10th Grade AVID Syllabus

General course information

Faculty Name Madame MILLER
Course Title
Description

Room Number
Course Website
Office Hours
Faculty Contact
Information

10th Grade AVID

This is a year-long, academic, elective course meant to help students attain the
skills required to be accepted in and prepared for a four year college or
university.
LA11
http://madamemillerhilhi.weebly.com/
Before and after school, and by appointment
503-844-1980 x3829 EMAIL is the best way to reach me.
millert@hsd.k12.or.us

Welcome to AVID:
Advancement via individual determination (AVID) is a course designed to prepare individually
determined students to experience post-secondary success. Each week students receive
instruction utilizing a rigorous college preparatory curriculum provided by AVID Center, tutorfacilitated study groups, motivational activities, and academic success skills. In AVID, students
participate in activities that incorporate strategies focused on writing, inquiry, collaboration, study
skills, organization and reading to support academic success.
Note to Parents:
To be successful in AVID, students must keep an organized binder (which includes all resources
outlined in the binder grade sheet), use the Cornell way study strategy in all academic classes.
Furthermore students will be expected to participate in class and complete homework assignments
each night on time. Respectful, mature, academic behaviors are expected at all times. If there are
concerns regarding these expectations the teacher is available in person, by phone, or email to
address possible issues and/or conflicts.
Learner Domains
Character Develop Students will practice self awareness, goal setting, community and school involv
ment
ement, and ownership of learning.
Communication
Students will speak and listen in a variety of settings in the AVID classroom.
Writing
Students will learn about the writing process and build writing skills through aca
demic applications.
Inquiry
Students will be able to apply Costas levels of thinking, collaborate with peers i
n tutorials, and discuss issues from text in structured academic settings.
Collaboration
Organization

Students will practice a variety of different positive peer interaction skills approp
riate for the classroom.
Students will refine skills and strategies around organization of academic resour
ces (binders), time management, note-taking, technologically-aided research, t
est preparation, and test taking.

Reading

Students will interpret complex academic vocabulary and learn strategies for th
e analysis of text.
College preparedne Students will hear guest speakers, participate in college visit opportunities, and
ss
be educated about the college application process, including entrance testing, a
dmission requirements, and financial aid information.

Course Materials
For this course students need to come prepared with their binders which should contain all of the
work for their other classes as well as all of the supplies that are listed on the binder grading sheet.
Additionally, students should come to class with completed homework assignments that have been
assigned the previous class period.
Assessment
Grading Policy:
The class will be graded using the traditional grading scale outline below (decimals will be rounded
to the nearest whole percent, for example, 89 % = A)
A: 100-90 %
B: 89-80 %
C: 79-70 %
D: 69-60 %
F: 59 % and below
Grades will be based on binder checks, Cornell notes, class participation and expectations regarding
appropriate, academic classroom behaviors (delineated in the Behavior Expectations Guide), and
the completion of assignments done in class and homework. You are expected to submit
assignments on the due dates for credit.
Grading breakdown:
40% will be based on organization, including the completion of quality Cornell notes,
keeping an organized binder and using a planner daily.

40% will be based on participation in class activities including timed writing assignments, in
class projects, reflections, openers, quick writes, etc.

20 % will be based on maintaining appropriate behaviors that are to be expected in any

academic classroom environment and the workplace.

Additionally, all students are expected to maintain at least a C in all classes (colleges generally do
not accept students with Ds), maintain appropriate attendance, and adhere to all classroom and
school-wide behavioral norms. For the student who fails to maintain these expectations, the
following interventions will be pursued (as outlined in the AVID student contract):
Student/Teacher conference
Parent contact
Probationary Contract(s)
Removal from AVID
Make-Up Work:

Absent Work
If you are absent you are given the number of days you were gone plus one to complete
the work that you missed before it becomes late. All work that was assigned prior to your
absence and due on the day you missed is due at the beginning of the period on the day
you return. Information detailing what you missed when you are absent can be found on
my website (http://madamemillerhilhi.weebly.com/). YOU are responsible for obtaining all
missed work.
Late Work
Late notebook/agenda checks, Cornell notes checks, and projects will not be accepted
for credit, period. Turning in assignments late quickly becomes habitual and detrimental to the
overall learning process and should therefore be avoided. Additionally, most college professors
do not accept late work.

Special Cases:
Incomplete (I)
A grade of I will only be issued if a student misses the final days of the term and has work that
needs to be turned in prior to the issuance of a final grade. The student will have 2 weeks to turn in
missing work before the incomplete grade expires and the grade that the student had at the end of
the term will become permanent. Students who do not complete enough work will receive
an F.
No Grade (N)
A grade of N is reserved for students who have transferred from another school without a transfer
grade.
Classroom Conduct
Plagiarism
It is the responsibility of the school to strongly promote academic honesty and integrity. Cheating
will not be tolerated. Any student caught cheating will receive a grade of zero on the assignment.
Subsequent occurrences may result in removal from the class with loss of credit.
Tardies
Students are expected to be in their seats when the final bell rings or they will be marked tardy.
Tardies are a disruption to the educational climate of the classroom.
Consequences for tardies:
1st tardy: warning
2nd tardy: warning
3rd tardy: 1 detention-assigned by teacher
4th tardy: referral-detention assigned by admin
5th tardy -Saturday School-assigned by admin
After 10 tardies, a parent/student/administrator conference will be held.
At the end of Semester One, tardy counts will start over.
Hall Passes
Each student is allowed 2 nontransferable hall passes each semester that I track on your attendance
card. The hall passes may be redeemed for a school pass to leave the classroom. These passes are
given as a privilege. Students may not leave the classroom during the first or last 10 minutes of
class. Once all 2 hall passes have been used, students may not leave the room for any reason.
Unused passes may be turned in at the end of the semester for 5 points extra credit apiece.
Electronic Devices
Hilhi discourages students from bringing personal electronic devices to school (such as iPods, MP3
Players, hand-held games, etc.). Unfortunately, many stolen items are not recovered and the
student suffers a loss. If students must bring a cell phone to school, we suggest that they only use
it before and after school, or during lunch break. The general rule with electronic devices is using
them at the appropriate time and in the appropriate place.
It is the students responsibility to use electronic devices responsibly, if the teacher deems that the
electronic device is detracting from the learning of a student the device will be turned into the office
per the school electronics policy.
Food
Food and drink (other than water) is not permitted during class, unless I give it to you.

Parents and guardians: Please review the syllabus via: http://madamemillerhilhi.weebly.com/

with your student. You and your student have access to the syllabus, class assignments and
homework via: http://madamemillerhilhi.weebly.com/.

If you would like a paper copy of this document, please have your student request it, or email me
directly, and I will send one home with your son or daughter.

If you have any questions, please talk with your student. If there are still uncertainties, please
contact me. I am available after school from 3:30- 4p.m. and later most days.
--------------- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Student: I have read and understand the course guidelines and am aware of what is expected of
me in AVID. I know that I am responsible for my actions, homework and learning.
(In place of making an additional paper copy of this document, you will sign a class sheet,
acknowledging that we have reviewed the Syllabus together, in class.)
Student Name __________________________________________________________
Student Signature _________________________

___Date ___________

(Not this year: In order to receive full credit, this last page of the syllabus must be returned with
both signature lines completed by the next class period.) Please refer to the syllabus on the
website for later reference. Thank your for understanding the desire to save money and our trees.