For Parents and Guardians
Dear parents and guardians,
I am excited to work with you and your teen this trimester! Here is some information that will help you to support your teen's success in my class.
Teaching Philosophy: I believe all students can learn if given adequate time and support. I know that all of my students will not be on the same level socially, emotionally and academically, and it may take different approaches to help each student be successful. I will consider your teen as an individual with unique needs. I have high expectations for my students in terms of academics, behavior, and responsibility, but I never hold grudges and I am always willing to work with a student who has made mistakes but wants to turn things around. I believe that it is easier for teens to be successful in school when they have the support of both their families and their teachers. When others believe in them, it's easier for them to believe in themselves. I will do my best in my role in that partnership to help your teen to be successful.
Communication: I want to stay in touch with you! For the fastest response, please contact me by e-mail. I check my e-mail as soon as I get to school, before I leave, and multiple times throughout the school day. If messages are sent after 4 pm, I may not get to them until the following morning, but I will get back to you within 24 hours (please allow 48 hours on weekends as I may not always be near a computer). For emergency situations, or situations where you would prefer to communicate by phone, please call the Lee High School office at (616) 452-3296 to have a secretary transfer your call directly to my classroom. Please understand that I may be teaching a class when you call and may need to reschedule our conversation for my prep hour or after school.
Attendance: Attendance is critical for your teen's success in my class. However, sometimes illness and other situations arise. If you would like to request assignments for your teen, please contact the Lee Middle & High School attendance secretary at (616) 452-3296 x3321. I will deliver assignments to the office for you or another family member to pick up so that your teen can work on them at home.
Extended Absences: If your family is planning an extended vacation or other trip, please contact the attendance secretary before the trip. There is an important form that your teen must fill out to communicate the planned absence to all of his or her teachers. This helps us to prepare assignments for your teen to take with him or her, so that he or she is not feeling so behind after returning to school.
Grades: Parents can check students' grades using the Infinite Campus Parent Portal. If you do not have a username or password for the Parent Portal, please contact the Lee High School office for assistance.
Missing Assignments/Tests: If a student has not completed an assignment or test, I will make a note of it in Infinite Campus (our online gradebook). An "M" next to a grade means the assignment is missing, an "I" means an assignment was incomplete (not finished by the student), and an "L" means the assignment was turned in late. Assignments with no grades (blank) are in progress or are planned for upcoming lessons; I have just entered the name of the assignment into the gradebook in advance so that I am prepared to enter scores later.
Making Up Missing or Incomplete Work: If a student is struggling with responsibility or time management, I am here to support both you and your teen to help him or her turn those habits around. I am willing to provide new copies of missing assignments to students who need them, and also offer free after-school tutoring as part of Lee High School's Elevate program. I do not normally accept incomplete assignments for grading; I may mark an assignment as "Incomplete" in the gradebook as a note that I've seen it, but will not enter a grade for the assignment until it has been completely finished. I will not normally accept missing work after the Friday before exam week. This is so that I have enough time to grade exams and submit information for report cards on time; getting a pile of missing work from a student at the very last minute would make it difficult for me to meet that required deadline.
Elevate: Elevate is a free after-school tutoring program for all students at Lee Middle & High School. All students are welcome to attend Elevate to work on homework or get extra help from a teacher. Normally, attending Elevate is optional. However, if a student is failing a core class (math, science, English, or social studies), he or she is required to attend Elevate for that subject at least once during the week. The list of high school students who are required to attend Elevate is posted on the door to the counseling office on Mondays; it is a student's responsibility to check the list and find out if his or her name is listed.
--> Elevate for English Language Arts is offered Monday-Thursday from 3-4 pm. A student can attend Elevate with any of the high school English teachers. My Elevate day is Thursday. I allow students to use my classroom phone if they need to call home to let parents or other family members know that they have Elevate.
--> If a student does not attend a required Elevate session, he or she will be assigned Friday School (a 3-hour-long, after-school detention held on Friday afternoons). If the student does not attend Friday School, he or she will be suspended out of school when he or she returns to school the following week.
What's happening in class? If you're interested in learning more about your teen's English class with me, please feel free to explore this website. You will find information about what your teen is studying, the syllabus for each course I teach (which lists requirements and grading policies), and other hints and tips that will help you to become more informed about your teen's learning. E-mail me if you have a suggestion for something you'd like me to include on my website.
