September 30

Social 30-1

I did a review of the boom and bust cycle today, and the Keynesian economic response at the various stages of the cycle. I also told you to read over the Keynesian economic theory reading in your Social 30-1 study booklet. You should also read the Using Monetary and Fiscal Policy to Regulate the Business Cycle and see if you can find the mistake in the reading. We also listening to the NPR podcast on the Obama administration application of Keynesian economics to the American economy.

IB 20 HOTA

You wrote your Colonial Period OPVL document analysis assignment and test today. For some reason it took some of you the entire period. Please bring your History of the Americas textbook to class tomorrow.

September 29

Social 30-1

You got your Unit 1 WRA II Essays back today. If you want to talk to me about your essay and how you can improve for the next one, please come and see me in tutorial. We watched a couple of videos from the BBC 20th Century History series, one was called "Boom & Bust" and the other was "FDR and the New Deal". As you watched these videos, you should have taken notes on them. There is a film study sheet in your Social 30-1 study booklets on "Boom & Bust" (page 55), on the back side of this page you should have written your notes on FDR and the New Deal. Please remember that your Chapter 4 Key Terms and Questions are due tomorrow.

IB 20 HOTA

We continued our examination of the American Revolution today. I also talked about the format of tomorrow's test. You will have to write an OPVL document analysis of two historical sources tomorrow, this will be a timed portion of the test, as you will have 15 minutes to write this section. Once the class has handed in the OPVL analysis you will get the matching and mapping section of the test. You will then hand this section in and receive the multiple choice section of the test. I gave you a handout on OPVL document analysis, and went over how to do this type of historical analysis again.

September 26

Social 30-1

Since my Period 2 class had a visit from the guidance department, I gave them the remainder of class time to work on their Chapter 4 Key Terms and Questions. The Period 3 class had the entire period to work on the Chapter 4 work. Please remember that your Chapter 4 Key Terms and Questions are due on Tuesday, September 30th.

IB 20 HOTA

We had another discussion about the international response to ISIS at the beginning of class today. We also watched the "Revolution" episode of America: The Story of Us. We'll watch another video on Monday from the U.S. History series on the American Revolution. Please remember that you'll be writing a test on the Colonial Period and the establishment of the Thirteen Colonies. This test will have a mixed format: matching, a map section, a multiple choice section and an OPVL document analysis assignment. You will write this test on Tuesday, September 30th.

September 24

Social 30-1

I finished off the lecture on "Responding to Classical Liberalism" today. You had the remainder of the period to work on the activities in your study booklet in the "Philosophies of Industrialism". These activities are due tomorrow. Your Chapter 4 Key Terms and Questions are due on Tuesday, September 30th, so start chipping away at that homework.

IB 20 HOTA

We finished off the Thirteen Colonies presentations today. We'll pick up where we left off on the American Revolution tomorrow.

September 23

Social 30-1

I did some review of concepts that I've already taught you in the course, ranging from the 19th century political spectrum, 20th century political spectrum, the economic-political grid, the economic spectrum, the basic economic values of a command economy, a market economy and a mixed economy, and how each system answers the basic economic questions. We then moved on to the business cycle and the "economic snapshots" of the various stages of the cycle, including boom, recession, depression and recovery. I then started a PowerPoint presentation called "Responding to Classical Liberalism", and while I went through this lecture you should have added notes to the chart in your study booklet. I'll continue this presentation tomorrow.

IB 20 HOTA

We started our Thirteen Colonies presentations today, and we should be able to finish them off tomorrow, especially if groups set up quickly. Please remember to add your PowerPoint presentations and links to your Prezis to the wiki. I shared the page with you where you're supposed to load your presentations and links. 

September 22

Social 30-1

I continued on with "The Development of Classical Liberalism" PowerPoint lecture. You have to read over/study the section on the French Revolution and the Industrial Revolution in this PowerPoint presentation. I gave you some notes today on economics, so if you missed class, you need to get the notes from a classmate. We covered basic economic problem (scarcity), basic economic systems and their economic values, and how the various economic systems answer the basic economic questions. We also talked about the laws of supply and demand.

IB 20 HOTA

You need to study the French and Indian War PowerPoint presentation that is on the wiki. I started the American Revolution (I jumped the gun a little bit, and should have discussed the French and Indian War), we'll come back to this on either Wednesday or Thursday. Tomorrow will be spent doing the Thirteen Colonies presentations, and a bit on Wednesday.

