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Dear Parents: I welcome you and your child to my class and I look forward getting to know their unique personalities. This course is intended to be an enjoyable, stimulating, and somewhat challenging incursion into the study of science. My goal is not only have your child learn the subject matter, but to also learn critical thinking, skills in respectful listening and discussion, self discipline with respect to deadlines, and study skills. Your role in this course is support person. You will need to encourage and monitor your student intermittently while in online class and their progress with the lesson plans and assignments. You will need to monitor online behavior off and one to see that time is not wasted by surfing or chatting or gaming. This seems like an obvious thing, but you would be surprised that there have been parents sign up their kids for an online course and then never do ANYTHING to help. Then, at first quarter, they are shocked to find that their child has done practically nothing, and has been wasting their time on the internet due to parental neglect. I have even had parents leave their online student to attend class AND baby-sit younger children at the same time— this should be an obvious no-no. Please communicate with me as often as you have observations, concerns, suggestions or questions. Your child will have an account with my secure, online grade book that provides parents and students with 24 X 7 access to grades, assignment lists, and due dates, and other course information. I send out emails after updating the grade book. You absolutely need to check out the grade book biweekly at the very least and get your child to turn in work that is missing. If you have received an update notice, and an assignment is listed as missing, assume then, that I have not received it. If your child says he turned it in, get him to show you the work. Some times it didn’t leave the outbox or get posted correctly. Sometimes a student just think that he sent it. :) |
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“Science is the organized knowledge of God’s creation.” Sr. Mary Matthew RSM ~a beloved science teacher from my grade school and high school years. |
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Also, you will need to check the announcement thread of the student link weekly. There won’t be much email for you to answer, but I generally send copies to parents of everything I send to your children. This keeps you “in the loop”. I especially want you to look at assignment corrections and be certain you go over those corrections with your child. Also, Tests are to be proctored by parents and adults— not siblings! That means you must observe your child during the test and make sure all the rules of that test are followed (i.e. keep it closed book) You will receive quarterly student progress reports as well as an end of year summary report and recommendations. I cannot replace the daily supervision of your child’s studies. I can make your job easier by suggestions, email and live help to the student, lesson planning for you, correcting work and grading tests and quizzes, providing the interactive discussions, and recommending and sending helps to you. But you must not relinquish your role as supervisor, advisor, motivator, and encourager. I look forward to getting to know your child this coming fall! It’s going to be a great year! God Bless, Mrs. Harrison |
