Seminar Syllabus

Welcome
Hello my name is Ms. Calhoun, I will be your Seminar teacher. Id like to welcome you to Denby High School and
I am very much looking forward to getting to know you.

Contact Information
Teacher Name: Chauntice Calhoun
Email: ccalhoun@detroitdenby.org
Website: www.calhounseminar.weebly.com
Room Number: 109

Class Description
This course focuses on ensuring you have the proper skills, habits, and mindsets to be successful this year and
beyond. We will spend considerable time building a strong team culture, getting to know one another and how we
can best support each other in order to achieve our goals. This class will be a partnership between all of us and we
will hold each other accountable in being the best possible versions of ourselves. Your general education teachers
will remain in constant communication with me so we can help set you up for success. Both in this classroom and
out, I expect all of us to constantly demonstrate the Denby core values of Respect, Relationships, Relevance,
Rigor and Responsibility.

Meeting Days:
Wednesdays - 9:45-11:20
Friday - 9:45-11:20

Supplies:

You are expected to bring the following items to Seminar every time we meet:
Notebook - This is where we will do most of our work.
Sharpened pencil, black/blue pen - Come prepared to work. I will only accept assignments written in pencil or
blue/black ink
Folder - You need a folder to hold all of your class handouts and materials

Expectations/Procedures:
Attendance: You are expected to attend class every day. If something happens and you miss a class, make sure
you find a classmate to catch up on what you missed, check our classroom website and locate the appropriate
materials in our absent folder. This year at Denby we are heavily prioritizing attendance and I will be the
contact for your attendance expectations in all of your classes.

Tardiness: You are expected to be in class before the bell rings. If late, you must have a signed pass with a
timestamp by another adult in the building in order to be excused.

Absences: If you have 12 absences or more in any class you will not be able to earn anything higher than a C. I will
be in constant communication with all of your other teachers in regards to your attendance and classroom progress.
If you miss class, Ill know about it. If you are tardy, Ill know that, too.

Late Work: YOUR LATE WORK POLICY

Homework: Occasionally there will be days where homework is assigned. All homework assignments are
due by the start of the next class period. Please turn in all homework assignments into your advisory basket.
I will collect and return all homework assignments by the next week.
Class-work: The majority of your class work this year will be group collaboration and independent
assignments. It is the expectation that all assignments given in class are completed and returned by the start
of the next class period.
Assessments: At the end of every unit you will be given a written assessment or performance task which will
ask you demonstrate what you have learned from the unit. These assessments are meant to serve as a check in
to make sure you are engaged with the material that we cover in seminar class and growing both as a person
and a student.. Assessments account for 10% of your overall grade which means this could be the difference
between passing or failing the class. Therefore, assessments should be taken as serious as an assessment in
any other core class.
Cheating: Any form of cheating will result in a Zero. Plagiarism will not be tolerated and will also result in a
Zero.

1.

Classroom Expectations: Students are expected to adhere to the following expectations everyday
Your Classroom Expectations

Grading:
Your performance in this course will be graded on a weighted system.

Classwork and Homework

60%

Personal Responsibility
Participation

30%

Assessments

10%

Classwork and homework are worth 60% of your total grade for seminar, therefore it is imperative that you are
doing the assignments both given to you in class and out of class. The assignments provided are meant to increase
skills that are necessary for you to be successful in all your other classes.
Participation in class with a willingness to engage in the material is extremely important and therefore is
worth 30% of your overall grade. Students should come to seminar each day willing to engage with their
classmates and participate in class discussions.
Finally, end of unit assessments are worth 10% of your overall grade and will be given every 5 to 8 weeks.

Bottom Line
Our goal in Seminar is to work together to ensure you are successful in all aspects of your GRADE LEVEL year.
Together we will work to ensure you have everything you need to be successful once you graduate from Denby High
School. As your Seminar teacher, I will work with you to make sure you are taking the necessary steps for
graduation, for college acceptance, completion of your senior portfolio, and for success beyond high school.
Additionally we will work to increase your writing and reading stamina which will be crucial in college and the
workforce, build study habits that are necessary for rigorous coursework, and complete projects that enhance the
community we work and go to school in.

Commitment
You and a parent/guardian must read and sign this document. Write down any questions you may have. Please return
this portion of the syllabus completely filled out. This is part of your first homework grade in the class.

I have read and understand the expectations of MS. Calhoun. By signing this document I understand that my
student/ I will be held accountable to these policies and procedures.

_____________________________________
(Print Student Name /Date)

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(Student Signature)

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(Student Phone Number)

_____________________________________
(Student Email)

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(Print Parent Name/ Date)

_____________________________________
(Parent Signature)

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(Parent Phone Number)

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(Parent Email)