AP US Government and Politics

Open House August 20, 2015

Introduction

Welcome to our Open house for the 2015-2016 school year! I am Michael Larose and I will be your child’s teacher for AP US Government and Politics over the next ninety school days.

Please take a moment to fill out the contact sheet with your child’s name and your name, address, email address, and phone number. 

Introduction

I graduated from Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania in 1994 with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Secondary Teacher Certification. I received my National Board Certification for Social Studies - History/Early Adolescence in 2003 and renewed it in 2013. I most recently finished my Masters in School Administration and Instructional Specialist degrees through East Carolina University in May, 2015. Go Pirates!   

 

Introduction

I have been teaching in Onslow County for the past 17 years (6 years at New Bridge Middle School) and am very excited to be starting my twelfth year here at White Oak. This semester I will be teaching American History I (both Honors and Standard) and AP US Government and Politics (GoPo).

Thank you for allowing me to be a positive role model and influence in your student’s life. I look forward to working with you to provide your son or daughter with a quality educational experience.  

 

Contact Information

You can contact me through my . . . .

email address: michael.larose@onslow.k12.nc.us

OR

school phone: (910) 455-1541

I will also be setting up a remind101 account for you to receive class information and alerts via text message from me. In addition, we will be using Edmodo for communication, educational, and informational purposes this year. Information about these will be sent home at a later date.

  

Emphasis

• AP GoPo is a one-semester college level course that will give students an analytical perspective on government and politics in the United States. This course includes both the study of general concepts used to interpret U.S. government and politics and the analysis of specific examples. It also requires familiarity with the various institutions, groups, beliefs, and ideas that constitute U.S. government and politics. Please note: Advance Placement courses are not intended to be college prep courses, but actual college courses.

Topics

1. Underpinnings of the US Government2. Political Beliefs & Behaviors3. Political Parties, Interest Groups, & Mass

Media4. Institutions of National Government5. Public Policy6. Civil Rights & Civil Liberties

Website

Perhaps the best way to see what is going on in your child’s class is to visit my extensive webpage which can be accessed from the school website . . . .

It has everything from pacing guides to weekly lesson plans to specific unit vocabulary, study guide, and activity files. Just follow the links to “Class Information” to explore a wealth of class information.

http://www.whiteoak.nc.och.schoolinsites.com/?PageName=TeacherPage&Page=1&StaffID=70149&iSection=Teachers&CorrespondingID=70149 

Website

If you desire  

Website

If you desire  

Materials

On a daily basis, each student will need the following items:

1 ½ inch or larger 3 ring binderloose-leaf notebook paper1 flash drive (minimum 1GB)sharpened #2 pencilsblue or black ink penshighlighters colored pencils

**Classroom donations are welcomed and appreciated: i.e., Kleenex, Clorox wipes, etc.

 

Grading Policy

Marking Period: All grades will be based on a percentage of 100. A student’s six-week average will be based on the following criteria:

Homework10%Classwork20%Quizzes 30%Major Assessments 40% 

Grading Policy

Semester: A student’s final semester average will be calculated based on the three marking period grades (75%) and a teacher made final exam (25%).

All students are also expected to sit for the AP US Government and Politics Exam on Tuesday, May 10, 2016 at 8am!

Attendance

Students with ten or less absences for the semester can receive credit for the class. No make up time will be scheduled. Excessive absenteeism (beyond the ten days) will only be addressed by school administration during a scheduled conference. Please refer to the student handbook for more details about the attendance policy.

Classroom Management Plan

Each student can succeed in this class if he/she follows these simple rules: 

Rules:

Be on time.Bring all necessary materials.Be active, engaged learners. Follow all directions the first time.Follow all WOHS rules.The teacher will dismiss the class.

 

Classroom Management Plan

Levels of Consequences:

Verbal warning.Chill out and parental contact.After school detention and parental contact.Office referral and parent conference.

**Depending on the frequency or severity of the infraction, consequences may not necessarily be issued in this order. 

Classroom Management Plan

Technology Rule: Use technology at appropriate times. Cell phones, iPods, and other devices should not be used for social media purposes during instructional time. Please be a digitally responsible student!

 

Finale

If you desire a one on one conference please sign up on the sheet provided.  

Thank you for showing interest in your student’s education! Have a great year!