in work on the assigned due date will be subject to an academic
intervention. Late work will be accepted with a maximum penalty of 20%. Work will not be accepted
after the unit test has been administered. If there is an overlap between the unit test and the end of the
quarter, then the turn-in deadline will be the last day of the quarter. If the academic intervention was
unsuccessful and no work has been submitted, a failing mark may be assigned.
Hayfield Secondary School Make Up Work Policy:
Excused Absences: Students are fully responsible for completing any missed assignments. Each day of
absence affords one school day of makeup work opportunity. Students have a maximum of ten days to make
up work missed during an excused period of absence. However, the period of time allowed to make up work
may be extended at the discretion of the teacher.
Unexcused Absences: Unexcused absences do not mandate course failure. If students are absent and
unexcused, they cannot earn credit for classroom activities or labs missed as a result. Students may
choose to make up work following unexcused absences and teachers may help the student and parent or
guardian identify missed work, but teachers are not obligated to provide makeup assignments. Make up
work is encouraged so that students will be prepared for future instruction.
Tardy and Attendance Policy: Students arriving to class after the tardy bell are considered tardy.
Students arriving late must sign the tardy log when entering the class room.
GRADING: The students quarter grades will be determined by a total points system. For example, if a
student receives a total of 870 points out of a possible 950, the quarter average would be calculated as
follows: 870/950=91.58%. Activities and projects that are more complex, more independently driven,
and take longer to complete are worth more points than shorter, simpler activities. Students who do not
submit assignments will receive the grade of M. Grades of M will be averaged as zeros and will
changed if students later met the requirements. Assignments will be graded and grades will be posted
within 7 school days after the due date with the understanding that major projects/papers may require
additional time to ensure quality feedback.
Hayfield Honor Code: I promise on my honor not to lie, cheat, or steal. I will promote high ethical
standards, foster unity, contribute to a trustworthy environment, and improve the spirit of Hayfield
Secondary School. If I do not follow this code of conduct, I agree there will be consequences for my
actions.
Final Exam: Students will be given the option to use their score on the W!SE Industry certification
exam and a culminating project in lieu of taking the 150 question final exam. The W!SE industry

certification counts as a student selected SOL test and an industry certification exam as required in order
to earn the Standard Diploma.
Final grades will be calculated using the following percentages:
Final Grade
Each Quarter
Final Exam and Culminating Project

22%
12%

Cheating/Plagiarism: Cheating/plagiarism will not be tolerated. Hayfields policy is based on the idea
that we will treat behavior separately from academic achievement. Any student who has forged, cheated
or plagiarized will be referred to their administrator so their actions can be addressed, documented and
parents contacted.
Computer Policy: You must sit in your ASSIGNED seat at all times. All students agree to properly use
computers when they sign the FCPS computer use policy. Students who violate any provision of the
policy can be prohibited from using computers at any time. Students will maintain the computers in
established format. All computers have been set up to promote efficiency and accessibility. Students will
not change the desktop settings or any other computer settings at any time. No material should be
downloaded from the internet at any time. All student work must be saved to the students network drive
and their flash drive, but NEVER the hard drive.
Classroom Procedures and Expectations: Economics and Personal Finance is a lab class and most work
will be completed at school. It is important that each student arrives on time, maintain good attendance
and remain on task in order to master the course concepts, applications, and competencies. Additional
teacher support is available during SOAR Time as well as after school on Wednesdays, late buses are
available.
Due to room setup and expensive computer equipment, NO FOOD OR DRINKS are allowed in the
classroom. Students may have a water bottle, but it needs to be stored under the desk.
Cellphones and electric devices are not to be visible during lectures, discussion, or quiz/testing periods.
Students will be required to respect the Instructor, their peers, and themselves at all times. Students will
receive detention for repeated violations against classroom rules, and reported to their administrator if
necessary.
Teacher Support: Mrs. Rich will be available for additional help after school on Mondays and
Wednesdays. Additional help will ALWAYS be available upon request. I can be reached at 703-924-4727
or via E-mail at lcrich@fcps.edu
Discipline Plan: If a discipline problem occurs, the instructor will handle the situation with the student
first according to our school wide discipline initiative. If the problem persists, a parent or guardian will
be contacted. If the problem is not resolved, the appropriate administrator will be asked to intervene.
Blatant disrespect will not be tolerated and will receive immediate after school detentions or referrals.

Winter and Spring Break Policy: Hayfield Secondary School celebrates Winter and Spring Break as
family time that is homework free time. No homework will be assigned over the break. If students are
assigned a long-term project that spans the time of the break, include a statement like the following:
Students will have a long-term assignment due sometime after the break. The students will have time in
class to work on it, and, with careful planning, students will have enough time out of class to prepare for the
assignment while keeping the Winter and/or Spring Break homework free.
Please use the links below to verify that you have read and understand this syllabus.
http://tinyurl.com/2016EPFStudent
http://tinyurl.com/EPF2016Parent
Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.
LaTrease Rich, M.Ed.
lcrich@fcps.edu (preferred method of contact)
703-924-4727 (this is a voicemail line)