With my very best regards,
~Mrs. Lisa Britten~
I am excited to work with you and your teen this trimester! Here is some information that will help you to support your teen's success in my class.
Teaching Philosophy: I believe all students can learn if given adequate time and support. I know that all of my students will not be on the same level socially, emotionally and academically, and it may take different approaches to help each student be successful. I will consider your teen as an individual with unique needs. I have high expectations for my students in terms of academics, behavior, and responsibility, but I never hold grudges and I am always willing to work with a student who has made mistakes but wants to turn things around. I believe that it is easier for teens to be successful in school when they have the support of both their families and their teachers. When others believe in them, it's easier for them to believe in themselves. I will do my best in my role in that partnership to help your teen to be successful.
Communication: I want to stay in touch with you! For the fastest response, please contact me by e-mail. I check my e-mail as soon as I get to school, before I leave, and multiple times throughout the school day. If messages are sent after 4 pm, I may not get to them until the following morning, but I will get back to you within 24 hours (please allow 48 hours on weekends as I may not always be near a computer). For emergency situations, or situations where you would prefer to communicate by phone, please call the Lee High School office at (616) 452-3296 to have a secretary transfer your call directly to my classroom. Please understand that I may be teaching a class when you call and may need to reschedule our conversation for my prep hour or after school.
Attendance: Attendance is critical for your teen's success in my class. However, sometimes illness and other situations arise. If you would like to request assignments for your teen, please contact the Lee Middle & High School attendance secretary at (616) 452-3296 x3321. I will deliver assignments to the office for you or another family member to pick up so that your teen can work on them at home.
Extended Absences: If your family is planning an extended vacation or other trip, please contact the attendance secretary before the trip. There is an important form that your teen must fill out to communicate the planned absence to all of his or her teachers. This helps us to prepare assignments for your teen to take with him or her, so that he or she is not feeling so behind after returning to school.
Grades: Parents can check students' grades using the Infinite Campus Parent Portal. If you do not have a username or password for the Parent Portal, please contact the Lee High School office for assistance.
Missing Assignments/Tests: If a student has not completed an assignment or test, I will make a note of it in Infinite Campus (our online gradebook). An "M" next to a grade means the assignment is missing, an "I" means an assignment was incomplete (not finished by the student), and an "L" means the assignment was turned in late. Assignments with no grades (blank) are in progress or are planned for upcoming lessons; I have just entered the name of the assignment into the gradebook in advance so that I am prepared to enter scores later.
Making Up Missing or Incomplete Work: If a student is struggling with responsibility or time management, I am here to support both you and your teen to help him or her turn those habits around. I am willing to provide new copies of missing assignments to students who need them, and also offer free after-school tutoring as part of Lee High School's Elevate program. I do not normally accept incomplete assignments for grading; I may mark an assignment as "Incomplete" in the gradebook as a note that I've seen it, but will not enter a grade for the assignment until it has been completely finished. I will not normally accept missing work after the Friday before exam week. This is so that I have enough time to grade exams and submit information for report cards on time; getting a pile of missing work from a student at the very last minute would make it difficult for me to meet that required deadline.
Elevate: Elevate is a free after-school tutoring program for all students at Lee Middle & High School. All students are welcome to attend Elevate to work on homework or get extra help from a teacher. Normally, attending Elevate is optional. However, if a student is failing a core class (math, science, English, or social studies), he or she is required to attend Elevate for that subject at least once during the week. The list of high school students who are required to attend Elevate is posted on the door to the counseling office on Mondays; it is a student's responsibility to check the list and find out if his or her name is listed.
--> Elevate for English Language Arts is offered Monday-Thursday from 3-4 pm. A student can attend Elevate with any of the high school English teachers. My Elevate day is Thursday. I allow students to use my classroom phone if they need to call home to let parents or other family members know that they have Elevate.
--> If a student does not attend a required Elevate session, he or she will be assigned Friday School (a 3-hour-long, after-school detention held on Friday afternoons). If the student does not attend Friday School, he or she will be suspended out of school when he or she returns to school the following week.
What's happening in class? If you're interested in learning more about your teen's English class with me, please feel free to explore this website. You will find information about what your teen is studying, the syllabus for each course I teach (which lists requirements and grading policies), and other hints and tips that will help you to become more informed about your teen's learning. E-mail me if you have a suggestion for something you'd like me to include on my website.
With my very best regards,
~Mrs. Lisa Britten~
