Students and parents are continuing to ask for extra credit to improve grades, especially as we get closer to the end of each marking period. It is my policy not to give extra credit assignments.  Students have numerous opportunities throughout the quarter to improve their grades by completing homework (20% of  a student's average), participating in class,  doing well on open book/note quizzes, and studying hard for closed book/note quizzes and tests.  I am available to help students determine the best way to pull up grades, but I will not give extra assignments to improve their averages. 

For both 7th and 8th grades, we will have "Current Events" Friday.  Each student is required to bring in two articles and summaries of the articles each Friday, dated within the past month, from either a newspaper, magazine, internet, etc.  Each article must be five paragraphs long and the summary of each article must be one paragraph long.  Seventh grade students are required to bring in one article about Virginia and one article about the United States.  Eighth grade students are required to bring in one article about the United States and one article about the world.  Articles may not be pulled from the sports section or entertainment section.  Please refrain from choosing articles that contain violent and  gruesome details.   I AM NO LONGER ACCEPTING ARTICLES WITHOUT SUMMARIES AND SUMMARIES WITHOUT ARTICLES.  YOU MUST HAVE AN ARTICLE WITH A SUMMARY TO RECEIVE CREDIT; OTHERWISE, IT IS A ZERO.  TO RECEIVE FULL CREDIT EACH WEEK, YOU MUST BRING IN TWO ARTICLES WITH TWO SUMMARIES.

Any student that is absent needs to come to me upon returning to school to ask what assignments he/she may have missed.  This is a good way to teach students responsibility as they grow closer in their relationships with the Lord.

Students will no longer be required to get "D" and "F" papers signed.  Parents will need to view My Gradebook to stay current with your child's grades.

Effective immediately, I am no longer accepting late homework.  If a student is in class the day an assignment is due, it must be turned in to me when requested or the student will receive a zero.  If a student is at school the day an assignment is due and misses my class, he/she must turn in the assignment before he/she leaves for the day or the student will receive a zero.  If a student is absent the day an assignment is due, I will accept it the day the student returns to school.  Don't forget - PER THE HANDBOOK, (page 26) a student will receive a detention if he/she receives four zeros for failure to complete homework.