September 18

Social 30-1

You got the results back for your Unit 1 Final Exam today. I started the PowerPoint lecture on "The Development of Classical Liberalism". I'll finish this off on Monday. Your homework is to complete the Chapter 3 Key Terms and Questions (make sure that you read the chapter).

IB 20 HOTA

We talked a little bit about developments in the U.S. foreign policy reaction to ISIS current issues subject. The next time we'll do this is on Friday, September 26th. We also started watching "America: The Story of Us". We will come back to this episode to watch the section on the American Revolution. Please prepare for your Thirteen Colonies presentations that will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday of next week.

September 17

Social 30-1

You wrote your Unit 1 Final Exam today in class. You will get the results back tomorrow for this test. We'll be moving on to Unit 2 material tomorrow.

IB 20 HOTA

Most of today's class was spent doing research for your Thirteen Colonies presentation. These presentations will take place on Tuesday (23rd) and Wednesday (24th) of next week. I also want to remind you that since we have a short week (no school Friday) we'll be dealing with our current issue tomorrow: American foreign policy response to ISIS. Please find/collect sources (newspaper clippings, web articles, political cartoons, photographs, etc.) and bring them to class tomorrow.

September 16

Social 30-1

You wrote your Unit 1 WRA II Essay today. You had the entire period to complete it, and hopefully I'll be reading some quality essays. Your Unit 1 Final Exam is tomorrow, please see the study guide below. I also recommend going through the Unit 1 Review Prezi, you can find this prezi at the bottom of the Unit 1 page on the wiki.

Unit 1 Final Exam Study Guide:

The Unit 1 Final is a 55 question multiple choice test. It will be written on Wednesday, September 17th. Make sure that you study the following:

• Chapter 1 and 2 Key Terms (please see the Chapter 1-2 Test Study Guide for a list of terms) 
• Study the Ideology Notes (Black Gold School District PDF file, on the Social 30-1 wiki, and in your study booklets, pages 12-17)
• Review Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau (view of the nature of human beings, how society should be organized, people's role in society; notes on page 3 of your study booklet)
• Study the 19th Century Political Spectrum
• Study the 20th Century Political spectrum
• Study the political-economic grid
• Know the values and ideas associated with the various ideologies (on the 19th century and 20th century spectrums)
• Study the Individualism and Collectivism booklet that is in your study booklets (pages 4-7)
• you need to be able to apply your knowledge and understanding of these concepts/ideas
• there are a lot of source-based questions on this exam! (there are references to Nazi Germany, the USSR)

IB 20 HOTA

You watched a video from the U.S. History series called "The Era of Colonization". While you were watching this video, you should have been taking notes on the topics covered. If you missed today's class, you need to get these notes from a classmate. I also wen through some mnemonic devices to remember the Thirteen Colonies: Never Make Cynthia Run (New England colonies), New Pennies New Dimes (Mid-Atlantic or Middle colonies), My Vehicle Needs Some Gas (Southern colonies). I also assigned you duotangs with some supplementary material from the textbook The United States and Its People. The pages in the duotang cover the colonial period of American history. I also assigned you a colony to research for your Thirteen Colonies presentations. Please come to Room 111 tomorrow, and we'll go down to the Library together to start the research on your assigned colony. Please make sure that you acquaint yourself with the information that students need to take down to complete their charts.
This is a short week (it's a system-wide PD day on Friday), so we're going to revisit our current issues topic on Thursday, namely the U.S. foreign policy response to ISIS. Please look for news articles, political cartoons on the topic. For example, I found the following cartoon:

September 15

Social 30-1

Today's class was spent preparing for tomorrow's essay. For those of you that missed Friday's class and today's class: it is your responsibility to get ready for the essay. You need the essay question sheet! The essay question sheet is the only piece of notes that you're allowed to have with you in the computer labs as you write the essay. If you still don't this essay question sheet, you need to send me an e-mail requesting the essay question sheet. I will send it to you. I will also post the essay question sheets on the wiki under WRA II Essays. You are only allowed to handwrite notes on the front side of the essay question sheet under the dotted line. Please go directly to the Blenheim Room tomorrow. Don't forget that you have your Unit 1 Final Exam on Wednesday, please see the study guide here.

IB 20 HOTA

I finished off the "Colonization of the Americas" PowerPoint presentation today that I started on Thursday. Your "Seeds of Change" assignment is due tomorrow. We'll be looking at the colonization of the Thirteen Colonies for the next few days, including a research project and presentation on the topic.

