E-Mail: bimurphy@wsfcs.k12.nc.us

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West Forsyth High School

About Myself

I am entering my 6th year as a Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) Military Science Teacher here at West Forsyth High School. After a 22 year decorated career in the U.S. Army, I retired as a First Sergeant, 82^nd Airborne.  I taught at James Monroe High School in Los Angeles California for 15 years, where I was selected Teacher of the Year for Los Angeles Unified School District, before returning to North Carolina. I am a graduate of Southern Illinois University with a teaching certificate from the University of Los Angeles California. I look forward to partnering with you in the nurturing and education of your young adult.

Materials

Be prepared for class. Please bring a pen/pencil, paper, three to five subject notebook to class each day. Failure to do so could result in loss of points for class participation.

Class Guidelines

Rules:

1. Respect
2. Participate
3. Raise your hand

All rules in the student handbook will be strictly upheld in this classroom, including tardies and dress code.

Restroom passes are given only in emergencies

*Cheating in any form will result in an automatic zero on that paper (test, quiz or homework). Other disciplinary actions with regards to cheating may also be taken in accordance with the student handbook.

JROTC Grading Procedure

The semester (final grade) will be composed of:

A.  75% of the 1^st and 2^nd Term (Quarter) grades (and the 3^rd and 4^th Terms)

B.                 25% of the Final Assessment grade (Elective courses give the Final Assessments in lieu of final exams or end-of-course tests)

Each term (quarter) (approximately ten weeks in length) will be graded as follows:

A.     40%: Academics: five to six objectives

B.     25%: Merits: weekly objectives evaluation based on wearing the uniform as prescribed (called dress outs). NOTE: Failure to wear the uniform weekly as prescribed will result in a grade for the entire quarter.

C.     25%: Leadership/Followership: this is a continuous, subjective evaluation based on willingness, attitude, setting the example (especially with regard to wearing the uniform), responsiveness to directives, and support of fellow cadets.

D.     10%: Extra Curricular Activities: one evaluation (both subjective and objective by testing) based on performance (ability, precision, and appearance) in and out of the classroom.

Tests/Quizzes: Test days are assigned by the administration. Quizzes can be given any day of the week.

Homework: Each day the students will have the opportunity to ask questions about the homework and see the correct answers. Homework will be graded in different ways. Sometimes I will check for completion, sometimes I will collect the homework assignment and check each item, and sometimes homework will be graded by a quiz containing homework items. I do not accept late homework assignments.

Class work: Make sure you come to class with the required materials. Begin all assignments immediately and stay on task. When group or partner work is assigned, begin immediately, do your share of the work, stay on task. Listen, follow instructions. Use your binder properly and do no stuff papers in your textbook. Using your binder properly helps you to be an organized student, which should help with you overall learning and retention. Sleeping in class and doing work for another class in JROTC class are not acceptable.

**Semester grades are averaged numerically.

Make up all work missed.

It is the students responsibility to ask about work missed when absent, to check the teachers website and/or board for assignments made during the absence, to immediately turn in make-up work when it is finished, and turn in work that was assigned before the absence. The best time to ask about work to be made up is before or after school. See the Student Handbook concerning time allowed to make up work. If there are extenuating circumstances, it is your responsibility to make me aware of them and we will together determine the time needed to complete the work.

Taking notes and studying

Taking notes in class: As you begin your notes each day, write the date. Label whatever we are doing in class. Write what is being taught and any examples. Note any page number in your textbook that covers the material. Do not write homework on the same page with notes. If homework is collected you will not have your notes to study.

Studying nightly (in addition to written homework): review and study each night what we have done in class.

1. Notes taken in class
2. Explanations and examples from the textbook
3. Exercises from the book, handouts and/or exercises done in class
4. At the end of each chapter, there are review questions. Please complete these at home and be prepared to discuss them in class the next day.