September 12

Social 30-1

You wrote your Chapter 1-2 Test today, you should get the results back on Monday. Speaking of Monday, we're moving the Unit 1 Final Exam to Wednesday. The Unit 1 WRA II Essay is still on Tuesday, September 16th. In Monday's class we'll go through detailed essay preparation for the Unit 1 WRA II Essay. I do recommend that you check out the sample essays on the Social 30-1 wiki under WRA II Essays. I'll try to add some more sample essays tonight. I think you should finish watching "Sicko" too (you find this on the wiki under Unit 1). I also think that you should check out the PBS documentary "Sick Around the World" which compares healthcare systems. The companion website also contains a lot of valuable information too, so I would poke around the website. Please check out the Unit 1 Final Exam study guide below.

Unit 1 Final Exam Study Guide:

The Unit 1 Final is a 55 question multiple choice test. It will be written on Wednesday, September 17th. Make sure that you study the following:

• Chapter 1 and 2 Key Terms (please see the Chapter 1-2 Test Study Guide for a list of terms) 
• Study the Ideology Notes (Black Gold School District PDF file, on the Social 30-1 wiki, and in your study booklets, pages 12-17)
• Review Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau (view of the nature of human beings, how society should be organized, people's role in society; notes on page 3 of your study booklet)
• Study the 19th Century Political Spectrum
• Study the 20th Century Political spectrum
• Study the political-economic grid
• Know the values and ideas associated with the various ideologies (on the 19th century and 20th century spectrums)
• Study the Individualism and Collectivism booklet that is in your study booklets (pages 4-7)
• you need to be able to apply your knowledge and understanding of these concepts/ideas
• there are a lot of source-based questions on this exam! (there are references to Nazi Germany, the USSR)

IB 20 HOTA

Today we focused in a current issue that we'll be examining over the course of the next month. I had you read an Associated Press summary article on ISIS, and the American response to this threat in Syria and Iraq. I also showed you a couple of videos, one from the Wall Street Journal and one from BBC News.

We also split into small groups to do some analysis of editorial cartoons as well. I gave you a sheet to help you track the developments of this issue for the next month. One thing that I didn't get a chance to cover was very recent developments on this issue, namely the Obama administration's announcement that they would be entering into a major counter-terrorism campaign against ISIS. Please check out the speech highlights from the CBC News website (you'll find the video on the left-hand side of the page). Please remember that the "Seeds of Change" assignment is due on Tuesday, September 16th.

September 11

Social 30-1

We continued watching "Sicko" today. Unfortunately, we were unable to finish the film. I'm going to post part of the film here on the blog too. I have posted the entire film on the wiki (it's broken into four parts from YouTube) under Unit 1. I did a homework check on your Chapter 2 Key Terms and Questions today as well. Please remember that your Chapter 1-2 Test is tomorrow. Please see the study guide below. Your Unit 1 Final is on Monday, please see the study guide here.

Chapter 1-2 Test Study Guide:

The Chapter 1-2 Test is on Friday, September 12th. It is a mixed format test, it will have a matching section and a short/long answer section. Here is what you should review/study for this test:

Chapter 1 and 2 Key Terms/Concepts:

• ideology
• Thomas Hobbes
• John Locke
• Jean-Jacques Rousseau
• representative democracy
• individualism
• collectivism
• private property
• public property
• ideology
• radical
• liberal
• moderate
• conservative
• reactionary
• communism
• socialism
• liberalism
• conservatism
• fascism
• adherence to collective norms
• economic freedom
• economic equality
• rule of law
• competition
• individual rights and freedoms
• cooperation
• self-interest
• Adam Smith

Other Study Tips:

• you must know the 19th century political spectrum and the 20th century political spectrum
• know similarities and differences between communism and fascism
• what are the differences between communism and socialism
• be able to label political and economic spectrums and the values associated with these ideologies
• be able to label the political-economic grid and know examples of the ideologies in the quadrants (study the Ideology Notes and the notes I gave you in class)
• know the differences between individualism and collectivism, be able to apply your understanding of these concepts
• know the key ideas associated with Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau (for example, view of the nature of human beings, etc.)

IB 20 HOTA

We finished watching the PBS documentary today called "When Worlds Collide" today. We started watching the PBS documentary "When Worlds Collide". I also started a PowerPoint lecture on "The European Colonization of the Americas" which I will get back to next week. Tomorrow, we'll be exploring current issues in greater detail.

Please remember that your "Seeds of Change" assignment where you will have to investigate an Enlightenment era philosopher. As I said in class today, I was thinking about rock stars, movie stars and athletes today and wondering why Enlightenment thinkers aren't as well known as some of them. After all, some of these Enlightenment thinkers have made greater contributions to society, yet they don't enjoy the fame and notoriety as some these entertainment and sports celebrities. We're going to change that. I gave you some ideas in which direction this creative project could go (trading cards, magazine cover stories, Prezis, infographics, website--I changed my mind, what can I say?), show me how creative you are! Just make sure that you present the information in a concise, fun, informative way, and that your project meets all of the requirements, which are as follows:

• Biographical Information (3 marks)
• Area(s) of Work (what fields did they work in?) (2 marks)
• Ideas Introduced (2 marks)
• Aspect of medieval society that they challenged (2 marks)
• Were they influential in their own time? (5 marks)
• What were their contributions to modern society? (3 marks)
• Mechanics, spelling, grammar, and list of sources cited using a recognized citation system (APA, MLA, Chicago) (3 marks)

The "Seeds of Change" assignment is due on Tuesday, September 16th.

September 10

Social 30-1

I picked where I left off yesterday talking about argumentation and evidence for position papers. I also went through how to structure your first paragraph of your essays. I STRONGLY recommend that you check out the sample essays on the wiki under WRA II Essays. We also started watching the movie "Sicko". We probably won't be able to finish "Sicko" tomorrow, but we'll watch as much as we can. Please remember that your Chapter 2 Key Terms and Questions are due tomorrow. You have your Chapter 1-2 Test on Friday, please see the study guide here. Your Unit 1 Final Exam is on Monday, please see the study guide here.

IB 20 HOTA

You wrote your Enlightenment Thinkers Quiz today in class. We started watching the PBS documentary "When Worlds Collide". We'll continue watching the documentary tomorrow. I also gave you the "Seeds of Change" assignment where you will have to investigate an Enlightenment era philosopher. As I said in class today, I was thinking about rock stars, movie stars and athletes today and wondering why Enlightenment thinkers aren't as well known as some of them. After all, some of these Enlightenment thinkers have made greater contributions to society, yet they don't enjoy the fame and notoriety as some these entertainment and sports celebrities. We're going to change that. I gave you some ideas in which direction this creative project could go (trading cards, magazine cover stories, Prezis, infographics, website--I changed my mind, what can I say?), show me how creative you are! Just make sure that you present the information in a concise, fun, informative way, and that your project meets all of the requirements, which are as follows:

• Biographical Information (3 marks)
• Area(s) of Work (what fields did they work in?) (2 marks)
• Ideas Introduced (2 marks)
• Aspect of medieval society that they challenged (2 marks)
• Were they influential in their own time? (5 marks)
• What were their contributions to modern society? (3 marks)
• Mechanics, spelling, grammar, and list of sources cited using a recognized citation system (APA, MLA, Chicago) (3 marks)

The "Seeds of Change" assignment is due on Tuesday, September 16th.

September 9

Social 30-1

I continued where I left off yesterday with the economic-political grid. We also talked about techniques of dictatorship. We also talked about the "recipe for success" on Written Response Assignment II essays, the position paper. You are writing the Unit 1 WRA II essay on Tuesday, September 16th (one week from today). We did a little brainstorming for what arguments you would use to convince a friend to attend Churchill. Tonight's assignment is come up with evidence for the argument that SWC has a tradition of academic excellence. What arguments would you use to support this argument? Create a bullet list of evidence ideas for this argument. We'll talk more about the essay tomorrow. Also, you have to complete the individualism vs. collectivism booklets from your Social 30-1 study booklets, this should not take you too long to complete. I will be checking this tomorrow in class. Your Chapter 2 Key Terms and Questions are due on Thursday. Your Chapter 1-2 Test is on Friday, September 12th. Please see the study guide for the test here. You also have your Unit 1 Final Exam on Monday, September 15th, please check out the study guide here.

IB 20 HOTA

We finished off the "Age of Enlightenment" PowerPoint presentation today. Please remember that you will be writing an Enlightenment Thinkers Quiz tomorrow. Please see the brief study guide for this quiz below. I also introduced you to the principles of individualism (PRICES) today. Tomorrow, after the Enlightenment Thinkers Quiz I will be introducing you to an assignment called the "Seeds of Change" and assigning you an Enlightenment thinker to investigate in greater detail.

Enlightenment Thinkers Quiz Study Guide:

This is a matching quiz, and it is on Wednesday, September 10th. Please make sure that you focus your review on the following Enlightenment thinkers:

• John Locke
• Montesquieu
• Rousseau
• Adam Smith
• Francois Quesnay
• Jean-Jacques Rousseau
• Voltaire

Please make sure that you know their views on the nature of human beings, quotes attributed to them, their main ideas/key beliefs, and their major works (what books, articles they wrote).

September 8

I'm really sorry for not posting on the blog on Friday. I had a very busy Friday after school with Model UN, I had my niece's wedding on Saturday, and a friend's funeral on Sunday. It just slipped my mind...

Social 30-1

I did a homework check on your Chapter 1 Key Terms and Questions today at the beginning of class. Your Chapter 2 Key Terms and Questions are due on Wednesday, so I'd start working on them tonight if I were you. I went over the 19th century political spectrum, and the 20th century spectrum today. I also talked about characteristics of a command economy too. Tomorrow, I'll pick up where I left off today, discussing bending the political spectrum when you introduce labels of political freedom versus political control. On Friday, you'll be writing your Chapter 1-2 Test, and one week from today, you'll be writing your Unit 1 Final Exam. Please see the study guides for both tests below.

Chapter 1-2 Test Study Guide:

The Chapter 1-2 Test is on Friday, September 12th. It is a mixed format test, it will have a matching section and a short/long answer section. Here is what you should review/study for this test:

Chapter 1 and 2 Key Terms/Concepts:

• ideology
• Thomas Hobbes
• John Locke
• Jean-Jacques Rousseau
• representative democracy
• individualism
• collectivism
• private property
• public property
• ideology
• radical
• liberal
• moderate
• conservative
• reactionary
• communism
• socialism
• liberalism
• conservatism
• fascism
• adherence to collective norms
• economic freedom
• economic equality
• rule of law
• competition
• individual rights and freedoms
• cooperation
• self-interest
• Adam Smith

Other Study Tips:

• you must know the 19th century political spectrum and the 20th century political spectrum
• know similarities and differences between communism and fascism
• what are the differences between communism and socialism
• be able to label political and economic spectrums and the values associated with these ideologies
• be able to label the political-economic grid and know examples of the ideologies in the quadrants (study the Ideology Notes and the notes I gave you in class)
• know the differences between individualism and collectivism, be able to apply your understanding of these concepts
• know the key ideas associated with Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau (for example, view of the nature of human beings, etc.)

Unit 1 Final Exam Study Guide:

The Unit 1 Final is a 55 question multiple choice test. It will be written on Monday, September 15th. Make sure that you study the following:

• Chapter 1 and 2 Key Terms (please see the Chapter 1-2 Test Study Guide for a list of terms) 
• Study the Ideology Notes (Black Gold School District PDF file, on the IB 30 wiki, and in your study booklets, pages 12-17)
• Review Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau (view of the nature of human beings, how society should be organized, people's role in society; notes on page 3 of your study booklet)
• Study the 19th Century Political Spectrum
• Study the 20th Century Political spectrum
• Study the political-economic grid
• Know the values and ideas associated with the various ideologies (on the 19th century and 20th century spectrums)
• Study the Individualism and Collectivism booklet that is in your study booklets (pages 4-7)
• you need to be able to apply your knowledge and understanding of these concepts/ideas
• there are a lot of source-based questions on this exam! (there are references to Nazi Germany, the USSR)

IB 20 HOTA

We talked a little bit about your personal timelines. I started Unit 2 The Development of Western European Society. This will also be a very short unit. Despite the fact that our region of study is the Americas, we need to cover the Enlightenment to hit Alberta Social Studies curriculum outcomes, and also because it will lead to the American Enlightenment and the American Revolution in a subsequent unit of study. I will finish off this lecture tomorrow. You have a quiz on the Enlightenment thinkers that I will be introducing today and tomorrow. This is a matching quiz that will happen on Wednesday, please see the study guide below.

Enlightenment Thinkers Quiz Study Guide:

This is a matching quiz, and it is on Wednesday, September 10th. Please make sure that you focus your review on the following Enlightenment thinkers:

• John Locke
• Montesquieu
• Rousseau
• Adam Smith
• Francois Quesnay
• Jean-Jacques Rousseau
• Voltaire

Please make sure that you know their views on the nature of human beings, quotes attributed to them, their main ideas/key beliefs, and their major works (what books, articles they wrote).

September 4

Social 30-1

I gave you your Social 30-1 study booklets today. I also went through a PowerPoint lecture called "Introducing Government". You can find this presentation on the Social 30-1 wiki under Unit 1. While I went through this lecture you should have taken notes on Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau on the chart in your study booklets. Your Chapter 1 Key Terms and Questions are due on Monday, so I recommended you complete the key terms tonight to cut down on your homework. Your friendly letter of introduction is due tomorrow in class.

IB 20 HOTA

I went through a PowerPoint presentation called "An Introduction to IB History". You can find this lecture on the IB 20 wiki under Unit 1 Historiography. You should also print off the following documents from the wiki (make sure that you read and annotate them):

• 8Cs of Historical Analysis
• Primary Sources vs. Secondary Sources
• Why Study History? (An Introduction to History)

Please remember that your reflective essay is due tomorrow.

When we were talking about the assassination of JFK and historical interpretation, I also started talking about how some people think that the Apollo moon landing was a hoax. I said that I'd seen a video on the subject and how the conspiracy theories can be refuted by looking at how difficult it would have been to fake the lunar landing, I'm embedding the video below:

September 3

Sorry for the later post tonight...

Social 30-1

We didn't start with course content today, instead I introduced the scope and sequence of the course by going through the course outline with you, going through classroom rules and expectations, and giving you some key dates for the course. I'll will be updating the information under the Social 30-1 tab here on the blog. Also, send me an e-mail message or talk to me in class if you're having trouble getting on to the Social 30-1 wiki. Please remember that you have a letter of introduction due on Friday. Some topics that should be included in your letter might include:

• family
• extracurricular activities
• hobbies
• sports
• movies, films, books that you enjoy and why
• realistic academic goals for this school year, and for this course
• what are your post-secondary plans?

IB 20 HOTA

We will start dealing with course content in tomorrow's class. Please make sure that you complete the paperwork that I gave you in class today: the IB academic policy booklet (make sure that it's signed on the outside cover and on the inside as well), and the student information sheet. I wanted to give you an idea of what IB 20 History of the Americas will be like, and what the scope and sequence of the course will be. I also talked a little bit about the course outline, and evaluation of IB 20 HOTA, and what topics we'll be covering in Grade 11 and 12 History HL. Please remember that your reflective essay is due on Friday.

Classroom Rules and Expectations

Classroom Rules/Expectations of Behavior:

I think that I have very simple, straight-forward classroom rules and expectations. I will be discussing these in class tomorrow, but here's a quick recap:

• Please be on-task during classroom time (visit later)
• No cell phones (as per school policy; unless otherwise instructed); if your parents really need to get in touch with you, they should call the office. Please don't bring cell phones to class, or if you do, please remember to turn them off!
• Please don't listen to music on MP3 players or iPods during class time, unless I have given you permission to do so.
• Be polite. You should be listening during class lectures or when your classmates have questions to ask (you might have some of the same questions).
• Be on time. If you are late, please enter the classroom quietly and apologize for being late. If the door is locked, I have started the lecture or there is a class presentation in progress; I will open the door and let you in as soon as possible.
• Clean up after yourselves. Please don't leave garbage on the floor. I like my classroom fairly neat and tidy.
• Don't bring junk food to class. Healthy snacks only. Or you could always wait until lunchtime.
• You may chew gum in class on the following conditions: don't chew like a cow, I don't want to see the gum or hear you chewing it, that's just gross.
• Late assignments: 10% is deducted for every day an assignment is late. If you have an excused absence, then there is some flexibility with this rule.
• Please make sure that a parent or guardian calls the school to have absences excused. If you miss a test due to an unexcused absence you will be assigned a mark of "zero".
• I will be contacting parent/guardians if you have unexcused absences.
• Please adhere to the school's academic honesty policy which is on the back of your course outlines.
• Please do take holidays or time off in January, because this could potentially interfere with Diploma Exams or school-based exams.

Posting on the Blog:

Here are some simple rules that I have established for using the blog, and some other informational items:

• Please post on the blog anonymously.
• If you feel the need to identify yourself, or clarify which grade you're in, please use your initials and your class and section (for example, K.G. in Social 20-3).
• Some of you may have your own Blogger accounts. Please don't post on this blog using your Blogger ID, otherwise you may have people visiting your blog that you may not want to see what you're posting.
• Please be courteous, polite and respectful when posting comments on the blog. Don't be rude to your classmates on the blog.
• Please be patient with my response time.
• Please post comments and questions on the blog prior to 10 p.m.
• Between 6-8 p.m. I am usually not online.
• Please do not post links to questionable materials.
• Inappropriate comments will be deleted. Please don't do this, it's a waste of my time, I could be doing more productive things, like answering questions that you may have